Interview with The Books
The Books will be coming to campus on Nov. 24. AS Productions Pop Music is hosting the show, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at the PAC main stage. Tickets are $7 for Western students with ID and $10 for general admission.
The AS Review caught up with Nick Zammunto, member of The Books, to find out about the band, their sound and what touring has been like.
AS Review: How and when did The Books form?
Nick Zammunto: We formed right around the turn of the century, about ten years ago in New York City. Paul and I lived in the same apartment building and we were introduced through a mutual friend. We had a similar approach to sound and started working together right away.
ASR: For those Western students who are not familiar with you guys, how would you describe your sound?
NZ: I guess collage is the one word that sort of describes it. We pull a lot of samples off of old records, audiotapes and videotapes … and then we find a way to knit it all together by our own playing and our own singing. We’re looking for ways to make ordinary moments into something really unexpected and I think it’s a wonderful place to be. When you see something familiar, in an unfamiliar way, that’s a lot what we try to do. We’re always trying to stay away from the mainstream in that kind of way.
ASR: Your most recent album, “Music for a French Elevator” came out in 2006. Are you currently working on a new album?
NZ: Yes. I am just putting the finishing touches on it now. It will be out in the late winter or early spring.
ASR: Is this record different from your other albums?
NZ: Yeah, I think all of our records are pretty different from one another, and I think this record is no exception. A lot of the samples from our previous records are pretty laid back. We have had a lot of stuff recently that is really outgoing. The music has to rise to the occasion and match its tempo; that’s why some of our new stuff is faster and harder.
ASR: How did you come up with the name The Books?
NZ: Like most of our work, we always have a list of potential names. We showed this list to a bunch of our friends at a dinner party, and I think The Books was universally not chosen by anybody. The other stuff on the list was totally ridiculous; it was a list of headless things, like The Headless Frogs. The Books seemed simple and open ended and useful.
ASR: Do you have any unique hobbies when you are on the road touring?
NZ: The one habit that we keep is that wherever we travel, we try to hit the local thrift shops, and that has led to some really interesting finds. We go through their audiotapes, videotapes [and] answering machines to see what kind of audio we can find.
ASR: How many instruments do you play?
NZ: Well, it depends on your definition of “instruments” and your definition of “play.” I am not a fantastic musician. I do what I can, guitar … electric bass, anything I can get my hands on and I make a lot of recordings on interesting things that way. Paul has been cellist since he was five, so he is the cello in the way that I could never be the guitar. He is an amazing player.
ASR: Do you make your own instruments?
NZ: Yeah, anything that can make a sound is fair game. I worked with PC pipes quite a bit, and lots of silverware, some sub woofers and filing cabinets, that kind of thing.
ASR: What can students expect from your show on Saturday?
NZ: Well, if they are familiar with our work already, they are going to see a bunch of new stuff – six or so new tracks, most of them off our new record. Our shows are somewhere between seeing a live concert and seeing a movie because we use video in our shows as a frontman in a way, like a lead singer, a dancer or a light show. A lot of attention is soaked up by the video, and the video is synchronized in a really rhythmic way with the music. So, we’re there playing our instruments and singing and then synched up with it all is the video. More and more we have been composing the video at the same time as the audio, so they feel really integrated now in a way that maybe they didn’t before.
Resources for those who served
Paul Wright, AS Veteran’s Outreach Center coordinator, poses inside of his office in Viking Union 530. Photo by Erik Simkins/The AS Review.
By Alex Bacon/The AS Review
In celebration and commemoration of Veteran’s day, the AS Resource and Outreach Programs Veteran’s Outreach Center (VOC) and the President’s Office will be hosting a Veteran’s Day ceremony this Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 10:30 to 11 a.m. in the Viking Union Multipurpose Room.
In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. Initially, the day was meant to be a celebration of the veterans who served in World War I, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Web site, but after World War II, Congress amended the holiday to be Veteran’s Day in order to celebrate all veterans.
