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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 1



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  BAMBI NO LONGER WELCOME IN NFL END ZONES, PACK  THE
WESTERN»FRONT  WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY TUESDAY, APRIL 4,
2006 ISSUE 2, VOLUME 137  Students plan walkout Organizers oppose stricter
immigration policies  BY SHAWNA WALLS  The Western Front  From California
to New York, and now  at Western, high school and college students  have
staged rallies and class walkouts since  March to protest a bill in the
U.S. Senate  making it a felony to live in the United States illegally. 
The Chicano Student Movement of  Aztlan, MEChA, a human rights organization
 that focuses on chicano issues, is sponsoring  Western's walkout, which is
scheduled for  noon Wednesday in  Red Square.  "We don't want extremist
immigration  reform," said Western senior Sierra Schraff- Thomas, a member
of the student group.  "We want immigration reform that includes  human
rights and justice, for everyone."  The bill, HR 4437, will allow for
tougher  prosecution of undocumented people, she said.  Undocumented
workers have children  who are natural-born citizens who would be  left
alone if their parents became felons and  were imprisoned, she said.  The
group is walking out to send a unified message to state and national
politicians,  Schraff-Thomas said.  Western's walkout includes a march  to
the Federal Building in downtown  Bellingham, where marchers will present a
 letter protesting the bill to the Bellingham  office of Rep. Rick Larsen
D-Wash., who  voted for the bill in December.  Larsen expressed
reservations about the  bill in a December 16,2005 press release.  see
BELL, page 5  PETER THAN / THE WESTERN FRONT  In preparation for Saturday's
border rally, Ray Ybarra, of the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona,
 trained protesters from the Coalition for Professional Law and Border
Enforcement on March  29 at Taqueria El Polivoz on Meridian Street. In the
background listening is Ricardo Sanchez, owner  of the restaurant. 
Minutemen encounter  opposition at border  KUGS DJs  spin on Web  BY SHAWN
QUERY  The Western Front  Western's student-run radio station, KUGS-FM,
began  broadcasting online March 10, allowing listeners who  live out of
town, or who can't get the signal, to enjoy  its  programming.  By clicking
on the link "Listen to KUGS-FM online  now" on the KUGS Web site's
homepage, users can  listen at their computers, said Oliver Anderson,
Western  senior and program manager. The core staff at the station  worked
on getting the Webcast up and running last year,  Anderson  said.  see
RADIO, page 5  BY JULIE WAGGONER  The Western Front  The Coalition for
Professional Law and Border  Enforcement, a group of local human rights
organizations,  held a rally to oppose the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps 
April 1 at the Peace Arch Park in Blaine.  For four hours in the steady
rain, some of the 50 activists  handed out informational leaflets about the
Minutemen to  motorists waiting to cross at the Peace Arch border crossing 
in Blaine.  Other members performed original music and theatrical 
performances at the event which began the Aguila del  Norte Legal* Observer
program.  "The objective is to, in a peaceful way, hold the  Minutemen
accountable for what they're doing and to see  if they violate human
rights," Fairhaven College senior  see ACTIVISTS, page 4  PETER THAN / THE
WESTERN FRONT  KUGS-FM DJ and Western freshman Jenny  Hemley works on sound
equipment during a  broadcast. The student-run radio station began  its
current online Webcast March 10.  DUCK HUNT  Western baseball club splits 
doubleheader with rival University  of Oregon Sunday.  SPORTS, PAGE 9 
BUSBAR  The State Street Depot Bar and  Grill embraces a station 
atmosphere.  FEATURES, PAGE 8  SPEAR BRITNEY  Statue of once-pregnant pop 
star giving birth a waste  of marble.  OPINIONS,  PAGE 13  WEATHER 
Wednesday: Cloudy  Hi: 54 Low: 40  Thursday: Cloudy  Hi: 56 Low: 39
www.westernfrontonline.com                      



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 2



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   2 • THE WESTERN FRONT NEWS APRIL 4,2006  MIISSI1  Cops
Box  Bellingham Police  April 2, 11:43 p.m.: Officers  responded to a
report of a  20-year-old man brandishing  a weapon on the 2400 block  of
Alabama Street.  April 1,2:04 a.m.: Officers  cited1 a 20-year-old man  on
suspicion of minor in possession on the 800 block  of East Maple Street. 
April 1,12:39 a.m.: Officers  responded to a report of a  loud party on the
700 block  of North Garden Street.  March 31, 1:55 a.m.:  Officers cited
two a 25-year- old  man and a 29-year-old  man on suspicion of public 
urination on the 1300 block  of Commercial Street.   March 31, 1:15 a.m.: 
Officers cited a 21-year-old  woman on suspicion of  public urination on
the 1600 block of Ellis Street.  March 31, 11:59 p.m.:  Officers cited an
18-year-old  man on the 2400 block  of G Street on the suspicion  of minor
in possession.  March 31, 10:46 p.m.;  Officers responded to a  report of a
loud party and  reckless driving on the 2100  block of Williams Street. 
Compiled by Rob Ashlock WIHI1I1II111  Election lacks candidates  With
deadline near, only 14 students have entered AS races  BY JEFFREY LUXMORE 
The Western Front  The deadline to enter the Associated  Students elections
is Thursday and only 14  students have applied for the seven board 
positions, said Western junior and the AS  elections coordinator Brian
Perrow.  Out of the 14 candidates who have applied  so far, 11 already work
for or with the AS,  he said.  "We hardly ever see anyone from the campus 
community get involved," Perrow said.  Applications are available in Viking
Union  504 and are due back by 5 p.m. on Thursday.     Applicants must
collect 150 signatures as part  of the application process, but Perrow said
he  has seen a  candidate do that in a single day.  Western senior Alanna
Ahern, the AS vice  president for campus and community affairs,  said
students with leadership skills would be  successful in any of the board's
positions.  "When one faction of campus is always  dominating the agenda,
that's not good for  students," Ahern said. "The ability to affect  change
on my campus is the top benefit for  me," she said.  Seven student board
members comprise the  elected positions of the AS. It also employs 
students through extra  curricular groups, such as  KUGS, the campus radio
station, Perrow said.  Kevin Majkut, director of Viking Union  student
activities, said the elections usually  have at least two students running
for each  of the positions. Approximately the same  amount of students ran
last year compared to  who has filed this year, he said.  The lack of new
students running for the  board could be due to insufficient advertising
PETERTHAN /THE WESTERN FRONT  Western junior Michael Downing pauses to read
an advertisement  promoting  the upcoming AS election. 11 out of the 14
applicants who have filed for this  year's AS board elections are already
involved with the AS.  of the board and elections, Ahern said.  One of
Perrow's responsibilities as  elections coordinator is to promote the 
elections, but no specific office exists to promote the AS. This could
explain why  advertising is not more widespread around  campus, Ahern said.
 The AS Review and its Web site are  available for students to quickly find
out  what is happening on campus, but these are  not specific advertising
outlets for the AS,  Perrow said.  Most of Perrow's work with promotions 
will focus on voter turnout. He is organizing  radio spots and
advertisements in campus publications, he said.  Perrow posted flyers up
with the Publicity  Center around campus right before spring  break
informing students of the filing deadline,  he said. The AS also advertised
in kiosks  around campus to promote the elections at the  beginning of
spring quarter, he said.  Ahern said she would like to  see students  who
are familiar with the AS run, but she  wants new students as well. The
elections  are open to students without prior experience  with the AS. The
AS would not adequately  represent Western students if it did not  welcome
applicants who are not previously  affiliated with the AS, she said.  The
AS may intimidate students who  are new to the group because new students 
don't know how the AS process works,  Ahern said.  Returning AS members may
be more  efficient in the board positions in the beginning because they
understand the board  members' roles and the issues Western faces  that
continue year after year, Perrow said:  They may understand issues better
because  of their continued involvement, he said.  Returning AS members
tend to concentrate  their efforts on continuing what they did  the 
previous year instead of looking for new  issues to focus on, he said. New
students  would offer another perspective, he said.  "Fresh voices bring
new ideas," Perrow said.  The Western Front Online Don't cry!  Check out
The Western Front Online.  www.westernJrontonline.com  The Western Front is
published twice weekly in fall, winter and spring;  once a week in summer
session. Address: The Western Front, Western Washington  University, CF
251, Bellingham, WA 98225. The Western Front is  the official newspaper of
Western Washington University, published by the  Student Publications
Council, and is mainly supported by advertising.  Opinions and stories in
the newspaper have no connection with advertising.  News content is
determined by student editors. Staff reporters are enrolled  in a course in
 the Department of Journalism, but any student enrolled  at Western may
offer stories to the editors. Advertising inquiries should be directed to
the business office in CF 230,  or by phone to (360) 650-3161. Members of
the Western community are entitled to a single free copy of  each issue of
The Western Front.   WWU Official Announcements - PLEASE POST  THE MATH
PLACEMENT TEST will be in OM 120 at 9 a.m. Thursdays on April 6,13, 20, 27;
May 4,11,18,25, June 1  and 8, and at 3 p.m. Mondays on April 10,17, 24,
May 1, 8,15, 22, and June 5. Registration is not required. Students  must
bring photo identification, their student number, Social Security number,
and a No. 2 pencil. A $15 fee is payable in the exact amount at test time.
Allow 90 minutes.  THE MATH PLACEMENT TEST SCHEDULE AND SAMPLE TOPICS and
sample topics may be found at www.ac.wwu.  edu/~assess/tchtm.  WILSON
LIBRARY AND THE MUSIC LIBRARY WILL HOLD BOOK SALES open to the Western
community and the general  public on April 5 and 6. Wilson Library will
offer a wide selection of items from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  both days, with
access to the sale  from the exterior door to Room 171 on the High Street
side of Wilson Library. On April 5 only, the Music Library will hold a 
sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Main Lobby. 
SPRING QUARTER CROUP OFFERINGS THROUGH THE COUNSELING CENTER INCLUDE
• Relaxation Training, 4 p.m.  Thursdays starting April
6, OM 540, drop-in for one or all session; • Ride the
Emotional Wave, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays,  from April 5-May 24,
registration is not required, join anytime; • One-session
Test Anxiety Workshop, choose from noon April  17,2 p.m. April 25, or 3
p.m. May 10, registration is not required. For more information call X/3164
or stop by OM 540.  BIOLOGY SEMINAR. Kelly Cude (biology) "A Novel ERK
5/NFkb Pathway in the Regulation of the G2/M Phase of the Cell  Cycle." 4
p.m. April 12, Bl 234. Refreshments, 3:50 p.m:  2006-07 FACULTY/STAFF
PARKING APPLICATIONS will be online beginning April 24. May 15 is the last
day to apply. Late  applications may result in seniority not being
considered. Those without a computer or who need a commuter packet or car 
pool permit may complete an application at the parking office. For special 
requests or further assistance, call X/2945.  MILLER ANALOGIES TEST (MAT).
The computer-based Miller Analogies Test is by appointment only. Make an
appointment  in person in OM 120 or call X/3080. A  $60 fee is payable at
test time. Testing takes about 1 72 hours. Preliminary scores will  be
available immediately; official results are mailed within 15 days.  WEST-B
TEST. Everyone applying for admission to state-approved teacher education
programs must meet the minimum passing  score on the basic skills
assessment by the application deadline. For a study guide and to register,
visit www.west.nesinc. com. Remaining test dates through Jury are May 13
and July 15. Registration deadlines are several weeks  in advance.  WEST-E
PRAXIS. Washington requires individuals seeking teacher certification and
teachers  seeking additional endorsements to pass  the WEST-E (PRAXIS) in
the chosen endorsement area. Visit www.ets.org/praxis/prxwa.html for
description and online registration  information, or obtain a registration
bulletin in MH 216. The remaining academic-year test date is April 29.  TO
LEARN IF WESTERN IS CLOSED DURING STORMY WEATHER, call 650-6500 after 6:30
a.m. or tune to KGMI (790  AM), KBAI (930 AM) gt; KPUG (1170 AM), KUGS
(89.3 FM), KISM (92.9 FM), KAFE (104.3 FM) or KWPZ (106.5 FM). Broadcasts 
about whether Western is open or closed will begin between 6:15 and 6:30
a.m. FACULTY ARE REMINDED THAT RESERVED PARKING SPACES are available for
their use after hours and weekends with a  valid parking permit or bus
pass, as posted in lots 10G, 17C and the Parks Hall lot.  FOR SPRING CAMPUS
RECRUITING OPPORTUNmES, see www.careers.wwu.edu, stop by OM 280, or call
X/3240.                                                  



