Western Front - 2006 April 18

              GIMDEilELiA STORY: STUDENTS DONATE PROM DRESSES, TOXES.MCEI
THE
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
June could
be last stop
for shuttle
BY JEFFREY LUXMORE
The Western Front
Unless Western finds a new funding source, the
Commuter Loop Shuttle system will stop operating
at the end of spring quarter.
The shuttle, which is free to ride, includes three
buses operating on two routes throughout the day
during fall, winter and spring quarters.
One bus travels from Buchanan Towers to Red
Square along East College Way. Two buses run
along Bill McDonald Parkway to connect Red
Square to the Administrative Services Center on
32nd Street.
One bus operates the 32nd Street route during
summer quarter and intercessions.
Western senior Shannon Hutchinson, the
Associated Students president, said the AS
allocated $50,000 last year to help fund the shuttle
for the 2005-2006 school year.
She said the AS intended for the money to
fund the shuttle for one year to allow Western's
administration more time to find funding to sustain
the. service. The AS budget can't give any more
money to the shuttle, Hutchinson said.
Carol Berry, Western's alternative
transportation coordinator^ said no particular
department on campus is responsible for finding
funding for the shuttle program. The fees students
pay to use campus parking lots would not cover the
see BUS, page 6
TAYLOR WILLIAMS / THE WESTERN FRONT
Western students board one of the univer­sity's
three shuttles on Monday behind the
Communications Facility. Western will dis­continue
this free service next year if no
new funding is found.
TUESDAY, APRIL 18,2006 ISSUE 6, VOLUME 137
Marijuana rally
/ TAYLOR WILLIAMS/THE WESTERN FRONT
Western junior Aida Burgos paints the stem of a six-foot
model of a bong pipe. Club members constructed the model
from metal duct piping, and it will be on display in Red Square
Thursday. x
Students build
six-foot replica
of smoking pipe
BY BECKIE ROSILLO
The Western Front
A politically-motivated, six-foot-tall bong
pipe is not something most Western students
would normally find in the center of Red Square,
or anywhere for that matter.
Members of the WWU Libertarians club will
protest by displaying the bong pipe from 11a.m.
to 2 p.m. Thursday in Red Square to show their
support for the fight to legalize marijuana.
Graduate student and club member Hannah
Pendergrast said the club members hope to
inspire students to discuss the war on drugs and
aren't condoning marijuana use. The bong is to
gain students'attention, she said.
.-"It's 'a really contentious issue," she said.
"This is^not an encouragement to actually do
anything illegal. It would be a choice on part of
the individual smoker."
A similar event hosted by the UW
Libertarians club at the University of
^Washington in October 2005 prompted Western
club members to construct the pipe.
The club's advisor, Western lecturer Bruce
Guthrie, said he and Western freshman Zack
Elan, the club's^ vice chair, constructed the
bong out of duct piping one night in Guthrie's
garage. The metal piping is commonly used in
air conditioning ducts, Elan said.
Elan said the club members will distribute
educational pamphlets about the war on drugs
and its negative effects.
see LAW, page 6
Ridgeway hall council
cancels annual event
BY JTJLIE WAGGOISER
The Western Front
Beta/Gamma hall council didn't hold
its annual Culture Shock event this April
for the first time in 16 years.
The event was canceled because of
a lack of participation from culture-oriented
Associated Students clubs on
Easter weekend and the resignation of
two hall council member, said Western
freshman Stewart Schaefer, former Beta/
. Gamma Residence Hall Association
representative.
Culture Shock is a spring quarter
program open to all Western students.
Normally, student-run cultural
and ethnic groups, such as the Black
Student Union and the Vietnamese
Student Association, set up booths with
cultural information and activities in
the Viking Union Multipurpose Room,
Schaefer said.
Schaefer and Rachel Lewis, former
hall council treasurer, resigned April
4 due in part to differences in opinion
regarding how the council should be
spending its money, Lewis said.
"I felt like Stewart and I were
working really hard and directing a
see PROGRAM, page 6
SPRING TRAINING
Senior quarterback James Monrean
leads the Vikings' football team
through off-season workouts.
SPORTS, PAGE 9
LAW AND DISORDER
Television dramas misrepresent
the role of defense attorneys in
the courtroom:
OPINIONS, PAGE 13 .
SKY HIGH
The city of Bellingham has plans
to build a new 18-story complex
on Railroad Avenue.
NEWS, PAGE 2
WEATHER
Wednesday: Cloudy
Hi: 60 Low: 42
Thursday: Showers
Hi: 56 Low: 38
^ " • - • >
Z&C*^
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