Dining Services to bring in co-op market, shut down Tony`s stand

westerN FroNt
westernfrontonline.net | Friday, April 30, 2010 | Vol. 150, Iss. 9
the
Dining
Services
to bring in
co-op market,
shut down
Tony's stand
TONY’S COFFEE
The stand will be removed from
Haggard Hall and replaced with a
market, possibly supplied by the
Bellingham Food Co-op.
SPORTS
Gone fishin'
How to snag
the big one
> pg. 13
The smoothie joint will be relocated
to the new market in Haggard Hall.
STARBUCKS
The counter of Starbucks will expand to
replace Freshëns and will offer more options,
including frappuccinos.
PIZZA HUT
Pizza Hut will be removed from The Atrium
and replaced with a Sodexo-run
pizza-by-the-slice kiosk.
infographic by Cassy Meyers | WF
see > DINING, pg. 6
Furloughs threaten staff
Some university employees may be forced
to take extra 10 days of unpaid breaks
Samantha Sorden
& Chelsea Asplund | WF
G
Wait list
bloated
Humans
battle
zombie
hoards
> pg. 8 & 9
= FRESHËNS
U
TB testing
continues on
75 students
> pg. 3
Zombies
take over
campus
T
H
niversity Dining Services is planning major
changes for next year to many food-serving
locations, including The Atrium, Haggard Hall and
Wilson Library.
Tony’s Coffee will be removed from Haggard
Hall and replaced with a market that will provide
healthy, local and organic foods. The plan also includes removing Pizza Hut and Freshëns Smoothies from The Atrium.
Tony’s Coffee will still be served at multiple
locations near Red Square at Miller Market and at
a new bagel kiosk planned for Wilson Library and
Miller Market.
Tuberculosis
lingers
on campus
Arts & Life
EE
TR
S
IGH
Craig Batson | WF
NEWS
Western
admissions
grows list
> pg. 7
the BAGELRY
The Bellingham-based bagel shop will provide bagels to
the newly remodeled Wilson Library room 279, formerly
the Special Collections area. Originally, an Einstein Bros. Bagels
location was planned to open, but its menu was too large.
photo by Carey Rose | WF
Tax fails;
WTA plans
service cuts
ov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill into
law Tuesday that includes a requirement that state agencies save 10 days’
worth of operating and compensation costs in
their budgets for some employees. For Western, this means more than $1.1 million.
The bill allows colleges and universities
to decide how to meet this requirement, and
Western’s administration is still weighing
its options. One is to require all 10 furlough
days, which are unpaid days off, for some
employees.
An alternative would be to cut the necessary amount from salaries, or to create a
hybrid between cuts and furlough days, said
see > WTA, pg. 3
see > FURLOUGH, pg. 5
Breakdown of Western's Potential Budget Cuts
$1 million
personnel cuts
these cuts are made
through furloughs, layoffs
and salary reductions
Keegan Prosser | WF
Voters in Whatcom County said "no"
to the tax increase proposed by the Whatcom Transit Authority in an election held
Tuesday, April 27.
The measure proposed to increase
the amount of sales tax collected in Whatcom County by two-tenths of one percent
— from six cents to eight cents on a $10
purchase.
Steve Swan, vice president for university relations.
Western must submit a plan for the reduction to the Office of Financial Management by
May 10, according the university’s human resources website.
Several agencies are exempt from the furlough days, including Western’s classroom instructors, student employees, campus police and
security, emergency management and the Student Health Center.
However, Swan said any personnel not
deemed “essential” could be affected.
“It includes people who have been here for
one year or four years,” Swan said. “Length of
service does not have anything to do with it.”
$3 million
additional legislative cuts
these cuts are a result of the
special legislative session,
which ended April 12
$9.5 million
cuts made for 2010-11
these cuts have already been
set by Western administration
$13.5 million
total potential cuts
infographic by Benjamin Woodard | WF
2
|
See more online at
www.westernfrontonline.net
News
Friday • April 30, 2010 | The Western Front
Cops Box
Bellingham Police
photo by Daniel Berman
David Boushey, of the Society of American Fight Directors, shows Western senior Harry Todd Jamieson how to throw a fake punch during a
combat-for-the-stage class April 29 in the Performing Arts Center. See full story on pg. 5.
Around Town
Procession of the Species
Faculty Recital
Women's Softball
What: Annual parade that celebrates creativity, community and
human connection with nature.
Rules: No vehicles, live animals or
words — written or spoken
When: 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 1
Where: In front of Bellingham City
Hall
What: Faculty members Lisa
McCarthy (flute), Jennifer Weeks
(oboe), Gene Zoro (clarinet) and
Jeffrey Gilliam (piano) will give a
recital.
When: 4 p.m. Sunday, May 2
Where: Performing Arts Center
Concert Hall
Cost: Free
What: Last home weekend for
Western's women’s softball team.
Sunday is Senior Day. Seniors
Sarah McEnroe and Meghan Flem
will be honored.
When: 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday
and Sunday, May 1 and 2
Where: Viking Field
Cost: Your voice when cheering
on the team
THE WESTERN FRONT
Western Washington University
Communications Building 251
Bellingham, WA 98225
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Arts & Life editor ............................................. Ali Le Roy, artsandlife@westernfrontonline.net
Arts & Life editor ............................................ Rod Lotter, artsandlife@westernfrontonline.net
Sports editor .......................................................... Willy Delius, sports@westernfrontonline.net
Opinion editor .............................................. Megan Jonas, opinion@westernfrontonline.net
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The Western Front is published twice weekly in the fall, winter and spring quarters and once
a week in the summer session. The Western Front is the official newspaper of Western Washington University, published by the Student Publications Council and is mainly supported by
advertising. Opinions and stories in the newspaper have no connection with advertising.
News content is determined by student editors. Staff reporters are involved in a course in
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editors. Members of the Western community are entitled to a single free copy of each issue
of The Western Front.
April 28
• Hearing voices | A
male voice was reported calling for help at
2:21 a.m. near the 1900
block of Fraser Street.
The police found an
intoxicated man in
the woods between
Whatcom Creek and
the trail system.
• Railroad squatter | A
man was arrested at
4:54 p.m. in the 1300
block
of
Railroad
Avenue on suspicion of
sitting and lying on the
sidewalk in the Central
Business District.
• Fan of the ladies |
Officers received a call
reporting
suspicious
circumstances at 5:15
p.m. in the 200 block
of 36th Street regarding
a man photographing
women.
• Early bird | Officers
responded to a burglary
call at 10 a.m. in the
1600 block of G Street.
April 29
• Midnight break | A man
was arrested on suspicion of urinating in a
public place at 12:16
a.m. in the 1300 block
of Cornwall Avenue.
Cops Box compiled by Sydney Brusewitz
NEWS | 3
westernfrontonline.net | Friday • April 30, 2010
Car strikes man; man issued fine 75 students tested for tuberculosis;
2 have nonthreatening form
Dan Balmer | WF
at fault because the injured man caused
A 19-year-old man was struck by a
car while running across High Street on
Tuesday evening.
At 6 p.m., Bellingham police responded to the scene in the 700 block of
High Street, on the edge of campus, to
find a man on the ground with injuries,
said Bellingham Public Information Officer Mark Young.