While the VOC sponsors the Veteran’s Day ceremony each November, the office also works throughout the school year to provide services for student veterans and their allies.
“The VOC provides veterans and their spouses with up-to-date information about educational benefits, counseling and benefit information,” Paul Wright, coordinator of the VOC, said. “It doesn’t matter what the issue is, though. If you come by the office we’ll be able to help.”
The VOC provides a variety of resources for veterans, such as information about the GI Bill and campus activities. But more than anything, the office helps them smooth their transition from the military into college.
In addition to the VOC, there are a number of groups on campus that support veterans. There is a veteran’s club, which has social events and works to build community among veterans. Their next event will be a social at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, in Viking Union 714.
Additionally, there is the Veteran’s Affairs office located in the Registrar’s office. Also, many members of the Western faculty and staff are part of the Veteran Safe Zone, a campus-wide program to show support and recognition for students that have served (or are currently serving) in the military.
“In order to be a participant in the program, professionals at WWU choose to commit to ongoing education about veteran’s issues in addition to opening up their office, or offer their time, to a student veteran that may want to talk,” Jana Brost, a counselor for the DisAbility and Awareness Outreach Center, said.
“The main purpose is to educate professionals at WWU about the student veteran experience, to show support for these students and to honor these individuals for their service to our country, regardless of political viewpoints,” Brost said.
Veterans can access these employees by looking for the Veteran Safe Zone logo placed outside of individual offices or departments on campus.
For more information about on-campus resources available to veterans, contact the VOC at www.voc.as.wwu.edu.
Supporting veterans
By Alex Bacon/The AS Review
When military veterans get home from active duty, they have a few options to consider. Some re-enlist, others enter the workforce and some enroll in colleges and universities.
According to Jana Brost, a counselor for the DisAbility and Awareness Outreach Center, the student veteran population at Western is rising, largely in part to the post-9/11 GI Bill. The number of students that have family members serving in the military is rising as well.
For some veterans who choose to enroll in college or return to finish a degree, the transition isn’t always easy. There are many ways, however, that other students and campus community members can make that transition easier.
“It is always good when students are interested in showing support for veterans on campus,” Paul Wright, the AS Resources Outreach Programs Veteran’s Outreach Center (VOC) coordinator, said.
One way Wright suggests showing support for veterans is to think about what you say before you say it.
“A lot of people in Bellingham are antiwar, which is not a bad thing, but conversations about how terrible the military is … can sometimes make people that were in the military uncomfortable, or even [feel] unappreciated,” Wright said.
Brost echoed Wright’s suggestion.
“Keep in mind that wherever you are on campus, your words and actions could possibly impact someone,” she said.
“Just as you wouldn’t want to stereotype any population of students, stereotyping student veterans is a guaranteed way to make someone feel uncomfortable and unwelcomed.
“The primary thing is to recognize that every veteran is different, has had different experiences within their service and has a tremendous amount of life experience outside of college. Not every student veteran wants to talk about their experience in the military, so be considerate of that,” said Brost.
One way to show support for veterans is by wearing a wristband that the VOC gives out that says “Veteran Ally.”
According to Wright, a veteran ally is someone who is aware of veteran issues and supports them. A veteran ally could also be someone who is a friend to a veteran or even a family member of one.
The VOC has bracelets available for veterans to wear as well.
Another way you can support veterans is to educate yourself about veteran issues. The VOC offers workshops and events throughout the year and are an opportunity for non-veteran students to learn about issues affecting veterans and to meet student veterans that they go to school with, Wright said.
For more information about how to support veterans, contact the VOC in Viking Union 530.
Looking back on football
By Shawna Leader/The AS Review
When the decision to cut the football team was made almost a year ago, it was the first impact of the budget cuts to affect the university. The university-wide cuts that followed gave the campus a perspective on the decision to cut the team that was not possible when it was made. The approach of the one-year anniversary of this monumental decision provides an opportunity to look back on its impact.
