cpj_20180919.pdf

Media

Part of The Cooper Point Journal (September 19, 2018)

extracted text

the cooper point journal
The Evergreen State College Newspaper Since 1971| September 19, 2018

LOVE & JUSTICE FOR YVONNE
TRAGIC DEATH LEAVES
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
3

ARTIST INTERVIEW
MELANIE RAMIREZ TALKS MFA’S
AND LIFE AFTER TESC
6

FOOD & DRINKS
CPJ STAFFERS FAV FOOD
FOR NEW GREENERS
8
TWITTER: @cooperpointjrnl

The Cooper Point Journal

STAFF

Editor-in-Chief
Georgie Hicks

C r e at i v e D i r ec t o r
Mason Soto

Business Manager
Morrissey Morrissey

Managing Editor

S a m a n t h a L u n a - Pa t t e r s o n

A r t s & C u lt u r e E d i t o r
B r i t t a n y a n a P i e r ro

Copy Editor
D a n i e l Vo g e l

Writers

Mar ta Ta hja -S y ret t
Dan iel P f eif le

FROM THE ARCHIVES The Paper (Cooper Point Journal) staffers appear in paper on May 3, 1973.

CONTACT
O f f i ce

T h e E v e r g re e n S t a t e C o l l e g e
CA B 3 3 2
2 7 0 0 E v e r g re e n P k w y N W
O l y m p i a , WA

Email Us

cooperpointjournal@gmail.com

Call Us

(360) 328 1333

Visit Us

O u r We e k l y M e e t i n g
We d n e s d a y s a t 2 p. m .

Cover Art By

M e l a n i e R a m i re z

WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM

Twitter
@cooperpointjrnl

© 2018 the Cooper Point Journal

02 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM

VIA the Cooper Point Journal Archives

HOW WE WORK

The Cooper Point Journal is produced by students at The Evergreen State College, with funding from student
fees and advertising from local businesses. The Journal is published for free every other Wednesday during the
school year and distributed throughout the Olympia area.
Our content is also available online at www.cooperpointjournal.com.
Our mission is to provide an outlet for student voices, and to inform and entertain the Evergreen community
and the Olympia-area more broadly, as well as to provide a platform for students to learn about operating a
news publication.
Our office is located on the third floor of the Campus Activities Building (CAB) at The Evergreen State
College in room 332 and we have open student meetings from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday. Come early
if you’d like to chat with the editor!

WORK FOR US

We accept submissions from any student at The Evergreen State College, and also from former students,
faculty, and staff. We also hire some students onto our staff, who write articles for each issue and receive a
learning stipend.
Have an exciting news topic? Know about some weird community happening? Enjoy that new hardcore
band? Come talk to us and write about it.
We will also consider submissions from non-Evergreen people, particularly if they have special knowledge on
the topic. We prioritize current student content first, followed by former students, faculty and staff, and then
general community submissions. Within that, we prioritize content related to Evergreen first, followed by
Olympia, the state of Washington, the Pacific Northwest, etc.
To submit an article, reach us at cooperpointjournal@gmail.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We want to hear from you! If you have an opinion on anything we’ve reported in the paper, or goings-on in
Olympia or at Evergreen, drop us a line with a paragraph or two (100 - 300 words) for us to publish in the
paper. Make sure to include your full name, and your relationship to the college—are you a student, staff,
graduate, community member, etc. We reserve the right to edit anything submitted to us before publishing,
but we’ll do our best to consult with you about any major changes.

News

Participants hold “LOVE AND JUSTICE FOR YVONNE” banner. MASON SOTO.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZES AFTER TRAGIC DEATH LEAVES
QUESTIONS UNANSWERED
By Mason Soto & Marta Tahja-Syrett

Candles and flowers shrouded
a framed portrait of Yvonne McDonald at a vigil in her honor on
Aug. 23. More than a hundred
people came to commemorate
her life and demand justice for
the circumstances of her death.
The vigil was one of many
recent events in Olympia organized by family and friends
of Yvonne, a 56 year old black
woman found injured and near
death on the morning of August
7 a few blocks from her home.
A march to City Hall on September 6 demanded action from
Olympia Police Department
(OPD), after Yvonne’s family
voiced concerns of being left without answers and clear communication from investigators. Tension
between the family and police
heightened after Yvonne’s niece
and key organizer Talauna Reed
was arrested by Thurston County
Sheriff Department on charges
that have since been dropped.

The family has continued to seek an inquest regarding Yvonne’s cause of death,
which, if granted, will ensure
a jury deliberates the case.
“I go on and on, and on and
on,” the crowd sang along with
Erykah Badu’s “On & On,”
blasted on speakers at the vigil
in West Central Park. Talauna
Reed led the event, and she said
“On and On” was one of her
aunt’s favorite songs. Talauna has
helped organize these events under a Facebook page, “Justice For
Yvonne McDonald.” After the
vigil closed, folks gathered the
flowers and laid them along the
road where Yvonne was found.
Talauna and others close to
Yvonne are concerned with the
city’s initial treatment of the investigation, alleging that in the
month since her death, local
justice departments have downplayed and neglected this case
despite what they see as obvious signs of violence. Flyers and