Young said the injuries were nonlife-threatening and the victim was treated on the scene. Two witnesses told police that the man was running fast west
on East Myrtle Street toward High Street.
The car was heading south on High
Street and was not able to avoid hitting
the man, Young said. The driver was not
> WTA
WTA to hold
public meetings
on proposed cuts
< pg. 1
Voters rejected the measure, with 50.9
percent of votes opposed to the increase
and 49.1 percent of votes in favor. This is a
difference of 1.8 percent, or 930 votes.
Jason Heck, campaign manager for
Transit Works, said he is disappointed the
measure did not pass, but said it is reflective of how divided the community is in
regard to the issue of tax increase.
“[Voters] see a proposed tax increase
and they don’t want to pay any more taxes,” Heck said. “This time around, [the
voters] decided they didn’t want to pay
more for transportation.”
As of Thursday, 52,405 ballots had
been returned to the Whatcom County
Auditor’s office.
Whatcom County Auditor Shirley
Forslof said about 100 more valid ballots
the accident by running into the street
without allowing enough time for the
driver to react, Young said.
Police cited the pedestrian a $56 infraction for crossing the street when it
was impossible for a vehicle to yield.
With the weather getting better, there
will be more officers on bikes issuing
tickets for jaywalking, Sgt. David Garcia
of University Police said.
“We have had a lot of complaints on
jaywalkers,” he said. “We are starting to
put more emphasis on using the crosswalk. Obey the traffic signal.”
The names of the pedestrian and driver were not released because the police do
not release names of people injured or not
charged with a crime, Young said.
are expected to come in the mail in the
next few days. As of Thursday afternoon,
49.5 percent of the 113,919 registered voters in the county had turned out to vote.
WTA general manager Richard Walsh
said that without the increase in sales tax,
the transit authority would proceed with
its plans to make a 14-percent cut to transportation services.
These cuts would reduce the number
of routes on weeknights and Saturdays,
and would eliminate Sunday service beginning fall 2010.
According to a fact sheet on the transit
authority’s website, Western students would
be affected by the loss of Sunday service, the
25X Lynden Express and the 80X Shuttle.
Walsh said an additional 15 to 20 percent of services would be cut by 2012.
“The WTA put the decision in the
hands of the community and now [the
community] has weighed in,” Walsh said.
A public hearing will be held in May
to discuss the proposed service cuts.
Walsh said the hearing would likely take
place on the evening of May 13, assuming
the board approves the date.
Following the public hearing, transit
staff would negotiate changes to the proposal
for approval by the county council in June.
Nicole Strep | WF
The Student Health Center is currently testing 75 people who may have
been exposed to a student who had active
tuberculosis during winter quarter.
Students were notified two months
ago of an individual at Western with active tuberculosis.
Since then, students who were in
close contact with the person have been
tested and two were found to have a latent form of the disease, which means
they are not contagious and do not show
symptoms.
The contact investigation is directed by the Whatcom County Health
Department.
In February, the contact investigation started with one of two skin tests
on close-contact individuals, Whatcom
County Health Department officer Greg
Stern said. The first test was back in
February and the second was eight to
10 weeks later because it can take that
long for a positive skin test to develop,
he said.
“If someone is recently exposed, he
may have a negative skin test when initially tested,” Stern said.
When the tests revealed that two
students had been infected, the health department chose to expand the investigation to those who had less close contact,
Stern said.
This includes classmates who would
have been in a room for several hours a
week during the contagious period, he
said.
“If we find that there is evidence
of transmission, that people who don’t
have other risk factors for infection
have developed positive skin tests,
then we will expand the testing to other groups: larger classrooms, or less
frequent meetings; things like that.”
Stern said.
The contact testing will be finished if
there is no significant transmission seen
after this testing is concluded, he said.
Having the testing done at the
health center is for the convenience of
the students being tested, said Emily
Gibson, director of the Student Health
Center.
A few students still need to come
in for tests, but most have already been
tested, she said.
“The students that we’re calling
do have a low risk because of potential
contact with active tuberculosis,” Gibson said. “When I’ve been calling them,
they’ve been very understanding and
very interested in getting tested for their
own health and well-being.”
She said the general campus does
not have much to worry about because
a person must breathe in the bacteria to
get tuberculosis. Though tuberculosis
is contagious, not everyone who comes
into contact will contract the disease, she
said.
“Even though it’s a contagious disease that transfers from person to person,
it is not an infection that is universal,”
Gibson said. “In other words, you can
be exposed, maybe not get infected; if
you’re infected, you might not ever get
sick.”
John Purdie, associate director of
Residence Life, said he works with
the Health Center and County Health
Department and implements the steps
they recommend to prevent further
infection.
In this case, the student was kept in
isolation and food delivery was arranged
so the student did not have to use the dining commons, he said.
“There’s not much we can do to prevent [students from] contracting the disease, other then isolating the individual
who has the disease,” Purdie said. “It’s
not like the flu where [you can say],
‘Oh, it’s helpful if you wash your hands
more,’ or things like that.”
4 | NEWS
Friday • April 30, 2010 | The Western Front
UW students, workers prepare to strike
About 1,000 expected
to protest for fair pay
Keegan Prosser | WF
University of Washington students and employees
will strike Monday to protest budget cuts and tuition
increases.
“We are trying to send the message that our
labor as workers helps the university function,”
said Ariel Wetzel, a Western alumna and Ph.D.
student at the university.
The campus strike is being organized by the
university’s Student/Worker Coalition and will begin at 8 a.m. on the university’s Seattle campus.
The strike will include campus employees, members
of several student organizations and a group of graduate
students who are currently in contractual negotiations
with the university.
The coalition organized a similar strike March 4 as
part of the national Day of Action campaign. About 800
students and university employees participated in picket
lines and urged passers-by to not go to class.
As of Thursday night, 543 participants had confirmed
via Facebook that they will attend the strike. Wetzel said
she hopes the strike will bring closer to 1,000 attendees.
Norman Arkans, associate vice president for media relations and communications for the University
of Washington, said the university’s current three-year
contract with the graduate student union, United Auto
Workers local 4121, expires at the end of the month.
The two parties are currently at the bargaining table
and hope to come to an agreement by Friday, April 30,
Arkans said.
University of Washington graduate student Jacob
Greenberg said there is a history of protests and disputes
between the university and graduate student employees.
Greenberg said 90 percent of the union’s membership
voted in March in favor of a union strike if the union were
to call for it. The first time the graduate student union went
on strike was in 2001.
Greenberg said union leaders have been sending out
e-mails in regard to the bargaining with the university,
but the language has been vague.
Arkans would not disclose the aspects of the contract being addressed at the negotiation table.
“We have no idea whether positions will be
cut,” Greenberg said.
Arkans said the university understands that
students are concerned about the rising cost of tuition as well as the potential effect budget cuts will
have on their education.
“We don’t like tuition increases and we certainly don’t like budget cuts,” he said. “But we
haven’t been responsible for budget cuts. Those are
decisions being made in Olympia.”
Unlike the University of Washington’s graduate program, Western’s graduate student workforce
is not unionized.
Western graduate student Jake Frye said he
has not seen or heard any dispute between the university and graduate students during his two years
of study in the English department.