University President Bruce Shepard said in a recent interview that he would not call the decision good, but that it was unavoidable.
“This university had never seen cuts of the magnitude we were going into so we had to do a lot of things that hurt,” he said. “Football was only one … we eliminated entirely our performing arts series, we eliminated entirely our distinguished lecture series.”
The programs that were cut were a valuable part of the college experience, but not a core function, Shepard said. Even some essential functions, such as the amount of classes offered, had to be cut, he said. According to Shepard, between 10 and 15 percent of classes were eliminated. This affects important issues such as time to degree and class availability.
“One of the things that we eliminated was honors chemistry sequence because [of] its small enrollment,” Shepard said. “I worry a lot more about whether that was appropriate to do than I do about football.”
According to Shepard, approximately $500,000 was needed to support the football team. The athletics department was given a choice: keep the football team and find another place to cut a half a million dollars or cut football, he said.
“I just knew that we could not credibly stand up and say we’re cutting all this other stuff [and] we’re going to add a half million dollars to the intercollegiate athletics budget,” Shepard said.
An intercollegiate athletics fee was considered, but turned down because it was not expected to be well-received by students. Considerations of factors including game attendance demonstrated that eliminating the team would not be an issue with most students, Shepard said.
“As I reflect back that turned out to be true,” he said.
To reach the half million dollars required for the football team, recruiting budgets and trainers would have to have been eliminated throughout the athletics program, Shepard said.
“We have intercollegiate athletics that are really competitive, and we just would be driving them all to mediocrity and I just didn’t believe that,” Shepard said.
Another issue that arose when the cut was announced was that of transparency. Concerns that the debate and decision should have been more open arose following the decision.
“I was shocked and surprised the day they made the cut just because there was no path up to the point,” Anthony Zachary, a former Western football player, said. “I wish we would have known earlier, instead of in January. Even if they had told us at the beginning of the season … maybe our reactions would have been different.”
However, making the decision process open is impossible without potentially damaging the university’s programs, Shepard said. For example, if a prospective student hears a rumor that a program is even being considered for a cut, they will be less inclined to attend if that program is something they are interested in. If word had spread that the existence of the football team was being debated, the program could have been damaged.
During the budgeting process, four programs (two academic majors, a nonacademic position and football) were under consideration for removal. But the identity of those two majors will never be revealed in order to protect their quality, Sheperd said.
Despite the shock and readjustment resulting from the decision, Zachary said he supports the administration’s choice and is glad that the football scholarships are being upheld.
“My biggest concern was ensuring that all football players would retain their scholarships and that we would work hard to place them at other schools if they wished to continue playing collegiate football,” 2008-2009 AS President Erik Lowe said. “It’s been my observation that both have occurred.”
Since the football cut, Zachary has remained at Western for his senior year. Although he was approached by other schools and given offers to play on their football teams, “I was at home at Western,” he said.
Zachary said he is not sure how the football cut will impact future decisions.
“I hope in the future, if they do decide to cut another sports team, that they are more transparent in the process and make the situation an issue known to all players, coaches, alumni and other people in the faculty,” he said. “Perhaps the administration could get input from those people.”
Shepard said that he welcomes any input on the budgeting process. Students can send their comments to Executive Director of University Planning and Budgeting Paula Gilman at paula.gilman.wwu.edu.
Corporal’s Diary
Design by Calum Clark/The AS Review
By Shawna Leader/The AS Review
“The Corporal’s Diary,” a film which tells the story of two American soldiers, will be shown at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 in Viking Union 552. The AS Resource and Outreach Programs (ROP) Social Issues Resource Center (SIRC) and the AS ROP Veteran’s Outreach Center (VOC) will be co-sponsoring the event.
Jonathan Santos graduated from Sehome Hill High School, joined the military and was deployed to Iraq. He was in Iraq for a little over a month when he was killed in October 2004 at the age of 22 by an Improvised Exploding Device (IED). Everyone in his vehicle was killed except for a soldier named Matthew Drake. The movie documents Drake’s return to the U.S. as well as Santos’ personal story.
