Student climatecampaignsorganizationagainstchange gender-inclusivegender-inclusiveWherebreakdown:Bathroomaretherestrooms?Bathroombreakdown:Wherearetherestrooms? Heatwave hardships at WSU Vancouver AUGUST, VOL. 33 ISSUE 1 Cougar beats: Indie Rock edition PG. 8 PG. 14 PG. 17 PG. 10
The VanCougar, a student-run newsmagazine, informs and engages the WSU Vancouver community while practicing the highest standards of timely, ethical journalism. The VanCougar is a source of honest, factual information. If you see an error, we want to address it. Please contact the editor-in-chief at van.vc.editor@wsu.edu for corrections. The VanCougar welcomes letters and commentary from members of the WSU Vancouver community on current issues. Letters must include the author’s full name, contact information and WSU affiliation: year and major for students, department for faculty and staff, degree and year graduated for alumni. The VanCougar does not publish anonymous letters. Send letters and commentary to van.vc.editor@wsu.edu. Once received, letters become property of The VanCougar and are subject to editing for length, clarity and style
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Olivia Eldredge MANAGING EDITOR Gracie Newberry PHOTOGRAPHER Josalyn Ortiz WEB MANAGER Jessica Unruh COPY EDITOR Sawyer Tuttle REPORTER Bethanie Collette LAYOUT EDITOR Alexis Schole ADVERTISING MANAGER Jagger Norris REPORTER Norman Helgason
Eldredge/The
All-gender restroom within the Central Physical Plant Building, Room 030D, floor. (Olivia VanCougar)
10846712141718 106/7 1412 Meet the staff Letter From the Lettereditorfrom the managing editor heatwave hardships at WSU Vancouver Bathroom gender-inclusiveWherebreakdown:aretherestrooms?FunintheSun:ThingstodoaroundThe‘CouveStudentsCampaignAgainstClimatechangeCougarbeats:IndieRockeditionAstrology:Thesignsasclassicgames Vendor at the Salmon Creek Farmers’ market selling fresh flower bouquets. (Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar) Gracie Newberry, managing editor (left) and Olivia Eldredge, editor-in-chief (right). (Josalyn Ortiz/The VanCougar) President of ASWSUV, Jacob Boucher, encourages WSU to divest from fossil fuels. (Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar) Ash DeBuse, junior mechanical engineering student, explains how they feel WSU Vancouver’s gender-inclusive restrooms are inaccessible. (Olivia Eldredge/ The VanCougar)
AUGUST 20224 Pronouns: Hometown:Major:Standing:She/HerJuniorDigitalTechnologyandCultureWashougal,WA Pronouns: Hometown:Major:Standing:They/ThemSeniorDigitalTechnologyandCultureVancouver,WAJessicaUnruhJosalyn Ortiz Pronouns: She/Her Standing: Senior Major: Earth and Environmental Science Hometown: Kelso, WA Pronouns: He/Him Standing: Senior Major: Hometown:MarketingAmboy,WA Advertising Manager Pronouns: He/Him Standing: Senior Major: CommunicationStrategicand DTC Hometown: Vancouver, WA Website ManagerPhotographer Jagger Norris Bethanie Collette Reporter Norman Helgason Reporter
AUGUST 2022 5 Alexis Hometown:Major:Pronouns:ScholeShe/HerStanding:SeniorDigitalTechnologyandCultureVancouver,WA Layout Editor Pronouns: She/Her Standing: Senior Major: Hometown:EnglishColoradoSprings,CO Editor-in-Chief Pronouns: She/Her Standing: Senior Major: Hometown:AnthropologyVancouver,WA ManagingEditor Pronouns: Hometown:Major:Standing:They/ThemSeniorAnthropologyOklahomaCity,OK Olivia Eldredge Sawyer Tuttle Copy Editor Gracie Newberry
For the past three years, I have moved through the organization as a reporter, copy editor and managing editor, and now I am proud to enter my role as the newsmagazine’s new leader — working alongside our current managing editor, Gracie Newberry. I am surrounded by a remarkable, talented and creative team of people who are ready to put everything they have into our wonderful publication, and I am confident we are prepared to serve the WSU Vancouver community with a continued legacy of professionalism that will never subside. I want to reveal to all of our readers that we have many changes coming to The VanCougar — new columns, a different layout and exciting ideas that I believe you all will really enjoy seeing. Our publication is not just about simply providing accurate and timely news on campus but wholly reflects the community that we have all cultivated and built together. In all of my years with The VanCougar, I have seen our campus grow and change, and as your dedicated news publication, we will continue to grow and change alongside it. Speaking of change, I want to recall a quote I said in my last letter as managing editor earlier this year: “...I would like to publicly implore the university to get its student media presence back on track by providing additional support, resources and avenues for encouraging student engagement.” Over the summer, there have been many positive improvements within the Office of Student Involvement, and I can confidently say that WSU Vancouver is doing its very best to support our publication with our needs and goals as we transition into a new academic year. The VanCougar