Frye works as an English 101 instructor to
pay for his tuition and living expenses in Bellingham. He also interns, or assists, with another
English class.
Western graduate students no longer receive
payment for internships as a result of budget cuts.
Instead, the students are enrolled in the class they
intern for and receive credit toward research for
their master’s degree.
The leaders for the United Auto Workers
Union local 4121 have not certified Monday’s
strike, but many union members will be involved.
NEWS | 5
westernfrontonline.net | Friday • April 30, 2010
> furlough
Alternative to
furloughs: cut
$1.2M in salaries
< pg. 1
photo by Daniel Berman
David Boushey, center, punches assistant Todd Lagestee during a stage combat class on April 29.
< pg. 2
Renowned stuntman hosts workshop
Mackenzie Hudson | WF
Before the workshop began, theater and
dance students dressed in comfortable attire
and gathered around David Boushey, as he
provided words of wisdom to the group. All
eyes were focused on the prestigious fight director.
Thirteen Western students had the opportunity to work with renowned fight choreographer and stuntman, Boushey.
He told students not to limit themselves
to one aspect of art.
“When you go down to Hollywood, think
about not only stunt, but other aspects like acting
or even being a camera operator,” Boushey said.
“For every job in front of the camera, there are
25 on the other side.”
When the workshop began, students
were asked to find a partner that was about
the same height. Boushey showed how to
throw a basic punch when acting on stage or
in a film.
“Knowing how to throw a good punch
can get you a job,” Boushey said. “There’s
always all those background people doing
physical action in a movie, so if you know
how to fight, it could launch your career.”
Boushey showed students the correct
speed and the right way to create sound effects to make the audience believe it was real.
Students clenched their fists and as they
were punched and would pound their hands
together to create a punching-like noise.
The measure is part of an effort
to alleviate the $2.8-billion deficit
in the state’s general fund. The furloughs are expected to save the state
$50 million in employee pay.
“There are a number of possibilities that are out there,” Swan
said. “What President Bruce Shepard is doing is, he wants to hear from
the university community as to what
they think the best route is to go.”
Classified staff are encouraged
to voice their opinions to their union
leadership; professional staff to their
elected leadership, the Professional
Staff Organization; faculty to their
elected union leadership and students to the AS government, Swan
said.
“Depending on where these
cuts come from, students could be
affected,” Swan said. “It would be
in services, not in academic instruction.”
In a statement released April
23, Shepard said this plan requires
Western to save more than $1 million from reduced employee hours
and subsequent pay.
That savings is on top of the
$3-million budget cuts from the leg-
islature and the $9.5 million in cuts
Western has already made to its operating budget for next year.
Overall, budget cuts could
amount to $13.5 million for Western.
As far as what changes will take
place at Western, Government Relations Officer Jane Vroman said no
decisions have been made yet. No
matter the decision, she said, students will feel the effects.
For example, students might
see delays in receiving financial aid
checks and transcripts, dirtier classrooms and grounds that are not as
well-kept.
If the administration decides to
take the governor’s advice, furlough
days could be implemented during
school breaks and employees’ paychecks could be reduced, Swan said.
AS Vice President of Governmental Affairs Morgan Holmgren
said cutting hours is better than cutting jobs.
“[The bill] was done out of desperation,” Holmgren said. “The idea
is that you can save money without
cutting jobs, only the hours worked.
That means Washingtonians will get
less drastically decreased services
than had the bill been to lay off
many state employees.”
According to the bill, employees who make $2,500 or less per
month can use vacation days in
place of the furlough days.
Other states, such as California
and Hawaii, have adopted similar
furlough bills.
Last July, Hawaii state workers
were ordered to take three unpaid
days off per month through July
2010.
6 | NEWS
> Dining
Dining Services
hopes to double
sales at Freshëns
< pg. 1
University Dining Services, which is supplied by Sodexo, plans to replace Pizza Hut
with a pizza-by-the-slice kiosk.
Freshëns will be relocated to the
new market in Haggard Hall.
Ira Simon, director of University Dining Services, said the
changes are being made in order
to increase access to food for
students and faculty members
and to promote local, organic or
fair-trade products.
University Dining Services
sustainability coordinator Alyson Simeone said students have
been asking for healthier food
options since she arrived at the
school last year.
“I have heard the cry for sustainable and healthy food options
[around campus],” Simeone said,
“so I know the demand is there.”
The work for these changes
will take place during the summer and will close the Pizza Hut
in The Atrium and the Tony’s
Coffee kiosk in Haggard Hall after spring quarter.
University Dining Services
plans to have all the locations
open by the start of fall quarter,
Simon said.
Friday • April 30, 2010 | The Western Front
The Atrium
The Atrium’s renovations
will consist of the removal of
Freshëns Smoothie and Pizza Hut.
The new pizza-by-the-slice
kiosk plans to offer slices of pizza at $2.79 per slice or $3.99 for
a slice and a fountain drink.
Other changes to The Atrium include expanding the current Starbucks location to increase menu options to match
that of a standalone Starbucks.
University Dining Services got
the approval this week to produce specialty drinks, such as
frappuccinos, at the location
starting in the fall.
The self-serve drip coffee
island in The Atrium will be relocated behind the counter at the
Starbucks to reduce congestion.
Haggard Hall
The Tony’s Coffee kiosk in
Haggard Hall will face extensive remodeling over the summer, during which it will remain
closed. The Tony’s Coffee will
be removed and replaced by a
co-op-style market that will include Freshëns Smoothies.
Simon said he hopes the
move will double the sales of
Freshëns Smoothies from the
current average of $600 a day
to $1,200. Tony’s Coffee makes
about $2,000 a day.
Simeone said she sees the
new market as a chance to bring
a new variety of healthy food op-
tions to campus.
“We want it to be completely organic and as local as possible,” Simeone said.
Although the market plans
to serve organic and local food,
Freshëns does not currently
serve organic smoothies. Simeone said she hopes to see this
change.
“I hope in future years
Freshëns will be resurrected into
an organic smoothie station,” she
said.
What kind of food will be
served at the new market is currently unknown, although Simeone said she hopes the Bellingham Food Co-op will be the
market’s supplier.
University Dining Services
and the Co-op are currently in
negotiations, and the Co-op is
trying to obtain an insurance
plan that provides the coverage
Western requires.
If the contract gets worked
out, Simeone said she wants the
market to serve items such as organic fruit, fair-trade coffee and
tea, local bread and milk, and
have a bulk food section with
items such as granola.
photo by Carey Rose | WF
Wilson Library
Western senior Clarissa Bond works a shift at the Freshëns smoothie shop
in The Atrium on April 29. While she said she heard rumors of the move,
she hasn't received any definite news from Sodexo, yet.
Wilson Library room 279,
formerly the Special Collections
area, will be converted into a
University Dining Services-run
bagel kiosk.
The kiosk will serve bagels
from Bellingham-based store
The Bagelry, as well as sandwiches, salads and coffee.
The yet-to-be-named kiosk
will be open in the fall and University Dining Services plans to hold
a competition open to students to
decide the name, Simon said.
Originally, University Dining Services had planned to put an
Einstein Bros. Bagels in Wilson Library, but the library determined that
Einstein Bros.’ menu was too large
and would exceed what the library
wanted the kiosk to be.
