The Clipper: Volume 70 Issue 6

VOL. 70 ISSUE 6 MARCH 12, 2014

SINCE 1943

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MIYAZAKIʼS FINAL FILM?

PAGE 5

4 STUDENT GETS LIFE CORRECTION6 EvCC CAFÉ: MEALS & MORE11 SOUTH PARK GAME REVIEW

VOLUME 70, ISSUE 6 - MARCH 12, 2014THE

CLIPPERSTAFF

Henry Yarsinske Jr.Managing Editor

Andrew WahlAdviser

Nathaniel LynchPhoto Editor

/ClipperNewspaper

The Clipper is an official publication of the Associated Students of Everett Community College. Views expressed in The Clipper are those of the author and do not reflect views of the students, faculty, staff or administration of this institution. The student

newspaper does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, creed, country of origin, ethnic history or sexual orientation. The Clipper has been established as a public forum.

Cassie RatterreeAssistant Editor

Sapphire ChanAdvertising Manager

Jake NichollsOnline Editor

Levi JuchauStaff Writer

Meagan BaronStaff Writer

Sophia WalshStaff Writer

Chris KimStaff Writer

Bob NearyStaff Writer

Felim SoStaff Writer

Kaleb WeberGraphics Editor

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Cover PhotoJiro HorikosHi, THe Wind rises//kaleb Weber

SCHOLARSHIP HONORS FIREFIGHTER

Don’t tell anyone that we used most of our operating budget to go to Cancun over Spring Break. It’s our little secret. Shhh....

Sam LinceStaff Writer


Tanner TokarsyckStaff Writer

Taylor DrakeStaff Writer

Emily RuleStaff Writer

Bill GatesWas Arrested Once


Back in 1987, a blazing fire erupted in the EvCC library.

Over 100 brave firemen arrived to battle the engulfing inferno. In the midst of the burning destruction, Gary Parks, an eighteen year veteran of the squad, tragically went missing. The team emerged from the fire, and after taking a head count realized that Parks was not among them. Several of the men attempted to dive back into the firestorm and find Parks, but the flames were out of control and far too dangerous. Parks lost his life in action on that February morning.

Parks, affectionately known as “Parksie” around the firehouse, was an EvCC alumni and a very unforgettable person. Parks’ heartbreaking death spurred an increase in the fire department’s safety standards and altered the strategies used to fight fires. But undoubtedly the greatest legacy of Parks’ life was his undying love and commitment to his family.

Parks’ family and the Everett Fire

Department wanted to find a way to honor the sacrifice of Parks. The end result was the creation of the Gary Parks Memorial Scholarship, a fund that will be awarded to a student within the EvCC Fire Science program. Students with at least a 2.5 GPA can be awarded the scholarship, but candidates who are also heavily involved in community service will be preferred. The

scholarship will undoubtedly work to strengthen the already powerful ties between Parks and EvCC. The new student union building is named after Parks, but due to his lifelong commitment to community service and helping others, this new scholarship is perhaps the best way to truly honor

his legacy. The Gary Parks Memorial Scholarship

is a great benefit to anyone who is involved or interested in joining the EvCC Fire Science program. The EvCC Foundation is now seeking donations to supplement the scholarship. Applications will be available for students who are interested in the scholarship starting on March 10.

The Gary Parks memorial outside the Parks building. // Nathaniel Lynch

The Gary Parks plaque. // Nathaniel Lynch

VOLUME 70, ISSUE 6 - MARCH 12, 2014

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Sapphire ChanStaff Writer

Many people like to use smart phones or other kinds of electronic devices to capture moments of their daily lives. What they might not realize is relying soley on digital photos to remember things might actually cause them to forget.

A recent study by Linda Henkel, a psychologist with Fairfield University, suggests that it is possible for people to eliminate memories if they rely on

digital photos as their memory storage. But, how is that possible?

“If people were to take a picture, it could be possible that they were not using as much effort to process what they see,” said EvCC psychology instructor Kamala Tabor. “Our memory is like a file -- it stores bits and pieces of information in different neural connections, so every time we bring a memory up, we can in essence slightly rewrite the memory.”

In fact, many people use their smartphones to take photos because it is an effortless and convenient way

to capture things that could be looked back on in the future. Just like EvCC students Joseph Mejia and Shayla Rochon, who sometimes use their smartphones to take pictures of what the teacher has written during class when they are in a rush.

“I think [digital photos] can definitely erase people’s memories. If I take a photo then I don’t need to memorize anything on that and I don’t even need to read it,” said Mejia. “If you quiz me on my Instagram page, I probably couldn’t remember half of them.”