is now well equipped with an adviser who has immense knowledge in journalism, and an amazing staff from OSI who are all helping us out thoroughly. It has been such a pleasure to work with each and every one of these individuals — I want to say thank you to all of them for their guidance and assistance, and thank you to our readers for continuing to read and support our Althoughcontent.majorglobal events had huge impacts on WSU Vancouver’s students, staff, faculty and everyone who surrounds the campus, we have all stood strong in the face of uncertainty. The VanCougar will always be here to uphold the highest of journalistic standards, and deliver everyone with the most timely and transparent news as it applies to our university. As always, we welcome constructive feedback, story submissions, op-ed pieces and letters to the editor sent to van.vc.editor@wsu.edu pertaining to our organization and affairs happening in the community — The VanCougar wants to hear from you. We also encourage existing and incoming students to apply for our open reporter and copy editor positions on Coug Presence. From all of us at The VanCougar, we are so excited to be back for another great year!
Best Olivia2022regards,Editor-In-ChiefEldredge
LETTER FROM THEEditor
AUGUST 20226 To the WSU Vancouver community, My name is Olivia Eldredge and I want to introduce myself as The VanCougar Newsmagazine’s editor-in-chief for the fall semester of 2022!
AUGUST 2022 7
2022 Managing Editor Gracie Newberry
Newberry and I am The VanCougar’s 2022 managing editor! Last year, The VanCougar welcomed me to the team as their copy editor. This year, I am honored to assume the role of managing editor alongside our fearless editor-in-chief Olivia Eldredge. I am beyond lucky to take on this role with such a well-rounded staff — no stone is left unturned with this group, and that is no doubt due to their passion for journalism. Upon joining the team last year, I was amazed by The VanCougar’s self-sufficiency. The team — full of fervor, tenacity and enthusiasm — had little guidance from the university. All skills were a conglomeration of knowledge passed down through generations of VanCougar teams. I am beyond impressed with The VanCougar’s ability to stay afloat through a pandemic, previously without a journalism adviser, and with a small team due to record low enrollment. However, my intentions are to work smarter, not harder. Already, Olivia and I have garnered immense support from the university. Specifically, the staff at the Office of Student Involvement have been eager to support our team, and I foresee great relationships between The VanCougar and other student-led organizations across the university. Another goal of mine is for The VanCougar to have a larger presence on campus. My hope is that our team will be more present at university events — building new relationships with students, staff, faculty and community members. Our office door — located on the north side of the Dengerink Administration Building — will be open as often as possible, and we welcome visitors to stop in for a chat. I encourage anyone who has a story to tell to reach out to us; The VanCougar is as much your newsmagazine as it is ours.
My intentions are for The VanCougar to be a source of trustworthy and timely news that community members are eager to engage with. I want to tell the stories of the underrepresented with transparency and justice. I do not want to entertain the mediocre, I want to find the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary. However, I also want our newsmagazine to be engaging, fun and a reflection of the incredible WSU Vancouver community. As our new journalism advisor Leonard Reed said, the WSU Vancouver campus is paved with stories to tell and it is our duty to tellCheers,them.
Hi MyVanCougs!nameisGracie
LETTER FROM THEManaging Editor
The Pacific Northwest has experienced intense heat waves and increased frequency of record-breaking temperatures due to climate change. In a state not readily equipped to handle these new summer extremes, how have WSU Vancouver’s students, staff and faculty coped with the hot weather?
Bethanie Collette | Reporter
The 2021 Western North America heat wave was a wake-up call for many Washington and Oregon state residents that climate change is sitting at their door. While not as extreme as last year’s blistering heat, the National Weather Service issued another excessive heat warning for the greater Vancouver area in July 2022.
a t W S U V a n c o u v e r
“In general, our climate is getting warmer. We are seeing a long-term increase in days above 90 degrees every year in Portland. The official station, which is the Portland Airport, has about 80 years of records right now; in that 80 years we’ve basically doubled the number of days in a given year that sees 90 degrees or hotter weather, from around eight days per year to now around 17 days per year above 90,” Kalashnikov said. “Even without the extreme patterns, it’s just hotter overall and it gets hotter more frequently with climate change.”
