Western Front - 1999 June 30

              WEDNESDAY, June 30,1999 The Western Front
Western Washington University Volume 109 Issue 2 Bellingham, Washington
VRI car travels to European contest
By Jennifer Sutton
THE WESTERN FRONT
Western's Vehicle Research
Institute is sending its Viking
28 overseas to Birmingham,
England to compete in the 1999
Formula Student Competition
July 14 through 18.
Western will compete against
14 teams from England, United
States, Mexico, Canada and
Czech Republic.
"We're a strong team up
against the world's best," said
Michael Seal, VRI director and
adviser for the team.
This is the second time since
1990 Western has sent a team
to an international competition.
"We are really excited to
show the world, but mainly just
to show Western how awesome
we are," student Brian Bressler
said.
Michael and Eileen Seal and
students Brian Bressler,
Graham Fotheringham, Rob
Giovenale, Jason Nelson, Jeff
Perrigo, Frank Schmitt, Ben
Selting and BJ Ueda will repre­sent
Western's VRI on the trip.
The Viking 28 is a small race
car powered by a modified
Honda 600 CBR J-2 motorcycle
engiife'and fueled by 85 percent
alcohol. It was designed solely
by Western students. The
Viking 28 is being transported
to Liverpool, England by boat.
~The Formula Student
Competition is the equivalent
to the American Formula
Society of- Automotive
See VRI, page 3
WSL fee
not in
effect yet
By Alex P. Hennesy
THE WESTERN FRONT
The Washington Student
Lobby initiative, approved by
Western students last spring,
has been deferred for considera­tion
by the Board of Trustees
until their next meeting in
August.
The board expressed concern
about the implementation of the
initiative, which would change
the way fees and donations are
collected for the WSL.
"The board wants something
that allows students to make a
clear choice," said Connie
Copeland, assistant dean for
Student Affairs.
The newly approved initiative
would change the system from a
positive check-off system to a
negative check-off system,
meaning the new system would
automatically assess a $2 dona­tion
to student tuition fees, but
allow a chance for a refund. In
the current system, a student
must positively affirm that he or
she wishes to make a donation
via the phone registration sys­tem.
"It's designed to help WSL get
more money," Associated
Students President Victor Cox
said of the proposed system.
The changes could mean an
additional $50,000 in funding
for the WSL next year, he said.
It's not uncommon for the
board to defer a student-approved
initiative, Cox said, "if
they don't feel comfortable with
it."
The board's deferral is cen­tered
on the logistics of imple­menting
the new system. The
trustees are concerned both
with the ease of refunds for stu­dents
not wishing to make a
donation, and how the system
would fit within Western's cur­rent
fee collection policy, said
David Toyer, A.S. vice president
for legislative and academic
affairs.
'They want to make sure stu­dents
have as many options as
possible," Toyer said.
Part of the original proposal
See WSL, page 3
Looking toward future -
first Western, then NFL
Matt Anderson/The Western Front
Lake Stevens High School football players watch the line of scrim­mage
as fellow teammates play against Federal Way High School. .
The game is part of the ninth-annual Western Football Camp.
See Sports, page 8
Class registration system
Y2K OK, user friendly
By Christi Croft
THE WESTERN FRONT
Western's registration system
is getting a technological
makeover for the new school year
and, so far, the upgrade has been
a success, said Bob Schneider,
director of Administrative
Computing Services.
"Western's new computer reg­istration
system is running right
on track and will be in full pro­duction
by fall quarter. Students
will see a huge benefit,"
Schneider said.
Seniors, some a bit frustrated,
had a trial taste of the new sys­tem
at the end of spring quarter.
"People were not informed of
this system whatsoever ... here I
had this great opportunity to reg­ister
early but it was a total pain.
I think the new system needs a
lot of work," senior Melissa
Garden said.
"Every time we conduct regis­tration,
we have problems,"
Registrar Joseph St. Hilaire said.
"We find out that a course was set
in the system incorrectly, the
restrictions of the course were
done improperly, or whatever."
"The old system was better,"
Senior Shelby Taylor said. "It's
Professor remembered for enthusiasm
By Jenni Odekirk
THE WESTERN FRONT
Journalism professor Dick
Beardsley, known for his enthusi­astic
encouragement of students
and colleagues, straight-forward
professional and personal man­ner
and devotion to the better­ment
of Bellingham, passed away
Thursday morning.
He died at 58 from heart
surgery complications at St.
Joseph Hospital, leaving behind
his wife Joan and four children.
Beardsley, a former
Bellingham Herald reporter,
columnist and editorial page edi­tor,
taught at Western during the
1980s and after his retirement
from the Bellingham Herald in
1996 until April 13, when he took
time off for the surgery.
"You could tell he loved teach­ing,"
journalism professor
Carolyn Dale said. "He would see
potential in anyone willing to
work. He'd get so excited when
they'd show progress."
Dale worked as a reporter for
Beardsley when he was city edi­tor
during the late 1970s.
"He was very demanding and
had high standards but always
conveyed that you could meet
them," she said.
Those qualities were part of
Beardsley's teaching style.
"He was really encouraging,"
said senior journalism major Erin
Armstrong, who took newswrit-ing
and reporting from Beardsley.
"He gave positive feedback and
constructive criticism."
"Always at the bottom of my
paper, he'd write: 'Erin, I know
you can do this,"' she said.
Senior journalism major
Caroline Deck remembered
Beardsley's caring nature con­trasted
with his vigorous appear­ance.
"He had this booming voice and
he's tall and dark and kind of
intimidating when you first meet
him, but once you get to know
Courtesy of The Bellingham Herald
Dick Beardsley
1940-1999
him, he's the most easy-going
guy," Deck said. "I felt like I could
go in and talk to him anytime
and not just about journalism
stuff."
John Harris, a Herald reporter
and weekend editor who also
' See BEARDSLEY, page 3
just going to take some time to
get use to the new system."
The new, advanced Banner
system, made by SCT Corp., con­sists
of many complex changes
within the registration system
with no student fee for the
upgrade.
One of the changes is a new,
nine-digit student ID. number.
This "W" number is longer than
the previous identification num­ber
because it includes faculty,
employees, students, vendors and
alumni in its identification,
whereas the other identification
number was used just for stu­dents.
"It is a unique identifier for
every person," Schneider said.
'It's an efficient way of tying the
whole system together."
St. Hilaire said the biggest and
most shocking change within the
system is the termination of add
codes. The new system will
require students to obtain blue
slips from professors to get into a
particular class.
Professors can pre-assign blue
slips, but majors and pre-majors
still have first priority.
Phone registration will also
change. St. Hilaire said instead of
See I.D., page 3
IN THIS ISSUE
Indulge the senses
Soothe the
skin and
mind with
r e f r e s h i ng
body and
f a c i a l
w r a p s
offered by
two Bellingham day spas.
See story page 6.
WWF dishonors
wrestler Owen Hart
WWF produces fodder
to meet fans' expectations
of entertainment and
excitement.
See story page 7.
FROM ONLINE
http: / / vvesternfront.wwu.edu