the ThunderWord Highline Community College | May 9, 2013 | Volume 50, Issue 25 Student dies in car crash The race By Thunderword Staff is on for Highline’s Hip Hop Club student members plan to honor their late former president at a dance summit next week. elections Hip Hop Summit 2013: In Loving Memory of Asha Salim By Racquel Arceo will be held on May 17 on the Staff Reporter first floor of the Student Union from 4-11 p.m. Leadership of Highline’s Salim died last week on Student Government for the Wednesday night when the car 2013-2014 school year will in which she was riding crashed be determined over the next while heading southbound week. At stake are the offices along Interstate 5 in Seattle. of president and vice president. Salim, who was not wearing The candidates will be cam- a seatbelt, was ejected from the paigning all over campus, in vehicle and died at the scene. hopes of gaining votes. There were six other people Voting will be strictly on- in the car, including one woman line and will open on May 15 who was taken to Harborview at 8:30 a.m. and close on May Medical Center in critical con- 16 at midnight. Voting stations dition. The driver is suspected will be available in the Student of drunk driving and vehicular Friends of Salim held a vigil for her last Friday evening. Union during regular hours. homicide. The online ballot will fea- For many of Salim’s former way she would want it,” Duong smiled too. ture all of the candidates and club members, honoring her said. “She gave me a social life,” include links to each of their at the Hip Hop Summit will be More than 100 people attend- said Valdez. personal statements and letters particularly poignant. ed Salim’s funeral last Friday af- Salim was “bubbly, energetic, of endorsement. “I remember in one conver- ternoon. outgoing … always had a smile,” Those running include: sation recently before her pass- “She had a welcoming heart said Michael Fields, who met ing, she told me one of her big- and to see her at her funeral was Salim through Hip Hop Club. Micah Vichitnand: gest dreams was to do the Hip something no one could handle Fields knew Salim for almost Candidate for President Hop Summit,” said Keyonti Hill- … we are all torn up by this,” two years and they met every iard, a former Highline student said Highline student and friend Monday and Thursday to dance As he runs for Student Gov- who also worked with Salim at Najma Mire. in the Student Union. ernment president, second- Fred Meyer. “She was a free-spirited per- Salim was the type of person year Highline student Micah “She was really ecstatic about son and was there for every- who “wanted everyone to have a Vichitnand, says he has an having the chance to have [ran] Asha Salim body,” said Michelle Valdez. good day,” said Ethel Gumin, a “unwarranted dedication” to her own battle,” said Tom Du- Valdez said that the one friend who’s known Salim since Highline. ong, a friend and event planner feel at ease, to make it up to thing she will miss most about “I love this school, it helped of the summit. her [and] to grasp who she is, Salim is her contagious smile to challenge me a lot and I “I felt as if to make myself [would be to] make it just the because when Salim smiled, she see Salim, page 12 hope to help it as much as pos- sible,” Vichitnand said. Previously the president of Choir Club, Vichitnand is tout- ing his leadership experience. Profs fondly remember Baez Vichitnand said that he learned early on that not ev- eryone is willing to take on the By Erika Wigren he went on a rampage and killed The Federal Way Police responsibility of leading others. Staff Reporter three others. Department said that Clark “I decided to run because I The shootings occurred at reached for a weapon and was think there is a lack of people Students, staff and faculty are the Pinewood Village Apart- subsequently shot and killed by willing and able to take on mourning the death of 24-year- ments in Federal Way. officers. leadership positions,” said old Highline student Justine When police arrived on the English professor Susan Rich Vichitnand. Baez. scene, Clark had already killed said she was sad to hear the fate Vichitnand said his skill On April 21, Baez was killed Baez as well as 23-year-old Cae- of Baez who she had had in her by her boyfriend, 27-year-old sar Valdovinos, 62-year-old Ro- Highline student Dennis Clark land Scobee, and 47-year-old III, in a domestic dispute before Bradley Fischer. see Baez, page 12 Justine Baez see Race, page 12 In this issue: Campus life 2-3 Opinion 4 Puzzles 5 Sports 6 Arts 7-8 Page 3 Page 6 Page 8 News 9-12 Asian-American Pacific Lady