What makes the film especially powerful is that the story is told through Santos’ video recordings and readings from his diary, said SIRC Coordinator Anna Boenish. The film contains clips from the U.S. and Iraq, she said.
“It really tells a personalized story and you get to hear about the experiences that Jonathan had and what Matthew is going through,” Boenish said.
Doris Kent, Santos’ mother, will be introducing the movie and holding a question and answer session after the showing to answer inquiries about the film, how it came to be and how Santos’ family is doing, she said.
The film helps people understand the human cost of war, she said.
“There aren’t many documentaries around right now about the Iraq war,” Kent said. “I think people are ready for that now.”
Because the story involves someone who lived in Bellingham, it is relatable to students, VOC Coordinator Paul Wright said. It also provides an opportunity for students to see what members of the military undergo for our country, Wright said.
“It’s an opportunity to learn about people in the military and the sacrifices they make so we can go to school and do the things we like,” he said.
Kent has spoken at showings of the film before (it first came out in Bellingham) and every time is an emotionally tiring experience, she said. But she also sees the importance of sharing Santos’ story.
“To be able to give Americans the ability to ask questions and see the story live is what I think I’m supposed to be doing,” Kent said.
The film does not just honor the fallen but also examines how to support veterans, Kent said. At one point in the film she meets Drake and his mother. Drake suffered from a head injury that has deprived him of his short term memory, according to Stars and Stripes reporter David Allen.
“The Corporal’s Diary” has been embraced by advocates for peace as well as the military, Boenish said. The film was awarded “Most Powerful Documentary” at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2008.
“I think it’s really a gift when families who are tied to something like the war in Iraq are willing to share their stories,” Boenish said.
The results are in
AS Vice President for Governmental Affairs Morgan Holmgren. Photo by Erik Simkins/The AS Review
Anna Ellermeier / The AS Review
As the election results came in last Wednesday, The AS Review sat down with Morgan Holmgren, AS Vice President for Governmental Affairs, to ask him about the impacts the voters’ decisions will have on students.
The AS Review: What effects will the outcome of the election have on the students at Western?
Morgan Holmgren: The most immediate and direct impact will be 1033 failing. … 1033 passing would have had a huge impact on Western because it would have limited the state’s ability … to fund higher education. … Because higher education has its own built-in revenue source, it’s easier to cut budgets there than other programs that don’t have their own revenue source. So, 1033, had it passed, would have put the legislature in the position of almost being required to cut budgets at institutions of higher education. And that would probably mean higher tuition for Western students. … It failing will also probably mean that people … won’t have as difficult a time finding public sector jobs once they graduate.
If Referendum 71 passes [Editorial note: at the time of the interview, the result of Referendum 71 was unknown], it looked like something our students generally supported. Clearly, not every student on campus supported it but more students, I think, supported Referendum 71 than opposed it. So, politically that’s good for them. For those students that would like to be a domestic partnership at some point, obviously this means that that domestic partnership has a lot more value.
Outcomes of local election really are not going to have a huge impact on students. Most of the candidates kind of ignored student issues throughout the campaign.
ASR: Why do you think it is that candidates running for local elections do not include issues that affect students in a college town like Bellingham?
MH: Mainly because college students don’t vote. We had 300 people turn in ballots on a campus with 13,000 students. … I’m sure a lot of them mailed it in, but at the same time, you would expect more people to use the ballot box than just 300 out of 13,000. … At the same time, a lot of students don’t register to vote in Bellingham. … A lot of them stay registered to vote in their hometown because they feel more actual connection or [have a better] understanding of the political surroundings. Even though, while they’re here, they live the majority of their year in whatever town that college is in and it’s likely that those local elected officials have a much larger impact on their day-to-day lives than the students realize or than any local candidate would have in their home town.