News | 7
westernfrontonline.net | Friday • April 30, 2010
Caught in the safety net
Tips For Getting an Application to the Top of the Pile:
1. Send additional materials – letters of recommendation, updated grades, mid-semester progre
2. Make a personal visit – show admissions officers that you want to come to Western, and tell th
3. Don’t bribe. “I’ve never heard of anyone bribing us,” Steger said. “I don’t think any of us would t
While number of waiting list spots shrinks,
higher percentage of students cram aboard
Alex Bacon
& Andrea Farrell | WF
Students across the country are stuck in
limbo, anxiously waiting to find out whether they will be taken off waiting lists and
accepted at their chosen colleges.
One student currently on Western’s
waiting list is Ailsa Kiemle, a senior at Bellevue High School. Kiemle said she was
pleased to find that Western had given her a
“maybe” instead of a “no.”
“I was kind of expecting to be rejected, so I was pretty happy about being waitlisted,” she said.
Stressed-out students
Kiemle, along with the other 400 students on Western’s waiting list for admission, won’t get an answer until mid- to late
May, admissions adviser Tracey Steger said.
This is because some students who
have already been offered admission to
Western will decline, Steger said. Many students think of Western as a backup or safety
school, and decline admission if they get
into their first choices, she said.
“We get a lot of stressed-out students in
our office,” Steger said. “But that is just part
of the admissions process.”
Director of Admissions Karen Copetas
said Western has accepted 6,800 students
for the 2010-2011 school year. She said
more than 1,000 of these students won’t
commit to attending Western until the last
possible day, which is May 1 in Washington
state.
Kiemle said Western was her first
choice, but she applied to Washington State
University and the University of Montana
as well. She was accepted to Montana, but
rejected at Washington State.
She said she plans to wait and see
whether Western accepts her before making her decision about which university to
attend.
“It’s kind of a frustrating process,” said
Fritz Kiemle, Ailsa’s father. “It’s a scary
thing to put your child into.”
He said part of the problem is that
many students who might not want to go
to Western choose to apply anyway – as a
backup plan. Then they are admitted, and
the students on the waiting list have to hold
their breath for the accepted students to
make up their minds.
“How big a gamble do I want to take
with my child’s future?” Fritz said.
The net
Western’s waiting list of 350 is short
compared to many public universities of
a similar size. Last year, the University of
Washington offered spots on its waiting list
to almost 2,500 prospective students.
Steger said waiting lists are stressful
for the students placed on them, but they are
also useful to schools. The lists are a safety
net of sorts. If a large number of accepted
students decline admission, schools still
have a way to boost their enrollment by accepting more wait-listed students.
Western and the University of Washington have traditionally been the only public universities in the state with waiting lists.
Washington State University an-
2010 Waiting List
2009 Waiting List
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e
r
t
t
e
p
f
is
e
l
f
o
g
acc
waitin
TIPS FOR GETTING AN APPLICATIO N
TO THE
TOP OF THE PILE:
1) Send additional materials – letters of
recommendation, updated grades, mid-semester
progress reports, new clubs or activities joined
or examples of community service.
2) Make a personal visit – show admissions
officers that you want to come to Western, and
tell them why in a face-to-face meeting.
3) Don’t bribe. “I’ve never heard of anyone
bribing us,” Steger said. “I don’t think any of us
would take a bribe.”
nounced last week that it will establish a
waiting list for the first time this year.
Out-waiting the odds
Though many students believe the admissions process ends when they turn in
their applications, Steger said this is not
the case. There are many ways wait-listed
students can increase their chances of being
accepted to Western.
When students are offered a place on
the waiting list, they are encouraged to send
materials to strengthen their applications,
said Marie Schow, a student admissions
representative.
Many students choose to send in letters of recommendation, second-semester
schedules, awards, examples of community
service and additional personal statements.
Artistic students submit their artwork,
and students who work on high-school
newspaper staffs often send clips. Steger
said some students hoping to study performing arts even submit videos of themselves dancing.
“People shouldn’t be afraid to brag,”
Schow said.
Visiting Western and getting to know
the admissions office doesn’t hurt, either,
Steger said.
“Some students drive up here to meet
us and make a personal connection,” she
said. “It is a disadvantage to those who
don’t live in the area, but we appreciate it.”
Steger said that when prospective students make the effort to let admissions officers know why they want to come to Western, it often helps their chances.
Meeting with potential students faceto-face gives admissions officers a chance
to see whether a prospective student would
be a good fit at Western, she said.
8 | Friday • April 30, 2010 | The Western Front
Arts &
Hum
VS
zOmb
Lindsie Rowe | WF
A pair of white, balledup socks and a long-distance
group of students had a
illustration by Drew Miller | WF
NERF blaster is the best line
movie night at one of the players’
of defense – unless, that is, a
houses and watched “28 Days Later” to prep
covert route is discovered. The
themselves for the game, DeVose said.
objective is simple – survive
The concept of a zombie apocalypse is so surreal that students can
the zombie apocalypse.
escape the stress of school for a while by playing this eccentric game,
The game that is sweeping
Western sophomore Matt Weiser said.
college campuses across the
After hearing about Humans vs. Zombies on Facebook last year,
nation, Humans vs. Zombies, returns to Western this week for its second
Weiser said he looked into the rules and met someone in his dorm who
year. Wednesday marked the beginning of a weeklong battle that will ensue
shared his interest.
between two teams – the Humans and the Zombies. The players wear
Western’s first Humans vs. Zombies game was played last year
bandanas to distinguish themselves from other students; Humans sport
among the residents of Nash Hall. This year, it is being played campusbandanas on their arms, while Zombies wear bandanas on their heads.
wide.
Organized by the Associated Students club “Humans vs. Zombies,”
“It looked like fun,” Weiser said. “I’ve always liked the ideas that
the second game of the year has 206 players. It is the largest game played
are ‘out there’ and it definitely seemed like an ‘out there’ idea.”
on Western’s campus.
Weiser said the first game was so succesful, he decided to make the
Western sophomore Michael DeVose, an avid player of the game,
event open to everyone. He formed the “Humans vs. Zombies” AS Club,
said he believes the reason zombie apocalypses are a recurring theme in
which plans a game during fall and spring quarters.
today’s society is because in them, anyone can become a hero. The idea
Humans and Zombies alike agree: the greatest aspect of the game is
that an average person can stand up to zombies and save loved ones is a
friendship.
satisfying idea, he said.
DeVose said he enjoys being able to run up to anyone with a bandana
DeVose said attempting to be a hero is what attracted him to the
on and start a conversation. A connection is made, and now that particular
game.
duo has a better chance at traveling and arriving at a target destination,
“Zombies have played a large part in our generation — [in many
he said.
of the] movies and games that have come out,” DeVose said. “You can
“The game really encourages teamwork and camaraderie,” he said.
always fantasize about being a hero-type in a zombie apocalypse, and
“It’s so much fun!”
you get to live it out in this.”
Humans vs. Zombies is an outdoor game only, meaning university
DeVose said he uses strategies from zombie movies in the game.
buildings are off-limits. The game starts out with a few randomly selected
Some of them are common sense, but staying in groups and avoiding
Zombie players whose goal is to tag the Humans.
“zombie-hunting” are always helpful pointers, he said.