The same is true for former EvCC student, Monirul Hawke. He likes to use his smartphone to photograph things like other’s notes and location of where he parks his car, so that he won’t have to write the information down.

“You can say that you are forgetting things, but I could see it as I’m making memories for other important stuff that I need to remember as opposed to everyday doing nonsense stuff that I can quickly take a picture of to store it in my phone,” Hawke said.

Hawke said people make fun of him saying that his cellphone is his

“extended organ” because he wouldn’t know what to do without it. He thinks people don’t absolutely need cellphones, but why not use it because it’s there and it makes everything easier.

“Maybe it seems like digital photos are erasing people’s memories because everybody is using a digital phone to take pictures,” said Hawke. “But it doesn’t mean everybody has the capability to remember that picture to begin with.”

In fact, the study pointed out that people might not feel the need to

remember if they take photos of what they have seen, because the digital photos could be used as their backup memories. When the researcher conducted two experiments in an art museum by asking participants to either take photos or to simply observe the artworks, they discovered taking photos impaired participants’ ability to remember details of the artworks.

However, it might not be the same if people are taking photos of things that are meaningful to them. Tabor said people tend to remember when they photograph things that have an emotional attachment to them because it involves activation of the amygdala in the limbic system (the brain’s emotional center). She added that “flashbulb” memories have strong emotional attachment. Just like most people know where they were on 9/11 because of the huge emotional component.

“This study looks at artwork. This artwork may or may not be meaningful to them, so it might not generalize over to things you chose to take pictures of, because those are typically things that you prioritize as being meaningful to you,” Tabor explained.

She said students are more involved in the process when they are writing their own notes because they are making decisions about what to write and how to write it, which will take more effort rather than just taking a picture of something the teacher or someone else said.

“That’s why it’s always good after class to go back through and rewrite your notes and organize them, because that’s just another step to helping you put that into your memory,” Tabor said.

POINT, SHOOT, FORGETShayla Rochon and Joseph Mejia take photos with their phones very often. // Sapphire Chan


PAGE 4

Meagan BaronStaff Writer

David Smith, a 42-year-old EvCC work release student, shared with The Clipper his past experiences, future career goals and current struggles after being convicted of a felony.

“I just have such a passion and desire that I am going to turn it around,” said Smith. “There’s a purpose for me. I think that I have that type of personality that I can affect people [and] that people like me… I think that when people talk to me instead of saying ‘you know, the black guy on campus,’ or ‘the black guy in work release,’ when they meet Davey that goes away. I am Davey now, and Davey is cool and he’s turning things around from past decisions that he’s made. I think that a lot of my pros outweigh my cons. I am not going to let because I been to prison define who I am.

“Yes, I have made some mistakes. With growth comes change.”

Smith began the work release program on Sept. 26, 2013 after being arrested for “habitual traffic offenses.” Other charges on his record include “promoting prostitution” and “escape,” a charge meaning that he returned late to Snohomish County’s work release facility.

Right out of high school, Smith attended Bellevue Community College for a year before dropping out.

“Like most teenagers, I was adrenaline seeking or doing other things that are not necessarily what society deems as success or doing the right thing,” said Smith. “I got involved in the gangs. I used to gang bang; 8-9 East Coast Crip. I started selling dope, smoking weed [and] drinking … I got into the gangs because, like most people do, I was looking for acceptance…I gravitated towards the gang because I wanted to be an underground celebrity. I was in the 90’s, so in the 90’s at that time it was like hip-hop, black conscious, black awareness. It wasn’t rap, it wasn’t rims, the girl, the booty, drinks and all that. It was like,” Smith smacks his fist into his open palm,

“‘brother we can. This is where we are from.’ I was really into that, and then I just got caught up I guess. I got caught up in the hype. I could go to school, college and get a career and have something long lasting, or I can make just as much money right now on the block. You know what I’m saying? I can get my issue right now. I was on the instant gratification thing.”

“Also, at that time I think I was having an identity crisis,” Smith continues. “I wrote a paper about it for my English 101 class. It’s called “100% half breed.” Smith explains that he is half African American and half Caucasian. “I think a lot of multiracial kids have those

issues in reference to why won’t society let me choose? Why do I have to be black? To the black community, I’m not black. You know, you are still half white, or you’re a prep or a square. And to the white community, it’s like ‘you’re cool, but you’re still a nigger.’ It’s just the truth. So, I was searching for a belonging I guess.”

Smith said that prison enabled him to focus on himself and notice his strengths, something he called an “intervention.”

