Western Front - 2001 July 24

              TUESDAY, July 24, 2001 The Western Front
Western Washington University Volume 117 Issue 5 Bellingham, Washington
Lummi tribe members protest shooting death
Photo by Brendan Manning The Western Front
Members of the Lummi tribe sit in front of The Whatcom County Courthouse
protesting the shooting death of a tribal member who was shot five times by a
Whatcom County Sheriff deputy July 7. The death was ruled a justifiable homicide
and the deputy returned to work July 20.
Fairhaven offers new course
By Taylor Phifer
THE WESTERN FRONT
For 20 incoming freshmen, the pressures of being away from
home, meeting new people and getting started on a higher
education will be alleviated by a new course offered through
Fairhaven College this fall.
Our Place In The Planet is a 15 credit, intensive course
where students will be in close contact with each other
throughout the quarter, exploring natural and social settings
in the Northwest.
"One of the issues is helping incoming students through the
first part of their college experience," said Jackie McClure,
admissions coordinator for Fairhaven College. "This is an ideal
chance for these 20 students to get tight."
John Bower, biologist and professor of the new course, said
the class will explore social responsibility and justice for one
another and the environment, as well as helping new students
get acclimated to the college.
"Fairhaven is a strange place," Bower said. "We don't have
letter grades. We generally don't have tests, and most students
design their own majors. Because of this, we need a course
that helps new students figure out how to deal with this
place."
The course and the college aim to teach students to con­tribute
to social justice, Bower said.
Fairhaven College is concerned with giving students, an
interdisciplinary education, a mix of many disciplines in an
attempt to teach students conduct that is socially and envi­ronmentally
acceptable if not beneficial, he said.
"The issues we're focusing on in this class are native issues
of the Northwest," he said. "One hundred and fifty years ago,
where we're sitting now, was (the American Indian's) place and
this is no longer the case."
Bower and Stan Tag, co-professor of the class, will explore
with the students the long history of European settlement and
its influence on Northwest natives and lands, Bower said.
"We'll be thinking about the salmon and how decisions have
See FAIRHAVEN, Page 2
New SHAIC
opens fall in
Viking Union
By Karla Tillman
THE WESTERN FRONT
A second Student Health and
Assessment Information Center will open
to students Sept. 23 in Viking Union room
432. The center will be promoted at the
Student Fair in Red Square Sept. 24 and
25.
The VU SHAIC will offer resources to
help students with general health ques­tions
or concerns about stress manage­ment,
sexual health issues, cold and self-care
issues, where to find services for emo­tional
and physical health need, and other
prevention and wellness issues.
"The new SHAIC will be an information
center, a place for students to get answers
to their health questions," SHAIC nurse
coordinator Catharine Vader said. "It will
be very student-friendly."
Vader said the center will be equipped
with brochures, pamphlets, books, comput­ers
and other resources for students.
"The new SHAIC will be an information -
and resource-rich space," said Patricia
Fabiano, program director of Prevention
and Wellness Services. "It wi}l have a
health library with much more up-to-date
print and audio resources than the original
SHAIC."
Fabiano said one of the main differences
between the original SHAIC and the new
center is the new SHAIC will be staffed
entirely by students, known as Lifestyle
Advisors. Registered nurses will not be
available at the new location.
"It's not a medical center," Vader said.
"Students who need services like HIV test­ing
will still need to go to the original
SHAIC."
The trained student LA's will be avail­able
to guide students to information they
need for their health questions or to give
them referrals to the original SHAIC.
"It will be a very student powered, stu­dent-
centered office," Fabiano said.
Western senior and Lifestyle Advisor
Jennifer Hughes said, many LA's are excit-
~ ~ ~ See SHAIC, Page 2
Police work to catch drunken drivers
By Margo Horner
THE WESTERN FRONT
The recent drunken driving
deaths of six young people has left
people around Washington feeling
confused.
On July 16, seven young people
were drinking at one of their moth­er's
homes in Auburn. Just before
10 p.m., the mother came home
from work and told them all to
leave.
One of the kids vomited in the
driveway.
Then the seven of them got into a
navy blue Ford Escort and drove off.
Approximately 20 minutes later, the
car veered off the road and crashed
into a large concrete pillar. Police
estimate the vehicle was speeding
at approximately 65 mph.
The impact instantly killed six
riders and left one in critical condi­tion.
None of the people were wear­ing
seat belts. According to the
Washington Traffic Safety
Commission, it was the worst sin­gle-
car accident in the state since
the 1940s.
The National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration reports that
the highest number of alcohol-relat­ed
fatal crashes involve from people
between the ages of 20-24. The most
recent statistics show that alcohol-related
traffic fatalities reached 265
in Washington State in 1999.
Statistics show drunken drivers
cause 41.8 percent of traffic deaths.
Police officers in Bellingham are
working to catch drunken drivers and
to lower the numbers of fatalities.
"They shouldn't be afraid of me,"
University Police officer Lisa Aiumu
said. "They should be afraid of what
they're going to do if I don't catch
them."
See DRUNK, Page 3
Flowers,
candles,
balloons
and cards
at the
crash-site
memorial
of the six
people that
died in a
drunken
driving
accident
July 16 at
15th Ave.
SWin
Auburn.
Photo by Margo
Horner/ The
Western Front
IN THIS ISSUE
To Kill a
Mockingbird
Summer Stock
reproduces a classic
1930s novel.
See story, Page 4.
Kayak Water Polo
Water sports are some of
the best
exercise to
beat the
heat of
summer.
See story, Page 8.
For news tips, call (360) 650-3162 or e-mail the Western Front at wrront@cc.wwu.edu http://westernfrontonline.com