handbills printed for the events
describe “obvious racial bias” from
OPD for not treating the case as a
homicide until there was pressure
from the community to do so.
At the vigil, Olivia Hart spoke
about Yvonne’s passion for justice and the way the investigation
tried to minimize her death. Hart
was a friend of Yvonne’s from
their time as students at The Evergreen State College. “It is unconscionable to me that a women
of color in this city was treated in
such a manner,” said Hart. “This
is racial hate and we need to call
it that.” She said if it were anyone else’s death, Yvonne would
be there to advocate for them.
Statements on the Justice for Yvonne McDonald page allege that her shoes
and purse were placed next
to her when she was found.
On Aug. 17, the City of
Olympia released a statement
which said Yvonne was “partially
clothed” when first responders

got to her. Speakers at the events
said that the medical technicians
and nurses who cared for her in
her last hours were convinced
that a violent attack had taken
place. Her injuries have been
described as bruises and scratch
marks across her body, including on her inner thighs and neck.
The City’s statement confirms
that she died at Providence St.
Peters Hospital that evening.
Other issues brought up at
the vigil and the march included
the limited number of detectives
involved in the case and “inconsistent” communication between
investigators and McDonald’s
family members. Speakers noted
they believe McDonald is being
portrayed by the city and media
in a way that causes people to feel
unsympathetic towards her death
through alluding to addiction and
houselessness. While organizers
have made it clear they do not
think these accusations are true,
they insisted neither McDon-

ald’s race nor her class should
determine if her death gets swept
under the rug — McDonald’s
death deserves a thorough and
accountable investigation without bounds. One particular flyer
compared the reaction from
Yvonne’s death to the extensive
coverage and investigation of
the recent Thurston County cat
killings, which have left thirteen
cats dead. With the cat deaths
gaining a $36,000+ reward for
information, ten detectives, and
national media attention — including a New York Times article
— organizers allege that the City
and Thurston County is more
devoted to solving cat murders
than to gathering more information about the suspicious death
of an African-American woman.
Thurston County Coroner’s
Office has already performed an
autopsy, but according to a statement from OPD Chief Ronnie
Roberts on the City’s website, the
toxicology
“are expected
cont.
onreportsnext
page

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 03

News
to take months.” The Coroner’s
Office has not given a cause of
death, but call the circumstances
“suspicious” in their press release.
For the march on September 6, called “Make Some Noise
For Yvonne!”, a large crowd
of people gathered at Percival
Landing Park to honor McDonald, share memories of her,
and demand an inquest by taking to the streets and protesting outside Olympia City Hall.
Talauna Reed was noticeably
absent from the march, and posts
on the Justice For Yvonne page
describe a whirlwind of questionable interactions between her and
local Justice Departments, which
she sees as direct targeting in relation to her campaign for Yvonne.
Thurston County Sheriff Deputies came to Talauna’s place of
business to arrest her on September 2 for violating no-contact orders from her ex-husband. She alleges that deputies called her a liar
and made it clear they knew who
she was. They spoke to her lawyer
on the phone, who explained the
arrest was not warranted, but they
arrested her still. She was held in
jail for three days before being released on personal recognisance.
Talauna was arrested a second
time the day before the march on
a similar charge, and this meant,
as an update from the Facebook
page says, “the most outspoken
member of the family has been
effectively prevented from attending and speaking her part.”
During these arrests, Talauna’s ex-husband attempted to
use the arrests as reason for custody change, and because of the
multiple arrests he was granted
an order of protection to keep
her away from her two children.
In an order from an emergency hearing sent to Talauna’s
lawyer from the Thurston County
Prosecutor’s Office and Superior
Court, Reed was cleared of any
wrongdoing from the two arrests,
and the charges were dismissed,
but she still has had to pay fees
and close her business while in
jail. Had the charges not been
dropped, the two felony charges
would have jeopardized her custody of her children, and she
is still dealing with the effects
of this custodial interference.
The Cooper Point Journal
is awaiting the release of public documents concerning the
open investigation into Yvonne’s

death and Talauna’s recent arrests.
Prior to the march to City
Hall, hand-painted signs were
passed out as vehicles driving by
honked and waved in support.
As more of Yvonne’s family arrived, the crowd prepared for
its march to City Hall, and five
cops on bicycles began to follow.
Chants began to ring out, overpowering the sound of downtown
Olympia. Protesters walked past
buildings, drawing downtown
shoppers’ eyes onto the procession and the informative handouts organizers were passing
out. At first protestors took to
one side of the street but, as the
march proceeded, they began to
flow into both lanes. Key organizers, wearing brightly-colored
vests, stood before intersections
to notify drivers of the march’s
presence, and there was little to
no confrontation with cars. Soft
pink banners and cardboard signs
waved in the heat of the afternoon, and all the while the chanting never ceased, with the crowd
shouting to the streets: “Whose
life matters? Yvonne’s life!”
Once the crowd settled outside of City Hall, people shared
their thoughts and songs through
a loudspeaker. Flashing police
cars blocked traffic from being
able to reach the area directly
surrounding the event. Speakers said this was a tactic to keep
attention away from the protest.
Inquests can not be authorized at City Hall, as one protest
sign among the crowd pointed
out. Another event to demand
an inquest will be held directly
at the Coroner’s Office on Sep.
18. As things wrapped up, the
group headed back to Percival
Landing Park, this time using the sidewalk as a pathway,
still chanting and waving signs.

