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Trimming through training

Casey Smith — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Carrie Wigton’s office was spotted with neat piles of fitness magazines and schedules when I sat down to speak with her about exercise and weight loss.

As the fitness coordinator at the IMA, she’s responsible for a lot of things that happen at the campus activity center, but the aspect I was most interested in talking to her about was personal training.

“Well, a majority of our clients are interested in weight loss or toning,” Wigton told me.

I was interested in both. When I lost 60 pounds my freshman year of college, the IMA played an integral role in my efforts. I started out by swimming, something I knew how to do well, then eventually moved to running, but there was really no other variation in my workout. I realized that after more than two years at the UW, I’ve only ever done these two activities. So I sat down with a few specialists at the IMA to figure out how to make the most out of my workout.

There was only one possible barrier that could be in my way.

“So, are the training services free to students?” I asked.

I knew it was a long shot, but I also knew that personal trainers could be expensive.

Wigton pulled out a pamphlet with training information, highlighting prices. Not free, but not as expensive as I expected.

All first-time clients are required to purchase a personal training introductory package. For $60, you get a 90-minute session with a trainer, 30 minutes of which are a consultation, with the remaining hour spent going through a personalized workout routine.

The initial $60 made me clench my teeth as I thought of the other things that money could go toward, but Wigton pointed out that if I signed up for a 12-session training package, an hour-long session would only end up costing me $30. Considering that most other gyms will charge anywhere from $60 to $75 for an hour with a trainer, I weighed my options and decided to pay.

If I was serious about getting fit, there was no reason I shouldn’t be willing to give up the equivalent of a weekend of heavy drinking in cost.

“So, who do you have available for early next week?” I asked.

MEETING THE TRAINER

Lamont Fish has been a personal trainer at the UW for about three years now. But he describes himself first as a strength and conditioning specialist, who’s trained students at the UW range from age 16 to faculty and staff members age 81.

I told him two things when I met with him for my consultation: “I want to drop my body fat percentage, and I want to learn how to lift properly.”

Fish asked me about what my typical workout routine was like. I replied that I usually run for 30 to 40 minutes a few times a week, but I wasn’t getting results like I did when I first started losing weight.

“You’ve got to have variety in your workout,” Fish told me, “otherwise your body just gets used to your routine.”

Fish and I chatted about his experience as a trainer while he took my blood pressure and measured my body fat.

A native of New York, Fish completed his undergraduate education at Arizona State University before coming to Seattle. Since he’s been here, he’s done mostly one-on-one training.

“I generally train a lot of females. Males tend to think they know what to do when it comes to getting stronger and lifting weights,” Fish said, emphasizing the word “think.”

He continued: “From my experience, no offense, of all the people I’ve trained, women have worked the hardest. Maybe they think they have something to prove, but women tend to work harder.”

One of the women that Fish has trained who led him to make such a comment is junior Nisha Nariya. Nariya broke her ankle earlier this year and, after it healed, sought out Fish because he had a physical-therapy background.

“I wanted to make sure I was working out properly,” Nariya said. “Not only has it helped my leg heal faster, but it’s also been a good workout.”

Another is Megan Kogut, 37, an employee and part-time student at the UW who has been training at the IMA for about two and a half years. She chose to train with Fish after she learned he had particular insight for bikers.

“I race mountain bikes, and I saw that Lamont had done a 24-hour mountain bike race in his bio, and I had just done one, so I figured I wouldn’t have to explain that to him,” Kogut said.

When I asked Nariya why she thought Fish’s female clients tended to work harder than the males, she could only speak for herself.

“The reason I work out so hard is because I’m paying to see him, and I really want to make the most out of it,” she explained. “I don’t want to waste my time or his time.”

After paying for my first-ever training session, I found Nariya’s sentiments to be the same ones driving me. I was eager to get started as Fish led me to the third floor of the IMA to begin the last hour of our session.

THE WORKOUT

“Choose your instrument,” Fish instructed me as he gestured toward cardio machines on the third floor of the IMA. “Then warm up for five minutes.”

I jumped on a treadmill and started it up to my normal pace, about an eight-minute mile. Fish immediately reached over and increased my incline to level one.

“Remember what I told you about varying your workout?” he said. “Sometimes, you have to give your body something it’s not expecting.”

I reached up and increased the incline to level two.

“There you go,” Fish acknowledged.

It was harder than I thought it would be. Normally, five minutes on a treadmill would be a piece of cake, but that’s only because my body is used to it. Once I threw it a curveball like an incline, I was hurting, and I found myself shorter on breath than usual.

The next step was teaching me the machines. We began with simple assisted pull-ups, then Fish had me alternating between leg presses and push-ups, making sure I didn’t have a down beat. As soon as that was done, he told me to take two laps, two-ninths of a mile.

What came next was easily the hardest part of the workout for me: planks, low to high, mixed in with opposite arm crunches.

I was sweating it out big time, but Fish kept me motivated. “You got this,” he repeated as I wavered.

After sets of prone hamstring curls, row, cross-up knee tucks, and dumbbell shoulder presses and bicep curls, plus about five more laps, we were finished. I was exhausted, but surprised at how quickly the hour had passed. I definitely felt more energized and pumped than after my typical runs.

“You should be doing this three times a week,” Fish said.

I asked about whether or not I should schedule any follow up sessions.

“I hate to say this because this is going to hit me in the wallet, but young people, I don’t think, need a consistent trainer all the time,” Fish told me. He said as long as I kept up with my routine and worked out on my own, I should be able to take off independently.

I said goodbye and thanked him for the best workout I’d had since my high-school football practice days, hinting that I might be in for a check-up session later in the year. Fish said he’d be more than happy to meet again.

“The people who come back after a year, that usually works out really well,” Fish said. “They start to pick up on the lifestyle.”

Reach Editor-in-Chief Casey Smith at lifestyles@dailyuw.com.

Campus Crime Blotter: Petulant patients, foot chases and smoky clusters

Lexie Krell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

From confiscated marijuana pipes to stolen property, this weekly crime blotter aims to inform readers about offenses on and surrounding campus. While in-depth articles may be written about specific incidents, this column provides a brief overview of recent crimes that impact the UW community.

Friday, Oct. 30

An unknown suspect stole an MP3 player from a car in the N15 parking lot. The victim forgot to lock the vehicle, and the estimated loss is $40.

Saturday, Oct. 31

A student forgot her card case containing a debit and husky card in the dining area of McMahon Hall around 5 p.m. and returned around 8:30 p.m. to find the items missing. The victim cancelled the cards and there are no suspects at this time.

Sunday, Nov. 1

Officers responded to a call from McMahon Hall after an RA smelled marijuana coming from one of the clusters during nightly rounds. Police heard shuffling and a drawer close after they knocked on the door and detected the distinct odor of marijuana. Upon entering the room, officers confiscated a multicolored glass-pipe containing a burnt substance. Prior contact had been made with the cluster regarding marijuana and a warning was issued.

Staff at the UW Medical Center ER asked an individual to leave after she threw a plastic bottle across the room. The suspect proceeded to flail her arms, striking the staff member across the right side of her face with an open hand. The suspect told police that she was in extreme pain and had been waiting in the ER for four days. She requested to be transported to another medical facility and was taken to the UW Police Department for processing. The woman was arrested and booked into King County Jail for assault in the fourth degree.

Monday, Nov. 2

Officers responded to Johnson Hall and contacted a man and a woman outside the building. After being asked for identification, the woman complied, and the male suspect fled into the building. Backup officers arrived, and after a short foot-chase, the suspect was apprehended. The female had a misdemeanor warrant for theft, and the man had a felony escape warrant and was active with the Department of Corrections.

Friday, Nov. 6

A funeral procession to Key Arena will be held for Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton, who was killed in the line of duty Oct. 31st. Vehicles will gather in the E-1 parking lot before the cortege begins at 9 a.m. Montlake Boulevard and Northeast Pacific Street are expected to be impacted for roughly two and a half hours.

The UWPD provides the information for this column.

Reach reporter Lexie Krell at news@dailyuw.com.

Chan, Dy advance at Indoor Championships

Taylor Soper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Overcoming a red-eye flight and a midterm exam, Washington tennis stars Venise Chan and Denise Dy persevered, and both pulled out first-round victories yesterday at the prestigious ITA National Indoor Championships in New Haven, Conn.

It wasn’t the best of performances for either of the players, but they gutted out two wins against some talented competitors. Dy, ranked seventh in the tournament, took care of Noemie Scharle of Florida State, 6-3, 6-2. She overcame a bit of nervousness to pick up her first career win at the National Indoor Championships.

“It wasn’t one of her best matches,” assistant coach Damon Coupe said from New Haven. “Being her first singles main draw at nationals, she was a little nervous and I think she had some butterflies. We calmed her down and settled her into her game. She started to play her game after that and was successful at it.”

Chan, who had to take a midterm directly after her match, dealt with a home crowd but still defeated Stephanie Kent of Yale, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4. Chan, the No. 1 singles player on the Husky squad, was not playing at the top of her game but persevered for the victory. Coupe said it’s what you’d expect from a top player like Chan, who is ranked 16th in the country.

“With the overnight flight and lack of sleep, she was physically and mentally tired,” Coupe said. “But she was able to pull the match out. That’s what a top player does. Even when they are not feeling good or having their best game, they find a way to win.”

Dy will now face off against a familiar foe in 2009 Pac-10 Player of the Year Hilary Barte of Stanford. The Pac-10 competitors just saw each other at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships. On her way to winning the singles title, Dy defeated Barte in the quarterfinals. The victory was impressive considering Barte’s No. 5 national ranking.

Chan, who is seeded eighth in the tournament, will put her midterm behind her and concentrate on her match today against Kristy Frilling of Notre Dame, who is ranked 20th in the country.

Both matches begin today at 10:30 a.m. If victorious, the women will move on to their quarterfinal matches, which will also be played later this afternoon.

This is the first time in program history that the women have had two participants in the Indoor Championships. The last time any Husky qualified for the event was in 2004, when Dea Sumantri made it all the way to the quarterfinals.

Reach reporter Taylor Soper at sports@dailyuw.com.

Faculty Code conflict opens UW to potential lawsuits

Katie McVicker — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

At the Faculty Senate meeting last week, Senate Chair Bruce Balick said that this year, the senators will face the issue of the maintenance of faculty salary policy during a financial crisis, which has led to successful lawsuits against the UW in the past.

In March 2009, Emmert created Executive Order No. 29, suspending 2 percent meritorious salary increases, which faculty typically have received annually every year since the year 2000, through the 2009-2011 biennium and allowing for a re-evalution of policy in times when no new money is available. However, sections 24-70-B-1 and 24-71-B-1 of the Faculty Code still call for annual merit increases, which is in direct conflict with Executive Order No. 29.

Though this problem seems like a minor technicality, failure to bring the two pieces to harmony could cost the university millions.

In 2004, Duane Sorti, a mechanical engineering professor at UW, filed a lawsuit against the university because it had failed to award faculty members their 2 percent salary increase for the 2002-2003 school year. Though university officials argued that the Legislature had not provided sufficient funding that year to cover the raises, the judge in the case said that the promise in the faculty code was considered an official contract and ruled in favor of Sorti. The two-year court battle resulted in the UW losing $17.5 million in a settlement.

“[The re-evaluation found in Executive Order No. 29] is what was missing in 2002 when the administration declared there would be no merit increase, and that’s a primary reason the judge issued a preliminary judgment in Storti’s favor that eventually led to the settlement,” said Senator David Lovell in a faculty e-mail. “The Regents, without rewriting the code or mentioning any specific provisions, stipulated that the new Executive Order No. 29 was the official policy of the university for this biennium and that anything that appeared to conflict was suspended, to the extent that it conflicted.”

But the Regents’ claim is a temporary solution at best. As long as the conflict remains written in the provisions, the UW faces potential legal problems. Now, the faculty senate is working with the administration to find ways to honor the intentions of the Regents and avoid faculty lawsuits without having to rewrite the Code.

“Whether there is any need for legislation to amend the Code is one of the issues being discussed in these meetings,” Lovell said.

Faculty Senate secretary Marcia Killien is on the committee that will meet with the administration this year. As of now, Killien said the senate doesn’t have any specific strategies for addressing the issue.

“There have been some informal discussions,” she said, “but we actually have not [started] having meetings yet.”

Balick said that if the Regents think the committee is unsuccessful in accomplishing its goal, they may use their authority to change the Code themselves.