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 3



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  APRIL 4,2006 THE WESTERN FRONT • 3  Vikings...looking
for a place for next Fall?  We have the right place for you!  (Available
dates   rent amounts are subject to change at any time)  Rental Type: Date 
Available: Rent Price:  STUDIOS:  NearWWU:  •1018 23rd
Street 7/1-9/1 $460-$475  •2211 Douglas Ave 7/1,9/1 $475
- $525  *501 Voltaire Court 7/1- 9/1 $525 - $550  Lakewav Area:  * 1025
Potter Street 8/1- 9/1 $550  Downtown Area:  •601 E Holly
Street 6/1 - 9/1 $395 - $410  *607 E Holly Street 6/1 - 9/1 $495  - $545 
•1304 Railroad Ave 9/1 $500-$535  *1600D Street 9/1
$525/$575  •839 State Street 6/1 - 9/1 $575 - $62|| 
*202E. Holly 9/1 $425/ $ 4 j j |  Fairhaven Area: ^^  1001 Larrabee Ave
7/1- 9/1 $675 J H R Near Beilis Fair Mall/North BeHingham: j ^ ^ ^ (  TWO
BEDROOMS:  NearWWU:  Starting 4/18 we will begin  making appointments to
view  units and accepting reservations  for Summer   Fall 
•1014 23rd S  j J | ( | ^ - 9/1  •2211
D o u ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ t e / 1  101J|^tygf 8/1,-^HB^  8 jJSMHRfeet 8/15 -"^HHk 
flBBH|?treet 9/1 " 1J§jj  ^ ^ ^ p t a t e Street 6/1 - 9/1 1|j| 
!S^^S^| State- Street 7/1 - 9/1 l |i  plate Street 9/1 ,%  $635- 660  $765 
$750  $750-$775  $725 - $765  $785  $700  $900  J750 -$975 
§jg0Q//$l,000  Bfcl00Jk  FOUR BEDROOMS:  16 Valley View
Cir.(HSE) Mid June  **1304 Ellis Street 9/1  **1838 - 1844 Valencia St 9/1
2930-2932 Nevada St. 9/1  1817-1819 Maryland 8/1,9/1  1700 E Illinois (HSE)
Mid Aug 1119KenoyerDr.(HSE) 9/1  •1302/1306 Barkley 7/1 
FIVE BEDROOMS:  611Paloma Now   Fall •135-139 Prince Ave
7/1 - 9/1  •500-504 Tremont 6/1-9/1 
•3516-3518 NW Ave 9/1  ONE BEDROOMS:  s5ii  $111  Jill  ^
3 2 0 ^ ^ ^ ^ r ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ MNMNNk*1 0 1 5 Potter St (HSE gt; 9/1  WW WB
BEDROOMS:  JNI ^ ^ ' ^ f t p r i n c e ^ ^ B ' l sMlJk  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ f c r
o n a St. (HSE) 9/10  $1,150 $1,200  $1,250  $1,275  $1,275  $1,400  $1,000
 $1,225  $1,150  $1,950  Mid Ji^HHHHHfai  7 / i j r i H H H HH  NearWWU: 
•926 24Ih Street  •1014 23rd Street 
230 32,Ki Street  •240 32nd Street _„
lt;s „^  221.1 Douglas Ave 7 / | ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^  813
Indian Street ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^  •501 Voltaire C o u r ^
^ ^ ^  1026 22nd St. ^jHHMR  Downtown A r e l ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 
•1304 Railroad Ave 7/1 - 9/1  •202 E
Holly 9/1  •1001 N State Street 7/1 - 9/1 
•839 State Street 8/1,9/1  Lakewav Area:  408.5 Lakeway 
Dr. (HSE) 7/1  •1025 Potter Street 9/1  ^i^^rio^^^^)
j||iJ|  ^ 8 J ^ J M ^ ^ ^ ^ 6/lllIB  j|||l ^^pm^^^^^^air^1**^  ^ ^
JflHMMk"1* Street (HSE) 9/1 $1 gt;500  i. S ^ ^ ^ i J ^ B J B H M I J t e *
8 allowed in some units  r |7f^^^^^^^^^^Bfeved o n a case-by-case basis 
NHMB  $525 - $650  $700  $700-  $700-  $775  $950  $500 $675 $700  Near
Beilis Fair Mall/North BeHingham:  2719 W. Maplewood6/l $550 
•3516 NW Ave •flat 9/1 $615 - $650 
•3516 NW Ave *loft 9/1 $725  611 Paloma Now   Fall $675 -
$725  •500-504 Tremont 7/1-9/1 $600/$650 
•500-504 Tremont - loft 6/1-9/1 $700 / $725  flDther
Areas:  f • • 1709 Carolina Street 8/1,
9/1  THREE BEDROOMS:  NearWWU:  •921-927 21st Street
7/1-9/1  1112 High Street (HSE) 5/1  1026 22nd Street 7/1, 9/1  1907 34*
Street (HSE) 8/1  Other Areas:  ••1709
Carolina Street 9/1  1723 E. Illinois St (HSE) 8/1  803 - 807 Blueberry 7/1
- 9/1  2241-2251 Michigan St. 8/1, 9/1  1588 Brook Edge Crt.(HSE) 9/1  1600
D. Street 7/1  1109 Yew Street (HSE). 9/1  $675 /$1§11 $775 -
$800  $900  $1,150-$1175  $1,150  $750  $1,050  $1,000  $1,100  $1,300 
$1,1.25  $1,200 mi^^^m^^^^r website.  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ p t u r e s of  ^ ^ ^
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ f c r plans,  l!|Ber ro^^^m IIso be  downloaded. Property
Management, Inc.  360-527-9829 • 2821 Meridian St.
BeHingham, WA 98225 • Fax: 360- 527-3082 
www.apex-property.com                        



