Winter 2015 Issue Two

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

d n o m a i d n a i r a Barb pg. 20

Washington Getaways pg. 14

The

Perfect ShaVE

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editor’s note Lindsey Wisniewski From the mountains of Washington State to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, it feels like Pulse has been everywhere this month. We traveled to sunny California and attended the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) conference where we took home our first, ever ACP award. After placing fourth nationally in the feature magazine category, we cannot be more excited about the future of Pulse, and we hope you see our dedication as you turn each page.

It’s time for a change of season. In this issue, spring into smoothies (p.12) and check out our Washington Getaways (p.14) for a spring break to remember. We also have the scoop on the secret Sasquatch! headliner (p.64) as well as a list of music festival must-haves (p.60) to help guide you through your first festival.

Once again, we thank you for your readership.

Make sure you check out Pulse on social media. We have many fun things to come!

Pulse and Observer staff members pictured here at the ACP Conference in L.A.

pulse magazine editorial Editor-In-Chief Associate Editor Assistant Editor Assistant Editor Copy Editor

Lindsey Wisniewski Katie Boyer Ashtyn Mann Brianne Anderson Brielle Rutledge

Laurel Fisher Mackenzie Loete Amanda Musselman

Public Relations Chelsea Delatorre

Jennifer Green

student media Business manager

Designers Head Designer Graphic Designer Graphic Designer

faculty adviser

cwupulsemagazine@gmail.com

Kristin Gaskill (509)963-1095

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Cody Nilsen (509)963-1095

Central Washington University’s policies and practices affirm and actively promote the rights of all individuals to equal opportunity in education and in employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender ecpression, age, material status, disability, or status as a protested veteran. The person responsible for CWU’s institutional compliance with various federal and state laws and institutional policies dealing with discimination is Staci Sleigh Layman, Interim Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, Barge Hall 221, 509-963-2205 TDD 509-963-2207. CWU is an AA/EEO/Title IX institution. Upon request, this document is available in accessible formats (Braille, large print, or audio cassette). Contact Disability Support Services at 509-963-2171 TDD 509-963-2146. Pulse falls under the auspices of the Student Media Board at Central Washington University. For more information, contact the Communication Department http://www.cwu.edu/~comm/

winter 2015, ISSUE 1

Pulse

coNT our town

spotlight

Food and Drink

Kiss and tell

06 Bucket List 08 Wheels On the Ground

10 Healthy Swaps: Switch Out and Switch In 12 Spring Into Smoothies

passport

14 Spring Break Getaways: Wash. Edition

20 Barbarian Diamond 26 Changes In the Tide 30 My Friend, The Monk

32 Fifty Shades of Controversy 34 She’s Too Young For You, Bro

life hacks

38 The Perfect Shave 42 Get Linked Into Your Future

TENTS mind and body

Pulse 8

Sports

Event Calendar

44 A Dose of Humor For A Diabetic Life 48 The Upside of Video Games

52 Iron Man Follow-Up 54 Mariners Preview

68 Ever So Android

70 Seattle and Ellensburg Events

music

56 Heavy Metal Mamas 60 Festival Guide 64 Sasquatch! and the Headliner Cliffhanger

cwupulsemagazine@gmail.com (509) 963-1055

Winter 2015 | Issue Two

BUCKET LIST post-grad edition

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n a s i e lif e r u t n e adv Story By: Deborah Reed Designed By: Laurel Fisher Photographed By: Laurel Fisher

Making a bucket list is a fun way to get your dreams and desires out of your mind and onto paper. We all have ideas about what we want to accomplish before we kick the bucket and writing a list down is the first step to making your dreams a reality. In the 2007 movie, The Bucket List, two terminally ill men decide to live life to the fullest before they kick the bucket. But you don’t have to be a billionaire like Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) to make your mark on the world and truly enjoy life, whether you want to help a complete stranger for the good like Carter (Morgan Freeman) or kiss the most beautiful girl in the world like Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson), the choice is yours.

Graduating from college often marks the beginning of life’s great adventures, so there’s no time like the present to compile your own bucket list. What are you dreaming of? Pursuing more education? Getting your dream job? Starting a business? Those are great goals, but what fun activities have you always dreamed of doing?

After four years in college, maybe you are dreaming of sipping a Mai Tai on a tropical beach or zip-lining through the Rocky Mountains. Perhaps learning to play the accordion won’t make your bucket list, but mastering the guitar might just be the instrument for you. Even a simple experience like finger painting or taking a bubble bath takes on greater significance if it brings even the tiniest bit of joy. Run through a sprinkler or take a walk

Our Town

in the rain. No idea is too big or too small for your bucket list.

If a bucket list sounds too serious or mentally overwhelming, try compiling a list of things to do over the summer, places to visit, or a list of things you want to accomplish by age 30. Make sure to include epic events, but don’t let high expectations sabotage your list with discouragement. Some of life’s smallest pleasures are low cost and attainable with very little effort. Go fly a kite! Eat a food you’ve never tried before. Kiss in the rain! Visit a nearby state park. Do what matters to you.

Here are some tips to help get your list started:

• Brainstorm • discover your passion • Get out of your comfort zone • Be brave, but not foolish • add something personally meaningful • find something free • thinklikeachild(dosomething silly) • Put someone else first • Make something • embark on a new adventure in your own city Let the list grow over time and be flexible. Watching the Space Shuttle take off from Cape Canaveral might be impossible now, but it wasn’t in 2010 when I wrote my first bucket list. So don’t forget to adjust the entries as necessary and check off items as they are completed. The more items you add, the more you are likely to get done. So if you’re anything like Edward Cole in The Bucket List, and you’re dreaming of kissing the most beautiful girl in the world, remember, it’s all about volume.

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

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risp, cool air, sun in the sky and not even a breeze created perfect conditions for Sheridan Wrzesinski, Kaleb Kunkel and myself to get outside and skate.

Skateboarding isn’t a crime-- it’s a passion.

Except everywhere we went, we were asked to leave in a manner that was less than polite.We grabbed our gear, took off without arguing and eventually ended up at the skate park.

The skate park is definitely a great concept. However, the large quantity of broken ramps and rails, in addition to a half pipe that’s missing more pieces than my family’s old monoply game, creates an enviroment that’s less than favorable. Located on N. Pearl Street, this appears to be the only place in Ellensburg one can avoid trouble and skate in peace.

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Along with inline skating, longboarding, biking and other modes of transportation, Central Washington University (CWU) actually allows skateboarding on campus. But before you grab your board and head down to the SURC to practice your kickflip skills on the stairs, you might want to read the fine print.

Washington Administrative Code 106-116-856 says that these alternate means of transportation can only be used to get from point A to point B. They also must remain wheel side down and on the pavement in order to be allowed on campus. Anyone riding anything with wheels must give way to pedestrians walking, and “travel at a reasonable, safe, and prudent speed.”

There is no set speed limit outlined in these regulations though, so use your best judgment.

Wrzesinski shares the opinion of several others on this issue saying,“As long as we aren’t hurting anyone or causing damage, we should really be free to do what we want.”

Our Town

Damage as well as pedestrian’s safety seem to be the main reasons why all wheels must be kept on the ground. Washington Administrative Code 106-116850 states that the two purposes are “to protect and control pedestrian traffic and traffic of persons using skateboards,” and “to protect wooden and concrete benches, ramps for the disabled, brick and paved walkways, stairs, steps, loading ramps, and plazas from physical damage and more than ordinary wear caused by use of skateboards.”

“Grinding on ledges can definitely cause damage, but I don’t see how jumping down stairs causes any other damage than just riding on the pavement would,” Wrzesinski argues.

With professional settings like X Games and Nike’s ‘Street League Skateboarding’ taking the lead, skateboarding has become an internationally recognized sport.

It is no longer something that rebellious teens do to be daredevils or to piss off their parents, but instead has grown into sport that requires skill and accuracy.

Skateboarding, however, is one of the only sports to be illegal almost anywhere you go. The very limited ability for skaters to practice their sport has gained a following from the media, sparking songs like Kick Push by Lupe Fiasco and hit shows like Rob & Big. The stigma behind skaters is changing and the evidence is in the decline of complaints being made.

According to CWU’s Police Chief Mike Luvera, the amount of calls the university’s police department receives about people skating at the school has dropped significantly in recent years.

“10 to 15 years ago we received more calls about students jumping off fixtures on their skateboards, but nowadays we don’t get many at all,” Luvera says.

Either the popularity of skateboarding has dropped in the last decade, or people just don’t see skaters as the menaces that they use to be.

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Switch out and

Switch in Story By: Madison Campbell Designed By: Mackenzie Loete

Being healthy doesn’t always mean you have to eat salads and take shots of wheatgrass, you can still maintain a healthy diet without taking away the foods that you love.

Rather than cutting out your favorite foods, try switching in healthier alternatives.

To help you make easy switches, Pulse went to Taylor Clark, the head trainer at Ellensburg Crossfit. He is also a Central alumni who holds a degree in exercise science with a minor in nutrition. Clark offers nutritional guidance to those who seek a healthier lifestyle inside and outside of the gym.

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Food & Drink

switch out Milk chocolate

Sandwiches

swap in Dark chocolate

Wraps

why do the switch?

