The VanCougar Volume 33 Issue 3

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Olivia Eldredge

MANAGING EDITOR Gracie Newberry

EDITOR Sawyer Tuttle

EDITOR Bethanie Collette

LAYOUT EDITOR Alexis Schole

WEB MANAGER Jessica Unruh

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Sorya Baxter

Josalyn Ortiz

Jagger Norris REPORTER Norman Helgason

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. The VanCougar does not publish anonymous letters. Send letters and commentary to van.vc.editor@wsu.edu. Once received, letters become property of The VanCougar and are subject to editing for length, clarity and style

The VanCougar, a student-run newsmagazine, informs and engages the WSU Vancouver community while practicing the highest standards of timely, ethical journalism.

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.edu for corrections.

Avantika Bawa, WSU Vancouver fine arts professor, presents her latest architectural installation titled “Charged Voids.” (Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar)

While Artificial Intelligence-generated art proves to be a contentious topic in philosophical debates, WSU Vancouver DTC and computer science professors wrestle with the big question: what makes something art?

Norman Helgason | Reporter

The capabilities of artificial intelligence continue to progress through online text-to-image programs such as DALL-E, Dee pAI and Stable Diffusion; alongside artists, digital designers and photographers who are working in a world where computers have the potential to make elaborate artwork with the press of a button. Professors at WSU Vancouver in the DTC and comput er science departments weigh in on this topic, and share their opinions about AI-generated art.

Christopher Dreger, a DTC professor, sees AI as a new tool available to artists, rather than as a threat to art itself. Programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop provide shortcuts for artists that are not unlike the shortcuts provided by AI-gener ated art, according to Dreger. He also believes AI-generated art will not mark the end of artistic creativity and will instead in spire artists to try different things.

“People are saying ‘well, that’s not art’ because a person didn’t create it and that gets into the whole debate of ‘what is art?’ I don’t think the question should be ‘is it art?’ Is it something that you enjoy or that you can use in some way? Is it a good pic ture? A useful picture? An informative picture? An aesthetically pleasing picture? Those are the questions that should be asked as opposed to whether it’s art or not. … People have said this about the camera when it first came out, they said ‘well, that’s the end of painting.’ Painting decided to take on a different ap proach,” Dreger said.

Scott Wallace, an associate computer science professor, holds a doctorate in artificial intelligence. Wallace does not think that praising AI-generated art marks the death of physical art. In stead, he says AI-generated art requires people to rethink what it means to be an artist.

After studying and teaching AI for years, Wallace anticipates that the effects of automation will depend on how future gen erations decide to utilize it.

“I think there are definitely existential questions in the idea that ‘oh, computers are suddenly generating artwork and it’s winning prizes.’ But I don’t think asking those questions mean that art is dead or that it’s gonna die in the future or that it’s meaningless. I think maybe it just means we have more ques tions to ask about what it really means to be an artist. … How can we use it to help make the Earth a better place for all people? Can we improve the quality of life across the world and not just for humans? … As a society, we need to ask those questions and we need to think about the impacts of automa tion in our society at large,” Wallace said.

Will Luers, a DTC professor, encourages WSU Vancouver students to try using AI programs not as a shortcut but as a tool of expression. Luers says the advancement of AI will also generally prove helpful in daily life by significantly speeding up tasks, while benefiting people in all areas of life, including business, research, healthcare and transportation. Overall, he concludes that AI is unlikely to take art in a negative direction.

“I think AI tools will be very useful for artists and good for culture in general. A lot of image software, like Adobe Photo shop, uses AI. But just the automated effects without human creativity wears off very quickly. We are just getting started with this technology. Any art ‘created’ by an AI will have a certain amount of novelty now, but next week some other innovation will come along. Ultimately, I think humans will be most interested in how other humans creatively collaborate with AI tools. … Let the coming AI enhance your own skills, creativity and learning. Don’t let AI get in the way of those things,” Luers said.

is

WSU VANCOUVER

TO PROVIDE HEALTH SERVICES ON CAMPUS

Sawyer Tuttle | Copy Editor

WSU Vancouver’s health services program failed to re-establish a contract with their previous healthcare provider, Vancouver Clinic, leaving students without care options after closing on July 31. Students pay for this resource with their tuition, raising the question: when will these health services be re-established on campus?