04 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM

protestors at city hall, downtown Olympia, Washington. BY DANIEL VOGEL

By DANIEL VOGEL
Only four years after its opening, the City of Olympia closed
downtown’s Artesian Commons
Park “indefinitely,” according to
a press release from August 24.
A chain link fence appeared
before dawn that day, surrounding the main square and a section of sidewalk north of The
Pet Works. The well itself and
the 24/7 restroom remain open.
Reached via email, Olympia
Parks, Arts & Recreation Director Paul Simmons said, “Following multiple threats that were
both specific nature and targeted towards our Park Rangers and Well Hosts, I made the
recommendation to members of
the City’s Executive Management Team to close the park
because we no longer had the
ability to maintain it safely.”
City Manager Steve Hall
— head of the executive management team — did not respond to a request for comment.
When the park was open, patrons frequently gathered around
the square’s tables, often under
the watchful eyes of Park Rangers. In the summer a sometimesrowdy crowd regularly hung out
next to Pet Works in the spot
now sealed by chain-link fence.
“Those people who were trespassed from the public park for
criminal and/or violent behavior

simply continued that behavior on the public sidewalk next
to the park,” said Simmons. He
noted that “over its four-year existence, 51 people were trespassed
from the Artesian Commons,
and police were called nearly
1,400 times because of things
directly attributed to the park.”
The city built the park in
2014 as an extension of the well,
which is the only publicly accessible artesian well out of
the twenty that lie downtown.
In 2014 and 2016, the city
contracted with consultant and
Evergreen alum Adam Fletcher,
who held a series of “Youth Forums” to gather feedback from
park patrons. Fletcher’s report
notes that “Particular groups of
youth (e.g. homeless, runaway,
and other historically disengaged populations) are perceived
as a challenge to the success of
the Artesian Commons Park.”
Although Fletcher insisted
that his relationship to the park
is as consultant rather than public figure, he expressed frustration with the city’s press release
and positioning of the decision
behind parks director Simmons.
“Shouldn’t the city
council members be held accountable, and not the guy hired
to do the job?” asked Fletcher.
“It’s almost like they’re prop-

ping him up to be the bad
guy and not supporting him.”
Out of seven city council
members, only Clark Gilman
and Lisa Parshley responded to
a request for comment. “Council is not part of operational details, we set policy,” said Gilman.
In November 2016,
the park received international
attention of the Worldstar variety after five people were arrested for brawling in the park,
continuing to brawl even after Olympia Police Department (OPD) officers arrived.
The park is visible from OPD
headquarters in the city hall
building. When asked via email if
the inability to make the park safe
was a failure of the OPD, chief
Ronnie Roberts said, “The individuals with the behavior you are
referring too [sic] are to blame.”
When asked how he would
move forward if the city hired
him again, Fletcher urged for
the city to listen to park patrons.
“The most important part is
about having participatory processes that engage the people
who use the space,” he said.
“It needs to focus on building
real democratic opportunities.”
“If people are really upset
about the park, they should let
their elected officials know.”

Community

Students move into dorms. BY Shauna Bittle. COURTESY OF TESC ARCHIVES

DON’T WORRY WE KNOW YOU DIDN’T READ THEM
By DANIEL PFEIFLE
As a new student living on
campus, there are a lot of rules
you were supposed to have
read, which you didn’t. Well
you’re in luck, because we did!
Some of the rules that will be
covered include drug and alcohol regulations, housing rules,
and fire safety. Enjoy this heavily abridged, much more interesting version of the rules. Keep
in mind that this is by no means
an exhaustive list, these are just
the rules I found relevant, funny
or useful.
Let us start with what you
should not do in your housing: no painting, and you can’t
change the locks. The regulations also explicitly says you
cannot repair anything built into
your housing. you must make
a work order to get it fixed, no
kidding.
Additionally, there is a cover
on your mattress. Do not remove it or they will bill you.
You must keep your room
clean. However there’s only one
inspection which is during week
eight of the quarter.
If you are sick you must report it, no matter how severe.
Yes this means colds. No, I don’t
really think they actually expect
you to do this. But, hey, it’s in

the rules. Keep in mind there
is a wellness center with some
medication for minor sickness,
which might make your day a
little better. This is also a great
place to pick up condoms to
give to your less responsible
friends.
Wall decorations and underwriter laboratories (UL) approved lights are allowed so
long as they don’t present a fire
hazard UL-approved lights have
to fit a long, boring list of regulations, but most lights on the
market today are approved.
Don’t steal the furniture, you
will be fined. ou would think
that would be obvious, but it
was explicitly mentioned, so it
must happen a lot.
Here are the things you are
allowed to do in your housing. Heat, water, electricity
and garbage, as well as wifi are
included, with no limits or extra charges, so go crazy. If you
don’t share your bedroom with
anyone under 21 --which is all
of the dorms because people
over 21 aren’t allowed to live
in them --and you’re over 21
(obviously) alcohol is permitted in any housing that is not
substance free, though kegs are
also explicitly banned. Drugs

