April 30, 2018
VanCougar THE
First copy free
Vol. 28 Issue 15
New interim president p.5 Campus 5k run p.7 Campus safety p.9
THE SKINNY:
(5/1) Cougs in the Community: May Day
Flowers
12-5:00 p.m. at the Dengerick Administration Building 129. Help sort and deliver flowers to area Golden Grads! (5/5) Graduation Commencement
Congratulation graduates!
The ceremony takes place at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater in Ridgefield. For those that haven’t already, RSVP at http://bit.ly/ Gradwsuv (5/12) SHARE Homestead Meal Prep 4-7:00 p.m. at 4921 NE Hazel Dell Ave. Volunteer at this family shelter to help make dinner for the occupants. RSVP if you plan to show up.
Mission Statement: The VanCougar is a student-run newspaper serving the students, faculty and staff of WSU Vancouver. The VanCougar is available at distribution sites in the lobbies of most WSU Vancouver buildings The VanCougar may be viewed online at thevancougar.com Correction Policy: It is the policy of The VanCougar to correct errors. Please contact the editor via email at van.vancouged@wsu.edu On the Cover: The VanCougar’s Adeena Rose Wade captured a photo of campus on a sunny day. Corrections: In our April 16 story “Women honored at campus celebration” we incorrectly reported that award-winner Sujatha Shynne was a faculty member and professor. Shynne is not a faculty member or a professor. She is a graduate student at WSU Vancouver and an IT specialist on campus.
THE STUDENT PAPER IS HIRING!
REPORTERS, TEAM EDITOR, ADVERTISING MANAGER Visit Bit.ly/CougApp to apply. Applications open all summer, but apply early for priority consideration.
Contents
7
10
3
9
5
8
3 Cougs Saving Cougs Know the signs of suicide
5 Ian Muck appointed interim president
New election to be held in fall
7 Paws pound pavement 5k race supports cougar food pantry
8 Victorious VanCougs 9 Staying safe How to respond to emergencies
6 Letter to the editor
10 Table Tennis club bounces forward
VanCougar THE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Steven Cooper MANAGING-EDITOR Nick Freese LAYOUT EDITOR Marco Morales ADVISOR Raul Moreno
WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER July Canilao
ADVERTISING MANAGER Catherine Chaisson
TEAM EDITORS Bailley Simms Nikki Johnson
PHOTOGRAPHER Adeena Rose Wade REPORTERS Alejandra Barriere Ginger Clarke Alex Duffield Sofia Grande Henry Holloway Cameron Kast Katherine O’Boyle
3
Cougs Saving Cougs KNOW THE SIGNS OF SUICIDE Henry Holloway Reporter
On January 16, 2018 Washington State University quarterback Tyler Hilinski chose to take his own life at 21 years old. The news was a shock to his teammates, friends and family. He was a man with great potential for a bright future in both athletics and academics. Tyler Hilinski’s brother, Kelly Hilinski said at his younger brothers memorial that he had “spent the past weeks trying to comprehend what was truly incomprehensible.” The signs of depression and other mental illnesses can be nearly invisible to those who don’t know how to recognize them and can eventually manifest into tragic events such as this. In an effort to help students recognize such signs and symptoms, WSU Vancouver Counseling Services presented a Suicide Intervention and Prevention Seminar on Thursday, April 12th in accordance with Health Week. The seminar covered topics such as risk factors for suicide, how to recognize signs that someone might be suicidal and how to care for yourself when someone in your life is struggling with mental health issues or suicidal thoughts. The seminar began with some shocking statistics, presented by Thomas La Marr. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in Washington for persons aged 10 to 34, and third for ages 35 to 44. This is 10 percent higher than the national average. In fact, across campus counseling centers nationwide, suicidal thoughts are the fifth most common reason for visiting, with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety accounting for half of all visits. It is important to remember that everyone is at risk for suicidal thoughts and tendencies, regardless of previous mental health. However, certain groups are at higher risk than others. Although statistics have shown that females attempt suicide more often than males, men are four times more likely to succeed with their attempt. This is because of the differing methods used by the genders; men typically commit suicide with a fatal gunshot, whereas women typically attempt to overdose on various drugs. The success rate for overdose is 1.8 percent according to “Suicide and Attempted Suicide: Methods and Consequences”
