Jan. 21, 2021

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

Mint | Page 5

High 37, Low 28 forecast.weather.gov

Activist speaks at WSU Bree Newsome Bass hosts Zoom event; goal is to inspire students

VOL. 127 NO. 17

Malden still awaits federal aid, four months after fire

WSU alumna shares journey as first-gen student, millionaire in new book Pursued business degree while working at local deli, waitress at Denny’s restaurant

A

COURTESY OF LOREN NEGRON

During Labor Day weekend, the Babb Road Fire destroyed more than 80 percent of the city of Malden. Over 100 homes were destroyed, and only 24 homes survived the fire.

Pine Creek Recovery received $350,000 to help Malden build community center; facility might house food bank, library

By Steff i Ludahl

A

Evergreen reporter

s President Joe Biden begins his first few days in office, one city in Washington eagerly awaits the financial assistance that has been sitting on former President Donald Trump’s desk since September.

During Labor Day weekend, the Babb Road Fire destroyed more than 80 percent of the city of Malden.

Over 100 homes were destroyed, said Malden Mayor Dan Harwood.

About 24 homes survived the fire, and most of the community buildings were burnt, including the fire station.

Since then, the town has remained strong and hopeful that the Federal Emergency Management Agency

grant they were approved for would be signed by Trump, said Malden councilmember Scott Hokonson.

“FEMA has made their decision already. They take about usually 24 hours to look at the information and then put it on the president’s desk,” Hokonson said. “At least that’s what I’ve been told so it’s been on the president’s desk for months.”

Last week, Harwood and Hokonson met with Gov. Jay Inslee to discuss what will happen with the grant after the inauguration. Harwood said they do not have to reapply for FEMA, and Inslee will continue working with them on receiving aid.

“The frustrating part about this is the state of California and the state of Oregon suffered fires on the same day,” Harwood said. “Nine days after they made their application, they were approved.”

Hokonson said many politicians have hinted the reasoning behind Trump’s delay is because of his

personal grudge against Inslee.

Since the assessment from FEMA has been sitting on the president’s desk for so long, Hokonson said many Malden residents are hopeful Biden can address their needs quickly.

For Malden residents to receive other resources, such as loans from the Small Business Administration who offer disaster loans to homeowners, the president just needs to respond to those resource requests.

Malden has been stuck waiting since September, Harwood said.

“We have been waiting all this time for the assistance that can truly benefit our residents, and you know, a decision has to be made,” he said.

Whitman County was also the only county in Washington to qualify for individual assistance for affected residents, Harwood said.

Hokonson said the criteria to qualify is a percentage of homes lost see MALDEN page 11

Second, third graders return to hybrid learning Franklin Elementary principal said students follow COVID-19 protocols

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By Adaline Grace Evergreen Reporter

ullman elementary schools welcomed second and third graders back in the classroom via hybrid learning on Tuesday, after kindergarteners and first graders returned to school earlier this month.

After three months of distance learning, Pullman Public Schools made the decision to safely open schools to some students on Jan. 4, according to an Evergreen article. This transition gave kindergarteners and first graders the

In this issue: Got a news tip?

Contact news editor Loren Negron news@dailyevergreen.com

(509)-335-2465

opportunity to safely engage in hybrid learning.

With hybrid learning, half of the students attend in-person classes on Mondays and Thursdays. The other half attend on Tuesdays and Fridays, said Stephanie Bray, principal of Franklin Elementary School.

On Wednesdays, students have asynchronous Zoom classes. Teachers also use that day to have staff meetings, said Heather Strader, teacher at Franklin Elementary School.

In fall 2020, Franklin Elementary School lost around 50 children. This was caused by parents homeschooling their children or enrolling them in a school that conducted in-person classes, Bray said.

This last week, Franklin

Roots | 4

ADAM JACKSON | DAILY EVERGREEN FILE

Stephanie Bray, principal of Franklin Elementary School, said students’ desks are placed 6 feet apart. Students are required to wear masks at all times.

Elementary School had up to 10 new enrollments, she said.

Before students enter the classroom, parents have to fill out a wellness screener and students have to get checked in by staff members, Bray said.

If parents forget to fill out

Mint | 5

the screener, students’ temperatures are taken and their parents are contacted before they can start their classes for the day, she said.

“With kids knowing the severity of it, whether they are see SCHOOLS page 11

Sports| 6

Research| 8

By Trinity Willsey Evergreen reporter

WSU alumna will be releasing a book next month about her journey to becoming a millionaire as a first-generation student and former waitress.

Jamie Kern Lima, entrepreneur and co-founder of IT Cosmetics, worked multiple jobs throughout her time in high school. She said she was raised by her father, who believed she could be successful without going to college.

Wanting to meet people from different backgrounds, she decided the hard work and struggle would be worth it to pursue higher education. Kern Lima said she presented the idea of pursuing higher education to her father, who supported her decision nonetheless.

“I had this moment where I realized that he is seeing my own possibilities to the lowends of his own experience, and his own life’s journey, and his own fears, and his own limitations,” she said.

Kern Lima worked her way through college at WSU and graduated in 1999 with a degree in business. She said she did this while working as a waitress at the local Denny’s restaurant, as well as slicing meat and cheese at a deli.

As a first-generation student, she had a calling to go out into the world to serve people.

It is important for people to know where they come from does not determine where they are going, Kern Lima said.

After graduating from WSU, Kern Lima said she went on to graduate school in New York to pursue a career as a journalist and started writing for a paper.

She then worked for a television news station in Tri-Cities before moving to Yakima for an unpaid internship.

“I had other friends doing internships at bigger places in New York,” Kern Lima said, “but they were just pouring coffee and I wanted to really learn how to write and edit and shoot.”

Kern Lima said she worked her way up as a TV news anchor until she was working in see ALUMNA page 11

Opinion | 9

Students design ventilator

Professors reflect on semester

Cougar Health Services supports students; hosts mental health seminars

WSU men’s basketball kicks off twogame home streak after losing three in a row

Students create COVID-19 inspired ventilators for capstone project

After year of hardship, WSU professors set goals for the spring

Section | Page 4

Sports | Page 6

Research | Page 8

OPINION | Page 9

Roots

Cougars set to host Utes

PAGE 2 | JAN. 21, 2021

PAGE TWO

Community Calendar

DAILYEVERGREEN.COM

Daily Police Log

Fr i day, Jan. 2 2

Sat ur day

Monday

Facult y Ar tist Series : Fabio Menchetti Watch School of Music assistant professor Fabio Menchetti perform his first faculty recital in the first of this semester ’s Faculty Artist series. Menchetti, a pianist, will be performing two of his favorite pieces, one by Beethoven and one by Chopin. The event is free and will go from 7:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Kimbrough Music Building. It will be live-streamed on YouTube at WSUPullmanMusic.

Threats of Violence S Grand Avenue, 8:46 a.m.

Officer responded to a report of a woman waving an axe around and making threats.

Substance Issue NE Brandi Way, 8:07 a.m.

An officer responded to a report of drug paraphernalia that had been left in an empty apartment.

We dnes day, Jan. 2 7 Cougs chatting with Cougs : Managing Expectations Come join staff members from WSU’s Cougar Health Services for a discussion about student mental health and managing expectations for the new semester. The event is led by Global Campus and is open to students, alumni, faculty or staff and even just general community members. The event is free and will start at 7 p.m.

Registration is currently live online at connections.wsu.edu.

To submit, email events to meditor@dailyevergreen.com.

Preference will be given to events that are free and open to the public or are hosted by an RSO, and must include time, date and place.

Garbage Garage NE Colorado Street, 5:05 p.m.

An officer responded to a code violation consisting of garbage spilling out of a garage.

A c c i d e n t Wi t h o u t I n j u r y NE Terre View Drive, 8:35 p.m.

An officer responded to a report of a two-vehicle collision. No one was injured.

Sunday

Who s e Cat Is T hi s NE Brandi Way, 8:27 a.m.

Off ic er re sp onde d f or a cat le ft abandone d in a re s idenc e .

Amazon Fraud SE Johnson Avenue, 4:05 p.m.