Once tagged by a Zombie, a Human has 20 minutes to place the
He said zombie movies are his favorite type of scary movies. A
bandana on his or her head, ultimately becoming a Zombie, and start
April 28 to M
7 a.m. to 9 p.
206 Pl
At the start: 12 Zom
Humans: Orange
Zombies: Orange B
playing to “infect” more Human
by “stunning” zombies for 10 m
sock or a NERF dart before bein
As the week goes on, an in
Zombie count rises while the H
remain a Human for as long as p
Western sophomore Sam E
remaining Human; it keeps him
figuring out which route to take t
are all pieces of the puzzle.
“I just realized that it mad
said. “Now I was actively think
a challenge.”
Evans was one of 60 playe
of the game.
He said paranoia is a thrill
rush comes when hunting Hum
stepping up their game this yea
team.
DeVose said he would rathe
weapons.
“There is a brief period
a Zombie] when you realize yo
anymore,” DeVose said. “But it’
The game will be played e
Until then, watch out for sock ba
bandanas darting in and out of
to follow the game, visit wwuhu
leader board and various achieve
“The biggest purpose of the
life for a while,” Weiser said. “T
& Life
westernfrontonline.net | Friday • April 30, 2010
|9
mAns
S.
bIes
photo illustration by Carey Rose | WF
May 5, 2010
.m. each day
layers
mbies, 194 Humans
Bandana on arm
Bandana on head
ns. Humans, however, can avoid this fate
minutes by hitting them with a balled-up
ng tagged.
nverse relationship naturally forms: the
Human count decreases. The goal is to
possible.
Evans said he loves the strategy behind
m more alert during the week. He said
to class, when to leave and when to arrive
de school that much more fun,” Evans
king about everything. Going to class is
ers turned into a Zombie on the first day
l of being a Human, but an adrenaline
mans. Evans said the Zombies are really
ar and he is excited to be a part of their
er be a Human, because they get to use
of disappointment [when becoming
ou don’t get to use your NERF blaster
’s fun being a Zombie, too.”
every day through Wednesday, May 5.
alls gone awry and students with orange
f buildings. Registration has ended, but
umansvszombies.com to see the Zombie
ements and awards.
e game is just to escape from academic
To just be kids again.”
photo by Lillian Furlong | WF
Western sophomore Patrick Daly, left, leads a team of Zombies preparing to attack a human across High Street in front of the Viking Commons on
April 29.
10 | arts & life
So afresh
nd
So green
Friday • April 30, 2010 | The Western Front
Among gaudy apartment complexes
lies a garden of organic delights
Nicole Strep | WF
Cars whizz by rows of vegetables in an open field on Taylor Avenue. Most just drive
past, on their way to get some veggies at the nearby Sehome Village Haggen, not realizing that those fields are home to the pesticide-free, farm-fresh produce of Joe’s Gardens.
Carl Weston started working at Joe’s in 1959. He said he was 15 years old at the time,
and worked there on and off for 10 years.
He said he went in every year after his return from the army and asked Joe if he wanted
to sell the business. Eventually, in 1983, Joe called him and offered to sell the business.
Three years ago, the garden Carl passed the garden on to his sons, Nathan and Jason
Weston. Not fully retired, Carl still helps out at the gardens almost everyday, he said.
“It’s nice — with my sons taking over, I just come to work,” Carl said. “I don’t have
to worry about being bored because I got the gardens.”
Customer Sheena Barker has been coming to Joe’s since 1970 because it is close to her
house and the prices are right, she said. She said she also likes that the gardens are pesticide-free.
“I enjoy eating fresh vegetables that don’t have those sprayings,” Barker said.
As summer nears there is a larger variety of fruits and vegetables that customers can
take home with them.
Western student Art Espinoza said he used to drive by the garden all the time when
he was in college, but never stopped by because he didn't have a garden.
He said he and his wife love to cook together, so they decided to start an herb garden
photo by Cejae Thompson | WF
Western student Art Espinoza picks fresh basil with his 3-year-old daughter, Skyler, at Joe's
Garden.
and went to Joe’s for a starter kit, which included Greek oregano, garden sage and rosemary.
After his first visit, Espinoza said he will probably come back, because he and his
wife want to have a huge herb garden one day. He said they like the convenience of picking fresh herbs from Joe's garden instead of driving to the grocery story and spending
more money on inferior herbs.
Jason said customers make his work worthwhile. He has been working at the garden
long enough that he has seen and met generations of customers shopping at the gardens. Of
all the different jobs Jason has had, he said he likes his job at the garden the best.
“You never really get a chance to get sick of anything because you don’t do the same
thing over and over again,” he said.
Jason said it is hard to have a bad day at the garden because everything is fun.
“You hire people that are pretty easy going, happy people,” Jason said. “And if
you’re happy, they’re happy, and it just makes a fun work area.”
Barker said the gardens are a great place to meet friends and to buy pretty flowers
and vegetables.
The appeal of Joe’s seems to be the fresh produce and the atmosphere.
“[It’s] just like having your own garden,” Barker said. “Only you don’t have to do
the work.”
arts & life | 11
westernfrontonline.net | Friday • April 30, 2010
Practice makes pitch-perfect
Renowned vocal trainer
hosts weekend
of free workshops
for students, faculty
Chelsea Asplund | WF
For some music and theater students, the idea of
performing in front of sold-out arenas with their names
flashing across marquees is a dream.
This weekend, those students will get one step
closer to their dreams when Broadway veteran Jeannette
LoVetri visits Western for a weekend of vocal-technique
workshops.
The four workshops are hosted by the College of
Fine and Performing Arts, and were created through the
collaboration of LoVetri and Dr. David Meyer, associate
professor of music at Western.
Meyer, Western's opera area coordinator, said
LoVetri is considered one of the world’s top specialists in
training singers in music of all styles.
She has taught at a private practice for almost 40
years. Her students have appeared on and off Broadway
and in national television, film, national tours, regional
and national theaters, as well as Carnegie Hall.
LoVetri’s students include critically acclaimed
performers such as Brian d’Arcy James, who recently
appeared on Broadway in "Shrek The Musical." James
was nominated for a Tony Award for his portrayal of the
onion-layered ogre.
“[LoVetri] is probably the most important voice
teacher in the world right now for Broadway and classical singers combined,” Meyer said. “Most people can do
one or the other, but she can do both. She is really at the
top of the field.”
Western freshman Christina Johnson, a vocal performance pre-major, said the workshops are an opportunity
she will not pass up.
“I know that there were a lot of other places [LoVetri] could have gone to, but she’s coming to Western,”
Johnson said. “Being able to see students perform and
get feedback on problems I might also have is incredibly
helpful.”
Johnson said she wants to be on Broadway one day.
By participating in this workshop, she said, she hopes
to get advice on how to better convey a character she is
portraying to an audience, which would bring her one
step closer to her goal.
“When I perform and sing, I always have a character in mind and a scene I am acting out,” she said. “But
whether or not that is getting to the audience is a different story.”
Meyer said the four sessions were chosen by LoVetri
and himself. He assessed the music program and what
they would benefit most from learning. Saturday’s workshops will focus on both classical and musical theater
styles. Sunday's events will include a workshop for voice
teachers only and a master class.