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 4



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  4 • THE WESTERN FRONT NEWS APRIL 4,2006  Activists:
Protesters undergo training to diffuse conflicts  PETER THAN/THE WESTERN
FRONT  Ian Morgan, a member of the Legal Observer program, mounts a sign at
Saturday's border  crossing rally. The sign translates from Spanish as,
"dignity without borders."  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1  Andres Ortiz said.  The
Minutemen began  sporadically watching for illegal  crossings of the
Washington state-  Canada border since October 2005,  photographing any
violations and  reporting them to U.S. Customs  and Border Patrol, said Tom
 Williams of Deming, the leader of  the Washington state's Minutemen 
chapter:  Ortiz will lead volunteers from  the legal observer program in an
 extended period of watching the  Minutemen. They will document  any
actions the group perceives as  abusive at its Blaine headquarters  using
photographs, notes and  videos.  Ortiz said the legal observer  program
will show all the  documents it collects to the  Whatcom County Council at
the end of April to convince the council  to pass a resolution informing
the  Minutemen they are not welcome in Whatcom County.  Ortiz said the
Legal Observer  program has 48 members, a quarter  of whom are Western
students.  He said all volunteers attend a  two-hour training in
non-violent  observation, teaching them how  to avoid confrontations with
the  Minutemen.  Methods include humor,  changing the subject or refusing 
to respond to attacks, such as  incidents where Minutemen spat  on or
kicked legal observers in  Arizona where the Minutemen  are active in
patrolling the border,  Ortiz said.  "We want to see what they're  up to
and report it back to the  community," said Western senior  David Cahn, a
member of the program. "We just want to observe  and document them, not get
in their  faces at all."  Ortiz said the program is based  on Legal
Observer Project in  Arizona, where the Minutemen  organization began
patrolling  the border in April 2005. The  American Civil Liberties Union's
 Ray Ybarra, who established the  Arizona Legal Observer Project  last
April, trained Ortiz and others  in non-violent observation March  29 at 
the Taqueria El Polivoz  Mexican restaurant on Meridian  Street, Ortiz
said.  Williams said the Minutemen   are not opposed to the legal  observer
program.  The volunteers will have a  boring job because the Minutemen 
don't engage in illegal activities,  he said. The Legal Observers will  be
helping the Minutemen's goal  by putting more eyes on the border,  he said.
 "I don't think intimidation is  a humane method of protecting  the
borders," said Western senior  Jackie Vosler, who attended  the rally. "I
think we  have a  responsibility to make sure it's not  used. It's
important that we make  sure human beings are treated like  human beings in
all situations and  that invisible borders we create  don't change that."
BREWERY   BISTRO  miners  DO YOI  WAX! AX  EX I HA  $100,000?  MM\U  Phil
Emerson  SfltadaD, n  p r 8t!i 4:50-8pm  Soup lor Shelter  a fundraiser for
W tooft Services  .^1 diiHTrni soip UMiii d indo lt;: lirkeis $15 presale.
$2!) dimr, S5 Ms  it pays  to advertise in the  Western Front  Number of
county homeless increases  BY KELLY JOINES  The Western Front  Whatcom
County will devise a plan in coordination with local  homeless shelters to
reduce the local homeless population 50  percent by 2015. The county will
use an area homeless count they  completed in January,  Gary Williams,
supervisor of the human services division of the  Whatcom County Health
Department, said the count's purpose is  to look at the homeless
population's demographics and the major  factors that contribute to their
homelessness. ...  "People are probably never going to see many of the
homeless  as a lot of them do not wish to be seen," said Sherri Emerson, 
public relations correspondent for Whatcom Opportunity Council,  an agency 
that helps homeless people find shelters.  Lara Bond, 28, a junior in the
human services program at Woodring College of Education at Western, met
with homeless  students during her ongoing internship at the Opportunity
Council.  Bond said the Opportunity Council tries to help everyone who is 
homeless, but often they are not able to.  "There are not enough services
here for the homeless," Bond  said. "They are limited especially for
certain circumstances. The  most disappointing thing you can tell someone
when they come  here is that they aren't eligible for what is offered or
that they are  on their own that night to find  a place to stay."  Williams
said he hopes to compare results with other counties in  Washington that
completed the count within the next two weeks.  More than 50 organizations
administered the count, including  the Opportunity Council, Bellingham
Foodbank, Bellingham  school district, Whatcom County Jail and the YWCA
Transitional  Housing Program.  65%  Homeless minors 
•35%  • Older than 18 GRAPHIC BY
MICHAEL LYCKLAMA  Thirty-five percent of Whatcom County's homeless  are
younger than 18 years old.  STATISTICS COURTESY OF THE WHATCOM COUNTY
POINT-IN-TIME  COUNT OF HOMELESS PERSONS  Are Your BRAKES making noise?  We
have a FREE brake inspection that you should get every 30,000 miles.  1 0 %
discount with Student ID  Prime Tune   Brakes  in Sunset Square 671-2277 
respect, privacy, testing, answers.  wepe  - •
• • • i downtown
BeiUnghainj 1310 N State St.                                 



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 5



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  APRIL 4,2006 NEWS THE WESTERN FRONT • 5  Radio: Station
to increase Webcasting bandwidth to  reach more students if funding
approved  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1  On the Web site, listeners can also see
the  song title, artist name and album title of the  song currently
playing, Anderson said.  "The Webcast is great because when I  listen to
the radio, I'm always curious about  the songs that are playing," said
Western  freshman disc jockey Jenny Hemley.  Information for the last two
songs is also listed below the current song. By clicking  on the "View
playlist archive" link, listeners  can research song information for any 
track that aired since the Webcast started,  Anderson said.  Although KUGS
first began Webcasting  in 1997, changing copyright laws and fees  forced
the station to stop in 2002, said KUGS  general manager Jamie Hoover.  The
station would have been charged for  every listener using the Webcast as
well as  for every song each listener played online,  Hoover said.  If 200
listeners were listening to a song  on the Webcast, it would cost the
station  approximately $20,000 per year, Hoover said.  "College stations
across the country  really just stopped what they _________  were doing,"
she said. "(The  cost) scared a lot of stations  away from Webcasting." 
Hoover said an agreement  with Recording Artists of  America allowed
stations at  colleges with more than 15,000  students, such as Western,  to
only pay $500 a year for  Webcasting. KUGS also pays  approximately $170
per month  for a  service called PlayStream  to process and distribute the 
station's signal, she said.  At this cost, only 50 listeners can use the 
Webcast at any one time, Hoover said. Once  KUGS exceeds the bandwidth, no
more users  can log on to the Webcast, she said.  If the Webcast gains
popularity, Hoover  said she plans  to ask the Associated Students  board
of directors to fund an increase in  Webcast users.  Hoover said the main
goal of the Webcast  is to reach more listeners in the residence  halls.
Because many residence halls, such  _________ as Buchanan Towers and 
Fairhaven have concrete  walls, it can be difficult for students to receive
the radio  signal, Hoover said.  "We know that students  come to campus
with their computers, and we know that  most of the students get their 
entertainment and their media  through their computers,"  Hoover said. "The
idea was  to get clear signals to people  who can't get the station and
increasing student listenership."  Western junior and KUGS operations 
coordinator Cory Watkins said she  thinks the  new feature will improve the
sound quality  of the station on campus.  She said the Webcast quality is
equal to a  The idea was to  get clear signals  to people who  can't get
the station  and increasing  student listenership/  JAMIE HOOVER  KUGS-FM
general  manager  clearly-recieved broadcast. As a low-power  station, KUGS
is difficult to receive clearly  on campus.  Even in the Viking Union,
where KUGS  broadcasts, Watkins said it is difficult to  receive the
signal.  "KUGS-FM is on the seventh floor of the  Viking Union, but down on
the sixth floor  and in the market they can't listen because the  signal is
too faint," Watkins said. "Hopefully  with the Webcast that will improve." 
Since the Webcast  started, the only  problem users have encountered is
iTunes  not playing the stream, Watkins said. Macintosh computer users will
have to  download another media player to betable to  use the Webcast, she
said.  Anderson said he hopes increased KUGS  exposure through Webcasts
will increase  student involvement in the station as  volunteer DJs and
office staff.  "The Webcast is part of our ongoing push  to bring people
into the KUGS community,"  Anderson said. "So not only do we want to  get
more students listening to us, but we  want to get more students working
here."  Bill: Los Angeles protests inspire Western, other state
universities to take stand Wednesday  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1  In a December
16, 2005 press release,  Larsen said he opposes illegal immigration  but
sees someproblems withthesustainability  of some provisions in the bill. 
The House passed the bill in December  2005. Included in it are provisions
that  would make it a felony for U.S. citizens to  provide any type of aid
to illegal immigrants  and would remove federal funding for, any  states
that refuse to comply with the law. One amendment to the bill calls for 
the construction of 700 miles of barriers,  including double-layer fencing
with  surveillance, across much of the U.S.Mexico  border in California,
Arizona and  Texas. The bill also calls for a study by the  U.S. Department
of Homeland Security  potentially leading to similar borders on the 
U.S.-Canada border.  The Senate began debating the bill in  March. Its
version differs from the House  bill because it includes developing a guest
 worker program, which would provide  prospective immigrants with easier
access  to temporary work visas, and move toward  citizenship for illegal
immigrants already in  the country.  The Western chapter traveled to
Arizona  for the organization's annual national  convention March 25.  A
massive protest in Los Angeles on  March 27 inspired Western members to
plan  coinciding walkouts with the University of  Washington chapter, said
Western freshman arid MEChA member, MarTbel Galvan.  "It's really just been
this past week that  things have grown," Galvan said. "We were  talking
about (the walkout) on the drive up  from Phoenix, and by Tuesday, we'd had
an  emergency planning meeting."  In addition to the University of 
Washington, other state universities, such as  Central Washington
University, may stage  similar events this week, Galvan said.
Schraff-Thomas said her group has been  rallying other campus groups to
join the  effort.  "We're asking     anyone who feels this is  wrong to
join us," she said.  S I GEORGE'S UNIVERSITY:  VISIT OUR OPEN HOUSE AND 
DISCOVER WHAT A GLOBAL  MEDICAL EDUCATION CAN DO  FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. 
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•IIIPIIIII  iflffliiiii                                 