Everyone knows it is impossible to ignore a sweet tooth, so satisfy your craving with dark chocolate. According to Clark, dark chocolate has many healthy benefits, including a low glycemic index which is very good for your heart as it to helps control blood sugar level. Overall, it has less sugar compared to milk chocolate.

Have all your favorite fixings with less carbohydrates, gluten, and calories with this easy switch: make it a wrap. Instead of bread use either a corn tortilla or a piece of romaine lettuce to create a healthier sandwich alternative. “With this easy change you will take away gluten which causes inflammation

in the gut,” says Clark.

Granola bars

Vegetable oil

Potatoes

Shortening

Margarine

Peanuts

Apple

When looking for quick and easy snacks, avoid granola bars. Instead, Clark suggests grabbing an apple. Apples are a healthy and easy substitute to granola bars, which are packed with unwanted ingredients and fat.

Coconut oil

When planning to use vegetable oil, reach for coconut oil instead. Coconut oil can be substituted when baking or cooking.“Vegetable oil is high in Omega 6, high intakes of this often causes inflammation and increases other health risks, Coconut oil has Omega-3, that is a healthier polyunsaturated fatty acids,” Clark says.

Sweet potatoes

An easy switch from starchy potatoes are sweet potatoes.

“Sweet potatoes glycemic load have a slow release of sugars into the blood stream versus potatoes, which are very starchy and spike your blood sugar quickly,” Clark says. Starch is associated with obesity and heart problems.

Applesauce

This can be an easy swap while baking. Applesauce replaces the fat and calories that are in shortening and naturally adds a sweet flavor to your bake goods. This swap will add moisture and fiber to any recipe while cutting back on fat.

Natural butter

Instead of using margarine, opt for a natural butter, preferably a grass-fed one, Clark advises. Margarine is made from vegetable oil and is loaded with trans-fat, which increases the risk of heart disease. Natural butter contains a number of health boosting fatty acids and vitamins.

Almonds

Make the switch to almonds. Clark loves almonds because they are high in healthy unsaturated fats. Almonds can give you a natural boost of energy and have lower levels of potassium and none of the sodium that is found in peanuts.

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Cucumber Melon Delight Have you ever walked into Bath and Body Works and wished you could recreate the incredible smells into a something edible? Well, now you can! The signature cucumber melon scent is the focus of this delectable smoothie recipe that includes just four ingredients and is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Tropi-Kale Looking to add a little more greens into your diet, but tired of the traditional salad? Fear no more! This delicious smoothie seamlessly blends the kale that we all dread into an energizing drink that you’ll be making time and time again.

Banana Nutella Smoothie This recipe is for all of those Nutella addicts out there (yes, we’re talking to you). The rich cocoa flavor of the Nutella is balanced delectably with banana, in turn creating a yummy treat that you and your family are sure to be raving about.

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Ingredients: 1 cup Sparkling Water 1 cup Ice ½ Honeydew Melon Small Cucumber (or half of a larger one) Recipe by: http://www.girlmakesfood. com/cucumber-melon-smoothie/

Ingredients: 3/4 cup almond milk 2 medium bananas, previously peeled, sliced, and frozen 2 cups fresh pineapple chunks 2 heaping cups kale Recipe by: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/01/04/tropikale-energy-smoothie/

Ingredients: 1 Sliced Banana 4 Heaping Tbsps Nutella ½ cup Greek Yogurt 16 large cubes ice Whip Cream (optional) Recipe by: http://www.thehappierhomemaker.com/2014/04/healthy-cake-batter-smoothie/

Food & Drink

Story By: Kelsey Norvell Designed By: Mackenzie Loete

Healthy Cake Batter Smoothie This recipe seems almost too good to be true. We all know that dieting normally doesn’t include a large piece of sugary cake, even when we wish it did. However, those cravings are inevitable, and sometimes it’s difficult to avoid a cheat day. Instead of wasting the calories on a fattening piece of cake, whip-up this cake batter smoothie that tastes just as good, but won’t ruin your diet.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Get ready for a taste of summer with this creamy, succulent treat. The mixture of strawberries and bananas are a classic and this tasty recipe will remind you why.

Apple Pie Protein Smoothie Juicy, homemade apple pie is a dessert that we always hope to see on the menu. However, if that pesky diet is still haunting your dreams, try whipping up this apple pie inspired smoothie that’s high in protein but will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients: 1 cup Vanilla Almond Milk ½ cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt 3 tbsp Yellow Cake Mix ½-1 Banana, Sliced and Frozen Sprinkles (optional) Recipe by: http://dearcrissy.com/easy-strawberry-banana-smoothie-castrawberries/

Ingredients: 1 cup Vanilla Yogurt 1 Medium Banana 1 cup Fresh Strawberries, Cleaned and Hulled 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract 1 tbsp Honey 2 cups Ice Recipe by: http://www.runningwithspoons. com/2014/03/24/apple-pie-protein-smoothie/ Ingredients: 1 Apple 1 cup Vanilla Yogurt 1 Medium Banana 1 cup Fresh Strawberries, Cleaned and Hulled 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract 1 tbsp Honey 2 cups Ice Recipe by: http://athriftydiva.com/banana-nutella-smoothie/

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| Issue Two Winter Winter 2015 2015 | Issue One

Washington Getaways:

a e r B g Sprin

Palouse Falls Photo by Michael Matti

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n o i t i d ak E

Passport

Spring Break locations you’ll never forget.

Story By: Brianne Anderson Designed By: Laurel Fisher

Spring Break 2015 is almost here and who doesn’t love a break from term papers and late night study dates? Hello, Mexico! At some point or another, we’ve all daydreamed about a spring break vacation filled with scandalous tequila-filled nights, exotic tropical adventures and luxurious cruise ship itineraries.

But the reality is, money doesn’t grow on trees. We’re college students living off of a ramen noodle every night kind-of budget and sometimes getting away for a whole week break is financially impossible. But lucky for us, the Pacific Northwest offers some of the most unique getaways and gorgeous landscapes right in your backyard. Pulse spreads the love from the east and to the west of Washington to provide a variety of affordable getaways that will make this spring break unforgettable.

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

e n a k o Sp

Photo by Ron Reiring While surrounded by the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountain foothills, Spokane is filled with all the activities and hot spots you need to get a taste of city life on the Eastside.

To-do list: First stop is Riverpark Square where you can check out all of spring’s hottest fashion trends in the city’s charming collection of shops. One of the Spokane’s most popular attractions is Riverfront Park. Here you can find a plethora of art exhibitions, such as The Red Wagon and Rotary Interactive Fountain. Wanna see it all for free? Make sure you take the city guide tour. From laser tag to ice skating, there are endless activities for everyone to enjoy.

To- Do

Don’t forget to visit Spokane’s countless gourmet restaurants to get a taste of Northwest flair. Pulse recommends the refined, Wild Sage restaurant in downtown or you happen to have a sweet tooth, sugar-filled spots like Dawn of the Dead Doughnuts and Doyle’s Ice Cream shop are a must-try on this trip.

Photo by Ed Sueminen

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Passport

Palouse Falls

Photo by Ramanathan Kathiresan Nothing seems more relaxing than hitting the road with close friends for a mini road-trip to one of the most scenic waterfalls in Washington State. The breathtaking views and fresh air entice the inner explorer in all of us.

To- Do

miles ahead to the Snake River, both will give you a solid workout all while taking in the capitivating scenery. There are several ADA campsites that are first come, first served with picnic setups and fees that are easy on the wallet. For more information on snagging a site, check out this website.

After snapping selfies with the roaring 200-foot waterfall, choose your hiking path. Whether you want to stroll along the Palouse River or jet four

Photo by Thaddeus Roan

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

San Juan Islands

Photos by Mike Woods Take a ferry ride to the San Juan Islands to explore some of most natural features along the West Coast. Salt water shores, whale tours and endless recreational activities, such as kayaking and fishing, are in store for you at each island you may experience.

To- Do If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s an abundance of kayak expeditions to take and specially crafted tours that highlight San Juan’s rich marine life ecosystem. For the fearless, Pulse recommends zip-lining through San Juan’s luscious wetlands. Or if you’d like to take it easy, the stunning views of orcas on the Whale Trail or “Whale Watch Park” might be a better fit for your trip. For more details visit this website.

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Passport

Fall city http://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/static.brit.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/treehouse-point-4.jpg

You’ll feel like a big kid gone straight to heaven as you sleep amongst the trees at Treehouse Point Resort in Fall City, Wash. That’s right, treehouse resort. Founded by the Nelson Family on Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Masters,” these cozy, crafted houses are an ideal spot for those who seek a wild escape from reality.

Make sure to book well in advance as Treehouse Point is also a popular event center that fills up quickly. With astonishing views of Mt. Rainer and Mt. St. Helens, you can be one with nature, for a minimum of two nights in any of the five treehouse locations.

To- Do Make sure to book well in advance as Treehouse Point is also a popular event center that fills up quickly. With astonishing views of Mt. Rainer and Mt. St. Helens, you can be one with nature, for a minimum of two nights in any of the five treehouse locations.

