1996_0724 ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 1 ---------- » Forecast: Bellingham SUNNY! HI -81° L0-58° CLOUDY HI -78° L0-58° CLOUDY HI-77°L0-59° CLOUDY HI -78° L0-55° CLOUDY HI -75° L0S3° Forecast taken from The WeatherChannel Web Page, updated July 23, 06:09 EDT. Okay, lots of clowns are scary, but not fiellinQnam'sViolet Lavender. Accent, page 7 Wednesday, July 24, 1996 Volume 97 Issue 5 WESTERN FRONTWestern Washington University Bellingham, Washington Castaneda to appeal firing at hearing set fornext fall By Gene Metrick The Western Front Associate professor Omar Castaneda will appeal his firing in a hearing before the Faculty Grievance Committee this fall. An attorney or an administrative lawjudge will be selected to preside over a formal adjudicative hearing that will be scheduled for lateSeptember or early October, said Wendy Bohlke, assistant state attorney general who representsWestern. Bohlke said she and Castafieda's attorney, Robert Butler, will confer on the selection of apresiding official for the hearing sometime in August. "(This case) is of great import to the individualinvolved and to the university in general," she said, but added that the university will not publiclycomment on its position until the process runs its course. Butler said the case was importantbecause any decision based on Castafieda's off-campus behavior on his own time could affect otherprofessors' rights in the future. "One of the key issues in this case is determining where a professor'sprivacy begins and ends and what role the university has in sanctioning private behavior," said Butler.Western President Karen Morse fired Castaneda on May 15 after he admitted to illegal drug use duringhis trial in Whatcom County Superior Court for possession of heroin and amphetamines. The chargesagainst him, which stemmed from an October 1995 arrest in Ferndale, were later dismissed due to anillegal police search and seizure. Castaneda Front/File photo Castaneda had been on a yearlong paid professional leave that was suspended by the university in February. In firing Castaneda, Morseoverruled a recommendation by the grievance committee that he be censured and lose pay for onequarter. Morse said that her decision was based upon her "high regard for Western's faculty" and thatshe felt Castafieda's actions to be incompatible with his position at the university. Members of thecommittee who have been contacted have declined to comment on the case while it is still pending.Bohlke said Morse's action is a preliminary decision until it is reviewed and ruled on by the Board ofTrustees. After the appeal process in the case is over, the record of the grievance committee's hearingwill be forwarded to the Board for a final decision. The appeal is being processed under a formal facultygrievance procedure, which sets out specific guidelines for a professor to contest actions ordecisions that he or she feels to be unreasonable, arbitrary or a misapplication of establisheduniversity procedures. "There has been great care taken to ensure that his due process rights havebeen followed," said professor George Cvetkovich, president of the Faculty Senate. "Representatives ofthe American Association of University Professors (AAUP) have been there with him to advise him of his rights." In a written statement released June 10, the executive board of See Appeal, page 2 will link up state's students K-20 Network will expand educational resources By Adam Edinger The Western Front The idea of taking classes taught by a professor at Washington State University without leavingWestern's campus might seem impossible, but it's not with the K-20 Network, and the first phaseshould be in the works by next year. The K -20 Network is a system that will con-nect all of theschools in the state, f r o m k i n d e r gartens to g r a d u a te s c h o o l s . The network willcombine existing computer tie-ins with satellite link-ups, allowing for increased use of the internet,video teleconferencing and other interactive technologies. Governor Mike Lowry says, "This will greatlyexpand a student's access to knowledge." The first goal is to connect the state's colleges anduniversities. This is expected to be in working order by January 1997. This will allow students to takeclasses taught by professors from a different university, like the University of Washington orWashington State, without ever leaving the campus of the university that the student is attending. "Itwill be important to us in the long run on fighting for afford ability to go to college, being able to get moreclasses and staying close to home," Lowry said. "And actually, we will soon see the day where you could just s t a y home." Lowry says that it will ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^™ allow students to take classes from anywhere. The K-20 Network will greatly expand the offerings available to students at a moreaffordable cost because it will let people stay home and choose courses that interest them regardlessof what school they are attending. The second goal of the network See Network, page 2 "This will makecourses from all over the west available to students." —Mike Lowry Governor ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 2 ---------- 2 • THE WESTEBN FRONT NEWS July 24, 1996 Campus Police July 16, 8:36 a.m.: A personreported a computer from a student's office space missing. The area is normally locked, but is attached to a classroom and not closely monitored. The person reported the computer could have been taken anytime in the last month. The computer is marked with "WWU." July 19,8:00 a.m.: Someone used anunknown instrument to dig up a parking meter in lot 31G. The peretrators left the meter and base at thescene. July 18,11:21 a.m.: A man parked his vehicle in lot 16CR and left the driver's window openapproximately six inches for ventilation. When he returned to his vehicle, he found the window down more than six inches and his parking permit was gone. Beilingham Police July 21,11:09 p.m.: Policeresponded to a report of an explosion on the 400 block of Bayside. They reported a mailbox had beenblown off its post. July 22, 9:21 a.m.: A nitrous oxide bottle was found in a vacated apartment on the 400 block of Westerly. The bottle was turned over to police for safekeeping. July 22,11:22 a.m.: Theassistant manager at Haggen on Meridian asked police to tell a man he was not welcome in the store.The man was also told that if he returned to the store, he would be subject to arrest. July 22, 12:28 p.m.: A woman on the 1000 block of 13th Street reported that at 1:30 a.m. on July 20, she awoke to the soundof eggs crashing against her residence. She ran to the window and saw two vehicles leaving the area.Police have no suspects and no description of the vehicle. July 22,12:45 p.m.: A woman reported that her husband put his cellular phone on top of his car and drove off from the 1900 block of King Street. Thewoman backtracked through the entire area, but the phone was not recovered. Cops Box was compiledby Front reporter Stephanie Moore and news editor Brad Benfieid. Appeal, from page 1 the AAUP'sWestern chapter stated that two of its members had advised Castaneda about the grievance processand would continue to offer advice and assistance to him. The release stated that the board wouldmonitor the progress of the case to ensure that "faculty are accorded due process when actions aretaken against them," but added that "to take a stand on the merits of the issue is inappropriate at thisstage and might jeopardize the grievance procedures." Other faculty members have also preferred notto comment on the case until it is resolved. Castaneda has taught creative writing in the Englishdepartment since 1989 and was due to return fall quarter. He has written poetry, short stories and books for children and adults and has won numerous awards for his writing. IDENTIFICATION STATEMENTThe Western Front Newspaper Published Bi-Weekly The Western Front Western Washington University College Hall 110 Beilingham, WA 98225-9100 Publication's Title: Statement of Frequency: AuthorizedOrganization's name and address: County residents voice a desire to build a newskateboard/bicycle/roller skate park By Aaron Grey The Western Front The Beilingham Public WorksCommittee held a preliminary hearing Tuesday to discuss the feasibility of building a skateboard,bicycle and rollerskate park. Representatives from the business community, bicyclists and 30-40enthusiastic skateboarders showed up for the hearing. All pleaded their case for a venue where theycould go to practice their talents. All