Weekly Issue 14

Tuesday-Friday, January 21-24, 2020

THE DAILY of the University of Washington | since 1891 | dailyuw.com

Vol. 128, Issue 14

NEWS

HEALTH & WELLNESS

UW changes gears with U Bike

Accessible bike rentals are here PAGE 2

Hello, winter darkness, my old friend Tips for embracing the dark side PAGE 4

SUPER TROUPERS

ARTS & LEISURE

The Collective takes first place at regional improv tournament, will advance to nationals

‘A celebration of college improv, disguised as a cutthroat competition’

By McKenzie Murray The Daily On the Ave, between 55th and 56th, is a conspicuous cultural hub in a bright yellow building: Jet City Improv. Jet City is a nonprofit space dedicated to improv theater of all flavors, with an impressive weekly catalog of shows, but Jan. 18, it was the venue for the Northwest Regional division of the 13th annual College Improv Tournament (CIT).

In total, eight teams traveled from across the region to attend the event, including Portland State University’s troupe “Bigger Than Disco,” the University of British Columbia’s “CapriSuns of Anarchy,” and Western

Washington University’s “Dead Parrots Society” — and of course, the UW’s own “The Collective.”

After the event’s kickoff at 12:30 p.m., each team had a 20 minute slot to fill with their best improvised acting, the only stipulation being that they had to take a suggestion from the audience to begin their performance.

The Collective began their first performance by asking the audience what they dreamed about the previous night. The troupe ended up choosing the suggestion of “a bank vault” and staged a 20-minute monoscene within a laser-beam-riddled bank vault. Its madcap cast of characters included a

kindergartner, his aspiring bank robber father, and the owner of the vault, a haughty, vaguely British aristocratic woman.

The Collective won its first round and advanced to the finals, along with “Dead Parrots Society” and Pacific Lutheran University’s “Clay Crows.”

Each of the three teams had another 20-minute interval in which to compete for first place and the chance to advance to the National College Improv Tournament in St. Louis, Missouri.

Chuck E. Cheese was the chosen setting for The Collective’s second performance.

“We tried to be really intentional with our object

work,” Clara Coyote, The Collective’s co-director, said of the group’s artistic process.

If you’re a layman like me and don’t immediately know what the phrase “object work” means, it’s the brand of dramatic magic that somehow gets you really emotionally invested in an invisible arcade prize onstage — to the point where you get goose bumps when the passionate Chuck E. Cheese worker hands it over to another character who didn’t have enough tickets to purchase it, despite you being fully aware that the situation is ridiculous.

After three hilarious performances from all the finalists, the judges (professional

improvisers affiliated with Jet City) deliberated. Following a brief intermission, emcee Barrett Vandiver declared The Collective the night’s winner.

“Everybody has just woken up this morning and been like ‘Was this real?’ in our group chat,” Coyote said when interviewed the morning after the competition. “In recent history, we haven’t gone to nationals.”

According to Coyote, The Collective has taken second place in the regional tournament for the last three years, but no one currently in the troupe has been to nationals.

“It was not expected in the slightest,” Coyote said. “We’re so “ItARTS was not&expected in the see LEISURE pg. 5

NEWS

Tuesday-Friday, January 21-24, 2020

‘In the belly of the beast’ What modern-day activism looks like in the face of US wars in the Middle East

By Sarah May The Daily On Feb. 15, 2003, UW students joined the tens of thousands of peace activists who marched through downtown Seattle to the International District to protest the then-looming war in Iraq as part of an international campaign, with marches happening in more than 600 cities across the world. And on Saturday, students will once again be among those gathered in Westlake Park for a Global Day of Action to protest a potential conflict in Iran.

Though 17 years apart, these two protests are linked beyond just their anti-war message.

Almost two decades after the start of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, American troops are still stationed in both nations and the country faces escalation in another major arena: Iran.

Jackson School director and Stanley D. Golub chair of international studies Resat

already political tension surrounding the election of President George W. Bush who had won the presidency despite losing the popular vote in the 2000 election.

Protesters in the early 2000s were quick to blame President Bush for the war, but equally quick to note the inherent problems in America’s interventionist foreign policy, an issue not rooted in the election of one man.

These tensions are File Photo not foreign to modernday readers or activists; Kasaba, an expert in the history President Donald Trump and politics of the Middle East, lost the popular vote in the 2016 said that the conflict in Iraq election and has been the subject began in the early 2000s when of many protests. Activists today, the American government however, are holding on to the claimed that Iraq was developing same sentiments that anti-war weapons of mass destruction, protesters in 2003 held about but when U.S. troops actually Bush. entered the foreign nation they “We can’t just put it all on couldn’t find any evidence of one individual because then we such weapons. can replace him with another The recent U.S. assassination person and that person again of Iranian general Qassem can perpetuate imperialism,” Soleimani that sparked concerns Mika Magbanua, a senior in of a potential conflict in Iran, public health and an anti-war Kasaba said, is gaining traction activist, said. “The call should now among activists at least be broader and it should be a partly due to the lack of evidence bigger conversation about what the American government has America wants to be moving provided regarding their claims forward.” that Soleimani was planning Magbanua organizes with attacks on American lives.