An off icer responded to a repor t of fraud committed via Amazon account .

Tr a f f i c H a z a r d S G r a n d Av e n u e , 5 : 1 0 p . m.

Sus p i c i o us Pe r s o n Officers responded to a complaint of restaurant NE Duncan Lane, 12:17 a.m.

Officer responded to a report of a person coughing traffic blocking the roadway. outside her residence but claims were determined to be unfounded.

Tr a f f i c V i o l a t i o n NE Merman Drive, 12 :28 a.m.

Officer responded for a report of an intoxicated driver with lots of people in the bed of the truck . The vehicle was located and it was determined the driver was not intoxicated.

Tu e s d a y

Sus picious Circumst ance NE B Street , 1:21 a.m.

Officers responded to a report of fireworks, but were unable to locate any.

Identit y Fraud SE Derby Street, 1:47 p.m.

An officer responded to a report of identity theft.

Ci t i ze n Ar r es t SE Kamiaken Street, 5:41 a.m.

Officers responded to a female in the police lobby. S n o w P r o b l e m NW Palouse View Court, 1:57 p.m.

Wh o s e Do g I s T h i s Officer responded to report of neighbor not NE Brandi Way, 1:36 p.m. shoveling snow on his property. No snow was An officer responded to a report of a dog running present. loose, but were unable to locate the dog.

S u s p i c i o u s Pe r s o n Ha r a s s m e n t C o n c e r n NE Maiden Lane, 6:51 p.m.

E Main Street , 3:37 p.m.

Officer responded to report of a subject looking Officer responded to a report of a woman being at a motorcycle, but was unable to locate the yelled at by subjects on a trail. subject.

In the Stars | Horoscopes Today’s Birthday — — This is your year. You can realize personal dreams through steady, disciplined efforts. Virtual winter gatherings prepare for a social turning point next summer, before romance and family fun sweep you away. Celebrate with delicious parties next winter. Accomplishments lead to satisfaction and personal growth.

Aries (March 21 - April 19) —½— Show your philosophical side. Complete a lucrative task. Adapt to a financial shortfall or challenge. Resist the urge to splurge. You’re earning your pay.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) —½ — You’re making a good impression. Act quickly, but don’t spend recklessly. Hidden personal opportunities get revealed. Enjoy a lovely moment with long-term benefit.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) —½— Look at things from a higher perspective. Changes a level up affect you positively. Review plans and consider options.

Discover hidden opportunities upon inspection.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) — — Check out an interesting suggestion. Opportunities flow through social connections.

Go for distance, not speed.

Ignore gossip. Stick to facts.

Encourage team excellence.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22) — — Professional opportunities hide behind challenging circumstances. Minimize risks. Review the situation from another perspective. Take a creative tack for lucrative results.

Vi r g o (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) —½ — Travel and educational paths could seem blocked. Discover unexpected options and potential. Find possibilities in unlikely places.

Collaborate to get through a tight spot.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) —½ — Take a financial time out. Avoid arguments and review the data. Avoid risk or frivolous expense. Collaborate for shared advantage. Discover an unusual solution.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) —½— Collaboration helps you both around a challenging turn. Work quickly but carefully. Avoid provoking irritation, confusion or jealousies. Express your appreciation and gratitude.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) — — Focus on maintaining health and fitness despite challenges or barriers. Avoid risk or expense. Walk outside for fresh air. Reduce stress and rest deeply.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) —½— Enjoy the game.

Appreciate talent, beauty and artistry. Listen with an ear for hidden elements. Rediscover a forgotten passion. Let your love light shine.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) —½ — Adapt to domestic changes. Tempers could be short and circumstances awkward. Provide grace and a sense of humor. Make an upgrade to support family.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20) — — Get imaginative.

Look at the situation from another angle. Consider consequences before making agreements. Keep promises and bargains. Communication makes it all possible.

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Engine oi l t r e at me nt d e s i g ne d by WSU alum helps rebuild car engines , increasing life span SEE PAGE 8 DAILYEVERGREEN.COM

NEWS

EDITOR LOREN NEGRON DEPUTY EDITOR ABBY DAVIS NEWS@DAILYEVERGREEN.COM

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21, 2021W | PAGE 3

WSU lobbies for funding of USDA research building on Pullman campus Johnson Hall proposed as research facility site for WSU, USDA scientists; about $105 million in federal funds for building construction

By Timothy Fairbanks-Clouser Evergreen reporter

A WSU alumnus enters the 2021 biennial legislative session lobbying to fund the development of new buildings, including a new agricultural research facility in Pullman.

Chris Mulick, WSU state lobbyist and director of state relations, said WSU’s 2021-23 state capital budget request includes $8 million in funds for the demolition of Johnson Hall on the Pullman campus.

“Johnson Hall is highly compartmentalized,” Mulick said. “There is nothing flexible about it.”

The location could potentially act as the site of a new U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Biosciences Building. Mulick said it would serve as a center for agricultural research for USDA and WSU scientists.

About $105 million in federal funds will help build the new facility, according to WSU’s 2021 legislative agenda.

Mulick said the new USDA building is going to be built whether funds to demolish Johnson Hall are approved or not. The university is hoping Johnson Hall will serve as the new building site but has not limited itself to that location.

Among WSU’s priorities in the state capital budget request is the replacement of an offline water reservoir in Pullman. Mulick said he is lobbying for the $8 million it would cost to construct the water reservoir. It would serve as a water source for local fire departments and double as a drinking supply.

Gov. Jay Inslee appropriated $3.6 million in his

operating budget proposal to complete funding for the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine’s 20-seat expansion. Mulick said the college is looking to set enrollment capacity from 60 to 80 students.

The medical school’s expansion increases the number of medical professionals in the state, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The school has been admitting 80 students since it first received funding for the expansion in 2019, he said.

“The medical school wasn’t gonna break even until we got to 80 students,” Mulick said.

WSU’s state capital budget request also includes funding for the proposed Life Sciences Building on the WSU Vancouver campus. The building would be the first addition to that campus in the last 12 years, he said.

Construction of the facility will cost $52.6 million, according to a WSU Vancouver Life Sciences Building document. The Life Sciences Building will serve students who are pursuing majors in the STEM field.

It will include new lab facilities and house clinical health programs, according to the document.

The development of the new WSU Vancouver facility will bring growth to the local economy, including jobs in the construction sector, according to WSU’s 2021 legislative agenda.

Inslee also appropriated $2.1 million in his operating budget to fund the Soil Health Initiative, aiming to improve soil health research and food security in the state, Mulick said.

Legislature supported the initiative after being advanced in the 2020 legislative session. He said it was vetoed in March to combat the pandemic’s budget crisis.

Mulick said WSU Tri-Cities was also appropriated

COURTESY OF CHRIS MULICK

WSU state lobbyist Chris Mulick said it would take about $8 million to demolish Johnson Hall.

just under half a million dollars for maintenance and operations.

WSU looked to what the state needed when drafting the 2021 biennial legislative agenda. He said he praises Inslee’s operating budget proposal for prioritizing higher education but hopes to avoid any new reductions to budgets.

“There’s a kind of warm fuzzy feeling around WSU, so we’re working hard to maintain that,” Mulick said.

ASWSU’s spring semester goals to focus on students’ mental health during pandemic

ASWSU President said creating student portal for filing sexual assault reports, sharing local mental health resources is a priority

By Abby Davis Evergreen deputy news editor

ASWSU President Curtis Cohen discussed plans to develop a portal for students to file sexual assault reports as part of his focus on students’ mental health for the spring during a meeting Wednesday.

Cohen said he will allocate more resources to student mental health as students navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We do acknowledge that we don’t have a spring break and so that’s going to definitely put a lot of mental strain on students,” he said.

Creating a portal to make sexual assault statistics and resources more accessible to students is a priority of Cohen’s.

Students need a more effective way to file

“

“

The information [on sexual assault] is there but it’s fragmented.

Curtis Cohen ASWSU President

sexual assault reports, he said.

“If you try to look for sexual assault resources on our WSU system, it’s really hard to find anything,” he said. “The

information is there, but it’s fragmented through all these different sorts of websites.”