Dmitri Kalashnikov, an environmental and natural resource sciences Ph.D. candidate at WSU Vancouver, says the Pacific Northwest can expect heat waves to be common throughout the region for the foreseeable future.
Now is the time for Washington residents to find ways to adapt to the warming climate, said Kalashnikov. As extreme summer weather conditions are not going away any time soon and the environment is changing rapidly, the ability to stay safe from the heat relies heavily on socioeconomic factors.
Heat wave hardships
According to Kalashnikov, increased temperatures also dry out vegetation, which can worsen fire conditions and increase the potential of permanently altering the landscape. “If there are more frequent fires, then the previous species which used to live in that location might not come back. A forest might be replaced by shrubs or different kinds of trees are more adapted to a high frequency of fires,” Kalashnikov said.
AUGUST 20228
Linda Eddy, Academic Director of WSU Vancouver’s nursing programs and Associate Dean for the College of Nursing, said extreme heat is harmful to the human body in numerous ways, and can potentially become fatal.
“What we usually hear of is called heat exhaustion. In the medical world, we usually call it heat stress. The most common is basic dehydration, and that’s loss of bodily fluids. When it’s really hot, dehydration can cause us to feel thirsty and to have a headache. That’s one type of heat stress, but another common type of heat stress is loss of salt from our body because of sweating, and that type of heat stress is more likely to cause muscle cramping, nausea, dizziness, those sorts of neurologic problems. And unfortunately, if you don’t intervene at the time you have heat stress, it can go on to lead to heat stroke, which can actually be fatal,” Eddy said. “Heat stroke can look like seizures or convulsions or really high body temperature, like 104 degrees or above and really red hot skin.”
Eddy said the best ways to prevent heat exhaustion are to drink water and fluids such as Gatorade or Pedialyte and to stay indoors in air-conditioned spaces whenever possible. Eddy also recognized that not everyone has access to air conditioning, and those populations especially are at an even higher risk of illness or death during extreme heat “Don’tevents.forget about people and their pets. We need to be mindful of the older adults and the families with young children that live around us. Take the time to go out there and make sure that those individuals have a plan for what to do and that they know about the cooling centers. That’s true for our faculty and students and staff here at WSU Vancouver,” Eddy said. “I know that our libraries, a lot of our churches and our community centers are set up as cooling centers [during heatThewaves].”Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency has information on cooling centers in the area that are open when temperatures are dangerous. Visit their webpage at burgexperiencingtheasBurbachitwe’re100dayswetwocool“MyusualvolumesheHannahtion.ment/emergency-preparedness/cooling_centers/http://cresa911.org/emergency-manage-formoreinforma-Burbach,WSUVancouverseniorandhumanitiesmajor,saidandherfamilywerewithoutairconditioningthissummer.Ahighofbrokenair-conditioningunitsinthearealedtolongerthanrepairtimes,causingthemtonothavecoolingforthreeweeks.househascentralair-conditioning.Sowe’reprettyusedtoitbeingandthenrandomlyattheendofJuneitjustwentout.Thefirstweekswereprettyokay,becauseitwasinthe70sand80s,andwereabletokeepthewindowsopen.Butthentherewereafewwhereitstartedgettinguptohigh80sto90s,andevenuptoanditwassuper,superuncomfortable.Andthat’swhenIrealizedveryluckytohaveair-conditioningyearround,andonlywhenwentoutdidwerealizehowuncomfortableitcanbe,”Burbachsaid.saidshewasgratefultoworkfortheStudentActivitiesBoardtheMarketingCoordinatorViceChair,asitallowedhertoescapeheatbycomingtocampus.BurbachrecommendsthatanyonesimilarconditionsshouldspendtheirdaysintheFirsten-StudentCommons,asshedid.
While the summer heat is still impacting WSU Vancouver students, staff and faculty, Hooper encourages anyone who feels temperatures are too warm or cold to call the facilities services dispatch at (360) 546-9000, as they are more than happy to make adjustments. While severe weather events develop into a routine, it is becoming increasingly important to prioritize individual health, and the health of the greater population. Watch out for signs of heat-related illness and seek refuge at a local cooling shelter if needed — WSU Vancouver will also continue to be a place for its community to seek refuge from the heat.
Dmitri Kalashnikov, environmental and natural resource sciences Ph.D. candidate, talks about the future of Pacific Northwest heat waves.
