Western Front - 2004 February 27

              VIKING WOMEN HUNT WOLVES
Western notches 42-20
advantage on the boards.
Sports, Page 10
<£*
ISSUE 13
VOLUME 128
REVERSE RACISM
Scholarships exclusively for
Caucasians are necessary.
Opinions, Page 14
WELCOMING 'NEW METAL
Band Full Frontal Assault
is not copying anyone.
Accent, Page 8
Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington
The Western Front FRIDAY
FEB. 27, 2004
Holding hands of a different color
••Hi
MH
Editor's note: This is the
fifth in a six-part series
examining race at Western.
By Melena Eaton
The Western Front
When a mutual friend set
Western junior Kyla Wong and
her husband Victor up for a
blind date, he did not consider
that they had different ethnic
backgrounds.
"I guess I do not pay attention
to anything like that because I
don't see myself as Hispanic or
her as Caucasian," Victor said. "I
am just with her."
Western sociology professor
Glenn Tsunokai said stigmas
surrounding interracial dating
have lessened in recent years
because of changes in civil,
rights, laws against marrying
someone of a different race and
the public's general attitudes
toward people of different races
dating one another.
Ben Arnold/The Western Front
Western sophomore Cathy Varland and her boyfriend, Western junior Mark Buckman, spend
Thursday afternoon studying in Varland's dorm room.
"The United States is slowly
moving toward embracing a
more multicultural society
where we can celebrate contri­butions
of every group, and
they do not have to change,"
Tsunokai said. "People are real­izing
We are a diverse society,
and that makes our world a lit­tle
more interesting."
Tsunokai said the media
shape and reshape culture
because this is a mass media-based
generation.
"We are seeing it more in
media, and if we see different
races happily interacting, and
even in relationships, it may
move it toward being less, stigma­tized,"
Tsunokai said.
SEE Series, PAGE 6
New technology center offers students advice
By Sarah Getchman
The Western Front
Western students now have a resource
available that will enable them to excel in a
world that technology increasingly rules.
The Western Student Technology Center in
Miller Hall officially opened its doors to stu­dents
and faculty Wednesday afternoon with
an all-day open house. The center educates
students about the many types of technology
available on campus.
Students can go to the center for support
with academic work, said Larry Gilbert,
director of Academic Technology and User
Services. Student technology fees fund the
center, which is located in Miller Hall 75, he
said. It will move to a permanent location in
Haggard Hall in the fall.
"The emphasis (of the center) is definitely
making sure that students have access to
technology and know how to use it," student
technology assistant Pedro Huitema said.
Student employees manage the center,
and a faculty member advises, said John
Farquhar, manager of Multimedia and Web
Development Services. Ten students are
working at the center as technology assis­tants
this quarter, he said.
After receiving overwhelming support for
the center in a spring quarter student survey,
the center opened on a trial basis in January
when funding became available, Gilbert said.
Student technology fees provided the center
with a $59,000 beginning budget that covers
furnishings, equipment and software, said
Maya Tomlin, Associated Students vice presi­dent
for academic affairs. Student technology
fees will provide the center with a $50,000
annual budget during the next two years, after
which Western students will vote on whether
to continue the center's services, she said.
According to Western's Web site, Western
student technology fees are $15 per student
per quarter/one of the lowest amounts in the
state. The University of Washington has a
quarterly technology fee of more than $80,
Tomlin said. Western may increase technology
fees by approximately $5 if students decide to
keep the technology center open after the two-year
trial run, she said.
"The reason why this program is unique is
because it's not coming from the administration
SEE Computers, PAGE 5
Top-ranking
Western VP
steps down
By Katie Scaief
The Western Front
Robert Edie, Western's vice
president of external affairs, said
Feb. 11 that he would step down
from his position because of
undisclosed medical reasons.
He is away on medical leave,
said Al Froderberg, director of
planned giving and senior adviser
to Western's president.
Edie served in the position for
more than three
years, said Buff
Schoenfeld, exec­utive
assistant to
Western's presi­dent.
'Tt's going to be
very difficult to
find someone
with all of his Robert Edie
expertise and talent," Froderberg
said.
President Karen Morse and her
advisers will begin advertising for
the position in the next few weeks
and will begin accepting applica­tions.
The process will be long
because many qualified appli­cants
will not need work in the
middle of the year, Schoenfeld
said. Western probably will not
have a new vice president of
external affairs until at least next
fall, she said.
"Bob is one of those guys who is
not replaceable," Schoenfeld said.
"There is no other Bob to bring
in."
Edie has extensive experience
working with the Washington
State Legislature and previously
worked as the vice president of
external affairs at the University
of Washington, Schoenfeld said.
As vice president of external
affairs at Western, Edie worked
with the Legislature in Olympia
and maintained communication
SEE Edie, PAGE 6
Forum explains revoked support for youth program
By Zoe Fraley
The Western Front
At 1:10 p.m. Tuesday, the Syre
Student Center at Whatcom
Community College was relatively
quiet and empty. By 1:30, however,
it was brimming with students, fac­ulty
and community members who
came to speak and listen.
Tuesday's forum addressed the
Associated Students of Whatcom
Community College's decision to
revoke its support of Big Brothers
Big Sisters of America Bowl For
Keith Boiling/The Western Front Kids' Sake, an annual fundraising
A Big Brothers Big Sisters event poster sits in front of event. The council initially voted
employee Paula French as she works in the office Thursday. 21-1 to choose the organization as
its service project for this quarter
but rescinded after learning of a
nondiscrimination policy that
allows homosexuals to be same-sex
mentors.
"The college community has a
lot of issues it has to work
through, but they've given us a lot
of support," said Jim Boyle, chief
of staff for the Whatcom County
Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Whatcom students have provided
approximately 10 bowling teams
each year for the past eight years to
help raise money for Bowl For Kids'
Sake. The event usually raises
approximately $100,000, which is
one-third of the Big Brothers Big
Sisters' annual budget, Boyle said.
For each mentor, the organization
pays $800 to $1,000 for one year of
community-based mentoring,
including the costs of recruiting,
training and monitoring volunteers,
Boyle said.
Paula French, who has been a big
sister for eight years, said the loss of
support disheartened her.
"I was shocked at the turn­around,"
French said. "I was disap­pointed
that the issue that brought
it to light was sexual preferences."
French, whose little sister is now 17
years old, said she has benefited from
the organization's nondiscrimination
SEE Children, PAGE 6
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