Western student dies in plane crash

FRIDAY
ISSUE 5 • VOL. 143
OCT. 12, 2007
WesternFrontOnline.net • Western Washington University
Western student dies in plane crash
Isabelle Dills
the western front
NEWS
Solar panel
project comes
to Western
page 6
ART & LIFE
Comic book fans
welcome Bell Con
page 18
Remembering
Nate Hagen
page 10
SPORTS
Western football
will face South
Dakota
page 12
OPINION
Western junior Cecil Elsner,
20, died Oct. 7 in a plane crash
near White Pass in the Cascade
Mountains.
Ten people were aboard the
Cessna 208 Caravan returning
from a skydiving event near
Boise, Idaho, and heading to
Shelton, Wash. The victims of the
crash included nine skydivers and
one pilot. All 10 of the passengers
were confirmed dead by Oct. 9
and the cause of the crash is under
investigation, said Nisha Marvel,
spokeswoman for the Washington
Department of Transportation.
Friends and family say Elsner
loved life and the adventurous
outdoors.
Elsner’s
father,
Stephen
Elsner, was distraught over the
phone Tuesday evening.
He said his son loved life.
“He just enjoyed doing
everything that he was doing,”
Stephen Elsner said. “He was
doing the things that he liked to
do when he went.”
The scene of Sunday’s crash
was extensive, measuring 100 feet
by 60 feet with scattered debris
everywhere, Marvel said.
Mike
Fergus,
FAA’s
Northwest Mountain Region
spokesman, said the airplane
dropped off of all radar at 8
p.m. The plane was registered
to Kapowsin Air Sports based in
Shelton, Wash., he said.
“It’s a terrible thing,” said
called a “Western jump.”
Hersey said he, Elsner and
McNulty attached Viking helmets
to their skydiving helmets they
were wearing as they sat, awaiting
their jump from the airplane.
Increased ridership overflows buses
Samonella
sickens Western
student
WEATHER
59
o
HIGH
o
45
LOW
61
o
HIGH
o
43
LOW
62
SUNDAY
o
HIGH
o
46
LOW
o
57
HIGH
o
44
LOW
nl
W
in e
.net
Source: National Weather Service
es
Western junior Cecil Elsner
wrote on his Facebook profile
that skydiving was “a meditation,
a peace of mind and a humbling
experience.” Surrendering to the
open air gave him an overwhelming
the western front
page 14
MONDAY
Isabelle Dills
the western front
Sarah Cannard
COLUMN:
Jump, shout,
dance!
S AT U R D AY
Cecil Elsner loved life, skydiving
happiness, he wrote.
Elsner was an English major
with an emphasis in creative
writing.
Two weeks before fall quarter
began, Elsner joined Western
seniors Nick Hersey and Ashley
McNulty in a sunset skydive they
see CRASH page 16 u
FRIDAY
photo courtesy of Karen Alexander
Western junior Cecil Elsner skydives above Skydive Snohomish, located at Harvey Field in Snohomish, Wash. a
month ago. Elsner died with nine others in a plane crash Oct. 7 near White Pass in the Cascade Mountains.
t e r n Fr o n t O
It’s a typical day for Western
junior Chris Wichers to ride to
and from school on a bus full to
capacity with students. If the bus
wasn’t full when Wichers boarded
the bus, it will be by the time it
reaches Bill McDonald Parkway.
The
Whatcom
Transit
Authority (WTA) has its bus
fleet at full capacity, said Rick
Nicholson, WTA director of
Service Development. With the
number of riders increasing, the
WTA needs to put more buses out
on the routes, Nicholson said.
But WTA doesn’t have those
buses, he said.
WTA Community Relations
Manager Maureen McCarthy said
because every Western student
has a bus pass, more students are
riding the bus.
The WTA is ordering more,
but that process can take anywhere
from 10 months to two years,
Nicholson said
“Sometimes it’s hard for us
to respond as quickly as we’d like
to,” Nicholson said. “And that’s a
frustration.”
see ELSNER page 16 u
Ben Jones
the western front
appear in the transit guide, he said.
Even before the WTA knew
what the amount of bus riders
would be like this year, it added
additional buses to the schedules,
Nicholson said. On weekday
mornings, the WTA has put two
extra buses on standby, so if there
are more students than the buses
have capacity for, the standbys will
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) are investigating
pot pies around the country after
139 cases of salmonella broke out
in 30 states from Jan. 1 to Oct. 11.
The problem has hit home after a
Western student was hospitalized
as a result of eating a Banquet
brand chicken pot pie.
Cory Crouchley, a sophomore
at Western, said he called the
Student Health Center complaining
of stomach pain Oct. 10 after he
and his roommates Andy Jones
and Max Lien all ate pot pies
during the weekend.
The three students cooked a
chicken, a turkey and a beef pot
pie in their oven in Buchanan
Towers for the recommended
cooking time of 28 to 32 minutes,
Jones said. The dinners were
passed out at random. Crouchley
see Bus page 5 u
see POT PIE page 3 u
photo by Graig Hill the western front
Because of the mandatory fee that guarantees every Western student taking
more than 6 credits bus passes, more students have been riding WTA buses.
The overflowing buses have to leave some students behind.
In the past, the WTA has said
it will never leave people waiting
at a bus stop, Nicholson said. Now
it will, but only if it is certain
there will be buses with room
immediately following, he said.
The WTA employs the use of
header buses, which are additional
buses only in service when regular
buses are too full, he said. Because
these buses are inconsistent and
constantly changing, they do not
NEWS
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Contact the News editors at news@westernfrontonline.net
PAGE The Western Front | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
News Briefs
Cops Box
Huxley
professor will
train Arctic
researchers
University Police
Oct. 8
» A vehicle in parking lot 20, on
West College Way, was resported
as having a broken window and
items missing.
» One person was stuck in an
elevator in the Environmental
Science building. Campus police
rescued the person, shut down
the elevator and informed
maintenance about the problem.
» A shoplifter was reported in
Miller Hall on suspicion of
throwing the stolen item.
Huxley professor Andrew
Bunn is a primary investigator
for the Polaris Project, a new
initiative through the Woods
Hole Research Center in
Massachusetts and is supported
by a $1.6 million grant from the
National Science Foundation.
Bunn’s job is to train future
participants in Arctic education
and research. He will also
inform the public about the
changes in the Arctic as a result
of global warming.
Oct. 9
» University Police reported that
the Canada House building sign
was stolen.
Bellingham Police
Business and
Economics
professors
recognized
Two
Western
faculty
members were recognized with
the 2007 Allette and Cayden
Chase Franklin Excellence in
Teaching Award.
Yvonne
Durham,
an associate professor of
economics, was given the
award for her experimental
photo by Justin Steyer the western front
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire speaks at Whatcom Community College Oct. 8. The forum was the second
in a six-stop tour of the state.
assignments while teaching, and
researching differnt methods to
affect learning and motivation
for students.
Wendy Wilhelm, from
Western’s
Department
of
Finance and Marketing, was
honored for her development of
a new approach to internship
programs. The $1,000 award is
sponsored by Western Alumnus
Chase Franklin.
Corrections
The Oct. 9 article "Crash victim released from hospital" incorrectly stated that
charges against Western senior Hae Um were not criminal. Charges were never
filed against Um.
The Oct. 9 article "New program offers material sciences minor" it was incorrectly
stated the research students do could lead to a formal major or minor. A research
or internship experience will be a requirement of the new program.
The Western Front regrets this and any other errors. Errors should be reported
immediately to the Editor-in-chief at editor@thewesternfrontonline.net.
Western Washington University • Communications Building 251 • Bellingham, WA 98225
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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 enrolled in a course
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Mariners CEO
to speak at
Business Forum
Additional
seating for
Greene lecture
Howard Lincoln, chairman
and CEO of the Seattle
Mariners and Western Board
of Trustees member, will
speak at the seventh Annual
Western Washington University
Bellingham Business Forum.
Lincoln will discuss his career
with Nintendo and the Mariners
and offer advice to local
entrepreneurs. The forum will
take place at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 6 in
the Hotel Bellwether ballroom.
Individual tickets cost $50.
Additional seating will be
available for Brian Greene’s
lecture at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 on
the Performing Arts Center
(PAC) Mainstage. Any empty
seats ticket holders have not
claimed by 6:20 p.m. will be
given to those in a standby line.
Tickets will be available at the
Western Box Office for seating
in the PAC Concert Hall to
watch the presentation through a
live video feed.
compiled by Andrea Williamson
Oct. 9
» A man was arrested in
connection with a DUI and a hit
and run collision at the Barkley
Boulevard and Woburn Street
intersection.
» A man was arrested on North
State Street on suspicion of
the possession of a firearm in
a tavern, carrying a concealed
pistol, unlawful possession of a
firearm, reckless endangerment,
possession of a stolen firearm
and possession of a controlled
substance with intent to deliver.
