Arévalo to Retire in July
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Eastern Washington University EWU Digital Commons Eastern Washington University Digital History Student Newspapers Collections 2-5-2014 Easterner, Vol. 65, No. 15, February 5, 2014 Associated Students of Eastern Washington University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.ewu.edu/student_newspapers Recommended Citation Associated Students of Eastern Washington University, "Easterner, Vol. 65, No. 15, February 5, 2014" (2014). Student Newspapers. 756. https://dc.ewu.edu/student_newspapers/756 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Eastern Washington University Digital History Collections at EWU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Newspapers by an authorized administrator of EWU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EasternEastern WashingtonWashington University Est.Est. 1916 VolumeVolumeVolume 65, 64, 65,65, Issue Issue IssueIssue 1526 37 NovemberFebruaryOctoberMay 8, 9,9.20135, 6, 20132014 2013 EasternerOnline.comEasternerOnline.com Cosplayers address stigmas Arévalo Costumes, conventions a creative outlet for students to retire By Aaron Bocook staff writer [email protected] In the 1970s and 1980s, in in July the world of science fiction, fantasy and comic book con- By Aaron Bocook ventions, a new trend was on staff writer the rise. Instead of only talking [email protected] about what they loved, fans started to dress up. The board of trustees and the These were no department members of the gallery fell silent at store Halloween costumes ei- their last meeting, Jan. 24, as Dr. Ro- ther; these fans really cared. dolfo Arévalo announced that he will Early practitioners called it cos- be retiring as Eastern Washington tuming. It is now commonly University’s 25th president. called “cosplay.” The people Arévalo’s retirement will who participate take it very se- be effective July 15, 2014, after riously. Like most forms of fa- Arévalo eight years at EWU. His work naticism, cosplay is often mis- has brought the university to new heights in understood. academic achievement, athletic success and vast “It means ‘costume play,’” improvements to the facilities. His retirement said Chris “Burr” Martin, who comes as a shock to many. is no stranger to dressing in “It was like an atomic bomb to me,” said costumes. ASEWU President D.J. Jigre. “I was sitting at the “The first costume I ever board of trustees meeting, and he was going over remember making, with my his report. I just thought it was going to be a nor- mom’s help, was a [Star Wars] mal day. It was shocking. I was completely lost C-3PO costume back in 1977. for words.” We spray painted a Spider- Jigre said even though the board of trustees Man mask and a paper plate had been informed of the president’s decision for my chest gold, and then in an earlier executive session, the reaction was glued some wires onto a yel- shared by everyone in the room. low turtleneck for Halloween,” Arévalo has been at Eastern since April 2006. he said. He will retire with more than 42 years of higher The term “cosplay” is one education experience. He was the former provost of the many stigmas surround- and vice president of academic affairs at the Uni- ing the phenomenon. versity of Texas-Pan American. After coming to The term is attributed to EWU, Arévalo became the first Latino president a Japanese reporter who at- at any public four-year college or university in tended the 1984 World Con in Washington state. Los Angeles. He combined the Recently, Arévalo negotiated a groundbreak- terms “costume” and “play” to ing faculty compensation contract that gained describe what he saw. The at- national recognition and launched a new plan to tendees were not only donning improve student retention and graduation rates. the costumes, but also acting For the first time in university history, enroll- like the characters. ment at EWU has passed the 12,000 mark. According to Chris Mar- During his time as president, there has been tin, “cosplay” no longer tremendous growth in campus facilities, includ- accurately describes what ing the new recreation center, new residence people are doing. halls, the renovation of Patterson Hall and the “Maybe back then that was installation of the iconic red turf at Roos Field. a good definition, but now, In spite of his announcement, Arévalo is still it just doesn’t seem to fit. It’s hard at work. On Jan. 21, he left EWU to con- too cutesy,” Chris Martin said. duct executive-level visits to partner universities “Now-a-days, with people in Bogotá, Colombia and San José, Costa Rica to making working Iron Man support the expansion of university-level