N ov e m b e r , vo l . 3 0 i2019 s s u e1 4 November
Inside this issue: Native American Presence on Campus Gender-Neutral Bathrooms Holiday Food Insecurity Veterans Day
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r a g u o C Van TEAM November 2019
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Anna Nelson
WEB MANAGER Austin Cari
MANAGING EDITOR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Sarah Kaufman Brody Voge LAYOUT EDITOR REPORTER Henry Sissac Krysten Stewart COPY EDITOR REPORTER Katherine O’Boyle Brody Voge COPY EDITOR REPORTER Aaron Hellerstein Emily Baumann PHOTOGRAPHER ADVISER Sydnie Kobza Raul Moreno ADVERTISING MANAGER Pieter Conradie
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@thevancougar @thevancougar
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Mission
The VanCougar, a student-run newsmagazine, informs and engages the WSU Vancouver community while practicing the highest standards of timely, ethical journalism.
Corrections s r te the editor Letto The VanCougar welcomes letters and commentary from members of the WSU Vancouver community on current issues. Letters must include the author’s full name, contact information and WSU affiliation: year and major for students, department for faculty and staff, degree and year graduated for alumni. Send letters and commentary to van.vc.editor@wsu.edu. The VanCougar does not publish anonymous letters. Once received, letters become property of The VanCougar and are subject to editing for length, clarity and style.
The VanCougar is a source of honest, factual information. If you see an error, we want to address it. Please contact the editor-in-chief at van.vc.editor@wsu for corrections.
on the
Cover
Office of Student Involvement adviser and former WSU Vancouver student, Shain Wright, opens up to The VanCougar about gender-inclusivity on campus. Sydnie Kobza/The VanCougar
November 2019
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this Issue 4 Vancouver 6 WSU Prioritizes Real-
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Food Insecurity on Thanksgiving
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World Experience Gender-neutral bathrooms at WSU Vancouver Native American presence on campus
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Veterans Day: From Combat to Classroom
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Cougar Bites: Let's talk about pies
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November 2019 According to Chapman, food insecurity is common among college campuses, since the cost of tuition, fees, books and rent can put students in difficult financial situations.
Mariah Chapman, food pantry coordinator, wants students to know that the Cougar Food Pantry is a free resource.
(Sydnie Kobza/The VanCougar)
Food insecurity greater on campus during holidays WSU Vancouver and Clark College provide food pantries in support of hungry students. Katie O' Boyle| Copy Editor Holiday season is approaching quickly and food insecurity — something many college students face — is highlighted more than any other time of the year. Food insecurity, though, does not always mean hunger. WSU Vancouver professor of human development, Yoshie Sano, said food insecurity is when "families are, at times, uncertain of having or unable to acquire, enough food for all household members because they have insufficient money and other resources for food." To combat food insecurity Pantry was created as a WSU Vancouver students. coordinator, explained the
on campus, the Cougar Food free resource for all current Mariah Chapman, food pantry services the pantry provides.
“We provide non-perishable, healthy foods for all WSU students and their families,” Chapman said. “Our food pantry provides a variety of canned fruits, vegetables, soups, beans, grains and snacks. We are also mindful of providing vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.” The Cougar Food Pantry will be open during holiday breaks when the university is open. “We also provide two fresh food events during the holiday season and we have found that many students are very grateful during this time,” Chapman said. “The holidays can be a demanding time where family comes together and it is nice to have food to share with family members.”
“A few clues to food insecurity across campus may include skipping meals in between classes, snacking throughout the day instead of eating a full meal, experiencing fatigue in class or not performing well academically due to hunger or not having the right energy,” Chapman explained. Chapman said that college can be a difficult time, so the Cougar Food Pantry tries to address food insecurity and provide students and their families with groceries for the holiday week. According to Clark College’s Penguin Pantry coordinator, Estanica Cota, students on the Clark College campus have also been experiencing similar food insecurities. “So far, we have already had 1,100 more people than last year [come in] during the holidays for food,” Cota said. Clark College has a walk-in pantry for students to come in between classes. Students are allotted three snack items and one drink each day. “Students can also have six grocery items per week and we have a, 'take as you need' policy for toiletries,” Cota said. “I have noticed student food insecurity on campus and I think most people feel the need to help during the holidays, there is a heightened awareness during this time of year,” Cota said. For the holidays and the coming breaks, the Cougar Food Pantry has created "giving baskets" for WSU families on Nov. 4 and Nov. 5 and "winter baskets" on Dec. 16 and Dec.17. This event will be located in Firstenburg Student Commons.
Giving baskets for students in need.