Oct. 10
» A taxi driver reported that two
men allegedly ran out of his cab
on Dean Avenue without paying
their fare. Officers were unable
to find the suspects.
compiled by Angela Steinkamp
NEWS
WesternFrontOnline.net | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
Employee union officers resign
Resignations stem from disagreement with statewide federation
Mike Curtiss
the western front
At a special noon meeting
Sept. 27, six of the 10 executive
board members of the labor
union that represents Western’s
tradespersons, office support,
tech support, cooks, custodians
and other non-faculty staff
suddenly resigned.
The Washington Federation
of State Employees Local 1381
also unites non-faculty staff at
Whatcom Community College
and
Bellingham
Technical
College.
According to the newsletter,
the main reasons for the
resignations was a lack of
confidence in the structure and
processes of the federation, and
a disagreement with the larger
statewide federation.
Western custodian Don
Stevens, who cleans the
Communications
Facility
and Environmental Studies
building, said when he heard
about the resignations he was
worried about not having a
union representative to go to if
a conflict between him and his
employer were to arise.
“An example that came
up recently is when we
caught Western hiring outside
For more info:
go to www.wfselocal1381.org
Western employees can e-mail Rosemary Sterling at
rosemary1381@hotmail.com if interested in getting
involved with the union
contractors to do some of our
work, which goes against our
contracts,” Stevens said. “If a
situation like that were to happen
again, I wouldn’t know who in
the union to turn to.”
Rosemary
Sterling,
bargaining unit representative and
one of the remaining executive
board members of Local 1381,
said the disagreement may have
started with a state law, RCW
41.80, that changed the location
for negotiations between the
union and Western.
“This law gives the
employer the right to decide
whether to negotiate and where
the negotiation will take place,”
she said. “Before we were
able to negotiate with Western
right on campus directly with
management. This law made
it so that the officers have to
travel out of town to meet with a
coalition board, and that was the
final straw.”
On Oct. 7, the remaining
members of Local 1381 held a
special meeting to elect interim
executive
board
members.
Sterling said she was elected
interim president of Local 1381
until regular elections are held
this December.
“I would like to see the
original members come back by
then and work everything out,”
she said.
Tim Welch, spokesperson
for the statewide federation, said
Western employees were never
without union representation.
“There were still union
stewards in place who are
trained to represent members to
the federation,” he said. “So the
ability to be represented was still
there. No representation rights
were violated.”
Welch said the resignations
did not cause any financial or
bookkeeping issues because the
union’s treasurer did not resign.
|
Chicken, turkey pot pies
linked to salmonella outbreak
u pot pie from 1
was considered the lucky one
since all three had wanted the
chicken dinner, Jones said.
At approximately 5 p.m.
Oct. 8, Crouchley said he
began to feel intense pain in his
stomach and simply believed
he was sick, Jones said. His
symptoms continued and his
roommates pressured Crouchley
to go to the Health Center, Jones
said.
On Wednesday, Crouchley
went to the Health Center
and was sent to St. Joseph
Hospital, where he checked in
at approximately 3 p.m. and was
given an IV drip to re-hydrate
his body after fluid loss from
vomiting and diarrhea, he said.
Crouchley said he was given
a bed next to a girl with similar
symptoms, and overheard her
saying she had eaten a Banquet
pot pie and become violently
sick. Crouchley said he realized
at that point he had food
poisoning and not appendicitis,
as the doctors were thinking.
When his blood work came
back, it confirmed salmonella,
he said.
Crouchley said he was
released from the hospital at
approximately 8 p.m. the same
day, feeling much better and
armed with medication for
nausea and diarrhea.
Jones and Lien, who ate
the turkey and beef pot pies,
said they never felt any sort of
symptoms of food poisoning.
But all three plan to steer clear
of pot pies, Crouchley said.
The Food and Drug
Administration
(FDA)
is
investigating
the
problem,
and ConAgra Foods, maker
of the pot pies, said it is not
necessary to throw out any pot
pies, according to an automated
telephone message issued by the
company.
The company believes
proper cooking time is the key
to destroying any traces of
salmonella that may be in the
food, a ConAgra representative
said.
The company has issued
a warning about chicken and
turkey pot pies, but beef dinners
are safe, the representative said.
ConAgra pot pies are
also packaged under generic
names including Hill Country
Fair, Food Lion, Great Value,
Kirkwood, Kroeger and Meyer,
according to the automated
telephone message.
|
NEWS
Friday • Oct. 12, 2007 | The Western Front
Party Patrol vigilant first few school weekends
Mike Curtiss
the western front
Western junior Brigette
Forney was partying with her
two roommates and 18 friends
around midnight Sept. 29 at
her house on South 42nd Street
when the party was suddenly
stopped by police officers at the
door.
“I didn’t think the music
was actually that loud but I
guess we got a noise complaint,”
Forney said. “Then the police
came to the door and asked to
see our IDs. They had the whole
house surrounded.”
Five minutes later, the police
had obtained a search warrant
and seven officers entered the
house, searching every room
and detaining everyone inside,
Forney said.
“They
ransacked
our
bedrooms, ripping open closet
doors and drawers,” she said. “I
felt really violated.”
Forney and her friends’
party was crashed by the
Party Patrol, a service of the
Bellingham Police Department
partially funded by Western’s
Campus Community Coalition,
said Bellingham Police Lt.
Craige Ambrose. The Party
Patrol's goal is to curb underage
drinking and respond to loud
parties in neighborhoods near
the university, Ambrose said.
Ambrose said the Party
Patrol is a program of extra
patrols on Friday and Saturday
nights that focus on enforcing
alcohol laws. The program is
most active during the first
few weekends of the school
year when new students are
at their wildest, he said. It has
alcohol to minors and minor in
possession of alcohol, she said.
It was three days before her 21st
birthday, she said.
“After they issued MIPs to
each of the underage people at
our house, they forced everyone
to walk home when the majority
of the people there were
planning on staying the night,”
Forney said. “Safety was the
last thing on their
minds.”
The
Party
“I think it's really ridiculous that
Patrol
targets
they came with a warrant because of loud parties in
loud music and a little party.”
neighborhoods near
- Rachel Felix, Western junior Western where large
numbers of younglooking
people
busted at least four parties so
are gathered, said Bellingham
far this quarter, according to
Police Sgt. Claudia Murphy.
the Bellingham Police Web site
A dispatcher informs the
daily activity log.
senior officer in charge of the
“We like to hit hard right
patrol about all the parties that
off the bat and remind everyone
receive complaints, and they
what the laws are and that we’re
respond to the parties based on
out there to enforce them,”
the number of complaints, the
Ambrose said.
number of people in attendance
Forney said 15 of the guests
and whether or not they appear
at the party received citations
to be underage, Murphy said.
on suspicion of being minors
“If a caller calls and tells
in possession of alcohol (MIP),
us that there’s kids crawling
a gross misdemeanor. And she
all over the neighborhood,
and her roommates received
jumping over fences and sitting
citations on suspicion of
on people’s cars, and urinating
disorderly conduct, furnishing
and puking in people’s yards,
Multimedia • More stories • Online classifieds
obviously that party’s going to
get our attention,” she said.
Western junior Rachel
Felix, Forney’s roommate,
was also cited on suspicion of
disorderly conduct, furnishing
alcohol to minors and minor in
possession at the Sept. 29 party.
Felix said everyone at the party
was cooperative with the police,
but their house was searched
anyway.
“I think it’s really ridiculous
that they came with a warrant
because of loud music and
a little party,” Felix said. “I
could see if we refused to open
the door or if it was a huge
kegger or something, but we
were completely compliant
with everything they asked and
nobody was even that drunk.”
Murphy was the senior
officer in charge of the Party
Patrol on the night of Sept. 29.
She said although the people at
the party on South 42nd Street
did cooperate with the officers,
their treatment was the same as
any other party with underage
drinking.
“They
were
probably
the most polite, cooperative
and pleasant people I’ve ever
encountered at a party,” she said.
see PATROL page 5 u
Defined
violations
Noise ordinance
violation ­— a civil
infraction for causing noise
disturbing neighbors' sense
of peace and quiet
Open liquor container
violation — A civil
infraction for having an open
container of alcohol in public
or being drunk in public
Disorderly conduct
(Loud Party) — A
misdemeanor for hosting
a loud party. Usually given
at the officers discretion
when a party leads to other
offenses
Minor in possession
— A gross misdemeanor
for possessing or consuming
any amount of alcohol if
under age 21
Furnishing alcohol to
minors — A misdemeanor
for hosting an event in which
minors are caught with
alcohol
Source: Revised Code of Washington
NEWS
WesternFrontOnline.net | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
Police focus on underage drinkers
u PATROL from 4
“We just don’t have a choice.
It’s a zero tolerance policy and
they all got MIPs. They seemed
like very good citizens that just
decided to party, but we don’t
discriminate.”
Shane Brady, prosecuting
attorney for the city of
Bellingham, said although the
maximum penalty for a gross
misdemeanor is one year in jail
and a $5,000 fine, the court will
often offer minors in possession
a plea bargain for a $300 fine, 16
hours of community service and
a mandatory alcohol class. Most
accept the bargain, he said.