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

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Barbarian

Spotlight

Diamond Story By: Steven Dougherty Photographed By: Brittany Allen Designed By: Amanda Musselman

When it comes to learning poetry, you don’t have to look far to find a professor who has a passion for words. Xavier Cavazos teaches in CWU’s English Department and is also an active force behind the productions of the Center for Diversity and Social Justice.

in the poetry world. His first book, Barbarian at the Gate, won the National Chapbook Fellowship from the Poetry Society of America in 2014. As one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious poetic organizations, such an award shows the world that Cavazos’ poems are a force to be reckoned with.

Cavazos’ career in poetry started in high school when his teacher, Alaskan poet Jim Hanlen, sparked his true interest behind his potential growth within the world of poetry. From there, Cavazos took off to New York where the poetry scene was thriving.

Cavazos comes from the tradition of slam poetry.

Poetry in its truest and most natural state: active, shifting, verbal, and raw. In 1995, Cavazos won the poetry Grand Slam held by New York’s Nuyorican Cafe, placing him among a lineup of poetry’s modern powerhouses. However, most of his contemporaries from the nineties didn’t know what they were yet. Playwrights, poets, authors and average Joe’s; what they had in common was one thing: they had to be heard. But when Cavazos began breaking into academia, he knew he had to make a change.

After reading some of his poetry in a coffee shop in East Village, Cavazos caught the attention of Alan Ginsberg, a legendary American poet and a pioneer of the best modern poetry that’s taught at universities worldwide. Cavazos was invited to sit in on Ginsberg’s classes about William Blake at Brooklyn College. Their relationship grew as Ginsberg spent the last three years of his life personally mentoring Cavazos.

After Ginsberg’s passing in 1997, Cavazos walked away from poetry and began tattooing. He would spend the next 10 years as a tattoo artist before returning to his old roots of poetry.

His previous success with poetry filled him with the knowledge that teaching was his destiny, so he obtained his MFA from Iowa State University.

Cavazos’ poetry is critically acclaimed, and has cemented his position as a mover and shaker

The academic world looks down on slam poetry the way the wealthy elite looks down on people with lower class or different lifestyle.

“Slam is an awful lot like the ghetto,” Cavazos says.

The source of this superiority complex is the same as always: fear. While the slam poets can replicate the traditional forms and techniques of the academy, the academy can’t turn it around by replicating the energy, passion and importance of slam.

“We’re intimate. We’re visceral,” Cavazos says, and the academy seems to respond with “We’re better than you.” In academia, slam poets are pigeonholed and their words are dismissed. So when it came

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

time in Cavazos life to enter academia, he knew he couldn’t do it as a slam poet. In order to conform to his new role, his notable slam past had to be hushed.

“I made sure no one knew,” Cavazos says.

With the Chapbook fellowship, Cavazos succeeded in resurfacing as an American Poet. But when it comes to teaching, not a bit of his passion is lost.

“We don’t want to change the curriculum,” Cavazos says, “We want to shatter it.” And let no one doubt his intentions.

“I’m a poet first,” he says, and adds that he’s more important as a poet, activist and social rights worker.

In graduate school he mentions how he witnessed the hustle of academia as it changed real poets into silent, stifled voices, afraid to voice their real hearts for fear of losing their jobs.

“I won’t silence myself for the sake of my job,” Cavazos says, “And no University should want poets that do.”

When it comes to the students, Cavazos notes his obligation to the truth about pushing the limits of what’s possible.“Why would students study under us if we’re not pushing the boundaries?”

And if Cavazos’ goal in his poetry is to push the boundaries, consider them pushed. His first book, Barbarian at the Gate, shatters through the limits of our language. Thomas Sayers Ellis, author of The Maverick Room and Skin and anthologized in Best American Poetry (1999, 2001, 2010), recognizes this rare strength.

“Most poets won’t admit it, but there are very few technical devices or schools of writing that allow opposition to restraint,” Ellis says in the intro to Cavazos’ book. “To read the poems of Xavier Cavazos is to be arrested by liberation, very rapidly, from the boring structures of linear reading.”

The strength in his poetry is his ability to capture the issues in the human condition that need to be captured.

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“Each poem is anchored in a sharp awareness that finds worth is real (not imagined) lives and real (not imagined) loss...Cavazos creates a collision of aesthetic concerns by turning the page into a virtual and linguistic sparring zone where the reader is offered a remote control pre-programmed to cause him or her to lose control.”

Take these haikus from Barbarian, titled as a whole “To-Be-Or-Not-To-Be” (haikus for my father): I am going to Blame God-the-Father no more For my injections.

I am going to Apologize the names of Everyone I hurt.

I am going to Inhale a hallelujah Back into this face.

I am going to Be more abundant with my Mouth and I-Love-Yous.

I am going to Be, is, am, are, was, were, more Than ever now, yes.

I’m going to be.

I am going to be more.

I am going to.

In Barbarian at the Gates, Cavazos takes the struggle he had with addiction back in 2003 and works through the pain and trauma he experienced. With education, faith and the love of his amazing family, he was able to transform his pain into art, and that art was Barbarian.

The book was an act of catharsis, but most importantly demonstrates the fact that people can change.

“Writing speaks to those suffering, showing that despite where you’re at right now, you can turn around,” Cavazos says.

That sentiment is echoed in Cavazos’ art.

Cavazos presented at the Righteous Dope Fiend exhibit in Dean Hall, which ended Mar. 7th.

Our Town

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

Cavazos’ second book, Diamond Slave Tree, covers the life and education of George Washington Carver. The book replicates Carver’s experiences while he was alive and studying at Iowa State University.

When Cavados was looking for graduate school, his choices were between Iowa, Miami or Arizona. He discovered that George Washington Carver had attended Iowa State, and began researching him. The story of Carver’s life, born at the tail-end of slavery and a genius at biology, interested Cavazos. Carver appeared to Cavazos in a vision and that’s when he knew that his future would lie at Iowa State.

Compared to Barbarian, Diamond Slave Tree is considerably different.

Knowing at a young age that his destiny was in poetry, Cavazos offers a few words for young poets out there:

“If Barbarian is the sun, Diamond is the moon,” Cavazos says.

“If it’s your dream to be a writer, go for it. Go big or go home.”

Among his colleagues at CWU, English Professor Dr. Katharine Whitcomb wllingly acknowledges for Cavazos’ well-respected reputation.

Whitcomb and Cavazos will be participating in National Poetry Month readings in Brooks Library on April 15.

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“I knew Cavazos’ talent as a poet and performer was exceptional the first time I heard him read, which was probably in 2005. Joe Powell and I watched him read his work in an open mic in the old student union,” Whitcomb says. “ I’m so happy to see his poetry is getting the recognition it deserves—Barbarian at the Gate and Diamond Grove Slave Tree are accomplished, powerful books. CWU is very lucky that Xav came back to Ellensburg and that our students have the opportunity to be inspired by his energy and skill.”

Our Town

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CHANGES TIDE IN THE

Story By: Jess Macinko Designed By: Laurel Fisher Photographed By: Ryan Ashley

Spotlight

“TO THE WINDOW...

TO THE WALL .”

Cody Beebe has been free-associating near the end of an extended jam, layering scat-singing and HipHop lyrics onto his band’s foot-stomping roots-rock.

But no sooner has the Lil Jon reference passed his lips than he thinks better of it and trails off, perhaps considering that his audience includes seniors and children.

The twenty-and thirty-somethings near the stage, however, take his pause as an invitation. Their response is muddled, a semi-coordinated slur of crowd singing, but the cadence is there, and finishes with a distinct “Balls!”

“Oh, okay,” Cody replies to the yellers, his smile the nonverbal equivalent of touché. “Sorry,” he says to the rest and transitions back to his own lyrics, still smiling.

Friends, family and fans have gathered at the Yakima Seasons tonight to help launch Cody Beebe & The Crooks on their first European tour. Beginning February 24, the band will play shows in Spain, France, Belgium and Germany. This first international appearance is a milestone—the culmination of hardwon momentum, the payoff for six years of hard work and sacrifice in pursuit of a dream.

It also coincides with Cody’s 30th birthday, and the recognition that over a span of six years, dreams may change.

NEW PRIORITIES “I’ve become a homebody,” Cody says with a chuckle. “I’m gone so much that when I’m home I just want to be home.”

He is walking alongside the fence of his seven-acre Naches homestead. His shoulder-length red hair, blazingly animate during the concert, is now hidden under a wool cap. His eyes are likewise hidden behind dark sunglasses. He wears jeans, a black Carhartt jacket and a beard. He is neither short nor tall, and his speech and movements suggest the intelli-

gence and manual knack of a protean craftsman, a person who could do anything but who chooses to make his living in the trades. Seeing him here today, without any prior knowledge, you might think he owns the orchards on the other side of the fence.

A Selah native, Cody has been living in Seattle for the past several years. His return to Central Washington, to this quiet country home, is no accident.

Cody is getting married next fall.

“I’m incredibly lucky to have the girl that I do,” he says. “We’ve been together nine years. My personal goal up until about a year ago was to make sure the band worked. Now I want to make sure that Mackenzie and I work, more than anything. That I have the ability to take care of her and whatever kids we have.”