Cohen said it would be similar to the University of Washington’s portal, which focuses on reporting sexual assault and educating students about what the reporting process looks like.

Cohen said he is also working with leaders in the Student Government Council to try to reduce the $60 graduation fee.

“We don’t think it’s completely fair to charge us a full 100 percent of the fee if we are not going to be getting services like Beasley Coliseum or any of the other in-person events,” he said.

Ciara McCall, coxswain and treasurer for Cougar Crew, was unanimously confirmed as the Election Board chair.

The upcoming ASWSU election will be entirely online. Transitioning into a virtual format will require restructuring how the election is conducted, said ASWSU vice president Sean Doster.

McCall said a priority of hers is making sure every student who wants to vote is able to. w “The precedent is definitely that people are wanting to vote and they’re wanting to make a change,” she said. “It’s just up to [the Election Board] to make sure they have the opportunity to do so.”

MEETING SCREENSHOT

ASWSU President Curtis Cohen said he is working with leaders in the Student Government Council to tr y to reduce the $60 graduation fee.

Last year, voter turnout for the ASWSU election was 12 percent. McCall said she is hoping to increase that percentage.

To increase participation, she is relying on social media, incentives and wordof-mouth advertising. Another proposed method is to ask professors who teach 100-level courses to take five minutes out of class time for students to vote, she said.

ASWSU senators also unanimously confirmed Tri Luu, president of the

International Students’ Council, as ISC chair.

Luu said he hopes to donate a por-

GET OUT & GO

WHAT: ASWSU Weekly Meetings WHEN: Wednesdays, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE: Zoom COST: Free

tion of ISC’s budget to Pullman Regional Hospital. Last year, the council donated about $2,000 to buy masks.

R OOTS

Heart and soul of WSU soccer, forward’s time with Cougars won’t be forgotten after being drafted.

SEE PAGE 6 PAGE 4 | MONDAY, JAN. 21, 2021

EDITOR JENAE LAXSON LIFE@DAILYEVERGREEN.COM

DAILYEVERGREEN.COM

Start of semester brings mental health concerns Fear prevents students from seeking help amid pandemic

By Alexandria Osborne Evergreen reporter

S

tudents are returning from winter break this year with more mental health issues than normal because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aurora Brinkman, clinical psychology graduate student, said she has seen an increase in depression and anxiety in students since the pandemic started.

There has been an obvious impact on students’ mental health with the pandemic, political unrest and the increase in publicity of racism and other forms of oppression, Brinkman said.

“I absolutely have seen an impact on students’ mental health, and just like the mental health of the world in general, and hopefully these are going to be a once in a lifetime events,” Brinkman said.

Brinkman has seen a lot of hopelessness from people, trouble concentrating and concern for the safety of their family, she said.

It is important for professors to inform students that they are not alone. Professors should also be understanding of a student’s circumstance, she said.

“I think one of the best ways to do that is just kind of from the beginning,” she said. “[By] showing this message that they are open to being flexible to the extent that their class would allow.”

One of the biggest factors that prevents students from seeking help is the fear that they are the only ones who are struggling, Brinkman said.

“

“

It is understandable to be struggling with everything that is happening right now and it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help

Aurora Brinkman clinical psychology graduate student

“I think right now almost everyone is struggling and reaching out,” she said. “Either through social media, video conferencing or FaceTime.”

Seeking out a “normal” social connection can help students feel supported and seen, she said.

LAUREN PETTIT | DAILY EVERGREEN ILLUSTRATION

“It is understandable to be struggling with everything that is happening right now and it is not a sign of weakness to ask for help,” she said.

According to the Cougar Health Services website, students are not alone when they are feeling anxious. WSU students can utilize the personalized stress management techniques available to them on mobile devices. They can message @stress to (844) 486-0046 to receive these techniques and check-ins with CHS. CHS will be hosting “Real Talk Thursdays” GET OUT (OR periodically over the semester. These events STAY IN) & GO will be available to all WSU students over Zoom.

WHAT: Real Talk Thursdays The first “Real Talk Thursday” is sched- WHEN: 3:30-4 p.m. uled 3:30-4 p.m. on Jan. 28 and will be held WHERE: via Zoom virtually.

Coug Store develops strategies to thrive online

Clothing retailer focuses on improving online presence, hopes to see students and alumni in person again on College Hill

By Alexandria Osborne Evergreen reporter

The Coug Store recently closed their physical location and switched to an all-online store.

The student-run store made a lot of their sales during events, such as football weekends, parents’ weekends and graduation, said store owner Tony Poston.

When the pandemic hit, the store lost a lot of their sales because of the cancellation of these events, as well as the students and student employees going home, he said.

“

“

I think we’ve made great improvements just with having to navigate online

Olivia O’ Brien store manager

“It was a huge hit for us, not having those weekends and not having a full population of students here,” Poston said. “We didn’t have them, which is such a big part of our store.”

The online sales continued to run smoothly, so the store is currently operating all online, he said.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday were huge days for the store.

“While it didn’t make up for the lost revenue and being without football, it did ... a lot better than we could have anticipated,” he said.

The store didn’t immediately switch to online shopping after the pandemic started though, said store manager Olivia O’Brien. While Pullman was

in Phase 3, people were still able to come into the store and shop.

O’Brien ended up running everything by herself online once the store shut down during the summer, she said.

There are usually four other employees working at the store, she said. O’Brien usually works alone, but there are a few interns who will help occasionally.

“My main focus is shipping everything out,” she said. “Tony helps quite a bit when I am home for the holidays.”

There is a benefit to having a physical location, but the store was able to figure out its potential to be successful and increase sales online, O’Brien said.

“I think we’ve made great improvements just with having to navigate online,” she said. “Now

we’ve taken a more focused look at areas that we really need to improve on.”

Poston said he thinks the store could reopen if there is a space available on College Hill. The special events hosted on campus bring an amazing atmosphere to the store.

If the store were to reopen in-person shopping again, employees would like to hold events they have done in the past, such as hosting former WSU athletes for autograph signings, he said.

“If we did that, we would want to be back up on campus if we opened a store again,” he said.

O’Brien said she hopes the store opens up again.

She misses the students and alumni that would visit on game days.

“One of the main perks of having our store right there on Colorado Street was just being right there in the thick of it,” she said.

PROFESSORS REFLECT ON SEMESTER; AFTER YEAR OF HARDSHIPS, WSU PROFESSORS SET GOALS FOR SPRING SEE PAGE 9 PAGE 5 | THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 2021

EDITOR SANDI KOBIESA MINT@DAILYEVERGREEN.CO MINT@DAILYEVERGREEN.COM

MINT

DAILYEVERGREEN.COM

Newsome Bass shares her story

Bree newsome bass | courtesy

“ There are so many issues to be addressed but you can’t tackle poverty, education and the pandemic issues without addressing housing,” said Bree Newsome Bass, Human Rights activist and public speaker. Newsome Bass believes the community can’t be organized without housing.

Human rights activist speaks out about her past; hopes current events will lead to unity, organize communities nationwide

I

By Kassandra Vogel Evergreen reporter

n her fight for racial equality, Bree Newsome Bass has been arrested many times, most notably after taking down the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Capitol.

As an artist and activist, Newsome Bass has a message about how students, in particular, can make a difference as activists.

“I think it is a really powerful time to be a student and I really encourage students to use this time and recognize the power you have.” Newsome Bass said. “We are living through one of the most significant times in U.S. history.”

On June 27, 2015, with the help of a group

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We can’t organize the community around anything else if people don’t have a place to live.

Bree Newsome Bass human rights activist

of 10 organizers, Newsome Bass scaled a 30foot flagpole at the South Carolina State House building. She removed the Confederate flag in protest after the shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina which took the lives of eight people just 10 days prior.

Now, just two weeks after the Confederate flag entered the nation’s Capitol for the first

time, Newsome Bass reflects back on her removal of that same flag.

“Clearly one of the patterns in this country has been that we take, what seem to be, steps forward toward equality and justice, and then there is this backlash from people who still want to preserve America as an all-white nation.” Newsome Bass said. “It is shocking, it’s traumatizing, and it’s not surprising at the same time.”