“The idea is you will get a
better deal if you plea bargain
than if you take it to court,”
Brady said.
Felix said she has pleaded
not guilty and intends to fight
the charges. She said she thinks
“Bellingham is not going
to ignor college parties
or college drinking...”
- Claudia Murphy, Bellingham
Police Sgt.
the police should promote safe
drinking rather than just writing
tickets.
“The police should spend
all that energy trying to bust
drunk drivers and actually make
the streets safer rather than
focusing on easy targets to meet
their quotas,” Murphy said. “It’s
a college town. Students are
going to drink. Focus on what
you can actually change.”
Murphy said underage
drinking leads to more serious
offenses such as date rape and
alcoholism, and preventing
underage drinking will remain a
focus of the Bellingham Police.
“Bellingham is not going
to ignore college parties or
college drinking, in fact were
going to make [patroling them]
a priority,” she said. “It’s not
that we are trying to stop young
people from having fun, we're
trying to stop the crimes that are
related to underage drinking.”
How Bellingham Police's Party Patrol works
Mike Curtiss
the western front
When the Party Patrol
has targeted a specific party,
Bellingham Police Sgt. Claudia
Murphy said officers will park
a distance from the location
and walk up and surround
the location. Then they begin
investigating and decide if the
party violates any laws, she
said.
“When people see us
walking up they can tell who
we are,” Murphy said. “And if
20 out of a group of 25 people
drop their beers and jump in
the bushes, that’s probable
cause that there are underage
drinkers.”
Once the Party Patrol
has probable cause to believe
underage people are drinking, it
can get a search warrant within
minutes, Murphy said. The
senior officer in charge will call
a judge, present their evidence,
get sworn in and get a warrant
granted all through the phone,
she said.
As soon as they have a
warrant, the Party Patrol will
enter the location, shut down
the party and start administer
breathalyzers, she said. Any
person under 21 with alcohol on
their breath is cited for minor in
possession, she said.
Residents are usually
cited for disorderly conduct,
furnishing alcohol to minors
and minor in possession if they
are under 21 with any level of
alcohol on their breath, Murphy
said.
|
Two WTA buses on standby
have.”
Western
sophomore
Chelsea Shearer regularly rides
join the regular buses, he said.
the 90 or 190 buses from the
These standby buses, unlike
Lincoln Creek Park & Ride. In
header buses, are set aside just
the mornings, those routes are
for Western routes, Nicholson
usually overcrowded, Shearer
said. The drivers may sit all day
said. Once the bus leaves the
and never get called to drive,
park and ride, she said she
but the WTA wants make sure it
watches the bus pass by stops
has enough buses for everyone,
with groups of students waiting
Nicholson said.
for a bus with room for them.
“We knew we would have
To help compensate for
more ridership,” Nicholson said.
extra riders, Nicholson said the
“We didn’t know how much.”
WTA will soon have the 190
Nicholson said he originally
shuttle running, which will run
guessed the amount of new
ahead of the regular 190 bus on
student riders this year would
the same route. Last year it ran
be manageable. For the first two
for about two and half hours in
weeks of Western’s fall quarter,
the
afternoon
because
that
“We knew we would have more
was
when
ridership. We didn't know how much.”
- Rick Nicholson, WTA director of Service students needed
Development it most, he said.
This year it will
operate
from
shortly after 1 p.m. until 6:30
the WTA monitored the traffic
p.m.
flow of student riders, and is
Nicholson said starting
now analyzing the information
in January another new route
and comparing numbers from
will be added to the transit
previous years, he said. The
guide. It will run between south
WTA may be carrying up to
campus, the Wade King Student
2,000 more people a day than
Recreation Center and down Bill
it did at this time last year, he
McDonald to 32nd Street.
said.
Nicholson said he expects
“It looks like I may have
the new route to help deal with
underestimated,”
Nicholson
overflow on existing bus routes.
said. “It’s a great problem to
u bus from 1
|
NEWS
Friday • Oct. 12, 2007 | The Western Front
Solar power demonstration to come to Western
12 solar panels to be mounted
on bookstore wall
energy analyst for Alpha
Technologies, a company that
provides energy solutions to
Western is set to become
industries. He joined SRE in
one of the first universities in
2003 and helped the club in its
the United States to generate
campaign to power the campus
a portion of its own renewable
with 100 percent renewable
energy on campus.
energy.
With the support of the
The solar demonstration
Bonneville
Environmental
system seemed like a natural
Foundation, Alpha Technologies
follow-up project, Nixon said.
and Puget Sound Energy, the
Nixon said he spoke with
Students for Renewable Energy
Tom Stars, Bonneville head
club (SRE) plans to construct
of marketing and sales, who
a solar demonstration system
encouraged him to pursue the
aimed at educating students
project.
and faculty about the benefits of
The
Bonneville
solar power.
Environmental foundation had
“We want people to realize
already designed and financed
that this is viable technology
more than 40 outreach programs
that can be implemented here,”
for schools and corporations
said Rose Woofenden, president
across the nation, but had never
of SRE.
worked with a university, Nixon
The demonstration will
said.
consist of 12 solar panels
Alpha Technologies will
permanently mounted onto
provide the panels and electrical
the south wall of the Western
components, Bonneville will
Associated Students bookstore,
support
the
Woofenden said.
“The time is right i n f o r m a t i o n a l
An
interactive
kiosk, and Puget
kiosk, located on
for renewable
Sound
Energy
the sixth floor of
energy. We want
will fund the
the Viking Union,
to use this as an
installation said
will explain the
example to say,
Ron
Bailely,
project and provide
'Hey, we can do
Western's utilities
information about
manager.
renewable energy,
this.'”
Donations
she said.
- Rose Woofenden, SRE
from
the three
“The
time
president
c o m p a n i e s
is
right
for
through
the
renewable energy,”
Western Foundation will pay for
Woofenden said. “We want to
expenses, Bailey said. Manca
use this as an example to say,
Valum, Western's Foundation’s
‘Hey, we can do this.’”
director of development for
The solar project began
Western’s College of Sciences
through the efforts of Derek
and Technology and Huxley
Nixon, a June 2007 Western
College of the Environment,
graduate who received an
added that a contribution from
internship as a renewable
Kim Gladow
the western front
Renewable energy in the United States
Renewable energy accounted for 7 percent of the United States’ energy consumption in 2006.
Of that 7 percent, only 1 percent came from solar energy.
Wind
4%
Geothermal
5%
Solar
1%
Biomass 48%
23%
7%
source: US EIA
Renewable
a private donor to the Western
Foundation will also help
support project installation
costs.
“The project makes our
purpose with green energy
much more tangible,” Nixon
said.
Woofenden
said
SRE
hopes Western can one day
generate 100 percent of its
renewable energy, but the solar
demonstration is more about
education than actual energy
production.
The solar panels will
generate an estimated output of
2,000 kilowatt-hours per year,
a small fraction of Western’s
annual 39 million kilowatt-hour
energy consumption, Bailey
40%
Hydroelectric 42%
23%
8%
Nuclear
Coal
Natural Gas
Petroleum
graphic by Matt Gagne the western front
said.
An average desktop
computer
requires
1,000
kilowatt-hours of energy to
power it for one year, he said.
Nevertheless, Bailey said
that by positioning the panels
high up the bookstore wall,
they will be difficult to miss,
drawing student’s attention to
the possibility of solar power.
“The visibility of the panels
is more important than their
efficiency,” Bailey said.
The demonstration’s actual
installation date is yet to be
decided, said Barbara Alten,
Western architect and project
manager. Alten said he and
Nixon must complete more
calculations and measurements.
NEWS
WesternFrontOnline.net | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
|
Arabic classes offered at Western
Western creates 100-level courses to meet demand from students, faculty
Isabelle Dills
the western front
Western
senior
Silas
Frank was encouraged by his
advisors to take a language
course because it would help his
chances of getting into graduate
school. But as a political science
major with a focus on Middle
Eastern studies, Frank said
Western offered few language
courses that sparked his interest.
That changed this quarter
when the Department of Modern
and
Classical
Languages
introduced elementary Arabic to
its curriculum.
“I’m a big current event
guy,” Frank said. “So this is a
unique opportunity for me to
learn more than just the white
man’s history about the region
that most fascinates me in the
world.”
The class is a lot of work
but is a rewarding experience,
Frank said.
“I can read Arabic now
and its only been two weeks,”
he said. “I don’t know what it
means but I can read it… Two
weeks ago it just looked like a
bunch of squiggles that made
absolutely no sense whatsoever.”
Demand for an Arabic
language course has increased
from both students and faculty
in the past couple years, said
Brent Carbajal, chair of the
Department of Modern and
Classical Languages.
The College of Humanities
and Social Sciences and the
university were supportive of
the new curriculum, and the
Department of Modern and
Classical Languages is looking
forward to the future of Arabic
language study at Western,
Carbajal said.
Next year, the department
will present a proposal to
the appropriate curriculum
committees in hopes to offer
200-level
Arabic
classes,
Carbajal said. Meanwhile, a
class in colloquial Arabic will
be available in the spring, he
said.