“I got tired of seeing a lot of my home boys getting killed. That scared me away from the gangs,” said Smith. “I think that when I went to the penitentiary I saw that the best artists are there. The most innovative people are there. They’re making like tattoo guns out of batteries and ink pens. The way that they draw art on envelopes, it’s like there is so much raw talent in the penitentiary, it is ridiculous.

“I started thinking of myself when I was in that place: ‘I’m a waste of talent and I got a lot to offer.’ I can use my versatility as an asset. I guess my goal is to show the black youth in particular, but I’ll help any kids don’t get me wrong, that everybody deserves a shot.

“White, black, purple whatever color you are, kids got action at it. I’m passionate about it. But I am geared to where I think help is needed the most and that is in the black community and I just want to offer them the alternative, but I cannot do that until I lead by example, which is what’s got me on

campus, raising my hand, being engaged,” Smith said. While in prison, Smith was a teachers assistant and

helped other inmates get their GEDs. Smith said that he tried to educate himself, but that there were ‘no programs’ or ‘college courses’ for him in prison since he had completed high school. “The most of my time that I spent in there was to gain introspective, analyzing why I made the decisions I made.”

Now that he is attending college again, Smith plans to transfer to the campus’ WSU human services program so that he can help kids who are at risk (starving, homeless, abused, turning to gangs, etc.)

Smith has an idea he wants to call “Seattle’s Black Man Think Tank.” “Where black men get together, share ideas and see if we can aspartame solutions to the problem [of at risk kids], which are insurmountable,” said Smith.

Reflecting on his current struggles, Smith said, “I can say this, once you’re in the system, it’s like easy to get in but it is an arduous task to get out. Even if you make the most value of effort, it’s like whatever you do it’s bad.”

On top of school, Smith has to be adamant that his schedule never falters. He has to be on time and

can only be present at the work release facility, his transportation route on the bus and EvCC. Because of his limited schedule, Smith sometimes has difficulties completing his homework since his only computer access is when he is on campus.

“I’m constantly pressured and under the gun. Like ‘oh my god I got to hurry up, I have to call, I have to wait, I have to go, I have to check in.’ All these things and I got school on top of that. It’s hard but it’s doable,” said Smith.

Smith is also trying to get reconnected with his children.

“I think that if I had the opportunity to, which I am working on, I would reposition myself as a father in my sons’ lives because I am not with them right now. I just got divorced. I got to go through a progressive visitation stage and all this jazz. I pay 60 bucks an hour to see my sons. It’s all drags and drama and twists.”

Food and sleeping arrangements have been difficulties as well.

“[They tell you] don’t share your food,” said Smith. “If I’m not eating the food, I can give it to somebody. ‘[No,] You might do something to it.’ I’m not going to eat it. What, getting extorted for this nasty ass shit? They’ve got stuff in there called meat surprise. Nobody knows what it is.” Smith then shares how their food resembles brake pads.

“That place is crazy,” continues Smith. “They’ve got bed bugs and some other shit. And excuse me for cussing but they do. I told them ‘I’ve got an allergic reactions to bee strings [and] mosquito bites so why are you going to put me into a room where you know there’s an issue?’ It’s bad. It’s like, there are some people in here who pay $50 a day to stay there and I’m paying to stay with bugs. It’s either I can stay in this room where I know there is a problem, or I can go upstairs. Upstairs is just lockdown. So, I’m a little brittle.”

Despite these conditions, Smith stays optimistic, saying that he always tries to see the positive in everything. Something which he likes to refer to as

“multicausality.”While on the subject of being optimistic, Smith

brought up the possibility of getting license back in March, 2015.

“I got a classic car. I got a Cadillac. I want to shine a little bit I want to get out. But, right now I am making more conscious decisions about where I am at. That’s what work release and incarceration has done for me. It has allowed me to not be so kneejerk reaction. I think that I don’t react, or I try to calm my emotions and instead think first to make a more sound decision.”

DAVID SMITH MAKES A CHANGEDavid Smith points to “multicausality” the word he uses to describe the way he tries to see the positive side of everything in life. // Nathaniel Lynch

“The most of my time that I spent in there [prison]

was to gain introspective, analyzing why I made the

decisions I made.”

“I can say this, once you’re in the system, it’s like easy

to get in but it is an arduous task to get out. Even if you

make the most value of effort, it’s like whatever you

do it’s bad.”


BoB NearyStaff Writer

Without a doubt, Hayao Miyazaki’s latest movie The Wind Rises is a tragic narrative. The film revolves around Jiro Horikoshi, designer of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, a fighter plane used by the Japanese Imperial Navy in WWII.