Health Services was formed to provide basic healthcare to students at little to no out-of-pocket cost. In 2017, the Student Wellness Center partnered with Vancouver Clinic to achieve this goal.

Patience McGinnis, a licensed psychologist and director of the Student Wellness Center, said that through this program, students were able to receive health care from a nurse practitioner on campus Mondays and Thursdays. Some of the services offered included wellness exams, immunizations, treatment for chronic and acute conditions, sexually transmitted infection testing, smoking cessation and nutritional counseling.

According to McGinnis, Health Services saw peak student usage during the 2019-2020 academic year, with 121 individuals utilizing the services provided. McGinnis said Health Services saw a drop in appointments due to COVID-19 — with 89 individuals seeking care during the 2021 to 2022 academic year. However, she also said these numbers were steadily increasing prior to their separation with Vancouver Clinic.

McGinnis said the most utilized resources included prescription services, immunizations and wellness exams. However, without a nurse practitioner on campus, these services remain inaccessible to students.

“We are in the process of re-establishing and hope and anticipate to resume in November. It will be likely with a different agency, but we would be able to provide all of the same services as before,” McGinnis said.

Despite offering the same services, McGinnis anticipates some turbulence as they become established with a new provider. She said that once Health Services is fully operational, students can provide feedback via focus groups, satisfaction surveys or one-on-one meetings.

“Now that we’re potentially going to have this different vendor, a new relationship, it’s going to take some time to figure out really what’s working and what’s not working and make some adjustments,” McGinnis said.

According to McGinnis, Health Services is funded through the Services and Activities Fees portion of student tuition. Undergraduate and graduate students taking over 10 credits paid $279.50 each this semester for Services and Activities Fee.

Sara Rauch, director of business services at WSU Vancouver, said that groups on campus similar to Health Services are allocated funds from this fee every year. According to Rauch, Health Services was allocated $148,482 for this fiscal year. According to the Service and Activities Fees website, this is an increase from last year’s allocation of $140,037, which made up 6.4% of the Services and Activities Fee fund.

“If there are unspent funds at the end of the fiscal year, those are collected back and returned to the central account; there, we hold those funds to be redeployed in the next year,” Rauch said.

McGinnis said that about 80% of the funds that Health Services receives goes to the partnership with a healthcare provider.

Additionally, in email correspondence with The VanCougar, Kelly Love, media representative for Vancouver Clinic, said the primary reason behind the termination of the contract relates to WSU Vancouver utilizing a FERPA-based system while Vancouver Clinic uses a HIPAA system.

“Both WSU Vancouver and Vancouver Clinic have been trying to navigate through a compliance issue. Conversations have been ongoing,” Love said.

“Now that we’re potentially going to have this different vendor, a new relationship, it’s going to take some time to figure out really what’s working and what’s not working and make some adjustments.”–

While in between providers, Health Services has put on a few health service events this semester, including STI testing, COVID-19 vaccination clinics and healthcare education events. Upcoming services include a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Oct. 6 and STI testing with the Cascades AIDS project on Oct. 12.

“We’re trying to do as much as we can in the meantime, until we can get that health care re-established,” McGinnis said.

On The Quad:

Norman Helgason | Reporter

Students voice their thoughts on Biden’s debt relief plan

On Aug. 24, President Joe Biden announced his student debt forgiveness plan, which relieves $10,000 of aid from eligible federal student loan borrowers and up to $20,000 for those who have received a Pell Grant. On Sept. 7, The VanCougar asked WSU Vancouver students their opinions on the relief plan.