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 6



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  6 • THE WESTERN FRONT NEWS APRIL 4,2006  Learning
center to foster geology classes  Students will apply skills in outdoor
classroom amid nature in Sehome Arboretum  BY ASHLEY VEEVTIMILLA  The 
Western Front  Western's geology department will use a  new outdoor
learning center in the Sehome Arboretum to help students apply their 
natural science studies to the environment.  Dave Engebretson, a Western
geology  professor, will teach his spring geology  seminar class at the
center weekly, he  said. His students will incorporate the  environment in
their projects, such as  classifying and analyzing rock formations,  he
said. Geology 101 classes will also  use the center during field trips to
the  arboretum, he said.  "The right learning changes everything," 
-Engebretson said, "In other words, you can  learn more about a
cumulonimbus cloud  by going outside and looking at it than by  drawing it
on a piece of paper." Facilities management at Western  constructed the
learning center in fall  2005 in the abandoned rock quarry along  the
Sehome Trail in the arboretum, east of  Western's campus.  The center
provides opportunities for  a variety of teaching methods, such as 
physically interacting with the environment, Engebretson said, who came up
with the  idea for the center. It creates the opportunity  to observe the
surrounding geologic  formations, plants and animal life, he said.  "The
central focus of the project is to enhance student usage of the arboretum
for  educational and recreational purposes, as  well as strengthen  ties
with the surrounding  community," Engebretson said.  Twelve backless
benches face a low  rock platform at the front where teachers or  students
can lecture.  As an additional part of the project,  facilities  management
created new  paths along Sehome Trail fall quarter  2005, which improved
access from the Communications Facility to East College  Way, Engebretson
said.  The Western Foundation, a group of organizations and individuals who
donate  to the university, allocated $32,000 for  MATT VOGT / THE WESTERN
FRONT  Western senior Melanie Kelly studies in the outdoor learning center
on Sehome Trail behind the Communications  Facility. Geology 101 classes
will use this area on their field trips throughout spring quarter.  the
project in spring 2002 after President  Karen Morse and Provost of Academic
 Affairs Andrew Bodman approved the idea  in October 2000, Engebretson
said.  The center is part of an ongoing project  Engebretson began in 2000,
titled Sehome  Hill Arboretum Resource Education,  he said. This project
focuses on using  the arboretum's natural resources for  educational
purposes, he said. The outdoor  learning center is the first physical part
of  the project.  Engebretson has worked with facilities management, Morse
and the city of  Bellingham to complete the project in fall  2005. His
strongest supporters, however,  have been his own students, he said.  Their
dedication to his vision is  the driving force behind the project's 
completion because they helped him  develop ideas for the project, he said.
Engebretson gathered approximately  75 student volunteers in the past five 
years through teaching seminar classes  and independent study courses in
the  geology department, he said. The students helped devise models of the
center and lay  out the area within the rock by the trail,  Engebretson
said.  "I really want the students to take  ownership," Engebretson said. 
Western junior Kathleen Weinand said she has taken three classes at
Western,  geology 101, biology 101 and physical  geography, that have used
the arboretum  to apply the skills professors teach in the  classroom.
Weinand has been involved with creating the center, she said. ;  "There are
lots of classes that take you  up in the arboretum," Weinand said. "It will
 be nice to have a place to sit."  Tim Wynn, director of facilities 
management, managed the construction of  the outdoor center.  Wynn and
Engebretson worked together  on the center's  configuration, Wynn said. 
They designed the natural benches to fit in  the surrounding landscape but
also      to be  resistant to vandalism and graffiti, he said.  "The
arboretum is a wonderful asset,  anything we can do to enhance its
utilization  is a wonderful thing," Wynn said.  AH Evening With  mtmi 
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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 7



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  TUESDAY, APRIL 4,2006 • WESTERNFRONTONLINEXOM
• PAGE 7  n  Three charged in 'dungeon'  castration 
Three men were arrested on charges of performing castrations  on willing
participants in a "dungeon" in a rural house  in Haywood County, N.C.  The
men admitted to performing eight surgeries, including  castrations and
testicle replacements, on six consenting  clients in the past year. None of
the  men are licensed to practice  medicine, police said.  Detectives
searched the home and found medical supplies  which included scalpels,
sutures, bandages, anesthetic  and artificial replacement testicles. Each
man faces 18 felony counts, five counts of castration  without malice, five
counts of conspiracy to commit  castration without malice and eight
misdemeanor counts  of performing medical acts without a license. Each
felony  carries a maximum sentence of three years and three  months in
prison.  Cop wrestles bags of pot from dog's mouth  A Boston detective
searching a suspected drug dealer's apartment, wrestled a sack containing
108 bags of marijuana  out of the clenched jaws of a pitbull named Prada. 
The dog carried the tan-colored bag in his mouth on  March 29 as police
were searching the apartment, where  they found a loaded gun, $ 1,000 cash
and marijuana.  The bag tore when an officer tried to grab it. Police said 
they could see bags of marijuana inside the sack in Prada's  mouth. 
Officers locked Prada in a crate and arrested three men.  Toddler wanders
into strip club  . Police arrested a Kansas man March 18 at a Tulsa, Okla.,
 strip club after they said his 3 to 4-year-old son wandered  from an
unlocked car into the club.  Police arrested Christopher Greg Killion, 31,
on March  24 on a complaint of encouraging a minor child to be in heed  of
supervision.  A manager at the club called police to report that 30 minutes
 after Killion entered the club, the boy came inside looking  for his
father.  The toddler told police his father told him to stay in  the car
because if he left, monsters would eat him, police  reports said.  Clerk
faces jail for urinating in soda  A Deltona, Fla., convenience store clerk
pleaded no contest on March 30 to felony charges alleging he urinated in a 
bottle of soda a customer drank and became violently ill.  The victim
became suspicious of the drink after he  chugged it and vomited four times,
police reports said.  Mesa was working at a Deltona convenience store when 
the incident occurred last fall. Police arrested Anthony Mesa, 21, into
custody after a  short hearing before state Circuit Court Judge James
Clayton.  Mesa's sentencing is scheduled for a later date, according  to a
March 30, Orlando Sentinel article. Mesa's attorney  said he hopes his
client will receive less than a year in the  county jail. Naked intruder
stuns children  Utah police arrested Natalie Peterson, 23, on March 23 
when she showed up naked to take a shower in a stranger's  home.  Police
said Peterson wandered into a house after she had  been in an argument at a
nearby house. She then ordered the  three children there to leave "her
home."  One of the children called police to report an intruder.  Officers
found Peterson barricaded in a bedroom and in a  highly agitated state. 
Peterson then urinated in her cupped hand and tossed it at police. Police
subdued Peterson, who police said, was under  the influence of drugs and
was transported to a local hospital  before being booked into the Weber
County Jail.  She is facing several misdemeanor charges, including 
criminal trespassing, assaulting a police officer and propelling  a
substance onto an officer.  Thief caught with pants down  A 21-year-old
Nebraska man continued to burglarize an  Omaha tobacco store March 6, even
after his pants slipped  down and exposed his naked rear.  Security cameras
at the Tobacco Hut recorded the burglary.  Police branded the man the "bare
bottom bandit," and arrested  him on a felony burglary charge.  Compiled by
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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 8



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  8 • THE WESTERN FRONT FEATURES APRIL 4,2006  FROM BUS
STATION TO BAR  State Street Depot Bar and Grill  replaces Bellingham bus
station  BY PAGE BUONO  The Western Front  Antique luggage  suitcases,
original  bathroom stalls  and a tickets sign on the entrance  are just a
few clues the State Street Depot Bar  and Grill has not always  been a
local hot-spot for dining,  dancing and cocktails.  The building, known as 
Interurban Stages and located  at 1327 State St., was  constructed in 1930
to house  Puget Sound Power and  Light Company offices and  a bus station,
Depot owner  Ben Gilmer said.  The bus station moved  from State Street in
1994 to  its current location at 410  Harris Ave. in Fairhaven,  leaving
the building vacant  until the Depot moved in a  decade later, Gilmer said.
 "It has depth of character,"  Gilmer said. "It's not  as manufactured as a
lot of  other places."  Gilmer maintains the  original character by
displaying  photographs of old  buses and one photograph of  the building
as a bus station.  Gilmer also included brief  history about the former bus
 station on the back of the  menus. Gilmer said construction  and
renovation lasted nearly  eight months and ended Jan.  21, 2005. The
construction  cost approximately  $500,000, Gilmer said.  The final
renovations included  adding seating, tables  and two bars, while keeping 
much of the wood from the  original structure, Gilmer  said. Rewiring and
plumbs  ing concluded most of the  building renovations.  The original
14-foot ceilings, stone floors and brick  entry are features that remain 
from the former bus  station.  Moceri Construction,   who completed the
renovation  and rebuilding of the  structure, altered the three-foot 
bathroom stalls to   comply with the Americans  with Disability Act, Moceri
 carpenter Sean McDonough  said.  "It was a beautiful space  to begin
with," McDonough  said.  Gilmer said he tried to  maintain the historical
importance  of the building by  keeping the original architecture  intact. 
"We tried to maintain and reuse every item we found,"  Gilmer said. "Each
space  tells a story."  Gilmer saved doors  that could not stay in their 
original location to display  somewhere else. The tickets  sign on the door
has moved  to the entrance of the restaurant  in front of the hostess 
podium.  Gilmer said he discovered  a pay machine customers  could purchase
luggage  identity tags in the basement  of the building during renovation, 
which now hangs on  one wall of the lounge area.  Gilmer added old luggage 
bags he found at antique  stores to emphasize the historical  importance of
the  building's past.  Depot server Jenna Abbey  directed a customer who 
thought he was at the former  Interurban Stages bus station  to the new bus
station in  Fairhaven, she said.  "My mom used to ride  this bus when she
was going  to college here," Abbey  said. "When she came to  visit I
brought her here and  she was really excited about  the way it looked." , 
It's common for customers  to tell stories from their  childhood about
waiting for the bus while they drink and  dine, Depot prep cook Justin 
Moody said.  "I think that's one of the  reasons  it's so popular,"  Moody
said. "It has sort of  a nostalgic environment and  people like that."  The
original character of  the building and the thrill  of travel associated
with the  station are reasons customers come back to the Depot,  Gilmer
said.  He also attributed the  Depot's popularity to its  PETER THAN / TOE
WESTERN FRONT  The State Street Depot Bar and Grill opened Jan. 21, 2005
after eight months  of  renovation and construction.  friendly, outgoing
staff and  the warm environment that  he created with rich'wood  and dark
colors.  "I try to offer a pleasant  experience in order to  preserve a
quality customer  base," Gilmer said.  Gilmer plans to add pool  tables and
a dance floor this  week in order to expand  the night scene at the Depot, 
and this will make the  restaurant section sightly  smaller, he said. 
PETER THAN/THE WESTERN FRONT  Above: State Street Depot Bar and Grill owner
Ben Gilmer tried to maintain a historic atmosphere,  decorating the bar and
grill with luggage and antique photographs. TAYLOR WILLIAMS / THE WESTERN
FRONT  Right: The renovated Depot was home to Bellingham's bus  station
from 1930-1993.                          