AUGUST 2022 9
While campus buildings like the library and recreation center closed for a few weeks during the summer, many other buildings remained open and air-conditioned. Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Services, Bill Hooper, aims to make the buildings on campus a comfortable space for students and faculty at all times.
“We have the advantage of having a young campus. There’s nothing here that’s more than 25 years old. All the buildings are rather contemporary and they almost all have air-conditioning. We have a central chiller plant that provides chilled water to all of the buildings and provides cooling, for the buildings. As long as people are indoors, generally speaking, the risks are minor,” Hooper said.
(Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar)
“... I realized we’re very lucky to have air conditioning year round, and only when it went out did we realize how uncomfortable it can be.” – Hannah Burbach
AUGUST 202210
| Copy Editor
Ash DeBuse, junior mechanical engineering student, explains how they feel about WSU Vancouver’s gender-inclusive restrooms. (Olivia Eldredge/ The VanCougar)
As the adviser to the Cougar Pride club, Buechler has a unique opportunity to meet with transgender and gender-nonconforming students, and discuss these issues with them.
Gender-nonconforming students, staff and faculty face challenges when it comes to the lack of gender-inclusive bathrooms on WSU Vancouver’s Sawyercampus.Tuttle
Gender-inclusive restrooms are bathrooms that are accessible to everyone, but are particularly important to transgender and gender-nonconforming students. They are single-stall restrooms providing a non-gendered space where anyone can enjoy privacy — including parents with children, caregivers and individuals with personal attendants. The lack of inclusive bathrooms on campus has physical and emotional impacts on many students, staff and faculty. Sam Buechler, student support librarian and faculty adviser to the Cougar Pride club at WSU Vancouver, said that although they feel comfortable on campus as a trans nonbinary person, they still face hardships related to misgendering and the lack of accessible gender-inclusive restrooms. “In the library, there isn’t a gender-inclusive restroom, obviously,” Buechler said. “The hardest thing for me as a faculty member is sharing that space with my colleagues ... and it’s not anything that they are doing, but it’s just that experience of being like ‘I am in a very gendered space right now.’ And I feel like that is all they are seeing, even though that’s more internal. It’s just a moment of panic every time.”
“I have had several students in the club approach me and we’ve had meetings with some of the administration on this campus to talk about [the lack of gender-inclusive bathrooms] more, and make them aware of the real harms of this issue … we have heard a little bit about what the plan is moving forward. WSU just instated that any time they do any kind of new construction that there will be a requirement to have at least one gender-inclusive bathroom within a building, but that requires a new building. …We have all of these other buildings around that don’t have them. So what can we do about what currently exists?” Buechler said.
For many students on campus, going to the bathroom is a casual and trouble-free affair that takes little time away from their education. Oftentimes, going to the restroom requires little forethought, with a toilet to be found around every corner. However, for transgender and gender-nonconforming members of the WSU Vancouver community, going to the bathroom can be an inconvenient and troublesome endeavor. With only five all-gender restrooms on campus, these students and staff members are forced to track down bathrooms and sometimes travel across campus to use them.
“The bathrooms are not accessible at all whatsoever … none of them are centrally located.” – Ash DeBuse
In an email to The VanCougar, Vice Chancellor Obie Ford III addressed WSU Vancouver’s plans and strategies to address this issue, and highlighted the university’s response to expand the presence of gender-inclusive restrooms on its campus.
All-gender restroom sign located in the Central Physical Plant Building, Room 030D, first floor.
(Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar)
AUGUST 2022 11 “WSU Vancouver is having continued equity-minded discussion and moving these discussions into action to improve visibility of gender inclusive restrooms on campus. ... An example of such action is, WSU Vancouver is applying an equity lens to ensure clarity of information and visibility about gender-inclusive restrooms to facilitate students, staff, faculty and guests accessing the locations,” Ford said. According to Ford, the new Sciences Building, currently under construction, will have gender-inclusive restrooms. The university is exploring other potential locations for these restrooms within existing buildings on campus. Additionally, Ford said the university wants to receive student feedback regarding gender-inclusive bathrooms in general.
As of now, WSU Vancouver falls behind in addressing this issue when compared to other schools of higher education in the area. For example, according to the following institutions, Clark College has at least 28 said.ever“Thetratedregardinginformationstudent,Ashsivelesser,WSUinleastbathrooms.Vancouver,asabathrooms.gender-inclusiveWSUSpokane,universitywithalmosthalfmanystudentsasWSUhasnineall-genderWSUPullmanhasatonegender-inclusivebathroomnearlyeverybuilding.HoweverEverettandWSUTri-Citiesfarewithoneandtwogender-inclu-bathroomsrespectively.DeBuse,juniormechanicalengineeringsaidtheystruggledlocatingaccurateontheWSUVancouverwebsiteinclusivebathroomsandwerefrus-withwhattheyfoundout.bathroomsarenotaccessibleatallwhatso-…noneofthemarecentrallylocated,”DeBuse
According to DeBuse, the gender-inclusive bathrooms on campus are too inaccessible, and they are sometimes forced to use the gendered bathrooms. DeBuse worries that the way they look will subject them to scrutiny within the bathroom.