“We all agree that, should the Regents effect any code changes on their own volition, then a very unwanted and dangerous precedent will have been established,” Balick said. “We hope and believe that such action is avoidable. By all accounts, the Regents have not done such a thing since 1956 when the Code was written, and none of us really wants to force their hand now over raises that lie well outside of UW’s present budget and fly in the face of the Governor’s decrees.”

Reach reporter Katie McVicker at news@dailyuw.com.

Free Speech Friday: Nov. 6, 2009

Various — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

There are two things that I want to talk about, the first being the story that was written about the new Homecoming “rally” being in the HUB. I think that the new way that they are doing the Homecoming rallies are infinitely worse compared to what they used to do in Red Square. Don’t get me wrong. I understand that there are budget cuts and the economy is down, but the consistent highlight of those rallies was that the captains of the team and the coach would always come up and give the crowd a speech and get everyone pumped up for the game the next day. With this new format, there is potential, but something about getting my hand dipped in wax, root beer kegs, and castle-building doesn’t get me excited to watch a football game.

The other subject I would like to talk about is the sad state of The Daily’s sports section. Every Tuesday when I read The Daily, I always like to read the Battle Royale and hope that it will be actually good. Every week I am disappointed by at least one of the writers who just brush off questions. For example if you’ll look at last week’s Battle Royale, there was a comical question about biceps and one of the writers denied answering the question, saying “I’m not here to discuss biceps,” or something to that extent. Obviously it is your job to write something in there, so yes, you are there to talk about biceps. This just shows the consistent lack of effort that the sports writers put into their stories. There are some stories that are pretty good, but most of the time, they show a lack of effort and don’t really tell much about what is going on. This is the UW’s paper. I think they should have a little more passion about their school’s sports. UW athletics is something that I am very passionate about and have been my entire life. If you want better sports stories with actual passion, Daily, I’m looking for a job.

Tyler Hurlbut

Senior, history

Ballots for the Seattle mayoral election are still being counted and the main issue separating the candidates, the elevated Alaskan Way Viaduct (AWV), evolved due to new information released by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

It would appear that seeing the still-suspect (no collapsing older buildings further inland) video of a viaduct failure and extrapolating that to any elevated structure in the AWV footprint, caused WSDOT and elected officials to terrify the public about AWV safety.

Having watched WSDOT representative Ron Paananen present the partially collapsing AWV graphic simulation of results during a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on TV on Oct. 24, 2009, I have a few questions, particularly where he said it represents what we believe will happen, and then watching the full video on YouTube with the explanatory comments.

1. Was this video tied to a computer simulation with adjustable parameters, or was it just a scary movie?

2. If it was based on a computer simulation, how was it validated? Was data from the 6.8 magnitude 2001 Nisqually earthquake used?

3. Where was the epicenter of the 7.0 earthquake referred to in the graphic movie?

4. Were computer simulations done changing the location (three-dimensionally) of the epicenter, and if so, what were the results?

5. Was a computer simulation done with the same 7.0 at the same epicenter, considering a rebuilt seawall and an AWV rebuilt from Sout Holgate to Battery Street to current federal safety standards? If yes, what were the results? If not, why not?

6. Was a computer simulation done with a 9.0 earthquake at the same epicenter for a rebuilt AWV and seawall?

These are important questions because the majority of Puget Sounders preferred — until scared — a retrofit or rebuild of the existing elevated SR 99 AWV.

Perhaps qualified College of Engineering folk could analyze the computer simulations if they were actually done.

If not, and if it was just a scary movie, perhaps political science, psychology, etc. types could analyze how scare tactics are used in political decisions. Finally, journalism types could investigate to publicize who is behind the scheme.

Harvey Friedman,

Staff, ‘75

In response to “What they are not,” by Lael Telles, Nov. 2, 2009

In the Nov. 2 lifestyles piece by Lael Telles, Southern Baptist-raised atheist Chris Busby stated that he was unable to provide a moral framework on his own, but acquired a belief system from the Secular Students Union.

As an agnostic, I am most frequently frustrated by that question: “How do you get your morals without God?” My understanding is that humans constructed a set of moral principles and later attributed it to being inspired by a god. As social beings, a moral code based upon reciprocal altruism is a product of evolution in human beings. I have no innate desire to kill, rape or steal, and I do not need the threat of a thunderbolt-throwing deity to protect the rest of you from my antisocial urges. My personal experience with employers, family and friends suggests that this assumed lack of morals among non-theists is widespread and incredibly ignorant. We do not feel licensed to judge homosexuals, suppress women or convert non-believers from an interpretation of Old Testament scripture. My moral code is innate, deduced from the world around me, and learned from being raised in a loving environment, where kindness, responsibility and tolerance were taught. Like many non-theists, Christian parents raised me, but even from a young age, I could never practice blind faith without objective reasoning; and like others, I kept my skepticism secret. To quote Bill Maher, by remaining silent and allowing theists to continue to mischaracterize our morals, we are “enablers.” I urge non-theists to illustrate by example that non-theists do adhere to well-defined moral codes that are humanistic and congruent with a healthy society.

Josh Carmichael

Graduate student,

geophysics

In response to “Mail-in voting a good idea,” by Gavin Verhey, Nov. 3, 2009

Dear editor,

I read an article recently in The Daily about mail-in voting by contributing columnist Gavin Verhey. In the article, the author praised the benefits of mail-in voting. He apparently felt that between his schoolwork and personal obligations, he did not have time to physically go to a polling location. It does not fit into his schedule. I realize this requires that he must learn the location of his local polling place, but I feel he can do this if he can learn the location of a musical group he would like to see. The author also stated that voting by mail was convenient. God forbid he be inconvenienced in any way. He comes across as very arrogant in that he cannot be bothered because, as a young person, he is too important.

The author states that mail-in voting allows a significantly higher number of people to participate. He tries to tie lower voter turnout to not having mail-in voting. He fails to consider other things such as voter apathy. In the recent Washington state election, only 56 percent of the registered voters voted in King County. He goes on to claim that mail-in voting makes it easier for the elderly and disabled. Unless I am mistaken, being elderly is not a condition that prevents participation. As far as the people who are disabled, prior to all mail-in voting, members of both political parties had numerous volunteers that would drive people who requested to go to their polling place.

Basically, all the reasons the author stated contribute to a greater problem: the loss of the feeling that a person is part of a community. I miss the opportunity to chat with my neighbors while standing in line waiting for a chance to vote. If students feel that they can’t vote any other way other than mail-in voting, I suggest they get a voting place or two on campus.

Hopefully, the county will realize the error of mail-in voting and restore the polling stations again.

Robert W. Foedisch

Administrative Assistant

In response to “Don’t be that guy,” by Colin Gorenstein, Nov. 5, 2009

· Don’t be that guy that writes lists of social regulations in an attempt at humor.

· Don’t be that guy who admittedly focuses his ”sole purpose” on hedging individual expression toward flock psychology.

· Don’t be that guy actually enjoying icebreakers (that wouldn’t be cool, yo) or the guy photo-editing at 2 a.m.

· Don’t be that guy bemoaning all behavior he finds a “nuisance.”

Mr. Gorenstein does not appreciate many things that you and I do. They must stop flagrant acts such as “making a clever observation by pointing out that the world’s largest book in Suzzalo Library has changed pages since yesterday,” which is clearly as grievous a blunder as TPing the campus. So make sure, if you see Colin and three of his friends heading toward your study table, to clear out!

Articles detailing how to appropriately act — and not act — in society, explicitly highlight the private judgments we hold about the world and how to avoid its scornful eyes. You can find these sorts of articles in classy publications such as Cosmopolitan (post 1960s) and GQ. We UW students, as young adults, can generally forgive these magazines for their adolescence, as our very own Daily is heir to a richer history itself. But within our campus, is this tendency toward thumbing up or down anyone who stands out a liberative function of the university newspaper or a method of preserving like style?

Do these traits Colin listed even add up to one person, or are they an amalgamation of all the disturbing qualities “those guys” exhibit? In other words, how many of you are “that guy (or girl)” in at least one way? I certainly am guilty of committing sins similar to a few examples listed (i.e. playing a “jazzy rendition of ‘Chopsticks’ on the dorm lobby piano, unaware of the fact that 10 people before [me] have done the same — and better”). I don’t feel bad about this. Perhaps refusing to hang my head in shameful absolution is another reason I am “that guy.” Shoot!

I am sure (and hope) most of this is tongue-in-cheek for Colin. It’s an opinion page and so we should not take him too seriously, right? It seems all we have to do is recall our friend — and I do consider John a friend, though I fervently disagree with his agendas — John Fay’s famous man-and-sheep column of last year to illustrate how much these talking heads do indeed matter.

In Colin’s universe we all would abide by his every preference. It surely is unfortunate, given his wide readership, that Colin’s preferences do not include taking himself and his messages as seriously as we do. There are certainly issues worth addressing, like global warming and human rights (i.e. Don’t be that guy riding to El Gaucho in the stretch Hummer), which require social cooperation to overcome. But as us environmentalists have learned, you can’t stop people’s “need” for affluence by listing what they shouldn’t do. All that accomplishes is added guilt.

Don’t keep your opinions to yourself, Colin, but consider what it is you’re advocating. If you need a more explicit version of my response, check the men’s stalls in Odegaard.

Tye Rogerson

Senior, environmental studies

Huskies to say goodbye to seniors

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Decades ago, when some sportswriter on a slow news day first dubbed the Pac-10 the “Conference of Champions,” he was probably referring to women’s soccer. To play a season in the Pac-10, a team must run a gauntlet of tough teams. In fact, eight of the conference’s teams have been ranked in the top 25 at some point this season, and four have ranked in the top 10. What this means is that in this conference, there are no weeks off. Every weekend, you will face at least one ranked opponent — probably two. Washington coach Lesle Gallimore wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There are good players out in the rest of the country, but they aren’t any better than what we see every weekend,” Gallimore said. “You see the best of the best, five weeks in a row. If you can have success against them and play well against those types of players, it bodes pretty well for you. It sets you up nicely for the postseason.”

Washington may have saved its toughest weekend for last. Today, the Huskies will take on No. 3 UCLA, and on Sunday they play No. 21 USC. These will be the Huskies’ last two games of the regular season and will be crucial leading into the postseason. Washington currently sits sixth in the conference, and a good showing against a pair of top opponents would look great to the selection committee.

The Huskies’ ace this year has been their defense, and they will rely on it heavily against a couple of high-powered offenses this week. However, the Huskies have been allowing more shots in the last couple of weekends. It isn’t a problem with schemes, though, and the Husky players realize they need to focus.

“We’re just going to try to keep on doing what we’ve been doing all year, and that’s focus on team defending,” junior defender Kendyl Pele said. “We’re not going to change [our defense] looking at these two teams. Once you get into Pac-10 play, it’s harder to hold them off, but defensively we’re solid, and we just need to focus on keeping goals out of the net.”

An inevitable side story to the last home games of the season is senior night, when Washington’s seniors will play their final game at home. The Huskies have six seniors this season, and the underclassmen hope to send Chelsea Bumbaugh, Lindsey Kasser, Alex Kirk, Nikki Murray, Veronica Perez and Alex Phillips out in style. However, the players and the coaches realize the importance of not letting their emotions get the best of them.

“It’s probably going to be an emotional time,” Pele said. “But we’re hoping this isn’t going to be our last game, so we don’t consider it the last game for our seniors.”

Gallimore thinks her players will be fine.

“As a team and as a coach, we don’t like to get too high or too low,” Gallimore said. “You just want to go about your business. Hopefully for them, it’s been a good season, and finishing at home is always more fun than finishing on the road. Hopefully they come out and put on a good show for some of the best fans in the Pac-10 and the people of Seattle who have supported them in their time here.”

Reach reporter Jacob Thorpe at sports@dailyuw.com.

Locker to start against UCLA

Christian Caple — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

If there were any doubts remaining as to the status of Washington quarterback Jake Locker for Saturday’s game against UCLA, a couple quick QB runs in practice yesterday put them to bed.

Yes, Locker looked fine in practice. And yes, he will play this week, head coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“He ran really well, man,” Sarkisian said. “I was really, really impressed. He was a little sore earlier today from yesterday’s practice, but he looked great today.”

The Huskies practiced indoors without pads for about an hour and a half, and you wouldn’t have been able to tell Locker had a deep bruise in his thigh if you didn’t already know. He looked healthy on a couple of sprints down the field — the biggest concern for Sarkisian as the week progressed.

“I wanted to see him run full speed,” Sarkisian said. “I wanted to see him really open up and go full speed, and he was able to do that.”