(Sydnie Kobza/The VanCougar)
November 2019
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When you’re ready for a break from family, friends, and food, remember the Library is
open Thanksgiving Week!
Nov 23/24 S/S CLOSED Nov 25/26 M-Tu 9a-8p Nov 27 Wed 9a-5p Nov 28-29 Th-F CLOSED Nov 30 Sat 10a-7p Dec 1st Sun 10a-7p Extended Hours for Dead & Finals Week Nov 30 – Dec 12
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WSU Vancouver prioritizes real-world experience Many VanCougs experience community engagement with work from real clients. Brody Voge| Reporter
WSU Vancouver’s 2016-2021 strategic plan includes five goals. The fifth goal states, “establish and maintain mutually beneficial community outreach, research, financial and civic engagement partnerships.” This goal is meant to not only increase community engagement with the campus, but offer students real-world experience in the community while studying to help them find local career offers post-graduation.
“The students get some real-world experience, they get to interact with someone in the community that they may develop a relationship with and that may turn into an internship or potentially a job opportunity,” Berger said. Berger believes that this relationship is beneficial to both the student and the client. The client works with the students and in doing so, they get a direct look at the variety of talent on campus that may be their future employees.
In his environmental life and sustainability class, students have a choice between writing a paper or working within the community.
(Sydnie Kobza/The VanCougar)
Holly Slocum, a senior digital technology and culture major, has done a few client-based assignments while at WSU Vancouver. She explained that one of the reasons clients are so eager to allow students to take on projects is because of the preparation level students receive while enrolled at WSU Vancouver. “We really stand out against students who have just been focused on a degree, who have done nothing but textbook work and never actually worked with a client,” Slocum said.
This emphasis of hands on experience has led to many partnerships with WSU Vancouver and local companies that allow students to face real-world situations and tackle real-world problems. Clinical assistant professor Mike Berger focuses on creating opportunities for his students to build working relationships with outside clients.
Professor Mike Berger encourages students to get out into the community.
Holly Slocum, a DTC student, believes WSU Vancouver offers undergraduate students exclusive opportunities.
Slocum said that it is common for local organizations to hold off on recruitment-hiring until after that years’ graduating class has finished, anticipating that a recent graduate may fill the role they are looking for.
Students not only get community connections and experience in their field, but are also provided with valuable work students can add to their portfolio and may be implemented by clients.
Recent business administration and finance graduate, Shelby McGuffey, was a part of last year's Business Growth MAP project, — the senior project for business and administration majors.
(Sydnie Kobza/The VanCougar)
November 2019 McGuffey’s group worked with Slumberkins, a Vancouver-based company aimed at encouraging social and emotional skills for parents and children. According to WSU Vancouver’s press release, the team developed a “product line profitability model, a marketing budget solver and three executive dashboards.” McGuffey explained, after being placed with your team of WSU Vancouver business majors, you are then connected with a local business leader within the community who acts as a mentor throughout the project. “This mentor acts as a line of communication between the students and the local business they are consulting with, as well as a wealth of knowledge and experience for the students to draw from,” he said.
McGuffey said that this project helped him learn adaptability, think outside the educational structure and understand the importance of mentorship. Slocum, who works at an oncampus research lab, believes WSU Vancouver’s undergraduate students are given opportunities that normally only graduate students get. She recently collaborated with other students within her major and was able to get a book published on electronic literature. “The fact that undergraduates are doing academic research work that is getting published, those are opportunities that are not given to undergraduate students at many other institutions,” Slocum said. Real-world client work is the kind of experience Berger hopes more students can be a part of.
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“I think it really broadens their perspective,” Berger said. “I want students to be able to follow what is important to them.”
“The fact that undergraduates are doing academic research work that is getting published, those are opportunities that are not given to undergraduate students at many other institutions.” — Holly Slocum
Team Slumberkins, from business administration students' MAP Project. (from left). Mike Pawlowski (mentor), Kamyar Abtin, Kelly Oriard (client), Shelby McGuffey, Callie Christensen (client), Sarah Moe, Molly Bartley, Shannon Leininger, Jerry Petrick (mentor). (Taylor Jones/WSU Vancouver)
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November 2019
How is WSU Vancouver accommodating the non-binary community?