Combat boots line the halls of WSU Tri-Cities to raise awareness of veteran suicide. (Maegan Murray/WSU Insider) https://news.wsu.edu/1-vet-suicide/
by Geo Stone, because drugs such as benzodiazepines induce a coma-like state for two to three days, while narcotics are vomited a short while after ingestion. Members of the LGBTQ community are three three times more likely to contemplate suicide, and five times more likely to make an attempt on their own lives. These attempts are often more severe and more likely to require medical attention. Perhaps the most oppressed and stigmatized of this group, transgendered people, have some of the most frequent suicide attempts, with 40 percent of the transgender population attempting suicide before the age of 25. Thomas La Marr, as well as co-presenter Lindsay Randall, at the seminar workshop highlighted the importance of remaining aware of the resources available, both for personal situations and the sake of loved ones. WSU Vancouver counseling services offers 15 free sessions to enrolled students. For general help, Cougar Care takes place every Thursday at 5:00 p.m. in Classroom Building, room 160. Cougar Care consists of group sessions which cover general topics to help with stress and mental health, such as practicing mindfulness and stress management techniques. The presenting counselors want everyone to know that counseling does help, even when it feels like all hope is lost. If someone you know is in distress, you may visit
www.aware.vancouver.wsu.edu to report your concern for the student’s wellbeing. If you fear someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Randall states that talking to someone who you believe is suicidal is always the right thing to do. While it is considered important to practice empathy and quality communication skills, saying something is better than saying nothing at all. A main point counselors Thomas La Marr and Lindsay Randall highlighted during the workshop was the fact that asking if someone is suicidal does not increase the likelihood that they will commit suicide. A study by the School of Medicine in King’s College, London found that there was no statistically significant increase of suicide after inquiring about suicidal thoughts. In fact, their findings suggest how
“acknowledging and talking about suicide may in fact reduce, rather than increase suicidal ideation, and may lead to improvements in mental health in treatmentseeking populations.” Although certain groups such as veterans and the LGBTQ community are less likely to seek treatment, one can be confident in knowing there is no harm in asking. Another important fact mentioned in the workshop focused on the idea that helping someone who struggles with mental health issues can weigh on a person’s own mental health. Self-care is incredibly important in times like these. Always remember that you cannot handle everything yourself; mental health care should be handled by trained professionals.
Warning signs • Assignments not being turned in, or turned in late • A change in frequency of absences from class • Disinterest, apathy and hopelessness • Disruptiveness in class (e.g., angry outbursts, acting out) • Excessive emotional content in discussing or writing class materials • Mention of suicide or homicide in the content of coursework • Significant decline or deficit in self-care behaviors (e.g., personal hygiene, extreme weight loss) • Noticeable changes in personality or behavior • Change in perception of reality • Significant paranoia regarding government, law enforcement, administration, etc.