Anakbayan Seattle, a Filipinx “This skepticism, I think, is youth activism group that has partly rooted in the experience based their recent protests and previous war,” Kasaba on pushing back against said. “There is much more imperialism and American uncertainty.” intervention in the Middle East.

When war broke out “We live in the belly of the in Iraq in 2003, there was beast, we live in the U.S., so

we have a direct connection to imperialism and we see it every day,” Magbanua said. “Which is why we’re participating in this anti-war movement because we recognize that that is a form of imperialism.”

Magbanua said it’s important for students to organize for two main reasons. The first is that the funding that is going toward militarization and foreign intervention could be directed toward education and many other social services that benefit young people, including student debt relief.

Kasaba took that idea a step further, connecting activism and student protests to the quality of education young people receive.

“I think to have a good education, people need to be able to ask good questions,” he said.

“And students should demand good answers to their questions.”

The second reason Magbanua cited for student protests is the role young people play in imagining a new society.

“Youth naturally question the world we live in, and so we have a responsibility to think of new ways to approach problems,” Magbanua said.

That same spirit of innovation is what drove student protests in the early 2000s.

“People in the past, they were building it, they were building these movements and it’s coming

from personal experience,” Magbanua said. “And we can build on that without having to rely on having to experience all these things to say ‘That’s bad.’”

Recent activism is building on those earlier protests in more ways than one; calls for removing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, the same conflicts that drew protests in 2001 and 2003, are mixed with pleas to keep an American presence out of Iran.

Some apathetic young people might argue that protest doesn’t yield results, after all, America still went to war with Iraq.

But one UW student from the February 2003 Iraq protest may have put the opposition to that claim best.

“Seeing how many people really care makes me feel more patriotic than anything,” Ashley McClure, then a senior studying neurobiology, told The Daily nearly 17 years ago.

Reach reporter Sarah May at news@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @SarahM3204

File Photo

U Bike program fosters long-term bicycle ownership

By Andrew Ronstadt The Daily Kyle McDermott, a Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) program manager, was a freshman in college when he bought his first bicycle. At the time, McDermott was riding a bicycle given to him by a family friend, but it was stolen on his first day of classes. WWW “It took me a while but I eventually purchased another bike,” McDermott said. “But it was actually the act of that person giving me the bike that got me on a bike, and I think that was really key — just having someone help me with that very initial step and present it as an option. I don’t know if I would be a bike commuter if it wasn’t for that.”

Like the family friend that

gave McDermott his first bicycle, the U Bike bicycle library program aims to provide this initial step toward bicycle ownership for students on campus through an accessible, long-term borrowing platform.

The program originated from UW alum Cole Laush’s senior project in Community, Environment, and Planning.

Laush was inspired to create a quarter-long bicycle rental program after visiting the Netherlands and Denmark during a study abroad program.

There, he witnessed firsthand the bicycle ridership and infrastructure that existed in these countries.

“Upon returning, I wanted to understand how I could help bring that culture of ridership back to my community,” Laush

Ryan Seng The Daily

said in an email.

After several months of working on a draft for the program, Laush worked with UWild Adventures and the CSF to launch the program.

Unlike many other bike share or bike rental options, the U Bike program is unique in that it allows students to rent a bicycle for long periods of time, rather than for just one ride or one day.

Providing monthly or quarterly rental options, this long-term rental format gives students a sense of bicycle ownership and stewardship that they would not have otherwise.

“By providing students [with] a quarterly bicycle rental service, we hope to educate users on how a bicycle can fit into their everyday life,” Laush said. “I believe this experience will encourage users to continue cycling into the future, or at least give a user insight into the barriers cyclists face.”

While operating within the UW campus, the program’s overall purpose is to contribute to the growth of Seattle’s cycling culture, leading to a more equitable, livable, and sustainable city.

“More bikes on the road means a reduction in emissions, more connected cities, healthy citizens and safer streets,” Laush said.

The program also helps to avoid the throwaway and consumerist culture that is often

present in other bike-sharing programs.

“If you see the way a lot of these bike-share bikes are treated, they’re kind of treated like trash,” McDermott said. “For me, it’s really about the mentality around owning and upkeep, the art that goes into maintaining a bicycle, and the connection with a thing that subsists over time.”

Bicycle ownership is not only beneficial for the integral health of the city, but also for the health of individual riders. Especially during the winter months in Seattle, active time outdoors can be difficult to find. However, bicycle ownership can encourage people to be active outdoors on a daily basis.

“For me, I find being outside and moving my body for forty minutes a day is a really great way to ensure that I’m getting fresh air, that I’m getting sunlight, and staying active,” McDermott said. “I think it helps both my physical and mental health through the dark, gloomy winter season.”

Currently, the U Bike program carries six different bike sizes and two bikes of each size manufactured by Washington based Kona Bicycles. The bikes are rented out through an online application based on the applicant’s needs.

The U Bike program is seeing a positive response so far, as last quarter all 12 bicycles were rented out. The program is still

Ryan Seng The Daily growing, and UW Recreation plans to offer more bikes and longer rental and purchasing options in the future.

“We are getting a good response and we would like to move forward with a strategy to make it an annual rental program so that students have more time to explore how biking fits into their commuting needs,” UW Recreation outreach coordinator Jeet Gauswami said.

And the program may now get even more traction with the omnipresent green Lime bikes having left the city at the end of last year.