Western Arabic language
professor, Linda Istanbulli, said
the colloquial class will teach
students a spoken dialect of
Arabic as opposed to teaching a
written form.
Istanbulli said she is
originally from Syria and before
coming to Western during
the summer she taught at the
American University in Cairo,
Egypt.
“People are hungry to know
about the Middle East and the
people there,” Istanbulli said. “I
hope I can help.”
Istanbulli said the textbook
she is using this quarter is
culture-oriented so students
are able to learn more than the
language.
Strong correlation exists
between language and culture,
she said, and learning a language
is a way to bridge cultural gaps.
Istanbulli said she is
teaching her students Modern
Standard
Arabic
although
the language has a variety of
dialects.
The dialects differ slightly
from one country to another,
but people can understand each
other easily no matter which
dialect they speak, she said.
Arabic can be difficult
for English-speaking students
because it does not use
Latin letters, Istanbulli
said. The language is
written from right to left
and the individual letters
are written differently
depending on where the
letter is placed in a word,
she said.
Frank said he hopes
to use his Arabic for
traveling, and perhaps for
a future career. A large
demand for AmericanArabic speakers could
increase as U.S. politics
become more involved in
the Middle East, he said.
Western senior Jesse
Inman said he shares a
photo by Mark Malijan the western front
similar outlook.
Linda Istanbulli holds the book for her
Inman said he is
Arabic class. Instanbulli moved from
taking Arabic because
Cairo, Egypt to teach at Western.
he wants to travel to the
Middle East, perhaps
Istanbulli said she was
teach English as a second
surprised to learn both Arabic
language or do non-profit relief
classes were full this quarter
work in Lebanon.
because it is an elective course.
Inman, who is taking 101,
“Students really want to
said he is enjoying the class and
learn,” Istanbulli said. “They’re
wants to take Arabic 102 and
there because they want to be
103.
there and it’s amazing.”
ART
&
q
See more online at
www.westernfrontonline.net
Contact the Art & Life editors at artandlife@westernfrontonline.net
NOt J
ust
Comic fans of all ages unite
for first-ever bell con
Steven Chea
THE WESTERN FRONt
The Comics Place employee Neill McLaughlin said
he bemoans the stereotypes cast upon readers of comic
books.
“Comic book people are not the quintessential
comic book shop guy from The Simpsons. We’re not
nerds,” McLaughlin said. “Well, we are nerds, but we’re
passionate about the art form we choose over others.”
So when local comic writer Darren Davis brought
up the idea of having a comic book convention in
Bellingham, McLaughlin said he jumped on board and
saw an opportunity to reach out to fans and skeptics at the
same time.
Davis, president of Bellingham-based comic
publisher Bluewater Productions, rounded up a committee
of comic book-loving volunteers to set up Bell Con, the
city’s first comic book convention. The all-ages event lasts
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Majestic, on 1027 N.
Forest St. Tickets are $5 at the door.
Rather than catering strictly to the hardcore Spider-
Man fan
or
that
guy who
can’t stop
talking about how awesome Daredevil issue #7 is,
Davis said he is aiming to make sure a good time is
had by all, comic fan or not.
“We’re trying to get little kids,” Davis said. “But
then we also want to get college students and 60-yearold men, We really want to bring the community
together, and this is a fun way to do it.”
On top of the usual comic book signings and
guys dressed up in Superman underoos, conventiongoers can expect other forms of entertainment, Davis
said. The committee tapped into the local music
scene to provide entertainment at the show, enlisting Four figurines of well known comic book characters stand on disp
folk rock outfit Fritz and the Freeloaders, jam band Robin, The Thing, Spider-Man, Wolverine.
Savage Henry and singer Amber Darland. There will
local establishments. Prizes for the raffles and giveaways
be screenings of “Clash of the Titans” and “The Pit
were donated by Cosmic Comics, The Comics Place,
and the Pendulum,” both produced by science-fiction film
Boomer’s Drive-In, YMCA, Mallard Ice Cream and
legend Ray Harryhausen, Davis said.
the Pickford Cinema, among others. Members of the
Billing the event as a community-based comic book
Bellingham Fire Department will make an appearance to
convention, Davis said Bell Con is built on the support of
show kids that the real world has heroes as well, Davis
Beyond the
Western student focuses radio show on the art of hip hop produ
Kaleb Gubernick
the western front
Phil Baum couldn’t care less about lyrics. He’s all
about the beats.
Baum, a senior at Western, has climbed the ranks
at the college’s student-run radio station, KUGS 89.3
FM, from news reader to DJ, and now is the host of a
new specialty radio show, "The Nod Factor". Baum said
the show zeroes in on mostly below-the-radar hip-hop,
but with a unique twist. It focuses on the beat makers’
perspective.
Baum said his love for hip-hop began around the
end of middle school, when he got a copy of The Roots’
album “Things Fall Apart.”
“That album blew me away,” Baum said. “It just
straight up rocked my world. After that I got Dilated
Peoples’ ‘The Platform,’ and that’s when I started
noticing the beats foremost.”
Baum has more involvement with hip-hop
production than just being a listener. He said he has
been producing beats himself since his freshman year
“I’m sure there’ll be some parts where
the audience is like ‘this rapper isn’t that
tight,’ and they’re probably right...But it’s
really all about the beats.”
- Phil Baum, Western Senior and host of "The Nod Factor"
of high school. But it was at the end of high school when
he really found his own style.
“By 11th- or 12th-grade was really when I actually
had some beats I could stand behind,” Baum said.
During his beat-making endeavors in high school,
Baum said he also tried his hand at rapping. Baum said
along with Darius Emadi, a former Western student
now living in Seattle, he was in a group named TNB, a
tongue-in-cheek hip-hop act. After releasing two records
independently, Emadi said he and Baum decided to set
their sights elsewhere.
“We figured out we were too lazy to be rappers,”
Emadi said. “So we just stuck to making beats. Now we
just produce for rappers.”
One notable rapper they produce for is former
Bellingham emcee Taybot, of the group estrella. Emadi
said he is also working as a DJ for Taybot during his
live shows.
Producing for rappers has turned out to be quite the
lucrative enterprise, Baum said. He and Emadi formed
a production team named Phil and NumberMan, and
since they started making beats, Baum said they have
sold somewhere between 20 and 30 beats to different
rappers at prices varying from $50 to $150.
Despite the perks, Baum said beat making can
become somewhat of a burden for him.
“Making beats too much can drive you crazy,”
Baum said. “I’ve taken month-long breaks from making
beats and just felt that much more sane.”
Baum said his chosen method of beat making is
something that at times drives other musicians insane
— sampling. Sampling, the art of taking pieces of
existing music and cutting, pasting and rearranging
them to form a new composition, is a technique that has
TLIFE
&
q
PAGE The Western Front | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
t childs play
photo by Mark malijan THE WESTERN FRONT
Left and Right: Comic books fill the shelves of Bellingham comic store Cosmic Comics. Cosmic Comics is one of
several contributors for the raffles that will take place at Bellcon on Oct. 13.
budding young writers and
artists to hone their skills,
and this year their work
will be sold at Bell Con,
with all proceeds going
to Bellingham Public
Libraries, he said.
Of
course,
the
committee didn’t skimp
on the comic book side
of things either, setting
out to recruit some of the
industry’s top talents, both
local and world-famous,
Davis said.
They were successful in securing such big names
as Tom Peyer, who boasts experience on Batman
photo by Mark Malijan THE WESTERN FRONT
comics. But they also made sure to bring in some of
play at Bellingham comic book store Cosmic Comics. Left to right : Bellingham’s own, including Michel Gagné, creator of
the science-fiction series ZED, as well as the writers
and artists that make up Bluewater Productions.
said.
Chris Clow, who also works at The Comics Place,
Integrating a passion for comic books with community
said a high turnout at the convention could be the event
interaction is nothing new for Davis, who said he left the
that puts Bellingham on the comic book map.
punishing daily grind of Los Angeles four years ago in
“If this event is a success, then there can only be
favor of Bellingham’s more neighborly attitude. Davis runs
more,” Clow said. “If it takes off, then we can probably get
a children’s comic book camp each summer that allows
even more renowned names from the
comic book industry.”
Comic book fan and Western
senior Stephanie Throssell said she
plans on attending Bell Con. Having
once worked at a comic shop in her
hometown of Helena, Mont., Throssell
said she understands businesses often
struggle to stay afloat, and hopes the
convention will boost the profile of
Bellingham shops.
“Comic books are a very niche
market,” Throssell said. “Hopefully a
comic book convention will let people
know more about these stores and maybe get a few more
people into realizing that comic books aren’t necessarily
for kids.”
Comic-crazy or completely clueless, McLaughlin
said everyone is bound to find something that piques their
interest at Bell Con.
“There are good things out there that people don’t
know about,” McLaughlin said. “There’s a comic book out
there for everybody. That’s my mantra in life.”
And if that doesn’t compel people to attend, then
maybe the belly dancers dressed up as Star Trek characters
are worth checking out.