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 9



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  TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2006 •WESTERNFRONTONLINE.COM
• PAGE 9  \. ; PETER THAN/THE WESTERN FRONT  Above:
Members of Western's men's baseball club celebrate Sunday after shortstop
Chris Peterson hit a game-winning home run at Beliingham High School.  The
Vikings won the second game of Sunday's doubleheader after dropping the
first game to Oregon 8-6.  Below: Viking relief pitcher Zak Van Winkle
warms up between games.  Vikings split with Ducks after walk-off home run 
BY C. JENNINGS BREAKEY  The Western Front  Western club baseball players
say every game betweentheUniversity of Oregon Ducks and the  Vikings isn't
decided until the last inning. Sunday's games at Beliingham High School
came down to the  last pitches.  In the second game of a double- header,
Western  junior shortstop Chris Peterson hit a two-out, walk-off  solo home
run in the bottom of the  seventh inning in  Western's 1-0 victory. 
Peterson's home run oyer the left field fence gave  the Vikings, 9-3
overall, possession of first place in  the Pacific Mountain Conference with
a 4-1 league  record.  The teams played the doubleheader Sunday after 
cancelling Saturday's game because of rain.  Senior pitcher Ryan Kauflman
pitched the game of  bis Viking career, head coach Michael Johnson saidi 
throwing a complete game while striking out six and  allowing only four
hits in Western's1-0 victory:  "they didn't prove  they could hit my
fastball so I  kept throwing it, keeping it down in the strike zone, 
moving the ball around," Kauflman said.  Peterson's home run kept me gaine
firpm going to  extra innings, Kauffinan said.  "It pretty much came out of
nowhere because  nobody was hitting hard off their pitcher," Kauffinan 
said. "Chris didn't know it was a home run until he was  to second base
because his head was down, running." The Ducks fell to 1-1 in league play
and 10-1 overall  after Sunday's games.  The teams played the second  game
at Beliingham  High hboL  In the seventh inning of the first game at Joe 
Martm Field, Western sienior left fielder Matt Rhode  narrowed the Duck's
lead to 8-6 with a double off  the left field wall that scored senior third
baseman  Andrew Irvine from second base. The Vikings loaded  the bases when
Western senior second baseman  see GAME, page 12  PHOrOXXrtJKTESy 
OFMA^MALIJAN  Western sophomore  Keith Lemay  finished fifth in  the men's
: 80N0  meter race Saturday  at the 25th  annual Ralph Vfer-nacchia 
Classic at  the Turf Field.  Both the Western  men's and  women's track 
teams won  their  meets.  BY ANDREW SLEIGHTER  MarkitZero  The art of the
touchdown  celebration is in jeopardy.  . Due to last year's surge in 
celebratory golf swings and fake  marriage proposals to cheerleaders,  the
NFL's competition committee  decided to put an end to excessive  touchdown
celebrations Wednesday,  March ^ iby grvi^  power to assess 15-yanfpenaWes
for anythingviolatingthenewguicfeliries.  ; T ^ guidelines state  ; that
any celebration using props,  occurs while  the eelebrator is lying  on the
ground or includes a group  choreographed effort is just too  much
excitement.  Some sports analysts of the new  policy refer to the NFL as
the No  Fun League. While I agree with  the sentiment of sports analysts, I
 believe any organization that pays  its employees to play football is, at 
least a little bit fun.  •This proposal runs contrary to
the  intent of American professional sports  which, by the way, are
supposed to  entertain. I enjoy watching athletes  make spectacles of
themselves after  they score. And I enjoy imagining  the possibilities of
what celebrations  eccentric receivers like me Cincinatti  Bengals' Chad
Johnson or the Dallas  Cowboys' Terrell Owens might come  up  with next 
see CELEBRATE, page 10                     



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 10



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  10 •• THE WESTERN FRONT SPORTS APRIL
4,2006  Women lose five seniors  BY ANDREW LAWRENCE  The Western Front 
When the buzzer sounded in Carver Gym  on March 11, it signaled Western
women's  basketball, team's 70-50 loss to Seattle Pacific  University in
the West Regional Semifinal of the  NCAA Division II Women's National
Basketball  Tournament.  Fourth team All-American and senior forward  Tina
Donahue took the loss and the end of her  Viking career especially hard.  "
I t was  a nightmare," Donahue said. I t was  like I was waiting to wake up
from a bad dream, it  just didn't seem real.''  Though not the conclusion
the team wanted, the  loss did not overshadow all they have accomplished 
mis season, senior guard Samantha Hubbard said.  The women's basketball
team hosted the West  Regional Tournament because they won the  regular
season conference championship.  . "The season is not defined by March,"
she said.  The team won the Great Northwest Athletic  Conference    
championship with a 17-0 record and  a 27-2 overall record. The team won a
school-record  21 straight games and won more than 20'  games for the ninth
consecutive season.  Hosting the NCAA Division II Women's  Basketball
Regional Tournament was the highlight  of the season, Hubbard said.  'We
worked hard to get it, and we really had to do  everything right up to that
point," Hubbard said.  Last season's momentum carried into mis  season,
Hubbard said.. The Vikings finished last  season with a 24-5 record and
reached the West  Regional Tournament.  They returned five seniors to the
court, including  Donahue, Hubbard, center Courtney Clapp, center 
Stephanie Dressel and guard Kelly Dykstra. One  of their greatest strengths
came from the sideline,  Dykstra said. ._,  ...... "The coaches are just
amazing women,"  Dykstra said. "The most upsetting thing at the end  of mis
season was not being able to doit for them.  It's devastating."  The GNAC
named head coach Carmen Dolfo  coach of the year after the Vikings clinched
the  No. 1 seed at the West Regional Tournament  "Everything they did
prepared us and gave us the ability to win," Hubbard said.  Reading the
coaches' scouting reports of  opponents before each game was essential to
the  team's success because it broke down each of the  Viking's opponents,
Hubbard said.  Several players were honored individually,  such as
Donahue's; selection as GNAC Player  PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL MADISON 
Western senior and fourth-team all-american  Tina Donahue shoots around a
Central  Washington University defender at the  Showdown in the Sound on
Dec. 17,2005. Western defeated Central 87-55 in Seattle.  of the Year and
being named a fourth-team  NCAA Division II All-American Team,  Hubbard
said.  "It was one of my best years," Donahue said.  Another excellent
performance came from  senior Courtney Clapp. Clapp was a second-team  GNAC
all-star and Player of the Week for the  week of Feb. 26 through March 4. 
One challenge the team faces is the loss of  five seniors, almost half of
the team, including  Donahue and Clapp.  "When I was a junior, we had just
lost a lot of  players, but we started out winning 15 straight,"  Dykstra
said. "Though some people think it's a rebuilding year, the team will step
up."  Because me team utilized a deep bench, next  year should be an easy
transition, since the younger  players received a lot of playtime, Donahue
said.  A tpKlal *Ms«ri»ltt  a m «tatt it 
powibZ* t» Mt tfa* vjtorifiag i*i»  taaet 4OM ty
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euetr la  ttelr litttim, tfa* tetttr rwwa U  •Iwyc DM m o
m , awr frattetitt  elotUag aai VM AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY  Eats
flies. D a t e s a p i g .  H d U y w o d s t a t  L I V E Y O U R D R E A
MS  ;.•' ' Pass I t Q-ti. ;;;-  TMe r a w M »
A T I O M ULS A BM-iTE;• 11V k  -: www-.forb lt;rttcrUfe.
lt; gt;ieg; .  Celebrate: Committee robbing fans  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9
Idon'tmeantosay some celebrations  aren'tmappropriateor lame. But natural 
consequences from players, coaches  and media can curb infractions.  Owens
once scored a touchdown in  Dallas and ran 50 yards to  the star in the 
middle of the field, only to be blindsided  by an angered Cowboy player. 
This type of thing has a way of  settling itself out  And clearly, Dallas
wasn't  too .upset over the exaggerated  celebration anymore considering 
they signed Owens to a multi-year  contract in March.  Coaches can lay out
what is and  isn't acceptable for their players, and  they don't need the
league to step in.  Why outlaw team celebrations?  Touchdown celebrators
didn't  need more reason to act as an  individual. Now the NFL is making 
it mandatory. Nothing says team  more than the entire offense  forming a
conga line in the back of   the end zone.  Banning celebrations on the 
ground puts an end to snow angels,  canoe paddling and the  worm. I  don't
understand why celebrating on  the ground is such a hotly contested  issue
with the committee, anyway. Is  there a gray area? I mean, do both  knees
have to be on the ground? Is  it like the rules for being down, can  you
keep celebrating if only a hand  touches the ground?  Props seem excessive,
but they  don't harm anything. Phis, the  opportunities are endless. I
wouldn't  mind a player incorporating an abacus.  Or players could start
leaving a rose or  an ace of spades as their calling card, much like
flooding a basement to let  someone know they were robbed by  the Wet
Bandits.  "Who just caught mat touchdown?  Oh, I see an original copy of
'Great  Expectations.' It must have been  Antonio Gates."  Johnson spoke
about using a live  deer in a celebration after scoring a  touchdown. A
live deer! Fans won't  accept someone merely spiking the ball  after we've
been tempted with the idea  of Bambi running around the end zone.  Sure,
the competition committee  is going to still allow spiking and  high fives,
not to mention smiling,  tipping one's helmet and sitting  quietly on the
bench. But that stuff  has the personality of a doorstop.  Fans shouldn't
accept mis  downgrade in entertainment. How  am I supposed to  stand up and
cheer  for^omeone handing the ball to the  official when I was told I get
to see  live animals?  The worst part of the proposal is  it doesn't
provide punishments for  celebrations mat are unoriginal or flat- out 
boring. -  This means running back Shaun  Alexander can go on rocking
babies and  pretending to fish, while more creative  players aren't allowed
to act out scenes  from 'Scarjace" or charm snakes.  I'm sure Shaun is at
home right  now practicing his new celebration,  "filling out the W-2." 
NFL fern should protest tiiis stifling  new policy by celebrating after
they,  achieve any sort of success in their  lives. In this protest we may
be lucky  enough to see some defiant fan with  a taste for irony perform
the arbitrary tasks which become fodder for NFL  players and their
celebrations, such  as answering the phone or changing a  diaper, and then
stand triumphant over  a newly domed infant and pretend to  catch a
touchdown.  Binding the hands of these  celebrators, which otherwise could 
be used to raise roofs, with these new  guidelines eliminates a harmless
yet  exciting feature of the game.  With these new rule changes  die Not as
much Fun League has  effectively shot itself in the foot,  which, if
someone could find a safe  way to do it, would make a heck of a 
celebration. Sadly, we may never get  to see someone try.                  
                      



