Spring 2019 | Issue One

what’s INSIDE

O N T H E C OV E R Students surveyed found that choosing classes, finding a major, leaving home and making friends resulted in an identity crisis.

Photos by Zahn Schultz Design & Illustration by Isabelle Grotting

OUR TOWN

LIFE HACKS

1 0 Surreal Stargazing

2 8 Budgeting Bootcamp: How to

1 6 Fishing 101: A Guide to Fishing in

Manage Your Monthly Subscriptions

Kittitas County 2 0 Ellensburg Spring Sunsets

ENVIRONMENTAL PACKAGE 3 0 Reducing Waste

PASSPORT

3 2 Use This, Not That

2 4 Quiz: Seattle vs. Portland

3 3 Recycling’s New Normal

2 6 Out with Hotels & In with Airbnbs

Photo by Josh Julagay

SPOTLIGHT

FOOD & DRINK

3 6 The Eating Disorder Image

5 6 Bubble Tea 101

4 2 Identity Crisis: Managing the Stress of Transitioning to College 5 0 It’s Not Just You: A Look into the Pain,

AFTER DARK 5 8 Central Secrets: Phobias Edition

Struggles and Suffering Caused by

6 0 Ellensburg Brewery Map

Drunk Driving

6 2 Cannabis Calendar

SPRING 2019 LEADERSHIP STAFF Back Row From Left to Right: Madeline Wilson, Zahn Schultz, Lexi Phillips Front Row From Left to Right: Anakaren Garcia, Molly Nutt, Bailee Wicks, Matthew Conrardy

PULSE STAFF EDITORIAL

MULTIMEDIA

editor-in-chief Bailee Wicks

social media manager Molly Nutt

associate editors Lexi Phillips Madeline Wilson

website manager Shane Martin

features editor Anakaren Garcia

DESIGN creative director Matthew Conrardy graphic designers Anthony Cole Shoshanah Davis Isabelle Grotting Jenae Harris Krista Kok Joe Petrick Sara Roach

PHOTOGRAPHY director of photography Zahn Schultz photographers Josh Julagay Josie Luong Kassidy Malcolm

CONTRIBUTORS Mason Elliott Mina Jung Jayce Kadoun Linh Le Natalie Melendez Morgan Michel Sammy Miyake Ariana Sano Joanna Santana Savannah Scriven

ADVERTISING business manager Cait Dalton (509) 963.1026 cait.dalton@cwu.edu

ADVISING faculty adviser Jennifer Green jennifer.green@cwu.edu

for more exclusive content, visit us at

PULSE magazine is a student-run lifestyle magazine, both in print and online at www.cwupulsemagazine.com. PULSE produces two issues an academic quarter. Student editors make policy and content decisions for the magazine, which serves as a public forum for student expression.

PULSE serves the Central Washington University community with informative, engaging and interactive content covering campus and community life, trends and issues, and providing practical magazine and multimedia training.

EDITOR’S NOTE

M

y time at Central is fleeting and the reality of my soon-to-be future has hit me like a train.

I have been a contributer for 21 issues of PULSE and I only have one more left before I graduate. It is scary to think everything I have known for the last four years will suddenly change on one Saturday morning.

In moments like these, it is easy to have an identity crisis. To read more about transitions in college and finding your path, start on page 42.

After spending a long winter indoors, students are shedding their puffy jackets and boots and wanting to explore. If you are looking for a vacation on a budget, Airbnbs might be the way to go. To learn more about the rise of Airbnbs and budget-friendly travel, start on page 26.

It is spring quarter and that means we are close to finishing up the school year­—but the last push of assignments can be stressful, to say the least. If you need an escape after your homework sessions, take a break and enjoy a night drive to one of the many locations in Ellensburg, perfect for stargazing. Get in your car, put on the PULSE night drive playlist and find your new favorite stargazing location on page 10.

Eating disorders are more common than people realize and affect people in many different ways, covering all body types. To break the stigmas and learn more from people who are in recovery, start on page 36.

I just celebrated my third year working with PULSE at the end of April. I am nervous to move on from the magazine that literally has defined who I am as a writer and leave the people who have become my family and support system, but before I say my final goodbyes next issue, I want to thank you. Whether you are a new reader or a dedicated PULSE fan, I want to thank you for supporting us by reading and sharing our content with your friends and family in print and online. You make our late nights and hard work worth it.

Now, let’s finish up this year strong.

See you next issue,

S Y M P O S I U M O F U N I V E R S I T Y R E S E A R C H & C R E AT I V E E X P R E S S I O N S O U R C E i s CW U ’s a n n u a l o n - c a m p u s ev e n t w h e r e s t u d e n t s f ro m a l l m a j o rs c a n p r e s e n t t h e i r r e s e a r c h , s c h o l a r ly e n d e avo rs , a n d c r e at i v e wo r ks . B ot h u n d e r g ra d a n d g ra d s t u d e n t s w e l co m e f ro m A L L M A J O R S .

Pregnant?

You don’t have to

Central Park

make decisions alone.

Visit us:

111 E 4th Ave Ellensburg, WA

Call or Text:

(509) 925-2273

Find us:

CareNetEllensburg.org

facebook.com/centralparkwa instagram.com/centralparkwa

1200 E. Helena Ave. Ellensburg, WA 98926

CARING & CONFIDENTIAL

centralparkWA.com

OUR TOWN

PULSE POLLS VOTE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA! CWU Pul se Ma g a z i n e

@ cwu p ul s e ma g a zin e

@ CW U Pu ls e

MANAGING SUBSCRIPTIONS Do you budget for your monthly subscription (nETFLIX, hULU, sPOTIFY, ETC.)?

I don’t think about it

It’s automatic, so maybe?

Yes I budget everything

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SPRING 2019 | ISSUE ONE

Do you have a monthly subscription?

(Netflix, Hulu, Apple Music, etc.)

Yes No

Do you share your subscription account information with other people? (ex: let your roommate use your Netflix/Hulu) Yes

75%

No

25%

Design & Illustration by Shoshanah Davis SPRING 2019 | ISSUE ONE

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OUR TOWN

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SURREAL

S ta r g a z i n g Story by Joanna Santana | Photos by Zahn Schultz | Design by Jenae Harris

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OUR TOWN

Imagine this: Meeting the person who just might be the one... and taking them out to Dollar Beers (yeah, please don’t).

Imagine instead:

Asking them to a sunset picnic and choosing the perfect location around Ellensburg in which to sit and look at the stars; now that is a date.

W

hile buying them a drink that won’t hurt your wallet might sound enticing, rest assured that PULSE may have just found a better solution to your college dating budget. Xen Cruspero, a senior majoring in business administration, says, “Personally, I like to look up in case of shooting stars and I always hope to see one I could make a wish on.”

For some people, stargazing is a nice escape. “You kind of get out of your own world for a minute,” says Maggie Novy, a junior majoring in secondary mathematic education. “With the [light] pollution on the west side, you can’t see as much as you can see here.”

Similarly, Sanjeet Singh, a freshman biology major, says, “I like to stargaze because I feel like I am looking up into another world when I look up at the stars. It is easy to forget how big it is up there.”

PULSE traveled in and around Ellensburg to find some of the best spots for admiring the sky.

#1: CRAIGS HILL

#2: IRENE RINEHART RIVERFRONT PARK

#3: Vantage, Wash.

Optimal for: People

Optimal for: People

Optimal for: People

with half a tank of gas, waiting to get paid next week (you’re not alone)

Pros: Super close to campus

with a little bit more gas, maybe ¾ of a tank

Pros: Room to choose where you lay

Cons: It may get

Cons: Privacy is limited

crowded as it gets warmer

Craigs Hill is known to most CWU students as ‘The Water Tower Hill.’ Odds are you have definitely been there or have seen it as you drive by.

This location is optimal if you aren’t wanting to drive too far out of town and want some familiarity in your surroundings. This location lacks privacy, though, as it is a popular destination.

It also doesn’t have any big open area for blankets to lay on grass, so you may want to stay in your car or back into a parking spot and open up the tailgate if you have a truck.

Irene Reinhart is also very popular among CWU students; it’s known as People’s Pond.

This location gets very popular as the temperatures begin to rise. So, the con to watch out for is definitely the crowds you could catch if you go at the wrong time.

However, this location can be good if you want more variety to find the perfect patch of grass to lay your blanket on. Another pro is that while you are still in Ellensburg, you get a better view of the night sky as the stars are a lot more visible the more you drive away from city lights.

with all the gas

Pros: The night sky is LIT up

Cons: 26 miles from CWU campus

While Vantage is further from campus than the other spots, it may be well worth the drive. If you head out at the right time, you can catch the view of the sun setting over the windmill farm.