In the fictional telling of Horikoshi’s personal life, the brilliant young engineer is wedded to a Japan being consumed from within. After spending his life designing the planes he’d dreamt of as a child, the

“Japanese boy” is left wandering through the burning wreckage of his vision. It vanished in the haze of war without a word of explanation, preserved only in the memory of what might have been.

By the film’s end the message is obviously antiwar. Miyazaki has always called himself a pacifist. That’s not primarily important though. One can oppose war and still express national sentiments. For a Japanese artist of any political persuasion to cover something like the Zero, expressing some form of nationalism is unavoidable. To this day aeronautic engineers marvel at the Zero’s complexity.

Born in 1941, Miyazaki is part of a generation that never saw pre-war Japan. Their coming of age happened in a political culture that emphasized the ills of their forefathers. Adding to his “very complex feelings” about the war, Miyazaki has said that the Zero plane represents “one of the few things we Japanese could be proud of.” But whatever feelings of

pride he may have are overshadowed by his feelings as a conscientious objector.

Critics at home have called Miyazaki unpatriotic for his portrayal of Horikoshi and the Zero’s development. Some have gone as far as to call him a traitor. Commendably, such labels don’t trouble him, though he has long been an opponent of Premiere Shinzo Abe’s administration. The Wind Rises has been interpreted by some as a deliberate criticism of Abe’s efforts to revise articles of the Japanese constitution pertaining to warfare.

Contrary to Miyazaki, Abe doesn’t play into the collective guilt about Japan’s history. Back in January, he made a visit to the Yasukuni Shrine to pay homage to Japan’s war dead. Aside from the pilgrimage’s Shintoist significance – that of ancestral veneration – it was an expression of respect by a national leader.

It’s worth noting that the shrine is not a WWII monument. Emperor Meiji founded it in 1869 following the outbreak of the Boshin War. Today it houses over 2 million souls who died in service to their country.

Not to be put off by details, PC lemmings in the U.S. and Southeast Asia seized on the opportunity to condemn Abe’s actions. The New York Times called Abe’s visit “profane.” And writing for the Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center at Stanford University, Daniel Schneider inferred that Abe’s visit was an exhibition of potentially dangerous nationalist sentiments.

Other news outlets like The Economist, BBC and The Huffington Post all jumped on the immolation

bandwagon with similarly scathing descriptions of the visit.

All of them took special care to highlight Japan’s military campaigns in China and Manchuria, averring that the Yasukuni Shrine is a monument to Japanese militarism. None of them thought to give the long list of American war crimes any consideration.

Apparently the two atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which incinerated thousands of civilians instantaneously and claimed the lives of tens of thousands more to radiation sickness, were of no concern. The fire bombings of Tokyo that burned women and children alive were also not horrific enough to be worth mentioning. Neither were the Japanese-American internment camps a serious enough transgression to warrant comment. Continuing to tow the line of selective history, the decade long economic war waged against Japan during the 1930s was also, evidently, insignificant.

Seventy years after the fact it’s shameful that western powers still glory in subjugating the Japanese. Rather than a middle finger to the global community, Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine was a show of reverence for the fallen – a sacred act that only the people of a conquered nation can understand.

For Abe’s part, nearly a century of foreign occupation is long enough. In the past he has referred to the Tokyo Tribunal as “victor’s justice.” Judging from the designation of “war criminal” given to some of those enshrined at Yasukuni and the 84 U.S. bases across Japan, it’s not hard to appreciate his position.

ANIMATORS, POLITICIANS AND NATIONAL SENTIMENT

“The Wind Rises” poster. // Studio Ghibli

BoB NearyStaff Writer

Last week, I went to see Hayao Miyazaki’s latest movie, The Wind Rises. Released in Japan in the summer of 2013, it didn’t make it to American shores until the end of last year. Since winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film (among numerous other accolades) the film has enjoyed an encore screening in the U.S.

Prior to release, Miyazaki intimated to the press that this would be his last film. Following that script, many critics were eager to dub the film as Miyazaki’s “most beautifully realized visual project,” as Matthew Penney wrote in The Asia-Pacific Journal.

That’s where I have to disagree. Save for select scenes depicting an unadulterated pre-war Japan, visually, the film falls far short of everything Miyazaki has done. The fictionalized biography of Jiro Horikoshi, designer of the Mistubishi A6M Zero, isn’t told by sumptuous imagery. Instead, Miyazaki has embraced tragedy to portray Japan’s brief time as a world military power.

Departing from the realm of fantasy (unlike his previous works) Miyazaki attempts to articulate his “very complex feelings” about the war. In The Wind Rises, Miyazaki has taken his viewers into mostly unexplored territory; the most notable depiction of wartime Japan up to now being Isao Takahata’s masterful Grave of the Fireflies.