Although Newsome Bass did not always identify herself as an activist, she said she has always been one on some level. A major turning point came for Newsome Bass after a combination of events, including the Occupy Wall Street movement, the attack on the Voting Rights Act in 2013, and the murder of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black high school student.

“To me, it was shocking because this was in the middle of the Obama administration, and prior to that, the conversation was: have we turned a corner as a nation on issues of race and racism? And to see how quickly something like the voting rights act could be attacked and undone was my major entry point,” Newsome Bass said.

She and so many others joined the cause then as a reaction to the situation. But it was actually the start of something much bigger: a modern movement, Newsome Bass said.

“I think one of the central conflicts of this country is that we never really did resolve the issues of the Civil War,” Newsome Bass said.

“I hope that [the attempted insurrection] was a turning point for this country. I think it made clear for people how much work we still have to do.”

Newsome Bass dealt with trauma from the events of the past presidency through her activism. She copes by asking herself what she can do about the situation. Her biggest concern

right now is the issue of housing equity, which she has been focusing on since 2016.

Housing is a common issue across many communities, so it is easy to unite around.

There is not a single community that is not touched by it and the pandemic has only made the situation more dire, Newsome Bass said.

“We can’t organize the community around anything else if people don’t have a place to live,” Newsome Bass said. “It has really ballooned as a crisis just in the past year.”

Newsome Bass said the issue a lot of people miss with the housing crisis is that it is a public health crisis, and not just an economic one.

This has been proven through the pandemic, which has made housing an immediate issue as people are threatened with losing their homes.

“There are so many issues to be addressed but you can’t tackle poverty, education and the pandemic issues without addressing housing,” Newsome Bass said.

With the new administration, Newsome Bass notes the pendulum has swung back in the direction of progress and hope. The election of the first Black and South Asian American woman to the Vice Presidency is significant because it reminds people of the aspirational ideas of America, she said.

Representation is meaningful and holds power, but the question is always how effective representatives will be in bringing needed change to our democracy, she said. This starts with facing the truth about America.

“We have come through an era where there is so much falsehood and … it is important for us to stand in truth no matter what,” Newsome Bass said. “Truth ultimately prevails in the end.”

Newsome Bass will speak about her experience as an activist during heR talk titled “Tearing Hate from the Sky” at 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 21.

SP

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Cougars set to hos

PAGE 6 | THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021

EDITOR NICK OLDHAM DESPO

WSU men’s basketball team faces Utah to start their two-game homestand after losing three straight; team will face Colorado on Saturday

By Ryan Root Evergreen reporter

After a tough four-game road trip, the WSU men’s basketball team will return home and face the University of Utah Runnin’ Utes at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Beasley Coliseum.

The Cougars (9-4, 2-4) visited each of the California schools in the conference these past two weeks for a fourgame road trip. WSU went 1-3 during this span and are now on a three-game losing streak.

WSU head coach Kyle Smith said the games against USC and UCLA last week were tough matchups against great teams. Smith is ready for the team to set the right foot forward toward the win column this week at home for the first time in the new year.

“Hopefully we move in the right direction heading into this week with Utah and Colorado coming in here,” Smith said.

Senior guard Isaac Bonton has been on a hot streak offensively ever since conference play resumed in late December 2020. In the five games after the Cougars’ non-conference schedule finished, Bonton averages 23 points per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field and nearly 50 percent from three.

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Hopefully we move in the right direction heading into this week with Utah and Colorado coming in here Kyle Smith Men’s basketball head coach

However, the Cougars are 1-4 in their past five games.

Smith said he does not plan on adjusting Bonton’s role in the offense despite the struggles as of late. The main issue for the team is their digression on defense, Smith added.

“The main part is we’re not defending well,” Smith said. “[Bonton] is making really good decisions, playing with a really good pace, poise.”

WSU’s past three opponents have shot 49, 54, and 46 percent from the field, in order. These field goal percent-

ages are the top three highest percentages of any WSU opponent so far this season.

Freshman center Dishon Jackson said the team’s issues also lie in the turnover department. WSU’s season-high in turnovers as a team is 17, which the Cougars have reached three times – two of which were in the past three games.

“I think sometimes we get worried about offense a lot, so that’s just why we have to clean it up,” Jackson said.

“The translation on the defensive end and [our opponents] get easy points just off our mental mistakes.”

Utah (5-6, 2-5) comes into town with struggles of their own, as the Utes are 1-5 in their past six games. In fact, the Utes have a similar situation with their scoring offense with junior forward Timmy Allen.

Allen is the leading scorer for the Utes for the second straight season and has been playing well as of late. He averages 22.5 points per game in the past four games, where the Utes went 1-3 during that span – which included an upset victory against Stanford.

Smith said Allen’s talent will give the Cougars another challenge on defense, in terms of who to match up against him. Stanford senior forward David da Silva and the Mobley brothers from USC gave WSU issues near the hoop in both games.

“We have to have a lot of different ways to guard [Allen], whether it’s Efe [Abogidi], Tony [Miller], Aljaz [Kunc],” Smith said. “I got to have size and can move.”

Allen will likely be one of the lone scoring threats for Utah. Sophomore guard Rylan Jones had a fantastic performance against the Cougars last year in the only matchup between both schools. He scored 24 points, one point below his career-high, and shot 80 percent from the field when he played WSU. Jones has taken a dip this season in production with just 5.7 points per game on below 40 percent from the field. Once again, WSU’s main focus on defense will be in the forward position.

As far as the players who are still in COVID-19 protocol for WSU, sophomore guard Ryan Rapp and sophomore forward DJ Rodman, they will not be available for this week’s pair of home games. The two may return next week, Smith said.

ESPN listed WSU as the 1.5-point underdog against Utah despite being at home. WSU’s last win against Utah was back in 2014.

Fans will not be allowed to attend the game because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, the game will air on the Pac-12 Networks at 7 p.m. on Thursday.

WSU hires new senior associate athletics director

Washington State athletics released statement Jan. 19

By Aarik Long Evergreen copy editor

WSU hired Jon Haarlow as a senior associate athletics director and chief financial officer for the athletics department on Tuesday.

As part of his new position, Haarlow will be responsible for the business side of athletics, such as “budget development, implementation and reporting, as well as oversight of non-sport contracts and department audits,” according to a press release from the athletics department. Haarlow will also represent the department’s financial situation to organizations like the Pac-12 and NCAA. Athletics Director Pat Chun welcomed

Haarlow and his family to the Pullman area.

“Jon is a great addition to our athletics team and will provide tremendous leadership in our department,” Chun said.

“His background in collegiate athletics and higher education will greatly benefit our student-athletes, coaches and the entire university.”

Prior to joining the WSU staff, Haarlow was a senior associate athletics director and the chief operating officer for Lamar University’s athletics department. He worked there for nearly three years before moving to Pullman.

Prior to Lamar University, he also spent a combined nine years serving different roles within Abilene Christian University’s and Uni-

Sophomore guard Noah Williams prepares to

Heart and soul

Makamae Gomera-Stevens was selected 27th overall in the 2021 NWSL Draft

By Kat McKinney-Roley Evergreen reporter

Courtesy of wsu athletics

Haarlow previously worked at Lamar University. versity of New Mexico’s athletics departments.

Haarlow is an alum of both Indiana University and the University of New Mexico where he has a bachelor’s and master’s degree, respectively.

“My family and I are beyond grateful for this incredible opportunity and look forward to serving the student-athletes, staff, and [WSU] community,” Haarlow said.

“Go Cougs!”

The WSU women’s soccer team has been the program to watch for the last couple of years. One player has helped make history for the WSU women, and that is forward Makamae Gomera-Stevens.

The program took the nation by storm in fall 2019 with an appearance in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Final Four. Needless to say, the last four years for the WSU program have been historic.

Gomera-Stevens was drafted by Houston Dash in the 2021 National Women’s Soccer League earlier this year. Although Gomera-Stevens’ time at WSU might have been cut short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, her lasting legacy will not be forgotten.