None of this really comes as a surprise. Though everyone was pretty non-committal on Monday, Locker told reporters, “I expect to be out there.”

He might not be the only guy returning from injury who could make an impact Saturday in the Rose Bowl. Safety Jason Wells, who missed all of last season while recovering from a knee injury, was active in practice this week and could play a role in UW’s secondary Saturday.

Wells was a starter before suffering an ACL tear against USC in 2007. He may have been able to return earlier this season, but Sarkisian thought it best to make certain he was ready to go.

“We saw it in the last few weeks; we just didn’t want to press him and push him back too quick,” Sarkisian said. “I thought we might have done that in training camp, but from the last few weeks into last week, especially, he really showed that he was capable of going, and he’s had a nice week of work.”

If Wells plays — and Sarkisian seems pretty sure he will — he’ll add to the Huskies’ safety-by-committee approach. Nate Williams is their only lock to start, while Wells, Nate Fellner, Victor Aiyewa and Greg Walker should all figure into the mix, as well.

And the Huskies could also be regaining receiver Jordan Polk, who missed the last two games with a cartilage tear in his right knee. He was going full speed at practice yesterday, though, and he could be back on the field against UCLA.

“He had a really nice day today,” Sarkisian said. “He was going full speed, [with] full speed cuts. He’ll be dressed and ready to go Saturday as well.”

Just like everyone else, it seems.

NOTES

Sarkisian said E.J. Savannah, Cameron Elisara and Jordan Wallace will stay home from the trip with injuries. Savannah recently had surgery to repair a broken left thumb, Elisara has been battling a stinger and Wallace tweaked his knee in practice this week. This week is a homecoming of sorts for Sarkisian, a Los Angeles-area native. He even has a couple of family members who graduated from UCLA. “Just on a piece of paper,” he was quick to point out. “Not at heart.” They’ll be rooting for the Huskies this week, he said.

Reach Sports Editor Christian Caple at sports@dailyuw.com.

Microsoft exec visits UW

Ivan Vukovic — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Last night, Kane 120 was filled with students in computer-related study fields as well as many local technology enthusiasts because Craig Mundie, the chief research and strategy officer of Microsoft, stopped by the UW to speak on the future state of technology that will be provided by the corporation.

Mundie is continuing a tradition that Bill Gates carried forth throughout his career, in which he would take a week to travel to universities across the nation and world. His travels have taken him to institutions in places such as Korea, China and India.

This year, Mundie’s lecture circuit concluded here in Seattle, where Microsoft has continually maintained and developed a relationship with the UW.

“In every generation, students have a blend of altruism, optimism and sensitivity with the issues that are forming today,” Mundie said as a preface to his talk, which was about how developing technologies will assist in solving the issues affecting the world today and how research institutions will be involved in that process.

The most prominent issue discussed was global climate change. Technology presented during the talk included a program that allows users to preview planetary climate conditions over the next century, while allowing variables regarding vegetation models, rates or deforestation, and CO2 emissions to be taken into account.

“We think computing is in its infancy,” Mundie said, addressing the notion that computer technology has become passé and invisible. “It’s going to be important to continue investing in computing. Without it, we’ll have difficulty solving these problems.”

Mundie also presented the audience with a preview of future computer interfaces, which implemented both touch-screen and motion-senor technologies, allowing people to control what their computer does by moving their body rather than using a mouse.

“The successor to the desktop computer will be the room,” Mundie said. “Increasingly, the computer will become more proactive instead of reactive.”

Goals discussed included the notion that when it comes to searches and queries, engines and computer interfaces should be able to predict intent and the next few clicks of the user.

“Most people don’t have the luxury of professional assistants. Mundie said. “I think everyone’s computer should be their personal assistant.”

He went on to refer to the tools being developed that could help places such as the UW Medical Center, stating, “Around 2012 to 2015, the technologies should start to be seen in forms conducive to use at the UW.”

When it came to the relationship between Microsoft and the UW, Mundie said the UW community will be part of the technologies Mundie featured.

He said: “[There is] no reason to believe that the relationship won’t continue to diversify and expand.”

Reach reporter Ivan Vukovic at news@dailyuw.com.

NCAA bid in the balance as Huskies head to LA

Mark Morgan — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

This afternoon the Washington men’s soccer team will go up against No. 24 San Diego State (6-4-5, 3-2-2) in San Diego and will take on No. 10 UCLA (9-3-2, 4-1-2) on Sunday in Los Angeles to wrap up the final road trips of the regular season for the Huskies.

The Huskies will be facing a San Diego State squad that has won three out of its last four matches, beating No. 21 Stanford (10-4-2, 4-3-2) on the road and Cal (8-8-1, 2-6-1) twice. Washington will have its hands full with an Aztec squad that has been steadily improving since its 0-0 draw on Oct. 2.

At this point in the season, the Huskies have no room for error or fatigue. They are currently sitting in fifth place in the Pac-10 conference, though just two points behind the third-place Aztecs.

“If we want to make the playoffs, we need to get at least one big win,” said junior defender Taylor Mueller. “We can’t lose — no matter what — at this point in time.”

This final regular-season road trip will most likely dictate Washington’s chances at making it to the NCAA tournament.

“Tough games: Everybody’s got something at stake,” said head coach Dean Wurzberger. “So close, hard-fought games, for sure. I think SDSU still thinks they have a chance for sure for the postseason, and they might think they have a chance at the Pac-10 title.”

After a scoreless draw earlier in Pac-10 play, Washington will again turn to its defense, which has allowed only five goals in seven conference matches, to come up big.

“I like the way we’re playing, and I like our team’s attitude,” said Wurzberger. “I just want to make sure I do everything that I can to make sure they arrive fresh in that game on Friday, because we have been slugging it out at a high tempo, high intensity, in extra time in both games. So there’s a resulting fatigue you can expect in those situations.”

On Sunday, Washington will again go up against a powerhouse team on the ropes: UCLA. After winning 10 games in a row, the Bruins have dropped two straight matches, to No. 21 Stanford and Creighton. UCLA, however, still remains unbeaten at home (5-0) and in first place in the Pac-10.

The Huskies believe they can stop the Bruins with their physical defenders and a little luck on the offensive end.

“We’re playing extremely well,” said Wurzberger. “We’ve got forwards that have been unlucky, and the goalkeepers made a couple of good saves. We think that will eventually pay off for us. Those goals that we’ve missed will go in, and what a better time than on the road trip?”

Washington has out-shot its opponents 234 to 188, but the Huskies have only come up with 14 goals this season, which is the same total they have allowed.

Although the Huskies have not been able to find the net on a regular basis, they have been a notoriously good road team in conference, with their one Pac-10 victory coming on the road at Cal on Oct. 9.

“That helps with the confidence factor as we go down there,” said Wurzberger. “We know what to expect, and that’s got to play to our advantage.”

Senior forward Casey Cunningham knows how important the weekend is.

“We’re looking for a victory, no matter how it comes,” Cunningham said. “We’re on the road; don’t have to play pretty, just get a result.”

Reach reporter Mark Morgan at sports@dailyuw.com.

Stanford coming to Hec Ed for top-5 rematch

Taylor Soper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

The Washington volleyball team preaches that every match during the season is of equal importance, but with two conference powerhouses visiting Seattle this weekend and first place in the Pac-10 on the line, the No. 4 Huskies know that the intensity will rise today and tomorrow.

Husky fans will be treated to a pair of Pac-10 showdowns this weekend, with No. 5 Stanford (15-6, 8-3 Pac-10) visiting Hec Edmonson Pavilion tonight and No. 13 Cal (13-8, 6-5) Saturday night. The UW holds a slim one-game lead over the Cardinal.

The Cardinal have been one of only two teams to defeat the UW this season. The last time the two met, Stanford came back from a 2-1 deficit and snapped the Huskies’ 15-match win streak. Though revenge may be on their minds, the Husky players won’t let it distract them.

“There is a revenge factor, but we try not to keep that in our heads,” sophomore Bianca Rowland said. “We just want to go out and do what we know how to do, and hopefully it will stop them this time.”

When the Huskies visited Berkeley nearly one month ago, their offense led them to a 3-0 sweep over the Golden Bears. But Cal showed that they have had success on the road this year when they upended No. 3 Hawaii in September.

The Huskies have been having some of their best practices of the year in the past few weeks. After committing 18 service errors in a loss to WSU, McLaughlin added extra emphasis on serving and increased the competition and intensity in practice, and the players have responded. At Wednesday’s practice, the team missed only 12 percent of their serves.

“These guys have responded to the work and the emphasis and we got a little return,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin didn’t point out any specific players who stood out this week, but rather noted the team has improved as a whole.

“It’s been collective,” McLaughlin said of the improvements. “Different contributions, different places — collectively, we’ve made some progress.”

Home has been sweet for the Huskies, as they have yet to drop a match at Hec Ed this year. The UW will play five of its last seven games at home, and the home-court advantage will be needed more than ever this weekend. In the loss to Stanford, the Palo Alto crowd seemed to get to the Huskies as they lost their composure. Players hope the opposite will happen tonight.

“It’s going to be an intense crowd, so hopefully that works against Stanford and messes up their game plan,” Rowland said.

Last week, the UW began the second half of the season strong with two wins against Arizona and Arizona State. Though the team has improved every week and addressed various issues apparent in the two losses to WSU and Stanford, the players still believe the team hasn’t reached its full potential just yet.

“I think we still have room to improve,” said junior Kindra Carlson, who racked up a career-high 24 kills in last weekend’s win over Arizona State. “I think we’re really close, but we haven’t hit it yet.”

Reach reporter Taylor Soper at sports@dailyuw.com.

UW women open exhibition season with win

Taylor Soper — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

There was an eerie feeling inside Hec Edmunson Pavilion during the Washington women’s basketball team’s exhibition season-opener last night against Division II Seattle Pacific Unviersity. After a SPU fast-break lay-in increased the Falcon lead to 9-4, fans had to wonder: Was this season going to be a repeat of last year’s eight-win disappointment?

But after a Washington timeout allowed the butterflies and jitters to settle down, the Huskies suddenly showed flashes of an improved team. Scrappy defense and an efficient performance by Laura McLellan led to a 69-61 win for the UW.

“I think getting out here, we’ve been so excited to get going, and we needed to pull back on the reins a little bit,” head coach Tia Jackson said. “We know we can have the same success, just at different pace.”

McLellan led all Huskies with 18 points and six rebounds in just 25 minutes. She was extremely efficient in the post, shooting 8-10 from the field. The senior came off the bench last night, which seems to be a good thing for last year’s second leading scorer.

“We had a running joke last season: Every time I came off the bench, I played so much better,” McLellan explained. “I like being able to see how the defense plays. I don’t mind it.”

After sophomore-transfer Regina Rogers got into early foul trouble in her Husky debut, the UW had to look to McLellan as a force down low. Jackson was impressed with the senior’s ability to score down in the post.

“We ended up looking at a second option with Laura,” Jackson said. “She had some tremendous hands inside, and they had a hard time stopping her.”

After falling behind early in the first half, the Huskies played scrappy defense and went on a 14-0 run, capped off by a Kristi Kingma jump shot to put the Huskies up 18-9 with 11 minutes remaining.

But a tough SPU zone defense and three straight three-point shots gave the Falcons the lead as the momentum started to shift. Thankfully for the Huskies, that’s when McLellan decided to go on her run.

She made three straight baskets and led the UW to a 39-29 lead into halftime. She finished 6-7 in the first half and led all scorers with 12 points. In the second half, McLellan showed some unusual range after she knocked down a wide open three-pointer to extend the Husky lead to 12 with five minutes remaining.

SPU pulled to within six in the second half, but an active and tough Husky defense kept the Falcons from regaining the lead.

“Sami [Whitcomb] created a lot, and [Morton] with her charges, that was extremely exciting,” Jackson said. “On defense we would gamble, and SPU would end up taking advantage of that. We ended up preaching every moment we could about smart defense, and I think eventually it triggered with about 17 minutes left in the second half.”

More than anything, the UW will use last night’s exhibition game as a gauge for improvement. Practice can only show so much, and last night’s efforts proved that the Huskies still have much to work on before the regular season gets underway.

“You have to love exhibition games,” Jackson said. “They reveal a lot about the things we need to work on for a competitive preseason and even more competitive conference play.”

Reach reporter Taylor Soper at sports@dailyuw.com.