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 11



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  APRIL 4,2006 SPORTS THE WESTERN FRONT • 11  regime as 
BY BRADY HENDERSON  The Western Front  When Western's football team  takes
the field for its season opener  against Humboldt State University  Aug.
31, the team may be difficult  to recognize.  Players said the team will
move  from the Great Northwest Athletic  Conference to the tougher North 
Central Conference. Players will  sport new  dark blue helmets, and  will
play their home games at the  newly renovated Civic Stadium.  More
importantly, the team will  have a new head coach. Long-time  Western head
coach Rob Smith,  who resigned last December after  compiling a record of
109 wins in  17 seasons, is out.  Former Vikings' assistant coach  Robin
Ross, who returns to Western  after 10 years to become the 13th  head coach
in the program's 95-  year history, is in.  The opportunity to be the head 
coach was his main reason for returning to Western, Ross said.  "(Western)
is a great university,"  Ross said. "I enjoy the people."  In his  first
head coaching job,  Ross takes over a team eager to  improve last year's
4-6 season  record, and 3-3  in conference.  The team hopes Ross' emphasis 
on defense will improve a weakness.  He will serve as the defensive 
coordinator as well, Ross said.  Last year, the Vikings gave up 
"28T8rpointsper game on theirway to  its third losing season under Smith. 
This year, junior outside linebacker  Shane Simmons, a first-team all- 
GNAC selection last year, will lead  the defense, Simmons said.  "We have a
lot to improve from  last year," Simmons said. "I think  we've got the guys
to do it. We got  a new look and we're excited to get  out on the field. We
want to win."  Ross is switching back to a 4-3  defense after the team
moved to  a  3-4 defense midway through last  season. The team is
optimistic this  move will help them utilize their TAYLOR WILLIAMS / THE
WESTERN FRONT  Western head football coach Robin Ross observes his football
players stretch before Monday's  running session on the Turf Field north of
the Wade King Recreation Center. Ross took  over for former head coach Rob
Smith on Dec. 15.  speed, said James Day,  a junior  outside linebacker who
started six  games for the Vikings last year.  A 4-3 defense will help
Western  use their speed to better defend  teams in the NCC, Day said." 
"We've got some pretty fast guys," Day said. "We're gonna use  our team
speed and fly around and  make plays."  So far this offseason, Ross and 
his coaching staff like what they  have seen from the players in the 
weight room and  in conditioning  drills, Ross said.  Offensive coordinator
and  strength and conditioning coach  Eric Tripp said players set more 
than 151 individual records  during the winter weight lifting  and
workouts.  "I like the  attitude of the team,"  Ross said. "We had a good
quarter.  They've been working hard."  Ross spent two seasons as the 
Vikings' defensive coordinator in  1994 arid 1995.' In 1994, Ross'  defense
allowed the fewest points  of any National Association of  Intercollegiate
Athletics Division  U school, ranked third nationally  in rushing defense
and fifth in total  defense. The team claimed its  first ever national
playoff victory  in 1994, defeating top-ranked  Linfield College 21-2.  In
1995, the Vikings finished 9-1  with an undefeated regular season.  They
spent five weeks as the top-ranked  team in the nation and  finished the
season ranking seventh  nationally in scoring defense.  Before joining the
Vikings  as head coach, Ross was the  linebackers coach for the National 
Football League's Oakland Raiders  in 2000, when the Raiders went 
"12-4"and firiisHed with the league's  ninth ranked defense. '  The Raiders
lost the AFC Championship game to the  Baltimore Ravens.  As the special
teams coordinator  and tight ends coach at the  University of Oregon from
2001 to  2004, Ross helped the Ducks win  the Pac-10 championship in 2001. 
He spent last season coaching  linebackers at Oregon State  University,
where the Beavers ranked  first in the Pac-10 in rushing defense.  Ross
gave his players more  responsibility regarding issues affecting the team. 
He set up a player's council  with elected players from each  position,
both offensively and  defensively. The council makes  decisions regarding
what uniform  combinations to wear on game days and how the football
program  will spend its money, Day said.  "It's about being a team," senior
quarterback James Monrean said.  "I think it's real cool that (Ross)  has
let us be involved in some of  the decisions being made."  While Ross is
taking steps to  improve the team, his impact on  his players stretches
beyond the  playbook. Players describe Ross as  a player's coach,
personable and  easy to talk  to. Ross has focused  on getting to know his
players and  building team unity with help from,  the player's  council. 
"He wants to be involved,  not only in the football aspect  but in the
players' lives," senior . defensive tackle Ryan Lucas said.  Ross wants the
team to be more  involved in the community as well. Players visited Geneva
Elementary  in Bellingham to read to children,  talk about the importance
of reading and to warn them of the  dangers of using steroids.  Ross has
made a number of  public speaking engagements  regarding Western's football
 program around the state since  the school hired him and plans to 
schedule an autograph day and a  canned food drive, he said.  "We're
developing leadership  not only on the team but in the  community as well,"
Tripp said.  As for switching to the highly  competitive NCC, the team is
up to  the task of playing in the toughest  conference in Division II
football,  players said.  The team realizes not many  fans and critics of
the NCC  believe they can win because they  are playing in an elite
conference  against some of the nation's best  teams, including Division II
 playoff participant the  University  of North Dakota, Lucas said.  Do you
need flexible class times?  Earn credit by taking anordine or
correspondence course!  It Veasy to find out more:  •
Pick up a Continuing and Independent  Learning  catalog in Old Main, first
floor next to the elevator  • Visit our offices on the
second floor at 405 32nd  Street with free visitor parking or take the free
 campus shuttle  • Check out our Web site     Contact lis
today!  Extension tuition rates apply!  Harold Klemp  the current 
spiritual leader  of ECKANKAR.  His spiritual  name is Wah 2.  Have you
seen or met ECK Master  Sri Harold Klemp, the Manama,  the Living ECK
Masteiyin a dream,  a chance encounter, or daring  contemplation? ECKANKAR 
Religion of die Light   Sound of God  www.eck-wa.org .  www.eckan.kar.org 
Local* 360-366- 3447  Harold Klemp, author of over 40 books,  including the
award winning Tin: Language  of Soid, and Love-The Keystone of Life, 
available through ECKANKAR,  or your local bookseller.  Choose Wisclv,
Choose Western  r                                    



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 12



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  12 • THE WESTERN FRONT SPORTS APRIL 4,2006  Game: Glub 
baseball leads  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9  Lincoln fieppu walk(B(i. .  Western
sophomore right fielder  Kevin Roach stepped into the  batter's box, worked
the count to  3-2 and fouled offtvvo full-count  pitches. Roach, who came
into the game hitting .400 with 10 RBIs,  popped out to left fieldj ending
the  VUringYseyenthinning rally.  "You're either extremeLy excited  or
extremely down throughout  these close games," Johnson said.  "We played
well, but they just  played better."  The Ducks scored early, touching 
"Viking senior starting pitcher Brandon Boyd for four unearned  runs in the
first inning; Irvine's throw  from third base pulled first baseman  Eric
Peterson off first base allowing  the inning to continue;  Down 4-0, the
Vikings loaded  the bases in the third inning. Irvine,  then hit an infield
single deep into  the hole at shortstop, scoring Roach  from third. 
Peterson Mowed Irvine with a  double to the left-center field gap,  scoring
two more Vikings and placing runners on second and juiird  Western scored
its final run of  the inning on a wild pitch, tying  the score at 4-4. - 
The Ducks scored three in the  fifth inning and one in the seventh  inning
to take an 8-5 lead. A lead  the Vikings would not overcome.  eonfewe?; 
couple extra outs, Rhode said.  "They shouldn't have scored any  runs in
the first inning."  BY BORIS KURBANOV  The Western Front  The evidence is
overwhelming. Major  League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig  is trapped
between the cheating he tried so  hard to protect and the present
allegations  of steroid use he knows he must address.  Faced with threats
frbm Congress to clean  up the game and a public outcry questioning  the
integrity of me MLB, $eHg on March 30  announced a formal investigation
into player's  use of steroids—the ripped and roided
elephant  in the middle of the room.  What took so long, Bud?  Selig hired
former Senate Majority Leader  George Mitchell to lead the investigation.
Not  only is Mitchellthe Boston Red Sox director  and former director for
the Florida Marlins,  he is also chairman of The Walt Disney Go.  Disney is
the parent company of ESPN, a national broadcast baseball partner,
according  to a March 30 New York Times article.  Conflict of interest? 
Gertainly.  Mitchell is simply too close for comfort.  Selig should hire an
outsider to investigate,  much like  investigator John Dowd's bulldog 
approach to nail baseball's all-time hits  leader Pete Rose for gambling on
baseball  13 years ago.  The investigation seems as phony as a 
presidential campaign promise.  Selig is striking out in his efforts to
clean up.  he can't take charge oifuiis issue if he doesn't  investigate.
If he pursues with his inquiry, it  will be too little, too late.  Selig,
desperate to reshape baseball's image,  can only blame himself. He knew the
game had  a problem long before former Baltimore Oriole  first baseman
Rafael Palmeiro wagged his finger  at Congress in March 2005 to say shame
on  Congress for prying into baseball's dark secret.  Palmeiro told
Congress m the 2005 hearings  that he never used steroids, m July, 2005  he
tested positive for steroids.  He knew long before former MLB  all-star
Jose Canseco's 2005 book  detailed players' -rampant steroid  use,
including Palmeiro's.  Paitheiro. shamelessly  denied using steroids, 
even-;after he tested  pdsitiVein August  2005^ according  to aC March 30^ 
ESPN.com  article;  ' '':F/•i;; V e  percent of  Major
League  B a s e b a l l  players tested  positive for  steroids during the
2003 season, according  to aNov. 13,2003 Sports  Illustrated article.  Why
didn't the investigation  start then?  It's simple, actually. The  money
from fans rolls in as  long as major league baseball t e am s  keep 
shortening their fences and turning their  ballparks into launching pads
for baseball's  chemically     enhanced cheaters.  Barry Bonds, the
self-proclaimed "media  scapegoat," denied using steroids, and opened  of
hall of fame outfielder Hank Aaron's major  league record of 755 home runs.
 Bonds is the subject of the book, "Game  's legacy  of Shadows: Barry
Bonds, Balco and the  Steroids Scandal That Rocked Professional  Sports,"
based on a two-year investigation  written by San Francisco Chronicle
reporters  Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams. The  Union-Tribune
Publishing Co. released the  book March 23.  The book included court
documents,  affidavits investigators filed, documents  federal agents wrote
and interviews  with more than 200 witnesses,  according to a March 8
Seattle  Times article.  The book's, release  finally forced Selig to  open
an investigation.  Any legitimacy  Bonds' career  had before the  book's
release,  sunk to the  bottom of San  Francisco's  McCovey's  Cove
— where  most of Bonds'  home runs  belong.  Even if
Bonds  doesn't hit another home  run or breaks Aaron's  record, everyone
will  question his statistics  legitimacy.  It seems they're not.  Bonds
would be well-advised to accept responsibility for cheating and then lying 
about it, and quietly walk away from the  game.  But Bonds won't. He knows
Selig's and  Mitchell's investigation is harmless.  Bonds could surpass
Aaron in one of the more  disturbing scenes in sports history. Robbing a 
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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 13