inter- suits, I think the name needs Photo courtesy of Nikolas Dalveck national collaboration. He is due to return Feb. 7. to be upgraded. I know a lot of Alumnus Cody Thompson dresses as Kid Icarus at Sakura-Con in Seattle. After he retires, he will not be forgotten. Cath- people who just say they are a erine Moss, assistant to the president and board ‘costumer.’” portraying their favorite be childish. Dressing up in KuroNekoCon, Nelson has of trustees, said his presence is here and will for- Spokane costume enthusi- anime character. Thought it costumes, spending a lot of seen the popularity of cosplay ever be a part of Eastern’s history. ast Tim Martin says he started was pretty cool.” money. It seems a little nerdy, a rise in recent years. She said “Working alongside Dr. Arévalo has been attending science fiction and Tim Martin said today, cos- bit like Star Trek, so they kinda about 800 people attended a tremendous privilege,” said Moss. “He has fantasy conventions in 1979 as tuming and cosplay seem to be label you as a Trekkie.” last summer at the Spokane worked so incredibly hard on behalf of Eastern. I a teenager. fairly interchangeable within Nelson said she does not Convention Center, which is am thrilled he will have the opportunity to retire “In the late ‘80s, I started the general fan community, but mind bearing the nerd label. “I nearly double from previous on such a high note.” wearing various costumes to there are purists that keep the actually like it quite a lot. I’m years. For some, Arévalo represents the dream of op- [conventions], typically not a concepts separate. pretty geeky. I like the fantasy So far, Nelson has not found portunity. “He can speak the voice of the under- particular character, but some- Like many other outposts kind of fun element that comes any outlets for cosplay at EWU. represented because he lived it,” said Moss. thing themed, if that makes of the greater realm of fantasy along with cosplay.” “I just started this quarter, but In his tenure, Arévalo has continually put any sense,” Tim Martin said. and science fiction, including Nelson said she has been I do have a couple of friends students first. “I first heard the term comic conventions, Star Trek going to cosplay events since that go to EWU that are fellow Jigre said having Arévalo as a mentor was ‘cosplay’ at an anime [con- conventions, steam-punk and middle school. “It was very ex- cosplayers that I hang out with. crucial in taking the steps to become the ASEWU vention] I was working in anime, cosplayers have had citing,” she said. “I just have a really good student body president. “Everyone says, you the early 2000s,” said Tim their fair share of experi- “I got to see lots of cool time cosplaying. It’s very social know, Dr. [Arévalo] has a hard skin but is by far Martin. “It was costuming, ences being bullied. and interesting costumes, you for me. I do it with my friends the most kind, generous person I have ever met but the person also acted “There is a bit of a negative know, that put my sewing and I have a good time doing in my life here at Eastern. and behaved like the char- connotation about it,” said skills to shame.” it,” Nelson said. acter they were dressed up EWU junior Kara Nelson. As a staff member of as. It was kids having fun “I think people find it to Spokane anime convention COSPLAy-pAGE 6 ARÉVALo-pAGE 6 News: Quincy’s Book Eagle Life: Woodward Opinion: Neighbors Sports: Slacklining Page 2 Page 3 Page 5 Page 7 Former EWU music Elsa provides Students test government director her view on their balance professor shares her how to sleep over the pool reveals connection in peace statistics to Nelson about the Mandela economy Timely information: The university police have The Office of Information Dining Services will spon- Feb. 7 is the sixth annual In honor of Black History issued a timely warning Technology would like stu- sor themed dining events “Work it!” career confer- Month, the JFK Library will in regards to a stabbing dents to be aware of a phish- throughout winter quarter. ence. It will be held from 9 have a timeline display in that occurred in the morn- ing email that was recently Coming up soon is the Val- a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the PUB the lobby from Jan. 27- ing of Feb. 2. Police ask sent to certain EWU student entine’s Day event on Feb. MPR. The cost is $5 per Feb. 28. anyone who may have email addresses. This email is 14 and the back-to-back student and includes lunch. any information about the attempting to obtain student brunches during Presi- Students can sign up at altercation to call Cheney login information. Informa- dent’s Day weekend from http://ewu.edu/workit.