Finding fitness through food

Casey Smith — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:44:16 -0800

After losing 60 pounds through extreme weight loss methods my freshman year of college, I had trouble keeping off the weight. Struggling to find a healthy balance between diet, exercise, work and school, I decided to seek out the resources available to students on campus. I ended up having to do more searching than I would have liked, but I found advice through students in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Nutritional Sciences Program. Here’s what I learned.

MEETING THE NUTRITION STUDENT

“Why don’t you explain to me what you eat in a typical day,” Elena Dan, a graduate student pursing her master’s in interdisciplinary nutrition sciences prodded me after we sat down to talk about healthy weight loss. I stalled for a second, trying to remember what I had eaten just that morning.

“Toast in the morning, Subway for lunch, and usually teriyaki for dinner,” I said. “Sometimes pizza. It depends on what’s being ordered by everyone else at work.”

The last part of my answer prompted another inquiry from Dan.

“How often are you preparing your own food?” she queried.

I searched my thoughts. The last thing I had made for myself was a sandwich over the weekend.

“Not very often,” was my response. “I’m never home enough to have the time.”

With that statement, I had just highlighted one of the biggest problems surrounding my diet that was stopping me from getting proper nutrition: environment.

“You have to shape your environment to where you’re not constantly tempted,” Dan explained, “Right now, your environment doesn’t allow you a lot of options.”

The environment dilemma that Dan highlighted is seen all too often at the collegiate level. Students live in dorms where food preparation options are scarce and, while eating healthy doesn’t always have to be costly, it is usually more time-consuming in the midst of work and classes. So, students end up eating out or eating food that is readily available to them.

The problem is that eating out leads to overeating because the portions are usually oversized, and one can never be sure how the food was prepared.

So Dan worked with me to set a goal: Prepare at least one meal for myself each day, something as simple as packing a sandwich for lunch.

“Just by doing that little bit, you’ll be able to control your calorie consumption a lot more,” Dan said.

After going over my diet for a few more minutes, Dan pointed out several other key problems.

“I can tell you right away that you’re missing out on vegetables,” she noted. “What is true is that you need something from all of the food groups.”

Dan drew a circle on a sheet of paper and divided it into a half and two quarters and told me to draw what a typical plate of food for me might look like. I drew a plate of food from University Teriyaki: half of the plate chicken, one-quarter rice, one-quarter salad.

“Let me show you what that plate should look like,” Dan said as she redrew a circle next to it, only in place of the chicken, she drew vegetables and fruit, in place of the salad, she drew protein, and in place of the rice, she drew whole grains.

“What most nutrition specialists will tell you is that you have to look at overall diet,” she explained. “Always being low on energy or always feeling cold, or even bad skin and nails, can all be caused by nutrient deficiency.”

In order to lose weight, one must burn more calories than they take in, but when I lost my weight freshman year, eating fewer calories than I burned didn’t mean I was being healthy.

“Because you were depriving your body, you probably decreased your serotonin level, which affected you mood,” Dan explained.

She again stressed the importance of making sure my diet was balanced, adding that I needed to make sure I ate at as regular of an interval as possible.

“A more regulated food intake will help you make healthier choices when you need to eat,” she said.

Using the Web site mypyramid.gov, Dan calculated a calorie intake chart for me based off of my goal weight of 185 pounds. We found out that, based on my activity level, I should be consuming about 2,400 calories a day. She also broke down the calories in my current diet. While my diet may have been highly deficient in certain areas, I was actually pretty close to the numbers of calories I should be consuming.

So why wasn’t I losing weight as fast as I wanted to? Dan explained one of the reasons.

“You have to do it in a slow way,” Dan said. “Healthy weight loss is only one to two pounds per week.”

Armed with a more acute awareness of how what I eat is affecting my body — and with a plan to improve — I set out to the IMA.

“Weight loss is about diet and exercise,” Dan told me at the beginning of the meeting, “always these components.”

It was time to focus on the latter of the two, and with a meeting set up with a personal trainer, I was ready to find out how to get the most of my workout.

Read tomorrow’s lifestyles piece as Editor-in-Chief Casey Smith goes through a personalized training session at the IMA and learns that getting the most out of your workout isn’t as simple as jumping on a treadmill.

Reach Editor-in-Chief Casey Smith at lifestyles@dailyuw.com.

Artist Spotlight: James Atkins

Nick Feldman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

A biker pedals up a lonely stretch of tree-lined road, pausing to snap photos of his nature-rich surroundings as a lilting piano melody washes across the background. This scene, from a short film entitled Fall, is UW sophomore and design student James Atkins’ proof that art can be a hobby — even a passion — while carrying no immediate professional aims.

“It would probably be later in life when I actually pursue film, after devoting myself to design and becoming as successful as possible,” he said. “I’d love to start my own design firm, which is really ambitious, but hopefully I can reach a point where they both truly join.”

Under the moniker Fire Barrel Films, Atkins shored up his talent and a group of friends as volunteer actors to create nine short films to date. The content ranges from drama and action — as in his 20-minute-long short feature Concealment that he modeled in the spirit of the Jason Bourne series — to art-house and ethereal compositions like the six-minute-long Inspiration.

“It’s really just about creating as much as possible, because 90 percent of what you come up with won’t be really good,” Atkins said. “But when you push yourself and take the extra step in thinking about your world, that’s when you reach the 10 percent that’s truly excellent. It definitely takes time and patience.”

Though only able to take the time to shoot films during the summer — his intense academic studies taking top priority — the young filmmaker does much of his brainstorming and writing during the school year. Drawing on resources like Robert McKee’s book Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting, Atkins puts special focus on building and developing his plots.

“For me, it’s really all about the story,” he said. “That’s the most important part. If you have a good story, a good film will follow.”

Atkins has also seen parallels between his film hobby and design ambitions, especially in the composition aspects of his cinematography. While keeping the films in his mind at all times and maintaining control over both the scripting and filming, as well as playing bit parts in his creations, the filmmaker hobbyist has been able to explore nearly every aspect of the filmmaking process.

At the end of the day, it’s still the same as how it began for him: “I always liked movies, and it was just something to do. It just happened, and I liked it.”

Reach reporter Nick Feldman at weekender@dailyuw.com.

Book Review: Israel vs. Utopia

Morgan Gard — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there are few levelheaded voices to be heard in the mainstream; people tend to pull strongly and vocally in one direction or the other. The more silent forces are usually idealists hushed by pragmatists, who see the nature of the argument and wonder aloud if a resolution to make everyone happy is remotely possible.

Joel Schalit, in his recent book Israel vs. Utopia, is a rare voice indeed. His is a ceaseless observation of the conflict over Israel not between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups, but between left- and right-minded Jews worldwide. The battle over Israel is not whether Israel is a land the Jewish people deserve over others, but the poisonous effect that level of rhetoric has.

Throughout Utopia, Schalit examines criticism of Israel, the violent reaction some have to the idea of Israel being criticized at all, and what little sense either side makes. It’s a careful process to call out two loud, stubborn, opposing groups and come out the other side without an international incident on your hands, but Schalit has a way about his prose that allows him to take jabs without being a provocateur. It’s supremely nuanced work.

For example, in one chapter Schalit discusses President Jimmy Carter’s use of the word apartheid in a 2006 book and a visit to the region in 2008. Predictably, it angered plenty of members of the Israeli government, who refused to meet with Carter after he broke a boycott on meeting with members of the reactionary Palestinian group Hamas.

Schalit not only defends Carter as a terrific figure for both Israel and the Middle East, but condemns the use of the word apartheid as well. It’s not that the links to apartheid aren’t there, Schalit writes, just that apartheid is a sorely loaded term that neglects the situation’s moral grey area.

But Schalit, with all his talents for analytical deconstruction of some hefty topics, falls into the trap of looking too far into things that just don’t or shouldn’t matter in this situation. Two chapters, for instance, base quite a lot of their arguments on the film You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and a “Women of the Israeli Defense Force” issue of Maxim Magazine.

In such a heavy problem, the implications of how Adam Sandler and near-pornography became effective tools of rhetoric are borderline non-instances. Not that Schalit winds up grasping for arguments; he just reads too far into some things.

At the same time, it’s the author’s passion for everything Israel that makes this book. Schalit is a Jew, born in Israel and currently located in Italy after a decades-long stay in San Francisco, who’s made a life’s work out of analyzing his cultural identity. It’s safe to say he knows quite a bit about the conflict and wants as many people as possible to sympathize with the middle-of-the-road side of the story. He goes out of his way to make the book as accessible as possible.

Unfortunately, it’s all too much. Non-Jewish readers, or readers without an above-elementary knowledge of Jewish matters, will find themselves lost. There’s a whole dimension to the writing that can’t be grasped without a preliminary connection to the soul of Israel. I know it’s there; it’s easy to see, but it’s too far away for someone like me.

Either way, it’s a quick, terrific read for anyone who’s curious about the realities of a fuzzy conflict. Readers just need to come in with an open mind and a huge Jewish vocabulary.

Reach reporter Morgan Gard at weekender@dailyuw.com.

The Bottom Shelf: After Hours

Andrew Mitrak — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Martin Scorsese is best known for his films that explore the darker sides of American cities, specifically New York. He’s drifted away from this from time to time, notably with his cerebral exploration of Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ, his period piece The Age of Innocence and his Dalai Lama biopic Kundun. Though his low-key comedy After Hours sticks to his usual backdrop of the shady side of New York City, it may be the greatest anomaly in his repertoire.

After a boring day of work at his boring office job, everyman Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) spends his evening reading Henry Miller at a coffee shop. He is approached by Marcy (Rosanna Arquette), who’s intriguing, attractive and a fellow Henry Miller enthusiast. They talk, joke, flirt and Paul gets her number. It’s evident that this brief interaction is the most exciting thing Paul’s experienced in quite some time, and he’s craving more action. He gives Marcy a call the same night at exactly 11:32 p.m. To his surprise, she invites him over. Things are moving quickly for Paul, but things only get quicker from there.

Paul’s perilous taxi ride to Marcy’s is the first omen of the night to come. His twenty-dollar bill flies out the window, and he’s unable to pay the fair. Of course, what seems like a free ride to Paul will come back to haunt him soon enough.

He arrives at Marcy’s only to find she is away at the drug store. He is left alone with her roommate, a laid back sculptor named Kiki (Linda Fiorentino) who sells bagel-shaped paperweights made of plaster. The more Paul gets to know Marcy, the less he likes about her. All bets are off once he suspects that she has a third-degree burn on her body, as Paul had a traumatic experience in the burn ward of a hospital when he was a youth. Once he decides to bail on Marcy, things really start to get weird as he spends the rest of his night trying to find his way home.

There’s a recurring theme of seemingly trivial occurrences that come back to bite Paul in the ass. This theme is what drives the plot forward. After Hours’ first act sets up the unconventional circumstances for the protagonist. Its second act escalates the situations introduced in the previous act. The final act is a sweeping, over-the-top finale in which the stack of problems facing the protagonist implode in a bizarre, ironic, hilarious conclusion. Certainly, it’s a formula that audiences have become familiar with — Curb Your Enthusiasm executes it perfectly on a weekly basis — but its a formula that doesn’t get old. Moreover, when it’s done well, it will have you laughing yourself silly. After Hours implements this formula flawlessly, and it may be the best feature film to do so.

Scorsese made After Hours in 1985, after The King Of Comedy lost tens of millions of dollars at the box office, despite positive reviews. It remains the lowest-budget feature film he’s made since he found success with Taxi Driver. Though it managed to make a small profit in theaters, it was far from a box-office hit.

This may have been due to the lack of star-power on screen. After Hours showcases an ensemble cast of relatively unknown actors, the most famous being Teri Garr and Cheech and Chong, in what has to be the best movie their names have ever been attached to (sorry, Corsican Brothers).

There are a number of features that distinguish After Hours from Scorsese’s other films. It remains his only comedy to date. It was his first film in a decade not to star Robert De Niro. For all the terrible things that Paul does in After Hours, including driving a troubled woman to suicide, he shows no detectable signs of guilt, one of the most common themes explored in Scorsese’s films. However, the least Scorsese-esque thing about the film has to be that it doesn’t have a single Rolling Stones song on its soundtrack.

After Hours is available for checkout at the Odegaard Media Center.

Reach contributing writer Andrew Mitrak at weekender@dailyuw.com.

Campus group ‘kisses in’ in support of R-71

Kristen Steenbeeke — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Yesterday at noon, a group of UW students could be seen in Red Square with bright-red lip marks on their cheeks — the product of a “Kiss-In” (similar to a “sit-in") which was organized by the UW Students Organizing for LGBT Equality (S.O.L.E.) to raise awareness for gay rights and to gather during the voting-results period for Referendum 71.