Perhaps in response to generally positive reception of The Wind Rises, Miyazaki has rescinded his latest statement of retirement. The now 72-year-old animator may also wish to respond to critics of his take on historical fiction. Whichever the case, I for one would like to see more of this great director’s vision of imperialist Japan.

“THE WIND RISES” MIYAZAKI’S LAST

MOVIE? NOT LIKELY

HannaH Lu Marie

Contributing Writer

Unmistakably busy, constantly bustling and powerfully boisterous, the EvCC campus cafeteria is one of the most recognizable and flocked to areas on campus.

The most active time in the cafeteria is during the lunch rush, and it's a wonderful slice of time that shows a person that the cafeteria is more than just somewhere to eat.

Located in the Parks Student Union building, next to Gray Wolf Hall, the cafeteria gets a lot of traffic. Students come here to study, eat, have conversations with each other over meals and homework on a daily basis. Here, it feels like students are getting back in touch with one another, starting discussions on a wide variety of topics -- at least, this is true for the people who aren't sleeping, studying or stuffing their faces with food.

The students themselves come in a plethora of packs. Anyone and

everyone who gathers here act like mirrors to the rest of EvCC. There's a diverse range of people: from the stereotypical "geeks," to the "jocks," to the students sitting alone with their focus on their studies and everything in between. There's no feeling like a person couldn't find somewhere to fit in or someone to talk to during their midday meal.

Cafeteria faculty, like Dan Hertlein and Stephanie Keltlahn, manage to keep up with all these crazy college kids each day, remembering faces and cracking jokes without cracking under the pressure of a hectic lunch hour.

The cafeteria sounds like a bee hive buzzing with all the chatter that's going on, and much like a bee hive all the people their converge, leave and then converge again with newly collected information and stories to tell. But unlike a beehive, there is no hierarchy, no "queen bee;" no one here is better than anyone else, they just want some tasty food and good conversation.

A DAy in the Life of A Community

CoLLege CAfeteriA

Among the constantly moving traffic of students and faculty, friends and acquaintances connect and reconnect. // Hannah Lu Marie

Students may line up like ants, but they sound like bees: while ordering and buying their various assortments of food, students chit-chat about everything under the sun. // Hannah Lu Marie

Pizza one of the many options of food presented in the cafeteria. // Nathaniel Lynch

VoLume 70, iSSue 6 - march 12, 2014

PAgeS 6 & 7

An assortment of college students: the cafeteria is one of the central hubs on campus, and one of the most eclectic -- like Noah’s Ark, there’s one of every kind here. // Hannah Lu Marie

Dan Hertlein fires up the grill and cooks some cheeseburgers for a mass of hungry students. // Hannah Lu Marie

John Baungardner (left), Daniel Lind (center) inspect their cards as they play “Magic: The Gathering,” a trading card game similar to “Dungeons & Dragons.” // Hannah Lu Marie

Elizabeth Barrett rapidly types, finding solace and focus in the hustle and bustle of the cafeteria. // Hannah Lu Marie

Stephanie Keltlahn rings up one person after another during the lunch rush hour, greeting every customer with a smile and cheerful attitude. // Hannah Lu Marie


PAGE 8

HUMANS OF EVERETT COMMUNITY

COLLEGEPHOTOS bY SAPPHIRE CHAN ANd SOPHIA WALSH

“I drum a lot, I’m in a band, I play a lot of shows, I’m a 4.0 student with dreadlocks.”

“I don’t have fun. I do homework.”

“It’s so busy but it’s doable. It’s worth it in the long run so when I’m done, I can have a better future for the both of us.”

“It’s my style. I like to express through colors.”

PEACE IS NOT A SLOGAN


PAGE 9

A CLOSER LOOK AT UKRAINE’S “REVOLUTION”

Felim SoStaFF Writer

The American government said they would help Ukraine usher in peace. Conversely, the U.S. does’t want to help Asia. Thailand has been embroiled in a political crisis since 2008. The city of Bangkok has been paralyzed. Buildings were burned, blood was shed, and it hasn’t seen the level of media attention as the conflict in Kiev.

The U.S. Congress wrote a letter 16 January, expressing their concern for the democracy’s failings and the rough economy in Thailand.

However, the issue is not the shortcomings of democracy, but the corruption in the Thai president’s administration. Nepotism, a bought congress and rigged elections plague Thailand’s government. And the unprincipled amendments, like the pardon bill aimed at erasing their corrupt history doesn’t help.