For those interested in how bicycle commuting fits into their daily lives which getting to experience bicycle ownership, the rental application is available on UW Recreation’s website.

“Personally, I feel in touch with my body and surroundings while I ride a bike,” Laush said.

“I think bicycle ownership is more about freedom than responsibility.”

Reach reporter Andrew Ronstadt at news@dailyuw.com Twitter: @AndrewRonstadt

SCIENCE

The Daily Science // 3

‘Driven by Difference’

Women in Informatics hosts their eighth annual hackathon

By Deborah Kwon The Daily What actions can you actually take to combat climate change?

How can the mental health of people of color be better supported?

Students gathered at the HUB ballroom Jan. 18 for Women in Informatics’ (WINFO) eighth annual hackathon, themed “Driven by Difference,” attempting to tackle these questions.

Open to all current UW students, the 12-hour hackathon spanned from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with students working on finding solutions to a wide array of problems.

Experience in coding was not a requirement, rather, this event brought together students interested in technology and fostering change and equity, working in teams of four.

The hackathon was preceded by a “Hack the Hackathon” event explaining the gist of what to expect, according to WINFO copresident Autumn Derr.

“We want this hackathon to be very beginner-friendly so that people from all backgrounds can just come and experience technology and have this experience and see if they like it,” Derr said.

WINFO director of outreach Jeongvin Yeom stated that for many of the students, this hackathon was their first step into the tech field, giving them an idea of the opportunities out there for them.

“WINFO doesn’t necessarily have a member base,” Derr said.

“It’s basically open for anyone who’s interested in technology, interested in informatics.”

In regard to the theme of the hackathon, “Driven by Difference,” Yeom explained that they left it broad so that students can tackle it from a variety of perspectives. “[The theme] very much aligns with [WINFO’s] purpose, which is to really celebrate equity and diversity, and just bring people of diverse perspectives [together] to create tech innovation,” Derr said.

Though this hackathon is WINFO’s biggest event every year, they host other events like panels, company tours, networking events, and more.

Yeom especially emphasizes the professional networking events because of how it can help many of the women and first-generation students in WINFO and in the broader UW informatics community.

Among the many hackathon participants was Maria Matlick,

who worked with her team to create a website regarding climate change that aimed to spread awareness and promote opportunities related to the issue.

“The problem that we’re identifying is that we always see people sharing issues related to climate change or other global issues, and it’s all over social media, but you never really know how you can help,” Antyush Bollini, a participant working on the same team as Matlick, said.

Bollini explained that they were trying to create a platform that would allow people to have access to the information on how to help the climate change issue, including information that would enable the user to be able to “effectively contribute to the situation, either by donating or by volunteering.”

Ashlea Lau, another participant and WINFO firstyear representative, worked with her team on an app that would help people who are trying to connect with therapists, specifically to assist people from marginalized communities.

“The resources that [people of color] are paired up with to address mental health don’t really understand their cultural background all the time, so we’re thinking of making an app

Courtesy of Anthony Sy where we help marginalized groups … find therapists that have an understanding in their background,” Lau said. “That would include cultural aspects or other specializations of types of trauma.”

Expanding more on why she studies informatics and her involvement in the hackathon, Lau talked about how enacting change in the world requires being able to influence people’s actions.

“Basically, the foundation of everyone’s actions is their beliefs, and beliefs are based on information, so if you’re able to inform people in a way that

impacts what they believe in, you can essentially affect change in the world,” Lau said.

Joining WINFO was a way that Lau got more involved with the iSchool community before entering the major.

Many people tend to not be aware of WINFO unless they have a vested interest in information and technology, Yeom says. But, any UW student can get involved, whether they’re an informatics major or not.

Reach reporter Deborah Kwon at science@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @debskwo

Observations from chemical oceanography How Leland Wood’s research impacts our awareness about the health of marine ecosystems

By Jax Morgan The Daily For Leland Wood, a junior majoring in chemical oceanography, being an undergraduate researcher means that lecture halls are often replaced with research vessels out at sea.

Such is the case in Wood’s current project through the Microbial Metabolomics Research Center where he studies microbes that dwell on the surface of the ocean in order to assess the health of their ecosystems.

The process starts with

Wood and his fellow researchers collecting ocean water samples and either bringing the water directly back to the lab with them or filtering it out on-site to collect the bacteria from the samples.

In the lab, he then takes the filters and mixes various chemicals together that separate out the compounds he is most interested in observing.

“Each one tells us something different about the health of the ecosystem,” Wood said.

In studying the condition of the ecosystem, Wood looks to explore if there are changes taking place because of climate change, what may be expected in the future, and how the findings of this project can expand knowledge of other ecosystems.

Though Wood began working on this project during fall quarter, he has been involved in oceanography research since

The paper made with help from

his freshman year at the UW, with one of his most notable experiences to date being at Friday Harbor Laboratories, where he worked throughout the spring quarter of 2019.

Wood described how different being immersed in fieldwork is from being in a typical classroom setting, but how working on projects outside of campus also enhances the experience of classroom learning.

“At Friday Harbor, you go out in the morning, collect a bunch of organisms, bring them back to the lab, study them, and then you can release them again into the wild,” Wood said. “You get to see how what you learn in the classroom is put into practice in nature, in the actual environment.”