Bellingham Comic
Convention
Saturday, Oct. 13
The Majestic
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
$5 at the door
rhymes
uction
been
commonplace
among
hip-hop
producers since the
genre’s
inception.
Baum said many
people view sampling
as an uncreative way
of making music, but
he disagrees.
“I
look
at
sampling as like a
painter with a palette of paint,” Baum said. “It’s all
a matter of what you do with it. Sometimes I think
it allows you even more creativity than actually
playing instruments.”
The creativity Baum speaks of translates well
to his radio show, where he fills a different creative
niche than the other two specialty hip-hop shows on
the air, said Jenn Hartman, the program director at
KUGS.
Hartman was responsible for green-lighting
the show that Baum
proposed.
Hartman
said she went with
the idea because of
Baum’s familiarity and
experience with hiphop, as well as his love
for it.
“It’s
awesome
having someone with
such
passion
and
knowledge about their music,” Hartman said. “That’s
what we strive to achieve with all of our shows.”
Baum said he will be the first to acknowledge
that he might not sound like he knows what he’s
talking about as far as the rhymes go on the tracks
he plays.
“I’m sure there’ll be some parts where the
audience is like ‘this rapper isn’t that tight,’ and
they’re probably right,” Baum said. “But it’s really
all about the beats.”
The Nod Factor
Sundays 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
89.3 KUGS
www.kugs.org to stream online
photo by Kaleb Gubernick THE WESTERN FRONT
Western senior Phil Baum looks through a stack of records
while hosting his weekly radio show on 89.3 KUGS.
10 |
ART&LIFE
Friday • Oct. 12, 2007 | The Western Front
'He will always be a light'
Western senior Nate Hagen remembered by his friends and family
Natasha Walker
the western front
When a cell phone rang the night of Aug. 10 during
an intimate gathering of friends at Magnuson Park
in Seattle, no one expected the news that was about to
come.
“One of our friends called and was kind of in
hysterics and had just heard something happened to
Nate,” Western senior Tracy Leddo said. Western student Nate Hagen had been involved in a
serious accident while hiking in Canada.
“I’m always going to vividly remember, we called
his house and his mom answered and the only thing we
could hear was, ‘We lost him at 8 o’clock’,” Leddo said.
Hagen, a Seattle native and soon-to-be Western
senior, had suffered injuries during a high-elevation fall
while hiking Chatterbox Falls in British Columbia. He
died from internal bleeding while being transported by
a Canadian army helicopter to a hospital, said friend and
Western senior Ashley Greenway. He was 22 years old.
Hagen had been working as a steward on a private
yacht when he and his fellow crew members decided to
take the hike to Trappers Cabin in the Princess Louisa
Inlet in British Columbia.
Hagen’s mother, Gale Hagen, said he had been
having the time of his life working on the boat.
“Nate liked to look good and he liked making the
tables look good. He would often times change his tie
to match the dinner setting,” Gale Hagen said. “It really
showed that Nate liked putting his best foot forward.”
Hagen graduated from Roosevelt High School in
2004 and arrived at Western with hopes of following in
his father's footsteps by obtaining a chemistry degree,
Leddo said. His father is founder, president and CEO
of Icogenex Corp., a company that works to identify
treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
When Hagen discovered chemistry was not his
strength, he dabbled in communication, but found his
niche in business, his parents said.
His father said he supported Nate's decision all the
way.
“Nate was a very personable guy, very interactive,”
Fred Hagen said. “It didn’t take long for people to really
learn to like and love him. He just had a way about him
and he just connected with people. Having that kind of
personality and ability, I think marketing and sales would
have been exactly where he would have excelled.”
At 6-feet-3 inches, Hagen’s towering stature may
have taken the business world by storm, but it hardly
rivaled his bigger-than-life personality, Greenway said.
“Just imagine a big teddy bear,” she said. “His hugs
were indescribable. I’ve never met a person that could
think of anything negative to say about him. He was
always very patient and always wanting to help, and teach
and learn. And what I can’t stress enough was how much
photo courtesy of Katie Steinhoff
"You know, Nate only had 22 years but he sure had a lot of fun. He lived a full life," said Nate Hagen's father, Fred
Hagen. This photo shows Nate with Western senior and friend, Annie Wikstrom.
of a gentleman he was.”
Hagen’s approachability and charm naturally drew
people to him, Greenway said.
“Nate had a unique way of creating communities
around him,” she said. “His friends weren’t just his
friends, they were his family. And his family was his
friends.”
Hagen’s bursting social web intertwined longtime high school friends with recently acquired college
friends, many of whom remain close to this day, said his
parents.
“Just imagine a big teddy bear. His
hugs were indescribable.”
-Ashley Greenway, Western senior
and friend of Hagen
“Honestly, he is one of the biggest influences in
my life as a college student,” said Western senior Isaac
Levin, Hagen’s freshmen year roommate. “Nate's was the
first hand I shook at Western, the first real friend I had
up here and because of him, I have been introduced to a
whole group of people that without him, I never would
have met. I am so thankful for getting stuck with that kid
for a year.”
Friendship and collective sharing of stories have
proven to be imperative in the healing and coping
process, Leddo said.
In his own words...
Recovered from a document his father
found on Hagen's computer after his
death.
“I try to live my life as stress free as
possible. I am almost always happy and full
of joy. My love for life rubs off on people. I
photo courtesy of Fred Hagen
“When it happened, as sad and as devastating as it
was, all of us in Seattle — we were together when we
found out and we were up the whole night and couldn’t
help it — everyone just started telling Nate stories,” she
said. “Everyone was having a good time just remembering
him.”
Hagen’s parents said these stories are therapeutic for
them as well, providing a deeper glimpse into their son’s
life.
The day after the friends at Magnuson Park found
out about his death, Leddo said they visited the Hagen
family and spent the day sharing memories.
“This group of friends, maybe they needed us, but we
really needed them,” Gale Hagen said. “And it was just a
really great day of sharing Nate stories. You don’t realize
when something like that happens how it important it is
to have people like that around you.”
Through e-mail, simple phone conversations or
eating lunch, the people in Hagen’s life have continued to
celebrate his short life, Gale Hagen said. The stories they
share differ, but friends and family agree that life now
will be ­— as his father said — a lot blander without him.
“I’ve always thought Nate had a light,” Greenway
said. “And even though he’s gone now, he will always be
a light. He has brought people from Western and people
from Seattle together and I think those are connections
that will help his memory to live on.”
love to be around others.
"I feel that many people are like 'happy
sponges,' when their sponge is saturated
with happiness, it drips everywhere and
leaves traces of joy in its path. When
someone’s sponge is dry and has apparent
holes, I want to be the happiness that fills
in the holes, so they too can be happy and
spread the love.
"I enjoy the simplicities of life that
become staples in our emotional diet. Like
a food pyramid, it is extremely important
to have an emotional pyramid. At the top
should be anger/sadness where you want
only a small amount, to happiness and joy
in the middle, to laughter and relaxation,
and all the way down to bountiful amounts
of love!”
ART&LIFE
WesternFrontOnline.net | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
| 11
Back to the underground
Jason Webley returns to Western with band in tow
Anna Renzetti
THE WESTERN FRONT
Cheerful viola lines, staccato guitar picking and the
lively melody of the accordion are all sounds that will be
coming from the Underground Coffeehouse Oct. 12 as
Seattle-based musician Jason Webley hits the stage.
Webley’s combines a
quirky, folky and accordiontoting sound. Webley describes
his music as having somewhat
Jason Webley
of an Eastern European
Friday, Oct. 12
resonance.
Underground
He said most of his
fans would have a hard time
Coffeehouse
describing his music’s genre,
8 p.m./Free
but it is a genre that can be
understood at one of his live
shows.
“I try to make my music
really fun and engaging and I try to make my concerts
that way as well,” Webley said.
Though he usually performs solo, Webley comes to
Western’s Underground Coffeehouse with a four-piece
band. He brings with him acoustic bass player Jherek
Bischoff, violist L. Alex Guy and drummer Michael
McQuilken. Webley said he is on lead vocals and often
plays the guitar and the accordion.
The purpose of The Webley Quartet tour is to
promote the release of Webley’s brand new album, “The
Cost of Living,” his first full length album since 2004.
Webley said this album possesses more of a pop sound
compared to his previous works.
This album is stronger than any other album he has
done, Webley said.
“The songs are steadier rhythmically, it’s almost an
indie rock sound, with a house beat, a more modern thing
going on,” Webley said.
Underground Coffeehouse Coordinator Yuri Tolpin
said Webley will be a good addition to this year’s line-
photo courtesy of Jason Webley
The Webley Quartet (left to right): Jherek Bischoff (bass),
Jason Webley (accordion, guitar, vocals), L. Alex Guy
(viola), Michael McQuilken (drums).
up because he wants Western to get away from the
stereotypical “chill” music that Western students are
known to listen to.
“It’s going to be more lively music,” Tolpin said.
From Webley’s sold out performance last spring
in the Underground Coffeehouse, Tolpin said he sees
this Friday’s performance as being an upbeat show that
everyone should check out.