are banned, including weed, this
is because Evergreen receives
federal funding;.Even though
we all know everyone is doing
it. Drug paraphernalia is also
banned. No this does not mean
your weed leggings, they mean
pipes, bongs and the like.
Fish are the only permitted
pets, and must be in tanks less
than 10 gallons. Service animals
--which are usually dogs, (but
do not have to be) --are allowed.
They must be trained to help
people with a specific disability.
In other words, please don’t try
to abuse the rules to sneak your
dog in.
Guests are allowed 3 days
and 2 nights a month of living in your housing, and they
must be approved by all of your
roommates. Most people probably do not care about this rule,
but just in case, be nice to your
roommates so you can get a bimonthly booty call with that
special someone. Want to have
an “open door policy” with
your roomates? Too bad! You
must keep your door locked at
all times, while simultaneously
making sure it can swing open
freely, somehow.
Small outdoor toys are totally allowed, which means ul-

timate frisbee is so in! but unfortunately, bouncy houses and
trampolines are not. WOMP!
If you have less than 40 credits when you first move in, you
MUST purchase a meal plan for
the whole year. Try to get out of
it ASAP:Aramark is known for
using prison labor.
The fire safety rules are
pretty exhaustive, which is
probably for the best, but they
can seem a bit absurd at times
. The following cooking equipment is banned: gas/propane
grills, camp stoves, hot plates,
and toaster ovens. Don’t worry,
because RAD must give you
24 hours notice before entering your housing. No candles
or incense, unless it’s for religious purposes that have been
approved by administration.
That seems a bit over the top:
we should be able to light a
candle or two without setting
the building on fire. While also
being a nearly unavoidable part
of life, tangled cords present a
fire hazard and are prohibited,,
but keep this in mind if RAD is
coming in to your housing. The
rules about space heaters are
pretty specific, like eerily specific. They must be : “electric
with an adjustable thermostat,

overheat protection, tip-over
protection, an intact power cord
and plug, a handle or hand holds
for carrying.” Wow! That is specific. If only they could be more
specific about what the hell UL
approved means. If a fire alarm
goes off, you have to leave the
building. You will be punished
if you don’t.
Finally, some more general
rules that apply to all students.
According to the student conduct code, “The indecent exposure of a person’s genitals when
done in a place where such exposure is likely to be an offense
against generally accepted standards of decency” is prohibited,
so, you know, don’t pull your
junk out in public. Smoking is
not allowed in buildings, there
are designated smoking areas
dotted around campus, which
are for some reason closed during quiet hours.; Also, don’t
you dare do it in your housing,
or be prepared for yet more
fines (YAY!).
That’s pretty much all you
need to know. Enjoy your year
at Evergreen, trying to avoid
breaking all these sometimes
overly specific, sometimes way
too vague rules.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 05

Arts & Culture
@Bobalooshrimp

artist interview
by Georgie Hicks

Melanie Ramirez
I’ve known Melanie for over 5 years. She graduated from Evergreen in 2013. Recently she was accepted into the MFA program at Digipen Institute of Technology.
Last week I sat down with her to ask her about art, grad school and life after
Evergreen in general.

Hi Melanie. How would you describe your art style?
I guess very cartoony and anime influenced. I’m trying to
move away from anime because I got into anime super
young and then when I got older I got into like other forms
of art like more classical forms of art and then I got into
western style comic books and then experimental comic
books, and then I was like, oh yeah, I should do something
other than freakin anime all the time. But it still is very
anime and I’m trying to move away from that.
Is there a specific direction you’re moving towards?
Not particularly. I do want my art to have more fluid movements. I’ve tried to have more fluid movement. I’ve noticed
a lot of anime can look a little stiff and I like more curves,
more wigglyness to my cartoon characters.
Want to name a couple of your influences?
I guess I just like spend a lot of time on the internet and
I’ll often see what other artist do and I’ll be like, oh thats
looks cool, I’ll try doing that. Then I’ll try to incorporate
that into what I’m doing and either it works or it doesn’t,
and I just keep doing that over and over again.
I’d just say its influenced by the great hivemind that is the
internet.
What drives you as an artist?
I don’t know I guess it’s just something, you know art is
something I really like to do and I just really wanna do it
all the time forever. So yeah, I don’t know. I’ve always liked
to draw. Even as a kid I really wanted to be an artist. Every

06 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM

time I can see improvement in my arts it’s just motivation
to keep going, you know?
So, your main goal is to be an animator?
That used to be my main goal, now I have no idea what my
main goal is. I would still like to work in the animation industry or maybe the video game industry, but I don’t know
if I want to be an animator but I definitely want to work
in that field. And maybe I’ll change my mind and stay an
animator I don’t know.
What was it like working on your degree when you were at
Evergreen?
You know it really depended on the class I was in. Most
of the classes I took were pretty intense. I didn’t sleep. I
like slept three hours a night cause I was working on stuff.
Yeah, I didn’t really have too much of a social life sometimes. I feel like college is just this lack of sleep.
That is accurate yes.
Yeah, like you don’t sleep in college. You sleep when you
graduate. Maybe.
Do you?
Ummm depends on what you do for a living afterwards I
guess. Yeah, Evergreen is an interesting place because it’s
definitely like you get what you put into it. You know what
I mean. And there are definitely classes where they make