Kolton Reimann. (Josalyn Ortiz/The VanCougar)

Sean Juego

Junior DTC major:

Kolton Avery Huver

Freshman computer science major:

“For me it’s great because I have about $10,000 in student loans. It’s helping me balance the cost of living that’s gone up so much. I can see why people don’t like it, especially if they didn’t go to college or take out loans. I think it’s for sure a band-aid solution because the real problem is that the cost of college has gone up so much. I feel like the main problem is the cost of admission.”

Junior education major:

“It’s good for people who took out loans, but as someone who’s been working full time and paying out of pocket for everything, I feel slightly upset about it because if I had known that it was going to be relieved and paid off, I would have taken out some loans and not paid fully out of pocket for it. I think that the money should be going towards teachers instead of being spent on loans that people have said they’ll pay back.”

“I think that there’s definitely two sides of the court. I have friends who have debt and they’re like ‘oh this is amazing,’ but then I have friends who have fully paid it off and they’re like ‘why do I have to pay it off, this didn’t come out fast enough,’ so there’s two sides to the argument. I’ve been blessed to have a job that pays it off, so I don’t have to deal with student debt, but I know that I’m a very small percentage and most people don’t fall into that boat. I’m in agreement that school pricing and tuition is too high, and I think we need a long-term solution.”

Reimann Normondo

Sophomore marketing major:

“I think it’s going to be beneficial for people who have amounted student debt. Still, it would be bad luck if you paid off all your student loans and it turns out they were going to pay off all the debt for you. Depending on how the plan affects specific groups of people, maybe they’ll find another way to help students.”

Sophia Parrish

Junior education major:

“I paid out of pocket for my tuition so it’s kind of hard to imagine taking out a loan and having it paid off immediately. There’s a lot I don’t know about the plan like what’s paying for it. I don’t know if it’s the government, taxpayers, or anything like that. It’s just kind of a weird concept to me.”

Alek Pasko

Junior education major:

“I have mixed feelings about it. I might benefit from it, but it doesn’t mean I think it’s the best idea. We took these loans willingly, and when we took them on, we said we were going to pay them back. I don’t think it’s responsible for us to just get them written off and then have other people pay for it.”

Alek Pasko (left), Avery Huver (middle) and Sophia Parrish (right). (Josalyn Ortiz/The VanCougar)

Normando Quinones-Duarte. (Josalyn Ortiz/The VanCougar)

explores color and modularity in ‘Charged Voids’ installation

Fine arts professor Avantika Bawa brings new life to the North View Gallery at Portland Community College Sylvania with “Charged Voids,” an installation showcasing vibrant scaffolds that encourage viewers to move through the space in creative ways.

Bethanie Collette | Copy Editor

WSU Vancouver professor of fine arts Avantika Bawa’s latest installation, “Charged Voids,” is an immersive display of color, modularity and structure that functions as an interactive exhibit, inviting viewers to engage with its space by climbing, crawling and otherwise physically connecting with the installation.

“Charged Voids” is located in one of Portland Community College Sylvania’s original 1968 brutalist buildings, exemplified by sprawling concrete walkways and simplistic designs. What she calls her “cheeky response to brutalism,” Bawa infuses the gallery with a sense of playfulness through her use of bright magenta, teal, blue and neon green.

“I wanted there to be a burst of color to make this space more energized and welcoming,” Bawa said. “I take a scaffold, and then the question is: how can I change the work by changing the arrangement of the scaffold, the color of the scaffold, and the scale of the scaffold, in response to where I’m placing it?”

Other focal points of Bawa’s scaffolding series are movement and the human form. Bawa encourages viewers to explore the installation by scaling across the scaffolds or lying underneath them.

“With an installation, you’re supposed to walk around it, and when people start climbing through it, for me, that is a testimony of its success or the fact that it’s doing something. That embraces your sense of tactility and your desire to do something kinesthetic,” Bawa said.

