Pick a School

EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Of squirrels and snow Take Spokane’s motto of “Near Nature. Near Perfect,” add in a healthy dose of “More Nature,” and you’ve got a feel for the countryside surrounding the campus. Up on the plateau and away from Spokane’s river valley, Cheney is a snow magnet. Snow means ice. Ice means falling on your ass. While ass-falling might be a typical rite of passage for college students in the Inland Northwest, it doesn’t have to be your rite of passage. Get some shoes with decent tread, and bundle up: Winter is gonna be cold. The plus side to being so engulfed in nature: When it’s not freezing out, squirrels nearly overrun the campus. Awwwww.

The changes are a-changing This year marks the unveiling of the University Recreation Center (URC). It’s decked to the nines with a climbing wall, a 75-seat ice rink, and a fitness center. Though it is membership-based, the student rates are only $25 a month. It’s also home to a new place to grab food — The Roost.

With the recently completed URC, a not-so recently completed renovation to Senior Hall, and a fresh coat of paint still drying on the new Hargreaves Hall, EWU is not afraid to throw some money down on revamping.

The rumor mill is already churning about a Patterson Hall remodel, so get in there quick and take some pictures before the classic building becomes a mere memory.

Halo of computer light Lots and lots and lots of EWU students commute to campus from Spokane. This means that the same relatively small group of people will be hanging out on campus after hours. And where will they be? The Pence Union Building. (Freshman tip: Cool people love acronyms. Call it the PUB.) It’s home to the cafeteria, a huge TV that is tuned to either MTV or ESPN at all times, an indoor strip-mall-type deal with convenience stores, coffee shops and meal carts, and a few computer labs. Some of the labs are restricted to scholastic work (pfft! boring!) while others are for open use. This usually translates into large rooms of dudes playing World of Warcraft.

College humor To find entertainment on campus, you’ve got to be observant. Sure, you’d think there would be promotion everywhere when a correspondent from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart came to campus to perform stand-up, but you’d be wrong. The PUB houses an auditorium (if you could call it that — it’s more like a big-box room with a mobile stage thrown in) that serves as a venue for the sweet shit EWU manages to bring in. Ron Jeremy and The Daily Show’s John Oliver have made appearances in the past, in addition to regional music acts. Look lively on campus, and you just may spot an upcoming night of super-cheap (or free) entertainment.

Zip’s trips EWU isn’t known for its focus on parties (your parents will consider this a blessing; you may disagree), but, hey, there’s a 24-hour Zip’s nearby in Cheney proper! If you’re into eating grease-bombs late at night, this is your spot. However, if you’re looking to avoid the fabled Freshman 15, you may just want to exploit the free wi-fi and leave the grease-bombs to your nearly blacked out friends…

Get down(town) Cheney just isn’t that big. Sure, the Basement is packed every weekend with the older crowd looking to mingle, and the Eagle’s Pub is an old haunt for cheap drinks, but what’s in town for a young freshman?
The bus.

Your Eastern ID card doubles as a free bus pass during fall, winter and spring quarters, so you’re not stuck on campus! In Spokane, check out the Empyrean or the Caterina Winery for some sweet all-ages shows or, if music isn’t your thing, there’s the independently run Magic Lantern Theater playing movies off the beaten path. Oh, yeah, and there’s a shopping mall downtown too, if you need to step up your American Eagle wardrobe. — SHANE TAYLOR

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY

This is your team Everyone becomes a Zag basketball fan. Deal with it. Midway through your freshman year, you will fall in love with the team and the feeling of being at a game. Even theater students who’ve never made a jump shot in their lives know Matt Bouldin’s scoring average.

Uncool is cool again Don’t be too cool for school. Get involved in something, whether it’s a group, a team or an organization. Those things were lame in high school, but at Gonzaga they’ll keep you involved, entertained, and sane.

Though not that cool That being said, every group at Gonzaga thinks they do more than they really do. The Knights charity group thinks it’s more charitable than it really is, the student government thinks it has more impact on students than it really does, and the improv group thinks it’s funnier than it really is. Stay involved, but keep some perspective. (At least the campus TV station realizes it only has eight viewers.)

The great meals beyond The campus is beautiful, but it’s the sleazy-looking places nearby that you will miss more when you leave.