you work SO HARD that you just wanna pull your hair
out but by the end of it like you can really see the improvements that you’ve made just in like a few short months.
And then there were classes that I kind of coasted through
and that it was really easy and I didn’t really feel, or, at
least, I saw like no difference in my art at the end of it, you
know? So working towards my degree it really depends on
the class I was in. Oh, there was a time where I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to study so I studied like economics
and stuff which was interesting, but it didn’t end up, I don’t
know — I just liked art way more.
If you were talking to somebody who is at Evergreen right
now or is new or thinking about coming to Evergreen to
study art, do you have any tips or things you’d want to tell
them?
So I haven’t been at like Evergreen in like 5 years, but
[when I was there] they definitely had like a super heavy
emphasis on traditional art: painting and pencil, charcoal
drawing. Which is good. You definitely use those and really need that strong foundation to grow, and like most
MFA programs are looking for a very strong foundation in
traditional art but the one thing I noticed when I got out
of Evergreen is that I had very little knowledge of like the
technologies that bigger industries want. And I would say
like maybe consider taking independents in those things
if you’re interested in graphic design or like animation or
video game development of any kind or just it’s probably
just good to have under your belt. To know Photoshop or
Illustrator or something. So yeah, I would say study more

digital stuff. Evergreen is not the best about teaching you
digital mediums but you will learn everything about traditional mediums.
Do you wanna talk about what you’ve been doing since [you
graduated]?
Ooooh. Well for like 3 years I’ve been trying to get into a
MFA program and I finally got into one. Holy crap that
was hard. And I got into a really good one too.
Yeah you did!
Now I don’t sleep and all I do is homework. But the MFA
is only for two years and hopefully at the end of it I’ll have
a sweet job. Other than that I don’t know. Lots of just
having really random ass jobs obviously. Like when I first
got out of Evergreen I had three jobs at the same time. I
worked at Toys R Us, RIP. I worked as a ghostwriter writing fake reviews for Amazon products and shit, so don’t
ever believe the things you read because I was paid to write
some of those. And I also was a filmographer at like different horse ranches. Rich people just love you to film their
horses, it’s weird [laughing]. Then I tried traveling a lot.
It’s hard when you’re broke but, you know, road trips to
California and around Washington when I could. I went
to japan. So traveling and mostly work as a food delivery
which pays surprisingly well. Yeah, mostly just labor after I got out and then I was like I’m really sick of this I
should probably go back to school. So I started applying
for MFAs and that took forever.
Tell me a little about Digipen?
Ohh I mean I just started like last week. It’s pretty intense.
They expect a lot of you right away which is fine because I
mean who needs to fucking sleep. I mean they kind of gave
me a warning when I got my acceptance letter that was
like, ‘hey when you start were going to hit the ground running, so, I don’t know, enjoy your summer, because [laughing] you’re not gonna have any free time for awhile’ and

I’m like, “oh, alright.” So yeah, Digipen’s been great. I really
like it. It’s been it’s nice to be back in a school environment. Everybody is a huge nerd like me, which is great.
Like I said, they expect a whole lot from you up front. I
have a whole lot of projects right now that I’m working on
right now. I’m working on the copying the masters project
which is like where you take a piece of classical art and you
recreate it in photoshop which is so much harder than I
thought it would be. I had kind of a mini breakdown over
it actually, yesterday. But I had some time to breathe and
I chose an easier looking painting and I think I’m ok. The
school itself it’s pretty small. My MFA class is only like 14
people. I kind of have crazy imposter syndrome because
there are people in my class who are just incredible and
they’ve like already done such amazing things. Like there’s
this girl in my class that, like, she worked on Black Panther, like, she helped design the suit for Black Panther and
I was like what are you doing here, like, you’re done.
I think that talking about imposter syndrome especially in
relation to like MFA’s is really important.
Yeah it does feel almost like a mistake that I’m here, but
I’m here and I’m gonna try to kick ass. It has been a rough
few years since I left Evergreen. Evergreen is definity a bit
of a bubble.
Absolutely
When I was there it was a very hippy dippy very freeing.
I don’t know, I really got to explore what I’m about in a
way that I hadn’t before, and Evergreen was very supportive about all that, about my journey, and then I like got
out of college and everyone — well, no one — gave a shit
about me, [and] I was like, “oh yeah, the world doesn’t really hold your hand in these situations and this is rough.”
[Laughing]
That kind of leads into: how’s the job market as a graduate?
Crap. [Laughing] it really depends on what you’re do-

Arts & Culture

ing. Like if you’re studying medicine, you are OK! Cause
there is an extreme shortage of doctors right now. If you’re
studying art, the art world it is competitive and tough and
it is a lot of work. A lot of it has to do with just making
connections and really throwing yourself out there, which
is terrifying because I am not good at talking to people.
I don’t like talking to strangers in professional setting. It
is horrifying but I’m learning that stuff is a lot of it you
really have to put yourself out there really kind of got to
be pushy. I don’t like it, but that’s just kind of what you
have to do. I’m actually like taking these classes that are
essentially like how to shmooze, because Digipen also has
this whole people aspect where there are people from professional industries scouting students and so they’re like,
“this is how you wanna approach them, talk to them, have
business cards have a freaking website, have a portfolio, be
confident.” And it’s like I’m none of those things. So yeah,
I feel like Digipen is really trying to prepare you for I guess
a more of a job setting where Evergreen was like woohoo,
be yourself even if yourself is an anxious mess, which I am.
And there is like there is value to that, I’m not saying there
isn’t. It was nice to have people acknowledge me for like
who I was, but industries dont care about that. Well no
they do, they care about your artistic voice they just want
you to be able to show it, you know? The industry is, like,
super competitive, especially if you are going into animation or video games. It’s very competitive so you really
gotta — gosh I don’t know how to say this without sounding like a dick — you just gotta go for it, just really go for
it! Like, don’t be like, “oh well I’m not ready for this one.
I can’t do this interview. I’m not good enough.” No, like,
just go for it, put on your nicest clothes, brush your hair,
go for it. Try not to barf from anxiety — maybe this is just
me, OMG. No, it’s nerve wracking. I don’t know, I guess
my advice would just be keep trying, just go for it. Go for
it, yeah.
[TO SEE THE FULL INTERVIEW, SEE OUR WEBSITE!]

