Western Front - 2003 May 2

              Playing for December
Kill Rock Stars artist The
Decemberists plays Underground.
See Story, Page 9.
On the fast track
Car racers find friends, fun at
Deming Speedway.
See Story, Page 10.
FRIDAY, May-2, 2003 The Western Front Western Washington University Volume 125 Issue 9 Bellingham, Washington
AS totals unofficial poll results
By Melena Eaton
THE WESTERN FRONT
Approximately 50 percent
of the 1,965 Western students
who voted earlier this week in
the Associated Students elec­tions
selected Western junior
Paul Graves as the president­elect
for the 2003-2004 school
year, AS elections coordinator
Nicole Hall said.
"I was watching a movie
with Kevin Stock (AS vice
president for business opera­tions
candidate) and some
friends and the projector cut
out, so I had (Stock) check
his phone messages, and he
gave me a high five and said
we got it," Graves said. "We
were hugging everyone while
the movie was still playing,
but my first reaction was
that Kevin was either lying
or had heard wrong, and I
ran back to my room after
the movie to check my e-mail
for the results."
The results are unofficial,
however, until the current AS
board of directors ratifies
them at their meeting next
Wednesday.
The following Western stu­dents
won the vice president
positions: senior Kevin Stock,
vice president for business
Keith Boiling/ The Western Front
Student Activities Coordinator Lisa Rosenberg, left, Election Co-chair Lisa Abbot,
and AS Elections Coordinator Nicole Hall discuss what to do with ballots con­taining
abnormalities such as hanging chads and misplaced votes.
and operations; junior Maya
Tomlin, vice president for aca­demic
affairs; junior Courtney
Hiatt, vice president for stu­dent
life; sophomore Rachel
Zommick, vice president for
legislative and community
affairs; junior Jason Wilmot,
vice president for activities;
junior Jesse Moore, vice pres­ident
for diversity.
"I am thrilled with the new
vice presidents; every person
who ran this year would have
done an amazing job," Graves
said.
Voter turnout at this elec­tion
was 17.11 percent of the
current student population of
11,483, which increased 3.12
percent from last year's
turnout of 13.99 percent. The
rise in the number of voters
See ELECTIONS, Page 3
Parking office settles posting citation issue
By Andy Aley
THE WESTERN FRONT
Although a final determination is still
pending regarding whether Western's
parking office is violating Washington
Administrative Code, University Police
Chief Jim Shaw said he thinks posting
fee and citation schedules on Western's
Web site and making them available in
the form of pamphlets, kept on a rack in
the parking office, keeps Western in com­pliance
with the law.
"Maybe somebody's expectation is that
(posting fees) look like a McDonald's
menu on the wall," Shaw said. "But I
think there's a wide range of ways to
post."
Western junior McKenzie Spoor filed
an appeal with parking services after
receiving a parking ticket April 18. His
appeal was denied and his fine reduced
from $20 to $10. He said he still
believes, however, that Western is in vio­lation
of the law because the informa­tion
is difficult to access online and not
clearly posted in the parking office.
Spoor said he is in the process of
requesting an administrative hearing.
Western's assistant attorney general
Wendy Bohlke said students who apply
for parking permits also receive the fee
and citation schedule in the mail.
Although she has not been officially
asked to consider the situation as an
attorney, Bohlke said she thinks Western
is following the law.
"In the year 2003, most people look at
Web sites," Bohlke said. "If they're sent
materials, if it's part of the materials
that are handed out and if they are in a
pamphlet that's available at the office,
that would seem to, in all practical pur­poses,
constitute giving people notice,
which is what the regulation intends."
Outdoor intercourse
celebration will
address students'
sexual awareness
By Leslie Sugiura
THE WESTERN FRONT
Condom hunts, a masturbation infor­mation
table and Pornfest are just a few
of the activities that Western's Sexual
Awareness Center will sponsor on campus
during the 11th annual National Outdoor
Intercourse Day week-long celebration.
Beginning May 5, students and non-students
can attend daily events. The
planned activities are focused on educat­ing
students about the resources avail­able
to them at Western regarding any
and all sexual topics, said Lauren
Luttrell NOID coordinator and Western
senior.
"Our goal is to help students sort out
sexuality issues with clear and concise
information," Luttrell said. "We want to
get students communicating about sex.
This is a perfect opportunity to do that in
a safe, fun and open way."
Most students agree with promoting
safe sex on campus, but Western senior
and Campus Crusade for Christ member
Ann Slothower said she feels a need for
a stronger emphasis on other issues of
sex, including healthy relationships and
sexual violence.
"I always think communicating safe sex
is a good idea," Slothower said, "but the
promotion of abstinence is much wiser."
The events are chosen to present infor­mation
to the public in an objective way,
assistant NOID coordinator and Western
sophomore Hanako Lombardi said. People
are not forced to go to the events; it is ulti­mately
their choice to attend, she said.
Highlights of the week include a lecture
and guest speaker Allena Gabosch will
discuss the truth behind the myths sur­rounding
polyamory, having relationships
with more than one person at one time.
Gabosch is the director of the Wet Spot, a
sex supportive community center in
Seattle, Luttrell said.
"She has a voice that really makes you
want to listen to her," Lombardi said.
"Her stories make you feel as if you are
See NOID, Page 3
Proposed bicycle shelters, lockers to benefit commuters
By Porfirio Pena
THE WESTERN FRONT
The Western administration
is considering potential loca­tions
for a project to build
more covered bicycle parking
on campus.
Western's industrial-design
program designed four proto­types
of the shelters. Some of
the prototypes provide a roof­like
shelter over bicycle racks
already in place on campus,
said Howard Muhlberg, coor­dinator
of the Bike Western
club. Other possibilities for
bicycle shelters include bike
lockers, he said.
Associated Students
President Allison Smith said
the AS has allocated $20,000
for the project, as part of an
allotment from.a cold-beverage
contract Western signed with
Walton Beverage Co.
Under the contract, Walton
Beverage Co. pays Western a
percentage of the profits from
the Pepsi machines around
campus.
Providing shelter in the
winter and keeping bicycles
dry will promote bicycle use
on campus, said Carol Berry,
program coordinator for
parking services.
"Covered bike parking has
been requested as far as I can
remember," Berry said. "I can
see it as a definite need."
Western senior Sam
Burkhardt said he is more con­cerned
about security than
weather-related problems,
especially for students who live
on campus and store their bicy­cle
for long periods of time.
"When I lived in the dorms, I
would keep my bike in my
See BICYCLE, Page 4
Keith Boiling/
The Western Front
The current bike
racks sit in the
background of a
computer gen-erted
photo of
the planned bike
shelters located
at the same
location. The
shelters would
include roof-like
structures to
shield from rain.
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