There are musicians who support their craft with day jobs. Early on, Cody and his bandmates decided they weren’t going to be weekend warriors. They toured full-time, surviving on show revenue alone.

Despite the inherent hardship, Cody has fond memories of travelling cross-country in his van, lugging instruments, equipment, camping gear and fishing poles. But now, the romantic appeal of life on the road is tempered by the realism gained from having lived it. He estimates that to make a career from touring, The Crooks would have to do something like 200-300 shows a year. With Cody’s new priorities, that’s a few hundred too many.

Instead, he sees his future in diversification.

FROM FRONTMAN TO ENTREPRENEUR Standing at the corner of his property, Cody points west-northwest. “Chinook Pass,” he says, “Right up that valley.” A patch of snow glimmers in the mountains. This is the site of Chinook Fest, an annual roots-rock gathering Cody & The Crooks started in 2012. Now, he is finalizing the details on Chinook Fest West, a spinoff to be held at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort.

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

Chinook Fest originated as an instance of creative problem-solving. The Crooks wanted to open for larger bands, but didn’t know how to make that happen.

“A lot of bands pay to be on a tour,” Cody says, “But we didn’t have the money. So we thought, ‘Well, if we can offer bigger bands an opportunity to play a festival that we put on and promote, maybe that’ll allow us the leverage power to get in front of them on a bigger stage.’”

A similar strategy informs Cody’s production company, Digital Vendetta. Collaborating with Eric Miller, The Crooks’ bass player, Cody produces music videos for bands they know and like. The videos generate buzz, bolstering the bands’ fan bases and in essence chumming the waters for the local festival scene of which Cody is part.

“It’s this big, yearly, cyclical thing,” he says. “Everything plays off each other.”

Cody is also in a new group, Rust on the Rails. Comprised of talented, veteran musicians. The band has recently released their first EP, November Sky and is gaining traction. And then, in addition to his own festivals, Cody does booking for Yakima events such as the Yakima Roots and Vines festival and Downtown Summer Nights.

GIVING BACK When he talks about picking the lineup for Chinook Fest, Cody speaks of flow, dynamics and cohesion.

For him, event coordination is itself an act of composition.

“Some people, all they want to be is a guitar player,” he says, “Or a singer. Me, I want to be an entrepreneur.”

Yet while the transition to entrepreneurship will afford Cody more time at home, it will necessarily mean less time with The Crooks. This is a reality he grapples with.

“That band’s the only reason I have anything,” he

28

says.“Those guys have sacrificed just as much as I have.”

With Rust on the Rails gaining momentum, there’s a chance The Crooks will have to take a back seat, international tour notwithstanding.

“It’s gonna be hard for all of us to stomach if one does better than the other. Neither of them are breaking up or anything, it’s just that there’s only so much time. So I hope the one that rises faster can help the other.”

Cody finds resolution in this sense of mutual aid.

You see it in the way he thinks about his own ventures, but also in his understanding of music in general.

“The tide raises all ships. Pearl Jam, Nirvana—they’ll get credit for the grunge scene, but it was a scene, it wasn’t one band. That’s what I realized a little while ago. My band, whether we do well or not, is just one little portion of this.” Ultimately, the evolution from front-man to scene facilitator is an altruistic one.

A CO OP OF CREATIVE MINDS “Cody seems like a giver, but it’s all for himself,” Cody’s publicist, Michelle Bounds says. She sits at a laptop, eating pomegranate seeds, parroting Cody’s self-deprecatory remarks in a smear-campaign voice.

Cody laughs.

“ CODY IS REALLY GOOD AT BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.” - Michelle Bounds

“No,” Michelle says, “He’ll say stuff like that, but not everybody is like him.”

Michelle lives in Cody’s guest house. She lives there with Blake Noble, who plays guitar and didgeridoo (he’s Australian) for Rust on the Rails, and who is also basically the impetus for Digital Vendetta: Blake needed some music videos made; Cody and Eric made them.

This sort of cross-pollination—and creating a place for it—is really Cody’s overarching goal. “Traditionally,” he says, “It’d be a record label, but I don’t even want to think about starting a label in this economy.

So instead it’s having this consortium, or whatever you want to call it—a co-op of creative minds.”

Then he turns to Michelle, grinning. “You know, a commune. With a bunch of naked people and stuff running around. Gardening. And chickens. And compost.”

Michelle does that thing where you try to ignore the joker next to you while talking earnestly to the person in front of you.

“Cody is really good at bringing people together,” she says. “Seeing a vision before other people see it. And seeing in people how they can, yeah, help grow that vision, but then expand themselves, really.

Giving them the opportunity to form this awesome group of people that can all work together and just keep building.”

This collaborative spirit pervades The Crooks sendoff show. It ends up being a sort of (free) mini-festival: there are five opening acts, mostly local. All told, they play for about an hour. It’s very nice and communal and homey. Then Cody Beebe & The Crooks take the stage and without losing that communal vibe, they pretty much blow the lid off the place.

My Friend, The

Monk Story By: Yeshi Dolma Designed By: Amanda Musselman

At only 15, Gedun Cho-Pel became a monk when his mother was urged by family to put him in the monastery. The now 47-year-old is fully ordained and has taken a total of 253 vows. Monks and nuns are revered members of society because they devote their lives to prayers, meditation and service to their communities but without exposing much of their lives. Pulse followed Gedun through a day in the life of a monk and here is what we found.

A monks’ routine Gedun’s daily routine begins at 5 a.m. every morning. The first thing he does is put on his robes, which consist of three garments: the ‘shen tobe’, a long skirt that reaches his ankles and is folded on both sides, a ‘guh tong,’ a sleeveless vest-like shirt and his ‘sen,’ a 10’ x 3’ piece of cloth that he wears like a blanket across his shoulders.

Once dressed, Gedun spends an hour meditating and doing prayers of peace for all sentient beings across the world. At about 6 a.m., Gedun leaves his room to do Kora, a prayer path that is several miles long.

After he’s completed Kora, Gedun goes into the Dalai Lama’s temple to join the throng for morning prayers and prostrations on the second story. Most people do kora around two smaller inner temples that hold deity sculptures and scriptures. Gedun says that prostrations are prayers that are done with the body. He finishes his prayers at the temple and will now return to his monastery and begin his work day.

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Spotlight

Prayer duty

Life is pre t t y easy

As a prayer monk, Gedun’s primary responsibility is to visit people’s homes and conduct invocations. He receives notification from the monastery the night before and is given the client’s name, address and what intercessions they want done.

Monks like Gedun who belong to a monastery are paid 1200 Rupees per month, which is about $20 USD. They are given free housing, food and medical care. The monastery makes money from donations of those who want prayers done. They typically offer between 100 ($1.70 USD) and 500 ($8.50 USD) Rupees per monk for an entire day of prayers. It’s not a lot of money, but Gedun says that his life is pretty easy and happy.

At 7 or 8 a.m., Gedun and several other monks arrive at the client’s home with ceremonial bells, drums and prayer books. They then set up an altar and make offerings for deities called tormas’. Tormas’ are figures made of barley flour, sugar, milk and butter.

Gedun and the monks do devotions until lunch and resume from 1 to 5 p.m.

After a day of meditation, Gedun eats dinner at his monastery and retires to his room to continue his invocations before going to bed at 11:00 p.m.

Gedun was born in eastern Tibet but came to India in 2003 to meet the Dalai Lama and attend his teachings. While he likes India, Gedun says being a monk isn’t always easy. He doesn’t speak much of the local language, knows very little English, and often misses his family.

At the end of November 2014, Gedun applied for a visa at the Chinese Embassy in Delhi. He hopes to return home, where he intends to stay. He should find out this October whether he can go back or not.

While he’s waiting, he continues to meditate and pray.

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

The story of Anastasia Steele and Christian

Grey, the two lovers in the Fifty Shades of Grey series, has stirred up a lot of controversy in recent weeks following the release of the new movie.

Heavy debates have risen from psychologists, people who have read the books and people who have not read the books. The biggest question on everyone’s minds, “Does Fifty Shades of Grey romanticize domestic abuse?”

Pulse reached out to students and professionals near and far on the controversial topic and here is what we found.

Promoting domestic abuse: Nick Kelly, a student at Central Washington University, has read all three books and does not believe that the books promote any sort of domestic abuse.

“Anastasia signed a contract and knew what she was getting herself into from the beginning,” Kelly says. “He doesn’t do anything that she didn’t agree to.”

According to justice.gov, domestic violence is

09

Fifty S

of Contr defined as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person.”

Kayla Huerta is a Moses Lake resident who has not read the books but has read excerpts from the book and articles online. “Christian Grey uses sex and Anastasia’s feelings for him as a weapon,” Huerta says.

Christian Grey admits to being controlling. He uses technology to know where Anastasia is at all times and he makes a contract that states how she must act and what she must do at all times. Anastasia agrees to sign the contract to be with him, so is it really abuse if you willingly agree to it?

Shades

roversy

“I think Christian unknowingly manipulates and is unaware of how controlling he actually is,” Kelly says. “You can make the argument that it is domestic abuse at first but he changes so he can be with her.”

Heather Hernandez is a designated mental health professional for Snohomish County says that while she has not read the books, she is aware of the story and offers insight on domestic abuse.