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 07

Letters & Opinion

4th ave downtown Olympia. BY Shauna Bittle. COURTESY OF TESC ARCHIVES

Welcome to Olympia! If you’re new in town you’ve probably already heard about some of the
local favorite spots like the Reef, Quality Burrito, Vics and Old school. We you’re friendly CPJ
staff are here to give you the scoop on other places we like to go for a great time on a budget.
Food wise Olympia may lack some of your hometown favorite, (I know I’ve been hoping for an
Ethiopian place for the last 3 years!) but it does have some good places to go for food we
recommend these.

Nom Nom Deli

Koibito

Nom Nom has great bánh mì! They
will run you a little under five dollars for one sandwich. Most of the
sandwiches including the bbq pork
priced at 4.25. The most expensive item is the lemongrass pork
at a very reasonable $4.75. A hum
bao will cost you $3.99. The rest of
their menu including friend rice
or noodles is all under ten dollars,
with noodles and rice around 7.50.
Come here to get lunch and bring a
bánh mì home with you for dinner
all under 15 dollars.

Koibito is great. You get miso soup
and a salad with your order. A
California roll will run you about
$4.95; likewise, for the vegetarians
and vegans, an avocado roll will run
you four-fifty. With soup and salad
that’s a whole meal under ten dollars. It’s also a good place to bring
your parents (*hint*) when they’re
in town: their bento boxes are more
than enough food for two meals.
The lunch bento ranges from about
twelve to fifteen dollars while the
dinner ones will cost you fifteen to
twenty.

513 Capitol Way S
Mon - Fri 11AM - 7PM
Sat 12PM - 6PM

1707 Harrison Ave NW
Mon - Fri 11AM - 9:30 PM
Sat 11:30AM - 10 PM

08 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM

El Guanaco

Great Cuisine of India

El Guanaco is a Salvadoran resGCoI (that’s what I call Great
taurant located downtown near Cuisine of India) is always a winthe waterfront that serves pupuner when I’m super hungry and
sas: handmade corn tortillas filled
wanting to eat somewhere with a
things like pork, beans, cheese and sick mural. This place has a lunch
zucchini. Pupusas are $2.25 and two buffet that runs all week 11 a.m. to
are more than enough to fill you up 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
alongside the free chips and salsa. and 12 p.m. to 3 on Saturday and
For those 21+ they also have pretty
Sunday. The buffet is small, but it
good drinks. When I’m feeling ex- has a good variety of food and will
tra fancy I like to get a Margarona, cost you $10.95+tax. Naan will cost
which is a margarita with an upside
you extra though. Bummer.
down coronita in it served in a small
sand bucket, they’re really good but
1002 116 4th Ave W
they will run you about 15 dollars a
Mon - Fri 11AM - 9PM
piece.
Sat & Sun 12PM - 9PM
415 Water St SW
Mon - Thurs 11AM - 9PM
Sat 12MP - 9PM

Letters & Opinion

&

UP
COMING

CPJ STAFF FOOD AND
DRINK SUGGESTIONS

WED. SEP 19
Priest Point Park
5 p.m., All Ages.

Oly I.W.W. Beach BBQ

SAT. SEP 22
115 Legion

6 p.m., All Ages.

Soul Food Fundraiser for Yvonne

Capitol Theater
6:30 p.m., All Ages.

Love, Gilda

SUN. SEP 23
The Pet Works Olympia
5 p.m., All Ages.

Paint Your Pet’s Portrait Class

MON. SEP 24
Le Voyeur
7 p.m.,

RuffCuff Film Screening

BY GEORGIE HICKS, MORRISSEY MORRISSEY, SAMANTHA LUNA-PATTERSON

McCoy’s Tavern

Wally’s

What’s better than a bar on 4th
Ave? I’m not sure because sometimes it seems like that’s all there
is on that street. Wedged between a
different bar and a parking lot, McCoy’s is a pretty freaky dive joint in
downtown Oly. Named “Tavern”
but sort of looks like a biker bar
with no bikers. It’s got a jukebox,
though, upon which you can play
entire My Chemical Romance albums and no one will get mad at
you, so that’s cool. Then again, you
could just go to the Reef for that,
and get some overpriced fries while
you’re at it. They’ve also got a semiheated patio so if you’re into smoking cigarettes, or being around extreme amounts of cigarette smoke,
you ought to check it out.