Nat Navaon, a former EvCC student who transferred to the University of Washington said, “whenever the government changes the law they need to make a statement, and academician will make a meeting to discuss it to see what are good points and bad points that need changing. And they found so many opportunities of corruption [for the current Thai government].”

Politically, Thailand divides by the Yellow shirts (People’s Alliance for Democracy), who support the Chakri Dynasty, and the Red shirts (United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship) who favor the exiled former Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who is accused of policy corruption.

The Yellow shirts are coming from the middle class, and the Red shirts are coming from the working class, mainly farmers. The Shinawatra’s family implements a lot of antipoverty policies, so the working class love them. The Red shirt expressed that congress should have passed the pardon bill allowing Shinawata to return Thailand without any penalty.

The second reason is the Thai government wants to eliminate the superior character of Thailand’s monarch, who is the most respected man in the country. This action ignites strong dissension from the Thai people .

Thailand’s political crisis is a dead end. Thailand is the biggest rice exporter in the word, which means Thailand needs a lot of famers. Unlike America, the Thai farmers are the poorest and they lack education. Most of the lands in Thailand are being used to farm and there are no schools. The hygiene facilities and infrastructure are

even. Without knowledge, people lack critical thinking and with the terrible living environment, who gives them a hand will be their hero?

Every time Thai people change their president, there are always groups that are unhappy. In the last 81 years the Royal Thai Armed Forces has staged a coup d’état 18 times. The last one was in 2006. Yes, Thailand has always suffered such political crisis, which make the it very hard for the Thai government to implement policies such as universal basic education. Without education, it is useless to talk about democracy. We vote for the people who will work for the country. We are not voting for the people to give you benefits.

In my view, the conflicts of Thailand and the Ukraine are similar. Society is divided into two sides. Both countries rely on the primary sector of the economy, and both countries are suffering under military authority. But why does Ukraine take the spotlight?

The peace formula is flexible. For politics to stand out, trash talk is calculated to fit foreign relations and military needs. The United States has numerous military bases or installations in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Philippines and Australia. It is a strong enough presence for America to put pressure on China. However, when facing Russia, it’s another story.

The U.S. and the EU are not fools. With their bloody financial statements, to find peace in a conflict is not smart at all. If there were benefits such to stopping the Russian power from growing, then it wouldn’t be a big deal to help the Ukraine. There is a Russia-Navy base in Crimea, the Black Sea Fleet. Russia said that is the only port to enter into the Black Sea.

So, peace becomes unfair; it can be valued. Peace means another sacrifice behind the Grimm’s Fairy Tales. While politicians are talking peace and helping the weak, they are making

an unfair decision. The conflict in Thailand is the same as in the Ukraine.

The government doesn’t listen to people. They are seeking help to survive. Unfortunately, Thailand has no Budapest Memorandum, military and political values, so the U.S. only sent a letter to show the awareness. But the letter is full of bureaucracy. Who cleans up the mess and saves the people from the politicians?

Human rights should be fair, but why does the U.S. government only rescue the Ukraine? Thai people need peace too. No one needs to die, but there is no one to hear the voice of the Thai people.

To Ukrainian and Venezuelan and Thai people, as the Ukraine ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said,

“…nobody could do it – not other countries…” Don’t expect the world to give you a nice warm hand. Politics are always dirty. Facing the majority country, the small countries are a piece of meat on the table. In here, we hope those people who die in the conflict from Thailand, Ukraine and Venezuela rest in peace. We hope your sacrifice will bring true peace on your country.

BoB NearyStaFF Writer

Ukraine in recent weeks has become a flashpoint of ethnic identities straining to assert themselves amid what appears to be orchestrated regime change by glo-balist interests.

Late February saw Russian aligned Ukrainian Presi-dent Viktor Yanukovych deposed – a man who, while undoubtedly corrupt, was democratically elected. In the 2010 presidential election he won 49 percent of the vote compared to rival Yulia Tymoshenko’s 45 percent.

Previously in 2004-05, Tymoshenko – an advocate of Ukrainian membership in the EU – led the Orange Rev-olution whereby the assets of numerous oligarchs were seized as state property. Two among them were Rinat Akhmetov and Dmitry Firtash – both of whom are very wealthy natural resource, banking and media magnates in Ukraine, coming by their fortune during the fallout of the Soviet Union.

Writing for Spiegel Online, Christian Neef did an out-standing investigative piece detailing these mens’ pres-ence in Ukrainian politics.

In 2004, Akhmetov and Firtash backed Yanukovych’s first presidential bid. However, amid mounting allega-tions of fraud and street protests that would later be dubbed the Orange Revolution, Yanukovych lost in the run-off.