“We wanted a way to get out to students that S.O.L.E. exists, and to show people we care about our community,” said sophomore and member of S.O.L.E. Mario Lemafa. “We also wanted to show the different spectrums of love out there and just to put a face on the people on campus that support equal rights.”

During the event, members handed out “Approve Ref. 71” flyers while offering free kisses on the cheek as well as candy kisses. Many people approached the booth interested in Referendum 71 results.

“What really made 71 meaningful to me, though, is that my brother came out last week,” participant and senior Michael McCurdy said. “So I’m supportive of 71 and gay marriage. I’ve heard about the club before, and I’ve been involved, but, if anything, it just solidified it [and] made it more personal.”

One of the main administrators of the event, freshman Emily Juhre, said Referendum 71 was the main reason for the Kiss-In.

“We were just frustrated that there wasn’t any activism going on on campus,” she said. “We decided to create a new club to promote Referendum 71, and we hope to promote other issues in the future.”

These other issues concerning gay rights include the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law and the Defense of Marriage Act, which S.O.L.E. hopes are repealed.

“I don’t think [UW students] realize how serious of an issue this is,” Juhre said. “They already have these benefits and don’t know what it feels like to feel vulnerable and not have them.”

One of the main misconceptions about organizations like S.O.L.E. is that all of the people that participate have to be homosexual.

“To relate it to the civil-rights movement in the ’60s, it’s not like everyone that supported it were blacks — it’s not like that’s what mattered, it just mattered that everyone was equal,” McCurdy said. “And that’s the foundation. It doesn’t matter who identifies as what; you should all be whatever you want.”

Reach contributing writer Kristin Steenbeeke at news@dailyuw.com.

Don't be that guy

Colin Gorenstein — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

He sits in front of you in lecture, accompanies you on your elevator ride, makes himself cozy in the study room you’re in — an ubiquitous presence on campus. And wherever he goes, you can be sure that he will make his presence known. You have learned to associate him as “that guy.”

And that brings me to my very mission: I am writing this with the sole purpose of helping you identify this nuisance in your everyday life — as well as provide you with some simple measures to avoid becoming “that guy,” and to stop if you happen to be “that guy.” Here’s your chance.

Don’t be that guy who:

• insists on taking an elevator from the second floor to the first floor, thus making the already seemingly endless trip to your room that much more dreadful.

• spills his guts into a jazzy rendition of “Chopsticks” on the dorm lobby piano, unaware of the fact that 10 people before him have done the same — and better.

• uses the bathroom sink to dispose of his substantial dinner contents (i.e., beef ravioli) — which, believe it or not, will not fit through the tiny drainage holes in the sink.

• has, at some point, Facebook-status updated something vaguely resembling “Thirsty Thursday.”

• for one reason or another, feels the need to leave his keypad tones on and furiously text message in the library.

• promptly raises his hand in lecture to ask a question which is, well, not much of a question at all for that matter and is instead a mere recapping of what the professor has just explained, as if to ask for praise or a moment in the spotlight.

• uses his time on the john to scribble angry messages on the stall, for the sake of blackmailing his ex-girlfriend (complete with digits and optional Web site URL), reminding us what genitalia look like and the functions they serve, and enlightening us with highly philosophical or political ramblings.

• thinks he is making a clever observation by pointing out that the world’s largest book in Suzzalo Library has changed pages since yesterday.

• makes his iTunes library — containing Miley Cyrus’ entire discography — public.

• TPs the campus. Note: By TPing the tree outside of your math professor’s class, you’re giving the custodial staff something to clean up, not your professor.

• either forgets to plug in his headphones or plugs them into the alternative port in his laptop and mistakenly blasts “Birthday Sex” for all of the study room to enjoy, thinking that the sound is actually coming from his headphones.

• intends to study alone and occupies a table suited for four, forcing the entering group of four to scatter or find another spot altogether.

• pounds on a door that is locked at all hours of the day, fully expecting someone to get up and open it for him. The age-old saying “Take the path less traveled by” only exists in the figurative sense.

• fails to acknowledge the possibility of his clock not matching up with his professor’s and submitting his paper in at “12:01.” Late.

• submits Texts From Last Night while in class.

• makes this the only article he reads in The Daily because it is bulleted.

Reach columnist Colin Gorenstein at opinion@dailyuw.com.

Editorial cartoon and rants and raves

Jeff Booth, Various — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Rants:

According to PC World, there are now more than 100,000 applications available for the iPhone. The only problem is that an overwhelming amount of them are hardly ever downloaded. For example, the 1000th-ranked app was downloaded by only 1.76 percent of all users.

According to The Wall Street Journal, in the economic downturn, some parents are seeking to profit off of their children by setting them up with modelling agencies and talent classes.

Raves:

Comedian and musician Steve Martin and actor/comedian Alec Baldwin will host the Academy Awards next year. The two have been known for hosting Saturday Night Live almost perennially and will be on the same stage for the first time.

According to MSNBC, a Brazilian bricklayer who had reportedly died in a car crash surprised his family and friends after he showed up at his own funeral. Ademir Jorge Goncalves spent the night at a truck stop. Authorities have not identified the body of the deceased person from the car crash.

Film Review: (Untitled)

Robert Frankel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

The verdict: (Untitled) is a sporadically funny but mostly droll comedy that will strike chords with only a limited audience.

Adrian Jacobs (Adam Goldberg) is an experimental composer whose work specializes in the atonal, dissonant and otherwise cacophonous. Scorned by enthusiasts, he is reproached for his lack of harmony at an artist gathering during an early scene. “Harmony was just a capitalist plot to sell pianos,” he retorts bitterly,

His brother Josh is busy making and selling oil paintings of multicolored amorphous blobs to hospitals and hotel chains. Both men long for respect and fame from the artistic community, but Adrian finds himself without any audiences and Josh’s art dealer, Madeleine Gray, refuses to show his paintings in favor of other, more experimental work.

One evening, Josh takes Madeleine to a performance of Adrian’s. She immediately sees undiscovered genius in Adrian’s performance of screeches, paper-tearing and bucket-kicking, and invites him to perform at an opening of hers. Soon a romance develops between the two as they both search for substance in a style of art that may not have any.

While all of the characters seem to be exaggerated caricatures of modern artists, their eccentricities are nicely balanced with the unrestrained absurdity of their “art.” The film allows the audience to find laughs not in the actions of the characters, but in their motivations. Ray Barko’s (Vinnie Jones) chandelier made of stuffed raccoons and Josh’s homogenous works of color-blobs are not funny by themselves. Rather, it’s the whole-hearted belief and the genuine passion the artists themselves exhibit that makes their work comical and gives the film its dry humor.

And yet, (Untitled) is, curiously, not as funny as it should be. It runs out of steam halfway through its running time thanks to a tired love plot and characters whose egos become increasingly egregious. The jokes grow stale, since the film tries to repeat the same formula over and over again with only a minimal amount of variation, although there is one genuinely hilarious gag involving a missing wine glass later in the film.

(Untitled) is a comedy that takes its subject matter — the question of meaning in modern art — very seriously. While the movie does an admirable job of presenting the internal conflicts already present in modern art (Adrian believes that his music is deeply original and meaningful, yet holds nothing but disdain for work such as “Pushpin Stuck Into Wall”), it becomes difficult to care when the characters become more and more unlikable.

The biggest grievance for many, perhaps, will be the film’s frustrating certainty in the nobility of personal expression, especially for those who find this sort of pretense and esotericism already maddening. The film would probably be more enjoyable for people familiar with the world of modern art, as there are in-jokes and clever satires that will go unnoticed by the average filmgoer.

Ultimately, however, moments of comedic successes aside, accessibility is not one of (Untitled)’s strong suits. But then again, the film is not meant for a wide range of audiences, either. Those who are interested in the question of the meaning behind art may appreciate the film’s quirks and sensibilities. Everyone else may prefer to stay away.

C-

Reach reporter Robert Frankel at weekender@dailyuw.com.

Huskies sloppy but dominant in exhibition blowout

Christian Caple — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Had they been playing anyone else, it might have been closer.

But they weren’t. So it wasn’t.

The Washington men’s basketball team looked every bit the part of a squad feeling its way through its first exhibition game last night against Division-II Central Washington. And they made it through well enough, experimenting with player groupings and keeping everyone healthy in an easy 77-48 victory over the Wildcats at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

But, this wasn’t exactly the kind of championship performance that will be expected from the team later this season: The No. 13 Huskies were pretty inconsistent throughout, relying more on their speed and superior athleticism than anything else.

“We just wanted to come out and get better as a team,” said UW forward Quincy Pondexter.

The UW also was obviously trying to experiment with different personnel, making it a little tough to establish any kind of real rhythm offensively.

The Huskies shot just 31.7 percent in the first half but led comfortably the whole way because the Wildcats shot the ball even worse. Way worse, actually.

CWU was 4-27 from the field in the first half — that’s 14.8 percent, which wouldn’t even be impressive if it were a breathalyzer reading — and went more than five minutes without a field goal on two separate occasions. They were 9-21 from the free-throw line, finishing 15-35. They turned the ball over 12 times in the first half and 21 times total.

They just weren’t very good. At all.

“I was pleasantly surprised at the energy that we came out with tonight,” head coach Lorenzo Romar said, adding that the team had practiced nine consecutive days and he was unsure if they’d have any legs left.

They did, especially on the defensive end. Venoy Overton pestered Central’s guards in the backcourt, and the rest of the UW defense was overplaying passing lanes and forcing turnovers that led to a couple of easy run-out buckets.

“That was our main goal and focus,” Pondexter said, “and I think that turned out pretty well.”

Washington proved itself superior early and often, a showtime dunk from freshman Clarence Trent late in the game adding a nice exclamation point. And, true freshman Abdul Gaddy, though he struggled with foul trouble, made a couple of head-turning passes and finished with a team-high six assists in 24 minutes.

So the Huskies put it away early and took a 43-18 lead into halftime, led by a couple of late 3-pointers from Isaiah Thomas that really made things look as ugly as they were.

Thomas started 2-8 from the field and missed his first three free throws, but still wound up scoring 14 points in the first half. He finished with 18, and Pondexter came alive early in the second half, propelling himself to 15 points and seven rebounds.

Perhaps most alarming — and, again, that’s a relative term in a 29-point win — is that the Huskies still look, well, pretty bad at the free-throw line. They made just 18 of 37 for the game, a sign that there may still be some deficiencies in that area.

“Might be the first game jitters,” Thomas said.

“We’ll get used to it,” Pondexter added.

Everyone also agreed that the foul total — the Huskies were whistled for 26 — was the most glaring issue.

“We fouled too much,” Romar said. “We’ve got to be able to defend without fouling so much. Our technique has to be better.”

Said Thomas: “We’ve just got to calm down on the fouls. Good teams, the game would be a different situation with how many fouls we gave them and how many free throws they had on us.”

But there’s time to fix all of that. Washington’s first regular-season game isn’t until Nov. 13, against Wright State, and the Huskies have been hampered by the fact that most of the team has had the flu at one point or another during the last month.

Reach Sports Editor Christian Caple at sports@dailyuw.com

Neighborhood Watch

Ashleen Aguilar, Ivan Vukovic, Nick Feldman, Robert Frankel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Capitol Hill

Century Salsa Nights

The ballroom’s twice-weekly salsa nights are some of the best in the city, and the 2,000-square-foot dance floor fills up every time. Inexperienced? Show up half an hour early for a quick lesson.

Thursday & Saturday, Nov. 5 & 7 @ 9:30 p.m.

$7-$10

The Century Ballroom

915 E. Pine St.

Cheap Wine and Poetry

Hosted by Charla Grenz, local poets John Burgess, Kate Lebo, Elissa Washuta and Brian McGuigan share their work. For those over 21, wine is only a dollar a glass.

Thursday, Nov. 5 @ 7 p.m.

Free

The Richard Hugo House

1634 11th Ave.

The Raveonettes

The Danish rock duo combines carving electric guitar with a ’60s rock feel. They tour on their October release In and Out of Control.

Friday, Nov. 6 @ 8 p.m.

$15

Neumos

925 E. Pike St.

Cappella Romana

One of the Pacific Northwest’s premier chamber vocal ensembles explores the meeting of 15th- and 16th-century Byzantine and Latin musicians.

Friday, Nov. 6 @ 8 p.m.

$22

St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church

2100 Boyer Ave. E.

35 Shots of Rum

Claire Denis’ understated 2008 drama revolves around the relationship between a Parisian university student and her father as it evolves around the daughter’s romantic interest.