In addition to his research, Wood also serves as an ambassador of the UW College of the Environment, where

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he hopes to help grow the oceanography program by sharing his own experiences in the discipline, as well as getting other students excited about ocean research. “[Research] helps show you the applications of what you’re learning, which can kind of be hard if you don’t have that experience,” Wood said. “You can learn a lot in class and understand the importance of it, but if you are putting that into practice in a research lab, making a project, it shows you the applications and reaffirms that yes, you really are learning something.”

The inherent collaborative nature of oceanography in particular means that research provides undergraduate students the opportunity to work with graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and established researchers. Wood believes that

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working alongside them and learning from their insights and experience is impactful for any student aspiring to the same levels of fieldwork.

Describing research overall as a “growth experience” in terms of developing new perspectives and tackling a variety of challenges, Wood also noted how research aids in finding new academic passions through hands-on learning.

Wood encourages students who are interested in pursuing research to reach out to graduate students and principal investigators of labs.

“It seems intimidating, but it’s really not. Everyone is here to help you in your undergrad career so go for it,” he said.

Reach reporter Jax Morgan at science@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @jaxbmorgan

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

Tuesday-Friday, January 21-24, 2020

Coping with winter darkness

On the importance of practicing patience and compassion when the sun is scarce

By Billie Featherston The Daily As students and residents of Washington state, we hear about the seemingly perpetual darkness of the winter season all the time. The darkness, which plagues our productivity and energy levels. The darkness, which traps us inside instead of going out with friends to the frat party down the street.

The darkness, which destroys the regularity of our workout routine. The Seattle Times even refers to the familiar gloominess of Pacific Northwest winters as “The Big Dark.”

Many of us struggle with the early onsets of night in the winter, but beyond the wellknown benefits of sun lamps and vitamin D pills, many of us aren’t equipped with knowledge on

how to overcome the imminent unproductive behavior and bad moods that surface with the moon every evening — sorry, I mean late afternoon (thanks daylight savings).

Fortunately, Wednesday, Jan. 15, in one of Suzzallo Library’s conference rooms, Danny Arguetty shared his knowledge on dealing with this widespread issue in a workshop called Coping with Winter Darkness: An Interactive Wellness Event.

Arguetty is a mindfulness manager, seminar professor, and yoga teacher of recreation at the UW. In his workshop, he offered myriad ways in which we can lessen the effects that this season may have on our mental, physical, and social well-being, not to mention our academic performance.

After first leading us

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through a calming breathing exercise, Arguetty invited the participants to brainstorm some ways in which darkness could be beneficial to us. By bringing up the positive aspects of this contrast to the daylight we often operate in, such as chances to slow down, rest, and connect with others at home, we acknowledged the figurative “light” offered by the presence of dark we often associate with negativity.

Arguetty continued this focus on positivity and gratitude throughout the 50-minute long discussion as well as in our interview afterward.

“Gratitude is always present, every day,” Arguetty said.

Shifting our perspective to recognize what darkness in the winter can offer, as opposed to thinking about only what it can detract from our busy lives, was just the beginning of the list of ways to cope during this period.

Another large theme of the workshop was movement, which is something that is often lacking for us in the winter months.

Arguetty suggested that slow and mindful motion, in addition to weights and cardio, can help with winter sluggishness.

Arguetty introduced this idea by leading the participants through an exercise that consisted of us tapping lightly along the lengths of our bodies with our fists — a brief and efficient way of stimulating our lymph system, which is responsible for eliminating toxins and wastes from the body as well as maintaining our immune health.

Other methods Abigail Dahl @abigailgracedahl

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of movement, which can be performed just about anywhere, include the legs-up-the-wall pose (for alleviating aches and stress and boosting energy levels) and spinal movement exercises. By simply standing and twisting along the axis of our spine, allowing our arms to spiral freely at our sides, we offer a contrast to the hunching poses we often maintain daily and maneuver in ways that Arguetty said are often “missing from our movements.”

Arguetty also brought up some more recognized coping

mechanisms, such as sun lamps, vitamin D supplements, the outdoors, and staying connected with people. These methods all deserve definite consideration in regard to our health, but the topic that most caught my attention was one that I had not heard of before: it’s called Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a philosophy derived from an ancient Sanskrit literature that can be helpful in determining what our bodies and minds look like both in and out of balance.

“It translates into science of life,” Arguetty said. “It’s an elemental framework that looks at how were composed of nature’s elements.”

Arguetty left us with the reminder to exercise patience with ourselves as we work to overcome the forces of winter that sometimes seem as though

they’re working against our every intention.

This closing thought really resonated with sophomore Olivia Harber. She mentioned that moving forward she wants to practice more compassion with herself and remember that a lot of the issues that come with this season are, in fact, “biological.”

Arguetty wrapped up our interview with one final piece of wisdom on facing the hardships of winter darkness.

“You’re not alone in this,” Arguetty said. “Sometimes people think ‘I’m the only one struggling with this.’ Humans evolved in light, it’s not abnormal. Use these resources, but get support.”

If you’re struggling through this time of year, know that, as Arguetty stated, you’re not struggling in solitude.

Reach out to the number of resources offered by the UW or get in touch with a friend.

Together, we can work to be the encouragement, the yoga partner, the cuddle-buddy, or the ray of light we all need to survive this season.