This location is also optimal for privacy and gives you more than one place to choose from to lay down and look up. Even more, many say the stars shine brighter the further away you get from the city’s lights.

If you ever find yourself out of ideas for a simple but memorable date, stargazing could be the way to go.

Ellensburg is surrounded by many locations for you to set out a blanket and enjoy a clear night sky.

SPRING 2019 | ISSUE ONE

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OUR TOWN

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SPRING 2019 | ISSUE ONE

START RAISING THE BAR.

Army Officers inspire strength in others. Make Army ROTC part of your college experience and be eligible for a full-tuition scholarship. Join the team that makes a difference.

For more information, call (509) 963-3520 or e-mail armyrotc@cwu.edu To get started, visit goarmy.com/rotc/pd70

Š2018. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

OUR TOWN

FISHING 101:

A GUIDE TO FISHING IN

KITTITAS COUNTY Story by Jayce Kadoun | Photos by Josh Julagay | Design by Anthony Cole

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OUR TOWN

Fishing Tips For Beginners The weekend has finally arrived. You’ve grinded out this week like a champ, and now you have some spare time on your hands. The next two days are wide open and there is no better way to soak up this sunny spring weather than by living it up on the water with some friends, fishing rod in hand. The best part: all the essentials for your next fishing adventure can be found right here in Ellensburg.

PULSE gathered local insights into fishing in Ellensburg to provide you with all the essentials you need to start catching as soon as possible.

Best Places To Start Kittitas county is home to countless lakes, ponds and streams that are teeming with hungry fish. Though access to some of these bodies of water can be tricky, a large majority of them are open for the public to enjoy.

If you’re looking to find a new hobby, something fun to do with friends or just an excuse to get outdoors, learning to fish may just be what you need. “[This is] probably the best time of year for a beginner angler to target bass,” says Austin Redding, a sophomore business and marketing major. “They are coming out of the winter mood and they are ready to eat.”

Redding, an experienced bass angler, recommends that local beginner anglers try fishing the ponds off of Tjossem Road. You can gain access to a series of mini lakes with shore fishing opportunities, and if you happen to have a boat, you can reach a variety of untapped portions of the ponds that others can’t.

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Some other local waters that are open to the public and often yield success include the Woodhouse Ponds, McCabe Pond, Fiorito Ponds, People’s Pond, Mattoon Lake, Wilson Creek and the Yakima River. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website provides good information on these spots as well, including what’s required to access them and what regulations to follow while you fish.

Tracking Down Essentials Though Ellensburg has many options when it comes to regular tackle shops, Redding recommends going to either Fred Meyer or Bi-Mart for the beginner essentials.

Ron Brumfield, a Bi-Mart employee with expertise in the fishing department, recommends an array of gear for new anglers.

He suggests a spinning combo, specifically the Ugly Stik line of rods and reels, because of their

popularity with the locals. They come preloaded with heavier eight-pound line which is beneficial for targeting multiple species. Rod length depends on the user; adults will find that they can achieve longer casts with a taller pole.

As far as baits are concerned, Redding claims to have the best luck with any Texas rigged soft plastics. “I’ll cast next to some cover and work the bait by lifting and dropping it really slowly,” he explains.

“Usually they will hit it on the pause so make sure to let it sit.”

In terms of tackle, Brumfield swears by any Panther Martin-brand lure, Rooster Tails and Wedding Ring spinners, which are great for any level of angler looking to catch multiple species.

Though Bi-Mart has a great selection for beginners, there are a few other tackle shops nearby. These stores do cater more to the needs of fly anglers, but if you’re looking for more advanced equipment or are interested in seeing other products, they are

worth checking out. Red’s Fly Shop, Worley-Bugger Fly Company and The Evening Hatch are some of the most notable.

Pursuing Your First Fish Cole Barnes, a junior aviation major and avid fisherman, has been actively targeting fish around the county for the last few months. Over the course of his 15-year fishing career in Washington, he has identified some of the best species to target and what baits to use.

Barnes recommends “trout fishing for beginners this time of year, since the local lakes have just been stocked with rainbow trout and are easily fished from the shore with minimal effort and gear.” When seeking trout, Barnes typically leans toward casting and reeling back a spinner-style lure such as a Rooster Tail or a Blue Fox. “I absolutely believe that people should learn to fish,” says Barnes. “Not only is it a relaxing and peaceful way to spend your time outdoors, it can help you obtain healthy food while giving you an eye-opening experience in why respecting the outdoors is especially important.”

Redding also provides some advice for those looking to start fishing. “They need to be patient and don’t get discouraged. Getting into fishing isn’t the easiest thing,” he says. “Sometimes it takes a lot of going out and failing to get the hang of it. Try to meet people and experiment with new things.”

Fishing is one of America’s oldest and most popular pastimes—perhaps today is the day to get started and catch your next meal.

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OUR TOWN

ELLENSBURG SPRING SUNSETS Contributions by Madeline Wilson | Photos by Kassidy Malcolm Design by Anthony Cole

What is your favorite part of spring?

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Is it taking long drives in the evening while listening to your favorite hits?

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OUR TOWN

Maybe you prefer spending your afternoons floating along the Yakima River.

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How you choose to enjoy spring, whether it be lounging along the river or hammocking outside Barto, every activity has something common: a spring sunset.

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PASSPORT

comparing Story by Sammy Miyake | Design & Illustartion by Sara Roach

Seattle and Portland are both cities surrounded by beautiful landscapes intertwined with the bustling city life. As two of the major cities in the PNW, they often face a lot of comparison.

If you are searching for your next vacation spot, this quiz is here to make your life easier.

1. Pick some food to eat while you’re there:

a. Quirky food trucks b. Fresh seafood

2. Still hungry? Choose a quick snack stop:

a. Donuts b. Coffee

3. Looking for an Instagram-worthy spot?

Choose a scenic view:

a. Mountains b. City

4. Choose a spooky tour to go on:

a. Underground ghost hunting tour b. Downtown historic ghost tour

5. Pick an activity to do while you wait out

the rain:

a. Shopping b. Art museum

6. Cars aside, choose a form of transportation to get you around town:

a. Bike b. Bus

7. Music is a big scene for both cities-choose a genre:

a. Indie/underground b. Mainstream/alternative

8. Choose a fashion staple:

a. Down jacket b. Flannel shirt

9. Pick a city style:

a. Jam-packed and busy b. Smaller and laid-back

10. Go watch a game:

a. Basketball b. Football

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MOSTLY As Your destination should be Portland!

Trey Konishi, CWU junior and a recent tourist to both Portland and Seattle, says, “My favorite stop in Portland is Powell’s Bookstore and the different food trucks.”

From the food to shopping at Pioneer Place, (with no sales tax), Portland is packed with fun for all.

“The city and local culture are so unique,” Eric Fich, a Portland native, says. “People from Portland take pride in being from there.”

MOSTLY Bs Your destination should be Seattle!

“I’ve always been somewhere in between a city-slicker and a suburban mom,” Olivia Heindel, a Seattle local, jokes. “Seattle lets me be both.”

Seattle is well-known for its seafood, thanks to Pike Place Market in downtown. The city also is big enough to bring in large musicians on tour while also being a prime spot for the more alternative artists to come as well.

Seattle is known for pumping out Starbucks Coffee. “Seattle Coffee and Starbucks are great options,” Konishi notes, but adds there’s a more hidden gem for tourists. “The Daily Grill provides great coffee at the Sheraton in Downtown Seattle.”

TURN TO SEE YOUR RESULTS!

2 cities Z I QU

PASSPORT

Y

ou have always given me a safe place to stay, you hugged me in your comforters and gave me continental breakfast, but I don’t think we’re going to work out anymore.

Hotels, it’s not you, it’s me. There is a new way to save money and have more unique experiences.

I’ve been seeing Airbnbs lately-and I think I fell in love.

Airbnbs have been making quite a presence for themselves over the past few years, and people are noticing. PULSE set out to find what makes these types of accommodations so special.

According to Airbnb co-founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia in an interview with Mixergy, the company’s name originates from air mattress B&B. Three roommates were tight on money and not able to pay their rent. After seeing how booked up the surrounding hotels were, they set up an inflatable mattress in hopes that someone would simply appreciate a place to stay.

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Much to their surprise, their advertisement efforts worked. This situation prompted the two to kickstart a business.

AIRBNB APP:

Most of us have had at least one unpleasant experience with using apps. Sometimes the navigation is not the most understandable or sometimes the design just isn’t appealing.