“This story definitely romanticizes domestic abuse.

It may not be in your face but there is manipulation and controlling,” Hernandez says. “He may change for her but in domestic abuse cases you see the abuser give in to the victim a little to maintain the control they have on them.”

Kiss and Tell

handsome millionaire, then it’s okay.”

“Gone Girl has a story about an abusive and manipulating wife but no one cares because it is not taboo to talk about a relationship,” Kelly adds. “Once you cross over to the sex conversation, people get uncomfortable.”

But Hernandez feels differently.

“50 shades of grey is romanticizing abuse, where Gone Girl didn’t make their relationship sexy at all,” Hernandez says. “The problem is that people read this book and believe that this is the way relationships should be. While I believe it is just a book and movie, readers should be aware that this is not a healthy relationship.”

As you can tell, the controversy surrounding the Fifty Shades of Grey movie debate is heavy and has Story By: Shaudai Valdez Designed By: Amanda Musselman

What about other books? Movies?

If Fifty Shades of Grey is just a book, why is it being boycotted while other books such as Gone Girl, also involve a signs of abuse?

“Fifty Shades deals with very real and possible situations,” Huerta says. “There are women all over the world being sexually abused and manipulated and this book makes it seem like if you abuser is a

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

She’s too youn

34

Kiss & Tell

Pulse takes an inside look at age gaps and dating: when is it too much?

Story By: Ashtyn Mann and Meagan Sullivan Designed By: Mackenzie Loete

ng for you, bro Imagine this: you’re sipping your coffee in Starbucks and a couple walks in. The man looks significantly older than the woman. Naturally, you think they are father and daughter and then you see them kiss. What the hell?

Yeah…they’re dating.

What are you supposed to think? Is it creepy? Is it inappropriate? One question lingers, how old is too old?

35

She’s too young for you, bro Pulse talked to Dr. Meagan Nolte, a professor of psychology at Central Washington University, and got her professional opinion on relationships with large, age gaps.

“I think the age difference matters if the goals are dramatically different,” Dr. Nolte says.

According to Dr. Nolte, the difference in age is only significant when the two parties are at different times in their lives. If one person is just starting a new career and discovering what they want to do, while the other is nearing the end of their career and wanting to start a new chapter, then problems may surface.

Dr. Nolte has experience when it comes to dating with significant age gaps and says she consistently has dated men who were five to eight years older. As a matter of fact, she is currently in a relationship with a man who is eight years older.

“I can see some of the struggles that exist there,” Dr. Nolte says. “There’s a difference in the way we see the world. He’s been in his career for 12 years.”

Dr. Nolte isn’t the only person who dates older; Pulse surveyed 30 CWU students and asked them if they have ever dated someone who was significantly older or younger. And shockingly, 23% of you say you have.

Back to the question of how old is too old? Dr. Nolte believes if the age gap is upward towards 10 years, then it has potential to be problematic, mostly because of where the individuals are in their lives and their maturity levels. Gender differences also play a role.

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The poll, given out to studentss, also asked the question of how old is too old when it comes to being romantically involved. Over 50 percent of you believe an age gap of three to five years is perfectly acceptable, while 83 percent think 10 years and above is too old.

A freshman geology major, who asked to remain anonymous, says he was only 18 when he dated a woman who was 35. But he believes it was okay because the two were consenting adults.

“I liked her personality, she was cute and we had a great time together,” the freshman says.

Michaela Lee, a student at CWU, believes that a five to 10 year gap in a relationship is the range that is acceptable.

“It’s just weird seeing a couple who has such a big age difference between them,” Lee says.

Well, there you have it, a professional and peer opinion on what is acceptable when it comes to dating up…or down. If you become that father-daughter couple or vice-versa, Dr. Nolte would recommend that you keep in mind what kinds of things you want out of that relationship: make sure the two of you are on the same page and it should be just fine.

Kiss & Tell

37

Winter 2015 | Issue Two

•••

HOW TO GET THE

Story By: Kyle Kuhn // Designed By: Laurel Fisher // Photographed By: Laurel Fisher

We live in a fast-paced society, doing things the right way has been replaced with doing things the fast way. This has become prevalent when it comes to men’s shaving. In the commercials they make it seem quick and easy. Apply shaving cream then run a razor on your face. Sounds simple enough but the results are never the same as in the commercials.

“Five blades is like shaving five times,” says Jaime Gutierrez, owner of Northwest Barbershop. “Most people just lather and shave because they have to get to work.”

Gutierrez is a classic barber, he still provides his customers the service of getting shaved with a classic straight razor. This of course requires a lot of prep, which Gutierrez says is the most crucial step.

38

“Shaving in the shower or right after getting out is the best time to do so”, Gutierrez says. In the barbershop he uses a hot towel, which opens the pores and softens the whiskers. For tough whiskers Gutierrez will apply a hot towel twice before even starting the shave.

A step most men skip is the application of a preshave oil. Gutierrez says that this step will show the biggest difference in your shave if you haven’t been doing it. Remember, your sliding one to five razors on your face, it’s important to make sure there isn’t any friction. Friction will cause you to nick yourself.

Life Hacks

Not everyone has time to go in for a weekly shave (or the money.) Here are Gutierrez’s steps to follow when shavong to get the results you’d get from the barbershop in your bathroom.

Pictured here the author getting a beard trim.

PERFECT SHAVE STEPS Apply pre-shave oil, one of my favorites is

the Grooming Lounge Beard Master Shave Oil which you can get online at grooming lounges site for around $21.

Apply hot towel to area you’ll be shaving, even if you just took a hot shower.

Lather face with cream or gel, Nivea for

men has a good line of products especially for those with sensitive skin. You can pick up their products at most drug stores.

Hot towel again, then take everything off.

Re-apply the lather.

Shave.

Close your pores by running cold water over

the shaving area.

Apply an after shave. Gutierrez uses pure

witch hazel which is also commonly found at any drug store. For those with sensitive skin there’s Nivea’s aftershave works just fine. Gutierrez still recommends using witch hazel because it clean any cuts that may have occurred.

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

“Another common mistake that people make while shaving their face is going against the grain,” Gutierrez says. In a lot shaving commercials you’ll see the men shaving up their neck, which is not recommended. Shaving against the grain causes razor bumps which can lead to ingrown hairs.

Most men use whatever razor is easiest for them to get a hold of. Gutierrez talked about how classic shaving is making a come back. “There’s nostalgia of using a classic razor,” Gutierrez says.

Getting a good shave will take more time, but it pays off when you’re face isn’t burning afterwards. Check to see if your local barber does straight razor shaves, treat yourself once a week to a good shave, or take the time once a week to do it yourself, who knows, it could be your next hobby. There are many different shaving products out there, finding which ones make your skin happiest can take time.

“It’s an expensive hobby,” Gutierrez says.

But don’t you hate razor burn?

“There’s nostalgia of using a classic razor.”

- Jaime Gutierrez

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10

Getting

With Your Future Career Story By: Katie Boyer Designed By: Laurel Fisher

As you near the end of your college career, you start to look to the future and plan your next step. You begin to research where you would like to work and formulating cover letters and resumes custom-fit for each possible employer. You have gone through multiple years of work in order to earn your degree, you have had an internship, and you’ve had a number of summer jobs, which have all led you to believe that you would be a perfect addition to a number of companies. So, why is it that the resume you worked so hard to create and perfect hasn’t even managed to get your foot in the door?

42

Simply put, a resume alone does not cut it anymore when trying to get a job in the workforce. In this day and age, hopeful job seekers are being required to think outside of the box in order to grab the attention of employers.

In our social media driven world, people need to be in sync with technological advances and to know how to use them to their advantage. The best way you can do this is to go online and create a LinkedIn account.

Life Hacks

This site is the key to unlocking your future success in the working world. This is a place where you can build your professional identity, discover professional opportunities, network with individuals, build connections, and get your resume out to employers across the world.

Companies everywhere are opening up about the importance of the site and why it is beneficial to you: an imminent job seeker.

Michelle Kedem, a partner at search firm OnRamp, says that creating a LinkedIn is necessary if you want to be found by recruiters and have recruiters know who you are. This is just one of the benefits that the website provides for you, as it is a place that allows recruiters to easily search for qualified candidates.

With the right wording, a little work, and applicable experience you could pop up on a recruiters radar and become their top choice.

If you still plan to hand a paper resume to a possible employer rather than attaching your LinkedIn URL to your cover letter, you may want to think twice. According to Forbes, LinkedIn was frequently recruiters’ first point of entry to a candidate, and if the interviewee could not be found, the employers were not sure if they would make a good leader in the field.

It is expected that people have a LinkedIn if they plan to have a fighting chance in the competitive world of finding a career. Keeping your profile updated and using it on a regular basis allows you to stay ahead of the curve while showing that you are technologically savvy and up-to-date. This is especially important if you are a millennial and it is commonplace that you know how to utilize social media to your advantage. Not having a profile to show future employers would be seen as completely unacceptable.

power to ensure that what employers see when they search for you works in your favor.

Although this site is drastically different than Facebook, it does have a few things in common. If it makes it easier, think about it like this: LinkedIn creates “connections� and these networks can lead to professional opportunities. By utilizing the site you are taking a more proactive approach to job hunting and opening yourself up to possibilities that you may never have considered before.