ASR: What would you say the impact would be on the local candidates’ platforms if a larger portion of Western students voted locally?
MH: I think you would need a couple of things to get local candidates to really care about student issues. The first is you would need a larger percentage of students registered to vote in Whatcom County. Second, you would need them to ask for something from the local candidates, to … make it clear what their [the students’] political perspective is. Right now, [of] the students who are in Bellingham, very few of them know what’s going on in local politics or know what they would want to see out of the candidates. Even if they’re registered here, it doesn’t mean their necessarily educated on the issues. … It’s hard to judge local candidates a lot of the time on its own, and then if students don’t have the interest in judging them. And then [third] they would have to turn out the vote. Obviously they would have to ask for something, hopefully they would find the candidate who would represent those issues and then they would have to elect that candidate. Groups of people don’t just magically start getting what they want because the candidates know that’s what they want. You have to make it clear that those are the things you want.
ASR: Do you think that increased political participation in local elections among students would have a positive impact on the university?
MH: I think that the one thing that students would really see, guaranteed, out of political participation is a lot more respect from … the local elected officials. Right now, students are scapegoated (sic) a lot of the time as being all of and every part of the problem in Whatcom County or Bellingham. … Students are clearly part of the issue and it’s easier for local politicians to not go out there and say, “Well part of the problem is the people who vote.” No, they just go after the people who don’t vote and say, “It’s their fault. They don’t vote so we can rant and rave about them,” because there won’t be any consequences for that. … You’re always going to have the people who party a lot and the people who don’t in a college town. I don’t think there is a lot of discussion about the value that college students bring. … I think it’s more of just about the negative impact. There’s not as much weighing when it comes to local politics.
I think the tangible impact we would feel from voting … [would be] we would see a lot more student-friendly regulations in town. … I think a lot of it is just perception and I think that will have long-term impacts when issues about the students come up. Right now, the issues facing students in the city and county are WTA, rental issues, and then just communication between the local long-term residents and the students. There isn’t that communication, there’s not that mutual respect for the most part. I think students getting involved will allow the leadership in the county to stop using students as a wedge issue in Bellingham.
Health care debate
Click on the graphic to make it bigger. Info Graphic by Brooks Hassig/AS Publicity Center
By Ivanhoe/The AS Review
The U.S. House of Representatives is poised to begin debate on their version of health care reform legislation this week. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate continues to work on finalizing its own health care reform bill.
Much is made of the legislation, but if it passes, how will it affect you? This will depend on the final version of the bill. During debate on the bills, some amendments are likely to be made, after which conference committees from each chamber of Congress will work out any differences between the bills.
Those changes notwithstanding, the House has released its full version of the bill, called the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), the most complete version to date. Below is a rundown of provisions that may be likely to affect students.
People with insurance
Under H.R. 3962, many would see increases in their coverage. Insurance policies would be required to cover, at minimum, preventive care, hospitalization, hospital and clinic visits (including any related basic costs), emergency room visits, prescription drugs, medical equipment related to care (crutches, pacemakers, prosthetics, etc.), and any services related to rehabilitation, mental and behavioral health, substance abuse and maternity care. For those under 21, dental, vision and hearing care would also be required. The act would also require insurers to cover any medical conditions one had before signing a policy. Most insurance policies do not currently cover such pre-existing conditions.
The act would also require insurance companies to guarantee continued coverage to anyone who continues to pay their premiums. Most insurance providers currently have the right to cancel an insurance policy if they feel a policy-holder becomes a greater health risk or files a claim for costly health procedures. This practice, called rescission in the insurance industry, would be banned. Those covered under a parent’s policy would be allowed to continue the same level of coverage until their 27th birthday, while those who receive insurance as part of an employee benefits package would be allowed to keep their coverage if they lose their jobs, so long as they take responsibility for paying the premiums.