agreed, including the committee, that a joint park was the mostpossible and desirable option. Concerns of building such a park included liability and money issues.These two issues were of great concern to the committee and were the reasons that a park hasn't beenbuilt yet. Kelly O'Neil, a freelance writer who was doing a story on behalf of the skateboarders plight,said, "The liability issue is a smoke screen. Towns all around are going forward on building skateboardparks. If it's free admission to the park, there's no liability." Many skateboarders felt they didn't have apark because the county and most people viewed skateboarders as criminals. Matt French, 23, ofBeilingham, felt there was a lot of prejudice against skateboarders. "Calling skateboarding a crime is anignorant point of view. It's another form of prejudice rearing its ugly head," he said. What French wasreferring to is the crackdown on skateboarding in Whatcom County. In Ferndale an 18-year-old was jailed for skateboarding in an area of town where skateboarding is prohibited. The skateboard facility wouldcost $50,000 to build and would take up one-half to one full acre, said city engineers. Skateboarderswanted a park similar to the one in Bellevue, but any park, indoor or outdoor, or streetcourse appealed tothe frustrated skateboarders. Mike Albright, Beilingham, pleaded his case for a 2-3 acre BMX track."What we need from the county is land, parking, restrooms, a water system, bleachers and possiblylights for this park to meet the needs of BMX racers," he said. Albright stressed that Beilingham should build a quality track, similar to the four available in the south Puget Sound region. Albright felt they hadenough racers in the Beilingham area to warrant such a park. Right now, BMX'ers have to travel almost160 miles to reach the nearest track, Albright said. Albright also said the national BMX association had a $1 million insurance policy, which would take care of any liability problems. In the end, the committeevoted 5-0, recommending the full council should discuss the feasibility of the park. WWU OfficialAnnouncements Deadline for announcements in this space is 5 p.m. Monday for inclusion inWednesday's issue. Announcements should be limited to 50 words, typewritten or legibly printed, andsent through campus mail or brought in person to Printing and Publication Services, Commissary 113A,MS-9117, fax 7287. DO NOT SEND ANNOUNCEMENTS DIRECTLY TO THE WESTERN FRONTOFFICES. Phoned announcements will not be accepted. All announcements should be signed byoriginator. PLEASE POST THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEST will bediscontinued after this summer. It will not be administered anywhere in the country. The test will be givenJuly 23. Register in OM 120 by Friday, July 12. THE MATH PLACEMENT TEST will be given in OM 120at 9 a.m. on Mondays July 22 and 29. Thursday test dates are in OM 120 at 9 a.m. on July 18 and 25 and Aug. 1, 8 and 15. Preregistration is not required. Students must bring photo identification and a No. 2pencil. Allow 90 minutes. THE TEST FOR ENTRANCE INTO TEACHER EDUCATION (TETEP) will begiven at 2 p.m. July 24 in OM 120. A $20 fee is payable in the exact amount at time of registration in OM120. Testing takes about 2Vz hours. TETEP is not administered on an individual basis! CLOSINGCEREMONIES FOR THE ASIA UNIVERSITY AMERICA PROGRAM STUDENTS are scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 25, in FR 3. A reception will follow from 8:15 to 9:30 p.m. in the Nash Hall main lounge.Everyone is welcome. A MOVING SALE for the Asia University America Program will be held from noonto 2 p.m. Monday, July 29, in the Higginson Fish Bowl lounge. For more information, contact AUAP,X/3922. - FREE MATHEMATICS CENTER TUTORING is available summer quarter for the calculussequence, differential equations, linear algebra and statistics. The computer laboratory also is available for mathematics-related work. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tutorial services are inBH 211 A, "quiet study" in BH 234 and the computer lab is in BH 209. WESTFEST, sponsored by theAssociated Students, will be held Sept. 23-24. The event is held to familiarize incoming and returningstudents with resources and activities available to them on campus and in the local community. Groups,organizations or offices that would like to participate may contact the AS Board Office, VU 227 (Box D-2), MS-9106. HOURS AT WILSON LIBRARY DURING THE INTERSESSION from Aug. 24 through Sept. 25will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, closed weekends. The library also will be closed on Labor Day,Monday, Sept. 2. ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 3 ---------- July 24, 1996 NEWS THE WESTERN FRONT • 3 AP news from around the globe Bad veal deal inMoscow MOSCOW - Four Russian food vendors reportedly used human flesh as a substitute for veal,according to the Itar-Tass News Agency. Police in the city of Berezhniki arrested the men and havefound a dead body in an apartment. It is unclear whether they had anything to do with the death, andthere has been no word as to how the victim died. E. Coli outbreak in Japan TOKYO - A food poisoningoutbreak continues to claim victims, young and old alike. An 85-year-old woman and a 10-year-old girl died from eating food tainted with E. Coli bacteria. Health experts have been unable to trace the origin of the disease, which has now claimed the lives of seven, hospitalized nearly 600 and sickened more than8,400. The government promised increased efforts to prevent further infections. Clinton sees welfarereform bill as a positive step CAPITOL HILL - President Clinton likes two of the Senate's changes to awelfare reform bill, but wants to see more. One change bars states from raising eligibility requirementsfor Medicaid, even if they increase requirements for welfare. The Senate also ruled out changing the food stamp system into a block grant program. Possible relief for migraine sufferers on horizon CHICAGO -Migraine sufferers may find long-lasting relief from nasal drops according to a report in The Journal of theAmerican Medical Association. The study, headed by a Kaiser- Permanente doctor, states that one-third of patients using nose drops containing a topical anesthetic called Lidocaine have experienced long-lasting relief from migraine symptoms. Some experts are skeptical about the treatment because itseffectiveness fades with repeated use, stating the study will have "zero impact on the treatment ofmigranes." Others feel the use of nose drops warrants further investigation. T.W.A. disaster helpssome to line pockets GREENWICH, Conn. - The state of Connecticut lost big bucks over the weekendwhen thousands of players picked the same lottery numbers. The numbers 8-0-0 were chosen bymore than 6,000 superstitious players because of their connection to T.W.A. flight 800. Wheneverthere's a plane crash, people play related flight numbers for about a week, according to ticket vendors.Not everyone happy with the working conditions at the Olympics in Atlanta ATLANTA - The EuropeanBroadcast Union has filed a formal protest with Olympic organizers over working conditions at thegames, said a spokesman. The EBU is complaining about a malfunctioning score-relaying system,problems with access to working areas and problems with transportation. The EBU paid $250 million for broadcast rights, making it the second- largest holder behind NBC. The group may try to get a refundfor some of its money. Microsoft stock price drops SEATTLE - A day after Microsoft reported anotherprofitable quarter, the Redmond Software Company's stock dropped nearly eight points to 112 and one-eighth. This decline may be due to investors' concerns that slower times are ahead. Microsoft's chieffinancial officer, Mike Brown, says sales will be tougher in the coming year because the market issaturated with a high number of personal computer owners. Brown also said Microsoft will be spendingmore on research and development as it seeks to exploit the Internet. Briefs compiled by Front reporterTodd Blankenship. We care We listen We explain . We're private We're affordable We're professional We're confidential We're sensitive We're courteous We're convenient We're experts in the specialhealth care needs of men and women We're Planned Parenthood 500 Grand Avenue Bellingham 734-9095 or 1-800-230-PLAN LSAT^GRE*(;\1AT Preparation from The Steven Klein Company featuring...