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   TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2006 }.* WESTERNFRONTONLINE.pOM -PAGE 13  Don't spear
Srithey for i  B Y BECKIE ROSILLO  -,,.;', The Western Front  As the old
saying goes, blondes have more fun — especially if the
blonde is Britney Spears, naked on a  bearskinrug.  Brooklyn's Capla
Kesting Fine Art gallery will display  a life-size sculpture of Spears nude
and pregnant as part of  an anti-abortion art exhibit beginning April 7,
according to  a March 28 USA Today article.  This sculpture, "The Birth of
Sean Preston," could be  the most innovative piece of art in the 21st
century due to  its graphic nature in depicting a celebrity. According to a
 March 22 article on the gallery's Web site, Daniel Edwards,  40, lovingly
sculpted the pop princess in her natural state  because he found her beauty
intriguing.  Now seriously, how many times can someone use that  as a cover
story for making a life-sized statue of sorneone  viewed as America's
trashiest teen idol? And sculpt her  stark naked, kneeling in the doggy-
style sex position, on a  bearskin rug with her ass in the air, pushing a
baby's head  out of her vagina? Edwards is breaking down the barriers
between .'politics,,  art and entertainment like a Sherman tank at a peace
rally.  Edwards said his piece is not political, despite it reflecting 
such a hot issue as anti-abortion, according to a March 28  Yahoo.com news
article.  The'-article^lis^'Omtftpntoyersial sculptures Edwards has created
in thepast, proving he is strictly in this for artistic  expression and is
not staging a publicity stunt. Such pieces  include the decapitated head of
 a man who wasciyogenically ^  frozen after death. Edwards said" the
invasive  tabloid and niagazihe •stories  covering
Spears' pregnstncy  was a catalyst for Ms creatidn,  according to a March
30 New  York Times article. He said he  couldn't find a better model   to
represent me hard decision  of choosing between a career  and family,
especially since  celebrities     rarely step out of the  spotlight to have
children at such  a young age. ;;'  While anti-aboirtion activists have
responded with thousands  of hostile e-mails in response  to Spears' image1
involveirteiot,  they failed  to realize she is not  partaking in the media
attention.  According toy the Times  article, Spears' spokeswoman  refused
to issue a statement on the subject.  A Spears publicist also denied an
interview request from  The Associated Press. Edwards told the media Spears
was  not even aware of the sculpture when he began making it.  Spears
serves as a quintessential role model because,,  despite an embarrassing,
rushed wedding after tabloids  spread word about her pregnancy, the
24-year-old singer J^STINY  l^pttjphetic connection between  Spears'song
titles and her life  "Dear Diary"  WmNoi A Girl NotYet A Woman" 
"Anticipating"  "Boys"  "Satisfaction"  "Where Are You Now?" 
immmmmmmmmmi®   still decided to have her baby. Edwards
perceived his  concept of a sculpture of birth as a fresh new look at the
anti-abortion  movement, rather than the bloody, disheartening  images of
aborted fetuses,  | according tothe USA.Today  1 article.  % _ - :
• • ' : . ' •
• ' ; • ' • '
• • ' • '
•.  | Despite the negative e-  | mail response to the
sculpture,  I Edwards•:y^^K^H:;'--\a -'' in  |- tunv
created art of its7 own,  | according to the Times article.  | . David
Kesting, co-owner  of the art.?gallery, plans to print out and post the
e-mails  with the sculpture^ according  to a;March28 New York Sun  article.
 By displaying the e-mails  alongside ; the sculpture,  Kesting weaves an
ironic web  of life imitating art, imitating  • Ufe-
:/-M/-  Anti-abortion activists  dislike the sculpture because  of Spears'
trashy reputation,  vmm overtly sexual image and  racy lyrics^ according to
the  Sun article. Spears' opponents have reasons not to want  her name
attached to their cause. Her 55-hour ^marriage  to a childhood friend in 
Las Vegas, revealmg clothing,  overtly sexual behavior, recent second
marriage and post-pregnancy  don't  exactly paint a saintly portrait of the
new  "Brave New Girl"  "I've Just Begun (Having My Fun)"  "The Hook Up" 
"(IGot That)Boom Boom"  "Baby One More Time"  "Oops! ..JDid It Again" 
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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 14