Airbnb’s app is designed to combat both of these issues.

You don’t just get help finding places to stay, but you also get to discover local experiences and restaurants in order to create

a well-rounded trip. Like Pinterest, you can create different categories of ‘lists’ to save ideas for your next adventure.

When setting up an account, users can give a description of themselves so that the hosts may be better equipped to give a more personalized stay. If you don’t want to just be a traveler, there is a section on the app that gives instructions on how to become a host.

If you don’t have an extra room to spare, but still want to contribute to a person’s vacation in your area, you can sign up to host an ‘experience.’ This will

give travelers an inside look on your life as a local, showing your “hobbies, skills and expertise” on things to do, according to the app.

COST:

With expenses and rent continuing to rise, sometimes the thought of spending money on a trip is daunting.

“When new inventory is created, prices drop. That is capitalism.

Airbnb is a new hotel inventory,” says Dr. Se Eun Lee, event & tourism management program professor. “So, prices drop in the region. This means students can travel for cheaper.”

Airbnb allows customers to set their price range through their app to see what accommodation would be the best fit for them. The lowest price offered for a room in certain locations is only $10. Most Airbnb rooms in Ellensburg average for about $60 per night which is still cheaper than the average hotel room, which stands at $100.

Airbnb also offers credits and coupons for their users which can drive down prices as well.

When you invite a friend to book with Airbnb and they use your link, they will receive $40 in travel credit. Once they book a trip that reaches $75 or more, you

will receive a $20 credit, which can make your stay even cheaper.

Airbnb also allows you to enter a work email to unlock special perks while on a business trip.

UNIQUENESS:

Although there’s a wide variety of hotels, Airbnbs provide a more unique experience and an even wider range of accommodations.

Tree houses, hobbit holes, cabins, windmills, castles, caves, penthouses and so many more are available through Airbnb.

The large array of options to select from can be refreshing.

“Hotels are cookie-cutter. Sure, there are some one-offs, but ... 95 percent or more of the rooms in the USA fall into what we would consider cookie-cutter,” says Lee. Not only are the structures of Airbnbs unique, the interiors are as well. If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind vacation, Airbnb might be the right fit for you.

CWU CUSTOMERS OF AIRBNB:

Courtney Lazoff, an event management major, says she would much rather stay at an Airbnb than a hotel. “You get customer service at a hotel, but that’s only at the front desk,” Lazoff says.

“At Airbnb, it’s the entire stay...

It’s like staying the night at a friend’s house.”

Airbnb superhosts are a must for Lazoff when booking her next trip. “Superhosts are experienced, more reliable and high-rated so I wont end up being scammed,” says Lazoff.

Lazoff says she would still book Airbnbs due to their uniqueness and low cost, even if she had a large sum of money to spend, rather than booking an expensive hotel.

HarLee Ortega, a tourism management major, believes that Airbnbs give an authentic experience.

“If I am [traveling] with a group of friends, then I would want an Airbnb,” says Ortega.

“We can split it more ways so it will be cheaper and we can all hangout, play games and cook dinner together.”

While staying at Airbnbs, Ortega finds the opportunity to connect with friends, making this an important part of her experience.

Airbnbs possess unique, individual qualities and affordable prices. Along with some positive reviews from CWU students it’s safe to say that you might need to take a break from hotels and get connected with Airbnbs.

LIFE HACKS

Budgeting Bootcamp:

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONS Story by Bailee Wicks | Design by Sara Roach

The ‘broke college life’ is not just a joke; it is a reality for many students. After stressful days consisting of class, work and then homework, you just want time to relax and unwind. Whether you’re listening to music on Spotify or Apple Music or watching movies and TV shows on Hulu and Netflix, these entertainment services are not free and if you are not careful, they can add up quickly.

Why get a subscription?

Subscription services usually contain niche products that are renewed on a monthly basis. Some of these services include: Ipsy, Birchbox, Spotify, Hulu, HBO, Apple Music and Netflix­—just to name a few.

Sophia Ferguson, a first-year screenwriting and directing graduate student, says that the ease of subscriptions catches her appeal. Subscriptions such as “Quip and Billie let me get a good-quality toothbrush and razor with monthly refills sent right to me for way cheaper than the grocery store,” she says. However, the ease of subscriptions can create a situation where you are paying for multiple services at once.

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Senior Electronics Engineering Technology major Joseph Bui has had up to five subscription services at one time. “I had these subscriptions because different streaming platforms offered different shows and certain shows I wanted to watch on one, the other didn’t have,” says Bui. Ferguson has had six subscriptions before, but noticed that certain subscriptions were not as important to her as others. “I’ve stopped all makeup subscriptions; I just don’t need them anymore and I found they really weren’t worth it to me. I didn’t use the makeup I got and I really needed to save money,” says Ferguson. “I’m actively trying to cut my subscriptions down.”

Budgeting Tips

Although subscription services seem reasonably priced, when you are paying for multiple, it adds up.

Assistant Professor of Accounting, Fabio Ambrosio, says that budgeting on Excel is a useful skill for not only college students, but everyone. “[Excel] will serve you well in life when you decide to buy your first car, take your first job, buy your first home or when you plan for children or a wedding.

Budgeting is very important,” says Ambrosio. “Making savvy financial decisions may be one of the most important skills in your life.”

First, decide if the subscription is a necessity or just something you want and compare that to how much extra money you have a month after bills and groceries.

Ambrosio suggests managing your automatic subscriptions. “Automatic [or] recurring charges are a perfect way to lose control of your money,” he says.

“You may forget you have a subscription or you may forget to cancel it on time and you continue to pay for something you don’t use.”

Bui feels the same way when it comes to actually using the services he has bought. “Sometimes I feel like subscriptions are a trap,” he says. “Often I forget that I even had them, and when I do subscribe to them, I feel like I HAVE to watch a couple shows or else I am wasting money.”

A way to make sure you are knowing what you are paying for is to take payments off of a reoccuring cycle. “I personally never subscribe for automatic renewals on anything and I occasionally change my credit card number on purpose just so that no vendor has my card number indefinitely,” adds Ambrosio.

Account Sharing

It is no secret that people share their login information with others to avoid paying for their own subscriptions. In a 24-hour poll on the PULSE Twitter,

75 percent of students state they use account sharing tactics to save money.

Kendall Lay, a senior clinical physiology major, says account sharing is the only way for her to be able to see all the content she wants and afford it. “I split all the services equally with the people who want to use them,” says Lay. “My parents pay for Netflix, my roommate pays for Hulu with no commercials and I pay for HBO.” Ferguson has a similar sharing system. “I pay for [Amazon Prime] and Spotify myself and I split Sling TV with my roommates, so it really cuts down the costs.”

However, subscription services such as Hulu and Netflix have a maximum cap on how many people can be watching a them at a single time. “Be careful on how many people you give your passwords to because you want to be able to use the service you are paying for without getting that annoying message saying too many people are currently watching,” adds Lay. Money may be tight in college, but that does not mean you have to sacrifice your entertainment. “Just be smart. They are nice to have, but if you don’t pay attention they can drain your bank account,” says Ferguson.

“If you disable automatic renewal you will be forced to make a monthly payment manually and this simple step will make you more conscious about what you’re spending.”

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Recycling’s New Normal Story by Lexi Phillips | Design and Illustration by Krista Kok

You may have heard that a large portion of our recyclable waste is no longer actually being recycled. You may also be very concerned.

The truth is, the plastic waste that the United States—along with other countries—has been sending to China to be recycled is now going into our landfills, being sent to less-developed countries or are incinerated, according to a 2018 article published in NPR. What this means for the state of our recycling industry is unclear, but what is clear: sustainability may have a new system.

What’s happening?

Let’s break it down. In January 2018, China implemented a policy that banned plastic imports as a way to better protect the environment and public health, according to NPR. “Some 106 million metric tons—about 45 percent—of the world’s plastics set for recycling have been exported to China since reporting to the United Nations Comtrade Database began in 1992,” NPR writer Sara Kiley Watson writes.

Dr. Clay Arango, an associate professor of biology who teaches environmental studies at CWU, explains that this ban coincides with China’s “rising economic status” and their efforts to develop as country.

“A lot of the market that existed prior for recyclables has gone away,” says Dr. Susan Kaspari, an associate professor of geological sciences and the interim chair of the sustainability council at CWU. “Some of the other countries that were going to take them … have also chosen not to for various reasons.”