Friday-Sunday, Oct. 6-8 @ 7 p.m. & 9 p.m.

$6-$9

Northwest Film Forum

1515 12th Ave.

Bishop Allen

The Brooklyn-based indie rock group, supported by core duo Justin Rice and Christian Rudder, tour on their third full-length record Grrr...

Saturday, Nov. 7 @ 9 p.m.

$10-$12

Chop Suey

1325 E. Madison St.

University District

Louis C.K.

ASUW Arts & Entertainment presents a stand-up act by comedian Louis C.K., who can be seen in a recurring role on NBC’s Parks and Recreation.

Thursday, Nov. 5th @ 8 p.m.

$15 with UW ID @ HUB Ticket Office

$25 General Public @ TicketsWest.com

Meany Hall

Lecture by Sylvia Wolf

Polaroids: Mapplethorpe, which is on display at the Henry Art Gallery, was organized for the Whiteney Museum of American Art by Wolf, who will be presenting a lecture on it as part of the 2009 Society for Photographic Education Regional Conference.

Friday, Nov. 6th @ 7 p.m.

Free for UW students / $5 General Admission

Henry Art Gallery

Steve Byrne

Having appeared on a wide array of late-night talks shows as well as his own Comedy Central special, rising comedian Steve Byrne pays a visit to one of Seattle’s premiere comedy destinations.

Friday-Saturday, November 6-7 @ 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.

$20 at TicketWeb

Giggles Comedy Club

Littlefield Organ Series: Tamara Still, Making Time: Music for the Spiritual Journey

Guest musical recitalist Tamara Still from Marylhurst University performs at the UW.

Sunday, Nov. 8 @ 3 p.m.

$10 at the door

Walker-Ames Room, Kane Hall

Downtown

The Ultimate Holiday Cookie Recipe Search and Showdown

At the annual Holidays with HeART event, ART Restaurant at the Four Seasons is scouring Seattle for a new holiday cookie recipe to feature. E-mail a short description of your holiday treat, like why the recipe is special to your family, to pastry chef Ryan Witcher at ryan.witcher@fourseasons.com. The final recipe will be chosen in December.

Nov. 1 — Dec. 1

ART Restaurant at the Four Seasons

Emma by Jane Austen

Jane Austen’s classic character, Emma, tries her best to act as matchmaker for her friends, but she doesn’t always recognize the true natures of the people she sets up. When she falls in love, Emma finally begins to understand. The Seattle Times said, “Book-It Repertory Theatre’s new stage version of the book has condensed and cast her story wisely and well.”

Oct. 20 — Nov. 22 @ 7:30 p.m. with matinees at 2 p.m.

Center House Theatre, Seattle Center

Tickets:

Premium (Sat. Evening and Sun. Matinee)

Adults: $35

Seniors: $30

Students: $15

Standard (Wed.–Fri. Evening and Sat. Matinee)

Adults: $30

Seniors: $25

Students: $15

SAM Remix

Join the Seattle Art Museum for a full night of music and art. Tattoo artists Allison Manch and Ariana Page Russell will set up a temporary tattoo parlor with designs inspired by Michelangelo. UW DXARTS Sound Lab students Stelios Manousakis and Nicolas Varchausky will be spinning. Local celebrities will give My Favorite Things tours during the night.

Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. to midnight

Seattle Art Museum

Tickets:

Adults: $10

Students/Seniors: $8

SAM Members: $5

Lights

Indie-pop artist Valerie Poxleitner, aka Lights, will be illuminating the stage with friends Stars of Track and Field. The Canadian singer-songwriter is supporting her recent release The Listening. Lights is now touring.

Nov. 6 @ 8 p.m.

El Corazon

Tickets: $10 advance; $12 door

Creatively Speaking: The Artist’s Point of View

Heide Hinrichs is speaking about her SAM Next installation, Borrowed tails. She has used drawings and sculptures to create a pretend topography. She will discuss her interest in the concept of place and belonging in her installation.

Nov. 6 @ 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

SAM Nordstrom Lecture Hall

Tickets:

Adults: $10

Students/Seniors: $8

SAM Members: $5

Ballard

4th Annual Green Seattle Day

Green Seattle Day is a day dedicated not only to forest restoration and ecological preservation, but also to the recognition of urban forests and Seattle’s potent sense of civic involvement. Take part in a day of tree and shrub planting, and volunteer to help keep Seattle green and beautiful. Visit greenseattle.org to sign up for a location that is convenient for you.

Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Holiday Craft Fair

Come to Ballard’s Holiday Craft Fair to purchase unique gifts for others (or yourself) from over 30 vendors. Goods on sale will include woodcarvings, Avon products, handcrafted silver jewelry, and more. There will also be a baked potato bar and holiday treats for lunch. All proceeds will go to support the Ballard Community Center 4-H Club.

Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ballard Community Center: 6020 28th Ave. NW

Fremont:

Durang7

Stone Soup Theatre is presenting a series of seven one-act plays by award-winning playwright Christopher Durang. Durang’s previous work, Why Torture is Wrong, and the People Who Love Them, opened earlier this year in New York and received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Durang7 is a collection of Durang’s parodies and absurdist comedies and will range from hilarious to stimulating.

Thursday - Saturday @ 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m. through Nov. 22

$13 — $20

Stone Soup Theatre: 4035 Stone Way N.

Shaimus & Martingale

The hip urban lounge Nectar hosts live music almost every night. On Nov. 8, the lounge will be presenting the indie alt-rock group Shaimus from L.A. Also performing will be the Seattle-based band Martingale. Note that alcohol is served at this venue, so be 21+ and have ID. Purchase tickets atnectarlounge.com/calendar_0911.html.

Sunday, Nov. 8 @ 8 p.m.

$3 in advance

Nectar: 412 N. 36th St.

Wallingford

Seattle Composers’ Salon

The Seattle Composers’ Salon is dedicated to the development, performance and appreciation of new music of regional composers and performers. On Nov. 6, the Salon will be presenting new operatic works by Keith Eisenbrey, Emily Doolittle, Cole Bratcher and Tom Baker.

Friday, Nov. 6 @ 8 p.m.

$5 — $15 suggested donation

Chapel Performance Space: 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N.

Reach reporters Ashleen Aguilar, Nick Feldman, Robert Frankel & Weekender editor Ivan Vukovic at weekender@dailyuw.com

Record Review: Snow Patrol's LateNightTales

Ashleen Aguilar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

I do some of my best thinking late at night. Lying on the roof, staring into the starry, midnight sky, I’ve contemplated everything from my flaws to my faith, my past to my future and the ever-elusive meaning of life. I often put a playlist of mellow ballads together to complement my midnight brooding.

The LateNightTales (LNT) compilation series has done this task for me.

To accompany any midnight activities in which music lovers may partake, LNT has enlisted some of the top musicians to assemble their favorite and most inspirational tracks into a disc jockey-mix set. Each album also has an exclusive cover track from the band mixing the record, and a recitation of a short story or poem often ends the album.

Gary Lightbody and Tom Simpson of Snow Patrol were recruited for the series’ 22nd release. The alternative rock quintet achieved mainstream fame with their 2006 single, “Chasing Cars,” but both Lightbody and Simpson have history behind a mixing board.

Their experience is evident listening to the eclectic tracks that blend easily from one into the next. The album crosses styles; its selections include jewels from jazz, indie-rock, folk, hip-hop and even country. Even with the genre-jumping, the transitions are flawless, proving Lightbody and Simpson’s mixing abilities.

The record opens with a warm, jazzy ballad from Captain Beefheart, “Observatory Crest,” which feeds into “Midnight,” a beat-heavy track from the lyrically adroit, East Coast hip-hop troupe A Tribe Called Quest.

Traditionally, the artist mixing a LNT record covers a song, which becomes an exclusive addition to the catalog. Snow Patrol reworked INXS’ 1987 hit “New Sensation,” a premier example of 1980s synth-rock. They scaled back the pop and birthed a new sensation in itself as a subtly sweet version of the single.

Rounding out the set is the harmonious “Sweet Little Mystery,” by John Martyn. It is intimate and understated, and Martyn’s smooth vocals are the perfect prescription to sing you to sleep.

The recitation of The Happy Detective, written and read by Will Self, ends the record. The beginning of the story is found on the 20th LNT release. The second episode of the four-part mystery novella is like a bedtime story, guiding you to the Land of Nod.

This album explores the record-collecting, music-enthusiast sides of Lightbody and Simpson. Each selection creates a different story, guides a new thought, and leaves a distinctive impression. For those who love discovering old hits out of the mainstream eye, LNT is a beautiful supplement to midnight explorations.

Reach reporter Ashleen Aguilar at weekender@dailyuw.com.

Restaurant Review: Delancey

Ashleen Aguilar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Outside, the night was drizzly and cold. Inside, the restaurant was toasty and inviting. Opening the door to Delancey in Ballard, I was greeted by a rush of warm, scented air from the wood-fire oven where the chefs were baking fresh pizzas.

The small restaurant, located on a nondescript block, was stuffed with men and women out after work. It was simply decorated, white walls with several photographs decorating the dining room. The entryway was lined with boxes of various vintages of wine. A few chairs were set out for waiting guests, and the bar looked in on the open kitchen where the chefs were taking pizzas in and out of the traditional wood-fire oven.

The mouth-watering aromas emanating from the kitchen made the very air taste like freshly baked dough. Looking at the menu made my salivary glands work overtime, and we ordered a sausage pizza and a porcini pizza.

The sausage pizza was savory and delicious. The dough was airy and fluffy; my companion likened the texture to funnel cake. The light tomato sauce was sprinkled with aged mozzarella cheese, Grana cheese, and house-made pork fennel sausage. The sausage introduced an extra punch of spice that individualized, but didn’t overwhelm, the pizza.

The porcini pizza delivered a subtler flavor. With a simple truffle oil base, porcini mushrooms, aged mozzarella cheese and thyme topped the light dough. Upon first taste, the pizza was almost bland. The flavor of the mushrooms didn’t come through until the aftertaste appeared. Adding an Emeril-sized “bam!” of salt kicked the initial presentation of flavor up a notch. When the taste of mushroom developed, the entire experience was enchanting.

Dessert brought a bittersweet chocolate chip cookie with gray salt and a brownie with house-made whipped cream.

The cookie was slightly overcooked, ending up crunchy almost the whole way through instead of gooey and warm. Its presentation was also boring; it was just a cookie on a plate. It was hard to taste the gray salt unless you actually bit into a granule. If you were lucky enough to do so, the sweet and salty combination was luscious.

The brownie was a delight. The outside was stiff enough to enclose the center, but the center was smooth and fudge-like. The dollop of whipped cream on top was sweet and organic. The brownie easily bested the cookie, but both presented tasty surprises.

Delancey is a simple restaurant in both décor and taste, but for the most part, neither was disappointing. The pizzas — priced between $10-18 — could easily feed two to three people, and splitting the bill would make Delancey fairly affordable, even for those on a college budget. The pizzeria is in the middle of getting a new sign outside, so for now it’s a little hard to find. However, the small, simple restaurant remains a delicious hot spot for those willing to make the trek out to Ballard.

Delancey Pizzeria is located at 1415 NW 70th Street in Ballard.

A-

Reach reporter Ashleen Aguilar at weekender@dailyuw.com.

Time to end big money influence

Chris Jordan — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid surprised political observers everywhere with his announcement that the Senate’s health-reform bill would include a public-insurance option.

Despite polls showing strong public support for the proposal, TV pundits declared the public option dead due to a lack of support among moderate democrats.

Why would these democrats be so antsy about an idea that was backed by strong majority of voters? Insurance companies have been fighting the public option tooth-and-nail and have been lining the pockets of politicians in the process.

Take for example, Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee. He almost single-handedly killed the public option when his influential committee passed a bill replacing it with weaker “co-ops.” Not surprisingly, he has received almost $500,000 in campaign contributions from insurance and other health industry lobbyists and their clients.

Baucus may well be a totally honest guy who simply ignores these hundreds of thousands of dollars when deciding how to vote. It’s possible.

But examples like this help explain Congress’ recent approval rating of 21 percent. While giant corporations shell out millions in lobbying and campaign contributions, average citizens feel ignored. Congressmen and -women, in order to win re-election, spend enormous amounts of time raising money when that time should be spent at town halls getting input from the people they represent.

In order to end special interest dominance of our political process, it’s time Americans consider public financing of federal campaigns.