Emily Baumann| Reporter
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n reflection of Nov. 20, Transgender Day of Remembrance, advocates and members of the LGBTQ+ community question whether or not WSU Vancouver provides enough safe spaces for the transgender and non-binary community on campus. According to WSU Vancouver’s website, the campus has three single-stalled, gender-inclusive bathrooms on campus. These can be found on the first floor of the Physical Plant Building, the ground floor of the Undergraduate Building and the second floor of the McClaskey Building. Psychology professor her thoughts on the on campus and what who are a part of
“To feel like you have to go somewhere where you aren’t comfortable. You don’t feel safe. There’s a lot of negative consequences to that.” — Kimber Saville
Kimber Saville, explained lack of inclusive bathrooms it means for some students the LGBTQ+ community.
Sign located outside a genderneutral restroom. (Sydnie Kobza/The VanCougar)
“That’s a huge concern. Especially because I have a lot of students who are transgender and non-binary and I see them and can’t imagine being on campus all day not having a safe space to use the restroom,” Saville said. “To feel like you have to go somewhere where you aren’t comfortable or don’t feel safe. There’s a lot of negative consequences to that.” Saville explained high anxiety and depression can occur within transgender and non-binary individuals, especially when they are misidentified and feel unsafe within their own community. Office of Student Involvement adviser and former WSU Vancouver student, Shain Wright, who uses they/them pronouns, started their own club, the Gender-Inclusivity Committee, in 2016. “I remember, as a student, talking to other students who would say they literally scheduled their classroom choices around what bathrooms they could access. So, they wouldn’t put classes back to back because then they wouldn’t be able to go to the bathroom across campus,” Wright said. “When people are scheduling their classes around when they can access the bathroom, I think that’s a pretty big deal.”
Kimber Saville talks about the limited access to inclusive bathrooms is a campus issue that should be addressed. (Emily Baumann/The VanCougar)
When asked how WSU Vancouver could be more accommodating to non-binary and transgender students, Wright said student activism could be the change the campus needs.
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“When people are scheduling their classes around when they can access the bathroom, I think that’s a pretty big deal.” -Shain Wright
“I’m sure there are some things we could do better and I am sure there are things we’re doing well that aren’t being highlighted,” Wright said. “A lot of things come out of student activism, so what are students passionate about?” Wright said, when students express their passion about issues requiring activism on campus, they have support within the community. They said the club would have an event called GenderNeutral Bathroom Week, where the club would pick a bathroom in each building and turn it into a genderneutral bathroom for that week. The last Gender-Neutral Bathroom week at WSU Vancouver was held in April 2017. Although three gender-inclusive bathrooms may not be enough to accommodate all transgender and nonbinary students on campus, Saville and Wright both suggest to start change by addressing these issues and creating conversations about inclusivity and advocacy.
Shain Wright encourages students to be activists on campus about things they are passionate about. (Sydnie Kobza/The VanCougar)
A
Annex
G
B
Clark College Building (VCCW)
Firstenburg Student CommonsL (VFSC)
C
Classroom Building (VCLS)
H
Library Building (VLIB)
D
Dengerink Administration Building (VDEN)
I
Cafeteria
E F
Engineering & Computer Science Building (VECS)
J
M
McClaskey Building (VMCB)
Child Development Program
Multimedia Classroom Building (VMMC)
K Physical Plant Building (VPP) Facilities Operations Building (VFO) Parking Services
N
Science & Engineering Building (VSCI) Student Services Center (VSSC)
Admissions, Bookstore, Financial Aid, Visitor’s Center
Undergraduate Building (VUB)
There are currently three gender-inclusive restrooms on the WSU Vancouver campus. They are located on the first floor of the Physical Plant Building, the ground floor of the Undergraduate Building and the second floor of the McClaskey Building. (Sydnie Kobza/The VanCougar)
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Erasing the past: Native American history on campus When walkers and joggers stroll through WSU Vancouver’s rolling 351 acres, there is no significant indication that the university was built on land once belonging to the Cowlitz Tribe. This land has a lengthy and rich Native American history, but those with knowledge of this history know that many students and community members are unaware.
Erasing Native Americans' cultural heritage and presence has been a long-forming issue many southwest Washington universities and tribes are grappling with and according to historians, members of the Native American community and other campus advocates, WSU Vancouver is no exception. Campus Director of Native American Affairs and history professor Steven Fountain said, he fears many people are unaware of how Native American history has shaped the land and the local area. “I don’t believe many people realize, but there was a native fishing village on our campus down near the barn, at the mouth of Mill Creek,” Fountain said. “There has been a native presence on campus because of the salmon in those streams, for thousands of years.” Fountain explained that on the first day of classes he takes students outside to recognize the indigenous presence. He said the presence is difficult to see through the layers of the university and the dairy farm that resided before it. “Unless we highlight that connection, we’re cutting ourselves off from the past,” Fountain said. Fountain’s role is to, “represent different organizations, and tribes, and individuals that advise on a whole series of things they would like to see change in the university.”