“This is going to be unlike any other event in the
Underground,” Tolpin said.
As well as touring, Webley runs his own small
record label called Eleven Records, which produced his
current release and a few solo albums recorded by his
band members.
Western graduate and Webley fan Sarah Allen said
she has been to several of Webley’s shows. She said his
shows include everything from intimate acoustics to onstage hijinks such as feather throwing and leaf tossing.
She said she has never been disappointed.
“I like Jason’s music because it’s honest, fun music
that makes you want to dance,” Allen said.
She said that attendees of Webley’s shows should be
ready to be interactive audience members. She said at one
of his concerts, Webley told her to point her index finger
in the air and spin around.
This will be Webley’s third time performing at
Western. Associated Students Productions Director Jeff
Talbot said he is looking forward to bringing Webley
back this year because he brings an eclectic and diverse
show.
“Jason Webley has this live energy that can’t be
captured in a recording,” Talbot said.
As a former Underground Coffeehouse coordinator,
Talbot said he recommends getting to the show early
due to the fact the venue last year reached capacity and
latecomers were turned away.
Live performance is what Webley does for a living.
He has toured for years in locales stretching from Europe
to Australia, establishing a large fan base in Russia. He is
now looking forward to a small tour around the Western
United States, Webley said.
Webley said he hopes his first tour with a full band
behind him will expose his new sound to listeners,
as well as help him reach new fans. He said his set at
Western will include a mixture of his new relaxed songs,
along with the fun, catchy, humorous tunes that he is
known for.
SPORTS
See more online at
www.westernfrontonline.net
Contact the Sports editor at sports@westernfrontonline.net
PAGE 12
The Western Front | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
Western football seeks second-straight win
Viking running backs Roberts, Garner to share time in backfield against South Dakota
Justin Morrow
THE WESTERN FRONT
photo by Mark Malijan THE WESTERN FRONT
Western senior Shane Simmons leads the North Central Conference
with an average of 13 tackles per game.
With suitcases packed full
of game plans and white awaygame jerseys, the Western
football team will travel to
the Midwest for an Oct. 13
showdown against North Central
Conference (NCC) opponent the
University of South Dakota.
The Vikings left Bellingham
Oct. 11 to allow an entire day
before the game to acclimate
to the two-hour time difference
in South Dakota, said Western
head coach Robin Ross.
"When I coached with the
Oakland Raiders, we‘d leave
on a Friday for a Sunday game
if the game was two time zones
away,” Ross said. “Skipping two
time zones and trying to play a
game the next day is tough, so
this will give us more time to get
used to the new surroundings.”
Western, 2-3 overall and
1-3 in the NCC, will try to win
its second-straight game for
the first time this season. The
Vikings defeated St. Cloud State
University 18-15 Oct. 6 to end a
three-game losing streak.
South Dakota, 3-3 overall
and 2-1 in NCC, amassed 644
total yards against Central
Washington University, but lost
the Oct. 6 game 45-40.
South Dakota's defense,
which
allowed
Central
Western Football
Next game: 12ép.m. Oct. 13 at the
University of South Dakota
Western's record: 2-3 overall
USD's record: 3-3 overall
Washington 526 total yards, has
been inconsistent this season,
Ross said.
South Dakota has allowed
its opponents to score an average
of 30.2 points per game.
Ross
said
sophomore
running back Tyler Roberts
will get more playing time
against South Dakota, even if
sophomore running back Craig
Garner, Western's usual starting
running back, is fully recovered
from the knee injury that kept
him off the field Oct 6. Roberts
rushed for 87 yards on 23 carries
against St. Cloud State.
Ross said he likes the idea
of pairing Roberts’ ability to
gain yards inside the tackles
with Garner's elusiveness in the
open-field. He said he plans to
use the inside-outside duo to
keep South Dakota's defense
off-balance.
"They are both totally
different type of runners," Ross
said. "Tyler is more powerful
and Craig is more of a shifty
runner. With the Raiders, we had
Napoleon Kaufman and Tyrone
Wheatley, and having that offspeed combination works well
and keeps the defense guessing.”
Ross
said
Western’s
defensive game plan will focus
on containing South Dakota's
offensive standouts, senior
see FOOTBALL page 13 u
Western runner Grimes sets pace for cross country team
Shana Keen
THE WESTERN FRONT
Running 75 miles per week and
hoping to build up to 120 per week by his
senior year, Western redshirt freshman
Bennett Grimes is a well-traveled member
of the Western men's cross country team.
Grimes runs through trees so tall
he can't see their tops. Bushes of vibrant
mountain berries and sprawling ivy and
ferns cover the ground surrounding the
trail.
Grimes said keeping in shape and the
bonus of seeing the natural scenery drive
him to keep running.
“I love where running can take me,”
he said. “It's hard to go on a 20-mile walk,
but I can see so much when I'm on a run.”
Grimes placed second in the 34th
Annual WWU
Invitational Oct.
6 at Lake Padden.
He
finished
three
seconds
behind Western
junior Anthony
Tomsich.
We s t e r n ' s
team,
with
Tomsich
and
photo courtesy of Western
Athletics Department
Grimes leading
Bennett Grimes
the way, won the
invitational for
the third-straight year. Six of the top 10
runners were from Western.
It was the fifth meet of the season for
the team, which hasn't placed lower than
seventh.
Head coach Pee Wee Halsell said
Grimes is a hard worker and a great
teammate on a team that is ranked 12th
in the nation by the US Cross Country
Coaches Association.
“He's here for the team,” Halsell said.
“This whole group is a tight group and it's
fun to coach that. They are all pulling for
each other.”
Grimes was named Great Northwest
Athletic Conference (GNAC) Male
Athlete of the Week in cross country
Sept. 16 to Sept. 22 after placing seventh
at the Bob Firman Invitational in Boise,
Idaho Sept. 22.
Free time is hard to come by for
Grimes, who said he balances cross
country, school and a job. Any free time
he has is devoted to homework and his
girlfriend.
Grimes said his goals for this season
are for Western to go to the NCAA
Division II National Championships in
Missouri in November and for him to
finish in the top 50 runners in the national
race.
Grimes said he wasn't a good runner
until the summer between his sophomore
and junior year at Century High School
in Pocatello, Idaho, when he decided to
put the work in to become a competitive
distance runner, he said. In track, he runs
everything from the 800-meter race to the
5,000-meter race.
Halsell said it is apparent that
Grimes puts hard work into his training
see GRIMES page 13 u
SPORTS
WesternFrontOnline.net | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
SIDELINECHAT
Q & A with a Western athlete
What's the worst injury you've suffered?
I pulled my groin when I was a sophomore. In
the middle of a play I went one way and my leg
went the other and I just kind of did the splits.
What are three things you have to bring to road
games?
Candy, my pillow and blanket and "The Office"
DVD.
Do you have any nicknames on the team?
Court. I also have the nickname Fetus that
[senior outside hitter] Jaime Anderson came
up with. We know another Courtney, and I'm
the smaller one.
What's your favorite meal the night before a
game?
I usually eat chicken, salad and some kind of
pasta.
Do you have any superstitions?
I always wear my hair the exact same way for
every game. If it's a big game, I also wear my
lucky socks.
photo courtesy of Western Athletics Department
Name: Courtney Schneider
Age: 21
Year: Senior
Team: Volleyball
Position: Libero
Hometown: Snohomish, Wash.
How do you pump yourself up?
Competition pumps me up. As soon as the
whistle blows, it's game on.
How do you prepare for a big game?
We do differnet drills based on what team
we're playing. We watch film and scout the best
hitters on the other team.
What's the most embarassing thing that's
happened to you while playing volleyball?
When I was a freshman and we were doing
drills, the coach called me over and I tripped
on my face. There was a squeaking sound when
I fell.
compiled by Steven Chea
Western looks to stop South Dakota rushing attack
u FOOTBALL from 12
running back Amos Allen and
sophomore quarterback Noah
Shepard.
Allen and Shepard account
for approximately 513 of South
Dakota's 545 total yards per
game.
Allen leads the NCC in
rushing with an average of 179
yards per game. Shepard, who led
South Dakota to a 42-10 victory
against Western Oct. 14, 2006,
averages approximately 334
yards per game — 280 passing
and 54 rushing.
Western’s
defense
had
trouble stopping the run in the
first five games of the season,
allowing approximately 205
rushing yards per game.
The team will be in for
another long day if it can’t
minimize Allen’s rushing yards,
said Western defensive line coach
Lawrence Suiaunoa.
“Our main focus going into
any game plan is figuring out
how to stop the run,” Suiaunoa
said. “A game is broken down
into three phases: the run, the
play action pass and the pass.
Take away the run and you take
away two of the three phases of a
team’s offense."
Ross said this week will be a
difficult test for Western.
“[South Dakota has] been a
top-20 team this year and they’re
very explosive on offense,” Ross
said. “It’s going to be a heck of
a game.”
The game can be heard at 12
p.m. on KBAI 930 AM.
| 13
Grimes prepares for
GNAC championships
u GRIMES from 12
program. He said Grimes and the team run on average two
hours per day, six days per week, every week.