– Sam Buechler
“...It’s just that experience of being like ‘I’m in a very gendered space right now.’ And I feel like that is all [people] are seeing, even though that’s more internal. It’s just a moment of panic every time,”
Not only can gendered spaces such as bathrooms cause emotional distress for gender-nonconforming people, they also can be dangerous.
“I’m constantly having to wonder, ‘when is someone going to say something to me while I’m using the women’s restroom?’” DeBuse said. “It’s inexcusable, completely.” DeBuse encourages the university to implement at least one gender-inclusive bathroom into every building on campus — until then, gender-nonconforming individuals on campus will continue to struggle with tasks as simple as going to the bathroom. Gender-inclusive bathrooms on the WSU Vancouver campus can be found here:
- McClaskey Building, Room 221 - Undergraduate Building, Room 005 - Central Physical Plant Building, Rooms 030D and 030E - Annex Building, Room 104
Spend an afternoon at Salmon Creek Regional Park: Located right near campus, the Salmon Creek Regional Park has picnic tables, grills and plenty of trails. For those who visit, there are many places to set up a hammock, enjoy the scenery with a beautiful hike or catch up on a good book outside. In case it gets too hot, the park also has several options to cool down, including shady trees to lounge under and a splash pad — a fun water activity open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Labor Day. Inside the park is Klineline Pond, a popular public swim area and fishing spot. Loaner life-jackets are available on site, and there is no entrance fee to the park for those walking or biking (however, there is a parking fee of $3 for cars).
Enjoy farm fresh produce at Bi-Zi Farms: Head over to Bi-Zi Farms, a local staple for year-round agriculture and family fun. Owned and operated by the Zimmerman family, there are many different crops currently in season — including apples, blueberries, sweet corn, cucumbers, peaches and more. BiZi Farms also has an annual Sunflower Festival, taking place the first two weekends of September. Each ticket to the Sunflower Festival includes a free sunflower, a hayride and entry to the farm animal petting zoo. On September 18, Bi-Zi Farms will be having their Sesquicentennial Celebration, an event to commemorate 150 years of growing in Clark County. There will be a picnic, concessions, farm tours and cake. Bi-Zi farms is located on 9504 NE 119th St. in Vancouver and more information regarding their summer hours and events can be found at www.bi-zifarms.com.
Visit the Salmon Creek Farmers’ Market: Spend some time engaging with the community and shopping for local goods by visiting the Salmon Creek Farmers’ Market. Rain-orshine, local vendors and artists set up their shops every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Salmon Creek Grange, located at 1900 NE 154th St. in Vancouver. Take an afternoon to stroll through the market, enjoy live music and find plenty of produce, fresh honey, baked goods, jewelry, handmade crafts and artwork. More information regarding vendors of the week can be found on their facebook page and website, https://salmoncreekfarmersmarket.com.
Fun in the Sun: Things to do around The ‘Couve
AUGUST 202212
Go rock-climbing at The Source:
Looking for something fun to do alone or with a friend? Rock-climbing is an exciting and challenging way to get exercise and move around. The Source Climbing Center offers individual walk-in and single day passes, and also provides classes for those interested in climbing more regularly. Equipment rentals are available for those who do not have their own rock climbing gear. For more information on their hours and classes, see their website at https:// www.sourceclimbing.com. Tour the Downtown Vancouver murals: Since 2004, the Clark County Mural Society has been showcasing murals all across Vancouver to enrich the area with art. In Downtown Vancouver, there are over 20 beautiful murals painted along the walls of buildings and alleyways. Drive or walk along and around Main Street to view these pieces of art done by many different artists from the Pacific Northwest. Examples of the impressive murals onlookers might see include depictions of Clark County’s history and land — such as the Chinook Nation, the Columbia River, Fort Vancouver and much more. For a map and list of murals and artists, visit https://www.ccmurals.org.