Years later, after fleeing prosecution, Akhmetov in-vested himself in Yanukovych’s Party of Regions. After being hounded by the previous establishment, Akhme-tov no doubt sought to recover his losses. Firtash like-wise learned from the Orange inquisition and when Ya-nukovych ascended to the presidency in 2010, both he and Akhmetov stacked parliament and ministries with their own representatives.

All the while, Ukraine has been sinking economically. Faced with the prospect of defaulting on its debts before May, the government was in talks with both the EU and Russia for a bailout. Of the $20 billion requested, Brus-sels was only able to supply $800 million, while Mos-cow extended an offer of $15 billion as well as cheaper gas prices. The discrepancy between dollar amounts gives the impression that Europe was trying to force Ukraine’s hand.

It worked. Yanukovych ended up siding with Russia, a decision that remains popular in the ethnically Rus-sian eastern part of the country. Western Ukraine, on the other hand, favored the EU deal. When protests erupted in response to the decision – especially when security forces killed protesters by the dozen – both the oligarchs holding Yanukovych’s strings knew they’d have to cut him loose.

This shady power structure has been overtly misrep-resented in western media. The degree to which Firtash and Akhmetov have manipulated the government speaks volumes to the political machine in Ukraine. In Russia, Putin has brought the pirate businessmen of the Yeltsin and Gorbachev years under Kremlin control, whereas in Ukraine they still run the show. Given the rampant back channeling that established the interim government, it’s no mystery why Moscow denies its le-gitimacy.

Russia’s growing involvement in the Crimean pen-insula stems from a much larger geopolitical endeavor. In 2011, Belarus and Kazakhstan partnered with Rus-sia to begin forming a Eurasian Union. Taken in a very simplistic light, the idea is to bring former Soviet states back into the Russian sphere of influence. Though the real impetus behind a Eurasian Union is two-fold.

Its geographic origins can be traced to the “Interme-diate Region” theory put forward by Greek historian

Dimitri Kitsikis. The general premise being that the Eurasian continent is composed of three distinct ci-vilisational regions; east, west, and intermediate – the last comprised of the area between the Middle East and North Africa, Istanbul being its natural capital. It’s a mammoth piece of real estate that has been fought over since antiquity. And, as the theory suggests, one histori-cally hovering somewhere in-between European and Asian influence.

On the sociopolitical side, Russian political theorist Alexander Dugin tediously cogitates on the ideologi-cal foundation for a Eurasian Union. Grounded in his hypothesis of developing a fourth political theory – by rejecting liberalism – the Eurasian movement relies on ethnocentrism to fuel an “anti-American revolution.”

That last sounds much more alarming than it is, being written some fifteen years ago. Dugin has since learned to be more methodic in his rejection of western hege-mony. The man is a political scientist, not a general. In an interview published Jan. 30, he stated that: “We cannot divide the world today in the Cold War style.” What’s unfolding in the Crimea is less the Russian take-over it’s being billed as, than it is Russia looking after it’s ethnic interests.

Contra western misunderstanding of the region, Crimea isn’t Ukraine. It’s a semi-autonomous region inside Ukrainian territorial borders with its own parlia-ment and, until 1995, its own president. The majority of the region’s 2.3 million inhabitants identify as ethnic Russians.

Since the Crimean secession referendum has been moved forward to March 16, people that have been the reluctant prize in a game of tug-of-war now have an op-portunity to confirm their sovereignty. What will push things over the edge is unsolicited intercession by the U.S.

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PAGE 10

INCIDENT LOCATION DATE

Car Prowl

Weapons violation

Theft of EvCC computer

Vehicle accident

Student injured falling off sidewalk

Vehicle hit and run

Drug Paraphernalia

Vehicle Theft

Parking lot rage and harrassment

Youth re-engagement student punched hole in wall

Parking Lots:IKH

Lona VistaE

Satellite Campus: Aviation

Rainier Hall Hallway

Gray Wolf Hall

Broadway/Tower street

Parking lot K

Parking lot C

Curb near Rainier Hall

Lona Vista Parking lot

Parking lot E

2/27/20142/12/2014 (2)

2/12/2014,2/20/2014, 2/22/14, 2/23/2014

2/25/2014

2/4/2014

2/18/2014

2/4/2014

2/5/2014

2/4/2014

2/18/2014

2/19/2014

2/24/2014

2/27/2014 (2)

CAMPUS CRIME LOG

2/1/14 - 2/28/14

in Everett

For more information:[email protected]

425.259.8919

WEEKLY OPEN HOUSE Drop by for program advising every Tuesday 10:30 am - 5:30 pm in Gray Wolf Hall 253 on the EvCC campus! Or by appointment

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Last months crime on campus included vandalism, theft and accidents resulting in injury.