• 36 hours of in-class teaching • three proctored exams • additional help sessions • instructor ~ Steven Klein • free application advising • Price--$495 Call now for more information on theLSAT, GRE or GMAT Classes for October 5th LSAT will begin August 3, 5,6,7, and 8. WESTERNFRONT VLntlvHI ILL/\J 6 ,5 0 3 1 6 1 IMPROVE YOUR NIGHT LIFE. Too many accidents are caused by car drivers who didn't see the motorcyclists. That's why reflective vests, bright clothing, and reflectorizedtape are so important. They help you be seen. And standing out on a dark, crowded road can keep yourevening from being ruined. MOTORCYCLE SAFETY FOUNDATION' ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 4 ---------- 4 • THE WESTERN FRONT NEWS July 24, 1996 Fairhaven business banking on hemp By BeckySakala The Western Front Hemp is defined in Webster's International Dictionary as an asiatic herbwidely cultivated. Although cultivated for fiber for some 300 years in what is now the United States andCanada, cannabis was rarely used for psychoactive properties in the United States until the turn of the century, according to the World Health Organization in a technical report dated 1971. Historicalaccounts prove otherwise. In the book titled "The Reign of The Law — A Tale of the Kentucky HempFields" by James Lane Allen, hemp was growing "tall and thick." Hemp was said to have been cultivated as early as 1782 for twine, rope, towels, sheets and shirts/ And, says Chris Harral of SportswearInternational, hemp was the world's largest single industry until the mid-1800s and the number one cash-crop in the United States until the 20th century. Company co-founder David Gould of Hemp TextilesInternational of Bellingham, said, "Hemp will eventually provide an important, high-quality andenvironmentally sensitive fiber source for a number of industrial applications in the future." Hemp Textiles International has become an industry leader in the research and technology of processing, spinning and weaving hemp fiber. Vice President of Development and Production Yitzac Goldstein studied atWestern's Fairhaven College. He learned how to live in a sustainable environment, where he originallybecame interested in the concept of organic agriculture. Goldstein learned to live off of theenvironment by cultivating his own crops and herbs. Natural manure was used from both humans andsheep. Goldstein referred to his surroundings as a low-input environment. These green-safe ideas werewhat originally caught his interest in using an environmentally-safe plant to produce products such asclothing, accessories and upholstery. Hemp Textiles first began its research in 1992 and becameincorporated in February 1994. The first year and a half was spent selling any quantity of woven fabric."We would sell one yard to thousands of yards. Although we never opened up a retail location we didhave a very, very low minimum, level," said Goldstein. "These days we have flat pricing and a 500-yard minimum order." Although they will sell a few yards to any company to get started, there is still a500-yard minimum order for regular customers. The fabric is shipped directly from Chinese mills towherever the customer may be located. "It was interesting to shift from being a supplier of any quantityand taking what orders we may get to having higher minimums and attracting more of a professionalclientele, people that are in business and have historic experience producing clothing, shoes, bagsand interior design items," Goldstein said. ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM ASTHMA? Considerparticipating in an asthma clinical trial. If you are 12 years of age or older and a non-smoker, you may beeligible for: Free exams, testing, study medications if you qualify, you will be compensated for yourtime. BELLINGHAM ASTHMA ALLERGY We are your local source for asthma care! Me^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^M ^^d^^^jBiBiiiiiM WESTERN FRONT Advertising Sales Representative Academic Year,1996-1997 Requirements: -Prior sales experience helpful but not essential (training provided) -Capableof dealing with the public -Full time student enrollment required "We knew we didn't want to just importfabrics from China. We saw that our interest in hemp had to do with a s u s t a i n a b l e business,an ecological business, added value and part of the manufacturing process should be close tohome. It would also give us more control over the quality and new developments with the fiber,"Goldstein said. "Eventually we knew that there would be a domestic supply of hemp fibers, that hemp would be grown here, but you can't bank on something that's illegal at the m o m e n t , " Goldsteinsaid. photo copyright by Hemp Textiles International They have A hempgt; farm worker stands in front oflarge hemp plants in China. studied intense- textiles," Gould said. Goldstein believes that in order ly inthe last year and a half to Goldstein agrees with Gould's for hemp to be legalized, politi-goal forrecognition. He felt the recent press release from July 25 was an important stepping-stone for thebusiness. "It was really a good move for us," Goldstein said. Although most non-marijuana supportersmay not be avid supporters of hemp production, Goldstein believes that what they are doing in themarketplace will be effective and it is common for people to mistake it for marijuana. Hemp is acompletely different seed stock from another type of cannibus plant which is used for recreational andmedicinal use. Neither the leaves, fibers or flowers have drug value, which is a common misconception."It's like using the analogy of a mushroom. Some mushrooms are edible and commonly used — youfind them in any store — and others are poisonous or used in psychedelics. There's no confusion.You don't cross the boundary," Goldstein said. Hemp fiber is naturally resistant to mold andbacteria and can be grown in many climates. It does not need "pesticides, herbicides or otheragricultural chemicals to grow. Hemp can be used for two different types of applications. The first is knitting. This is something that has a stretchable fabric such as a T-shirt or socks. The second fabric is a woven fabric, which is what jeans or a jacket is made out of. prepare themselves for the eventuallegalization of hemp in several labortories and large textile mills the tech of spinning hemp by usingimported fibers. Although HTFs corporate headquarters are located here in Bellingham, they only deal in wholesale orders and do not grow, produce or ship orders from here. The first American-made yarn hasalso been produced in the last six months. They are also the first U.S. manufacturers of hemp-blendedyarns such as hemp-cotton, hemp and wool, hemp-polyester, organic, recycled hemp and polyesteryarns. The brand names for these fibers are HempCot, HempWol and Hemp Repoly. The hemp plant,which originates from the cannibus sativa plant, is a true hemp fiber called Cantiva. This fiber qualitymeets the quality standards and processing specifications of the HTI company. "We've just started to introduce these into the knitting and weaving industries as yarns in the past few months," Goldsteinsaid. They are also in the middle of debuting their yarns in New York City at a yarn fair. The event runsthrough July 25. Kraemer Textiles Inc., HTI's industry partner who has helped to develop and producethe blended yarns, will also be hosting the event. "An important goal of HTI is to promote thedevelopment of American-made hemp yarns and cians must first have reason to believe that the marketwill earn money off the sales of it. The woven fabrics that are debuting at the yarn fair have been wovenhere in Washington by Pendelton Mills. These fabrics can be made into upholstery and accessoriessuch as bags and luggage. The socks made of hemp have anti-bacterial properties and won't wear outas quickly as cotton. The fibers are farmed in China and Poland and then shipped by sea or air tovarious seaports such as Seattle or the San Francisco Bay area, depending on where the customer islocated. Some woven hemp fibers are delivered directly from the hemp textile mill from China and thenshipped out. The biggest client for footwear is Adidas. J. Crew and Patagonia are also companies thatare including hemp in their products. Local retailers are also springing up around the area. The HempEmporium, located on State Street, just opened, Washington Hemp Mercantile, in Mount Vernon, alsosells hemp products. A recent call from Goldstein's partner in New York City revealed that their boothwas one of the most crowded of the yarn fair, and their response was extremely supportive of theirefforts. "We just touched upon a vein of popularity here," Goldstein said. ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 5 ---------- 5 • THE WESTERN FRONT ACCENT July 24.1996 Pat Buchanan just gets so excited about theAccent section. Pat loves Bellingham entertainment Reuters photo/IPI Report 1 formini • • • • H M i ' MHNttH Soul Pimps with Smokehouse: The Royal T"~~" Two-minute music review: Local HCD more than just a coaster "I can't even play their best song on the radio," said KUGS disc jockey Skip Stiles about Chicago-based shred-rock duo Local H's single, "High-fivin' M_therf_ck_r." Local H is theeditor's Pick o'' the Week by virtue of their slick-yet-heavy guitars and their youthful exuberance in theface of some serious lyrical subject matter. Although they're on Island Records, a division of Polygram,and the CD, As Good As Dead, costs as much as other CDs, (see related "Frontline" on page 10) it hasserved the fresh-sound starved editors of The Front aptly. "Their sound is a little bit processed — kind ofan amalgamation of everything that has gone on after grunge, like samples of pop and mainstream rock. But on some tracks they pull it off, like the third one, "Bound For The Floor," said Collin Coyne. Theyeven have a song called "Eddie Vedder," even though the liner notes claim that it's not about Ed at all."Go figure, and go buy the album!" said photo guy Dennis Pasco. I ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 6 ---------- 6 • THE WESTERN FRONT ACCENT July 24. 199fi Alien bands trying to make c Will new label,compilation boost Bellingham's struggling mi Story and photos by Jeremy Stiles "lb say Pellingham hasa music scene these days is kind of like saying England has a royal family. Both exist, but in at leastone man's eyes, the local rock community has the cohesiveness of. Charles and Di's marriage. "Fouryears ago, the whole community was great," said Sean Spain, bass player for Superfly 2000. "Now, local bands don't know each other." On Friday and Saturday, six local bands performed in the Alien RecordsShowcase at The 3-B Tavern. If the packed house and high-energy performances are an indication ofthings to come, the glory days Spain remembers are on their way back. The show was a benefit for a 15-band compact disc, set for release in August by Alien Records, the record company Spain has justfounded. Spain, who books and promotes shows for The Royal Room, sees a wealth of talent anddemand for live music in Bellingham, but recognizes difficulties local bands have had in catching the earof the powers that be in the music industry. "There are a lot of good bands around who know a lot about song-writing, playing and recording," he said. "But they don't know what to do with the business side."The connections Spain has made as a music promoter and as a music writer for Terminal City and TheBellingham Herald put him in the position to put Bellingham back on the map in the music world. "I'm not trying to sell any of these bands," he said. "I've got the connections. I'll try and promote 'em." Spaindidn't deny that a certain degree of self-interest is driving him in the Alien project. "My band's going onthe CD," he said. "I guess I'm being kind of selfish that way." On Saturday night, Spain's band,Superfly 2000, capped the two-day showcase. The band's dark, yet spacy and offbeat music, drivenby two synthesizers, contrasted with Pinwheel's power-pop and Shed's swinging opening set.Leatherboy, 50-Pound Test and Sourmash played Friday. Past attempts to put put a Bellinghamcompilation were unsuccessful, Ben Gibbard of Pinwheel said, but the Alien compilation effort should fare better. "(Spain) has more of an industry-oriented approach," Gibbard said. High on Jolt Cola, Gibbardpogoed as he and the other three members of Pinwheel played the lively middle set Saturday night. "It's a good turnout. We made money last night, so we don't have to worry about that tonight," he said.Gibbard's heightened state of alertness put to rest rumors of his demise — rumors perpetuated byAnnan Bohn, vocalist and guitarist for his old band, Shed. "Ben died," Bohn said. "He blew up." AfterBen "died," Shed's original drummer, Jason McGerr, returned after what Bohn said was an illness.Whatever health problems members of Shed and Pinwheel endured in the past didn't matter Saturday. Shed laid a little funk on the crowd with Nick Harmer's jazzy basslines and Bohn's smooth vocalstylings. "It's nice to see the audience is still large despite the lack of beer," Harmer said. "(Theshowcase) will help the scene out incredibly. The scene needs a little unification." Charley McCoy, aguitarist for 50-Pound Test and a bartender at the 3-B, reported that the cooler was broken, explaining the lack of beer on tap. Despite that inconvenience, the tavern didn't go out of business. "It was great,"McCoy said. "The bands were great, too. I had a great time playing, in fact... It's insane fun!" 50-PoundTest followed Leatherboy on Friday night as latecomers occupied whatever space was left on thedance floor. Looking like intensity personified, lead vocalist and guitarist Kyle Logghe pulled, on thebottom of his shirt as he roared into wmm the microphone. The band formerly known as Asswipe shedwhatever images of "Beavis and Butthead" its old name may have conjured up in the minds of locals,and the new lineup — Mike Cloud on drums, Tim Franz on bass and McCoy on guitar — played a solidset of music. "It's all starting to fall in place. We control it a lot more, rather than just having crazyfun," McCoy said. The "crazy fun" of playing music has been dampened in the past by problems on thebusiness end. "We thought somebody was working with us, then they turned on us," he said. "That justshows how corrupt the business is ... A lot of it has to do with who you know. You don't have to begood to be anybody. "We just like to play. You can't push it on people." Pf!|p!li Bands on AlienRecords compilation Leatherboy 50-Pound Test Sourmash Shed Pinwheel Superfly 2000 FoxmangeNoot Professor Dumb Section 43 Rosco P. Soultrain Greenroom Moist Deluxe Peek-a-boo MachetePavlov Jones By Collinl The Westeri The bookini had it all wrc Saturday, JuJ 764-HERO ModestMousd has been give! KUGS FM, arf the right to show. The moded order foreshaj noticeably er singer and guJ in half amidstf debt was still When a sti next song, taken it as an| low gratuity ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 7 ---------- July 24, 1996 ACCENT 7 • THE WESTERN FRONT tact cscene? By Becky Sakala The WesternFront Cecelia Smith, a linguistics major at Western, never thought she would become a clown. Thatwas before a friend encouraged and practically begged her to attend a clowning workshop. Reluctantly,after many months of pleading, Smith attended the workshop. Attending that first workshop changedSmith's life and career. She discovered she enjoyed working with balloons, face painting and magic. Soshe attended more workshops and decided she really liked the hobby. After learning all the tricks toface painting, makeup design^ ballooning, magic and paying the right taxes to the government, Smithdecided to quit her job working as a manager of a bookstore and become a full-time clown. She startedher own business, put an advertisement in the Yellow Pages and became Violet P. Lavender, a clownwho wears all purple, including a frilly dress, bloomers, clown shoes and a purple wig. Smith admitsto being very good at her newfound job. She reminisced about the time she learned how to tie balloons.She was the only person in the class who could blow up a balloon and make it into an object withoutpopping it. The first thing she learned how to make was an airplane. The teacher told her he wasteaching people who didn't know what they were doing, and that she shouldn't be taking a beginningclass. Her reply was that she was a beginner; she was just doing what she was told. After moving fromWisconsin after a divorce, Smith moved to Tacoma, where her parents live, and did clowningprofessionally for six years. She did birthday parties, school shows, weddings to keep childrenentertained, high earns as a clown school graduations and business promotions. Smith has alsoperformed her clown tricks and done face painting at events such as Bumbershoot, Taste of Tacomaand Bite of Seattle. Her most recent memory of Bumbershoot was when a boy asked her to paint a roseon his face. The father became enraged and told the boy that he shouldn't have a rose painted on hisface. Smith had experienced this sex-based stereotyping before on the job, so she offered to paintsomething more masculine for the boy. They settled on a skull with crossbars and a rose paintedinside instead. Although the boy didn't receive