Jewelry and crystals made by Stone and Serpent, sold at the Salmon Creek Farmers’ market. (Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar)Flower bouquets sold by Barn Dog Flower Farm at the Salmon Creek Farmers’ market. (Olivia Eldredge/The VanCougar)
Check out The VanCougar’s list of fun activities to enjoy before the summer officially ends! Sawyer Tuttle | Copy Editor Although summer break has come to a close, there are still many opportunities for students to enjoy the bright, cloudless weather between classes and busy schedules. The VanCougar has compiled a list of a few exciting things to do around town while the sun is still out. From berry-picking and relaxing in nature, to supporting local businesses and rock-climbing, there is something for everyone to enjoy around The ‘Couve.
Quynh Tran (Executive Staff): “Hi my name is Quynh Tran. I am a senior majoring Data Analytics specialized in Actuarial Science. I will be the 32nd Chief of Staff of ASWSUV and also the chair of Student Activities Board (so exciting). I love getting to know more people and making friends, so please say hi if you see around our campus! Go Cougs!”
Rosalyn Minh (Executive Staff): “Hello! My name’s Rosalyn and I’m on my second year as the co-director of communications! I’m currently a biology and earth and environmental science major. I love being able to connect with other students and attending events! In my free time I like to read & romanticize my life!”
Michael Johnson (Executive Staff): “Hello, hello! My name is Michael Johnson, I am a 3rd year student at WSUV, with this being my second year in ASWSUV, but my first year as the Director of Communication. I’m going to be working hard to try and provide a spotlight to as much as I can on campus! In my free time, I enjoy watching anime, playing games (both single player and multiplayer), and building Gundam model kits. If you ever see me in the ASWSUV office, please be sure to say hi!” Did you know that WSU Vancouver has its very own student government? Members of ASWSUV will answer questions you submit about student involvement, student government or anything WSU-related!
Ask ASWSUV!
Jessica Smith (Executive Staff): “Hi Cougs! I am Jessica, the Director of Legislative Affairs. This means I will be going to Olympia to lobby for WSUV students and state wide. I am piecing together my Social Science major with a pre-law focus and studying for the LSAT. When I remember there is life outside of school and career I love going to the beach and hiking to waterfalls. In the winter, we have a lot of fires and movie nights. Please ask me all of the questions you have and if you want to follow up please email me at aswsuv.dla@wsu.edu.”
Since the school year is just starting, let us introduce ourselves: Bethanie Davis (Executive Staff): “Hello! I’m Bethanie and I’m the director of leadership development. You may recognize my name throughout this issue, as I’m also a reporter. I’m studying environmental and ecosystem science and am very passionate about advocating for WSU Vancouver students. I love spending time with my husband and our cat. Ask me about anime!”
Willow Carson (Executive Staff): “Hello! My name is Willow Carson and I’m the current Internal Director of Legislative Affairs for ASWSUV. I’m entering my junior year and actively studying to major in political science with minors in English and history. I would consider myself someone passionate about politics and aspire to assist fellow students in engaging in this interest of mine as well as the Washington State University community at whole. If you see me on campus, feel free to say hello!”
changeclimateagainstcampaignsorganiztionStudent
WSU students and faculty are making strides in the fight against climate change, calling for the university to completely divest from the fossil fuel industry.
Bethanie Collette | Reporter
“A couple of years ago I watched a TEDTalk by Ella Lagé titled ‘What one person can do about climate change,’ her arguments on the effectiveness of divestment action, especially that it worked in the case of apartheid, led me to seek divestment at WSU,” Engels said. “I thought, well, I brought about change by asking my university in the ‘80s to stop supporting an irresponsible government, why don’t I work to bring about change by asking WSU to stop supporting fossil fuel companies?” The president of the ESA, Stevie Fawcett, a junior microbiology major, kicked off the campaign by garnering support from the student body. Beginning with an email sent out to students asking if they would support a divestment campaign, Fossil Free WSU received a positive response with over 70% of students saying they would like to see WSU divest. Their overwhelming support pushed them to create an official petition.
When The VanCougar last spoke to The Associated Students of Washington State University’s Environmental Sustainability Alliance, the organization had an ambitious goal: WSU’s complete divestment from the fossil fuel industry in 2022. Eight months later, the group is continuing to press the university and is taking new steps to ensure their goals are met.