Crises Lines: National: 1-800-273-8255 Crisis Text Line: 741741 LGBTQ: Trevor Project: 866-488-7386 TransLifeline: (877) 565-8860 Ayuda en Español: 1-888-628-9454 Veteran Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255
5
Ian Muck appointed interim president New election to be held in fall
New Interim President Ian Muck. (studentaffairs.vancouver.wsu.edu) Cameron Kast Reporter In a unanimous vote by the ASWSU Vancouver Senate, on April 26 Ian Muck was approved as the 2018 summer interim president. In his interview before Senate, Muck stated his goal was to give back to the school by creating a cohesive and diverse team to continue into next year. Before selecting Muck, current ASWSUV senators also interviewed two other candidates for the position: Catherine Townsel and Travis Toth. All three candidates were asked questions regarding previous experience with hiring boards, what they want to accomplish in this position and what mission and diversity would they bring to student government. Over the summer, the appointed interim president will do things like train next year’s Executive staff and prepare for the re-election in fall that will ultimately fill the presidential position for the 2018-2019 school year. Muck was hired in the wake of an invalidated election mired in controversy. In March of 2018, Vince Chavez and Davina Cepeda were elected by the student body to be the ASWSUV president and vice president. The other presidential ticket of Caroline Brenner and Zeke Estes filed complaints alleging incompetency by the Election Board and campaign violations by the Chavez/Cepeda campaign. The complaints were heard by the WSU-Pullman based ASWSU Judicial Board on April 5. The board subsequently issued a ruling on April 10 finding the Election Board had failed to fulfil their duties and declaring the presidential election invalid. The board also ruled that due to Cepeda temporarily serving on the Election Board in the first part of the school year, she was ineligible to run as a candidate in the election under ASWSUV bylaw 610.05. A subsequent remedy issued the following day directed student government to disband and form a new Election Board, hire an interim president for the summer and hold an election in the fall. While the WSU Vancouver Judicial Board would typically rule on election complaints, in this case the Judicial Board for WSU Pullman issued the ruling. When the complaints
were first filed, the Vancouver Judicial Board lacked one of the three justices necessary to hear complaints, so student government decided to have the Pullman rule on the case. The existing Vancouver justices also signed statements at the time relinquishing their right to hear the case. Those justices have now released statements challenging the constitutionality of Pullman’s ruling. On April 24, Chief Justice of the WSU Vancouver Judicial Board Colton Milam, released a memo expressing the Judicial Board’s opinion that Pullman’s Judicial Board did not have right under the ASWSUV Constitution to rule on the case. Milam acknowledged that members of Vancouver’s Judicial Board signed statements transferring the right to hear the case to Pullman, but says the constitution does not give them the ability to relinquish that right. Milam concluded, “So it is the opinion of this Judicial Board that we as representatives of ASWSUV should hear the case on our campus. And to avoid further mishandlings of all cases regarding our campus in the future.” Nikki Hinshaw, the assistant director of student involvement said that she can’t speak to the nuance involved in determining whether the decision to involve Pullman was constitutional, but the decision was made based on the campus’ needs at the time. A memo sent out by current ASWSUV president, Jose Scott, states: The ASWSU Vancouver Judicial Board relinquished their rights to rule over the set of cases generated by the ASWSUV Vancouver Election Board. It is my understanding they did so in favor of the ASWSU Pullman Judicial Board. This agreement was documented via email, and will be made available for your reference. After speaking with the ASWSU Vancouver Judicial Board, I now understand the intent of the memorandum [referenced above] was never to invalidate Pullman’s decision, but instead bring awareness to the decisions’ perceived constitutionality, or lack thereof.
Student activities advisor Brian Van Gundy said that the whole judicial process was emotionally taxing on the students involved, and he wants to encourage students whether or not they are involved in student government to tell him about their experience and offer suggestions on how to improve the process. The 2018-2019 ASWSUV president and vice president will be decided with a vote by the student body during the first 20 days of the fall semester. It is undeclared who will run. In a statement to The VanCougar Caroline Brenner and Zeke Estes said that they will not re-run for president and vice president in the fall. Brenner explained, “We are thankful for all that ASWSUV has given us over the years, but ultimately are taking the time to refocus on our academic goals, work towards opportunities better aligned with our careers, and are looking to implement and develop other student organizations on campus. As for Chavez, he said he plans on running next year. “I do have a running mate picked out, but their name will remain anonymous until candidate filling occurs to ensure that this is a decision they wish to take on,” he said. Applications for interim president were predicated on the condition that applicants do not plan on running in the fall election. However, Muck said he still wants to create an
executive team that will set the next president up for success. “It is crucial to remember that this, in no way is about selecting and building a team that I believe that would work well with myself, but instead about building a team that will work together in constructive and creative ways in order to be set up for a successful year,” Muck said. He concluded, “As your newly appointed Interim President, I look forward to working with the ASWSUV Student Government throughout the summer. I do not take this appointment lightly and will work tirelessly to ensure the future success of the ASWSUV Student Government.”