Nations like Thailand or Vietnam have taken on the responsibility, but their waste management systems aren’t as well-developed as China’s. Even more, “Vietnam has already reached a cap on how much waste it can handle: The country has announced it will not accept any more imports of plastic scraps 30

SPRING 2019 | ISSUE ONE

until October,” according to NPR. “By 2030, an estimated 111 million metric tons of plastic waste will be displaced because of China’s new law, the study estimates,” Watson writes. “This is equal to nearly half of all plastic waste that has been imported globally since 1988.”

What does this mean?

This ban is just the beginning of a long-term change for our waste management systems. In her interview with NPR, Marian Chertow, the director of the solid waste policy program at Yale, said, “There’s a tremendous shift in the market when China won’t take half of these plastics. I really think that this export mindset that has developed in the U.S. is one that has to change.”

As for the near future, though, our resources are being used up quickly. “Landfills will be used faster,” says Arango. “When they’re full, they decommission them. And that might also mean either more new landfills or making the size of existing landfills bigger to accommodate that extra waste.”

Arango believes this will greatly worsen the plastic pollution in our oceans. “When plastics get into the ocean, it’s not necessarily because of stuff being deposited directly into the ocean, it’s because of

land use practices on land,” he says. “Every time the exposed face of the landfill—where they’re adding the new material—remains exposed, [it] catches wind and stuff blows away. That’s really how that stuff winds up in a river system that winds up into the ocean.”

Ocean pollution is already a huge issue. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which lies between California and Hawaii, is “the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world,” according to The Ocean Cleanup.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch poses a significant risk to both wildlife, which can confuse the garbage for food or become entangled in it, and to human life, as “the chemicals in plastics will enter the body of the animal feeding on the plastic,” according to The Ocean Cleanup. Over time, those chemicals reach the food we consume. The Ocean Cleanup states that 84 percent of samples taken at the Garbage Patch contained “chemicals in excess.”

Because of this, our recycling systems don’t just affect the U.S. “That affects countries all over the world,” says Alexa Shindruk, president of environmental club at CWU. “Also, climate change and these harmful [practices] affect third world countries worse than us and developing nations are more harmfully affected.”

of the fact that it’s different and somehow be able to chemically or mechanically separate it so that we can deal with it all in one place.”

Alternately, Arango proposes we find a way to make plastic from “more sustainable products [like] plant polymers, or we need to find a whole different alternative that isn’t based on single-use disposable.”

Ultimately, though, reducing your use of these materials and find reusable alternatives is important.

“Recycling’s great, obviously, but it still takes energy and things still have to be produced and stuff, so I think just a good goal to have is just try and limit the single-use plastic and that kind of stuff,” says Shindruk. “Using more reusable [items] is the best option.”

No matter what China’s ban means for the future of our environment, it is up to us to determine the impact we leave.

Where do we go from here?

The sustainability of our Earth is far more important than the money that can (or can’t) be made from it, according to Kaspari. “[Currently], we aren’t dealing with our recycling unless there’s a market to deal with them,” she says.

“It’s a cost that we should be dealing with no matter what.”

This issue isn’t just a call to action to better our waste management system, though; it’s a call to change how we produce and use plastics.

“When we think about waste management, we think of the three R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle,” says Arango. “And there’s a reason that recycle comes last, which is because we would really rather just reduce our need to even have those products in the first place.”

Arango adds, “One of the big problems that makes recycling plastics difficult is that each kind of plastic is a different chemical composition. … So, it would be really nice if there was a chemical system to take all of the plastic waste. And then, somehow, on the recycling facility end, take it all, regardless

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ENVIRONMENTAL PACKAGE

Contributions By Mason Elliott Design and Illustration By Matthew Conrardy Making an effort to reduce waste in your day to day life is not only important for a sustainable environment, but it is also easier than ever. Plastic, specifically single use plastic is being produced, used and disregarded at an astronomical rate. By making a conscious effort to make these small changes in your life, you can make a major change to your ecological footprint.

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Littered

Story By Mason Elliott | Design and Illustration By Krista Kok

5.25 trillion pieces. According to National Geographic, as of 2015, that is how much plastic is in our oceans. With plastic taking an average of 400 years to degrade and 290,000 tons of it sitting atop the oceans, the changes that need to be made lie in our hands.

Unfortunately, according to National Geographic, out of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic produced, we have only recycled around nine percent of it. So where does it go? National Geographic points out that every year eight million metric tons go straight into the ocean and the rest is either in landfills or littered around the earth.

PULSE set out to find how to consume less.

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ENVIRONMENTAL PACKAGE

Garbage Patches

Dr. Clay Arango, an associate professor of biology who teaches environmental studies at CWU, says, “There is actually a garbage patch in every major ocean basin.”

However, the first discovered and most wellknown garbage patch, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, was inadvertently discovered by Captain Charles Moore who noticed a lot of waste in the ocean while sailing.

Arango explains that plastic builds up in the middle of every major ocean because “the oceans are turning slowly in what are called gyres,” and “any trash in the ocean is going to get pulled into the middle of that funnel.”

On social media you see posts showing absurd amounts of trash in the ocean. Sometimes so much that you can’t see the water.

This isn’t representative of what is happening in the middle of the ocean, though. As Ralph Hitz, a professor who has been teaching geology and

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oceanography at Tacoma Community College for 21 years, explains, “A lot of the plastic [in the ocean] gets broken down by sunlight into these tiny little pieces called ‘microplastics.’”

How Does This Affect Wildlife

No one can be totally certain what kind of longterm impact this amount of plastic will have on marine life just yet. Hitz explains that as the microplastics get ingested by smaller marine animals, who in turn get ingested by animals higher on the food chain, there is a danger that these plastic start to get incorporated into the food web.

The current effects, however, are apparent. Hitz explains one of the main problems occuring right now is “the animals can ingest the plastic and they can choke on it.” He adds, “[The plastic] can fill up in their stomach and make them feel full, but then they starve to death.”

Arango points to evolution. In the open ocean there isn’t an abundance of food, so “the animals have an instinct to eat whatever is in front of them.”

Historically, this hasn’t been an issue, but now they are eating plastic instead of food.

Source: Smithsonian Ocean

Arango continues, “The evolutionary change happens very slowly so there isn’t enough time for the organisms to adapt and differentiate between a small plastic pellet and a small crustacean.”

How to Help Reduce Waste

Consume less. Arango states, “Cleaning out the oceans is impractical.” So, in turn, we need to be proactive and consume less­—as difficult as it may seem.

Arango explains making a conscious effort to consume less can have a huge impact. “If something is optional that you don’t need, just don’t buy it.”

There are many relatively easy ways to use less plastic in day to day life. EcoWatch gives ideas like using reusable bags at grocery stores, using reusable water bottles, using paper straws and not throwing away electronics.

Both Hitz and Arango address the issue that limiting pollution must be made through social change, which is where Environment Washington is making an impact. Environment Washington is an environmental advocacy project directed by Bruce Speight.

He explains that, along with adjusting our everyday lives, major changes must be made through local, state and federal policy. By making clean energy and a clean environment a priority in the government, significant, sustainable progress can be attained.

“We are looking to pass a ban on plastic bags in the state of Washington with something called the ‘Reusable Bag Bill,’” Speight states.

An easy way to make a huge impact is to use your voice to speak out and support bills that will lead to an environmentally sustainable future. With the oceans full of plastic and massive amounts being produced and consumed daily, it is important to make an effort to consume less.

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SPOTLIGHT

Story by Lexi Phillips | Photos by Zahn Schultz Design by Joe Petrick

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“You don’t look like you have an eating disorder.”

For much of our lives, we learn about eating disorders a certain way: the desire to be thin, bones poking out, trips to the hospital.

For many of the people who suffer from eating disorders, though, this isn’t the case. Since eating disorders can stem from a mixture of many different external and biological factors, it can look like many different things, according to Dr. Kelly Pritchett, an associate professor of nutrition and exercise science and a registered dietician.

It’s time we learned what it really means to have an eating disorder.

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Fitting the ‘Look’

Because we generally have a certain view of what an eating disorder is—someone who is malnourished and spends much of their time in the hospital—many who don’t fit that view go unnoticed.

“I never thought I was anorexic because I had a friend who was hospitalized for it and it was super toxic, and she’d been in and out of the hospital [about] three or four times for it, and so I was like, ‘I don’t have it because I don’t have that,’” says Gabrielle*, a high school senior from Ellensburg who was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, which is the effect of not consuming enough calories, often leading to extreme weight loss, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD).

Likewise, Brynn Wilbur, a CWU first-year majoring in biology who was also diagnosed with anorexia, struggled when her classmates would talk about their bodies negatively. “I [would say], ‘Hey, I have anorexia. How about we not talk about our bodies and compare how fat we are to each other?’