LoVetri’s workshops usually cost between $300
and $500, but thanks to both departments, this series of
workshops is free for students and faculty.
“Usually, when she comes in, she’s either brought in
by a music program or a theater program,” Meyer said.
“Here, we’re really seeing the whole college really work
together to get her in, which is really exciting.”
Sunday's master class consists of students who were
previously selected by their voice teachers, who will
perform for LoVetri and receive her feedback.
Western junior Tristan Carruthers was chosen to
perform, and said he feels this is the perfect opportunity
to further his skills.
“This has been my dream since I was 14,” he said.
“I doubt that it will ever change.”
As a double major in vocal performance and theater,
photo by Carey Rose | WF
Western junior Jonah Spool takes a voice lesson from
Western associate professor Dr. David Meyer on April 29.
Spool plans to attend the master class on Sunday.
Carruthers said he is getting the best of both worlds by
attending the workshops, because they involve both of
his passions.
“This [workshop series] will not only help me understand my own technique in the musical theater style,
but in my own classical technique as well,” he said.
The two workshops are open to the public and take
place in the Performing Arts Center. They are free for
students and faculty. Tickets are on sale at the box office.
12
|
See more online at
www.westernfrontonline.net
opinion
Friday • April 30, 2010 | The Western Front
Frontline
Viking Voices
Opinions from around campus
Opinions of the Editorial Board
More caution needed on Western's roads
A
19-year-old man was
hit by a car Wednesday
evening on High Street, just down
the road from Western’s campus.
Bellingham Police determined
he had run into the street without
giving an oncoming car enough
time to stop.
Thankfully, his injuries were not lifethreatening, but the event serves as a reminder of how cautious people need to be
when using the roads around Western.
Accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians or bikers are an all-too-frequent
occurrence around campus. Sometimes
these accidents have tragic consequences,
like when Korean exchange student Un
Kyu Choi was fatally hit on Bill McDonald Parkway in 2008 by a Western student
driving under the influence.
Western’s unique terrain is problematic when it comes to safety on the roadways. Because every major thoroughfare
into campus is a hill, there is an everpresent danger of not being able to stop
a vehicle in time for a pedestrian to cross
the street. Drivers must be aware of this
and be alert for people crossing the street.
Of course, it’s not just drivers who
need to improve their safety awareness.
Members of the Editorial Board have witnessed countless instances of longboarders flying into the road, bikers not using
turn signals as required by law and pedestrians absent-mindedly crossing the street.
Even worse are the parades of meandering
intoxicated students who take over select
streets on Friday and Saturday nights.
Gayle Shipley, director of Western’s
Environmental Health and Safety office,
said pedestrians and bikers need to be extravigilant in protecting themselves, as they
are always the ones who will be severely
affected by a collision with a vehicle.
She said it is important to be visible
and to watch out for traffic.
Shipley said it is crucial for drivers
to drive slowly, as it is hard for speeding
drivers to make a sudden stop.
She said the intersection on Bill McDonald Parkway and 25th Street, near
Buchanan Towers, poses a danger for pedestrians. She is currently trying to work
with the City to install a stoplight at that
crosswalk. She said another area she worries about is East College Way, where the
road is curved and there isn’t always a
sidewalk for pedestrians to use.
This Editorial Board supports the idea
of using alternatives to personal vehicles
whenever possible, but recognizes that until
we can all share the roadways without harming one another, many will retreat to the
boxed-in shelter that a car or truck provides.
The nature of a college town is that
the surrounding neighborhoods are densely
populated. Students use a variety of modes
of transportation, and these different modes
all need to peacefully coexist. A joint effort
is needed by all people who use the roads
so that we can greatly improve safety.
The Editorial Board is comprised
of Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Johnson,
Managing Editor Alex Roberts and
Opinion Editor Megan Jonas.
Cap and trade imperfect, but worth a shot
Megan Mullay | WF Columnist
Members of the U.S. Senate have
been working on a climate bill with the
aid of President Obama. The new bill was
supposed to be announced on April 26,
but has been delayed because a key member of the team drafting the bill pulled out
of the project in order to put it on hold.
This hold is expected to be temporary, albeit indefinite.
I am frustrated. Congress was working on something that had the potential
to make an environmental difference and
now it has come screeching to a halt. This
roadblock is not the first issue the climate
bill has faced.
The biggest battle over the bill has
had to do with cap and trade. These have
become fighting words in Washington,
D.C. Cap and trade is a system designed
by the government to control our country’s
greenhouse gas emissions by setting and
steadily reducing limits on emissions. I’m
not great at understanding what the government does and why; for the most part,
I just hope I’m not getting screwed over.
It seems, though, that Congress tries too
hard to find perfect solutions. My grandfather used to say you will never find a
black-and-white solution to anything; you
just have to look for what has the least
gray. I would like to see politicians stop
searching for a perfect solution and start
trying out ideas that have the least gray.
A watered-down version of cap and
trade may show up on the climate bill to
regulate carbon emissions being generated by utilities and big industries. When
it comes to cap and trade, the government
needs to stop arguing and give the system
a shot.
Cap and trade starts with a universal
limit on carbon emissions. A company has
to have a permit for each ton of carbon
dioxide that it puts into the atmosphere,
and companies are allowed to trade these
permits among each other. Eventually, the
limits get stricter until a goal for carbon
emissions is met.
There are reasonable pros and cons to
cap and trade. The main advantages are that
it enforces reductions in carbon dioxide
and provides monetary incentive for companies to reduce their emissions. Also, the
sale of permits by the government creates
consistent revenue that gets recycled back
into the economy. The permits would be
sold to companies at auction, which would
mean the price of these permits would be
determined by the market. As trading becomes more efficient over time, these costs
would, theoretically, decrease. This money
could be used in coordination with efforts
to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
While supporters for cap and trade are
arguing these points, those against it fear
the impact it will have on the economy.
A cap and trade system makes companies
pay for their carbon emissions, which affects their bottom line, and this could mean
those companies would have to raise the
prices for their products and services. The
opposition also worries that trading carbon permits could become unstable, which
would drive up the prices of the permits.
Another con is that it could be difficult
for the government to make sure that individual companies are staying within their
allowances for carbon dioxide emissions.
Monitoring a system like this could turn
What do you think
of the Humans vs.
Zombies game?
compiled by Caitlin Chinn
Karl Heinz
Freshman
“It’s a way to get people involved around
the school community. It’s just something
different; rather than a club that meets
every week, it’s something that everybody
can go out and have fun with for a full
week with their friends.”
Abby Brown
Freshman
“I think it’s a lot of fun. I think it’s a
worthwhile way to spend your time
between classes.”
Byron Starkey
Sophomore
“I don’t really like it in general. I don’t
support the idea of having guns on
campus in any way, shape or form.”
out to be an administrative catastrophe.
Both sides of the issue have valid
opinions. The question now: do the benefits outweigh the costs? I bet you wouldn’t
be surprised that I say ‘yes.’ I agree, the
economy might be affected by the system,
but this would be temporary, and would
be much less significant than the need to
combat carbon dioxide emissions.
My argument for cap and trade is that
it has potential to work, which justifies
giving it a shot. What’s wrong with implementing the system on a trial basis? In
fact, what most people forget to mention
is that we have already done it. A cap-andtrade system was implemented under the
first Bush administration to reduce sulfur
dioxide emissions to stop acid rain, and it
worked. The battle against climate change
is too important to waste time debating.