Reach writer Billie Featherston at wellness@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @BillieFeathers1

Respect. Am I right, ladies?

By Hannah Krieg The Daily Editor’s Note: Thirst Trap is a weekly column on dating and relationships in college.

A disclaimer: Let us have no confusion. I have never attempted a joke, let alone successfully executed one in print, online, or otherwise. I, a woman, could never. Everything you are about to read is very serious and of grave importance.

Clearly, I have a reputation for very, very, very serious content.

In between writing my girlie fluff pieces and thinking about boys (my two favorite — and only — hobbies) it was brought to my attention by a male that I could not only have men respect me but also date men who respect me. Needless to say, I wrote that tip down so fast the pink fuzzball on the end of my gel pen almost fell off! Haha, whoops!

Upon further research (i.e., reading lots of big words on Cosmo and BuzzFeed), I found that dating men who respect you is a super fun way to spice up your love life. Apparently, sex with a feminist is much better than sex with a misogynist.

Sources report you might not even have to fake it! I’m as shocked as you are.

Naturally, I dropped all other responsibilities and went in search of a man who respects me. I stepped out the door, heard someone call “nice tits!” and went back inside.

Normally, like any girl, I would have loved a little dose of street harassment to start my day. It’s part of a balanced breakfast. But this time, that random man’s unprovoked comment about my body left me discouraged for some odd reason. Some men will just never respect me.

That’s when it hit me: I shouldn’t be looking for men

who respect me, I should become a woman who men will respect!

I mean, after all, I shouldn’t just expect everyone to see me as a person. Not when I have boobs to look at instead!

The first step in becoming a respectable woman for male suitors is tackling appearance.

It can be really hard for men to respect women who they don’t find attractive, as aesthetic appeal is a woman’s primary asset. That being said, if you put too much effort into your appearance, you run the risk of being written off as a bimbo who probably writes a dating column or something dumb like that.

Find a happy medium — and by happy, I mean happy for your audience, not happy for you. It can’t be that hard, right?

Keep femininity in mind!

The expectation for women to be feminine and the idea of assigning femininity to arbitrary styles and practices is so in vogue

right now. Don’t let Hallmark movies get the best of you, men may have difficulties respecting an emotional wreck. After all, emotions make you not only weak, but also dumb. Honestly, how can you expect a man to take you seriously when you click your acrylic nails together and talk about your feelings?

However, don’t threaten anyone’s masculinity. Do not be too aggressive, or too smart, or, God forbid, perform a task better than a man. Know your place, lady!

Sex plays a huge role in a man’s respect for you. Sexuality and respectability form a clear dichotomy, kind of like brains and beauty! You can’t have both.

If a woman has had a lot of sex, or engages in casual sex, or somehow enjoys the dang thing, it might be difficult for a man to respect her as more than a sexual object. Imagine how offputting it would be to discover

that a woman you met online doesn’t want to get boba before your hookup; it’s almost like she could be interested in just having sex too, like heterosexual interactions don’t have to be a consumer-supplier relationship.

Obviously, changing yourself to earn the respect of a wider, male audience is the way to do it. Why waste your time picking through piles of hot garbage to find a diamond in the rough, when you can just settle for the hot garbage? At least it’s hot!

What a silly, girlish thing to dream up — that someone could respect me simply by virtue of me being a human being.

Reach columnist Hannah Krieg at wellness@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @Hannah_krieg

ARTS & LEISURE continued from COVER “It was not expected in the slightest,” Coyote said. “We’re so excited to watch some awesome improv [at nationals], meet these people who are also passionate about the craft, and learn!”

Witnessing improvisers at their best is a magical spectacle.

The cardinal rule of improv, “Yes and …,” which encourages its participants to play off each other and build on one another’s contributions, facilitates a positive and high-energy atmosphere.

“I think one of the great things about improv is feeling like the audience is on your side, and they’re rooting for you,” Aidan Gertz, another member of The Collective, said.

Unlike in other types of competitions, where competitors

can be stony-faced and offer begrudging “good game”s after the winner is announced, the Northwest CIT genuinely felt supportive and welcoming for all participants, as well as the audience.

As emcee Vandiver said, it was “a celebration of college improv, disguised as a cutthroat competition.”

The Pacific Northwest has a thriving college improv scene, one that Gertz hopes will be spotlighted by The Collective’s advancement to nationals. Improv is also a great creative outlet for students at the UW specifically, which is famous and semi-infamous for its prioritization of STEM disciplines over the arts. And The Collective’s membership isn’t limited to those pursuing

The Daily Arts & Leisure // 5

arts degrees or careers in theater.

“One thing about our group, as opposed to other performing arts groups, is that a lot of us are not arts majors,” Gertz said.

“There’s one or two drama majors that have been in the group while I’ve been here.

I’m a history major … Those same kids that are in [STEM] programs need ways to express themselves.”

The Collective will be competing for the national title in late April. Stay tuned on the College Improv Tournament’s website for a schedule, and follow along with Jet City Improv and The Collective on Facebook for more accessible, fun, and quality improv in the U-District.

“We are so grateful to our fans — their energy and their laughs,

Mo Tilmo The Daily The Collective began their first performance by asking the audience what they dreamed about the previous night.

that’s what fuels us,” Coyote said.

“Truly, truly, thank you to the community at UW and in the U-District.”