Wally’s is a classic Olympia sandwich shop. Their ten inch subs best
subways “footlong” any day. A sandwich will cost you $10.75 for a full
sub, $5.95 for a mini sub and $9.75
for a veggie sub. Better yet, Wally’s is attached to Skep and Skein,
a very goofy little pub (is that the
right word?) where you can go to
get a drink and order a sandwich
while you hang. The sandwich will
be made at Wally’s and walked on
over to Skep and Skein for your enjoyment. Isn’t that pretty cute?
2106 Harrison Ave NW
Thurs - Sat 10:30AM - 9PM
Sun - Wed 10:30AM - 8PM

The Gyro Spot

TUES. SEP 25
Planned Parenthood
6 p.m., All Ages.

Let’s Tale About It: Asian Women,
Stereotypes and Feminism

The Gyro spot is great, since it has
WED. SEP 26
some of the tastiest vegan and vegetarian options in Olympia. Located YWCA Olympia
1 p.m., Free.
downtown, this Greek restaurant National Voter Registration Day
has cute indoor seating and a window pick up if you are on the go.
THURS. SEP 27
Also most of the courses stay below 8.00. For example Gyros run Providence Community Care
Center
at 6.50 a peice and the traditional 6 p.m.,
greek dessert, Baklava, only costs Mental Health Basics
3.00 a piece. A small Greek salad
SAT. SEP 28
costs about 4.00. The Gyro spot is a
couple giant steps up from fast food, CAB Building
6:30 p.m., Student Activities Office
with the same time commitment.
Game Night

317 E 4th Ave
Mon, Wed, Sun11AM - 9PM
Fri - Sat 11AM - 2:30AM

SAT. SEP 29
Olympia Timberland Library
10 a.m., All Ages.

Friends of the Olympia Library
Giant Sale of Books and Media

418 4th Ave E
Mon-Sat 12PM - 1:45AM
SUN 12PM - 12AM
SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 09

Letters & Opinion

By Morrissey Morrissey
Hello! Welcome to BODY PARTY, a
space to talk about sex, relationships,
health, identity, and being a freak!
Each week, our anonymous resident
Body Partier will take YOUR questions and answer them, judgement
free! To have your questions answered
in print, send us a Q at ask.fm/CPJBodyParty!
Dear Body Party,
I just moved to Oly and hooking up
has been rough for this brand new
queer on the scene! Before moving, I
was used to being able to go out and
meeting people but that just doesn’t
seem to happen for me here. I’ve
resorted to using hookup apps like
Tinder and Grindr for the first time.
Although it’s fun, I’m nervous about
meeting up with people. Do you have
any tips for staying safe while getting
it with a stranger?
Thanks?
Hesitantly Hooking Up
Hello Hesitant!
This question is all too real. Between
the lousy weather and the fact that the
only gay bar in town is much more of
a bachelorette destination than a place
to meet a cutie, Oly is just not set up
to set you up. And you’re totally right
about it being a little bit freaky to just
go out with some rando! Worry not,
though, because there are totally ways
to be a little safer while staying casual.
While apps can be a good place to
start, make sure to get a little bit more
of your cutie’s information before
meeting up offline. If the app your

using has screen names, ask them for
their real name as a way of knowing a
little bit more about them. Usernames
are fun, but your cutie’s profile name is
probably not short for Richard Swallower.
While you’re at it, things like their Instagram, their phone number, or their
Twitter are good to ask for, just to
make sure they really are who they say
they are. Moving the flirting to these
platforms could also be an extra way
to suss out if they ACTUALLY have
access to this account and they aren’t
catfishing you.
Once you have a plan in mind, make
sure to tell a trusted pal where you’re
going and the nature of the meet up.
It’s so much better to be honest with
someone who cares for you then to
hide details just in case something
DOES go wrong. If you’re going to
be somewhere like a house or a large
park, feel free to drop a pin every so
often just to check in and say “I’m
OK!” If you have an iPhone you
might even consider using the Find
My Friend app to let your trusted pal
make sure you’re in places that you
thought you’d be. If you go somewhere
unexpected, they can call and check in
on you.
When you do finally move from
URL to IRL, make sure to meet up
in a public place first. You can always
go to bars or parties. You can go to
sillier places like The Kissing Statue
downtown or the farmer’s market.
No matter where you meet up, you’ll
get to be in a fairly safe place as you
check to make sure this person is who
you thought they would be. You can

10 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM

always move it to private as fast as you
want, but this way you also have the
option to not move it to private at all
if you so please.
Lastly, the most important thing to
remember about staying safe is to
check in with yourself. Take some
time before going out to decide what
you’re hoping will happen, what you’re
okay with happening, and what your
limits are and make sure to stick to
those decisions. You NEVER have
to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. Does your date want you
to drink, when you might not usu-

ally? Are they trying to do something
sexually that you’re not down to do?
You’re always allowed to say no. If
they keep asking you, feel free to just
stand up and leave. Having boundaries and sharing them doesn’t make
you a bummer. Telling people your
comforts and limits openly makes you
a cooler person and a better lover, and
anyone who tries to give you a hard
time can freakin’ email me!
Stay safe and sexy out there,
Body Party

Letters & Opinion

w a s t e d COMIX
a d v i c e
comics by Melanie Ramirez

tits or booty?
por que no los dos?