With over 300 million users worldwide, everyone is on the site, and every employer is searching for qualified candidates to fill open positions. You should consider your LinkedIn profile as part of your normal routine while applying for a profession.

linked-in is a place where you can manage your image and youR your own youR individual brand.

LinkedIn is a place where you can manage your image and your own individual brand. This should be considered the most important PR as it directly relates to how you are perceived and how others view you. Your profile should demonstrate your online presence and you want to do everything in your

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Winter Winter 2015 2015 || Issue Issue Two One

A dose of humor FOR A

diabetic Story By: Seth Lonborg Photographed By: Seth Lonborg Designed By: Amanda Musselman

09

Life

Mind and Body

One look at Owen Baird and you’d think he’s an ordinary guy. Aside from his massive beard that often detracts from his normality he’s an actuarial science student, who plays soccer and works out almost every day of the week. So when the active, 23-year-old was suddenly diagnosed with type one diabetes, everything changed.

He didn’t feel right; he was urinating frequently and his hand felt numb. He visited a doctor, and then it hit him out of nowhere.

“I happened to get the call between class, (my doctor) said she was pretty certain I have type one diabetes,” Owen says. “After that, I went home and had a nice, quiet lunch.”

It’s been a little over a year since his diagnosis but instead on focusing on the insulin shots, the finger pricks and his blood sugar levels, he’s thinking up jokes about his ailment.

“I find my humor the same way when people joke about cancer, that’s where my comedy is,” Owen says.

(Full disclosure: Owen is my roommate and we’ve been friends since at least freshman year.)

Beginning

as active as Owen, the symptoms suddenly affected him.

“During the school year, I was fine. Then, I was thirsty and had to urinate a lot, (there were) times where I felt sick after I ate food,” Owen remembers.

It took some time before the realization settled in for Owen. He had a life-threatening disease.

“The next few days is when it really set in, something I had to deal with right away,” Owen says.

“I wasn’t ready to deal with it, but I needed to if I wanted to get better.”

Since Owen works out nearly every day, one of the biggest changes he had to make was altering his diet.

“Overall, I can eat the same food that I did before, now it just hurts more,” Owens jokes.

“I love food. I do work out, but you’d think it helps a bit, but it only helps so much.”

Joking about diabetes and his future When Owen jokes, his primary audience is his close friends and roommates. Some are drawn from popular culture.

There is widespread misconception about diabetes.

Some people are unsure what type one or type two diabetes even are or how they come about.

“From what I know, type one doesn’t have the pre-diabetes symptoms people who have onset type two diabetes have,” Owen explains. “You’re born with it, or something will happen, like to me. For part of your life you’re fine and something in your environment hits you and affects your body in a certain way.”

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), pre-diabetes is when an individual’s blood sugar is high, but not high enough for type two.

Type one is often passed down genetically, whereas type two comes from a poor lifestyle. For someone

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

A popular internet meme from actor Wilford Brimley is now an online sensation with his diabetes PSA’s where he pronounces “diabetes” as “diabeetus.”

Owen, laughter is a strong coping mechanism.

Like Wilford, Owen has his own interesting way of referring to the disease.

“Yeah, someone said laughter is the cure for everything. It’s not gonna cure my D, but it’s gonna help me feel better with whatever I have to go through,” he says.

“My roommates and I joke about Wilford Brimley, I like to refer to my diabetic condition as the ‘D’, like I need to take care of the ‘D,’” Owen says. “Cause my twisted sense of humor, that sort of slapstick comedy, that shit’s funny. It’s the act of it, like the Three Stooges or Tim and Eric.”

Living with diabetes has sparked the weird inside jokes between him and his roommates. It also created a different path for his future. In terms of a career, Owen is looking forward to the study of diabetes, specifically type one, since type one is a very complex disease.

His roommates consider him the ‘dad’ of the house, the bills are under his name and he drives his roommates around to get groceries or even to the bars.

Because of that, his roommates have nicknamed him “Pep Pep.”

“Career-wise I wanna research and learn more about Type 1 diabetes,” Owen says. “I’d like to work at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.”

“Whenever I eat something too sweet, I joke and I say the sugar is killing me. I say to them your ole’ Pep Pep is passin’,” Owen says, laughing.

The jokes may seem niche, strange or dark but there’s something meaningful underneath. For

Because, as Owen notes, “It’s important to have someone you can talk to and joke with, joke with about anything but joke about your condition and make light of it,” Owen says. “Because honestly, it could be worse.”

Winter 2015 | Issue Two

The Upside of Video games Story By: Anthony Solorio Photographed By: Brittany Allen Designed By: Amanda Musselman

48

Mind and Body

Many people believe that videogames simply promote violence and are not stimulating to the brain. The majority of these negative statements are either misconceptions or only half-truths. However, there is an upside to these games.

To get a better idea of how video games improve the brain, German researchers conducted a study.

This analysis asked 23 adults, with an average age of 25, to play Super Mario 64 for 30 minutes a day over the course of two months. A separate control group of 23 adults did not play any video games.

When researchers compared the brains of the two groups using an MRI machine, they found that the gaming group had an increase in gray matter. This matter was found in the area of the brain that is responsible for memory formation, strategic planning, and fine motor skills.

Ralf Greenwald, a psychology professor at Central Washington University, has done a number of studies regarding video games and the various ways that they can impact the brain. He mentioned that in some of his findings, those who play first-person, shooter style games such as Call of Duty, Destiny or Halo show a stronger ability to focus and keep track of things that passed through their line of sight.

“Video games are good for your brain – they keep it stimulated and make it think in ways it typically wouldn’t – as long they’re played in moderation,” Greenwald says.

In August 2012, British researchers found that strategic video games such as Starcraft, Age of Empires or Warcraft III,can increase a player’s brain flexibility. This means that a person’s ability to shift their thoughts between the abstract and the concrete gets strengthened. Finding a way to strengthen the brain is as big of a deal as when people found out that eating more protein helps to build muscle.

The study, which was done at Queen Mary University of London as well as the University College London, is based on psychological tests that were taken before and after the 72 volunteers played either “Starcraft” or “The Sims” for 40 hours over the course of six to eight weeks.

Research found that the participants assigned to play Starcraft showed improvements in their performance on psychological tests. This meant that the applicants increased their ability to finish cognitive flexibility tasks that tested hand-eye coordination, with quicker speed and accuracy than those who did not.

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

In February 2013, Italian researchers presented evidence that playing fast-paced video games can improve the reading skills of children with dyslexia.

The researchers put children, ages seven to 13, into two groups where they either played an action game called Rayman Raving Rabids or a slower paced game. When the reading skills of the children were tested afterwards, those who played the action game were capable of reading faster and more accurately. The authors of the study hypothesized that action games help kids increase their attention spans – a skill considered crucial to reading.

If you are one of those people that spend the entirety of the weekend playing video games, you no longer have to feel so guilty. It is clear that there is an upside to these games and that they can actually be stimulating to your brain.

Play on.

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Mind and Body

51

Winter 2015 | Issue Two

presents

Story By: Aubrey Rodgers Designed By: Mackenzie Loete

52

Sports

the Results are in February was a great month for many students to accomplish their years New Year’s resolution. For those willing to dig deeper than before, February was the month to compete in the Indoor Iron Man competition held at Central Washington University’s (CWU) Rec Center. The competition was held through intramural program here on campus and consisted of a month long triathlon, 2.4 miles in the pool, 112 miles on an indoor bike, and running 26.2 miles all within a 28 day period. The top three fastest males and females all will be awarded prizes, while all participants receive a t-shirt after completion.

Although contestansts had the entire month of February to finish, many contenders completed the triathlon before the deadline. The first male to complete the Indoor Iron Man was Bob Hickey, and the first female was Debra D’ Acquisto. Unfortunately we won’t find out the actual times until early next week. They are still being calculated and other placings and details are yet to be determined.

Meanwhile there’s a readers board in the Rec Center displaying where the other participants are at with their final progress.

As mentioned in Pulse’s first Winter Issue, intermural staff memeber Jordan Stinglen was given the task to organize the Indoor Ironman competition.

Stinglen has recently became the Intramural and special events coordinator and the Iron Man event was his first challenge to tackle in his new position.

Stinglen was anxious for the oppourunity, but was fairly pleased overall with the results.

“It went great! I would’ve advertised much earlier though. But I’m proud about how many sign-ups we were able to receive in basically a week and a half,” Stinglen says.

He plans on continuing to spread the word for next year’s competition and wants to promote the journey of self-growth.

“It may be hard at first,” Stinglen adds. “But if you can push yourself through it, you will definitely reap the benefits.”

Although Stinglen didn’t participate in this year’s event he hopes to in the near future.

Assistant Director of Recreation and CWU Rec staff member, Dania Cochran, was able to assist with this event and participate as well.

“I had a great time challenging myself – I stepped outside of my fitness comfort zone in three different areas. I would do it again,” Cochran says.

This was a great personal challenge for her.

Cochran’s main goal was to be able to finish, and she was able to complete the triathlon just in the knick of time. She plans on accomplishing it within a shorter period of time for next year’s event and get another great physical experience.