Reach Health & Wellness Editor McKenzie Murray at arts@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @merqto

Three young adult authors discuss being seen in literature at the University Book Store

By Jaiden Feldman The Daily Abigail Hing Wen, author of “Loveboat, Taipei,” remembers the feeling of being immersed in novels from a young age, while also being distant from them.

“I loved Laura Ingalls [Wilder’s books], I wanted her to be my best friend, but I always knew deep down if I dropped into her world, her mom would not like me,” Wen said. “So I think for this book (her book) if I was able to read it as a kid I would want myself to be seen … these people would see me for who I am.”

However, it seems Wen wasn’t the only one fighting for representation.

On the second floor of the University Book Store on Jan. 16, tucked behind unused shelves and books, three authors engaged in a panel discussion regarding their newly released young adult books.

In many genres of literature, the road to finding representation in the stories we consume has been a slow journey filled with many indistinguishable white and straight characters, stereotypes, cliches, and tired tropes. Yet at this particular Epic Reads Meetup, despite the vast genres that these young adult novels ranged from fantasy to sci-fi to romance, these authors all embodied the transformation the young adult genre has initiated.

Whether it was Wen, who holds a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard and a Juris Doctorate from Colombia, who, based on her own experience at the Overseas Compatriot Youth Formosa Study Tour to Taiwan informally known as “Love Boat,” decided to pause her career as an attorney in venture capitalism and artificial intelligence to write her debut, a coming of age novel titled “Loveboat, Taipei.”

Or Farah Naz Rishi, another author balancing the pen and the sword, who, alongside being a Pakistani-American

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writer of her debut novel, “I Hope You Get This Message,” has balanced many careers such as being a video game journalist, voice actor, and lawyer.

Lastly, Adam Silvera, born and raised in New York City, is promoting his latest novel, “Infinity Son,” which joins a collection of notable work by Silvera such as “They Both Die at the End” and “More Happy Than Not.” While these authors each have their own unique story to tell, their writings exemplify their united motivation to do justice to their own young adult selves.

“For the first time, Ever [a character in ‘Loveboat, Taipei’] talks about how her ‘asianness’ is erased, she is suddenly surrounded by kids who are all exactly like her, all Asian American,” Wen said. “There is something that is very freeing about it. Because then all your other attributes can come out and then she starts to understand she has these passions and these loves and personalities, and it’s kind of this amazing experience that I don’t think you can really understand unless you have been that person who is standing out all of the time.”

While it was initially planned to have separate discussion groups with each author, they decided to hold a panel together. The familiarity among the authors created an intimate setting for readers to feel like they were a part of a conversation, not just a meet and greet.

The authors were not the only ones who represented the diversity that literature needs. An audience of all ages defied the restrictions of the young adult

Left to right: Authors Farah Naz Rishi, Adam Silvera, and Abigail Hing Wen discuss their latest YA book releases at the Epic Reads Meetup at the U Book Store on Jan. 16. The authors drew upon their own experiences and spoke about the importance of having representation in young adult novels.

Nicole Pasia The Daily

genre, exemplifying a diverse group of readers who demanded stories just as diverse.

“I hope we can build a body of work where we aren’t going to find ourselves in our 70s just seeing ourselves in fiction for the first time,” Silvera said.

Fans were also given the chance to ask their burning questions. Some like Victor Yu, a childhood friend of Wen from Cleveland, Ohio, traveled to finally confirm on record if the characters depicted were based on their own community. Others showed up with one authors book in their hands and left with a stack. Some pressed about how many tattoos the authors had or what their next project would be. The audience listened eagerly as the authors revealed upcoming sequels, new projects, and even television deals for current books.

“I’m just kind of loose-lipped today,” Silvera said.

Together the authors and audience gathered to prove that the young adult genre was something that could provide hope. For those who want to feel a little less lost, who want to remember their own coming of age, or who simply want to believe that, no matter how old they are, there is still a place for possibility and dreams.

And hopefully, from these events, we can all learn to be readers and writers by tuning in and listening to the world around us and being bold in embodying our own voices.

Reach writer Jaiden Feldman at arts@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @sincerelyjaiden

The Seattle Monorail, a paradox of past and future Written and illustrated by Elijah Pasco

Whenever I go to Seattle Center, I always try to ride the monorail. It turns a 15-20 minute, crowded, unexciting bus ride from Westlake Center into a two-minute trip that is paradoxical, fun, and practical.

Since October of last year, the Seattle Monorail has begun accepting Orca cards. This makes riding the monorail all the more attractive and, in a way, seem more commonplace rather than like a novelty. Sure, there are still the tourists who ride it for the experience, but much like the ferries, I feel like there are also those who ride the monorail out of pure utilitarian read more on dailyuw.com convenience.

OPINION

Tuesday-Friday, January 21-24, 2020

Conservative Congress relishes prospect of stripping away our ‘right to abortion’ Our stigmatizing culture fails to protect its citizens’ rights

By Tatum Lindquist The Daily With a conservative majority in the U.S. Supreme Court, June Medical Services, LLC. v Gee may well be the next landmark case in the decades-long fistfight for reproductive rights.