what he really wanted due to his father's protest, theywere at least able to compromise. "The kid was the important one," Smith said. Smith sees clowningas a way to have fun while still getting paid. "People would pay me to go play with their children," Smith said. The worst things about being a clown, says Smith, are the. weekend schedules, which don'tallow her time for a social life, and the differences between boys and girls. "I swore that when I started I was not going to treat them differently at all," Smith said. Unfortunately for her, the boys always wantballoons, trucks, bow and arrows or animals, while the girls want feminine things such as flowers, hearts or dolls. Smith tried making her magic shows more androgynous, but children still respond in the same stereotypical male-female ways. The boys want balloons made in colors like blue, red or green, whilethe girls want pink, yellow or purple. Smith also likes to create make-believe stories while doing showsfor children. Her most recent story was about drinking too much grape juice. She told a little girl that herown mother told her that if she drank too much grape Violet Lavender Photo courtesy of Cecelia Smithjuice, her hair would turn purple. It was already purple from the wig she wore, but it made it morebelievable when she changed the story a little bit. Smith told the little girl her own eyes might begin toturn purple because of the excessive grape juice drinking. • Sure enough, Smith began showing up inpublic with purple eyes. She went to see the eye doctor, who gave her a prescription for some purplecontacts. Within the next month, the usual gathering of kids she frequently did birthday parties forasked about her purple eyes every time they saw her. The small little girl she originally told the storyto had eyes the size of plums when she discovered her favorite clown's eyes had turned purple from all of the grape juice. "Violet, you better listen to your mother," the girl said. Smith charges $85 an hour in town and $100 for an hour and a half. She usually charges $1 per one-minute face painting design.After the expenses of supplies, costumes and taxes, Smith estimates she makes $30,000 a yearworking a total of 50 hours a week. This includes costume and make-up preparation, paperwork andphone work, as well as the actual shows and face painting. Smith is taking a summer hiatus frombirthday parties and festivals to attend school, but still performs for a few different businesses tokeep in practice. She also plans to do some shows in the Yakima area after summer session. se playsthe Crocodile; Dan Savage shows rne at Seattle's Crocodile Cafe hen they decided to bill the ow as"MAVIS PIGGOTT, juests." The "guests" were ;attle-area band whose music ood spin lately atWestern's ily should have earned them le the Crocodile's Saturday Ihent of the trio in the firing d whatturned out to be a vening for them. When lead , Isaac Brock snapped a pick inding crescendo, hiskarmic )m being paid up. |ke on the lead guitar in the jpt young players should've n, chalking upmisfortune to nny's and lack of change to spare for panhandlers on Broadway. The band pressed on,showing prespiration from heat uncommon to Seattle and uneasiness due to having tried the patience ofthe critical-as-ever post-grunge crowd. Surprisingly, the audience was content to wait for the band'snext song. off. Jean Paul Sartre would likely attend a Modest Mouse show and stay through their lastsong. By the time Eric Judy broke a bass string, surely the crowd was ready to rush the stage, butagain they were patient and curious. They stirred very little while borrowed an entire bass guitar ModestMouse combine slow-to-medium tempos with a scrambled guitar sound to produce a surreal, yettangible rock act. Their lyrics are laden with existential angst, but Brock's blaring vocals carry theemotion of each song sufficiently. In short, they appear tortured, and they pull it from fellow performersMavis Piggott. Bass lines in Modest Mouse's songs are minimal, fitting the overall sound quite well.The blending of distorted sounds from a stomp box and the band's ability to stay away from power-chords compliment the screamed choruses common to most of their songs. Modest Mouse's LP, "This is aLong Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About," was released on Seattle's Up Records earlier thisyear. Neither 764-HERO nor headliner Mavis Piggot were nearly as exhilarating as gay sex columnistand talk-radio host Dan Savage. Savage, out of drag, introduced himself to the audience as though his mug hasn't been in both the local and national press lately (Newsweek and The Seattle Times' Pacificmagazine). Savage led the whole club in singing "Happy Birthday" to Emily White, editor of northwestculture magazine, The Stranger. A wave of dismay broke out when it was discovered only Stranger staff members were being handed birthday cake. \ ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 8 ---------- 8 • THE WESTERN FRONT SPORTS July 24.1996 Baby Giants drop first game, but win last two ofthe series By Adam Edinger The Western Front If you like good, old-fashioned baseball, where thegame doesn't take four hours to watch and the score doesn't resemble that of a football game, then youwould have loved this weekend's three-game battle between the Bellingham Giants and the YakimaBears at Bellingham's Joe Martin Field. In Saturday's game, the Bears jumped out to an early lead byscoring three runs in the second inning. The first was a shot over the right field fence by the Bears' firstbaseman Brian Sankey off Giants' starting pitcher Brandon Leese (2-3). The second and third came offconsecutive errors by catcher Yolvit Torrealba and Leese. The Bears also received a strong pitchingperformance by starter Ted Lilly (1-0), who pitched five innings, striking out six and only giving up one hit. The Bears scored again in the top of the eighth with right-fielder Matt Meyer doubling to left and scoring on a single by shortstop Scott Morrison. "We just didn't have enough offense," said Giants managerOzzie Virgil. "Other than that, it was a pretty good ball game." The Giants finally made it on thescoreboard with back-to-back homers by pinch-hitter Rico Calderon and Torrealba in the bottom of the eighth to pull them within two. The Giants picked up another ^^ha"m 'Gjants' "pfayer takes a big swing. run in the ninth, y * ' * y but that wasn't enough. After striking out the first two batters he faced in theinning, Bears reliever Jeff Kubenka (1-1) gave up a double to third baseman Paul Galloway and anotherdouble to pinch-hitter Tom Tompaum. With the tying run on second, Kubenka struck out Giants pinch-hitter Leviu Miskolczi to end the game. On Sunday, the two teams met again for a double-dip, with both games scheduled for only seven innings. In game one, the Giants needed all seven inning, plus oneextra, to pull out a victory against the Bears. Giants starting pitcher Ryan Jenson (1-1) threw five innings of two-hit ball while striking out four and not allowing a run. The Giants' bats also gave support, with arun in both the second and fourth innings. The Bears, who couldn't get anything done against Jenson,evened the score in the sixth. Giants' reliever Robert Crabtree (1-0) gave up back-to-back long-balls toBrian Sankey and Matt Meyer to tie the score at 2-2. After that, Crabtree settled down and finished thegame with six strikeouts. With the score tied in the bottom of the eighth, Bears reliever CD. Stover.