“My advice is just to do it. Commit, create a goal for yourself and follow through. Don’t worry about competing with other people. Block in time and make it happen. I had to literally schedule my workout times, and notify my family and co-workers so they could encourage and support me. Getting out of bed at 5:30am to swim laps was difficult, but once I was in the pool I felt really great to get moving and swim,” Cochran says.

She plans on continuing to swim once or twice a week to remain the switch of challenges she brings to her body.

The Indoor Iron Man competition tests muscular endurance and commitment on multiple levels.

Strenuous physical activities might not always be enjoyable before hand but the health benefits and self-accomplishment will all be worth it in the end. Regardless if you’ve never played a sport in your life or you’re the type that’s been training for something like this for years, get out and give it a try like many others have this February.

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

Mariners

: P r e v i e w Will THIS BE THEIR YEAR? Story By: Brianna Lidke Photographed By: Brittany Allen Designed By: Amanda Musselman

With spring steadily approaching, the start of the Mariners’ season is also on its way. Last season, the Mariners’ didn’t clinch the wild-card entry into the playoffs, but 2015 brings new predictions and possible outcomes.

Analysts across the country say that this is the year for the team and that they are likely to reach the playoffs. With new additions in the form of free agents and trades, they have the talent to get it done, but will they? With 162 games to prove themselves, odds say that they will.

During the offseason, the M’s brought new players onto the roster that should help boost the talent of the team, hopefully bringing them some wins.

When asked about what the team did in the offseason, Shannon Drayer, who covers the Mariners for ESPN radio in Seattle says “The front office did their part in acquiring players.”

With the new additions to the team, Drayer also had something to say when it came to who would add to the composition of the team.

“Of the new players, Nelson Cruz helps solidify a

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very legitimate middle of the order. Ruggiano and Smith could give them a steady presence hitting 2nd, something they also didn’t have last year,” Drayer says.

Cruz was a player that the M’s have been trying to acquire since before the 2014 season and was a big deal for this year’s team. With 40 home runs and 108 RBIs for Baltimore last year, this type of hitting is exactly what the Mariners needed to add to their line-up. As (WHO) said in an article on ESPN.com, now there is a solid middle of the order 3-4-5 hitters with Cano, Cruz and Seager.

Derek Deis, who is currently a news anchor for KXLY in Spokane, said of these three, “.. an improved lineup with Robinson Cano, Cruz and Kyle Seager in the heart of the order and what should be another dominant starting rotation, I feel like the M’s should finish no worse than second on the AL West.”

In order for the team to be successful with hitting this season, they really need to piece together hits in order to score runs. Together they need to put up better numbers than they did last year and produce results.

Sports

Though hitting will be fundamental for the M’s to be successful this season, the foundation for this team comes in the form of their pitching.

“The backbone of this team and it was so good last year that the team improved by 16 games and came within a few outs of the playoffs,” Drayer says about the pitching staff.

Pitching will be instrumental in the success of the M’s this season and as said in an article by Barry Svrluga in The Washington Post, Felix Hernandez is the star of pitcher for the team, but with help from the underrated starter Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton, the pitching staff is what could make the team contenders for the playoffs.

“If they don’t win the AL west they will surely get a wild card they are a favorite to make the playoffs,” Central Washington University redshirt baseball player Brandon Matthews agrees with analysts.

A general consensus has been made and this seems to be the year for the M’s.

Deis is hopeful.

“Nothing is guaranteed in baseball, but let’s put it this way, I feel much better about their chances than I have in a long time. But I thought this way when they signed Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson, too.”

Analysts across the country are not counting the team out of playoff contendership and FanGraphs even has them as the top team in the American League, the third in baseball behind the Nationals and Dodgers.

Though predictions for Mariner’s successful seasons have also happened in the past, the real test of this team will be the outcome in September. The team has 162 games to prove themselves and show that fans that have given up on the team, that they can once again regain faith in the M’s.

Through various sports media outlets these results vary, but in the majority they do have the M’s making the playoffs as the number one team in the American League (AL).

Perhaps the Mariner’s will pull out a Seahawks style transformation and go from a losing season to a championship.

“On paper this team should make the playoffs,” Drayer says.

This is the truth; as long as everyone does their job, the outlook looks good for the 2015 season.

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heavy metal A look back at female influencers in the rock and metal scene.

Story By: Randi Gibbons Designed By: Laurel Fisher

Winter 2015 | Issue Two

Metal isn’t just about the rockin’ party scene. It takes true guts for people to sing about the multitude of cultural issues that musicians make sound so easy. Issues ranging from sexual freedom to war, these ladies truly know how to write and perform music.

Every genre of music starts somewhere. From earlier, soft rock to today’s more intense metalheads, this list of women represents just a tiny teaser of the best female rock performers in history.

Heart Nancy & Ann Wilson 1974

Let’s kick this list of badass women off with some local talent: Seattle natives Nancy and Ann Wilson from Heart. Younger sister Nancy is a well known guitarist and song writer, while Ann is regarded as one of the best metal vocalists in rock history. The duo first appeared in Canada at the start of the early 70s, but it wasn’t until 1976 that Heart made their debut in America with their first album, Dreamboat Annie.

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In 1977, Heart released their second album, Little Queen. This album posseses the most well known song of Heart’s existence --no thanks to Guitar Hero, (ooooh!) Barracuda. The tidal wave of Nancy’s guitar intro alone in Barracuda has these ladies standing as some of the first female metal influencers in American history.

Avid Heart enthusiast, Kevin Ashely has been listening to the Wilson sisters most of his life. “Both Ann and Nancy Wilson posses such musical talent that anything they create forces the listener to truly feel what they were feeling when they wrote the music,” said Ashely, “Barracuda instills a feeling of anger into the listener, while Alone truly makes the listener feel alone.”

Heart has released fifteen albums in their career, and as a result has built an impressive musical resume.

They placed number 40 on VH1’s “100 greatest women in rock and roll,” and on Dec. 11, 2012 Heart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s class of 2013. Today, the sisters live in Seattle, and they’re still a vital influence to the city’s music scene. The duo owns and operates a recording studio in downtown Seattle that has produced albums from top artists like Johnny Cash and Alice in Chains.

Music

Angela gossow 2000

otep shamaya 2000 Shamaya steps over and beyond the boundaries of today’s culturally accepted ideas. Her first hit single, Blood Pigs, was only the beginning of her success.

Throughout her career with self-titled band, OT3P, she has released six albums. She uses elements of spoken word poetry to give the listener a better sense of the emotions she’s conveying in her songs, while the rest of her music is either composed of her beautiful melodic vocals or raspy screams. Her compositional style is the epitome of dark and bass heavy.

Clorrissa Estrella, a heavy metal fan, has been following OT3P since the band’s beginning in 2000.

“There is no limit to Otep’s performances,” Estrella said. “Her stage performance is every bit as brutal as her music is, including pig props and fake blood spattering.”

Gossow is well known for her vocals in the melodic metal band, Arch Enemy. This lady has no boundaries as to what her voice can do. Her entrance into the metal realm came quite suddenly; while working for a German webzine (online magazine), Gossow interviewed guitarist Michael Armott and left him a demo of her poorly recorded performance. Though Gossow was doubtful of her demo tape, the band called upon her when they fired their original lead singer, John Liiva. She is one of the best female vocalists that can do the famous metal growl.

Shamaya not only fights for women’s rights in her songs but also brings the battle to the internet in her campaign, ‘Art is the best way to say f*** you to reality.’ Like many other metal artists, her music may be riddled with profanities, but her messages are still outrageously strong, and she’s fightin’ the female fight!

Gossow stepped down as Arch Enemy’s vocalist in 2014 due to her interests in other pursuits. She wrote to her Facebook followers that she “had to turn a page” in her life and needed to spend more time with her family. She currently manages Arch Enemy and is pursuing the management of other metal artists as well.

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E

AL V I

D UI

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S FE

MUSIC FESTIVAL

MUST-HAVES Story By: Katie Hovde Designed By: Amanda Musselman

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Music

Once the snow melts and the sun comes out, it is officially festival season. Music festivals are a unique and memorable event that can bring people together, broaden horizons and even define a generation. However, there are some tips and tricks you must-know before heading off on your music festival journey.

Tips and Tricks

- First off, festivals are usually pretty expensive

- Bring portable snacks with you because food is really expensive inside of the venue.

We recommend snacks like Clif bars, granola bars and pre-made sandwiches.

- Drink water, and lots of it. A lot of festivals will allow you to bring in sealed, unopened water bottles. If you don’t have that, just pay the ridiculous amount and buy a water bottle inside that you can refill at your own leisure.

so don’t go buying scalped tickets unless they can show proof of purchase. Pre-sale tickets will ALWAYS be cheaper.

- Check the performance schedule for the upcoming events the night before and always keep a copy of the performance guide by your side.

Once you figure out who you want to see, you can map out your moves from one stage to the next.

- Don’t go in the pit, unless you want someone else’s sweat or other bodily fluids on you.

“For some reason, I get licked at every show,” Karen Dumont, an avid festival-goer shared with us.

- Wear something light and breathable, but easy to carry around if you decide to take it off.