As a starter since her freshman year, Gomera-Stevens has been a role model for younger players on and off the field. According to her teammate, sophomore forward Skye McMillon, Gomera-Stevens is an energetic and positive captain and role model for all players on the field.

“It’s really fun to have her as a teammate, she’s a really good captain for the team,” McMillion said. “She’s a great role model for the younger players. She brings a lot of energy to the team.”

Gomera-Stevens had not only grown on the field but off the field.

According to head coach Todd Shulenberger, Gomera-Stevens is one of the hardest workers on the team and is truly a critical player for the Cougs.

“You always watch a kid grow on the field, but she’s grown off the field,” Shulenberger said.

“She’s one the best players that has played at [WSU], and I’m proud of her in the decisions that she had made off the field.”

The 2019 season was an amazing season to watch for WSU soccer fans. Although the Cougs fell to the Huskies in the Apple Cup, the team bounced back and fought their way into the Final Four, something that stunned the collegiate soccer nation.

“It was a stinger to lose to UW, but after we lost our assistant coach, Jon [Harvey] said, ‘It’s ok, we’re going to the Final Four,’ and that loss was the motivation that we needed to work harder,” Gomera-Stevens said.

As a captain of the soccer team, Gomera-Stevens has been able to motivate the team and

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Volleyball schedule released Season scheduled through March with NCCA Tourney in April

By Aarik Long Evergreen copy editor

The Pac-12 officially announced the schedule for the 2021 volleyball season on Tuesday. The season will kick-off for WSU on Jan. 22, as they host the Oregon Ducks.

The season will be unlike any previous volleyball season, as the regular season will consist of only conference matchups.

Additionally, instead of playing both home and away against every conference foe, teams will play twogame series over the same weekend either home or away against every team.

The volleyball season usually takes place during the fall, but it was postponed due to the pandemic, making this even more of an unprecedented season.

WSU will host Oregon on Jan. 22 and 24 before heading on the road to face Arizona State University the following weekend. Following the meetings with the

Benjamin Michaelis | Daily evergreen file

The volleyball team celebrates a win on October 18 in Bohler Gym. Sun Devils, WSU will host UCLA and Colorado in back-to-back weeks.

A key date to look at is the March 19 and 21 meetings against in-state rivals, University of Washington, who will visit Pullman for the series.

Last season, WSU was able to sweep the two meetings with the Huskies.

The team as a whole is very young, with eight freshmen

and seven sophomores, as well as just one junior and one senior. One of the sophomores WSU is bringing back is Magda Jehlárová, who was named National Freshman of the Year, a second-team All-American, and a first-team All-Pac-12 player in her first season.

WSU comes into this season sitting just outside the Top 25, having received

Oliver mckenna | daily evergreen file

take the shot from the free-throw line against MSU on Dec. 18.

of WSU soccer

THE PATH TO LEADERSHIP STARTS WITH ONE BRAVE STEP. To learn more call (509) 308-9676 or visit rotc.wsu.edu goarmy.com/rotc/arbv

Abigail Linnenkohl | Daily evergreen file

Forward Makamae Gomera-Stevens dribbles past UNC defender. create a bond that is like no other. Her work ethic and personality have motivated and driven players and coaches to perform to the best of their ability.

“Being able to uplift people if they’re feeling down, she’s always trying to help the younger players on their game and tell them what they need to work on,” McMillion said. “Her personality is contagious to the team and she’s an amazing friend to have,

everyone on the team loves her.”

To Gomera-Stevens, soccer isn’t just a ball on a field, but it is a way to give back to all those that have supported her on her journey to now being a professional soccer player.

“When she goes to battle, she goes to battle, she’s a fighter and a playmaker,” Shulenberger said.

“Where Mak goes the team goes.

She’s very dangerous when she has the ball at her feet.”

©2019. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

the most votes of any team not in the preseason top 25 rankings.

The Cougars are coming off of a 23-10 season that saw WSU make the NCAA Tournament, but exiting after a first-round matchup with the University of San Diego. WSU will look to get things off to a hot start 1 p.m. Friday against Oregon. The game will play live on the Pac-12 Network.

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Tri-Cities students to create ventilator

ANISSA CHAK | DAILY EVERGREEN ILLUSTRATION

The ventilator the students plan to engineer will be cheaper to produce than a typical ventilator, which can cost between $10,000 and $50,000 because of design, test and profit costs.

Engineers will construct prototype, start testing it on fake lung this semester

By Madysen McLain Evergreen reporter

When COVID-19 infections started to spread rapidly across the U.S., the demand for ventilators skyrocketed. A team of WSU electrical engineering students set out to design a low-cost machine that could be used in similar emergency situations.

Four seniors at the Tri-Cities campus knew they wanted to help others for their capstone project. The group comprises Jeremy Dyer, Garrison Wilfert, Aaron Engebretson and Aleksandr Arabadzhi.

After the students chose to engineer a ventilator, next came the challenging part: figuring out how ventilators work.

They understood electrical components from their classes and internships, but they have no medical experience.

“We could have chosen a project that was either financially motivated or just entertainment to create something that passes time for people, but this is something that actually would impact people and possibly save lives,” Arabadzhi said.

The ventilator valves assist patients who cannot breathe in and out on their own. The team is looking into an invasive model, where a tube goes directly into the trachea, Dyer said.

The non-invasive ventilator, a mask or helmet, can crack facial skin due to COVID-19 attacking a patient’s liver. When a person’s liver is not working properly, their skin becomes more sensitive. This is why the team chose an invasive model instead, Dyer said.

“One of the biggest challenges we faced was our lack of clinical knowledge,” Engebretson said. “We’ve never seen a ventilator before.”

The team, instructed by WSU Tri-Cities professors Mohamed Osman and Barbara Philipp, knew they wanted to create a design that would be cheap to produce and easy to use in emergencies, Dyer said.

Although the team does not plan to use the model for COVID-19, they based the project on the disease because its global impact is currently relevant, Dyer said.

Typically, a ventilator costs anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000, he said. The bulk of the cost stems from the thousands of dollars an engineering firm charges for designing a prototype and third-party testing.

Medical companies also factor in profit margins before manufacturing a design, he said.

Project leader Dyer said he handles correspondence for the group. Every group member has different responsibilities, including understanding ventilator regulations and establishing a project timeline.

The team used fall semester

to research various ventilator designs by reading page after page of documentation and speaking to experts in the field, Engebretson said.

Wilfert and Engebretson work as interns for Cadwell Industries, a medical manufacturer. Their connections proved to be a resource for the project, Dyer said. Co-workers at Caldwell referred them to Robert Chatburn, a ventilator expert at Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit medical center.

“He totally changed the direction of our research,” Engebretson said. “We were going toward the wrong type and the wrong design. He gave us a ton of documentation and paperwork.”

Dyer said the group also spoke with his sister-in-law, a head nurse in the COVID-19 unit at an Arizona hospital.

Arabadzhi said he focused on the general user interface of the ventilator. He studied the best ways a nurse can interact with the machine while making sure it meets all safety criteria set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

For this semester, the team will begin to construct a prototype to test on a fake lung. Due to distance learning, the group will use their own equipment and tools to begin construction until they have access to the campus lab, Wilfert said.

“I know we won’t go through all the required testing this year,” Wilfert said. “I hope it is passed down to future groups so they can carry this work forward.”

WSU alumnus creates tech to restore engines

COURTESY OF TRIBOTEX

The technology works better in cars with higher gas mileage because they have probably sustained more engine damage than cars with lower mileage.

Engine technology causes cars to burn less oil, gas, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions

By Trinity Willsey Evergreen reporter

Colfax-based company TriboTEX created an engine oil treatment that uses microscopically small particles called nanoparticles to extend an engine’s life expectancy.

The nanoparticles have two sides, one is “grippy” and the other is “slippery,” said Sarah Harrison, TriboTEX marketing intern and WSU senior.

The grippy side bonds to engine parts that have seen a lot of wear, Harrison

said. When engine parts rub against each other, they become scratched or damaged. The grippy side attaches to these areas when the engine is running, creating a smooth surface.