(0-4) walked first baseman Damon Minor and then delivered a ball to left-fielder Mike Glandenning that hewishes he had back. Glandenning parked the Stover pitch over the left field fence to end the game 4- 2. With the weekend series tied at one apiece, the third game lacked some of the bone-chilling drama ofthe first two. The Giants jumped to an early 1-0 lead and never looked back from there. Giants' starterMichael Riley (1-1) had a no-hitter through four and two-thirds innings and left the game after five inningswith seven strikeouts and only giving up one hit. The Giants scored four more insurance runs off 13 hitsto finish with a 5-0 victory. Giants' reliever Mick Pageler (1-0) pitched two innings in relief, giving uponly one hit and striking out five. The Giants are in Everett tonight to take on the Aqua Sox. They returnhome this Friday and Saturday with a two-game home-stand against Everett. Game time for both games is 7:05 p.m. By Becky Sakala Front/Adam Edinger llll^SSl^ilHBlBlBillS IlilBBilHi^^BlliliB^iiililBSB^fcl^BllBBilll liiSBiBl^B^^^Siliim iHiii^fciiM^HHl^iiili l^iiiHiiiiliiiill^BBwil iBIi^^lBwB^BBlBBliiliiliiifcl^MBiiBlJl^Hil ^IHiM|^liiiiHMffiillpl iBBB^R^BilBliliiii li^BlliBBiBiillBBIfcl lllSSlBllliBll^^liBHSl8BiBiiHlBlBllBiBli IBHISIiiii^Billftllllll Western soccer letterman coaches pro-hopefuls on USISL teamBy Todd Blankenship The Western Front Kevin Quinn has built many close relationships around thesport of soccer. Nearly everyone he knows, he met from playing or coaching soccer, "It's a family thing," Quinn said. Playing for Cambridge High School after time in the Kent and Renton leagues, and then onthe state team for two years provided Quinn with the skills he needed to excel at the sport. Quinnbecame the first four-year letter-man at Western, playing from 1982 until 1986. Quinn met his wife,Nancy, through soccer; she caught his eye while defending the goal for Western's women's soccerteam. The Quinns even have their 2-year-old son involved in the sport. Quinn said he already has himkicking around a miniature ball. "We named him Nile after the great Irish striker Nile Quinn," he added.Quinn's newest soccer relationship, at age 31, is with Bellingham's new semi-professional team — theOrcas. He is the head coach and on the roster of the amateur league team. The team plays in the United States InterregionalSoccer League, which acts as a farm team for major league soccer. Althoughplayers don't get paid for playing, some gain valuable experience that might lead to playing at a higherlevel. "I try to make it worthwhile for the players," Quinn said. "The guys need to have fun. It's tough on them." Quinn said he gets paid a token salary as head coach. He coaches soccer clinics during thesummer and sells real estate to supplement his income. \ He doesn't feel that coaching is anecessity, but would like to stay with the Orcas "if they want a local coach from now until whenever."Living and coaching in the area for more than 10 years has enabled Quinn to utilize the local talent. Hewas Western's men's team head coach until retiring last season. "I got the players that needed to be on the team," he said. Players from the Bellingham area were chosen to be on the team. Four playerswere on his team last year, but most of the other players competed elsewhere during their collegecareers. "It lets the kids know there's somewhere to go after playing in col lege," Quinn said. Heteaches soccer clinics before the games and said getting young ^MM^ kids involved in the sport is amajor goal for him as the head coach of the Orcas. He has players sign autographs after the games."The players like it just as much as the kids do," Quinn said. "Only they won't admit it." Expectations for the team were low because they didn't take . players from .'.;; a larger p l a y i n g pool. " W eweren' t looking f o r instant results," Quinn said. "We've come out and proven we can win gamesagainst tough teams." ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 9 ---------- » July 24. 1996 SPORTS THE WESTERN FRONT • 9 NBC: didn't learn anything CommentaryFrom the failed Triple Cast of four years ago to hapless commentary, NBC's coverage of thesecentennial games has proven they haven't learned anything about what it takes to entertain withoutirritating. With that in mind, let's take a look at the 26th Olympic Games. After four full days ofcompetition from my slightly skewed, definitely sarcastic point of view. First of all, who the hellthought it would be a good idea to have John Tesh as a color commentator for the gymnasticscompetition? He may know how to play a piano and gossip about the inconsequential lives of moviestars, but the man knows jack about gymnastics. And the two other people NBC has feeding us useless tidbits from the gymnastics world, Elfi Schlegel and Tim Daggett, may know the sport, but I dpn'tthink I have ever heard a more abnoxious duo. They give even Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf (thoseincomparable Monday Night Football idiots) a run for their money. Every time Schlegel opens hermouth, I wish I was there in the booth with a big roll of duct tape to wrap around her substantial orifice.Christine Troyke The Western Front And Daggett, a gold-medal winner from the '84 Games, doesnothing but doubt the persevering U.S. men's gymnastics team. He would also be helped with a length of that oh-so-handy duct tape. Fortunately, NBC snagged Barcelona great Summer Sanders and theextraordinary swimmer Rowdy Gaines to give us the play by play from the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center. They are doing a good job keeping us up to date. The controversy with Michelle Smith and Janet Evanscould have been handled very differently. (For those of you who missed it: Smith took Evans' spot inthe final round, even though she had entered her qualifing time after the deadline, eliminating Evans from medal competition in the 400-meter freestyle.) As a side note: Janet Evans is a class-act that anyathlete would do well to emulate. Speaking of class-acts: We all had a great time during the openingceremonies watching the Dream Teams progress through the tunnel and down the ramp and around thetrack and on and on and on ... Sure, everyone wants to see if Mr. Diplomacy, Charles Barkley will jumpthe railing to elbow some Angolan out of the way, but come on, there are 9,988 other athletes. Okay — which morons in the International Olympic Committee actually believed Billy Payne, the guy whoorganized Atlanta's bid for the 1996 Games, when he said the average temperature in Atlanta in July was 75 degrees? No one apparently considered he must have meant at 2 a.m. Track-side the average dailytemp has been well into the 100s. It's been so hot they finally conceded to moving the marathon races to late morning, rather than their traditional afternoon starts. Hey, folks, there's a reason they call it"Hotlanta." Finally, I'm betting Athens could have come up with a transportation system that wouldn'tforce Olympic athletes to hijack a bus to get around. So right now, you're thinking: Does she likeanything about the 1996 Olympics? Yeah — I like watching the men's swim teams. After four days ofOlympic competition, here's where we stand: The United States has made a real splash in theswimming competitions: Both women's and men's teams have claimed gold in the relay races. GymnastKerri Strug may have sacrificed her chances at an individual medal. She competed on a sprained ankle in order to help the U.S. team earn the gold medal in the all-around. ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 10 ---------- Lessons abound in burgeoning price-fixing scandal Accountants and actuaries paying $.14.99 for JohnTesh's live at Red Rocks recording? Frat guys paying $15.99 for Hootie and sorority girls paying thesame for the soundtrack to.Aladin? The entire population of Federal Way paying $12.98 for a MetallicaCD that's exactly the same as their last one and the one before that? Expatriate Austrians paying $13.98for David Hasselhoff's latest release, "Knight Lover?" Something's rotten in 14 states, and it smells likean artificial price-fixing scam. But there's nothing artificial about the dollars the music-loving public hasshelled out over the years. A lawsuit in Tennessee aimed at six of the world's largest CD makers couldend up costing the companies tens of millions of bucks, according to a report in The Seattle Times.The article stated that in 1983, CDs cost manufacturers $3 apiece to make, and that expense is nowdown to $1 due to refinements in technology. Although Washington is not among the 14 American states in which consumers stand to take economic revenge, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of anyone whobought CDs after June 26, 1992. Last year U.S. Representative Charles Schumer, D-NY, stood beforeour esteemed congress and complained, or perhaps boasted, that he could eat an entire box of cerealin one sitting. Schumer said what was on the hearts and minds and stomachs of the American public atthe time: Cereal costs too much compared to the manufacturing costs and the amount of productreceived. Think back, probably not long ago for most music buyers, to a time of perusing the shelves of aquaint CD-vending establishment. It's that lingering pain of pondering in anguish why there have to beso many great bands with so many different albums. And yet you've worked very few hours at such anunsubstantial wage, your power bill is still unpaid, that maxed-out parking fine won't wait for the next payperiod, and the CD prices staring you in the face are drastically disproportionate with the rest of your life. Post cereals felt the heat and got out of the kitchen, lowering its