Memos Referenced ASWSUV Judicial Board Chief Justice: Colton Milam: http://bit.ly/Justiceboard ASWSUV President Jose Scott: http://bit.ly/ wsuvpres Contact Information ASWSUV Interim President Ian Muck: ian. muck@wsu.edu Student Activities Advisor Brian Van Gundy: brian.vangundy@wsu.edu Assistant Director of Student Involvement Nikki Hinshaw: nikki_hinshaw@wsu.edu
Letter to the editor Election deja vu
The loser of an ASWSUV election issued a judicial challenge to the outcome to get it thrown out? Am I back in 2013? The underlying problem doesn’t seem that different either: the issue didn’t suddenly crop up at the start of an election, so how did nobody bring it up until after? Cepeda’s position on the election board wasn’t a secret, you would think someone would have mentioned the potential conflict of interest and gotten a decisive ruling first thing. The elections board needs to be proactive about these things rather than leaving them for candidates to bring up after the election has already been tallied. The candidates should raise concerns when they discover them, rather than after the election has ended. Throwing out an election wasn’t a good look for the campus then and it isn’t now, especially not when we had to turn to Pullman for a decision. -Rob Schubert History, Class of ‘16
7
Paws pound pavement
5k race supports cougar food pantry
Ginger Clarke Reporter The morning of April 14, students, staff, and faculty showed up despite the cold and windy weather to run the “Paws for a Cause” 5k fun run. Student senator Bailley Simms organized the event to help fund and supply the Cougar Food Pantry, which supplies non-perishable food items to students who need a little extra help. The participants of the run had to pay an entry fee of either $2 or 2 non-perishable food items that went directly to the pantry. Most notable about the mid-morning event was WSUV student runner Mikkayla Wotton and her dog Bandit. Bandit also ran in the race with Wotton, but when told to sit, Bandit preferred crawling on the ground. Wotton said that at least it kept Bandit, a very friendly and social creature, from jumping up on people. Although there was no prize for the first person to complete the 5k that rainy morning, runner and WSUV IT Specialist Aaron Thorne was the first to make it back while insisting another runner was the real winner, but who had taken a wrong turn on the last leg of the 5k. Event organizers said they expected about 40 participants to show up, but actual participation seemed less than that. Volunteers chalked up the low attendance to the less than optimal weather. While the event did not raise a significant amount of resources for the food pantry, volunteers at the pantry say people can donate at any time. Some of the items the pantry is typically in need of are instant potatoes, canned meats, bags of rice, pasta sauces, and various types of snacks. Just as Senator Simms did, students and faculty are welcome to host their own food drives to help keep the Cougar Food Pantry well stocked. “We have to shop for food at least every other month just to keep the shelves stocked,” said Kim McDougall of the Coug Food Pantry committee, who supervised and managed the donations at the event. “We’ve just started taking donations for feminine hygiene products.” The Cougar Food Pantry also provides at least two fresh, warm meals a year, one of which is a hearty Thanksgiving meal. As these events involve fresh food items, the Cougar Food Pantry uses the monetary donations and funds delegated from Services and Activities fees to purchase supplies in bulk from Costco. People in need of Cougar Food Pantry’s services can fill out an anonymous online Food Pantry Request Form at https:// studentaffairs.vancouver.wsu.edu/food-pantry-request-form. Food bags will be available for pickup at any day from Monday to Friday, at noon or 4 p.m. at the Cougar Center or Cashier front desk on the upper floor of the Student Services Center. They only ask that food requests are kept to once a week to allow them to serve more people.
Mikkayla Wotton and her dog Bandit both participate in the run. ( Adeena Rose Wade/The VanCougar) Those interested in hosting a food drive or helping out the Coug Food Pantry in other ways can contact Kafiat Beckley at kafiat.beckly@wsu.edu.