Krysten Stewart| Reporter
According to Fountain, “there’s an elder who says regularly that you could not have done a better job of erasing native people from this campus if you had tried.” Roben White, a descendant of the Lakota and Cheyenne Tribes and member of the Native American community advisory board said, “I won’t give the university a good-grade on their inclusion of Native Americans. If you walk around campus, it’s a beautiful location, but it’s sterile. There’s no nod or significance [given] to the indigenous peoples’ heritage.” White added that the mountains surrounding WSU Vancouver each have native names, but remarks that there is “nothing that indicates that our people were here. There’s no art, no signage, no cultural aspect, and I think that’s sad.” In hopes of increasing visibility on campus and within the community for the Native American people, concerned members of faculty and tribal leaders are making strides to change the future. One professor worked to expand WSU Vancouver’s library collection to include more Native American literature. Other faculty members are also collaborating with tribe members to ensure that the university curriculum includes local history of the indigenous people. Additionally, White and the Native American Community Advisory Board presented the university with the idea of establishing an elder in residence and building a longhouse, a traditional Native American dwelling, on campus to serve as a cultural landmark and a place where Native Americans can gather.
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The Native American Community Advisory Board would like to secure the funds, somewhere around 9 million dollars, to begin that process. The final approval now “rests on the chancellor’s table,” White said. WSU Vancouver Chancellor, Mel Netzhammer commented, “The longhouse is a potential project on that space [northside of campus], as is a community retreat or other yet-to-be-defined projects that would create a ‘village’ on the north-side of campus. While the longhouse would be a great project, there is no timeline associated with that part of the master plan.”
I’m not going to shame you for not knowing, I would shame you for your apathy. You’re powerful and significant. Your voice really does make a difference.” White wants people, students and members of the WSU Vancouver community to remember, “we’re not dead, we’re still here. We’re all around you and we have significance in your community.”
According to White, much of what has been done on campus for the indigenous population has not been done through the university, but mostly by individuals. Walking across campus, White can point out the empty spaces where he would like to see some indigenous art and perhaps some plaques and signage giving an ode to the Native American roots. “Without that history, it’s a disservice to all other cultures,” White said. “When your education system is built on lies, it’s a faulty system, it’s a bad system and it’s one that’s not going to work because of those intrinsic truths not being evident.” Addressing students, White said, “don’t be afraid of what you don’t know. You weren’t supposed to know. Institutions made it so you don’t know.
Roben White, a descendant of the Lakota and Cheyenne Tribes and member of the Native American community advisory board, works for the welfare of indigenous people. (Sydnie Kobza/The VanCougar)
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November 2019
Veterans on Campus
Flags surround the Quad of WSU Vancouver in honor of Veterans Day (2018).
Laura Dutelle/WSU Vancouver
Veterans Day: From combat to classroom Krysten Stewart| Reporter
After five years in the U.S. Army, Fernando Horner made the difficult transition from soldier to scholar. Horner was based out of Fort Lewis, Washington and spent his military career as an Intelligence Analyst. Horner was deployed to Mosul, Iraq in 2004 and was a recipient of the Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge as well as Golden Spurs, an award reserved for being a part of the cavalry or being heavily involved in combat. Upon retirement, Horner had reached the rank of Sergeant. After retiring from the service, Horner entered the construction business. But, having sustained combat related injuries, he knew it was not something his body could withstand long-term. “When I got out of the Army, I had to make a choice for myself,” Homer said. “Would I stay in the construction business until I retired, or should I go back to school and pursue another field in the area of IT? I chose to return to school.”
According to Horner, it was a difficult decision, “As a firstgeneration student, it was hard to transition from the army to going to college. I couldn’t ask my family for their opinion or help because none of them have gone through college before.” A husband and father of two boys, Horner acknowledged the challenges of juggling school and family. “Balancing life between family and school has been extremely difficult since both my wife and I have been full-time students throughout this journey,” he explained.“We have had no help taking care of the children. We have had to pass them back and forth from one another. We were able to do this because we set up opposite schedules for nearly four years.” Horner attributes his success to his wife’s support and guidance, as well as the WSU Vancouver’s Veterans Center.
WSU Vancouver’s Veterans Center is located in the Classroom Building, room 212. The space is often full of veterans studying, watching TV or utilizing many of the other resources available in the center, including computers, free printing, refrigerator, microwave and free coffee. Also located on campus is Veterans Affairs. The Veterans Coordinator can assist veterans with any VA educational benefits questions and offers dropin hours five days a week. The WSU Vancouver VA website says, “WSU Vancouver is a Veteran Supportive Campus, as designated by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. We will help you transition to the classroom.” The office is located upstairs in the Student Services Center, room 113.