The slick side of the nanoparticle converts carbon contaminants in the engine into a carbon coating that is extremely hard, Harrison said. Together, both sides of the nanoparticle protect the engine and reduce friction between engine parts.

The nanoparticles fill in parts of the engine that have been scratched or damaged by friction, she said.

“It is much like filling a pothole in the street,” Harrison said.

The nanotechnology works better in cars with higher mileage, especially those exceeding 130,000 miles, she said. Those cars are more likely to have engine damage that needs to be repaired.

If the car is in good condition, the product might not make much of a difference, said Pasha Rudenko, TriboTEX founder and WSU alumnus.

After about 500 miles of driving, the product starts to work because the engine parts get coated with the nanoparticles, Rudenko said. Consumers can expect to have better gas mileage, more horsepower and a quieter engine.

Additionally, the product is not toxic and will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Harrison said. When cars are able to run more efficiently, they burn up less oil and gas.

Car users need to reapply the nanotechnology application every 40,000 miles because the protective layer wears off, she said.

The nanoparticles make it possible to rebuild the engine without disassembling parts, Rudenko said. Car engines will not need to be repaired as often, which increases their lifespan. “[Cars] are just designed to wear out,” he said. “They are made this way, but they don’t have to be.”

The original nanotechnology formula was created to be used in wind turbines and other power generation equipment, including hydropower generators and diesel power generators, Rudenko said.

After realizing this equipment was extremely difficult to sell, TriboTEX

decided to advertise the product to car owners, he said.

The technology is effective in cars as well because it is designed to work where there is friction, Rudenko said.

Rudenko started his nanoparticle research during his time at WSU. By the time Rudenko graduated, he had completed his research and was working for his own company, he said.

TriboTEX’s nanotechnology is in over 50,000 cars, he said.

Although consumers have had positive responses to the product, many utility companies and competitors have not been impressed, Rudenko said.

TriboTEX’s product has saved consumers money with car repairs, decreasing the rates of utility companies, he said. This has resulted in some negative responses from competitors.

TriboTEX is working to make more advanced applications of the product to be used in the military, including a product for the Air Force, he said.

The company has already done projects for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Rudenko said. The main focus was on extending the longevity of a broad range of equipment and reducing the price of items on the retail market.

The company is currently working on a new project called DR-1, which is a fuel additive, Harrison said. TriboTEX just received approval from the government.

The new project uses nanoparticles to clean out contaminants in engines and is designed to use before oil treatments, Harrison said. It is estimated to launch in March or April.

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THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 2021 | PAGE 9

new semester brings opportunities for community growth in classroom Professors reflect on last semester in hopes of improving student experience

By Meghan Henry Evergreen columnist

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here is much to look forward to in a new semester in Pullman: chilly weather, being reunited with friends, new classes and a fresh start to grades. Even online, there is a reinvigorated sense of drive among students and faculty at WSU. After a full semester sequestered in our rooms at home and around campus, professors are looking for ways to re-engage themselves and their pupils in a meaningful way. From the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication to the College of Education, our instructors are doubling down on their efforts to bring connection to our Zoom classes.

It gives me hope that this semester will lead to fewer drooping eyelids and a strengthened feeling of community at our beloved school, even online.

Finding professors who were excited to speak on this topic was not difficult. Although school starts this week, and they were busy with their preparations, many professors took the time to answer questions about what they learned from their first semester online. The overarching theme? Prioritizing the needs of their students despite the unorthodox nature of an online learning environment.

“My goal [in the fall] was to provide my students a safe place to learn and thrive despite the pandemic and its concomitant effects,” Sola

Adesope, professor of STEM education and educational psychology, wrote in an email.

We can all agree fall semester was a learning curve. But with professors who so clearly worked behind the scenes to ensure a positive learning environment and a university that provided a soft fall for our inevitable slip-ups, I feel much more comfortable walking into the spring semester. They have our backs and we have theirs, and that includes helping us stay on track for our degrees.

“Even though this arrangement was new to all of us, I wanted students to learn the materials they were expected to learn in a physical classroom,” clinical assistant professor in Murrow College” Somava Pande wrote in an email.

Though this has been an unprecedented transition, the basics are still required of us.

Assignments must be turned in, tests must be taken, and classes must be attended — even if that means sitting at your computer for more than a few hours.

Professors are aware of the strain of staring at a computer all day, along with the toll it can take on students’ ability to learn.

“Staying on Zoom for 3 hours at the end of the day when many students have had 3-5 hours of Zoom earlier in the day was challenging,” Adesope wrote in an email.

We will continue to move forward this spring, hopefully working together to make our learning environment more cohesive and meaningful for both parties. We are connected as a learning community as WSU, whether you are a student or a professor. We are all hoping to make something meaningful from another semester at WSU. “I have found it more challenging to create community online, but I remain committed to finding ways of making it work,” Leeann Downing

natalie blake | daily evergreen illustration

Professors are hard at work making online learning manageable for students this spring.

Hunter, scholarly associate professor of English, wrote in an email.

As students, we have our own responsibility to this community. The same way we might have stayed after class to introduce ourselves to professors, we can do the same now by reaching out via email or attending virtual office hours.

It is beyond important to remember how hard our professors are working to make this online forum a flexible and meaningful space for learning. The least we can do is keep our cameras on in class.

Meghan is an English Literature major from Austin, Texas.

She can be contacted at 335-1140 or at opinion@dailyevergreen.com. The views expressed in this column do not necessarily represent the views of The Daily Evergreen, its editors or publishers.

Participating in 10-day challenge will help WSU recover 10-day challenge has potential to lower student COVID transmission rates

By Grace LaPierre Evergreen columnist

Coming into the spring semester, WSU has asked students to participate in arrival testing and the 10-day challenge. After seeing students fail to social distance at the start of fall semester, I am hopeful that our student community will do a better job adhering to the guidelines as a whole.

I know many students are probably ready for things to return to normal. While I couldn’t care less about online versus in-person classes, I am excited for the time when students can go out in groups and enjoy what Pullman has to offer.

Many of the local businesses

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Responsibilities for establishing news and advertising policies and deciding issues related to content rest solely with the student staff. The editor and advertising manager provide reports to the Student Media Board at its monthly meetings.

The views expressed in commentaries and letters are those of the individual authors and not necessari-

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Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

here are fantastic, and to my ment individuals come back understanding, they are doing to the Pullman campus, betheir best to cope with the new gin to engage in certain besituation, but it would be eas- haviors that we know mitier without social distancing. igate transmission of the Guy Palmer, Regents profes- virus, they are also more sor of pathology and infec- likely to carry those on during tious diseases, said the 10-day the semester,” Palmer said. challenge is 10 days because it Palmer said the pods covers the period that someone are based on two things: Govis most likely to bring in and ernor Inslee’s recommendaspread the COVID-19 virus. tions for Washington and evPalmer said by testing upon idence that has shown a group arrival and having people of five people is a good number stay within the pods they defor containing transmission. velop (groups of five or less, roommates included) will Palmer said size restrictions help to limit transmission. matter much less at around Following the 10-day challenge fifteen people, and five is pracwill help stop us from seeing tical to ask since it is a small super spreaders. Think of Ty- enough number to make an phoid Mary, who worked as a impact while still being doable. cook in New York and spread I think Palmer was right to Typhoid Fever to many peo- say spending time around one ple without meaning to, be- other person is too restrictive because she was asymptomatic. cause roommates count. I have The challenge also helps us two roommates and would be to start on the right track unable to do that by default. for the rest of the semester.

Read more online “If we can, from the mo-

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Emma Ledbetter, editor-in-chief

Typed letters to the editor may be mailed or brought to Murrow East room 122 or emailed to opinion@dailyevergreen.com. All letters 250 words or fewer are considered for publication. The Daily Evergreen also welcomes guest commentaries of 550 words or fewer addressing issues of general interest to the WSU community. A name, phone number and university affiliation (if applicable) must accompany all submissions. Letters and commentaries should focus on issues, not personalities.

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Email opinion@dailyevergreen.com to share issues, ideas or letters with the editorial board.