Victorious VanCougs
Sofia Grande Reporter The VanCoug Leadership Awards were held in a decorated Firstenburg Student Commons April 19. The VLA’s were created to award students and student organizations who showed tremendous leadership throughout the year. The awards were presented for Community Advocate, Emerging Leader, Distinguished Student and Club of the Year. The Community Advocate award was created to honor those who contributed a significant amount to the community through advocacy, outreach, mentorship and time. This year’s award went to Maggie Handran, who was also awarded distinguished women of the year at an earlier event. Handran serves as an student ambassador for the campus, president of the Psychology club and co-president of the Cougar Pride Club. “In the end, I am trying to show that they have someone standing behind them and passing the power over to the others, so they can take charge,” Handran said. According to Handran, she empowered the student body by giving feedback, support, and tools to other students so they can commit actions. As the evening progressed, Travis Toth was awarded this year’s Emerging Leader. The Emerging Leader Award is given to a student who has contributed to student life within their first year of involvement. This can be achieved through teamwork, positivity, growth learning and integrity. Toth is the Director of Communications for the Associate Students of Washington State University Vancouver, and one of his notable accomplishments included live streaming the student government election debates. Students who have demonstrated leadership through collaboration, or have made an impact on campus were
Student leaders pose after the award ceremony. (Taylor Jones/WSU Vancouver)
awarded the distinguished leadership award, which went to both Holly Varner and Adriana Toth. Varner serves as a senator in ASWSUV, former president of the Cougar Pride club, Spanish club and vice president of the Veterans club. She has also been heavily involved in other aspects on campus such as planning LGBTQIA Conferences, Noche de Familia and Sexual Assault Awareness month. An anonymous nominator said, “[Varner] has helped empower me and others to understand that we are students first, human and that it is okay to make mistakes.” Adriana Toth serves as Lead Ambassador on campus, a member of the Enrollment Management Council, the Chancellor’s Students Advisory Board and a College Access coach. Toth is also involved in planning Noche de Familia and MOSAIC. “Working in a team setting, as a leader, I need to get to know my teammates,” Adriana Toth says. The History club was awarded Club of the Year. The award was created to recognize organizations that demonstrate active engagement in the community through innovation, inclusivity, collaboration, and outreach. The club hosted many events such as the Oregon Trail Game Night and a Trivia Social in order to bring inclusive events of student interest to campus.
The other nominees for awards included: Community advocate Laura Arellano Abigail Bambilla Jessica Barkley Ally Brusseau Vince Chavez Maggie Handran Navaraj Lamichhane Ian Muck Jacqueline Poole Megan Thomas Emerging leader Laura Arellano Abigail Bambilla Maggie Handran Jacqueline Poole Hedeeyeh Saberian Colten Sullivent Travis Toth Club of the year Cougar Pride Club Human Development Club
9
Crime Alert
Police cruiser on campus. (Adeena Rose Wade/The VanCougar)
Staying safe
How to respond to emergencies Katie O’Boyle Reporter
On April 11, a discussion on public safety led by Lieutenant Dave Stephenson, the Director of Public Safety, answered questions faculty had about WSUV safety. Public Safety is implementing a new system this year with the goal of helping students and faculty remember what to do in stressful situations. The new system focuses on alert, assess, and act. “Be alert to developing incidents, assess your situation, and act to ensure your own safety,” Stephenson said. When it comes to the act part of this statement, Stephenson reminded, “it will always look like run, hide or fight.” Stephenson encourages everyone to take care of their own safety first. One guest at the discussion asked, “How do you run when you don’t know where the shooter is?” Stephenson recommended, “It’s an of-the-moment judgement, try to listen and see if that is safe before running.” In a school shooting situation, the WSU Vancouver police officers have received special training on how to handle a situation like that on campus. They train with regional police on active shooter events. The police use the national training model to ensure that any cop responding to
On April 10, 2018 a crime alert issued on the Public Safety webpage reported that there was an indecent exposure involving a female victim and a middle aged man on the WSUV trails. The victim was heading to class when a white man turned around exposing and touching himself while watching her. The suspect was wearing a dark baseball hat, dark long sleeve shirt, dark blue pants, and light colored tennis shoes with dark laces. WSU Vancouver police searched the area but did not locate the suspect. Public Safety wants to let everyone know that there is no immediate threat or danger to the university community at this time. Stephenson told The VanCougar there may have been other incidents that were not reported to Public Safety, so they want anyone with additional information to contact their office.