Under the law, there would also be government subsidies on the cost of insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses for families making less than 400 percent of the poverty level set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Co-pays would no longer be charged for some preventive services, including screenings for certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
People without insurance
H.R. 3962 would require most people who are currently not covered under a health insurance plan to get one. The bill has several provisions designed to make this possible.
Medicaid, a federal program similar to Medicare that provides health coverage for the poor, would expand its coverage under the act. Medicare currently covers families with children and pregnant women living below the poverty line. The new law would extend coverage to any individual or household making less than 150 percent of the poverty level. Using the 2009 poverty level, Medicaid would cover any individual living alone who earns $16,245 a year or less.
The bill would also create a new federal program called the Health Insurance Exchange to offer health coverage to anyone not already receiving health coverage from one’s employer or a government program. This would be an online marketplace where one can find and compare prices on all the insurance policies available to them. For those making less than 400 percent of the HHS poverty level, the government would provide subsidies on a sliding scale. A provision considered for addition to the bill would likely prohibit any federally subsidized plan from covering abortions.
H.R. 3962 also creates a federal health insurance plan that would be offered through the Health Insurance Exchange. The nonprofit insurance option would be self-sufficient (not supported by tax dollars) and would compete with private insurance plans with the hopes of reducing the cost of all insurance policies in the exchange through competition. This insurance option would not be available outside the exchange.
Under the act, anyone who does not have insurance and still cannot afford health insurance could be given a hardship waiver exempting them from the requirement to have insurance. Anyone else who chooses not to purchase health insurance would be penalized with a fine amounting to what one would have paid in insurance premiums if they had purchased health insurance. There would be no criminal penalty for not paying such fines, but the government could collect from tax refunds, social security benefits or other federal payments owed to the individual.
Not all provisions would take effect immediately. Creation of the Health Insurance Exchange and expansion of Medicaid benefits would not be ready until 2013. However, a temporary insurance program would be available until then for those who have been uninsured for several months or have been denied a policy due to pre-existing medical conditions.
Money for medical students and other programs
The bill would increase financial support for National Health Service Corps scholarships and student loan repayment programs. New investments would also aim to increase the number of primary care (non-specialist) physicians, nurses and public health professionals.
It would also direct more funding to community health centers, state, local and tribal health departments and new health clinics in public primary and secondary schools.
How much it will cost
Some critics of H.R. 3962 worry that it is too expensive and will add to the federal budget deficit. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a team of financial analysts and economists hired by Congress to provide unbiased cost analyses on federal legislation, reviewed the legislation and made some preliminary projections with regard to these concerns. Such projections are subject to some uncertainty, and a more detailed analysis will likely follow.
The CBO believes that the bill will cost $1,055 billion to implement over the next 10 years and that revenues from penalties for non-compliance would reduce that amount to a net cost of $894 billion. Predicted savings from reduced spending due to efficiency measures would offset that amount by $426 billion and new revenue sources, including a tax on high-income households, would raise an estimated additional $572 billion over the same period, they said. The CBO finds that H.R. 3962 would probably pay for itself and reduce the federal budget deficit by about $100 billion over 10 years.
Another fear among critics is that the bill will fail to cover everyone. The CBO projects that, as a result of the bill, the share of “nonelderly” residents of the United States with health coverage would rise from 83 to 96 percent, excluding unauthorized immigrants residing in the United States, who would not qualify for any federal assistance for health coverage. “Legal” immigrants would receive the same benefits as resident U.S. citizens.
The Democratic Congressional leadership have set a goal to have a finished bill ready for President Obama’s authorizing signature by year’s end, but with potentially no support from Republicans and several conservative and liberal Democratic members of Congress still expressing reservations about specific provisions in the bill, there is no guarantee that the bill will pass in either chamber.