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OPINION

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OPINION: Normalize tattoos in the workplace Letter to Body art is form of self-expression, not a symbol of personality

By Portia Simmons Evergreen columnist

A

s an avid lover of tattoos, I feel they are a visual form of individualism. Although tattoos are more accepted among the younger population, I feel a workplace environment should embrace the same acceptance.

Although the popularity of tattoos is seeming to grow more recently, tattoos have been in the mainstream for many years.

“People have been getting tattoos for at least the last 5,000 years,” said Andrew Gillreath-Brown, WSU anthropology doctoral candidate.

He mentioned Otzi the Iceman, a mummified body of an individual who had 61 tattoos. Researchers believed tattoos were meant to relieve pain, placed on areas where arthritis (the swelling and tenderness of joints) was setting in, Gillreath-Brown said.

“There are a lot of different reasons why people got tattoos, [one of them being] for status,” he said. “It was also used for marking major life transitions, such as transitioning into the adult world. It can also be used to mark group identity.”

Gillreath-Brown said there is not a definite number of recorded cultures that practice tattooing, though many do. He believes tattoos are more than an image

inked on a body in many cultures.

“Even in ancient times, they had deep, symbolic meaning,” he said.

In a work setting, it can be more difficult for people to display their ink. Gillreath-Brown said that the older generations tend to look down on younger generations for having tattoos, making it difficult to get a job.

“They associate you with a bad crowd, just because you have a tattoo,” he said.

Gillreath-Brown believes jumping to conclusions is unfair to potential applicants.

“I think, for the most part, getting to know people who have tattoos, a lot of those assumptions that you might be making about them go out the window,” he said. “It would make the work environment much more healthy.”

Molly Baylor, former WSU student, told me about her experience with her tattoos in the workplace.

“I work at an insurance company for seniors, and I notice sometimes when they come in, they see that I’m young and have tattoos,” Baylor said. “They have a look of uncertainty on their face and then ask to talk to someone else.”

Baylor said her tattoos are very significant to her.

“They are important to me because they express who I am, all of my tattoos, they have meaning behind them and they all have a story behind them,” she said.

In regard to tattoos in the workplace, Baylor believes it does not determine your job performance.

the editor

C

annika zeigler | daily evergreen illustration

“Tattoos don’t necessarily define who you are. As long as you are doing your job and doing it professionally, your tattoos should not have an effect on that,” she said.

In her experience, Baylor said people getting tattoos is becoming more frequent and should be normalized.

She said people make the assumption that you’re a bad person when you have tattoos, even when that isn’t the case.

“It’s starting to become more normal, it seems like in our generation, we are a lot more open-minded and

accepting of it,” she said.

As a new wave of people are getting tattoos, that taboo feeling behind them is becoming more obsolete.

With this, acceptance and normalization of tattooed individuals should become more commonplace, especially in the workplace.

So what are you waiting for? Go get a tattoo!

Portia is ahuman development major from Santa Cruz, California.

They can be contacted at 335-1140 or at opinion@dailyevergreen.com.

The views expressed in this column do not necessarily represent the views of The Daily Evergreen, its editors or publishers.

athy McMorris Rodgers’ sudden rush to judgment of President Trump, after enabling him the last 4 years, rings hollow, given her self-identification as an evangelical Christian. Following her reversal, Biblical scripture like Matthew 7:1-5 commands her apology to country and constituents for previously not standing up to Trump—in Biblical parlance, she should repent.

Evangelical Christians, by definition, are supposed to bring the good news and love of Christ by witness, so as to gain followers of Christ. Instead, studies have shown that in recent times, many self-identified evangelical Christians are turning off young people to Christianity, and I suspect older people as well.

That’s because many such evangelical Christians actively support people like Trump whose behavior so starkly violates Biblical teachings. After all, aren’t first impressions of Christianity usually based on the behavior of Christians?

In view of the recent Trump-inspired insurrection, will enough evangelical Christians finally realize their support of Trump is severely undermining their supposed core purpose of bringing people to Christ? Or are too many instead committed to their own personal agendas of Trump-supported political positions such as opposing abortion rights, immigration, gun control, or same-sex marriage?

Norm Luther January 11, 2021

Religious Directory Pullman Presbyterian Chruch www.pullmanpc.org (509) 332-2659

Sacred Heart

ST. THOMAS MORE

Roman Catholic Church

CATHOLIC STUDENT CENTER

Celebrate Mass with us.

AT WSU

St. James Episcopal Church 1410 NE Stadium Way , Pullman, office@stjamespullman.org Sunday Worship Online@9am

Weather Permitting Our Sunday Mass

Mass: 11:00am every Sunday.

Daily Mass: 5:00pm Tuesday through Friday.

Adora�on: 11:15-12:15pm T,W,F; 2:00-4:00pm Thursday Confession: 30 minutes before each daily mass, 4:00 - 4:30 pm Sunday, or by appointment.

Damascus Night: Thursday at 5:30 pm. FREE dinner!

will be at 10 a.m.

in the parking lot of the Village Centre Cinemas.

The Mass will be live-streamed and available on our website.

Please visit our website for up-to-date information. www.sacredheartpullman.org

820 NE B Street Pullman, WA

catholiccougs.org (509)332-6311

Encounter Ministries

Join us via Facebook Live Stream Sundays 10:30 AM facebook.com/pullman4square pullmanfoursquare.org Pastor Marshall McVay Join Us This Saturday Service �mes: Sabbath School: 10:30 a.m.

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NEWS / CLASSIFIEDS

THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 2021 | PAGE 11

MALDEN | Continued from Page 1 In the area on top of a monetary amount of damages, which Whitman County easily met.

Some Malden residents have been living in RVs or are spread out across the country to live with friends and family because many did not have insurance or enough insurance to cover their total loss, he said.

Residents can qualify for up to $200,000 in loans from the SBA regardless of credit score, he said.

“You know, these folks are tough,” Harwood said, “and this has knocked them down.”

While waiting on Trump has been frustrating, the outpour of help from everyone else has been tremendous, he said.

Congress members, senators and other politicians have sent their support, Hokonson said. Recently, Pine Creek Recovery, which aids Pine City and Malden residents, received an anonymous $350,000 donation to help Malden build a new community center.

The community center gives residents a lot of hope, Harwood said. Malden councilmembers and residents are still planning on what the center will house. This might include a food bank since the fire burned the previous facility.

Hokonson said the community center might house a library, which was the most popular community building before the fire.

“The library was one of the biggest parts of the community,” he said. “Having it back would mean that we’re coming back.”

SCHOOLS | Continued from Page 1 “Young or old, they are all following the distance rules,” Bray said.

Classroom settings have new designs to account for the change of teaching. Students’ desks are placed 6 feet apart from each other, and students are required to wear masks at all times, she said.

Children have recess periods in specific areas, where they have been creative enough to come up with their own games of shadow tag or “space tag,” which is a form of tag where they do not touch each

other.

“They did an amazing job with the safety precautions, keeping masks on and keeping their social distance,” Strader said.

Placing specialists, such as music and library, is a challenge. Bray said teachers do not find those a hindrance and can still work around those well.

“The specialists are traveling, which isn’t easy to do when you take everything with you to a classroom,” Bray said. “I wouldn’t say it’s a huge chal-

lenge. I’d say it’s more of an opportunity to try new things.”

Strader said children are resilient, even though online learning presents challenges for them.

“Our ultimate goal is to get kids back in school as safely as we can,” Strader said. “We are learning new ways to meet our kids’ needs, and doing that virtually has been really challenging.”

ALUMNA | Continued from Page 1 Portland, Oregon, anchoring for the morning news.

Around this time, she said she started having a skin condition called rosacea, which causes bright red patches to appear on the face and has no known cure.

“Imagine that your cheeks feel like sandpaper with bright red bumps all over,” Kern Lima said.

This condition was problematic as a news anchor and none of the makeup

products were able to hide the bright red patches, Kern Lima said. She soon realized there were a number of others who suffered from the same condition.

Makeup ads portray women with perfect skin, not with blemishes or skin conditions, she said. Kern Lima wanted to do something proactive to help those who have skin conditions.