Christine Weber, director of the North View Gallery, reflects on the interactive experience of this installation in an essay titled, “Charged Voids,” written for the 2022 North View Gallery brochure.

View of “Charged Voids,” neon green and magenta scaffolding. (Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar)

“I wanted there to be a burst of color to make this space more energized and welcoming.”

Avantika Bawa

Professor Avantika Bawa poses in front of her installation titled "Charged Voids."

Eldredge/The VanCougar)

Related Programming:

Artist Talk: Thursday, Oct. 13, 1 – 2 p.m.

Gridy:

Prints on Paper – Intervention by artist Noah Matteucci: Oct. 8 – 22

Re-framing Brutalism: Panel conversation with Grace Kook-Anderson, Brian Libby, and Julianne Sandlin: Saturday, Oct. 22, 1 – 2 p.m.

Closing Reception and performative sound installation by Jesse Mejía: Thursday, Oct. 27, 6 p.m.

Magenta and neon green scaffolding structures. (Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar)

“Bawa exposes in the function form of the scaffold, a form that allows humans to reach new heights, that makes back-breaking labor possible and that can frame and re-frame spaces,” Weber said.

The installation lives within the realm of brutalist architec ture, so whilst thinking of a name for her exhibit, Bawa settled on “Charged Voids” in reference to how onlookers infuse their energy into the empty structural spaces as they walk through the gallery by “charging the voids.”

“Charged voids is a term that was used to describe the open spaces outside interiors, the open hallways of brutalist build ings,” Bawa said. “When I brought the scaffolds to the space and we were walking around, I knew with this installation, I wanted the scaffolds to potentially seep outside into that open walk way space. That’s something that the gallery has never done before.”

The asymmetric bars fill the gallery with a dynamic rhythm that spills out onto the building’s exterior patio. Whether view ers choose to meditate, write poetry or test the integrity of the scaffolds, the openness of the space invites the spectator to build an experience of their own.

“I’m playful, which people engaging will witness at some point. I’m like, ‘have I just made a glorified designer jungle gym?’ Maybe I have, and so be it,” Bawa said.

PCC Sylvania faculty member Myra Day recalls spending eight hours a day hand painting the teal and green scaffolds that line the west wall. Day described this piece as an ethereal structure that prompts curious spectators to reflect on the in stallation’s meaning.

“It’s interesting to see people react to it in a way that’s like, ‘This is the scaffolding, when is the piece going up?’” Day said.

Noah Matteucci, a fine arts technician at WSU Vancouver, is working in collaboration with Bawa to integrate his own instal lation, “Gridy: Prints on Paper,” into “Charged Voids.” Running from Oct. 8 to Oct. 22, Matteucci’s addition uses CMYK codes, a method of color coding used for printed materials, to create relief prints in response to the scaffolds.

“He’s charging up the space in another way. He uses waffle plate, then he places all these wooden blocks on them, and that’s how he makes them. He broke down the CMYK codes [of the scaffolds] and recreated them by hand. Each block is hand-printed,” Bawa said.

“Charged Voids” is open until Oct. 28, and features several artist talks, installations and discussion panels. All events are free and open to the public. The North View Gallery is locat ed at 1200 SW 49th Avenue in Portland, and is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors gathering in the PCC North View Gallery to see Bawa’s latest installation. (Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar)

CAROL SIEGEL and her transformative legacy

Professor Carol Siegel shares her experience teaching at WSU Vancouver for over three decades. (Josalyn Ortiz/The VanCougar)

Sawyer Tuttle | Copy Editor

Carol Siegel, English professor, writer and beloved member of the community, is retiring at the end of this school year after working on campus for 32 years. Siegel was one of the first professors hired at the university in 1990 and became instrumental in the early development of WSU Vancouver as an institution.

According to Siegel, she not only taught and advised students but was part of the campus’ original land, building, art and break selection committees — while integrally involved in the hiring process of the entire original humanities department, IT department, library and Writing Center.