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  14 • THEWESTERNFRONT OPINIONS APRIL 4,2006  THE WESTERN
FRONT  An independent student newspaper  serving the campus  community
since 1970.  ignite  _^^%TBL  7 ^ W | k -  ^^^B^ftrfflft  ''  '^HRBHI^' 
^9SgBS^mv^  ^^JI^KSBF'  .. ^^^H^IfKIL'  MICHAEL LYCKLAMA  Editor in Chief 
ClARA O'ROURKE  Managing Editor  PETER JENSEN  Head Copy Editor  AMY HARDER
 JACOB BUCKENMEYER  News Editors  CANDACE CUSANO  Accent Editor  LOREAN
SERKO  Features Editor  DERRICK PACHECO  Sports Editor  TOM KING  Opinions
Editor  TAYLOR WILLIAMS  Photo Editor MEGAN SWARTZ  SARA THOMPSON  Copy
Editors  PETER THAN  MATT VOGT  Staff"Photographers AARON CUNNINGHAM 
Cartoonist  JEFF ELDER  Online Editor  JUSTIN MORROW  Community Liaison 
JOHN HARRIS  Adviser  ALETHEA MACOMBER  Business Manager  JOEL HALL 
Advertising Manager FRONTLINE  ELECTIONS  AS needs new blood  Despite its
liberal campus, Western is not exactly a shining beacon 
•j—* for democracy.  Only 13 students
have filed to run for the seven positions on next   year's Associated
Student board of directors, and two candidates  are currently running
unopposed. Perhaps worse for student  government and campus discussion, 11
applicants currently work  for or with the AS.  How can Western students
expect the next board of directors to  disperse its approximately $2
million budget, made completely of  student money, to represent student
needs and concerns if no new candidates run? A government controlled by a
small group isolated  from its voters. Sound familiar?
-•.- .,*-..,••  New
candidates are needed to bring fresh ideas to our student  government.
Current board members ran on a platform with specific  ideals and goals to
accomplish. Now running for re-election, they  will undoubtedly continue to
focus on those same issues.  The board needs fresh candidates to bring
ideas beyond lower  book prices and improved transportation. The horse is
dead, so quit  beating it. However, the lack of student involvement is
partly the AS' fault.  The AS needs to better advertise its positions.
Members say they  tm^ want more students to run, but how many students knew
the deadline was Thursday?  Western junior and AS election coordinator
Brian Perfow said  most students don't know board members are paid and more
would  apply if they did. What have they done to educate students besides 
advertising in their own newspaper, The AS Review?  It's hard to believe
the board of directors is unbiased in its  advertising with four members on
this year's board and 11 AS  members run for election. Why solicit
competition?  The more the AS advertises and the more candidates that file,
the  better the AS  will serve students. The wider variety of candidates,
the  **" wider the variety of views.  While experienced candidates offer
intimate knowledge of how  the AS works, re-electing the status quo hardly
constitutes a healthy  democratic government. New candidates can learn
quickly and their  newer views outweigh their inexperience.  If any student
feels the AS needs to tackle an issue, that student  needs to get out
there,     collect the 150 signatures necessary and file for  election.
Otherwise, the AS will continue its empty promises to lower  book prices
and improve transportation.  Editor's note: The views expressed on The
Western Front opinion  pages are the views of the authors or cartoonists
and are not necessarily  the views of The Western Front staff, managers or
adviser.  And we quote:  "The secret to creativity is knowing  how to 
conceal your sources."  —Albert Einstein, physicist 
Sweet spring  BY BRADLEY THAYER Assorted Flavors  Spring quarter is here
and I don't know about you,  but I feel warm and fuzzy for multiple
reasons.  First and foremost, getting back from spring break  makes it easy
for all of us conversationally challenged  people out there. If. you see
someone you wouldn't  normally spill your guts to, a loose acquaintance, 
perhaps, you have an automatic conversation starter.  Simply say, "How was
your spring .'  break?" It's like Spaghetti-O's. Just  pop it in the
microwave and you're  good to go. Except it isn't nearly as  satisfying. In
fact, it's pretty dull.  Generally, you'll receive one of  three responses:
 A. Dude, it was sick. I got so drunk  I don't even remember what country 
I was in.  B. Pretty low key, just hung out at home with my family.  C. It
sucked, my girlfriend dumped  me. I went to a funeral with my  family and
the next day I went skiing  hung over. I started puking on the  chairlift,
fell off, broke both legs and  my left arm.  My right ski punctured  my
liver and damaged it so badly it ~  can't function, and now I can never 
drink again. Then, a bear came out from behind a tree  and mistook my ass
for a beehive.  That last response isn't dull and you laugh about it  later
over a beer with friends, but you feel bad.  The weather improves this
quarter, right? Well, I  don't mean to defecate on your birthday cake, but
I  assure you it won't. I am not saying girls won't start  dressing in
tighter, fruit-bearing clothing. They will,  and I look forward to that.
But, they'll be fooling  themselves into believing the weather has
improved.  We liye in Bellirigham. The weather is gorgeous in the  summer,
not thespring.  During the academic year, the sky mostly sports  some shade
 of gray. Notice how it rained on the first  day of classes? A few sunny
days will pepper this  'The weather improves this  quarter, right? Well,  I
don't mean to  defecate on your  birthday cake, but I  assure you it won't.
 I am hot saying girls  won't start dressing  in tighter, fruit-bearing 
clothing.  They will, and I look forward to that.'  quarter, but I'm still
packing a poncho.  Another great thing about spring is everyone begins 
individual pushes to get in shape for the summer. If I  knocked it, I'd be
a hypocrite. Spring is a great excuse  to work out. I tried getting in
shape last quarter by  running daily, but I treated it likeJdid- Lentas
asyouHg  Catholic.  Everybody in the church tries yearly to imitate  what
Jesus when he fasted in the desert for 40 days by  giving something up.
Josh Hartnett gave up sex in "40  Days and 40 Nights." One time I gave up
cussing and  I started out with the best, honest intentions. I lasted 
three weeks. Then I  said: "eff that shit," and used the  excuse I'm
surprised more people don't use — "Well,  I gave it a
fair shot. Guess Jesus was a better man  thanl."  This quarter, things are
even looking up for me academically, but the usual pitfalls still exist.
The main  _ one is fourth-floor classes. Whose  bright idea was it to make
buildings  on campus this tall in the first place?  When I first saw that I
had a class in Room 420 of the Communications  Facility, I laughed. I was
ecstatic.  I thought it was the greatest thing since Smucker's put peanut
butter  and jelly in the same jar.  But after I walked four flights of 
stairs on the  first day, I wanted to die.  My chest heaved and I slowly
began  to fall backward before I grabbed  the railing and dragged myself 
up the final steps. I could take the  elevator, but I've tricked my lazy 
ass into thinking I have a phobia  so I get some exercise. If I witness  an
elevator open to completion,  whichever floor it stops on next is  the
number of days I have left to live. Needless to say,  if you see someone
running and screaming away from  an elevator, it's me. Don't worry, I'll be
fine.  Another bright spot for me was the absence of a  700-milUon-foot
line at the bookstore — I didn't have  to wait two hours
to fork over half my life's savings.  I even narrowly avoided taking an 8
a.m. class.  As I dropped it, I swear the clouds in the sky parted, 
choruses of angels sang and I was consumed with a  bright, warm light. 
Spring quarter is a new beginning like newborn  bunnies. That's what. I
picture when I think spring.  I say be the bunnies, start fresh and make
copious  amounts of love to what is clearly.the best quarter of  the
academic year here at Western.                                          



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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 15



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  APRIL 4,2006 OPINIOISJS THE WESTERN FRONT •15 
Absolutei  You've got^  kidding.  Do you flunk Britney Spears  deserves her
own sculpture?  Compiled by Lindsay Budzier  Brandon Williams  Junior,
psychology  Allison Schmidt  Sophomore,  studio art  Asmujfks 4%  I
imifeflee jr  expression as  an artist, that's  just odd  '
•'- '*"'.•'is'-*' •
••• '. . "': ' v
-".'.."'"•-:.''  James Reeves  Sophomore, computer
science  lSure,whym^M  U mean if it yps in*  the middle of the  town square
then  I'd be worried.  Release of Abu Ghraib photos jfopaixlizes troop s i
f i^  BY Bows KURBANOV  The Western Front Pictures may be worth more man a
thousand words after  all, ifme U.S. government doesn't act soon.  The 
Bush administration V efforts to suppress disturbing  images of prisoner
abuse at Abu Ghraib prison came  to a halt  March 28, after a court order
required the Department of  Defense to turn over photographs and videos
documenting  the abuse, according to a March 29 CNN.com article.  The
decision is the resuh of an  American Civil Liberties  Union lawsuit
against the department in October 2003. The  ACLU wanted the department to
release documents related  to abuse of detaineesheld m U.S. custody aoioad,
according  to  an Aiig. 13,2005, Washington Post article.  The right to
freedom of information overturned me claim  that me release ofthe photos wc
gt;uldtanu^tlte nation's image  and fuelterrorism if me govenirnent
released the  pictures.  After the release of the infamous Abu Ghraib
photos in  May 2004, the American liberators became worse than the  Iraqi
dictators in the eyes of the international community.  Critics of the
decision, such as the chairman of the Joint  Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard
Myers, warned the department  that releasing photos and videotapes of
detainee abuse and  torture at Abu Ghraib aids al-Qaeda recruitment,
weakens  the new government in Iraq and incites riots against U.S.  troops,
according to the Washington Post article.  Myers is right  What makes
abetter recruitment poster for terrorists than  a picture of a hooded
prisorier hooked to electrical wires?  The release of the photos is not a
victory for the public's right.to know about theabuseof detainees held in
U.S.  custody abroad, Images such as these jeopardize the security  ofU.S.
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     Western Front 2006-04-04 - Page 16



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   16 • THE WESTERN FRONT OPINIONS APRIL 4,2006 
Birth-Statue a representation of triumph CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13  mother. 
She doesn't set a particularly high  moral standard for her younger  female
 fans regarding premarital sex either.  It's hard for Spears to  overcome
the eternally- :  pubescent teen idol image  her critics bind her to.  For
years, Spears sang  about the heartache of  trying to gain acceptance  as a
mature, grown  woman. Songs such as  "Overprotected" or "I'm
—  Not a Girl, Not Yet a  Woman" illustrate a mature
woman,  desperate to find her place in an adult  world foreign to her.
Nothing shouts womanhood like stretch  marks and heaving lactiferous
breasts.  'Nothing shouts womanhood like  stretch marks and  heaving
lactiferous  breasts.'  Sure, a baby and stroller show she is responsible
enough to sustain another  human life for more than a week, but the 
sculpture is also about her incomplete  quest for womanhood.  How could her
opponents deny her  the chance to show off  . . her widened hips, bulging 
stomach and maternal  figure?  Edwards' art shows  that Spears is a slave
to no one. Not to her parents, the  media and certainly, not to 
traditional ideologies of 
————
post-marital  pregnancy.  In fact, she is an  inspiration and should be
celebrated the  way Edwards embraced her in his  art.  As she sang in her
2000 hit "Stronger,"  she is stronger than yesterday; her  loneliness isn't
killing her any more.  Restraint: Pictures endanger U.S. soldiers 
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15  prying into the Middle East for its own  economic
and political interests.  Images of Army Pfc. Lynndie England,  one of the
U.S. soldiers now famous for her  role in the abuse at Abu Ghraib, pointing
 at a man's genitals or giving a thumbs-up  behind a pyramid of naked
bodies tarnishes  America's image with Iraqis, with Muslims  and with the
rest of the world.  If Iraqi insurgents took American soldiers  as
prisoners, they would-be unlikely to  treat them humanely knowing the Bush 
administration has no regard for the rights  of  prisoners.  President
George W. Bush's dismal  36 percent approval rating, according to  a March
14 Gallup Poll, and the public's  increasing uneasiness with the war in
Iraq  have not gone unnoticed by insurgents and  terrorists. They want the
growing political  opposition at home to force Bush to call for withdrawal
of troops.  The media should consider censoring  such images to respect the
bravery of the men and women of the U.S. military who  are fighting and
dying to protect the nation.  Networks that broadcast these photos  should
keep the troops' safety and well-being  in mind.  Bush's failures in Iraq
may adversely  affect the troops, but overemphasizing the  images can only
lead to a lengthening of the quagmire in Iraq.  The success of the American
war effort  in Iraq crucially depends on retaining public support in the
United States and winning  the hearts and minds of the Iraqi citizens.  The
images leaked from Abu Ghraib are  undennining that task and the military's
 ability to convince Iraqis to support the United States' plan for
democracy in the  already unstable country.  Letters to tlie Editor  Do you
have a beef with something we've published? Tell us.  Send your letter to: 
thewesternfronteditor@yahoo.com Use the subject line: Letter to the Editor.
 We'll do our best to address your concerns.  The Good, The Bad  and The
Ugly  Send The Western Front 250 words on any subject, and we  may publish
your piece. We'll print your rants, sociopolitical,  and sociopathic
commentary as long as it's 250 words long.  Send your Good, Bad or Ugly
submissions to:  thewesternfronteditor@yahoo.com  We look forward to
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