Cap and trade may have its downsides,
but it’s an idea that makes a lot of sense.
It may not be black and white, but it’s all
we have right now that has the least gray.
Megan Mullay is a Western senior
majoring in environmental science with an
emphasis on terrestrial ecology. Contact
Megan at westernfrontcolumnist@gmail.
com.
See more online at
www.westernfrontonline.net
sports | 13
Friday • April 30, 2010 | The Western Front
photos by Mitch Olsen | WF
Sara Lavelle and Matt Folsom wait patiently for a fish to bite at Lake Padden on April 29. Folsom said he never catches anything at Lake Padden, but heard rumors of a 35-pound trout being
caught on opening day April 24.
Fishing season reels in
Mitch Olsen | WF
Stock the cooler and break out the
fishing rods — fishing season is open and
runs through until Oct. 31.
With easy access to Puget Sound and a
plethora of lakes and streams, Bellingham is
a great place for both seasoned anglers and
novice fishermen alike to get out there and
enjoy the raw excitement of hooking a fish.
Earl Steele, manager of the Whatcom
Creek Hatchery said the most important
things to do before heading out fishing are
to read and understand the rules and regulations, and to pick up a fishing license
at a local store or online from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
(WDFW).
For students interested in fly-fishing,
Western environmental sciences professor
Leo Bodensteiner offers a summer course
at Western. Bodensteiner said the course
strives to teach students beyond the basic
mechanics of casting, and aims to engender
a greater appreciation and respect for the
natural world.
While alcohol is often associated
with a good fishing trip, Bodensteiner said
taking a beer out fly-fishing is challenging because you have to fish one-handed.
Although he has seen it done, he recommends a flask tucked in the vest.
“I like to spread my fun out,” Bodensteiner said. “First: fishing, then after
fishing: socializing. [It] keeps me from
breaking a hip, or worse yet a rod, while
negotiating a slippery cobble-covered bottom in a roaring stream.”
If you have been itching to go fishing,
but just didn’t know where to start, read
on and let The Western Front start your
journey.
Fishing Basics
The best way to learn about fishing is under the
guidance of a fishing veteran. A real guru of the
sport will be able to teach you all about techniques,
gear and strategies, but it’s still something you can
figure out on your own. The Washington Department
of Fishing and Wildlife website is a great source for
detailed information and illustrations that can make
anyone a fishing expert.
What You’ll Need
• A fishing pole! - Check second hand
stores or sporting-goods stores for a deal.
• Tackle box - Make sure to stock it with the
type of bait, hooks and lures that will suit
your fishing needs. Talk to a fisherman or
sales rep. for tips when buying bait.
• Patience - Fishing is not as action-packed
as football. After you get the line out in the
water, enjoy a tasty beverage or snack.
infographics by Cassy Meyers | WF
Notable Fishin’ Holes
Near Bellingham
LAKE PADDEN – Distance from Western: 5.2 miles
Equipped with a boat launch, two docks and lots of
shoreline. It is primarily stocked with rainbow trout,
cutthroat trout and kokanee.
LAKE WHATCOM – Distance from Western: 11.6 miles
It is the largest lake in the county. Catchable species
include kokanee, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass,
perch and limited native cutthroat trout. The native
cutthroat population is low in numbers and it is
recommended they be released.
WHATCOM CREEK – Distance from Western: 4.5 miles
With his fishing pole propped by sticks, Aleksey Gubarik waits to hook a fish at
Lake Padden on April 29.
The creek gets runs of coho and pink salmon in late
October or November. Fishing is allowed in the creek
below the bridge at Maritime Heritage Park. Visitors
to the park can watch the salmon jump up the fish
ladder on their way up the creek or see them in the
fish hatchery.
14 | sports
Friday • April 30, 2010 | The Western Front
> Women's Softball
Vikings split series with Canadian school
photo by Carey Rose | WF
Western junior Karli Baumgartner dodges a wild pitch before being walked during game two of a doubleheader against Simon Fraser University on April 28.
Western takes first game, drops second in hotly contested doubleheader against Simon Fraser
Zack Price | WF
The Western women’s softball team
split two non-conference games against Simon Fraser University 1-1 on Wednesday.
The two-game split brought the Vikings’
overall record to 23-22.
The first game ended in a 5-3 victory,
while the second game came down to a
closely contested 3-2 loss.
The Vikings were down 3-1 in the
bottom of the seventh inning when a walk
drawn by freshman outfielder Rachelle
Berry closed the gap to 3-2. Meghan
Flem, senior first baseman and team hitting leader, came up to the plate. Flem
worked the pitch count to 2-2, but went
down on a blooper hit to foul territory.
This was the story for the second game.
The Vikings’ bats were nowhere to be found,
compiling two runs off four hits.
“We were not aggressive enough with
the bat for the second game,” head coach
Lonnie Hicks said. “We just flattened out
today.”
Hicks said the team looks to be aggressive in every game, but the energy
wasn’t there Wednesday.
Western junior Erika Quint, freshman
Erika Hendron and sophomore Krista
Bickar took the mound for the Vikings.
Quint started the first game by racking up
eight strikeouts, but gave up three earned runs
off six hits. Hendron came in for relief and
earned the victory in the first game, not
allowing a hit.
Hendron started the second game
and pitched four innings until she gave up
three runs in the fourth to put the Vikings
behind. Bickar pitched for her first time
all year and struck out two batters and allowed one hit. Hendron received the loss.
Senior pitcher Sarah McEnroe didn’t
pitch due to a swollen bicep.
Hicks said the team will need to stay
aggressive in the upcoming games.
“We can’t let up,” Hicks said. “We have
to try to bury them and take advantage of
every mistake they make.”
This weekend features doubleheaders
on both Saturday and Sunday. These are
going to be the last four home games for
McEnroe and Flem. They will be honored
for their four-year careers at Western’s Senior Day, on Sunday.
Flem lost her opportunity to play
last season due to an injury and said she
wasn’t sure if she was going to come back
to play or redshirt for this season.
“I was apprehensive coming back,
because they said I should redshirt,”
Flem said. “I really wanted to graduate
with Sarah, and I wanted to come back
and play. I’m really happy we are playing
well.”
Both seniors’ last memories at Viking
Field will be made against Saint Martin’s
on May 1 and 2 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
sports | 15
westernfrontonline.net | Friday • April 30, 2010
Kentucky Derby
Gambling, long shots make for
an electric two minutes of sport
Jeff Twining | WF Columnist
I’ve been told horse racing is dead.
My fellow columnist said our readers don’t
care about the “Run for the Roses.” Nevertheless, come Saturday afternoon, 150,000
people will be in attendance at Churchill
Downs, and millions more will tune their
TVs to NBC for the 136th running of the
Kentucky Derby.
If horse racing is dead, then why did
last year’s Derby have its highest television
rating in 17 years? If horse racing is dead,
then why has Emerald Downs, the horse
racing track in Auburn, seen no drop in attendance amid an economic recession?
Horse racing is not dead; it just remains dormant during the offseason. The
winter hibernation ends with “the most
exciting two-minutes in sports.”