A lot of people were just like, ‘No you don’t. ... You’re skinny but you’re not that skinny,’” she says. “People were basing it off of appearance instead of the biological reasons and all that stuff or the psychological part where I literally could not look at myself without wanting to die.”

Just because someone isn’t experiencing noticeable health issues doesn’t mean they aren’t unhealthy or they aren’t suffering from a disorder. Emma Lane, a sophomore business major at CWU who has anorexia, attributes this perception to the education provided to students about eating disorders, which primarily came in the form of documentaries that focused on more extreme cases.

“I feel the same way about those people as I do about my chances of getting cancer. It’s one of those things where you look at it and you’re like, ‘There’s literally no way that’s going to happen to me, even after four years of being anorexic,’” says Lane. “And that wasn’t a delusional thought; it was kind of accurate, because I’ve never come close to anything like that in my life.”

Disorders Don’t Discriminate

“For a long time, the Western, stereotypical model of someone with an eating disorder was a white, straight, cisgender woman who was restricting food and severely underweight,” says Dr. Cindy Bruns, a licensed psychologist and the director of counseling

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at CWU’s Student Medical and Counseling Center (SMACC).

Pritchett suggests that this stereotype has affected diagnosis rates, which further perpetuates it. “If people believe that that’s who gets most impacted, maybe they’d be looking for signs and symptoms in that group more, as opposed to looking for signs and symptoms in other groups,” she says.

According to a 2017 article in Splinter News about the experiences of people of color with eating disorders, “Even the NEDA, the country’s largest non-profit tackling these issues, admits on its website that ‘due to our historically biased view that eating disorders only affect white women, relatively little research has been conducted utilizing participants from racial and ethnic minority groups.’”

The article tells the story of Mei Yook, a Chinese-American woman who grew up in a culture where “chubby” was considered the standard for healthy. At one point, though, this viewpoint changed.

“When I moved into middle school, suddenly I was too fat,” she said. “There was a lot of [my grandmother] pitting me against my other female cousins, pointing out our differences. I wasn’t obese, but I was definitely not a skinny girl. And I didn’t conform to what Chinese women were ‘supposed’ to be like— small and submissive—both in size and personality. I was an American girl.”

After moving to a mostly-White part of Washington right before middle school, she became hyper-aware of her body and was constantly thinking of ways to alter it. In high school, she began bingeing and purging, also called bulimia nervosa. Bulimia is “the ingestion of an abnormally large amount of food in short time period, followed by an attempt to

avoid gaining weight by purging what was consumed,” according to Eating Disorder Hope.

“Sexual orientation and gender identity can also interact with eating disorders,” says Bruns, “with gay and bisexual men often feeling pressure to fit into a specific, socially-defined body specification in order to be deemed attractive. With trans-identified individuals, as part of attempting to create a sense of gender congruity between their physical self and gender identity, an eating disorder can develop as a way to try to conform to artificial standards of gender physicality and beauty standards.”

Moreover, men are often overlooked when it comes to the eating disorder conversation.

“If I ever even hinted to people I had anorexia, I always heard, ‘No you don’t. You’re a guy. Be a man,’” writes Ken Capabianco, author of “Call Me Anorexic: The

Ballad of a Thin Man.” He adds that when other men hear about his anorexia, they often make jokes about his sexuality.

Because of these stereotypes, people who aren’t white, straight, cisgender women have a harder time finding a diagnosis and treatment. “This cultural bias in counseling and medical professionals, as well as the general population, rendered invisible the struggles of many of cultural groups,” says Bruns.

Body Imagery

Even though body image issues aren’t the primary cause of eating disorders—as the media would suggest—society’s beauty standards still do play a part in many cases.

Maddie Farrell, a sophomore theatre arts performance major at CWU who was diagnosed with anorexia, developed an eating disorder in middle school and

eventually found herself at 76 lbs. “All I wanted to do was lose weight and just be skinny, like everybody else,” she says. “I didn’t see the harm in that. I didn’t notice when I looked in the mirror how skinny I was; I thought there was just more fat to lose.”

“Teasing or bullying or even just well-intended comments [can cause] someone to hyper-focus on their appearance or size and then attempt to control that through food use,” says Bruns. “Dieting is a norm of our society, historically for girls and women and now, for boys and men as well.”

According to Marissa Howat, director of CWU’s Wellness Center, “If you’re a person who already has some risk factors and high anxiety, living in a culture that tells you [that] you need to look and be different than you are is harmful.”

Howat adds that in cultures not so saturated in media, eating

“If I ever even hinted to people I had anorexia, I always heard, ‘No you don’t. You’re a guy. Be a man...’” -Ken Capabianco

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SPOTLIGHT

disorders are much less prevalent.

“While we don’t see eating disorders discriminate against different races, we do see the prevalence of eating disorders increase in cultures who are exposed to media technology,” she says.

That doesn’t mean that simple body positivity is the cure for an eating disorder, though. “Everyone thinks that it’s like, ‘If you just feel better about yourself, your problem will go away,’” says Lane. “That’s not how this works. It’s a mental illness.

That’s like telling a depressed person to just feel better.”

Culprit Vs. Victim

With eating disorders, rationality often takes the backseat. When Wilbur wasn’t eating, she says she would feel physically unwell. “But then the headaches and the stomach aches and all the pains and being fatigued and dizzy was like, ‘This is good, because I’m going to [look] good.’ But then, you’re not thinking about the facts,” she says. “I’m a science person, and the whole time I was thinking, ‘Oh yeah, I’m going to be so skinny in a week,’ when in reality, your body is keeping all the calories because it doesn’t know when its next meal is.”

Later, Wilbur realized that anorexia was her own form of selfharm. “It was my form of slowly killing myself, I guess,” she recalls.

“I was like, ‘Well, this would be the easiest way I could do it without making a scene.’ And ...

I can’t believe I ever thought like that. But I mean, when I look at [the] stuff I had to go through, [it made] sense.”

For Farrell, death was a more certain aspect of her future. With how much weight she’d lost, doctors informed her that her organs were failing. “I started making myself gravestones and 40

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everything because I was just like, ‘Fine, well, I’m not going to eat.’ I was just very stubborn,” she says.

“But then I started to feel really sick; I couldn’t do anything with my friends and I was cold all the time. So, I tried to eat more.”

However, she still struggled.

“That lovely anorexia part of you is telling you that you’re fat and you need to go exercise even though my doctors told me not to exercise. I would, secretly,” she recalls. “I tried to get better, but it’s a whole mind game.”

Even if you are able to eat, though, it is not a simple task.

“I have never felt nonchalant about eating, ever,” says Lane.

“Nobody else thinks twice about it. If you’re hungry, you go get food, and that’s just not how my life has ever worked. And it’s so weird to think about, because even the foods that you like to eat, there’s a weird guilt associated with it.”

Similarly, Rae West, a senior sociology major at CWU who was diagnosed with binge eating disorder, faced complications when she suspected her doctor didn’t take the disorder seriously. “I thought she just thought I was fat [and that eating] was a want instead of, ‘I literally like can’t stop myself from doing this,’” she says.

Binge is defined as “recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort),”

according to the National Eating Disorder Association.

“I think that we have to be careful in terms of the way we approach someone with an eating disorder. Doing that in an accusing manner can often make things worse,” says Pritchett.

Gabrielle only told a few people about her disorder; it was when someone called her a “dumb bitch” that she decided not to talk about it anymore.

“Making it seem like the person who is suffering from eating disorders is a culprit rather than a victim [is harmful], because I think a lot of times, eating disorders take you over and at a certain point you just don’t really have control,” she explains. “I don’t think anyone really wants to starve themselves.

Over 30 million

people experience an eating disorder in the U.S. • Eating disorders have the highest rate of mortality of any mental illness.

• People of color with weight and eating concerns are less likely to be acknowledged for an eating disorder by medical professionals.

• 10 to 15 percent of people diagnosed with bulimia or anorexia are male.

• 3.5 percent of sexual minority woman and 2.1 percent of sexual minority men have reported having an eating disorder.

Sources: National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders; National Eating Disorder

A Mind Game

Above all, eating disorders are a mental illness.

“Genetics loads the gun, and environment pulls the trigger,” says Pritchett. “Maybe addictive personalities run in the family, and then I think when put in the wrong environment, it can breed an eating disorder. That’s the simplest way to explain it.”

For Wilbur, a toxic home environment and moving to a new town coupled with already-existing mental illnesses led to her developing anorexia.