- Don’t take drugs or alcohol from strangers.

This is a big no-no.

- If you see someone who looks like they need help, find a staff person who can get them to the medical station as soon possible. If you are the person who has consumed too much, don’t be afraid of asking for help. Your health and safety is always more important than anything else.

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

What Should You Bring?

Comfortable Shoes

At one-day events as well as multi-day events, there are hours of loud music. This isn’t good for your ears. Make sure you have ear plugs. Most events will be selling them. They also come in handy for sleeping at the noisy campgrounds.

Earplugs id

Do not forget this. Many festivals have an age requirement. You won’t be allowed in the venue without it.

tickets

It seems obvious but don’t forget these - you definitely won’t be allowed in without them. If it’s a multi-day festival, make sure you have the ticket for the correct day on your person.

cash/card bag

You will be on your feet for hours. If your feet aren’t happy, you won’t be either.

Don’t carry so much cash that you could lose it or have it easily stolen, but many things are more easily purchased with cash than with card at festivals.

Fanny packs, as dorky as they look, are a festival essential. Backpacks are an okay alternative. However, they are easier for other people to steal out of. If it’s hot, you won’t want those straps rubbing on your skin all day.

sunblock

Reapply constantly.

sealed water

There may be venue discrepancies about water bottle rules.

Most places will allow sealed, unopened bottles.

towelettes/wash rag chargers

At such a large event, it’s easy for you or a friend to get separated or lost. Make sure you keep your phone charged, if possible. If not, have a designated meeting place if you get separated from your friends. Most cars have the ability to charge phones. Some festivals even have charging stations that you can use for a small fee. You can also purchase a portable charger.

first aid kit 62

If you are camping, these are essential.

It’s never a bad idea to have some extra medical supplies laying around at events like these.

P

Music

Photo Courtesy of Laurel Fisher

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Winter 2015 | Issue Two

SASQUATCH AND THE HEADLINER CLIFFHANGER Story By: Dillan Keene Designed By: Laurel Fisher

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Music

H! When it comes to music in Washington State, we’re kind of spoiled. With acts such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Heart originating around the Puget Sound, it’s not a surprise that the Pacific Northwest showcases some of the most unique outdoor venues for festivals around. If your idea of a good time is a fourday music festival offering Indie Rock, Hip-Hop and EDM in its wide berth of genres as well as the grandiose Gorge at George venue, Sasquatch! Music Festival seems like the horse to bet on this year. The mystery surrounding the performers at Sasquatch! began with a tweet by the festival’s founder, Adam Zacks.

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HEADLINER?

Winter 2015 | Issue Two

On Feb. 4, @Philbates asked Zacks about the lineup via Twitter. He said, “Love most of the lineup, but what happened to Friday? Are Of Monsters and Men really headliners? “ Zacks’ simple response, “[And] More.”

Since then, speculation on forums like Reddit have frenzied fans everywhere about the soon-to-be announced headliner. Common conjectures are that the Friday headliner will be either Ratatat or TV on the Radio.

Ratatat will will already be on tour and in the area during the time of Sasquatch!, and there’s a lack of notorious electronic act on that day. Even more reason to believe this hypothesis, Zacks favorited a tweet in response to the tweet from a fan suggesting Ratatat. This is at the very least, suspicious from someone so high up in the festival’s hierarchy.

TV on the Radio is also in the area around that time, play Idaho’s Treefort Festival, just previous to Sasquatch. The theory behind the delayed announcement is a potential contractual obligation with Treefort. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0d/Tv-on-the-radio.jpg

If TV on the Radio fans in the Northwest know the band will be at Sasquatch!, they may forego the trip to Idaho to see their favorite band.

Neither of these assumptions are concrete yet, and they’re 90% speculation by my part and those in online communities. All that Sasquatch! had to say on the matter was the very succinct, “No additions at the moment.”

Although the Friday lineup is looking a tad bare at the moment, there are still a substantial amount of bands that have repuatations for their incredible performances.

The first of these is the band Gogol Bordello. This gypsy-punk band uses their Eastern European background to create a rhythmic and high energy show featuring accordions and an electric frontman. If you are seeing this band and make your way to the

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coveted front row, wear a poncho or expect to be soaked in red wine.

Chromeo is the biggest electronic act playing the Saturday show right now, and they shouldn’t be missed. They’re an electro-rock duo that features a guitar shredding frontman with his keyboard and talk boxing companion. These two create 80s inspired electro-pop that is perfect for shredding the earthen rug with your degenerate peers in the crowd.

From the Hip-Hop scene, we get the opportunity to see both Kendrick Lamar and Schoolboy Q this year.

Since their sets are taking place on the same day, you can assume we’ll get to hear their recent collaborated song, Collard Greens. This could happen during either artist’s set, but if you have to choose between them, I would put my money on Lamar’s headline show Monday.

Music

These next two bands are similar in what they bring to the table. Both Spoon and Modest Mouse are altrock bands that have been around for a while, and they put on a great show live. Modest Mouse has been known to be hit or miss depending on how their frontman, Isaac Brock, is feeling that day.

I have never heard anything but good things about Spoon’s live performances, and I’m sure they’ll bring their soulful “A game” on Saturday.

The Decemberists are an enigma among indie bands in that they are largely an era band. The way that I describe them to most people is Arcade Fire, but Victorian. Their songs are largely big band pieces, and they feature piano and violin that tell stories ranging from the quirky to even the grandiose like The Mariner’s Revenge Song. The Decemberists achieve a sound of intricate and multi-instrumental songs that sound like they’re from a dockside pub in Boston during the 19th century.

them. Odesza showcases another side of electronic with their somewhat laid back ambient dance style, but both shows will probably be equally as crowded considering the popularity of Odesza’s latest album, specifically the song Say My Name.

Most surprisingly, is the inclusion of Robert Plant among the other bands. Although his backing band is made up of unknowns, this show would be worth seeing just to say you saw the frontman of Led Zeppelin live. Although I doubt he’ll be singing Zeppelin songs due to contractual obligation, it is a moot point that Plant certainly knows how to rock a show.

Although this is only a few of the bands, the beautiful thing about Sasquatch! is the sheer number of attendees. Any downtime you find yourself with, you can hop between stages and find a band you might love.

The Glitch Mob is arguably the largest electronic act this year, and Odesza is right up there with them. The Glitch Mob features industrial and almost cinematic EDM with a three man troupe that is notorious for amazing light shows to accompany

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Decemberists_playing_live_daylight.jpg

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Ever So Android WHAT WORDS DO YOU LIV

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WHATS ONE THING PEOPLE DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ?

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The obvious emotional connection betw Drew Murray and lead singer, Hope Sim a contagious energy that could pull e awkward wallflower onto the dance floo ing their Kickstarter goal at the begin this Seattle electro-rock duo is working first full length album. In this issue’s Pu reveals more than just her demanding s Story By: Brielle Rutledge Designed By: Mackenzie Loete

ween guitarist, mpson, creates even the most or. After meetnning of 2015, g hard on their ulse 8, Simpson stage presence.

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What mistake did you learn from

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A PARTNER

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE SO

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WHATS YOUR FAV MOvIE

WHAT GOAL ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS

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The

EVENT Calendar MAY. - JULY 2015

MAY 08

GRiZ - ShowBox SodO

09

Unknown Moral Orchestra - Barboza

10

James Bay - Showbox at the Market

12

Cartel - El Corazon

19/20 Passion Pit - Showbox at the Market

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Wombats - The Crocodile

22

Lindset Stirling - Knitting Factory Concert House

22-24 Rain Fest 2015 - Neumos 22-26 Sasquatch! Music Festival - Gorge Amphitheatre

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Ethan Tucker - Showbox at the Market

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The Mountain Gots - Showbox at the Market

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Sufjan_Stevens_playing_banjo.jpg/640px-Sufjan_Stevens_playing_banjo.jpg

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June 02

Nico & Vinz - Neptune Theater

04

Neutral Milk Hotel - Paramount

04

Best Coast - Showbox at the Market

06

Rone - The Crocodile

09

Mandolin Orange - Tractor Tavern

10/11

Sufjan Stevens - Paramount Theater

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Purity Ring - Showbox SoDo

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A Tribe Called Red - Neumos

Event Calendar

JULY 18

Switchfoot - Marymoor Park

19

John Mellencamp- Benaroya Hall

19

Rush - Key Arena

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Barenaked Ladies & Violent Femmes - Marymoor Park

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Jon_Foreman_of_Switchfoot.jpg

Ellensburg First Fridays

First Friday Art-Walk 5p.m. - 7p.m. - Downtown Ellensburg

March 7

Fashion Night Out - Downtown Elmira Downtown Event Center

April 25

Downtown Cleanup 8a.m.-12p.m.

M ay 15-17

WAA National Art Show - Kittitas Valley Event Center

June 7

Classic Car Show - Downtown Ellensburg 10a.m.-3p.m.

JUNE 20

Dachshunds On Parade - Downtown Ellensburg

may 02 - oct

KC Farmer’s Market every Saturday - Downtown Ellensburg

Photo Courtesy of Laurel Fisher

Story By: Brielle Rutledge // Designed By: Laurel Fisher

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