On her flight to South Africa for her honeymoon, Kern Lima said she wrote the business plan for IT Cosmetics.

When she returned, she quit her job as a TV anchor and poured her life savings into creating her own company.

“Sometimes in life, knowing when to let go of a dream is as important as knowing when to go after one,” Kern Lima said.

IT Cosmetics launched in 2008.

After three years with no success and rejection from many companies, it began to gradually grow internationally, she said.

In 2016, L’Oréal partnered with and eventually purchased IT Cosmetics for $1.2 billion, Kern Lima said.

It was L’Oréal’s largest acquisition in U.S. history, and Kern Lima became the first woman in 107 years to hold the CEO title of the L’Oréal brand.

“IT Cosmetics is now larger than all the brands I used to buy with my Denny’s tip money in college,” she said.

Kern Lima is now an entrepreneur, READ MORE ONLINE

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Pr of es sio na l Deadline 1pm for the following week’s edition The Daily Evergreen 113 Murrow Hall Pullman, WA 99154 (509) 335-4573

PAGE 12 | THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 2021

MINT

Welcome to Plant World Lauren pettit|DAILY EVERGREEN illustration

Golden Pothos one of the most common types of pothos; easiest to care for, stunning foliage, suitable for college lifestyle

Basic background info on houseplants; water, light tips

By Sandi Kobiesa Evergreen columnist

W

elcome to the wonderful world of plants.

For those of you who don't know, plants became a wildly popular hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the people to get involved with said hobby is me, Sandi.

Epipremnum aureum, better known as a pothos, became one of the most common and easiest to care for houseplant.

Their vine-y stems look stunning hanging down from a bookshelf or from a macrame hanger.

Pothos come in many different varieties such as neon pothos, golden pothos and marble queen pothos. There are about nine types of this plant and the only difference is the color of their leaves.

My personal favorite is either the neon pothos or N’Joy; it is a hard decision. N’Joy leaves are a beautiful mix of light green and white, with no sense of pattern.

They kind of do their own thing but do get mixed up often with a pearls and jade pothos (P&J). The N’Joy has very structured color variations with no blending, but the P&J’s colors tend to blend.

The wonderful thing about all these varieties is that they have

very similar care needs. These plants became popular due to the lack of care they need. They can handle most light conditions, from low light to direct light. Ideally, I recommend placing them in indirect light, meaning they sit in a north or east-facing window.

They are good at letting you know when they are thirsty.

Their leaves go limp and, once watered, perk up in a few hours.

In the summer, that could be anywhere between three days to a week. In the winter, you could go one to two weeks without watering.

Fertilizer is recommended during prime growing season.

Depending on your conditions, the average pothos needs to be fertilized during late spring to the summer/beginning of fall. I fertilized my plants every two weeks with fish emulsions, aka fish poop. It stinks, but the nutrients in that fertilizer cause the plant to shoot out leaves left and right.

Most fertilizers also work well if they are targeted toward houseplants. If you create a greenhouse-like environment with grow lights and a humidifier, you could fertilize in the winter as well, but tone it down to once every month or two.

Basically, any pothos is a great beginner plant, except for my arch-nemesis, the silver pothos, but that is a topic for another day.

Starbucks dupe

Chicken double smoked bacon panini Easy to follow recipe to duplicate the famous Starbucks sandwich, perfect to pair with your favorite coffee

I

Sarah Daniels Evergreen reporter

am a sucker for Starbucks.

My go-to is a soy pumpkin spice latte (I know, I know) and a bacon gouda if it’s breakfast or a chicken double smoked bacon panini with Sriracha if it’s lunch. While these are so delicious, they are also not cheap — so I set out to duplicate my favorite lunch panini.

If you haven’t had this panini before, it has a ciabatta-style bun with chunks of chicken, double smoked bacon, and a sort of ranch-flavored dressing on the buns. If you like cheese, I’d suggest provolone. You can also try this with turkey, without bacon, with a different bun – the opportunities are endless! But this is a pretty good knock off for the original.

Ingredients Ciabatta bun Bacon (pre-cooked or not) 1 Chicken breast 2 Tb softened butter or margarine 2 tsp Ranch seasoning Pepper Salt

Optional: Garlic powder Optional: Onion powder Optional: Paprika Optional: Sriracha Recipe Mix the ranch seasoning with the softened butter, spread the entire amount on both buns.

Use the entire amount or the sandwich will be very dry.

Lightly toast the buns.

Season the chicken breast and cook. I used my smoker, but how you cook it doesn’t really matter.

Slice the chicken into thin chunks.

Cook the bacon! My sandwich was square, so I made a bacon lattice to hone my inner Gordon Ramsay.

Build your sandwich: bottom bun, chicken, bacon, then the top bun.

sarah daniels |THE DAILY EVERGREEN

DAILYEVERGREEN.COM

WSU Grad teams up with Pups & Cups

courtesy OF Logan bledsoe

“Greetings from Pullman” Mural officially done on Pups & Cups Cafe wall facing downton Pullman; owners hope people will take pictures in front.

Recent WSU grad hired to paint large mural; project became her biggest ever completed

By Lannan Ruiz Evergreen reporter

One communications and finance major had no idea that one day she would be commissioned

by Pups & Cups Cafe to paint one of her largest projects.

Recent WSU graduate Logan Bledsoe was asked to paint a large mural for Pups & Cups’ new location. The mural stretches across a wall on the back of the cafe on Main Street in downtown Pullman.

Cafe owner CJ Robert asked Bledsoe to design a mural that resembled a postcard with different Palouse landmarks painted throughout the picture.

Bledsoe knew she wanted to be an artist but thought she would only be able to do small projects every now and then because of her major.

She began painting alongside her friend and assistant painter Darien McLaughlin, former Pups & Cups employee, by doing Bob Ross tutorials in their apartment during their free time.

The original idea was Robert’s. Having grown up in Austin, Texas, she loved going to the downtown murals all over the area and her favorite was the Greetings from Austin mural.

“When moving to our new location, we knew we wanted to bring a fun flair to the space and introduce a little bit of Austin to Pullman,” Robert said.

After discussing the project with Robert, Bledsoe got to work designing the Pull-

man mural for the new shop. Robert specified the owners wanted to mimic the Austin mural and really highlight the fun or unique places in and around Pullman.

“I’ve lived here all my life and would like to include all of the small things and beauties of Pullman onto the mural,” Bledsoe said.

Having so many fun memories, she struggled to pick only a few that were close to her heart. Bledsoe included the bridge in downtown Pullman and other images that she remembered the most.

“I started kind of a small version and then we put it up onto the wall and traced everything out,” Bledsoe said.

Originally the mural was planned to be about five feet by five feet but ended around 15 feet by 15 feet. This is the biggest project Bledsoe has ever taken on.

“You’ll never be able to realize how big it is until you see a person in front of it. I had to show my family a picture of my dog in front of it and they were like ‘Holy crap that thing is massive!’”

McLaughlin said.

It took about 120 hours for Bledsoe and McLaughlin to paint the mural from start to finish. They began painting on Dec. 1 and finished on Jan. 4.

Robert painted the words “Greetings From” on the mural to give it the final touch. She wanted it to be the Pullman postcard.

“The Pups & Cups crew love the mural. We love the finished product and really think it captures the uniqueness of the Palouse and Pullman,” she said. “We have a multitude of fun murals throughout our new location and plan to add or change them as time goes on. You never really know what may inspire someone. The more fun unique art we have the better.”

Bledsoe said she has done a few other projects around Pullman and had her art featured in WSU’s LandEscapes Literary Arts Journal.

“It was kind of a combination of what I’ve been doing the past few years, it was really awesome,” she said. “I love this project. It’s something that the community would really love, and so I’m excited for people to get to see it.”

Bledsoe and Robert hope the next generation of Cougs would come and stop to see the mural, and take a picture in front of it, Bledsoe said.

They hope that getting someone’s picture taken in front of the postcard “Greetings from Pullman” at Pups & Cups, will be a tradition and something students and visitors look forward to during their trip to WSU.