Competitive horse racing dates as far
back as 4500 B.C., when nomadic tribesmen
in Central Asia first domesticated the horse.
In recent years, competitive horse racing
has become one of the most widely attended
spectator sports in the United States.
The reason why is horse racing still
so popular: legalized gambling. To say
horse racing is dead is to say gambling is
dead. With the exception of Las Vegas, no
city in the United States allows people to
bet on major sports. However, a Bellingham resident can make a trip to any of the
local casinos to place a bet on Saturday’s
race or head south to Emerald Downs and
watch the race with other fans.
Try going to a Mariners game this
weekend and placing a wager on the team
to score two runs in the fourth inning.
Wait — you can’t do that.
If sports fans can’t attend the Kentucky Derby and have no desire to bet on
Saturday’s race, then why would they tune
in? The answer is simple and two-fold.
First, all sports fans love the underdog. Horse racing is one of the only
sports where competitors’ skills are based
on their odds of winning the race. Last
year’s winner, Mine That Bird, was a 50-1
long shot and pulled off the unthinkable.
He now ranks as the second-biggest long
shot to ever win the Derby.
The second reason people tune in to the
Kentuck Derby is that the race is damn exciting (up to 20 horses jockey for position along
the 1.25-mile course) and it’s the first leg of
the Triple Crown, which consists of the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.
The last horse to win the Triple
Crown was Affirmed, back in 1978; a year
before that, it was Seattle Slew.
I was told by my fellow columnist that
because no horse has won the Triple Crown
in more than 30 years, people don’t care
about the Kentucky Derby. Well no team
seeded lower than eight has ever won the
NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but
does that mean we shouldn’t watch?
One race. Two minutes. Millions on the
line. Don’t tell me horse racing is dead.
Jeff Twining was a four-year member of the
Western football team and is double majoring in
journalism and communication. To reach Jeff,
e-mail front.sportscolumn@gmail.com.
It's Derby season —
oh wait, who cares?
Andrew Mitchell | WF Columnist
The Kentucky Derby is finally upon
us. Do you know the day, time or any of
the participants? If you said “no” to all
of those questions, don’t worry; you’re a
normal fan interested in relevant sports.
As a guy who watches ESPN constantly and loves all things sports, I can
honestly say I have not once thought about
horse racing this entire year and don’t plan
on thinking about it anytime soon.
Horse racing may have been your
grandpa’s favorite sport, but it is not mine
— not by a million lengths. I believe it is
on its way out of the mainstream entirely in
America — if that hasn’t happened already.
The sport is going the way of boxing; there are some sports that were popular in the past in this country that cannot
stand the test of time. People want to hold
onto the old days and consider the Derby
“Americana,” but I consider it pointless.
Legalized gambling is one of the only
reasons horse racing is afloat. When a sport
is so reliant on gambling to make it relevant,
that, to me, isn’t a sport. It is entertainment
— and I am using the term “entertainment”
loosely here, because people actually have
to watch something for it to qualify.
Another argument the columnist to my
left may employ is that the horse who wins
the Kentucky Derby has the opportunity
to win the vaunted Triple Crown, which is
winning all three of the major races. That
hasn’t happened since 1978. And yes, I had
to look that up on the Internet, because I do
not know or care about the history of horse
racing. Call me when a horse actually pulls
it off; then I might care.
How can a sport still be considered
mainstream when those who actually claim
they like the sport only care about three races
and barely know the participants? A sport
like golf may have four majors that the casual sports fan cares about a lot, but people
are still interested in the PGA tour year-round
and know which players they root for.
I do not see the appeal of the sport —
if there is any left outside of gambling. It
is more cruel than entertaining when the
main motivation for these horses to race
faster is whipping. People make money
off horses’ pain, and I don’t get how this
sport in general has avoided major criticism from the animal activists out there. I
wish they would shut it down so I wouldn't
have to deal with it anymore.
Poll any sports fans you know and have
them rank the top sports events of the entire
year. I bet you would have to suggest the
Kentucky Derby before they even consider
it a sporting event.
I have heard the Kentucky Derby called
“the most exciting two minutes in sports.” I
can’t even justify wasting that small amount
of my life on it. I would rather watch replays
of sports like football, baseball or basketball.
I cannot wait until this column can discuss an actual sport again next week.
Andrew Mitchell is a journalism major
and has been a sports fanatic all his life. To
reach Andrew, e-mail front.sportscolumn@
gmail.com.
16 | sports
Friday • April 30, 2010 | The Western Front
“No matter how
much I put myself
through, I just love it.”
No
Holds
Barred
Mike DeVose,
Western freshman
Pair of Western students
mix it up in the octagon
Nick Schiffler | WF
A cage match is commonly viewed as
fierce fighting between two competitors full
of pent-up aggression, waiting to unleash ferocious punches and kicks upon each other.
But Western sophomore Nick Griffin
has a different view. Griffin practices mixed
martial arts, a relatively new and increasingly popular style of fighting in which matches
take place in cage matches. He said this perception of the sport is not entirely true.
“Most people think of it as a violent
sport, but there’s a lot more than that,”
Griffin said. “There’s a lot of class involved. And it’s a mental game. It’s competition in the purest form.”
Griffin and Western freshman Mike
DeVose have each trained in mixed martial arts and have fought in amateur bouts.
A fighter can win by knocking out the opponent, by submission if the other fighter
gives up or by the judges’ decision if there
is no winner after each round is completed.
Griffin, who was in the U.S. Marine
Corps prior to coming to Western, said he
has a 1-0 record for fights in Washington,
photo by Alex Roberts | WF
Western freshman Mike DeVose practices on a bag at the Wade King Recreation Center on
April 29. "I do three-minute rounds, with a one-minute break in-between to simulate a fight,"
DeVose said.
but has fought a few matches in other states.
DeVose has an amateur record of 3-2.
His last fight was a victory on Feb. 19. His
next fight, on May 7 in Tacoma, will be
for the championship in the 205-lb. weight
class of Sudden Impact Live, a mixed-martial-arts fighting league based out of Seattle.
The sport of mixed martial arts allows
fighters to combine a wide variety of fighting techniques.
Griffin said his style is a combination of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which focuses
on grappling and fighting on the ground,
and Muay Thai, a type of kickboxing. He
said this combination is the most common
among mixed martial arts fighters.
“If you come in just doing [Muay
Thai] or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you’re going
to get owned,” Griffin said. You have to
learn to unite the two.”
DeVose said his background is in karate, which he has been practicing since he was
4 years old. He has learned some wrestling
and is trying to work on boxing as well.
Shayne Simpson, who runs the Pacific
Northwest Karate Center in Bellingham,
said every individual gets something different out of mixed martial arts.
“Everybody trains in all different
styles — what I call three-dimensional
fighting,” Simpson said. “Learning how to
fight on ground, standing up, in-between –
there’s a lot of action going on in the training. It’s more real.”
DeVose and Griffin have sparred in the
past, but Griffin said they don’t do it often
because Griffin competes at the 155-lb.
wight class and DeVose at the 205-lb. class.
DeVose said he gets more out of training and fighting than the thrill of victory.
“I never quite view myself as perfect,
because once you do, you stop trying to
improve,” he said. “So I want to motivate
myself. No matter how much I put myself
through, I just love it.”