When its pouring outside and most students are curled
up in their dorm rooms or apartments, the cross country
runners are outside putting in their miles for the week.
Throughout summer vacation, Grimes was training for
the fall season, Halsell said.
“He's done the work throughout the summer,” Halsell
said. “It's not something you can show up to in the fall and
be a good distance runner. You need to train year round.”
Western sophomore and Grimes' girlfriend McKinley
Williams, who is also on the cross country team, said she
met Grimes at a campfire for the cross country team at the
beginning of last year's season. Williams said Grimes is a
determined, calm and organized person.
“He doesn't freak out about stuff like I do,” Williams
said. “I get easily stressed about things. He just gets stuff
done and does it well.”
Grimes said he credits his big support system — his
tight-knit family, girlfriend and close friends — for his
ability to focus so fully on cross county. Grimes' mother
Carol said his dad, Dan, was an elite distance runner in his
day.
She said the family didn't know Bennett was going to be
a talented runner because up until senior year of high school
he focused on soccer.
Carol said her son has always been an energetic part of
the family.
“He's the spark in our family,” Carol Grimes said. “He's
really vivacious, friendly and genuine. When he went into
first grade everyone called him 'Energizer Bunny' because
he was always going, very active, but in a good way.”
Grimes and the cross country team are preparing for
the GNAC Championships Oct. 20 in Nampa, Idaho. The
GNAC Championships are the first step on the road leading
to the national championships Nov. 17 in Missouri.
Viking Notes
é
Western Volleyball
The Western volleyball team won its eighthstraight match Oct. 11 on the road against
the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Western
won 3-0 and is now 13-4 overall and 9-1 in
GNAC play.
source: Western Athletics Department
OPINION
Public displays of excitement are lost today
See more online at
www.westernfrontonline.net
Contact the Opinion editor at opinion@westernfrontonline.net
PAGE 14
The Western Front | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
Lisa Hust
Columnist
I watched “Reno 911!:
Miami” in theatres earlier this
year. Being an avid “Reno 911!”
fan, I was extremely excited for
the movie to come to theaters.
Reno’s finest whipped out some
of their most well-intentioned,
bizarre behaviors and dialogue
in such a perfect way that I
couldn’t help but laugh.
I laughed loud, very loud,
because the rest of the theater
was completely silent. Needless
to say that was a bit awkward.
Why do people go to comedic
movies and not laugh? Movies
are supposed to be for our
entertainment. I’m sorry, but I
don’t find silence entertaining.
I have had similar awkward
and embarrassing experiences
at concerts. While watching my
friend’s band play, and seeing
him and the other band members
rock out on stage, I couldn’t help
but feel the urge to dance and
jump and fling my arms wildly
about.
Apparently the feeling
wasn’t contagious because I was
the only one dancing. I looked
around at the people eyeing me
like some freak at a circus, my
face turned red, I was sweating
and out of breath, but I was
defiant. I danced on.
What is going on with
people these days? Where has the
excitement of attending a movie,
concert or sporting event gone?
We have all heard a million
times how Western is lacking
in school spirit, but I don’t think
it’s the school lacking anything.
People have just become lazy
and uninterested, and too afraid
to get out there.
I do have to admit after
attending a few basketball games
last year, I was surprised by the
amount of students shouting and
cheering on our team, but then
to attend a concert on campus
and watch people just stand
still, mesmerized by the band,
it makes me wonder what the
difference is.
Isn’t it all about being a part
of the experience?
Maybe I have embarrassed
myself publicly so many times
that I have become immune to
it. Maybe I am just comfortable
with who I am and really don’t
give a bunny’s butt what people
think. If that is the case, we
have a lot of insecure people
everywhere.
I attended Ozzfest this
year and it was an incredibly
liberating experience. I was
surrounded by tattooed people,
weird-haired people, large hairy
people, and smelly people and
they were all perfectly content
with it.
When Ozzy Osbourne
himself graced that stage,
pyrotechnics ablaze, the entire
100,000 strong crowd roared.
They moshed, danced, cheered
and screamed.
These people didn’t think
they were just too cool to
break out and dance. Perhaps
illustration by Caleb Long THE WESTERN FRONT
the problem today is that we
are all too afraid to embarrass
ourselves.
We are too afraid to shout
at a television, cheering on our
favorite team from a million
miles away. We are too afraid
to sing loudly and proudly along
with our favorite band. We are
too afraid to jump up and clap
our hands at sporting events
or concerts, because, “oh no!”
someone might see us.
When did it become uncool
to stick out? When did it become
embarrassing to dance in public,
to enjoy yourself? Why do we
feel this sense of embarrassment
for being ourselves?
The next time you are at
a concert or a sporting event
and you hear or see a little 5foot-tall girl making a scene,
shouting, and jumping about, it
will probably be me, and I won’t
care what you think.
STUDENT OPINION
Students do not always get fair funding
Financial aid system takes into account parents' finances, whether or not they help pay for college
Liz Beaulieu
THE WESTERN FRONT
We did it. We made it through high
school, sweated through the waiting
period for our college acceptance letters
and became Western students. Some of
us filled out that extra stack of paperwork
called the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) and got an award
letter in the mail. What the letter said
means something different for each of us.
Perhaps it means working part-time
instead of going to school part-time.
Maybe we have the money to not have to
work at all, and are able to concentrate
on school.
For some of us, it doesn't really
make a difference in our daily lives, but
it makes our parents happy.
There is a catch to the FAFSA
that many students aren't aware of —
parents' financial status plays a big part
in whether or not a student can get any
kind of financial aid, even loans. The
only way to get aid based on a student’s
income alone is to declare financial
independence, which is difficult to do.
Otherwise, it’s all up to the parents, with
almost no student control about what aid
they receive.
Applications
for
financial
independence should take into account
more than a student's age, military
service and marital status. They should
recognize the difference between
parents' listed income and their actual
ability and desire to contribute to their
children's college education.
If a student's parents have bad credit
history, for example, the students cannot
qualify for a Parent PLUS loan, one of the
most common FAFSA awards, according
to information from the Western Financial
Aid Office.
The "expected family contribution"
to a student’s education is one of the
tools the FAFSA uses to calculate each
student's cost of living, and thus how
much aid in grants or loans they receive,
said Jim DeWilde, associate director of
Student Financial Resources at Western.
The contribution takes into account a
family’s taxed annual income, as well as
untaxed income, like a 401k. The FAFSA
also determines a family’s net worth
by looking at the value of their land or
businesses, DeWilde said.
Finally, the FAFSA looks at how
many college-age children parents’ net
worth is expected to support. Students
with siblings in college may be eligible
for more aid than those without siblings.
What
the
expected
family
contribution doesn't take into account
is, well, life. What about other siblings
who need braces or go to a private high
school? Or what if a student's parents have
$90,000 in outstanding credit card debt
and can't actually afford to pay anything
toward school?
If a student's parents simply refuse to
pay for college, they will not contribute
anything to put a dent in the costs of
school. If they have extensive debt, they
may want to help out their child, but
simply cannot afford to. This leaves many
students working 30 to 40-hour weeks to
pay for their education.
Western junior Ginny Nix works 20
to 40 hours per week to pay for school.
Her parents' combined income disqualifies
rate, which can leave a student with more
her from receiving FAFSA aid, but her
debt when they graduate from college than
father’s job in construction is seasonal,
they will owe on their first mortgage.
and costs like their retirement funds and
Students don't need to start out their
her stepmother’s health problems eat up
post–college lives in that much debt.
the family’s extra money.
But there are few options available
Nix, who has lived and worked apart
to pay for school for a student whose
from her parents for the past six years,
parents disqualify them for any kind of
said she believes
government aid, said
she lives life as an
Clara Capron, director
“There is a catch to the FAFSA of financial aid at
independent
and
that many students aren't
should qualify as
Western.
Declaring
aware of — parents' financial independence, which
an
independent
for aid purposes.
means the FAFSA's
status plays a big part in
Nix has applied for
calculated need would
whether or not a student can
independence every
be based on only the
get any kind of financial aid,
year she has been
student's income, is
even loans.”
at Western, but said
hard to do and rarely
she cannot receive
granted, Capron said.
the status because she cannot prove she is
Generally to be declared independent, a
estranged from her family. Without such
student has to be married, at least 24 years
extreme circumstances, Nix said she has
old, have children who are dependent on
never been able to declare independence.
them, be a military veteran or an orphan.
The FAFSA actually does a good job
So what about those of us who aren't
of offering to students who don't qualify
orphaned 24-year-olds with children, just
for free aid other options such as grants
students like Nix who need help paying
and scholarships. The FAFSA also offers
for school but don’t qualify for aid?
government–subsidized loans, which
Honestly, there isn't a whole lot we can
don't collect interest while students are
do. Capron said independence isn't often
in school. But these loans are based on
granted for any other reason.
financial need, which, again, is calculated
The only viable option left is to take
by the parents' income, not the income of
out loans, which Western students are
the student, who is probably working only
doing at a high rate. Fifty-nine percent
10 hours a week at a coffee shop or pizza
of the class of 2006 graduated with loan
place.
debt averaging $15,479 each, according to
The other routes, unsubsidized
a survey from the Financial Aid Office.
loans and private loans, collect interest
Loans work. They pay for school.
the whole time the student is in school.