“It was … my form of control because I didn’t have any control over myself,” she says.

Not only this, but the anxiety that came from moving to a new town and starting at a new school was made worse when she had trouble finding friends.

“That was probably one of the triggers for why I just stopped eating because I was like, ‘Okay, so I need to be beautiful. I need to be pretty if I want friends,’” says Wilbur. “And then that cycle just continues as you get older. …

Because as humans, we just want to be noticed. And then you just [end up] hurting yourself in the end. But because you feel like it’s working, and it makes you feel better. You don’t really want to stop.”

Similarly, Lane recalls that she often felt fat growing up; it was after a “blow-out” with her friends that led her to develop anorexia.

“I was kind of just holed up in my room, doing nothing and it kind of happened on accident. I was on my laptop all the time and I was just too lazy to get up,” she says. “I realized that … I wasn’t taking the time to eat, and then I started doing it on purpose.”

Lane explains that after a while of not eating, she lost enough weight that people had noticed. For once in her life, she was the “skinny girl.”

Though never officially diagnosed with an eating disorder, Lane says she knew she had anorexia, but believed it was working for her.

Eating disorders aren’t always connected to body image, though. Gabrielle explains, “Because nobody else was interested in eating healthy, I just decided that I would stop eating. And then my counselor realized that I was starving myself for a year.”

After Gabrielle began surrounding herself with healthier friend groups, though, she says she felt like food was “okay to eat.”

Even for people who are able to recover from their disorder, more often than not, it is never over. “I don’t know if you can really ever overcome ... an eating disorder,” says Farrell. “I’m comfortable and confident with who I am, but I still struggle with my weight every day.”

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Managing the Stress of Transitioning to College

I

Story by Maddy Wilson | Photos by Zahn Schultz Design by Joe Petrick

It’s the beginning of the quarter and you’ve just arrived at your first class. The professor begins by asking everyone to go around the room, sharing their name, major and hometown. As students, one-by-one, start explaining seemingly unimportant information with the class, you wonder if you are the only student to say that they are undecided. Fearing judgement from peers, you quickly mention a program you thought sounded somewhat interesting. However, you have just realized that everyone else already knows what they are majoring in and you don’t.

If this is a situation you have encountered before, you are not alone. There are many types of students who come to college–some are a part of the Running Start program, while others are transferring from a community college. Despite the type of student you are, everyone, at some point, faces the same issues transitioning into college life.

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SPOTLIGHT

Leaving Home and Making Friends

One of the difficult aspects of coming to college is leaving your friends and family behind. This is the first hurdle most students have to experience during their adjustment period. Senior English and Secondary Education major Hunter Thomas explains, “I had a really hard time transitioning … [but] being away has taught me so much.”

Although Thomas’ family lives in Washington, she still experienced difficulty leaving home for the first time. Many students share this difficulty, not only because they are leaving the security of their family but also because they are tasked with making completely new friends. Thomas confirms that she “decided to start fresh and start talking to people” as a way to avoid secluding herself from the college community.

Being instantly forced to make new friends can be one of the hardest parts of transitioning to college.

You may feel the desire to keep locked away in your room out of fear that people won’t like you or that no one understands what you are experiencing.

However, most students understand how strenuous it is to continue meeting people until the right friends appear.

Senior Psychology major Grace Pearsons clarifies, “The biggest thing I had to overcome was learning how to deal with people who don’t like you and don’t want you to succeed.” Whether it be friends or mere acquaintances, surrounding yourself with people who support your social and academic goals aid in being successful in college.

“The biggest thing I had to overcome was learning how to deal with people who don’t like you and don’t want you to succeed.”

-Grace Pearsons

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Gaining Independence

Despite the distance, every student that leaves home for college is thrust into a world of adulthood, where making decisions and being independent are essential to survival. The ability to have sole ownership over your decisions and actions can provide you with the experience of facing real-life challenges.

Senior Lecturer Peggy Roberts explains, “The anxiety of leaving everything you have comfortable … [and] going into college is very scary,” because for most students this is your first time ever having control over what you say, think, hear and experience.

If you have moved away to college and don’t have your parents nearby, the security blanket they once provided you is essentially gone. Roberts also mentions that the separation is stress-inducing for most students, as physical distance is one of the biggest indicators of independence.

However, not all students leave home to go to college. Pearsons, being a full-time student while living at home, discusses how she is able to gain her own independence by having an education and using it to “help other people find their path.”

Even though she has the direct support of her parents on an everyday basis, she is still able to make her own decisions about her education and career path.

“For most students this is your first time ever having control over what you say, think, hear and experience.”

- Peggy Roberts

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SPOTLIGHT

“I was just taking all the wrong classes and that was making me so unhappy.”

What Are Your Options?

When starting college, Pearsons was a part of the Running Start program. Because of this, she understands that students who continue into higher education while still living at home face other issues associated with balancing their family life and the independence of college.

Angelia Riveria, associate director of Running Start, explains, “Having so many choices can be stressful for [students],” and is one of the biggest struggles Running Start students face in particular.

However, making academic decisions for yourself is a stressor that most college students face.

Have you ever considered switching your major? Once, twice, maybe even three times?

There are many students like yourself who have had doubts about which career-path is right for them.

- Hunter Thomas

Thomas understands this feeling and says, “when I moved to college, I went through a whole identity crisis.” Some students feel lost finding themselves and their passions in a sea of other students.

Oppositely, maybe your parents had intentions of you becoming a doctor or lawyer when your sights were set on studying accounting. Or, are you simply having difficulty finding the best major to fit your interests and passions?

Despite the reason, most students face doubts about what they want to study. “I felt really lost in life for a while. I had no idea what I was doing [and] I wanted to drop out because I just didn’t think college was for me,” says Thomas. “I was just taking all the wrong classes and that was making me so unhappy.”

Sometimes, being strategic about the classes you choose to take can make or break your college experience.

You may have already completed your general education requirements but still have no clue what

Identity Crisi 4+ Times 7%

Specific Major 16%

2-3 Times 29%

Undecided 84%

Did you come to CWU undecided or with a specific major in mind?

1 Time 64%

How many times have you changed your major?

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you want to study. Most students, including Pearsons, will switch majors more than once. Although currently a psychology major, Pearsons began as a Running Start student studying pre-medicine and eventually switched to theatre once she had obtained her associate degree.

She explains that one of the difficult aspects of switching from pre-medicine to theatre was dealing with outside opinions on her decision. “I was receiving a lot of judgement for being a theatre major, and then there was a time where I knew that I was leaving the theatre department, but I didn’t know which major I was going to,” she says.

One pressure you may be facing while trying to decide on a major is asking if it will direct you toward your intended career, or if you want your major and career to coincide. Riveria digresses that there is “this expectation that there’s going to be a job waiting on the other side, when the reality is there’s a whole lot of other stuff to getting a really good job besides just having your degree.”

Like many other students, you may be worried that if you don’t decide on the perfect degree that you won’t be able to get the job you want. However, choosing to be a biology major does not automatically send you on a path to medicine; it is your experience and drive that will set you apart from others in your field.

The Ups and Downs

In order to navigate college life, you need to find the best de-stressing methods that work for you.

Some students prefer to exercise, while others enjoy watching moves; being able to recognize your favorite self-care activities and actively practicing them is essential to surviving college.

Thomas notes, “I’m really into oils; some days I don’t think I could get through the day without oils.”

Using essential oils relaxes her, she says, and helps her manage stress.

Likewise, Senior Graphic Design major Kash Serock concludes that spending time with her cat is one of the best ways for her to de-stress.

If you feel that the overwhelming pressure of finding friends and feeling comfortable in college is stopping you from achieving your goals, take a second to breathe and take time to figure out what is right for you.

is Polls Making Friends 48% Finding Classes 9% Choosing a Major 23% Leaving Home 20%

What is the most stressful part of starting college?

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Identity Crisis

Breakdown Kit Factors such as making friends, choosing classes and transitioning to college can become overwhelming and cause a brief breakdown. Although breakdowns can happen suddenly, you can be prepared for when the next one strikes. Here are some tools to add to your at-home breakdown kit.

A Cat A Book Essential Oils A Journal Working Out Music Comfort Food Wine A Good Movie

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Lion Rock Visiting Writer Series

Erika L. Sanchez May 7 12:00 pm - Craft Talk 6:00 pm - Reading & Book Signing Brooks Library 2nd Floor Commons

Art + Design presents May 2 – 16 Sarah Spurgeon Gallery Juried Undergraduate Student Art + Design Exhibition

An annual exhibition showcasing outstanding undergraduate student artwork created during the past academic year.