Building a resume, Facebook style
Photo by Erik Simkins/ The AS Review
Allison Milton/The AS Review
Do you remember when Facebook was reserved for those with a college e-mail address? I do. I had just graduated from high school in 2006 when I received my Western e-mail address in the mail. I was so excited that I was now able to make a Facebook account. I thought I was part of an exclusive group, a member of a society of social networking fiends in which we could make a profile to exemplify what we were doing at college and to brag to our fellow high school graduates to see who has the better life now. But, little did I know that right after I started school in September of 2006, Facebook opened its doors to everyone: high school students, people who never went to college and – my parents?
Yes, it’s true. I am one of the few whose parents have opened their eyes to the world of social networking and signed up for Facebook. Although my mother was reluctant at first, she was pressured by numerous members of my extended family who have hopped on the Facebook bandwagon. Soon, I was getting posts on my wall like “What a fine young woman you have become,” from one aunt and “HAPPY BIRTHDAY … GO CRAZY,” from another. The next thing I know I have my mother on the phone asking me if I have a boyfriend because a guy friend of mine wrote on my wall asking when we were going to hang out next.
Increasingly, however, it’s not just parents that are keeping watch on online profiles, but employers and companies are too. When I went to a job conference for public relations, the same message was drilled into my brain over and over again: “Watch what you post on your Facebook; you’re in the real world now.” These professionals who hire students right after graduation said the first thing they do after they get a resume is to look them up online. Facebook, Google, Twitter. You name it, they’re going to look.
Abby Wigstrom-Carlson, human resources representative for State Farm Insurance, was present at Western’s Fall Business Career Fair on Nov. 5. She said she manages a State Farm recruitment page on Facebook and has seen profiles that have made her question applicants’ professionalism. She said one time a young woman asked to be her friend on Facebook, but Wigstrom-Carlson denied the request because the woman was wearing a bikini in her profile picture.
“Your Facebook page is a reflection of who you want to be known as in the professional community. Not just in the social community,” she said.
Lori Ruch, a claim representative at State Farm Insurance, said even if employers are not looking at your online profile, a potential Facebook friend could one day be your coworker or boss.
Coordinator for Career Planning Programs at Western’s Career Services Center Kergie Garcia said students should also be aware of their e-mail addresses they use for social networking and on their resume. E-mail addresses like PinkLady019 and LilCutie don’t sound professional and could make the applicant or student look bad in the eyes of the employer, she said.
Campus Programs Manager from CampusPoint Susan Kramer also offered advice at the career fair, saying the smartest thing students can do is block their profile or at least watch what is posted on them.
“Comments that people leave on your profile can help determine your character,” she said.
This screening of social networking sites doesn’t stop with employers, either. It might be coaches, professors and even admissions officers that use social networking to keep an eye on students.
Western senior and Elementary and Special Education major Brenna Hoane edited her Facebook page after hearing rumors that professors in the Education Department called students into their offices to discuss inappropriate pictures and statements they found on the students’ online profiles.
“I’m more careful now that [I know] my professors and future employers can check out my page,” she said. “I’d rather be warned [about this] now than have it surprise me when I start looking for a career.”
Although Facebooks can be hazardous for those who choose to post things that could potentially get them in trouble, Facebook can also be a beneficial tool when searching for a job, if it is done correctly. If a Facebook profile is used to highlight areas of a person’s personality or hobbies in a tasteful and professional way, it may help impress potential employers.
As I sit on my computer and stare blankly at my Facebook page, I debate whether or not the time has come to change my interests section from “old school video games and gangster music” to something a little more professional. I could write that my hobbies include improving the lives of my fellow peers, being a role model for adolescents and donating my free time to volunteer work and my interests include classical music, the stock market and crossword puzzles. But who am I kidding? I am not a 45-year-old accountant. I am a college student. Facebook is, after all, a social networking site. Don’t be afraid to show your personality, but make sure to do it within reason. Think first before you post a picture of yourself doing a keg stand or photo in your scandalous and scantily clad Halloween costume, because the consequences may not be worth it.
Cooking on a college budget
Three ingredients and ten minutes is all you need to make a pizza. Don’t believe us? Read the recipe. Photo by Erik Simkins/The AS Review.