prices. Now it's time for CD companiesto do the same. Beyond that, another point about this story is striking: the law firm is representing justtwo CD buyers. A couple of brave souls with some initiative have taken corporate behemoths EMI, Sony,Warner, Polygram and MCA, among others, to task. In 1982, an action against some of the samecompanies over records and tapes (archaic formats that music used to be recorded on) won $26 million.Let this be a lesson to us all. Never underestimate the power of courage and a righteous spirit, and neverforget that the modern United States is the most litigious country in the history of time and space, and 43of Bellingham's Yellow Pages are taken by attorneys desperately looking for something to do. Thinkcheese is too expensive? Sue! —Jason "Eight-track" Hickman, Editor and Collin "The Jewel Box"Coyne, Accent/Opinions The Western Front Editor, Jason Willis Hickman; News editor, Brad Benfield;Copy/Assistant news editor: Amy Scribner; Accent/opinions editors, Collin Coyne and Jeremy Stiles;Sports/Recreation editor, Chris Troyke; Photo editor, Dennis Pasco; Political Cartoonist/Illustrator,Chad Crowe; Adviser, Pete Steffens; Business Manager, Teari Brown; Custodian, Roger Sprague Staffreporters, Suzanne Asprea, Todd Blankenship, Kristin Connolly, Sarah Decker, Adam Edinger, AaronGrey, Dan Hiestand, Amy Horn, Joan Hudson, William Hutto, D. Eric Jones, Jordana Joseph, GeneMetrick, Stephanie Moore, Andrew Pendli, Rebecca Sakala, Candice Strudel Honeymooners of theweek: Eric and Whitney Jones The Western Front is the official newspaper of Western WashingtonUniversity. It is published by the Student Publications Council, which hires editors and oversees financialmatters. Four pages of The Front are paid for by student fees, the rest by advertising revenue.Advertisements in The Front do not reflect the opinions of the newspaper. Content is determined entirelyby student editors. Staff reporters are enrolled in the journalism department course entitled "newspaperstaff," however, items published in The Front are not limited to persons in the class. Signedcommentaries and cartoons reflect the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinionof The Front. Send all submissions to: The Western Front, College Hall 09, Western WashingtonUniversity, Bellingham, Wash. 98225. For advertising concerns, please contact the business office inCollege Hall 07 or call (360) 650-3161.. Disbelief won't prevent violence Imagine you are walking homefrom a friend's house late one Friday night. Except for the occasional cat hunting for a late-nightsnack, the alley is deserted. But wait. You hear what seem to be footsteps coming up from behind. Youglance over your shoulder and see a dark shape moving briskly toward you. The pace seems to bequickening. Faster, faster, your heart keeps time with the stranger's footsteps. Should you panic? Run? No, this is Bellingham, and everyone knows that the bad things racing through your paranoid minddon't happen here. Or, at least, that's a common misconception about this friendly little college town.We are ever so casual in Bellingham, comfortable with our surroundings, trusting our neighbors. Weleave doors unlocked, belongings unattended on the front porch and take walks late at night, neversuspecting that our comfort could be violated. Students from larger cities such as Seattle and Tacoma never consider Bellingham as dangerous, considering the environments they grew up in. The violent-crime rate here is relatively low compared to that of larger cities. Everyone knows that, so we becomecareless, cozy, naive even. Perhaps some of this false comfort is what caused a young woman to walkalone to the Sehome Haggen for groceries after 11 p.m. on June 19. Her sense of security, combinedwith Suzanne Asprea The Western Front Bill MacDonald Parkway's sparsely lit stretch and nearlynon-existent bus service at that hour, may have contributed to the terrible crime that took place. Awoman was raped. She was pulled into the bushes, knocked unconscious and raped. And still peoplereact .to the news with shock and disbelief, exclaiming, "In Bellingham?!" Yes, in Bellingham. Why is itso difficult of a concept to grasp that these things happen even in cities where people are generallywilling to greet complete strangers on the street? Of course, we all learned about using the buddysystem in grade school, and this lesson is still drilled into us today. We are advised to never, under anycircumstances, walk or ride a bike alone in dark or secluded areas. This precautionary measuremakes sense — to a point. Are we to put our lives on hold until we can find buddies who have the timeand energy to walk us to and from the grocery store? Some things just can't wait for safety. We don'tknow why that woman went to the grocery store alone, so late at night. Those things cease to beimportant after the event has taken place. She might have a lifetime of what-if's to run through her mind,but we can take our own questions and turn them toward prevention and awareness. Some actions cost the city money, such as increased bus service at later hours. The Nightline service is helpful, but farfrom convenient. A person can sometimes reach his or her destination on foot before a WTA bus rollsby at quarter-to and quarter-after the hour. People still have places to go, and patience has never beenone of humankind's greater virtues. Perhaps if there had been steady, or at least more frequent, busservice, the woman would have taken her groceries on the bus and arrived home safely. Of course, we can never know if these things will actually make a difference until they are done. The probability ofattacks like the one on June 19 rely heavily on chance — being in the wrong place at the wrong time.Until someone makes a move to improve safety conditions, people need to focus on awareness. Weneed to realize that Bellingham is not exempt from the crimes that happen in larger cities. Theincredulous question, "In Bellingham?!" should be abandoned as the natural response to word ofviolent crimes. Rather than sitting there, jaw slackened in disbelief, think about what you can do toprevent these attacks. Then move your jaw in that motion that is helpful for speech and talk about theevent. Talking is always a good first step in getting anything accomplished. ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 11 ---------- July 24.1996 OPINIONS THE WESTERN FRONT • 11 People, not Castro regime, hurt by U.S. policyU.S. foreign policy 'hypocritical' in punishing Cuba while coddling other oppressive governments GeneMetrick The Western Front It is way past time to end the bitter vendetta that is euphemisticallyreferred to as United States Cuban policy. President Clinton made the correct decision in suspending a _ • • « • provision of the Helms-Burton Act that would have allowed American citizens to file lawsuits against companies that operate or profit from property that was seized by the Castrogovernment after the 1959 revolution. But he should never have signed this bill into law. The bill, whichwas sponsored by Sen. Jesse "the mouth of madness" Helms (R-N.C.) and Rep. Dan "don't confuseme with facts" Burton, was written with the help of attorneys from the National Association of Sugar MillOwners of Cuba and the Bacardi Rum company, according to an investigative report by the BaltimoreSun. Both of these organizations would profit handsomely from the bill. So would Cuban-Americans who are naturalized U.S. citizens, who would now be permitted to make claims against confiscatedproperties. The administration and the American business community in general had opposed thisdracon-ian measure until two airplanes flown by a Cuban exile group were shot down off the coast ofCuba in February. T h e president changed his position in reaction to media sensationalismabout the event, and political pressure exerted by Cuban-American exile groups, who wield enormouspolitical influence in the president's must-win states of Florida and New Jersey. Helms-Burton buildsupon the 34-year-old economic . embargo against Cuba. It is part of an obsessive attempt to dislodgeFidel Castro from power and bring "democracy" to Cuba. Its goal might be better described asreplacing Castro with a government that is friendlier to, if not controlled by, American business. In otherwords, a government a lot like the one Castro overthrew in 1959. And in case anyone may haveforgotten, the Cold War is over. But the United States refuses to quit fighting this last battle that wasonce part of the struggle against the Soviet Union. Trade with Vietnam