Two of Washington state’s U.S. representatives signed, along with 205 other members of Congress, an amicus curiae brief in support of the Louisiana Act in question with June Medical Services, LLC. v Gee. In June 2014, Louisiana passed Act 620 that required any abortion provider to hold admitting privileges to a hospital that is within 30 miles of the abortion procedure. In 2016, a Texas bill with an almost identical provision on abortion was found unconstitutional in Whole Women’s Health v Hellerstedt (2016). That restriction on abortion providers was cited as an “undue burden” since it hindered a women’s constitutional right to seek an abortion without any credible justification.

The Congressional brief holds little legal weight. Instead, it touts uncompromising partisan politics, picking tediously and unrelentingly at the “right to abortion” as set by the historic Roe v Wade (1973). Now, with a conservative majority in the U.S. Supreme Court after President Trump’s nominations, this brief demonstrates just the breadth of confidence the anti-abortion movement has in overturning the 1973 ruling.

And their pride is completely warranted; that brief was a politically-charged reminder to all that a post-Roe v. Wade world may lie just months away. Every woman holds a constitutional right to abortion; if a law infringes upon the rights of one woman, it infringes upon the rights of all women.

“There is a considerable danger of rewriting history in June,” Terry Price, UW law

professor who currently teaches the Beginning of Life course, said. “That brief is not gonna be part of it. It’s gonna be an oar in the water, but it’s not gonna be the boat.”

The Fifth Court of Appeals recently interpreted the “undue burden” standard mentioned in June Medical Services LLC. v Gee as a question of the proportion of women affected by Louisiana Act 620.

The court decided that not enough women were impacted for the law to be deemed unconstitutional, even though it is estimated that only one clinician would be left in the state.

Nevertheless, Louisiana conservatives argued the act protects women by ensuring a healthy and safe procedure.

However, admitting privileges at nearby hospitals would not substantially alter the safety of an abortion — already one of the most common and safe medical procedures.

Louisiana Act 620 simply aims to restrict an already limited pool of abortion providers in the state, a struggle seen even here in progressive Washington.

“

care is only found in specialized clinics, and training resources are often limited due to stigmas inside the medical world.

“It can be very difficult to get abortion training, especially as residency training programs have been under hospital institutions that may not support

Every woman holds a constitutional right to abortion; if a law infringes upon the rights of one woman, it infringes upon the rights of all women.

Stigmas in our society around abortion and the stereotype of people who seek an abortion already limit access to this medical care without governmental interference.

Unlike antibiotics or birth control or vaccinations, abortion

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providing abortion care, so it may be difficult for residences to get the training,” Aishat Olatunde, an obstetriciangynecologist in the UW Family Planning fellowship, said.

The anti-abortion movement preyed on people who seek

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abortion care through stereotypes. Patricia Atwater, director of health promotion at Hall Health, elaborated on these misconceptions, mentioning how stereotypes label those who seek out abortion as “promiscuous” and “having unprotected sex over and over again” just to receive an “abortion over and over again.”

“Many of the people who are accessing abortion care already have children,” Atwater said. “There are people with families who are making the best decision they can for their families, so this idea with people being irresponsible and callous just does not hold up.”

Still, the word abortion doesn’t sit well in conversation.

Our culture generally shames and shuns those who seek out abortions as reflected by this brief. Conservatives continue to fall short of any attempt at empathy and understanding of the reality behind abortions.

Instead, we see another political ploy blinded to compromise or open-mindedness by the old tale of partisan pride.

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“Abortion care is healthcare,” Olatunde said. “At the end of the day, we have to trust women, we have to trust people to make the right decisions for themselves.”

With a post-Roe reality looming, it should be noted that Washington’s progressive abortion laws will still protect the right to abortion. Since 1992, voters incorporated Roe v. Wade by initiative into Washington’s criminal code without any abortion restrictions.

However, as evident by the relentless backlash and constant addition of new abortion restrictions across the United States, a legal precedent means little for women if our culture’s stigmas remain static.

Now more than ever, we need to start translating the law we take for granted into our culture if we hope to successfully ensure our “right to abortion.”

Reach writer Tatum Lindquist at opinion@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @TatumLindquist

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SPORTS

The Daily Sports // 7

‘It’s like engraved in my brain’: What goes into being a UW cheerleader

school and continue my love of dance,” Locknane said.

And no matter what each individual’s specific background with cheer or dance or the UW is, Dow said the selling point to pretty much every potential member is the same — and simple.

“You get to cheer for one of the best athletic programs in the country and go to school at one of the best institutions in the world,” Dow said.

“That’s it. There’s no better recruiting pitch that we have.”

That emphasis on the UW Athletic Department’s success is no small factor in the cheer program’s growth these past few years either.

Wherever the teams go, the cheerleaders follow. That means trips to three New Year’s Six Bowl games in the past four years, along with the women’s basketball Final Four in 2016 — Dow’s first year as the coach — the men’s Lydia Ely The Daily basketball tournament last Harry the Husky and members of the Spirit Squad dance to music played by the Husky Marching Band year, and every postseason run at the Fremont Street Pep Rally on Dec. 20, 2019 ahead of the Las Vegas Bowl. Besides supporting the the volleyball team has gone on.

“It provides a lot of exciting UW athletics teams, the UW spirit team also competes in dance and cheer competitions across the moments that these athletes get country. to be part of just because they cheer here,” Dow said. “Some It’s just one piece of one find possible recruits. Many, like schools, you just can’t offer that

By Josh Kirshenbaum routine, itself one piece of a Iñiguez, come into cheerleading same experience.”