No existing reform laws have changed the fundamental reality that politicians rely on big donors and spend far too much time raising funds for the next election. One practical solution is the optional Clean Elections system being used in Maine and Arizona.

Under this system, candidates who gather a sufficient number of small contributions from citizens in their district qualify for a grant of public funds to run their campaign. Instead of spending months building connections among wealthy donors, candidates seeking office must go directly to the voters at a grassroots level for support in order to secure funding for their campaigns.

Clean Elections means election outcomes will be increasingly determined by the appeal of a candidate’s message, rather than how much money he or she is able to raise.

One persistent challenge to these sorts of public finance systems has been the Supreme Court. It has ruled that private donations amount to political speech protected by the First Amendment and that “rescue money” provisions are unconstitutional.

Regardless, it’s still possible to set up a public system that is so attractive an option to candidates that it effectively eliminates the incentive for private funding.

Clean Elections has proved to be a successful alternative funding method in Arizona. In 2008, 65 percent of candidates in the state ran as “clean” candidates. While cheaters have occasionally been able to game the system, some tweaks here and there should overcome the issue.

Following the example of Arizona and making improvements over time, Americans should embrace the Clean Elections model as superior to one dominated by the wealthy and special interest groups. Public financing offers great hope of diluting the influence of money in politics and making politicians more connected to their constituents.

Reach columnist Chris Jordan at opinion@dailyuw.com.

U-PASS Lite: New U-PASS program targeted at pedestrians and bikers

Joanna Nolasco — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

UW Transportation Services is now offering students an alternative to the U-PASS designed for the walking and biking community. Called the U-Powered U-PASS, it offers many of the same services as the traditional U-PASS, but at a fraction of the price at $40.

The U-Powered U-PASS is an annual membership program that offers a set of 24 King County Metro bus tickets and five discount coupons for $3 all-day parking that are redeemable at any on-campus gatehouse parking lot, as well as the other services that are included in the traditional U-PASS program.

The traditional $99 U-PASS offers unlimited King County Metro bus rides and other services, such as free NightRide Shuttle service and discounted participation in Zipcar. The alternative will offer many of these same services, but of lesser quantity, for those who only have a need to take the bus once in a while, such as in the case of an emergency or inclement weather.

“The U-Powered U-PASS has been a dream of ours, actually, for a number of years based on comments that we have received from the cyclists and pedestrians about really needing a product to support them and their commute choices,” said Josh Kavanagh, director of Transportation Services.

Mike Reiter, a sophomore who frequently rides his bike to classes and work, currently owns the $99 U-PASS but said he would definitely switch to the new U-PASS program.

“The [current] U-PASS prices are outrageous,” he said. “I don’t feel like I get my money’s worth because I do have other forms of transportation that I can use … but [a U-PASS] would be nice to have just in case it starts raining.”

On-campus residents may have incentive to switch to the U-Powered U-PASS as well since there is less of a need to travel long distances.

“I think it’s a good idea [because] most students [who live on-campus] just go to Northgate or U-Village and, even then, not that often,” said Kara Ozkardesh, a junior and resident of Haggett Hall.

While many owners of the traditional U-PASS may consider switching to the cheaper $40 option, Kavanagh insists that the two products are not intended to compete with one another.

“They are products that address completely different sets of needs, and that’s really what we’re trying to do … to allow people to make the commute choices that are right for them and for us to provide products that meet their needs where they are,” Kavanagh said.

Altogether, there are 43,610 UW students, faculty and staff who are members of the traditional U-Pass program, according to information provided by Celeste Gilman, transportation systems manager for Commuter Services. There are currently 82 U-Powered U-PASS owners, all of whom are either faculty or staff members, since sales to those communities opened last week.

More than 100 UW faculty and staff members participated in a U-Powered U-PASS pilot program this past spring and summer quarter. The two-quarter pilot program featured a $20 sample membership.

Breona Gutschmidt, information specialist for Facilities Services, participated in the pilot program and was satisfied with the alternative.

“When I did the math, both in the summer and for the new U-Powered program this year, it really pays,” she said. “It ends up being $6.20 to park, if you include the $3 that you’re paying, and then if you consider that each Metro pass is $2, and that’s not even including the [other U-Pass] perks, it’s a good deal.”

Reach contributing writer Joanna Nolasco at news@dailyuw.com.

UW sports brings us all together

Thomas Cloud — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

I love Husky football. I love it even in the bad years. Even when our team went an appalling 0-12, I still watched and mourned. I love the turnaround we’re witnessing and all the hope it’s inspiring for future seasons. It’s just plain awesome.

This is my first year owning season tickets. I’d gone to the odd game here or there in the past, but this is the first season — in my third year of college — that I decided to put down the money and buy season tickets. Now I don’t know what the games were like during the Don James era, but Husky Stadium is an exciting place right now, and it looks to get only more exciting in the next few years.

One of the reasons I love football and all Husky sports really is that it distracts us from all of the things that divide us ideologically, while uniting us in victory and defeat as Huskies. For all the times in and outside of class, we are taught to respect each other’s differences — which is a very good thing by the way — and express our disagreement with words rather than fists. The one time I see absolute strangers from all points of view and all walks of life cheering as one is at sporting events.

I kid you not, I saw complete strangers high-fiving and hugging each other at the USC game this year as if they had been lifelong friends. At least I assume they were strangers because, in the joyous pandemonium, I was giving and receiving all kinds of high-fives from people I didn’t know.

What about last year during the women’s softball championship? I was watching the game on television with one or two of my Liberal friends, and we weren’t shouting at each other about health care or the president; we were talking about how wonderful it was that the UW was going to win the College World Series.

All this is not to mention how sports matches themselves help us as a society. They teach us about camaraderie, team play and hard work. They teach us about sportsmanship and honor. They taught us that racism is stupid. We all think of Remember the Titans, but what about UW alumnus Warren Moon?

Moon was told black men don’t make good quarterbacks, and, in the end, he was inducted into both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the National Football Hall of Fame. Or, what about when in 1936, our UW crew team showed Hitler’s athletes they weren’t as super as they first thought?

Yeah, it’s pretty cliché to write about how sports bring us together. But isn’t it a wonderful cliché? We practically have a global party over it every four years. It’s something we need, especially now, in a time of political polarization.

I will always fondly remember how the crowd that made the cameras shake — the crowd of right and left, new and old, rich and poor — rushed the field and were, for a few precious moments, all Huskies.

All I saw was purple. No Republicans, no Democrats, just purple.

Reach columnist Thomas Cloud at opinion@dailyuw.com.

UW women face SPU in exhibition opener

Taylor Soper — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Coming off an extremely disappointing season last year, head women’s basketball coach Tia Jackson knows her team is pumped to get the 2009-2010 season underway. When her players finally hit the hardwood tonight for their first exhibition game against Seattle Pacific University, Jackson knows that, while excitement is good, poise on the court is even more important.

“We are really, really eager to get started, which is probably one of our challenges right now,” Jackson said. “I think we’re so excited that we kind of got to pull back the reins a little and really approach every situation with a bit more poise.”

The Huskies will begin their 2009-2010 campaign tonight at 7 with an exhibition home opener against Seattle Pacific. At Monday’s media day, Jackson named four out of the five starters. Senior guards Sara Mosiman and Sami Whitcomb will be the starting guards, with junior Sarah Morton controlling the point. With sophomore Liz Lay nursing a sore left knee, the power-forward position is still up for competition. Starting at center will be UCLA-transfer Regina Rogers, a 6-foot-3 force to be reckoned with.

Sophomore Kristi Kingma, who played against Rogers in high school, knows what Rogers brings to the court.

“Playing against her was so tough,” Kingma said. “I’ve never played against a more physical player, but she also has a heart for the game. When you play against someone that has such a heart for the game and wants her team to be so successful and win, obviously those players can’t be denied. To have her on the team now is so exciting.”

A tougher, more competitive Husky squad will be on the court this season. Players and coaches feel like they’ve got a lot to prove after last year, and Jackson is sure that her team will be battling on every possession during the entire season.

“We’re just going to approach every game like it’s our last,” Jackson said. “We’re going to really benefit from having that mindset. I think right now we’ve got a lot to prove.”

The Huskies should look physically fit tonight after working extra hard this off-season. The team has hit the weight room with a new mentality, knowing hard work in the weight room equals sustained longevity throughout the season. Jackson said this squad is in the best shape out of the three teams she has coached at the UW.

“Last year, we were at about 30 percent at the beginning of the season,” she said. “Now, we’re pretty close to 80 percent, and our entire team is in good condition.”

Jackson took care of her team’s physical needs over the summer, but she also knew that mentally, the UW had taken a hit after last season’s debacle. To instill more confidence in her players, she took on a teacher role by assigning the reading of Believe to Achieve, a motivational novel by Howard White.

“That was probably the biggest thing, making sure our minds are proper and as in good condition as our bodies,” Jackson explained. “We continued to build on that, and the kids continue to adhere to the book and say certain things from the book. [The novel] continues to remind them of what their focuses are for the year that keeps us on course.”

After an unsuccessful season last year, it may seem there is added pressure on Jackson to have her team succeed.

“It’s the same pressure as always,” she said. “Making sure our team is healthy, growing, improving and continuing to stay together build toward the ultimate goal, which is really to be dominant nationally.”

Reach reporter Taylor Soper at sports@dailyuw.com.

Women’s golf team finishes 10th in Hawaii

Taylor Soper — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

It was another ho-hum finish for the Washington women’s golf team, as it wrapped up fall-tournament play with a mediocre final round at The Turtle Bay Invitational in Kahuku, Hawaii.

The team lowered its second-round 300 by one shot, firing a final round, team-combined 299. They finished in 10th place, 43 shots behind tournament-champion UC Davis.

Junior Anya Alvarez led all Huskies with a final-round even-par 72. She shot a three-day total of 221 and finished tied for 14th overall. The native of Jenks, Okla., led the UW in scoring at three of the four fall tournaments.

Sophomore Sadena Parks, who has played well this fall, was consistent yesterday with two bogeys and one birdie en route to a 1-over 73. Parks played better as the tournament went on, firing a first-round 80, a second–round 75, and the 73 yesterday.

Struggling all week was senior Molly Aronsson. Before tournament play began this fall, head coach Mary Lou Mulflur noted that Aronsson had worked harder last summer than any previous summer. But it didn’t show yesterday, as the senior fired an 8-over 80 and had the highest tournament score of any Husky at 22-over.

Junior Karinn Dickinson, who was the low finisher last week, shot her second consecutive 75 and finished tied for 42nd. Senior Christina Yoon, who has been inconsistent this fall, shot a seven-over 79 and finished tied for 66th.

This fall, the UW finished in sixth place three consecutive times before finishing in 10th place yesterday in Hawaii. Perhaps the biggest disappointment of the fall was the final round at last week’s Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown, where the Huskies entered the final round one shot out of the lead before firing a final-round 320 and ending up in sixth place.

Alvarez was the most impressive Husky this autumn. The junior finished 10th, third, 22nd and 14th in each of the past four tournaments. Dickinson also displayed flashes of good play, highlighted by her ninth-place finish last week in Las Vegas.

The women will have three months before they hit the links again. Mulflur didn’t have many answers this week as to why the team struggled. The women will use the break to regain some confidence and come back strong when the season begins in February.

Reach reporter Taylor Soper at sports@dailyuw.com.

Campus Watch: Reefer madness leaves officer in headlock and emotional eye gouging

Morgan Gard — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Quinnipiac University student injured during pot raid

Two students at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut were arrested earlier this month for marijuana possession and breaching the peace, and one of their roommates was injured when a routine drug search turned ugly, according to collegenews.com.

Security came to the dorm room of Christopher Thompson at 2 a.m. on Oct. 18 after detecting a “heavy marijuana smell” and asked if they could enter to investigate. When Thompson, who lives in a dorm with three other male occupants, answered no, the security officers entered anyway. It was at this moment that the situation became a confusing mess.

Two of Thompson’s roommates were immediately woken up by the noise, and one of them, David Bowen, put one of the officers in a headlock. He was arrested shortly thereafter. Another roommate, Greg Valerio, was woken up after being pulled to the ground and sustained injuries of an uncertain degree; he spent the night in the hospital.

Police reportedly found a bong and 21 grams of pot in the room, which led to Thompson’s arrest. He was later released on $1,500 bail and Bowen on $500 bail.