steps for dismantling the patriarchy?
stop fucking cis men
demand that you cum
demand that you cum!!!
let boys cry
fuck terfs, but dont actually fuck them
been having crush dreams about my casual pal but we live far apart so whT do
I do?
find somebody else cuz we know that
long distance relationships work,
nobody s worth that, you can find
someone just as average in your own
town- somebody just yelled “African
Americans” at this bar lets move on.
the white dude in the winter beanie really had an opinion but….
I don’t want to get up in the morning every morning, what do I do?
if ur a late night person just make your
bedtime earlier. i usually go to bed at
midnight or one, which means three
or four. just like rewrite your brain and
like escape capitalism.
wheres the good cruising at?
not mccoys!!! move out of oly asap!!
maybe hit up Jake’s, I got hit on a few
times there. which is a horrible recommendation but like… alternatively the
train tracks on Jefferson

tips re being a top and hating being pursued and being a brat who wants ppl to
cum on to me?
you’re in the wrong town
nobody in oly is top. you’re a fetish I’m
rly sorry to let you know
everyone in Olympia is a bottom and
being a top… no one is woke enough
to be a top
if you’re a switch prepare to always be
a top cuz no one will fuck you right.
the cpj is on top of negligent bottoms,
you’ve hurt us and we want to be loved
too.
is day drinking a problem?
I mean… how old are you? I live a mimosa at noon among friends but like…

if you’re fucking someone with a dick
and they ask you whose cock is this do
you say mine or yours?
this is like a queer Seinfeld episode…
you just say “yes daddy”
or maybe, “harder, slap my ass”

“if you’re a newspaper and you’re asking
these questions I’m worried about you” - a
bar local

how do I balance hooking up and making sure people know I like them for who
they are?
stop fucking people who are poly if
that’s not what you want. just like let
it happen and dont be afraid to double
text ppl like just live a little and also
honestly if you’re not poly stop pretending you are!!! it’s ok if you’re not!!!
just fucking figure it out!! it’s ok if ur
not!!!

The CPJ is always taking comic submissions. Just send your comics

WANT TO HAVE YOUR COMIiX to CPJcomix@gmail.com at at least 300 dpi or drop off a hard copy

PUBLISHED IN THE CPJ?

to the CPJ office, CAB 332 across from student activities. For more
information, as well as submission guidelines and sizing
requirments, visit us at http://www.cooperpointjournal.com/submit/

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 / THE COOPER POINT JOURNAL 11

WinCo Foods
The Supermarket Low Price Leader ®

WinCo Coupon Savings

98

$2

Ea.

Limit 2

One coupon per family. Good at the Tacoma WinCo Foods
locations. No photocopied coupons. Effective Sept. 18 - Oct. 3, 2018.

$1

98

Galbani

String
Cheese

Ea.

Beef, Chicken or Shrimp, 12 Pk.-2.5 Oz.

12 Oz.

Limit 2

¢

98

Displayed Varieties, 4.9-5.5 Oz.

¢

48

Ea.

Dannon

Triple Zero
Greek Yogurt
Displayed Varieties, 5.3 Oz.

#9299

¢

48

Ea.

Limit 4

One coupon per family. Good at the Tacoma WinCo Foods
locations. No photocopied coupons. Effective Sept. 18 - Oct. 3, 2018.

WinCo Foods

y NE

I-5

.

yE
n Wa

Marti
Marvin Rd. SE

Carpentar Rd. SE

.

WinCo Coupon Savings

#9298

n Pk

yE
n Wa

Ea.

One coupon per family. Good at the Tacoma WinCo Foods
locations. No photocopied coupons. Effective Sept. 18 - Oct. 3, 2018.

One coupon per family. Good at the Tacoma WinCo Foods
locations. No photocopied coupons. Effective Sept. 18 - Oct. 3, 2018.

Marti

#9297

Limit 2

Limit 2

Britti

48

Potato
Chips

Ea.

WinCo Coupon Savings

Displayed Varieties, 3 Ct.

Ea.

¢

Pringles

One coupon per family. Good at the Tacoma WinCo Foods
locations. No photocopied coupons. Effective Sept. 18 - Oct. 3, 2018.

Microwave
Popcorn

$1

WinCo Coupon Savings

#9296

Limit 2

Jolly Time

48

One coupon per family. Good at the Tacoma WinCo Foods
locations. No photocopied coupons. Effective Sept. 18 - Oct. 3, 2018.

WinCo Coupon Savings

Displayed Varieties, 2.85 Oz.

#9320

Limit 2

One coupon per family. Good at the Tacoma WinCo Foods
locations. No photocopied coupons. Effective Sept. 18 - Oct. 3, 2018.

Beef Jerky

WinCo Coupon Savings

#9015

Prices effective September 18 - October 3, 2018.

WinCo Coupon Savings

Jack Link’s

Ea.

Displayed Varieties, 12 Pack - 12 Oz.

One coupon per family. Good at the Tacoma WinCo Foods
locations. No photocopied coupons. Effective Sept. 18 - Oct. 3, 2018.

Cup
Noodles

$1

Sparkling
Water

Limit 1

Nissin

98

WinCo Foods

LOW PRICES

Displayed Varieties,
6 Pk.-2.4 Oz. Bars

#9063

Every Aisle • Every Department • Every Day

Clif Bars

WinCo Coupon Savings

#9295

N

7540 Martin Way East
Lacey, WA 98516
12 WWW.COOPERPOINTJOURNAL.COM

An Employee Owned Company

Everyone Saves…

No Membership, No Card Required

Cash, Check, Debit, and EBT transactions are welcome.We do not accept credit cards.

wincofoods.com