T-birds snag Highline’s Chorale Islander Month kicks off a spot in the playoffs women are going places Page 2 Campus Life | Highline Community College | May 9, 2013 Accepting Congressman holds Town Hall on campus Rebecca Starkey/Thunderword U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Ninth Dis- culture trict, visits Highline for a town hall meeting. Approximately 140 people attends the meeting, including High- is crucial, line President Dr. Jack Bermingham, to listen and express their concerns. Rep. Smith briefly presents on the says prof topic of income inequality in the United States and expresses his view By Dariana Young on how the middle class should be Staff Reporter maintained. Constituents ask ques- tions and comment on issues such as The Intercultural Center health care, immigration, education, is a safe place on campus the deficit and the military. where students can meet to discuss diversity, a commu- nication instructor said last week. year to avoid students observing Friday, May 10: The book explores from a Teela Foxworth told ap- for too long. A screening of The Motel, di- child’s perspective the lifestyle proximately 15 students at rected by Michael Kang will be changes of a Vietnamese family a Global Live presentation Discuss new featured from noon-1:30 p.m. that moves to America. Books that culture is important in medicine, biology in Building 2. Co-sponsored will be provided for the first 50 both home and work set- Elect student body by Movie Fridays, the movie is students who show up. tings, that it’s important about 13-year-old Ernest Chin Contact committee mem- “New Medicine and the to understand one’s back- officials next week growing up as an Asian Ameri- bers Chera Amlag at camlag@ Business of Biology: Immuno- ground. can and trying to figure out his highline.edu or Noory Kim at therapy, Stem Cells and 3-D Melting pot is a metaphor life. [email protected] for any Voting for student body can- Bioprinting” is the topic of to- use to describe blending cul- Michael Tuncap, M.A. in questions about any of the didates start Wednesday, May morrow’s Science Seminar and tures. ethnic studies, will lead a work- events. 15 at 8 a.m. will be presented by biology in- It is important to bond shop on “Paseifika: First Peoples Student candidates are run- structor Sam Shabb. with others, and to address of the Blue Continent” from 2-4 ning for president and vice For those interested, the Corrections issues to understand one an- p.m. in Building 2. president. seminar will be from 2:20-3:23 other, Foxworth said. The workshop is about so- The voting will last until p.m. in Building 3, room 102. An article in the May 2 issue “What is culture? Culture cial inequalities and social midnight on May 16. erroneously linked the rate of is tradition, value, beliefs movements relating to Pacific To vote, go to bob.highline. black incarceration to a lack of and norms. It is not about Islanders and how to teach eth- edu/elections. Celebrate Asians, education. color or race. The hardest nic studies for teachers, orga- Pacific Islanders The speaker’s intent was to part most people have is fig- nizers and social justice activ- Students to survey show that the way census data is uring out what culture is,” ists. collected increasingly does not Foxworth said. cars in East Lot Multicultural Affairs is cele- Tuncap was the founding reflect the realities of the black Communication is creat- brating the fourth annual Asian director of the Pacific Islander condition in the United States. ing an understanding of what Students from an environ- American Pacific Islander Heri- Student Commission at the Another article should have people are saying, she said. mental science class will be sur- tage Month with the theme University of Washington and said that the Life SLED club “I look at salience as an veying cars in the East Parking “The Perpetual American: Be- taught ethnic studies at the Uni- meetings would be in Building ingredient. The more of the Lot on Tuesday, May 21 from longing Home” this week until versity of California-Berkeley. 8, room 302. ingredient you put in will af- 5:30-6 p.m. next Tuesday. He is working on completing The name and position of the fect the outcome,” Foxworth Students will be noting the Thursday, May 9: his doctorate. Speaker of the Caucus of Stu- said. make, model and year of the Writer Mia Mingus will pres- Tuesday, May 14: dent Government, Annie Boy- “How much of our culture cars on their clipboards for a re- ent “Creating What We Need A campuswide book read- enneh were written incorrectly effects our communication?” search project on fuel usage.