University of Florida football player accused of eye gouging

Brandon Spikes, linebacker for the No. 1-ranked University of Florida football team, has come under fire after allegedly trying to gouge an opposing player’s eye out during Saturday’s game against Georgia, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Footage of the play shows Spikes reach over and push his hand inside Georgia running back Washaun Ealey’s helmet while Ealey is being pulled to the ground by other players following a tackle. Ealey, at the end of the tape, begins waving his hands around and trying to pull his helmet off, presumably because another man’s hand is in his eye socket.

Spikes was not penalized during the game but has since been suspended and will not be allowed to play in the first half of the upcoming game against Vanderbilt this weekend. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) will be reviewing the tape of the incident to decide whether to hand Spikes an even harsher punishment, but his fate remains uncertain.

Florida’s coach said Spikes just got “caught up in emotion” on that particular play after having his helmet pulled off twice by Georgia players.

Connecticut man charged in stabbing death of University of Connecticut football player

John William Lomax III, a 21-year-old man from Bloomfield, Conn., was charged last week with murdering University of Connecticut student Jasper Howard outside of a dance last month, according to espn.com.

Witnesses say Lomax attended the dance with Johnny Hood, even though neither are UConn students. Hood was arrested and questioned last week as well, but he was charged only with lying to the police.

Lomax’s lawyer, Deron Freeman, told reporters he was surprised that his client was charged with murder, considering the police have yet to recover the murder weapon and that Lomax was just at the dance to party. Lomax has claimed he was not present when the argument started, but that he showed up to try and break it up.

Police also arrested Hakim Muhammad and Jamal Todd in connection with the murder, but they were charged only with conspiracy to commit assault, a misdemeanor for pulling a fire alarm and lying to the police.

Reach columnist Morgan Gard at news@dailyuw.com.

Constantine presumed winner

Kaetlyn Cordingley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

With 40 percent of mail-in ballots received for King County executive, Dow Constantine declared victory last night with his lead by 35,000 votes with 300,000 not yet counted. Despite Gov. Christine Gregoire having already congratulated Constantine, Susan Hutchison plans to stay in the race through the end of the week for the final result.

Constantine said King County acknowledges the real challenges that will be faced with real leadership. Last night, he said, marked a new beginning for King County.

For Hutchison, the wait begins as the final ballots are counted. Most votes were cast before last Thursday.

“I commend my opponent for the votes that are in his favor. I want to remind you that this is a democracy, and in democracies, we have opponents,” Hutchison said. “We can be proud that in our country, when people run for office, they have real opponents, and the voters get to make a choice. And that is the case in this race.”

This election fills the two most influential posts in Washington next to the governor only: the King County executive and the mayor.

The next executive will take on a deficit of $56 million and will replace current executive Kurt Triplett. Triplett was chief of staff under former King County executive Ron Sims, who resigned earlier this year to assume the post of deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The King County executive “is a very complex job, and what it is now is very different than it was 40 years ago,” said Natasha Jones, deputy communications director for the King County executive. As King County has grown, so have the roles of the executive. The King County executive oversees all executive departments, services from Metro transit to courts and public health.

As the chief executive officer of the county, the executive is also the regional lead in emergencies, which takes on greater significance heading into this flood season with the added risks associated with the Howard Hanson Dam in the Green River Valley this year, Jones said.

Although local politics in King County and Seattle may seem a world away from the University of Washington, the current executive would encourage students to think again.

“All of those things contribute to the quality of life around here and presumably is part of what drew [students] here in the first place and may keep them here after graduation to begin their careers, start families, and contribute their own skills to what makes this a great place to live.” Triplett said. “So if they care about this region and its quality of life, the King County executive position has a big impact on that.”

The county executive also oversees 1.9 million people, a population larger than 14 states, and a budget of about $4 billion, which is larger than the budgets of five states, Jones said.

This is the first year King County has conducted a mail-in ballot-only election. Election officials have been surprised by low voter turnout, which may not even reach 50 percent. Turnout was predicted to be 56 percent. As of Saturday, only 20 percent of the 1.08 million ballots mailed to voters had been returned, according to The Seattle Times. A drop is to be expected from the record 85-percent voter turnout in last year’s presidential election.

Results will continue to be posted throughout the week as the remaining mail-in ballots are counted.

Reach contributing writer Kaetlyn Cordingley at news@dailyuw.com.

Editorial cartoon and rants and raves

Ryan Rosendal, Various — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Rants:

Police in Milwaukie, Ore., are investigating the case of an injured dog being stuffed in a plastic bag and dumped in a trash bin. According to The Seattle Times, the dog, which didn’t have any tags or identifying markers, was euthanized by veterinarians because it sustained a major head injury.

According to MSNBC, the largest transit union in Philadelphia went on strike early Tuesday, stopping movement on the city’s bus, subway and trolley systems. Citizens have been forced to find other ways to get to their destinations.

Raves:

According to NPR, in order to cope with losing a satellite that tracks the Earth’s polar ice caps, NASA has launched a mission to monitor polar ice by plane. The space agency has been flying DC-8 aircraft over Antarctica in recent weeks and will continue to do so until a replacement satellite is ready for launch in 2015.

According to The Associated Press, Stephen Colbert announced that his show, The Colbert Report, has become the primary sponsor of the U.S. Speedskating team after their largest sponsor, DSB Bank, left the team after it declared bankruptcy last month.

Guys talk, too

Gavin Verhey — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Guys have the don’t-ask-for-directions gene, and relationships are no exception.

We typically ask for help with girls about as much as we ask for help when we’re lost — not very often. Sometimes, you won’t even know if two people are dating until they show up together then kiss in front of you. This can lead to some awkward moments:

“When did you two get together?”

“Oh, about a month ago.”

“… Ah.”

However, the situation radically changes when we find out one of our friends is romantically interested in someone. The playful teasing, unwanted advice and encouragement to ask her out won’t stop until he finally works up the courage to talk to her.

While women ask their friends for specific advice with how to approach a guy, guys often don’t ask at all; they are just bombarded with generic advice anyway.

But after you know a couple is together, everything changes.

Guys can be perfectionists, which lead to frantic, last-minute text messages asking questions about small details, from “When should I call?” to “Should I buy her flowers?” Once I even received a phone call from a friend who had sneaked off to the bathroom on a first date so he could ask if I thought he should pay. (To guys out there, the answer is “yes.”)

The questioning usually only lasts for the first few months. As a guy becomes more and more comfortable with a woman, there is less to ask about. When the questions pick up again, it means the relationship is near its end.

Break-ups are the one time when guys have a detailed chat about their situation. We want to lay our situation out for someone else and get a second opinion. The last thing we want to do is make a mistake — lest our precious egos be harmed — and break up only to regret it later. Questions like, “Should we break up?,” “What should I say?” and “When should I do it?” get asked a lot. If only there were a good answer.

As the saying goes, girls talk. Guys do too, but it’s more to make sure they’re doing everything right than anything else.

Reach contributing columnist Gavin Verhey at lifestyles@dailyuw.com.

Huskies improve, still struggling

Taylor Soper — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

The Washington women’s golf team finally found some consistency, but it wasn’t the consistency it was looking for.

Four Huskies all shot 3-over 75s as the Huskies improved from their first round overall team score by 12 shots, but still sit far from the top as they enter the final round of the Turtle Bay Collegiate Invitational. The UW shot a team-combined 300 and is 41 shots behind first-place UC Davis.

After being delayed by rain yesterday, the Huskies seemed to lose focus as they returned to the course. The sloppy and wet conditions weren’t as much of a factor as was the ability to stay focused despite a rain delay.

“I think, if anything, we weren’t ready to go,” head coach Mary Lou Mulflur said. “I think we might have thought we weren’t going to play [after the rain delay], and then we ended up playing.”

Senior Molly Aronsson, juniors Anya Alvarez and Karinn Dickinson, and freshman Sadena Parks all fired 75s. Senior Christina Yoon shot a 6-over 78. Alvarez leads the team with a two-round total of 149 and is tied for 25th place overall. Aronsson is next, with a two-round total of 154. She is tied for 52nd place.

The UW rebounded on the back nine after starting out slow following the rain delay. Aronsson and Parks shot 1-under 35s on the back nine, while Alvarez and Dickinson shot even par 36s. Parks rebounded from her 4-over front nine with an eagle on the 12th hole.

“If we played both days like we played on the back nine, we’d be in pretty good shape,” Mulflur said.

As a team yesterday, the UW only combined for four total birdies. Mulflur was at a loss for answers when asked why the team struggled.

“It’s pretty disappointing,” Mulflur said. “We just can’t seem to get anything going right now.”

The players shouldn’t be affected by a rain delay tomorrow, as the forecast calls for less rain and more sun. Tomorrow’s final round will be played on the Arnold Palmer-designed course, so all teams will be facing a different landscape.

“It will be a completely different venue, so maybe getting a look at something different will help us,” Mulflur said.

The UW will have one last shot to go off on a good note before taking a three-month break from competitive golf. With a solid final round, Mulflur hopes that her players can head into the winter feeling good about their games.

“Maybe we can end our fall on a good note,” Mulflur said. “It’s a round you’ve got to live with for the next three months, so hopefully we can make it a good one.”

Reach reporter Taylor Soper at sports@dailyuw.com.

I-1033 Rejected

Eric Staples — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Incomplete poll data shows that Washington votes no on Initiative 1033, which would reduce state general fund revenues that support health, social, education and environmental serivces and cause disproportionate cuts to fall on universities. Last night,v initiative sponsor Tim Eyman acknowledged defeat with poll data showing 55.43 percent of voters rejecting I-1033 while only 44.57 percent approving.

Mayor’s race still close

Natalie Johnson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

McGinn supporters took no chances Tuesday night, giving out prepaid cell phones to volunteers to secure last-minute votes.

August’s primary elections introduced two fresh faces into the mayoral race and the Seattle political scene: Mike McGinn, a local attorney and environmental activist, and Joe Mallahan, vice president of Operations Strategy at T-Mobile. In that primary, McGinn edged out Mallahan with 27.6 percent of the overall vote. Yesterday, Seattle voters cast their ballots to elect one of them as their next mayor.

Last night, members and supporters of the McGinn campaign met at The War Room club in Capitol Hill to wait for the results of the Seattle mayoral election. Armed with an unwavering belief that they would not only win, but also know the results tonight, McGinn and his supporters waited for the numbers to flash on their projection screen. At 8:15 p.m., the preliminary results came in: With 23.76 percent of the vote counted, McGinn had a slight lead of 50.03 percent to Mallahan’s 48.96 percent.

McGinn addressed the crowd soon after the first votes came in.

“I knew that elections were about people, and I knew that elections were about the future,” McGinn said. “We knew we wouldn’t have the money that other campaigns had … but I knew if we talked about what the future of Seattle could be, they would join in, and they would respond to a message about the future.”

McGinn, a graduate of the UW School of Law, has lived in Seattle since 1989 and has worked as a lawyer and environmental activist. He has served as president of the Greenwood Community Council, founded a nonprofit program called Great City, served as 2008 co-chair of Seattle Parks for All, and also participated in the Sierra Club.

Mallahan also went to graduate school at the UW, receiving a master’s degree from the Jackson School of International Studies. He has worked as a community organizer in Chicago, and since 2000 has served as the vice president of Operations Strategy at T-Mobile.

Mallahan spoke to The Daily on giving back to his alma mater as well as the support he’s received from it.

“The [UW] is such a hub and core of technological innovation. I’ll be a big advocate of Children’s Hospital, which is essentially the pediatric department of UW Medicine,” Mallahan said. “I’ve met with President Emmert and he gave me his support. I’d certainly be a strong servant of the University and the U-District.”

Mallahan, however, failed to respond to several inquiries from students prior to the election, most notably a call to answer questions from The Daily’s editorial board.

Although McGinn supporters’ excitement at the early lead was certainly understandable, given Mallahan’s general domination of the polls, at 8:15 p.m., the election was hardly over, with more than 75 percent of the vote left to count. Staffers set to work contacting late voters, frantically unpacking prepaid cell phones for volunteers, and organizing carpools for last-minute runs to Sea-Tac airport to get ballots postmarked before 11 p.m. One volunteer explained: “We are going to call everybody that we have IDed in the city as our supporter that we know has not voted yet.”

While his staffers scrambled to secure the late voters, McGinn took time to talk with The Daily.

“I think students, more than anyone, understand that the decisions we make now have really significant effects long into the future, and that we need to take the long view on all of the decisions we make now,” he said. “I hope they’ll recognize the most meaningful thing they can do is to get involved with their community.”

An update of the results is expected at 4:30 p.m. today.

Reach contributing writer Natalie Johnson at news@dailyuw.com