“Maybe in the next three years, there’s got to be a little bit of time to be able to gather the money for it. With falling enrollment, I imagine the university is not going to be very willing to make these big new investments and big new projects while we’re having to make all these other cutbacks.” – Jacob Boucher
AUGUST 202214
The ESA, a student organization on the Pullman campus, has created a subcommittee called Fossil Free WSU that is dedicated to pushing the administration to withdraw its financial holdings in the fossil fuel industry. The goal is to re-invest those funds into sustainable forms of energy, such as solar and wind power. This divestment campaign was originally brought to the attention of the subcommittee by retired English literature professor, Bill Engels. Engels is a long time advocate for divestment and aided in the country-wide university led divestment movement in the ‘80s during the apartheid in South Africa. Knowing the efficacy of divestment campaigns, Engels determined it was a swift and effective way to fight against climate change.
“Divestment in sum, strikes at the root of the climate crisis. We need effective, hard hitting action if we want to keep the temperature below a 1.5 degrees celsius increase by 2030 and the divestment campaign offers that.” – Bill Engels “Now we’ve got a student petition going to show numbers. We’re trying to share that petition and make sure people know it exists, make sure people know that they can support this just by signing up online. I believe that it has roughly 650 signatures and we’re hoping to get to 1000 this year,” Fawcett said.
voices are pivotal in pushing for those changes.
One of Fossil Free WSU’s goals asks the university to remove all investments from the “Carbon Underground 200,” a list of the largest 200 oil and gas companies that the university may have money invested in. This is a vital step in mitigating the effects of climate change, according to Engels. “Divestment in sum, strikes at the root of the climate crisis. We need effective, hard hitting action if we want to keep the temperature below a 1.5 degrees celsius increase by 2030 and the divestment campaign offers that,” Engels Withsaid. an issue as pressing as climate change driving universities to withdraw their investments in industries that promote further warming effects, the slow-moving inner workings of a bureaucracy present several challenges to obtaining tangible results.
“It takes a lot of persistence to get these people’s attention. Originally it kind of seemed like they were hearing us…and then they went back to their other business. It kind of felt like we were brushed off a little,” Fawcett said. “As we kept going I think they started to realize that this is not just like a weekly thing … now we have definitely captured the attention of President Schulz, along with the Board of Regents, they’ve acknowledged this.”
“Write to your congress people, not just your congress people, your state legislatures as well. People often forget to do that, you can look up who your state legislators are, write to them, tell them that you think it’s important that large institutions such as WSU divest from fossil fuels. We always have avenues for people to get involved in legislative advocacy within ASWSUV. We’d be happy to take you in and have you help us advocate,” Boucher said.
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Having finally caught the attention of the university, the road to WSU’s fossil-free future may be in sight. However, there are funding and legislative issues that may slow down the process. ASWSUV president Jacob Boucher, foresees some obstacles that will hinder the university’s willingness to fully divest. “I don’t think I’d see a path to completely divest by 2022, but I definitely see a path to completely divest. Maybe in the next three years, there’s got to be a little bit of time to be able to gather the money for it. With falling enrollment, I imagine the university is not going to be very willing to make these big new investments and big new projects while we’re having to make all these other cutbacks,” Boucher said. The alternative, however, is to receive funding from the state. With state funding to aid in divestment, Boucher believes many other corrective actions are possible. This includes changing WSUowned vehicles to hybrid or electric models, promoting better public transit and putting more renewable energy sources on campuses. Boucher also noted that to accomplish such feats, the university will need a dedicated sustainable climate infrastructure team – a concern that President Schulz noted in his address to the faculty senate meeting earlier this year. According to Fawcett, President Schulz announced WSU will be creating a sustainability task force, which should be operational in the fall of 2022. Schulz also said the university has been looking into Environmental Social and Governance investing, which claims to advance socially level,changeeffectshappenchangesTherewithworkthatBouchercontinuesAsinvestments.responsiblethiscampaigntounfold,stressedadvocacydoesnotenddivestment.arestillmanyneedingtotocombatofclimateatastateandstudent
“We are planning to present to the faculty senate about our new petition that is strictly for faculty. We had that idea a while ago but we weren’t sure if people would be supportive, but when we released the student petition we had faculty members emailing us saying ‘Where can I sign up?’” Fawcett said.
The petition for students is just the beginning, Fawcett said. Alongside attending Board of Regents meetings and speaking with regent members who are close to WSU president Kirk Schulz, Fossil Free WSU is also collecting support from faculty members.
Olivia Eldredge | Editor-in-chief Artist and album review of the month: Who is Maggie Rogers? Why listen to “Surrender”?
- In the wake of Netflix’s new season of “Stranger Things,” Spotify has curated a new “Upside Down” playlist with a mix-and-mash of new and old hits based on your listening history, and features songs that might just save you from -Vecna.Check out Spotify’s other curated playlists under your profile recommendations, where listeners can find songs that are just perfect for each and every mood — including “Moody,” “Happy,” “Creepy,” “Hype,” “Chill” mixes and -more.Want to make the most of summer while you still can?