“For a long time, I would just say to the students, ‘if there’s something you don’t like about this campus, just blame me, because I picked out everything,’” Siegel said.

Siegel has taught many classes over her years at WSU Vancouver, including nearly 100 independent studies, spanning a wide variety of topics and exploring many facets of literature, film and women and gender studies. She said her favorite classes she taught include several independent studies on her favorite author, Toni Morrison, and a class she created called “Special Topics in Asian American Literature: Literature and Culture of Hawaii.”

Outside of teaching, Siegel has written many books, including “New Millennial Sexstyles,” “Goth’s Dark Empire” and “Sex Radical Cinema.” Although her main research focuses on gender and sexuality studies, she said she has always had an eye for closely examining the books, films and topics that she enjoys.

“Sometimes the research, especially with the youth cultures, was so much fun. In the ‘90s I went out to hear bands a minimum of twice a week … I’d come to school and I’d be so exhausted because I had been out listening to music and dancing until like two in the morning,” Siegel said. “Afterwards, when I was waiting for the bus, there’d be all these young people around and I would take out my interview forms and start interviewing people.”

However, after working for the university for over three decades, one problem the professor vocalized is the absence of a pension plan and having a no set minimum salary. She said that when she stepped back from her committee involvement to dedicate more time toward teaching, writing and keynote speaking, she faced a pay discrepancy. For years, Siegel has remained the lowest-paid full professor at the university; according to the Washington State Employee Salaries page, her professor salary was $97,000 in 2021.

“This is the kind of thing that when I think about retiring and get depressed and want to cry because I’ll miss the students. … I think about how poorly I’ve been paid all these years because my priorities were to write things that to me, at least, matter politically, and to teach the students, and I feel like I’ve been punished for that financially,” Siegel said.

Siegel said she can see a lot of herself in many of the students at WSU Vancouver. Like them, Siegel worked multiple jobs alongside going to college. Throughout her doctoral program at the University of California, Berkeley, she was a cook and kitchen manager. Working throughout college taught her valuable financial lessons and she empathizes with students who have similar experiences.

“When I got here, I knew this was where I wanted to be, because so many of the students were like me. When I started, almost all of the students were returning women … they all worked outside of school, they are so highly motivated,” Siegel said. “I absolutely love the students here. It’ll be so hard for me to say goodbye to them.”

Siegel has made a permanent, lasting mark on WSU Vancouver and her legacy will stay with her students forever. During WSU Vancouver’s May 2022 commencement ceremony, Siegel was awarded the Students’ Award for Teaching Excellence, a student-nominated accolade given to professors who have gone above and beyond to ensure student success.

After retiring next May, Siegel hopes to move to Seaside, Oregon, to enjoy the coast and its community.

“The first time I went [to Seaside], I was walking on the beach and I looked and saw this women who was probably the age I am now, and she had her hair in those little pink rollers, and she shouted to this toddler, ‘come here, give grandma some sugar!’ and I thought, ‘my god I’m with my own people,’” Siegel said.

The VanCougar chatted with WSU Vancouver English professor, Carol Siegel, to discuss her life and career teaching, researching, writing and working with students.

“I absolutely love the students here. It’ll be so hard for me to say goodbye to them.” -Carol Siegel

OP-ED:

Disability awareness, a shared responsibility

LaRonda Zupp | Access Center Coordinator, WSU Vancouver

Disability Awareness Month takes place during October each year to increase awareness, respect, acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities. For WSU Vancouver, it is an opportunity to bring greater understanding of the role we all play in creating an accessible and inclusive campus environment. Essential to this goal is offering training, workshops, and activities for all to participate.

People with disabilities are the largest and most diverse minority within the population, representing all abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic backgrounds, and many disabilities are not visible. Physical barriers are easier to remove – attitudinal barriers are much more difficult.