“WSU Vancouver has helped me to understand how it is more than important to take time for myself and find a good balance between my life and school,” Horner said. “In essence, it has been training me to return back to the workforce.” Horner is majoring in management information systems with a sales certificate and video game design certificate because he wanted to pursue an education that aligned with his military experience. Horner hopes to work for a tech firm. He graduates this December.
November 2019
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COUGAR BITES 14
November 2019
Let's Talk About Pies Emily Baumann| Reporter
Pumpkin Pie Emily
Sarah Kaufman | Managing Editor
It’s hard to go through the fall season without enjoying a delicious (and clearly superior) slice of pumpkin pie. In fact, the fall season is defined by enjoying everything pumpkin spiced through Thanksgiving. Pumpkin pie offers a nice spice, smooth texture and a burst of flavor in your mouth. Although pumpkin pie is great alone, adding a dollop or two of whip cream will enhance the experience of the delectable fall desert. Apple pie brings a lot of crust to its dish, making the pie bland and lacking in flavor because the crust overshadows its apple counterpart. However, pumpkin pie adds a perfect mix of both gooey pumpkin flavor and flaky crust. Regular apple pie is forgettable, it has no texture and who wants to eat soggy fruit for dessert? There’s a reason why everyone is obsessed with the pumpkin spice phenomenon that rules both coffee shops and candles during fall. It’s because everything pumpkin flavored is tasty. The only way to get into the zone of that warm and fuzzy fall feeling is to stuff your face with a nice slice of pumpkin pie that you’ve been anticipating all season long.
Apple Pie Sarah Apple pie is like a sweet, warm, wonderful hug on a cold fall day. It’s the perfect blend of a fruity, gooey inside and a flakey, delicious outside. It is, hands down, the superior Thanksgiving pie. That is not to say pumpkin pie has no place on the dessert table. In fact, it is there to highlight the greatness of apple pie — there is no great without the mediocre, afterall. Pumpkin pie has a fatal flaw to its creation: the crust is not tasty and is therefore a waste. It crumbles, is dry and doesn’t compliment the pumpkin flavor at all. Apple pie however, has both a tasty filling and crust that work together to create a complete, flavorful bite. Apple pie pairs perfectly with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream. This complex combination creates an even sweeter treat that plays on the balance of hot and cold mixed into one delectable bite.
Whether you are on the side of apple or pumpkin, either dish will serve you and your family well this fall. So, don’t forget to pass a slice to the ones you love most and have a great Thanksgiving meal. Which pie do you prefer? Settle the debate by telling The VanCougar which pie you believe to be superior.
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m a r k yo u r c a l e n da r . . . mon.
Food Pantry: Giving Baskets 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. VFSC 101
tues.
Food Pantry: Giving Baskets 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. VFSC 101
wed.
Documentary Showing: Artifishal 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. VFSC 101/103/105 __ A-Z of Paying for College 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. VDEN 110 __
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Diwali 3 p.m.- 6p.m. FSC 101 thurs.
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Veterans Day Celebration 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. VFSC 101/103/105 __ Native American Affairs Fall Series: Boarding Schools Healing 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. VDEN 110/129/130
mon. VETERANS DAY
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CAMPUS CLOSED
tues. Fall Photo Showcase 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. VFSC 101/103
thurs. Cultural Arts & Equity Hip-Hop Series: Michael Tun'cap 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. VDEN 110/129/130
tues. Clark vs WSUV Basketball 7 p.m. Pleasant Valley Middle School
19 20 21 22 24 25 27 28 29
wed. Cougar Food Pantry Resource Fair 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. VFSC 101/103/105
thurs. Wellness Exams 8 p.m. Student Wellness Center VCLS 160
fri. Professional Sales Competition 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. VFSC 101/103/105
sun. Clark vs WSUV Turkey Soccer Bowl 8 p.m. Salmon Creek Indoor Arena
mon. THANKSGIVING BREAK Mon 25th-Wed 27th UNIVERSITY OPEN wed.
THANKSGIVING BREAK Mon 25th-Wed 27th UNIVERSITY OPEN
thurs. THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY UNIVERSITY CLOSED
fri. NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE DAY UNIVERSITY CLOSED
Next issue of the vancougar on stands Dec. 2 Flags surround the Quad of WSU Vancouver in honor of Veterans Day (2018).
Laura Dutelle/WSU Vancouver
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November 2019