Pom Pom Squad: “Head Cheerleader,” “Be Good,” “Honeysuckle.”
Miloe: “Winona,” “Greenhouse,” “Elastic.”
Indie rock edition
Album cover of Maggie Rogers’s newest album, “Surrender.”
- Beach Bunny: “Entropy,” “Cuffing Season,” “Painkiller.” - Mitski: “Francis Forever,” “Stay Soft,” “Love Me More.” - Rex Orange County: “The Shade,” “Keep it up,” “Pluto -Projector.”
Aug 27: Father John Misty with Suki Waterhouse, Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Queue up Spotify’s “My life is a movie” playlist and groove to a selection of beats while you feel like the main character driving with your windows down.
Playlist recommendations for Spotify users:
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A few other indie rock artists you should listen to this month, with 3 recommended songs:
Local live events schedule: Aug 25: Phoebe Bridgers, McMenamins Edgefield.
This record will make you want to jump on top of a building and scream your heart out with a newfound sense of autonomy, or crawl into a ball and sob while thinking about Rogers’s wistful, soul-stirring lyrics. Although you do not want to miss out on listening to the entire album, a few notable tracks to start with are: “Symphony,” “That’s Where I Am” and “Be Cool.” I recommend checking out “Surrender” this month by sitting down by yourself with headphones on, and jamming out to each and every beautiful moment it has to offer.
Aug 30: Yves Tumor, Wonder Ballroom.
The VanCougar knows music is a college student’s best friend — on this page you can find a combination of new album reviews, artist and song recommendations, the best local concerts to attend this month and much more.
- Phoebe Bridgers: “Motion Sickness,” “Garden Song,” -“Sidelines.”
Aug 31: Tessa Violet with Will Joseph Cook and Daysormay, Holocene.
Aug 26: Kendrick Lamar with Baby Keem and Tanna Leone, Moda Center.
“Music is this crazy art form because it takes these deeply vulnerable feelings, because our jobs as artists is to feel, and in every other art form there is a boundary between that center creator and the public life. … It’s been interesting, this sort of album cycle, and in this record specifically I feel like I got to go back to writing songs like I was in highschool, unguarded, no one was listening. I wasn’t making songs thinking about making a record, I didn’t make music the first four or five months of the pandemic, and when I came back to it it was like, oh when I’m bored I love making beats. It’s my favorite way to pass the time,” Rogers said in the interview.
Aug 31: The Get Up Kids with Sparta, Revolution Hall.
On July 29, Maggie Rogers released her newest album, titled “Surrender,” blessing listeners with the echo of her powerful voice, making up yet another perfectly-orchestrated collection of songs. Between pop-hype tunes, sad ballads, heavy rock undertones and light melodies, there are so many emotionally unguarded moments that mesh into one truly cohesive piece of deeply intuitive musical art. As compared to Rogers’s first album “Heard it in a Past Life,” there is a certain sense of experiential maturity that accompanies “Surrender;” with themes of fear, past love, frustration, joy and convivial connections with friends that shine through both the lyrics and sounds presented throughout this record. In an interview with Apple Music titled, “Maggie Rogers: ‘Surrender,’ Songwriting, and Freedom of Expression,” the artist talked about the moments of “vulnerability” she experienced when making this album, and her role as a songwriter during her return to music creation while surrounded by her closest friends.
AUGUST 202218 Astrology: The signs as classic games Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18) Candy Land Pisces (Feb 19-March 20) Pictionary Aries (March 21-April 19) Battleship Taurus (April 20-May 20) Trivial Pursuit Gemini (May 21-June 20) Sorry! Cancer (June 21-July 22) Game of Life Leo (July 23-Aug 22) Settlers of Catan Virgo (Aug 23-Sept 22) Scrabble Libra (Sept 23-Oct 22) Rummikub Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21) Risk Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21) Clue Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19) Monopoly
AUGUST 2022 19 First Day of Fall Semester 26Fri. Back-to-School Movie Night, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” Labor Day24Wed.5Sept. Back-to-School BBQ, on the Quad 11:00 a.m. - 2 p.m. 22Mon. Vancouver Job Fair 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. NEXT ISSUE OF THE VANCOUGAR SHIPS SEPT. 6 mark your calendar... Color Me Coug Tie-Dyeing Event, on the Quad Rec Fest, on the Quad 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.2523Tue.Thurs. 8:00 - 10:30 p.m. Campus is closed