The Daily packed weekend at the UCA in college, hearing about the Once Dow and his staff have & UDA College Cheerleading program from friends. his team assembled, the Huskies There’s a small part of the and Dance Team National “I actually had a workout get going in the middle of the Washington coed cheer team’s Championships in Orlando, buddy that saw the team around summer, preparing for the competition routine senior Isaac Florida, itself just one small facet and had been going to some football and volleyball seasons.

Iñiguez has stuck in his head. of the team’s packed season. practices,” Iñiguez said. “He was From the last week in July to “It’s a rewind,” Iñiguez said.

It’s just the second time like ‘Hey, you should come try the beginning of school, the “So you throw the girl, she does the program — consisting of a it out, they do flips, they throw teams practice four hours a day, a backflip, you catch her on traditional coed squad, a dance people in the air, it’s not what four days a week, which doesn’t her hands, she pulls a Liberty, team, and Harry the Husky — you think.’ I was like ‘OK, I’ll include any weight training done pops down, you catch her on has sent all three of its parts to give it a shot. It seems fun.’” outside of practice. your chest, you flip her into a Senior Tessa Locknane, on And of course, that also handstand, and then you pop her nationals after yet another year of growth began back in July. the other hand, is a dance team doesn’t include the actual games. back through your hands.”

There isn’t one route athletes legacy. Her mother was on the “I think the one moment that Simple, you know. Just like take to becoming a cheerleader team in the 1980s, and has stuck really stuck out to me was my that. at the UW. Head coach Kenny with the program as an alumni first football game,” Iñiguez said.

“We’ve done it so many times, Dow and his coaching staff go since graduating.

“It’s one of those things where it’s like engraved in my brain to different states’ high school “It was the best way I could we are going the whole game. at this point,” Iñiguez said, tournaments in the offseason to possibly be involved in the We’re throwing people the whole laughing.

game. We’re doing flips the whole game.”

Once school starts, the practices scale back to three hours, three times a week. But by the end of fall quarter, the cheerleaders balance classes, practices, outside workouts, football games, volleyball games, men’s and women’s basketball games, and preparation for nationals.

“You really just have to grow up and figure out fast how to organize your life and manage your time wisely and most effectively,” Locknane said.

When the quarter ends and other students are decompressing after finals, the cheer and dance teams ramp everything up, with four hour practices again, five to six times a week to put the finishing touches on their competition routines.

Returning from Orlando with three top-10 finishes — one each for the coed squad, the dance team, and Harry — the UW cheer program will finish out the basketball seasons before starting try-outs for next year’s teams.

Come July, the season will start all over again, and another year full of little pieces will come together, just like the experience of being a UW cheerleader.

“I knew I’d get to dance on the sidelines, which is in itself so exciting and so fulfilling,” Locknane said. “But I’ve gotten to travel across the country for bowl games, for postseason trips.

I’ve gotten to work with and meet the most amazing people who have pushed me in so many ways and made me grow.”

Reach Managing Editor Josh Kirshenbaum at sports@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @J_Kirshenbaum

Gruver smashes Husky record in first meet of the year

By Nick Lombroia The Daily In her first meet at the Dempsey Indoor Center, senior pole vaulter Olivia Gruver set both the Washington and venue records at the UW Indoor Preview. Gruver jumped 15 feet, three and a half inches to beat the previous program record by more than six inches.

After a record-setting outdoor season last spring, Gruver was ready to start out strong in her first indoor season at the UW, but she wasn’t expecting to break records in her first meet of the year.

“My first meet back I wasn’t expecting anything big, as long as I qualified for nationals I’d be happy with it,” Gruver said. “But setting the school record so soon, you can’t beat that the first week.”

The former Kentucky vaulter had her eyes set on the collegiate indoor record too, but she fell just one jump short of being able to pair the indoor record with the collegiate outdoor record she set last spring. Gruver attributed her training this fall as the reason she was able to go for the record this early on in the season.

“Jumping this far so early in the season, it feels amazing,” she said. “It tells me that everything I put in for fall training has been working.”

Looking ahead Gruver is focused on improving throughout her final college season and hopefully setting the collegiate record she just missed out on Saturday. She also hopes to claim a third NCAA indoor pole vault title, before turning her attention to a possible Olympic bid this summer.

“Right now I’m focused on nationals and a collegiate record,” Gruver said. “Just trying to get there first.”

Two of Gruver’s teammates also finished in the top 10at the Indoor Preview. Sophomore Makenna Barton and freshman Ashleigh Helms finished the competition in fifth and sixth place, respectively.

Gruver and the rest of the Washington track and field team will return to Dempsey Indoor for the UW Invitational on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

Reach reporter Nick Lombroia at sports@dailyuw.com.

Twitter: @lombroia

Kirsten Wong The Daily

Senior Olivia Gruver attempts a jump during her historic performance at the UW Indoor Preview on Jan. 18, 2020. Gruver, who already owns the NCAA Outdoor record for pole vault, came up one jump short of taking the indoor record too but still shattered UW and Dempsey Indoor records on Saturday.

8 // The Daily

Tuesday-Friday, January 21-24, 2020

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