has been reestablished; notbecause they have held free elections, but because there is a lot of money to be made there byAmerican companies. The government has shifted its basis for the embargo from anti-communistparanoia to the hypocritical precept of advancing democracy and human rights. But human rightsviolations in countries like China and Indonesia, which are major trading partners with our country, are much greater than in Cuba. And the United States is expanding trade with these countries on therationale that engagement will help to bring about political "... despite America's best efforts, FidelCastro remains a popular figure in Cuba." reforms. Why is the opposite supposed to be true in Cuba? The truth that the government doesn't want the public to know is that human rights violations in Cubapale in comparison to other Latin American countries. And unlike in Guatemala, El Salvador orNicaragua, there have been no CIA-sponsored death squads roaming the Cuban countryside murderingand torturing people. The Cuban embargo was even expanded in 1992 to include food and medicalsupplies, in contrast to the embargo against Iraq, a country with which we actually fought a real shooting war. The real victims of this embargo are the Cuban people, not the Castro government. Foodshortages are now a fact of life in a country that could once boast of an almost complete absence ofmalnutrition. The free health care system that was once the envy of other third world and even someindustrialized nations is now running out of basic medications. These conditions are the main causesbehind the increase in defections from Cuba over the last few years. But despite America's best efforts,Fidel Castro remains a popular figure in Cuba. In a news conference held to denounce the president'sdecision, Rep. Burton said that Helms-Burton was necessary "to prevent the commercial utilization of stolen American property." I wonder how he would feel if British royal family decided to sue us forproperty stolen from them during the American Revolution? How would Sen. Helms react to a NativeAmerican class-action lawsuit seeking a cut of the profits made from property stolen from them? TheCuban embargo is an illegal and immoral intrusion into the internal affairs of that country. And eventhough this kind of intrusion has been the historic cornerstone of all U.S. policy toward Latin America,it is time we set about changing it. A friendly reminder from your friends at THE WESTERN FRONTJuly 31 is our last issue for summer quarter. Persons wishing to submit letters or othermaterials for possible publication in that issue must turn them in by Monday, July 29. The"Welcome Back" edition will be released on Sept. 23. Thank you. ^ M M i i i ^ ^ ^ i ^ p l I l i R i i i i i l401. HE"L"P" 'W" ANT"E D " ' ' l i igl l f l l i i l i i iM llMillllli^ll 201. FOR RENT CALL EBRIGHT WIGHTFOR OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING WOODRIDGE: Large 2-bed apts. w/ washer/dryer, balcony, fireplace. Convenient location. $550 per month. TAYLORHEIGHTS: $250/room w/ utilities paid.Shared kitchen bath. UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS: 4-bed, 2-bath apts. $l,000/month. Other optionsavailable. Call us today! EBRIGHT WIGHT PROPERTY MGMT. 1400 Broadway • 733-7944 4 Fem,hse in resort, 15 min to WWU, bus serv avail 255 per mo Karissa 360-435-8120 420 Lakeway drive, 5Bedroom, 2 Bath Home 7 Blocks from WWU campus. $1150 with discount, includes washer, dryer,dishwasher, gas heat. Every bedroom has cable, phone and modem connections. Water, sewer,garbage, lawncare, and appliance maintenance included with rent. Available August 1st on 1 yearlease. Deposit $1000, total move in cost $2150. For additional information pick up flyer in from of houseor Call James at 676-4336. imHWHn Student Publications Employment Opportunity: Western FrontAdvertising Sales Representative Requirements: Enrolled as a full time student for academic year.Previous sales experience helpful but not mandatory, (full training provided). Capable of dealing withthe public. Opening Academic Year 1996-1997. Send resume and letter of intent to: Business Manager College Hall #110 Bellingham, WA 98225-9100 AIRLINE JOBS - Now hiring domestic internationalstaff! Flight attendants, ticket agents, reservationists, ground crew + more. Excellent travel benefits! CallAirline Employment Services. 1-206- 971-3690 ext.L60862 NATIONAL PARKS HIRING - Positions are now available at National Parks, Forests Wildlife Preserves. Excellent benefits+bonuses! Call: 1-206-971-3620 ext. N60866 On-line format available Creative Affordable "You owe it to yourself 733-8733 501. SERVICES 801. ANNOUNCEMENTS BARB DAVE'S TYPING "Give yourself time tostudy!" $1.25/page. Callus. 671-1673 MOVING OUT OFTOWN? To get the U-Haul truck you need when you want it, place your reservation at least 48 hrs in advance. Fix-It Shop U-Haul 840 N. State St 650-9098 FULL SERVICE RESUME PREPARATION EUROPE $269. Be a little flexible an SAVE $$$ We'll help you beat the airline prices. Destinations Worldwide. AIRHITCH® 800-806-2610airhitch@netcom.com A FAMILY AFFAIR CHILD-CARE CENTER has openings for children 2 1/2 years older. Quality care affordable rates. 734-6073 D 301. Wanted • 401. Help Wanted ClassifiedAdvertising Form for the Western Front • 501. Services D 701. Lost Found D 901. Personals D Other (specify) • 601. Rides, Riders • 801. Announcements • 1001. Garage Sales 3. Payment must be received before ad will be run 2. Insertion price is 80 cents per line for one issue; 75 for a repeat. 4.Please send form with payment to: WWU-The Western Front Bellingham WA 98225-9100 (Repeatclassifieds must be run in consecutive issues for reduced rate.) 5. Ads must be submitted by deadline: 3pm Wednesday for the Friday edit.on, Name ___ Phone( ) 3 Pm Thursday for the Tuesday edition.Address: : City: State: Zip:__ Run Dates: . — — — • 101. For Sale • 201. For Rent 1. Insertone letter per box. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Please print ad exactly as it is to run ---------- Western Front - 1996 July 24 - Page 12 ---------- 12 • THE WESTERN FRONT LSAT • ORE • GMAT %m Direct Flights Daily: July 24. 199fiPreparation from The Steven Klein Company featuring... • 32 hours of in-class teaching • fullyproctored exam • additional help sessions • experienced instruction • free application advising• Price-$445 Call now for more information on the LSAT, GRE or GMAT 524-49151 Classes forOctober 19th GMAT will begin August 27th. TISING 1 6 1 Sure air bags work great in front-endcollisions, but only a safety belt can protect you from side and rear-end collisions. So buckle up. Andyou'll cover all the angles. mvmwpxkiBmoHkimiL BUCKLE YOUR SAffTYBfllFamoninbm^t*A^ia*lSaMyHjm»:gO(M!4-9393 Wherever you're going—across or across thecountry—it's easier with WTA! Free Campus Express. Flash your current WWU ID card and ride freeacross campus, then on to the Civic Field Park Ride lot, Lakeway, Woburn, Yew and Alabama. Orleave your car at the Park Ride for an easy connection to school. Note: Wheelchair lifts andbike racksnot available on this run. Find where you're going. WTA's new Transit Guide includes route maps,schedules and more. It's free at any transit station or bus. WTA Routes to WWU. Route 2B: Garden-Knox Route 3B: WWU-Samish Way Route 5A: WWU-Fairhaven via Sehome Village Route 7B: WWU-Fairhaven Route 8A: Samish Way-WWU Route 9B: Femdale-Bellis Fair-WWU Ni£jif7iwe:Bellis-Downtown-WWU-Sehome-Fairhaven Headed out of town? Take WTA to the Fairhaven TransportationCenter, then catch Greyhound or Amtrak. Route 1A: Mon - Fri, 6:10 am - 6:10 pm Route 7B: Sat only,9:30 am - 5:30 pm Nightline: Mon - Sat, 6:45 pm -10:55 pm Refer to the schedule for exact times.Venture out at night on the Nightline. WTA's Nightline route runs from 6:45 pm to 10:55 nightly. Take it toBellis Fair, downtown, WWU, Sehome or Fairhaven. Direct to the mall. Route 9B now runs all the way toWWU, so you can ride straight to Bellis Fair and Ferndale. Carpool connections. WTA will help youconnect with others who want to carpool, or set you up with a van! Call 676-6843 or 384-6843. Bring your other wheels. WTA buses are equipped with bike racks and wheelchair lifts, so you don't have to leaveyour wheels at home. Nothing can stop you now! Get a WTA Pass Card for just $10 a month to enjoyunlimited rides and quick boarding on any route — plus big discounts at participating retailers. Callthe number below to find out where you can pick up your own Pass Card. MffMfcom TWtnsj •Ity 676-RIDE or 3S4-RIDE FRONT LASSIFIEDS D I S P L A Y ADVERTISING 1 6 5 0 - 1 1PPPPP