Eric Scott, manager of WSU Vancouver’s Access Center says, “Disability is more than just elevators and ramps. There tends to be a strong focus on accessible physical spaces, but we need to be just as aware of how we create virtual spaces and communicate.”

It is vital and valuable to understand disability rights, laws, etiquette and the roles we all play in accessibility to help us confront ableism. We must explore attitudinal barriers that people with disabilities face that can prevent full access, participation and success in the classroom and campus community. Many people have anxieties when they are with people with disabilities because they are uncomfortable and uncertain what to do, how to act, communicate or work with them. “What we fear, we often stigmatize and shun,” — Paul Longmore, scholar and activist.

Disability is less about a person’s “inability” and more about the “loss or limitation of opportunities” for individuals to meaningfully participate in society due to social and environmental barriers. In addition to these barriers, people with disabilities have to face external and internalized stigma. Dealing with pity, awkwardness, stereotypes, fear, prejudice, avoidance, marginalization and continuous lack of access can impact their sense of competence and ability to self-advocate.

“Nothing about us without us” is a slogan used to communicate the idea that no policy should be decided by any representative without the full and direct participation of members of the groups affected by that policy. Inclusion and full participation are a matter of social justice.

Access to education and equitable accommodations should not be a struggle for students with disabilities. When students trust their accommodations are set in place and that equitable access is ensured, they can focus on what they are here for – to learn.

As the current Access Center Coordinator at WSU Vancouver, I find myself completing a full-circle, sharing the same important information I received as a student with a new and permanent disability. Here is what I learned: The path to success first begins with understanding your disabilities. Self-knowledge is the key to self-advocacy. The more you know about your disability, the better you understand the impact, the clearer you are about what barriers exist and the easier it will be to advocate for what you need. A person’s disability and individual needs may change over time. Self-awareness is an ongoing journey and process.

It is also important to be aware that college is a transitional learning space where students with disabilities learn what they need, what works to remove barriers, what their rights are and how to self-advocate in their future careers.

Accessibility requires the participation of every member of the community, including the student’s peers. Fellow students need to understand that they are also part of the accessibility equation. We all have accountability. It might mean learning to talk at a slower pace, giving time for their peers to respond, using chats or text, sharing notes, enabling live captions on Zoom when in a group meeting, or reaching out to invite and include. A student with a disability brings a rich learning experience to other students who may one day work with, be supervised by, or serve people with disabilities. Creating accessible and inclusive classrooms, group meetings, online and campus environments is a shared responsibility.

To maintain ongoing commitment to promote diversity, accessibility, equity and inclusion, WSU Vancouver is offering a number of opportunities in October for students, faculty and staff to grow in disability awareness. Please see our Disability Awareness Month flyer and the campus events calendar to learn more. For questions about disabilities or accommodations, contact me at laronda.zupp@wsu. edu, or by phone at 360-546-9138.

“Access to education and equitable accommodations should not be a struggle for students with disabilities. When students trust their accommodations are set in place and that equitable access is ensured, they can focus on what they are here for – to learn.”

– LaRonda Zupp

LaRonda Zupp discusses the importance of disability awareness. (Photo courtesy of LaRonda Zupp)

Astrology: The signs as autumn activities

Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18)

Watching classic fall movies

Pisces (Feb 19-March 20)

Buying cozy sweaters and scarves

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Touring a haunted house

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Visiting a pumpkin patch

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Hosting a harvest dinner party

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Volunteering at a food bank

Leo (July 23-Aug 22)

Drinking warm apple cider

Virgo (Aug 23-Sept 22)

Walking around a corn maze

Libra (Sept 23-Oct 22)

Carving jack-o’-lanterns

Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21)

Making mulled wine

Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21)

Running through leaf piles

Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19)

Telling ghost stories

(Editor’s note: We are not professional astrologists, the information

this column is for entertainment purposes only)

October Astronomical Calendar

October 7:

Draconids Meteor Shower Peak

October 9: Full Moon

October 21/22: Orionids Meteor Shower Peak October 25: New Moon

October 25:

Partial Solar Eclipse November 8:

Total Lunar Eclipse November 8: Beaver Moon

Psychedelic rock edition

The VanCougar knows music is a college student’s best friend – on this page you can find our monthly Spotify playlist, an album review and the best local concerts to attend this month.