such an event, knows all the same procedures, communication and techniques being used. Stephenson said, “Running is always best. If running isn’t possible, hide. All classrooms have locks and stay away from windows. Try to stay invisible.” He also suggested that if it appears like you’re going to have to fight off an attacker, try throwing things at them and aim at their WSU Vancouver police advise all head. “The new system works for all situations, not just active shooters,” students and faculty to remain alert when traveling to or from campus. Be Stephenson stated. aware of your surroundings, travel in When Stephenson asked the groups and use safe transportation. faculty of their safety concerns on Students can contact Public Safety campus, the conversation shifted for an escort at any time. Suspicious to a lack of realistic practices when activity can be reported at (360) drills are in place. Whenever the 546-9001 or by using a Blue Light campus performs a lockdown drill, emergency call box which goes Stephenson explained how professors directly to a 911 dispatcher. When should be stopping their lecture and reporting a crime, there are no “hours talking about what would happen of operation”—you can call at any in a real situation. The faculty at the time. For crimes ranging from sexual discussion said that they don’t know misconduct to suspicious behavior, too many professors on campus that reach out to Public Safety at any time. Pull out: Any questions regarding actually will walk through the drill with the students. Stephenson said incidents or questions about public something the WSU Vancouver safety contact Dave Stephenson at community can do to feel safer dstephenson@wsu.edu or visit him about the recent school shootings is in the Public Safety office in the practicing drills as if the emergency Classroom Building. was happening in real time.
Table Tennis club bounces forward Alejandra Barriere Reporter The anticipation of who would win or lose filled the air as students gathered for the tournament on April 16. Excitement filled the room as players formed alliances. The Table Tennis Club at WSU Vancouver was established last fall semester by Taylor Jones, an engineering major. According to the club members, their hopes were to have fun, and have a place to meet with their friends, but also to let some stress off on the table. The majority of the members are engineering majors, who believe the club has given them a relief from the tiring hours of homework. Players choose their opponent as coordinator Jimmy Huynh set up the tournament bracket. Eventually they started the game as onlookers gathered. The competitors appeared extremely focused and Vitaliy Kudrik set the pace by scoring the first score of the round. The other participants looked on and waited their turn, while some used the wait to finish homework. John Guerrero, a junior, talked about how the club started as an idea, but soon gained notoriety. He further explains the current members and their activity level.
“The club started with seven students, but now holds around twenty, and we are the biggest and most active club on campus right now,” Guerrero stated proudly. Meanwhile, another student member, Ethan Devine, stumbled upon the club by accident when other members were practicing and discovered that it was a major stress reliever. “Though it was not my intention to join, I now enjoy it quite a lot,” says Devine. “Ping pong helps me get my mind off tests, and books.” Club members said the main reason students joined the club is due to ability to socialize with friends after classes or because they are stressed about school and homework. Jimmy Huynh, a junior who has actively been a part of the club from the beginning, claimed it is a great way to stay focused. “This is the perfect recreational opportunity to have something to do in between classes,”says Huynh. “But for some people in the club, this gives them something to look forward to, and not get destroyed by exams.” If interested in attending a match, the Table Tennis Club meets every Monday for their weekly tournament from 2-5 p.m., as well as between classes to play with their friends.
Club Members compete in a tournament April 16. (Adeena Rose Wade/The VanCougar)
DON’T LET TECH CAUSE YOU TROUBLE Summer Hours IT HelpDesk @ VCLS 225 Monday-Friday | 8 am - 5 pm 360-546-9770 van.evita@wsu.edu
Library Computer Lab Monday-Thurs | 9 am - 8 pm Friday | 9 am - 5 pm Saturday-Sunday | 12-5 pm