But students who don't have relatives to
Government–based loans have a generally
co-sign a loan or who don't qualify for
modest interest rate, about 8 percent on
low-interest loans are going to be working
the Parent PLUS loan, for example.
a lot harder for their general university
However, private loans often have
requirements than those Western students
no grace period and an uncapped interest
who do.
OPINION
WesternFrontOnline.net | Friday • Oct. 12, 2007
| 15
Buses not meeting expectations
Whatcom Transit Authority should meet commuting needs of pass holders
Opinion of the editorial board
The number of buses the Whatcom
Transit Authority (WTA) is running on
routes to Western cannot sustain the
number of student riders. The program,
which is meant to encourage sustainable
means of transportation, is in iteself not
sustainable, and the people left paying for
inadequate service are Western students.
With all the money we pay the WTA,
it is not unreasonable to ask it to pick up
all the students waiting at bus stops to
get to Western. Of the $25 Alternative
Transportation Fee that all Western
students taking six credits or more must
pay, $18.50 goes to the WTA. With
12,442 full-time students this fall, WTA
gets at least $230,177 from the fee this
quarter.
When the Associated Students
(AS) put the bus pass issue to vote last
election, it was with the guarantee that
bus service would be able to accomodate
the increasing number of people riding to
and from campus.
Kevin McClain, an AS Board
member last year, said in an April 12
guest column in The Western Front
supporting the Alternative Transportation
Fee that Western would get better bus
service for the same price students paid
for bus passes before the mandatory fee.
The full buses passing by students
waiting at bus stops doesn't speak to that
better service.
WTA has not increased service in
the way it promised, and it will not begin
to until January.
The WTA and Western have been
working for years on the mandatory bus
pass. In that amount of time, the WTA
should have been able to plan for the
influx of more riders. That it hasn't is
unacceptable. They should have had the
buses ready to go and the new services
in place by the time the academic year
started and before the bus pass program
began.
The WTA's business is transportation,
and should be smart enough to know that
with more students owning bus passes,
more students are going to ride the bus.
Maureen McCarthy, WTA community
relations director, said the WTA is
excited and happy that its challenge is
to find enough buses to transport all of
its riders. But the WTA shouldn’t sell so
many passes if they can’t accommodate
all of the riders.
Like overselling the amount of
parking spots in the C–lot, overselling
bus passes makes everyone miserable.
Standing in the rain watching your bus
leave you on the street, while all you can
do is wait and hope another bus comes
soon enough to get you to class on time,
is a frustration no one should have to deal
with.
If routes need a “header,” or a bus
that runs after the scheduled bus on a
route, four days out of five, every half
hour, for three hours in the morning, it
is better for everyone if WTA errs on the
side of caution and increases its service
to that area. Or if that isn’t feasible WTA
could send header buses to drive ahead of
the route and pick up students that arrive
at their stops the suggested three minutes
early to head off the overcrowding.
Soon, students are going to start
finding other ways to get to school. If
the bus isn’t serving the need, other ways
will be found. Neighborhoods around
campus are going to suffer the annoyance
of multitudes of Western students without
parking passes filling the streets. The
WTA needs to fix the problem now, not
wait until the calendar says it’s time.
Perhaps the inadequate service would
be more tolerable if students could opt out
of paying the Alternative Transportation
Fee. Unfortunately, Western students that
qualify for the fee can’t get out of it. With
no way to get out of something that less
than 13 percent of the student body voted
approval for, it looks like we’re all stuck
paying for less than mediocre service.
What ever happened to serving the
customer as best as you can?
The editorial board is comprised of
Editor-in-chief Matt Gagne, Managing
Editor Brady Henderson, Opinion Editor
Maureen Tinney, Student-at-large Robert
Marshall and Program Manager for
the College of Humanities and Social
Sciences Catherine Shornick.
Last issue's results
Pollster
How do you keep
yourself fit?
How do you get to school
in the morning?
5%
I drive and park
on campus
A. Eating right and exercising
25%
B. I make it to the gym
I walk to school
C. I walk or bike to class
D. I play a sport
E. I barely have time for homework
Vote online at WesternFrontOnline.net
35%
I ride my
bicycle
35%
I take the bus
0%
I mooch rides as often as I can
Opinions from around campus
compiled by Chelsea Crump
What is your
worst driving
habit?
Kristin Schuh
Scott Schmalz
Tina Mikos
Marcus Gall
"I tailgate really bad. I mean, so
close that if they hit their brakes I
would hit them."
"My worst habit would be taking my
hands off the wheel on a straightaway and driving with my knees."
"I don't pay attention to anything
– people, stop signs, one-way
streets, things like that."
"I would like to think I am a good
driver, but I tend to go 25 mph on
Alabama Street instead of 35 mph."
Freshman
Sophomore
Senior
Sophomore
16 |
NEWS
Friday • Oct. 12, 2007 | The Western Front
Investigation continues of cause of plane crash
u CRASH from 1
Jeff Farrington from Kapowsin
Air Sports. “The skydiving
community is very small."
The crumpled airplane was
located Oct. 8, said Jim Hall,
Yakima Valley Emergency
Management director.
The plane appeared to have
come almost vertically into the
ground at a high speed, Hall
said. The crash occurred in
rugged, mountainous terrain
along a steep, forested hillside,
he said.
The onsite investigation will
probably extend into tomorrow,
said Debra Eckrote, the National
Transportation Safety Board’s
Northwest regional director.
The wreckage should be
recovered this weekend, weather
permitting, she said.
Crash timeline
Sunday
Plane disappears
from radar
7:30 p.m.
Air search
conducted
8 - 9 p.m.
8 p.m.
Plane leaves
Star, Idaho
Searchers find the plane.
Seven bodies confirmed.
First light
2:30 a.m.
Authorities notified about
a low-flying aircraft
Monday
Tuesday
7:40 p.m.
Ground search
begins
Three more bodies
confirmed
Information from Nisha Marvel and Mike Fergus
Elsner was learning freeflying, packing parachutes before death
u ELSNER from 1
During the jump, Elsner
performed one of his favorite
maneuvers by flying head
down toward the ground at a
high speed, Hersey said. The
maneuver caused Elsner to lose
one of his Viking horns, he said.
“Ashley and I taped our
horns on and we forgot to tell
Cecil, so his flew off,” Hersey
said. “He landed with one
horn and everyone called him
‘dickhead.’”
Elsner thought it was funny
and turned his helmet around
so he looked like a rhinoceros,
Hersey said.
Western graduate student
Karen Alexander said she was
at the Western jump to take
pictures.
Alexander was a coworker of
Elsner’s at Skydive Snohomish.
Elsner worked for the company
as a parachute packer.
Alexander said she knew
Elsner since he was a shy 16year-old who would sneak in
and out of the drop zone to make
jumps.
“In my skydiving family,
he was like my little brother,”
Alexander said.
Before Elsner’s death,
Alexander had been teaching
him a new skydiving discipline
called freeflying, and she said
she was impressed by his freefall
performance.
“Cecil was definitely one of
the best freeflying students that
I’ve ever had,” Alexander said.
“He just had a fluid grace about
his movements in the air, very
relaxed and calm.”
Elsner often kept a
composed demeanor when he
was on the ground, but his face
lit up when he was learning to
freefly, Alexander said.
“In my skydiving family,
he was like my little
brother.”
- Karen Alexander
Western graduate student
and friend of Cecil Elsner
“We really bonded with
each other on our jumps
together,” she said. “That is the
thing about skydiving. Once
you make a connection with
someone in the air, you become
family.”
Elsner was learning how
to pack people’s emergency
parachutes, Alexander said.
Packing emergency parachutes
requires particular attention
to detail and knowledge of
skydiving gear, she said.
Elsner had begun to
complete the requisite 20
supervised reserve pack jobs
necessary to apply for Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA)
certification, Alexander said.
Several people have already
used Elsner’s reserve pack jobs
in emergency situations. This
was a big deal because it meant
he had saved someone’s life, she
said. He was definitely proud of
the fact he had several saves, she
said.
McNulty said he was an old
soul, with an intelligence and
talent for writing.
“He really fit in at Western
and he was just a really good
guy,” McNulty said. “He was
someone you could trust.”
On the evening of Oct.
9, messages from friends and
family were already posted on
Elsner’s Facebook and MySpace
profiles.
“This world needs more
people like you. You’ll be in my
heart forever,” wrote one friend.
“I know that each time I
jump, you will be there with
me in my heart,” wrote another
friend and fellow skydiver.
Elsner’s photo on Facebook
is a picture of him skydiving.
He sits with his red sneakers
crossed at the ankles and his
arms suspended in the air. It is
a clear, sunny day and Elsner is
on top of the world.