Olivia Eldredge | Editor-in-chief

Joe Keery is a jack of all trades — many might recognize him as Steve Harrington from Netflix’s “Stranger Things” — but others know him as “Djo,” the actor’s psychedelic mu sician alter-ego. Djo’s first album “Twenty Twenty’’ made a mark on the neo-psychedelic rock scene in 2019 and his second album “Decide,” released on Sept. 19 this year, was long-awaited. Keery was part of Chicago band Post An imal before embarking on his journey as a solo musician, and while he still keeps his rockin’ roots on “Decide,” Djo’s synth sounds mixes the harsher side of psych-rock with ‘80s new wave alternative pop inspired beats. There is something more serious and instrumentally mature about this record, as compared to his older tunes — “Decide” is undeniably a game-changing piece of artistry in the grander world of melodic psychedelia. Djo’s haunting and unsettling tunes “Is that all it takes’’ and “Slither” — which emulate bad trips — balance well with the more danceable, groovy and euphoric beats featured in “Gloom,” “I want your video” and “Runner.”

The artist’s lyrics are overwhelmingly idiosyncratic, as he combines hallucinogenic writing that shines through bursts of synthwave energy. Djo includes personal storytelling with playful notes that repeat strings of lyrics for emphasis as he philosophically questions the state of the world, his memories, his life and his inhibitions. Each song transitions beautifully from one to the other, so listening to “Decide”

feels like a single 36 minute long song. For those who en joy artists from The Doors to Tame Impala or King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Djo is the perfect love child between the original era of emerging psych-rock and contemporary sound-experimentalism.

The VanCougar’s October Spotify Playlist

the Spotify

Live events schedule:

Oct. 2: My Chemical Romance with Youth Code and Taking Back Sunday, Moda Center

Oct. 2: Julia Jacklin and Katy Kirby, Revolution Hall

Oct. 3: Eloise and Sophia James, Polaris Hall

Oct. 4: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Roseland Theater

Oct. 7: Florence + The Machine and Japanese Breakfast, Moda Center

Oct. 12: Luna Li, Doug Fir Lounge

Oct. 14: Superorganism, Wonder Ballroom

Oct. 20: Alvvays and Slow Pulp, McMenamins Crystal Ballroom

Oct. 21: Dayglow and Ritt Momney, Roseland Theater

Oct. 22: King Princess, Roseland Theater

Oct. 31: Allen Stone, Doug Fir Lounge

Ask A Senator

I’m a returning student but I want to get more involved this year, how can I do that?

Jessica Smith (Junior): Following our Instagram pages is a good way to see what events we’re having. Student engagement is huge for us so please stop by the OSI office if you have free time.

Robert Litman (Senior): Along with what has been said above I would recommend looking at the A-frame chalk boards throughout the campus. They usually list cool activities and events for students.

What’s your go-to lunch on campus?

Kylie Sickles (Junior): The chicken caesar salad in the cafeteria is really good! I also enjoy those tomato soup sipping cups – they are what get me through the colder days on campus.

Robert Litman (Senior): I usually drink a Java Monster and eat a cake bomb and a packet of nuts.

I’m really struggling in my chem class, is there anywhere I can go to get some help?

Aisha Sumareh (Sophomore): Hello, there is a place to get help for chemistry, other sciences and math classes. The Math and Science Skills Center is located on campus in the Undergraduate Building, room 102.

Here is the link for more information: https://studentaffairs.vancouver.wsu.edu/mssc-tutors Thank you for asking your question, if you have anymore feel free to ask us again!

If you have any other questions you would like to ask please reach out!

Student Commons

school students.