CAH

CORNER

English presents

CWU College of CWU College of College of ARTS & HUMANITIES ARTS &CWU HUMANITIES ARTS & HUMANITIES

Music presents

May 19 • 4:00 pm Dr. Wayne S. Hertz Concert Hall Choir Concert

$12 General admission; $7 Senior/Student/Alumni www.cwu.edu/music/event-tickets

June 1 • 4:00 pm & 7:00 pm Dr. Wayne S. Hertz Concert Hall An Afternoon of Jazz / Evening of Jazz

$12 General admission; $7 Senior/Student/Alumni Ticket valid at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. show • www.cwu.edu/music/event-tickets

For more information on CAH events and tickets: www.cwu.edu/arts/news-and-events Africana and Black Studies | Ar t + Design | Asian Studies | Communication | English | History

Latino and Latin American Studies | Music | Philosophy and Religious Studies | Theatre Ar ts | World Languages and Cultures CWU is an AA/EEO/Title IX/Veteran/Disability Employer. For accommodation email DS@cwu.edu

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SPOTLIGHT

It’s Not Just You: A Look Into the Struggles, Pain & Suffering Caused

by Drunk Driving Story by Anakaren Garcia Design and Photo Illustration by Matthew Conrardy

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It’s the middle of the night and you’re woken up by a banging on the front door. It's the police—they've come to deliver the news that someone very close to you was killed in a car accident because they decided to drive home while drunk.

Or, imagine you're told that someone you love was killed by a drunk driver that lost control of their car.

Or, maybe you're woken up by the sound of your phone vibrating; it's a loved one calling you from jail, telling you they were arrested for drunk driving and they're asking you to go bail them out.

These are the realities of drunk driving.

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Drinking Impairments

According to the American Addiction Center website, alcohol can have a number of impacts on the brain and those results vary by how often or how heavily you drink.

The occasional or moderate drinker can experience blackouts and recklessness, but the heavy, excessive drinker can experience memory loss, loss of attention span and will have the “inability to think abstractly,” according to the AAC. With one or two alcoholic drinks, a person can begin to feel more talkative, wanting to socialize more and more. But going past those two drinks is where a person can begin to have problems thinking straight or having memory of what is happening or has happened, according to Psychology Today.

Drunk Driving Perspectives

It's commonly known that drinking and driving isn’t the best idea, right?

“I knew I shouldn’t have been drinking and driving because every time I would go out, I wouldn’t be driving,” says 24-year-old Juan Cedeno, a fork-lift driver at Condan Fruit House in Yakima. “But there would be some times that I wouldn’t have a ride so I would risk it.”

Mark*, a 34-year-old U.S. Army veteran, says that before getting his DUIs he didn’t care about drinking and driving being a problem. When he came back from two deployments in Iraq, he felt like no one could touch him and he was living life recklessly.

Just because you don’t personally drink and drive doesn’t mean it’s not out there in the world, let alone close enough to harm a loved one.

“I always heard about accidents happening regarding situations like that and never really thought it will ever happen to us," says 26-year-old Lenika Gonzalez Tapia, a teller at HAPO Community Credit Union in Yakima.

"I always thought people were really ignorant and selfish for drinking and driving. After having to live that situation I still cannot believe how selfish people are for doing that.”

Their Pain

Could it be that sometimes people only think about themselves when they're drinking and driving?

They don’t think about all the other lives that they could affect if something bad were to happen? People have been to jail for DUI arrests; people have lost their loved ones from these kinds of accidents. Not

Due to Drunk Driving in Washington State....

Source: Washington Traffic Safety Commission

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only that, but the first responders who are called to the scene of these accidents have also been affected.

“I got a call from one of my aunts … asking if I had talked to my mom already. I said, ‘No, she should be in church,'" recalls Gonzalez. "She said Rafa, my stepdad, and Santi, my nephew, were in a car accident. They were taken to the hospital but they did not want to give information [about] my mom. I got to the hospital in less than 10 minutes,” says Gonzalez.

Gonzalez and her family were led into a private room shortly after they all arrived but didn't receive any information about the whereabouts of their mother. The doctor warned Gonzalez, her sister and brother-in-law that they needed to be strong and prepared for the condition her nephew, Santi, were in.

Gonzalez’s brother-in-law began having trouble breathing after seeing the condition Santi was in.

They quickly moved him to another room and when Gonzalez was about to enter the room to visit her nephew, she noticed a sheriff approach some of her cousins.

“I was at the door when I see my cousin crying and my brother-in-law says, ‘Mi suerga fallecio [my mother-in-law died],’" she says. "At that moment, I went crazy. [I] cried and screamed my lungs out. I was hitting the walls, trying to see where they had her, asking God why.”

A drunk driver was going over 100 mph in a 35mph zone when he crashed into them. Gonzalez says she found it hard to have to tell her oldest brother

about the news because he lived in Mexico and hadn’t seen their mom for about 16 years. Gonzalez’s brother requested that their mother not be buried in the U.S., but sent to Mexico so that he can see her one last time.

“One other hard thing was not being able to see her until three days after. That Monday ... I had to pick the casket [and] the flowers. I broke down again," she recalls. "Tuesday, I took the clothes she would be wearing to the funeral home and [went] over [flight] details."

She continues, "Wednesday the 20th, we were finalizing the paperwork for the flight when they told me she was ready and we could finally see her.

I was able to do her hair and makeup one last time like she would ask me to do. That day was another heartbreaking moment. The day I knew I had lost my whole life. The day I knew [there] was not one way to bring her alive."

According to Gonzalez, the drunk driver responsible for this tragedy is someone she went to school with and knew to an extent. He was arrested and incarcerated immediately following the accident. He had numerous court dates where he continued to not plead guilty and he is out on bond currently since mid-2018. Gonzalez says they’re hoping to close the case in May 2019.

Cedeno says he was arrested for drinking and driving when he hit his friends parked car. “I ended up going to a friend’s house for a barbecue and then another friend showed up with a bottle of tequila,

25,619 people were arrested in 2017 And an average of 149 people die every summer

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SPOTLIGHT

then everybody started saying, ‘Shots! Shots!’" he says. “At the end I just remember blacking out and when I woke up is when I crashed. I hit my friend’s parked car. The neighbors called the cops. I woke up in city [jail].”

Cedeno says that his family was affected by his accident both financially and mentally, and that they were “thinking, 'What if I would’ve killed myself or someone?'”

Mark says he’s received two DUIs in his life. The first one was in Arizona, where he was initially pulled over for going 70 mph in a 40-mph zone. His second DUI was in Washington state. He recalls that he hadn’t drank alcohol for about three months before getting arrested, and that it was his friend’s birthday party and they decided to go out to eat and take birthday shots. Starting at one place led to bar-hopping. He was initially pulled over for going 65 mph on Yakima Ave, which is a 25-mph zone.

Mark says that his parents had no knowledge about his first DUI, but when he got his second one, they didn’t know where he was and they couldn’t get ahold of him until they finally decided to call the Yakima County Jail and found out what had happened.

He says his parents cried when they saw him walking out of jail. He’s spent roughly $30,000 combined on both DUIs.

They Feel, Too

Do you ever stop to think about the first responders, officers or firefighters who are called to the scene of these drunk driving collisions?

Lieutenant Liliana Causor, a 30-year-old firefighter at Cowiche Fire Department, says that seeing fatalities and seeing families crying for their loved ones who were killed in these kinds of accidents are the hardest part of her job.

“Seeing these accidents has affected me in a way that I do not drink and drive,” says Lieutenant Causor. “The hardest part, mentally, would be at the end of the call knowing how to cope with [it].”

37-year-old Ellensburg Police Officer Ryan Potter says, “Each officer processes what they see

on scene in different ways. For me, the first bad collision I had stuck with me, and still sticks with me, because it was the first time I had been exposed to it as a new officer and a young adult."

Officer Potter adds, "As time goes on, you become ‘numb’ to it and just learn to cope. As an officer, you

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are expected to do your job, even in the harshest of situations. Although what you may see or experience in the moment is horrible and difficult to see, we as officers must push through and deal with our emotions after the situation has concluded.”

What can be worse, according to Officer Potter, is seeing the aftermath of the event. “These collisions, depending on the severity, can sometimes be very disturbing to see because of injuries sustained by those involved. … It makes you realize how vulnerable we all are to people that are driving while impaired,” he says. “There are images in my head that will never go away from scenes that I’ve witnessed.”

So, Why Do It?