There was a significant amount of car prowls reported on multiple occassions in several campus parking lots.

It was reported that a student was injured falling off of a sidewalk near Rainier Hall, and there was also a vehicle hit and run in parking lot C.

An EvCC computer was stolen from Gray Wolf Hall, and a car was stolen from the Lona Vista parking lot.

As for avoiding theft of personal items on campus, EvCC and the security department encourage students to keep their belongings on them at all times.

“It’s important not to leave anything - your purse, your laptop, your iPhone - unattended, even for a minute,” said Katherine Schiffner, EvCC’s Director of Public Relations.

To report lost or stolen items, accidents and other crimes, students can contact Security in Parks Student Union or call 425-388-9990.

SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH REVIEW


PAGE 11

Story and ScreenShotS by:henry yarSinSke Jr

Managing editor

Everyone remembers landmark events in their life. First kiss, first car, first job. For myself, my first time seeing South Park is up there among those events.

October 28, 1998, an 11-year-old version of me sat in my satellite-television-equipped friend’s house huddled around the tube watching the

“Spookyfish” episode of South Park—with the volume low so his parents wouldn’t find out.

I fell in love and I never looked back. From renting three-episode VHS

copies of the show from Blockbuster to marathoning every episode of the show online when I was unemployed, the show has stuck with me since my childhood.

If you love the television show, then the new game, published by Ubisoft and developed by Obsidian Entertainment (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II – The Sith Lords, Fallout: New Vegas)— South Park: The Stick of Truth—is a must-buy.

The PlayStation and Nintendo 64 South Park games were absolutely terrible, so purchasing The Stick of Truth on a whim was something I was a bit leery about, but damn I was wrong.

The game culls some of its storyline from some key episodes: 2002’s “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers” and 2013’s three-part Game of Thrones-parodying “Black Friday,” “A Song of Ass and Fire” and

“Tittes and Dragons.” (Hey, it’s South Park. The potty humor gets worse the

more you read.)The plot is simple: You’re the new

kid in town and it is up to you to make friends with the South Park kids, starting with Cartman. Cartman and Kenny (who is a princess), are playing Humans and Elves, and are trying to guard The Stick of Truth from the elves (led by Kyle) who want to take it for themselves.

After that, all hell breaks loose. The plot follows what could be a

normal episode of South Park, and is immaculately well-written. Granted there are some extremely vulgar points in the story that writers/creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker couldn’t get away with on television, but if you aren’t easily offended (and if you are, why the hell are you playing a South Park game?) the usual cavalcade of dick and fart jokes, as well as celebrity chastising, will make you laugh out loud and feel like you’re going to hell for doing so.

A high point is the sheer amount of characters in the game. Everyone from Al Gore to Jesus Christ inhabits the town, which you can explore freely. Heading to the movie theater and dealing with the d-bag ticket taker, or seeing Stan’s mom behind the counter of Tom’s Rhinoplasty adds immersion and life to the town of South Park.

The game itself harkens back to role-playing games from the golden era of video games: Three stalwart classes to pick from, and a new class I’ve never seen in a video game: Jew. Selecting Jew makes Cartman quip “Jew, huh? So I guess we’ll never be friends.” I laughed and punched my ticket to Hades.

Other golden era mechanics include turn-based combat, spells (that are actually farts), summons and upgrading weapons and armor. The whole combat experience, while a bit shallow compared to a Final Fantasy, is very engaging and satisfying.

There are some drawbacks to the game, however. One gripe I have is the amount of time characters repeat lines.

Parker and Stone worked very close with Obsidian on this game, and while there is tons of dialogue in The Stick of Truth, the amount of times that lines are repeated in the world is discouraging.

Another drawback is the lack of desire to replay the game. Once I put the controller down, and the credits rolled, I didn’t want to play it again.

So is it worth the $59.99? If you’re an avid fan of South Park, the answer

is yes. If you catch the show every once and awhile, and don’t know who the Underpants Gnomes or Lemmiwinks is, then I would wait for the game to go on sale before picking it up. The Stick of Truth is for the hardcore South Park fan, sure, but on it’s own, it’s still one of the most enjoyable RPG experiences I’ve ever had.

The boys plot to retrieve the Stick of Truth

Al Gore summons a PowerPoint on global warming to deal massive damage

Come on down to South Park

Become “King Douchebag!”


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The Clipper: Volume 70 Issue 6

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