Western Front - 2005 March 1

              XH
TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 200
ESTERN FRONT ISSUE 14
VOLUME 132
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY • BELLINGHAM, WASH. • WESTERNFRONTONLINE.COM
'Western Live' dead
Kenny Davis, Western junior and former host of KVIK's "Western Live,"
p.m. news segment at the KVIK studio in the Viking Union Monday.
BY PETER JENSEN
The Western Front
"Western Live," Western's late-night
talk show, ended last month because of
disputes between the show's producers
and EGTV channel 10, which aired
"Western Live," said Kenny Davis,
Western junior and the show's host.
After EGTV received complaints
from community viewers at the end of
this past school year about the show's
content, EGTV put the show on hiatus
for the first months of this school year.
In January, he told Western junior
Matt Acosta, the show's producer,
the channel would no longer accept
episodes for airing, effectively ending
its two-year run, Acosta said.
"It was a great ride," Davis said. "It
was frustrating that it ended the way it
did, though. I guess the show didn't fit
the tone of the channel."
Station Manager James Baird said
EGTV objected to the show's content
and questioned its educational value,
Davis said. Baird was unavailable for
comment.
The "Western Live" crew continued
to produce shows despite the fact they.
CHRIS HUBER/The Western Front
practices his routine before the 7
weren't being aired and public interest
was waning, Davis said. The show
was filmed before a live audience,
but only 10 people were coming to
watch when it wasn't being aired, he
said. Approximately 40 people were
watching while it was aired, Acosta
said.
The last show was two weeks ago,'
after which the crew agreed that
producing shows was not worth the
effort, Acosta said.
"Western Live" was a student-see
LIVE, page 6
Dykstra wins
national award
BY SARAH BERGER
The Western Front
Western junior and basketball guard Grant Dykstra, who has
only partial use of his right arm, has been selected to receive
the LJ.S. Basketball Writers Association Most Courageous
Award for 2005.
The annual award recognizes those who have demonstrated
extraordinary courage reflecting honor in the sport of amateur
basketball, according to the association. The award will be
presented in St. Louis during the National Collegiate Athletic
Association Final Four on April 4.
Dykstra credits his achievements to his faith in God and to
his family.
"You have to give praise to God first," he said. "If God
wasn't using me, I wouldn't be getting this recognition. I think
getting my story out is meant to encourage others."
Dykstra, 22, had his arm mangled in a grain auger when
he was 2. He said he does not remember the incident, but
recalls his father worked with paramedics for 90 minutes to
get him out of the machinery. Initially, the doctors proposed
amputation because they thought he would never be able to
use his arm, but his parents wanted to try to work through
it. Dykstra has undergone 16 surgeries during a period of 10
years to repair the damage.
Dykstra said the surgeries ranged from ligaments taken
from his thigh and placed in his arm to his arm being sewn to
his stomach for immobilization purposes. He also had several
skin grafts. His ulna, the bone extending from the elbow to the
wrist and opposite the thumb, was growing at a faster rate than
his radius, the bone parallel to the ulna.
He said surgeons had to shave that bone down so his wrist
would not grow inward. He said his right index finger and
pinky now share a tendon, and he still has some decreased
mobility and strength. He cannot make a complete fist with
his right hand and his right arm is several inches shorter than
his left. Still, he has taught himself to dribble with both hands
,see AWARD, page 8
Kennedy Jr. coming to
speak at Western in May
BY ADRIANA DUNN
The Western Front
Tickets are available starting today for
a lecture by prominent environmental
lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Kennedy is an activist and an author
and was named one of Time magazine's
"Heroes for the Planet" for leading the
fight to restore the Hudson River in
New York. He is a senior attorney for
the Natural Resources Defense Council
and president of the Watefkeeper
Alliance. Kennedy is the son of Robert
F. Kennedy, former President John
Fitzgerald Kennedy's brother.
Kennedy will lecture on "Crimes
Against Nature" at 6:30 p.m. on May
5 in Carver Complex. Free tickets are
available for faculty, students and staff
beginning today with a limit of two per
person.
Students who live on campus and
faculty and staff members with campus
mail stops can use the online form.
Tickets also are available at the
Viking Union Information Desk.
For this event only, tickets will not
be available at the Performing Arts
Center Box Office. Distinguished
Lecture Series Cooidinator Fran Maas
said.
"It's always nice to h%^nationally
visible people comc,^/^/campus.
Its good for the university and the
community," said Bradley F. Smith,
dean of the Huxley College of the
environment.
Kennedy will speak on issues such
as clean air, clean water and healthy
living conditions, Maas said.
"I am really excited to hear how we
can affect change and that we can do
something because sometimes we feel
powerless in a democracy," she said.
"Crimes Against Nature" is the title
see KENNEDY, page 8
Robots to invade library
BY JACINDA HOWARD
The Western Front
From creations made to detect light to creations
made to detect fire, robots serving many purposes
will be on display in the Fairhaven Library March
5 for the Bellingham Robot Festival.
The festival will be the first one organized by the
Bellingham Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Society. It is a chance for members of the society
to display their work and inspire spectators to get
involved in the club, BAIRS board member Terry
Harmersaid.
Harmer, 64, has been active in the software
industry for 35 years and became interested in the
hardware side of robotics three years ago, he said.
He has been working on a robot, Topspin, for the
past two years and has changed its design at least
two or three times, he said. Harmer built the robot
from scratch and created it to detect burglars and
fires inside his house, he said. Harmer is eager to
display it at the festival.
"I like to show off my robot," he said. "I like to
brag about how I built it."
Although Harmer's robot is complex, not all
see ROBOT, page 6
ELAN A BEAN/The Western Front
Bellingham Artificial Intelligence and Robot­ics
Society member Terry Harmer displays
his robot, Topspin, at a society meeting.
HOOKAH-ING IT UP TWQ: W l S l l i P i ^ & i STILL WINNING
Western club finds relaxing social
activity with the aid of smoke.
FEATURES, PAGE 11
Washington legislators should
consider other alternatives
before dividing state in half.
The Viking men continue
to win as the season come
closer to a close.
SPORTS, PAGE 15