Why are people so willing to risk their lives and the lives of others when they drink and drive? Is it because they don’t want to leave their car wherever it is or because they have too much pride?

“A lot of people think they are good enough to drive and some pay the price," Lieutenant Causor says. “I have asked drunk drivers, 'Why did you decide to drive?' and most of the answers ... are, 'I didn’t want my friends to think I couldn’t hang with them.'”

Officer Potter says, “Many people may not want to bother a friend, family member or loved one because they don’t want to get looked at as irresponsible for not planning ahead.”

In 2017, Cheap Car Insurance conducted a survey of 1,000 people and found that 51 percent of the women surveyed are able to drink one alcoholic beverage and drive home, where only 23 percent of the men surveyed are able to drive home after one drink. But getting three drinks in, 24 percent of the men say they’re still able to drive home where the women count goes down to 10 percent. Four percent of women and nine percent of men who took this survey said they wouldn’t even have one drink and drive after.

Avoidance

In this day and age people have their smart phones to help them with almost anything, right? Right.

Before heading out to the bars, have a plan and a back-up plan for getting home safely. In Ellensburg, there are currently three taxi-cab services: Radio Town Taxi, AA Express Taxi and K.C. Cab. And on top of that there’s also online car services like Uber and Lyft. Or, simply make sure you or your group of friends have a designated sober driver that will be in charge of getting you and everyone else home safely.

And in case you already have a plan and a back-

up plan but you want to limit yourself on your drinking for the night, Get Drunk Not Fat is a website that allows you to enter your preferred alcoholic drink, gender, weight, how many drinks you plan on drinking and the length of time you plan on drinking. Once you’ve submitted this information, you’ll be given your blood alcohol level, the level of drunkenness you’ll be at and how many calories and carbs you have consumed.

Word to the Wise

“All I can say is, put yourself in that situation. What if you were the victim of these cases? What if you were the one to die? If you had kids, would you like to leave them alone? Would you like your parents to suffer? You have no right to take an innocent’s life for your dumb actions,” says Gonzalez.

“Stop and think about the consequences of drinking and driving. Look at what could happen. You could kill or seriously injure someone's family member all because you wanted to have a good time and drive home,” says Lieutenant Causor. “You would be pissed off at another person for drinking and driving and killing or seriously injuring one of your family members, so what makes you think it’s okay for you to do the same?”

“Please, I beg anyone reading this, don’t drive impaired by alcohol or drugs. It’s not worth your life or anyone else’s,” says Officer Potter.

People can advise you so much to not take part in these types of actions. People can tell you their stories of losing loved ones or tell you stories about them being arrested. But whether you choose to listen and take the advice is entirely up to you.

I and the PULSE team just ask you to think about all the lives you can wrongfully impact by getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.

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FOOD & DRINK

tea

101 Story by Linh Lee Photos by Linh Lee & Josie Luong Design by Shoshanah Davis

Delicious? Chewy? Yummy? Bubbly? Yep, it's bubble tea.

According to The Daily Meal, bubble tea was created in Taiwan in the 1980s and has now become one of the most popular drinks in the world.

Whether you’re seasoned or new to the boba world, it’s time to learn what exactly goes into this drink.

First of all, what is bubble tea?

“Bubble tea is simply flavored tea [or] milk tea with yummy toppings such as boba, egg pudding, grass jelly, lychee jelly or fruits,” says Josie Luong, a boba lover and sophomore majoring in biochemistry.

Bubble tea is a sweet drink that contains tea, milk and chewy tapioca balls. It's usually served cold and has a few other names such as boba tea, pearl tea, tapioca tea or just boba.

Initially, bubble tea topping used to be only the pearl tapioca and black tapioca balls. However, as bubble tea becomes more well-known, people have a lot more options, such as popping boba (gel-like balls filled with juice), egg pudding (a smooth, thick and jelly-like dessert made out of milk and sugar), fruit-flavored jelly and many more.

The milk used in bubble tea can be half and half, fresh milk, non-dairy milk or condensed milk. For tea, any tea with strong flavor would do the job. With many of the stores that sell bubble tea, it seems that the most common tea flavors are green tea, black tea, oolong tea and jasmine tea.

There is another type of bubble tea that is also quite popular, which is ice blended. Sugar Thai is one of the few places in Ellensburg that serve ice blended bubble tea.

Dani Perez, a server at Sugar Thai, says that for their 'milkshake,' they use powder, sugar syrup, cream or coconut milk to blend with ice and then add boba in.

So, where does bubble tea come from?

Out of hundreds of stories about the origin of bubble tea, the one about Chun Shui Tang teahouse in Taichung, Taiwan is considered the most credible, according to an article published in CNN Travel.

Based on this article, bubble tea was born in 1988 when Ms. Lin Hsiu Hui, a product development manager of the teahouse, happened to bring fen yuan (a sweetened tapioca pudding and also a typical Taiwanese desert) to a staff meeting. Just for fun, she poured it in her iced tea and created a drink that everyone at the meeting loved.

To everyone's surprise, the drink quickly outsold every other drink on their menu. In the article, Lin said that even now, when Chun Shui Tang teahouse has had “over 30 teahouses in Taiwan," bubble tea still “makes up 80 to 90 percent” of their sales.

How popular is bubble tea?

In the same CNN article, writer Derrick Chang says that bubble tea shops are now in “every corner of Taiwan’s streets."

Chang adds that bubble tea has “spread to neighboring countries like Japan, South Korea, China, and the rest of the world."

According to "Eat This, Not That!," as of 2018, there are over 800 bubble tea shops in New York, California and other major cities in the U.S. Smaller cities like Ellensburg also have a lot of bubble tea lovers.

"A lot of people in the community ask for it," says Janice Schlenkeo, owner of Pho Central. "Everyone orders bubble tea, from teenagers [and] college kids to people who have retired.”

What do CWU students say about bubble tea?

Josie Luong - Sophomore - Major in Bio-Chem: "The boba lust is real! Whenever I need something to quench my thirst, bubble tea is always on the top of my head. Think of Starbucks in the U.S., bubble tea is similar in Asia. My favorite drink is honey black tea with boba and egg pudding. I prefer my drink to still have the original taste of freshly brewed tea. There are many bubble tea shops in WA, but in Ellensburg, I usually get my bubble tea form an online place called YoungT&Tea. They deliver to my door so it’s super convenient on nights when I’m busy with homework and need something to keep me awake."

Grace Yim - Senior - Major in Aviation Management: "Bubble tea is an amazing drink that is both delicious and refreshing.

I first learned about bubble tea when my uncle and cousins took me to a local bubble tea place when I was in elementary school. It blew my mind and I treated it as a treat I would rarely get. I get bubble tea when I crave it or when I have the chance, but I drink it more often in the summer when it is hotter. I would definitely recommend people to try bubble tea if they haven’t. I’m always down to get some!"

Tommy Fernandez - Sophomore Major in IT: "I love bubble tea! I have been drinking it for as long as I could remember. After my baseball games when I was little, instead of getting a blizzard from Dairy Queen, I would ask my dad for

bubble tea. My favorite flavor is Taro, but I do like to get Honeydew sometimes. The first thing I look for when I try bubble tea at a restaurant is if the tapioca is good.

If it sucks then I think it just ruins the whole drink."

Check out cwupulsemagazine.com for a recipe on boba tea.

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AFTER DARK

Central Secrets n Editio s a i b o Ph

Contributions by Savannah Scriven | Design and Illustration by Krista Kok Phobias are some of the most intense fears people can endure. Although a person might understand some of these fears are irrational, they will still go to extreme lengths to avoid them—no matter the cost.

PULSE set out to discover what gives CWU students the heebie jeebies.

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OUR TOWN

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AFTER DARK

C

annabis

cALENDAR Design by Shoshanah Davis

everyday specials The Fire House Military & Medical Discounts

The Green Shelf Military & Industry Discounts

Cannabis Central Happy Hour 2-5 Wake n’ Bake Special 9-10 20% OFF Sativa + Sativa Hy-

Night Cap Specials SUN-THURS

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8-9

Monday

thursday

Cannabis Central

Cannabis Central

15 % OFF edibles / tincAll single grams $10 & under

All $15 single grams All $25 2 grams $20

tuesday

friday

The Fire House

Cannabis Central

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Vendor

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Cannabis Central $4 joints 2 for $5 joints 2 for $7 + $8 joints 2 for $13 joints 2 for

Cannabis Central Vendor

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Cannabis Central %15 OFF topiSeniors 55+ & Students

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Cannabis Central $5 OFF Concentrates & Cartridg-

PULSE does not condone irresponsible or illegal drug use.

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