By Shawna Leader and Allison Milton/The AS Review
There’s no denying that when the academic going gets tough, students often sacrifice the luxury of cooking. But just because time is an issue doesn’t mean you can’t cook a quick and tasty meal. Below, an easy-to-make pizza requires only a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time.
You will need
— 4 whole wheat or flour tortillas, or 4 pita rounds
— ½ cup pizza sauce
— 1 8-oz package cheddar cheese, grated
— Other toppings may include pepperoni, more cheeses and vegetables (such as artichokes and bell peppers), etc.
Here’s how to do it
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread a thin layer of sauce on top of a tortilla or pita round. Top with cheese.
3. Repeat with remaining tortillas or pita rounds. Place finished pizzas on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake pizzas for 4 to 6 minutes. They will be done when the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly.
5. Enjoy!
6. Keep experimenting with different toppings and sauces, if you wish.
Go Underground!
Nick Duncan, coordinator of the AS Underground Coffeehouse Concert Series and Lora Mednick, the assistant coordinator pose on the stage in the Coffeehouse. Photo by Erik Simkins/The AS Review.
By Matt Crowley/The AS Review
The AS Productions Underground Coffeehouse Concert Series will be hosting only one show this week due to Wednesday’s observance of Veteran’s Day. In place of our usual two band review, The AS Review sat down with Nick Duncan, coordinator of the Concert Series.
As coordinator, a position Duncan’s held since September, his job is to not only book shows and contact bands, but also to manage the series’ budget and decide what they can and can’t afford.
When booking bands, Duncan, along with Assistant Coordinator Lora Mednick, tend to look for local talent. Their goal is to make the Coffeehouse a “microcosm of the Bellingham music scene,” Duncan said, noting that they are one of the few all-ages venues in the area.
“Beyond that, for me, I want to change the Coffeehouse from a singer-songwriter vibe and bring in some new stuff,” Duncan said. “We want it to be a fun year.”
Duncan and Mednick will also be releasing a concert calendar soon, detailing the shows for the rest of fall quarter. They plan to release similar calendars for winter and spring quarters as well.
One of the bands on the calendar is Thimble vs. Needle, who will be playing the Coffeehouse at 8 p.m. on Nov. 13. Thimble vs. Needle is the new project of Bellingham native Kat Bula. Bula previously played in local bands Feed and Seed and Pirates ‘R Us, and has received positive reviews from publications around the area, such as What’s Up! Magazine and Cascadia Weekly.
“They fell in our lap, which has happened from time to time. It just comes together,” Duncan said.
Thimble vs. Needle is fully folk, but not in the same way that bands like Fleet Foxes or Blitzen Trapper are folk. The sound isn’t as full, with usually only one or two instruments accompanying Bula’s dominant vocals. Bula’s voice is beautiful and natural. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like she is trying, while in other songs, like “Laptop Noooooo,” she shows her range, straining to hit the highest of notes.
Outside of Bula’s vocals, the songs are simple and straightforward: guitar-picking, some string arrangements here and there, an accordion and sparse percussion.
It would be easy to compare Bula to fellow folkster Kimya Dawson. Both are experts at telling stories of youth and love through silly anecdotes and analogies, but Bula’s music is much slower and in some ways more diverse than Dawson’s. While their voices may sound similar at times, Bula seems to be more willing to push the limits of her vocal chords.
Bula is backed by Mara Fields (cello), Anna Arvan (cello and vocals), Chris Stanback (ukulele, bass and percussion) and Peter Woiwod (drums). Thimble vs. Needle will also be playing at the Western Gallery at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 18.
Thimble vs. Needle released their self-titled debut on May 18. Listeners can either download the album for free or pay whatever amount they want for higher quality files, à la Radiohead in 2007 with their “In Rainbows” album. Physical copies can be purchased at Everyday Music on Railroad Avenue or at one of their shows.
As always, the shows are free and open to everyone.