The food near campus is infinitely better than the food on campus. Venture a few blocks in any direction and you’ll find a hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop (Sub-Division), a tiny Korean restaurant (Kim’s Korean) and some excellent bar food (Jack and Dan’s). Further north, there’s dollar PBRs on Wednesdays (Litz’s). Plus, you’ll appreciate these places a lot more than you’ll appreciate paying thousands of dollars a year on cafeteria food.

Pizza always tastes better at 1 am. Have your parents spring for the highest Flex Dollars package and go nuts.

The man needs it stuck to him In addition to the ridiculous tuition you have to pay, Gonzaga will also charge through the roof for books, fees and bogus parking tickets, not to mention two bucks for a 20-oz. bottle of Pepsi. Cut corners any way you can (sharing textbooks, grocery shopping) and stick it to ’em.

Karma, sweet, sweet karma Stay friendly with every student, faculty member and employee you meet. Just by saying hello to the campus security director, you could find your way out of a future ticket.

Those sneaky Jesuits! At some point, you will be lured to a meeting under the promise of free food. Once there, you will slowly realize that the meeting is really something about Jesus, and you will try to quietly sneak out of the room.

The drunken idiot may be a sober genius Remember, Gonzaga only attracts the best and the brightest academically. The same guy who was drunkenly lighting tennis balls on fire at a party one night will be reciting Chaucer in class Monday morning.

Gonzaga, Ken Jennings generator The Core Curriculum requires you to study a large number of topics, including religion, English, philosophy and social justice. We don’t know if it really makes you a better person, but you will kick ass at Jeopardy!

Would I do a thing like that? If you want to get away with anything, join a long-standing institution or group on campus. Gonzaga likes to avoid controversy, so — with only a slap on the wrist — the university will sweep under the rug anything that certain groups do.

Skip class once to go to a Zags game. One class won’t hurt, and it’s the only way you’ll ever get good seats, anyway. — STEVEN SANDBERG (Gonzaga, ’09)

WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

Recent campus drama — or lack thereof To be or not to be? Unfortunately, the WSU administration has decided that the answer is “not to be” — at least for the school’s theater department. Budget cuts lowered the curtain on the department to the point that it will be closing in two years. Drama students, unsurprisingly, are acting like it’s a big deal. The other issue on campus that has many students up in arms, beyond rapidly rising tuition, is the plan to install meters onto currently free parking spaces.

So I’ve heard “parties” and “WSU” mentioned in the same sentence…  Alcohol is a big part of campus parties. A lot of binge drinking happens, and not just on weekends. Also, be aware, guys on campus can be very aggressive at parties. New students report that the levels of alcohol and sexual aggression were the two things that surprised them the most. Keep your head about you, and be sure to use the buddy system.

How to stick out like a sore thumb Nothing says “I’m the new guy on campus” like wearing too much Cougar gear at once. Sure, wear your ZZU Crew T-shirt. Or your crimson shorts. Or your Coug backpack. But please, one at a time.

The leader of the band The best prof on campus is reputed to be Pat Kuzyk, who teaches economics. According to students who have taken her classes, she’s a whiz at making difficult concepts easy to understand and is always willing to answer questions. Plus, Prof. Kuzyk has been known to give out extra credit, something most professors would never dream of doing.

Three places to check out

1) At WSU, as at Whitworth University, the main drag through campus is called “Hello Walk.” It’s praised for having nice scenery and for being a good place to run into someone you know.

2) While live cougars are long gone, you can see grizzly bears behind the Agriculture building, where the science department is conducting grizzly bear experiments. The science department likes them because they help further research on bear brain activity during hibernation. We like them because they’re big and fuzzy.

3) The Crimson and Gray, a shop in Pullman, has lots of gear to show off your Cougar Pride, and is often cheaper than the Bookie.

Looking for a date The most popular date restaurants are the Fireside Grill, a very classy but relatively expensive restaurant; Zeppos, a low-key restaurant and bowling alley; and Sangria Grille in Moscow, which boasts a massive menu. — MIKAYLA HUNTER

RIVERPOINT

Denizens of downtown Riverpoint offers programs like nursing, dental hygiene, architecture and MBAs. It’s designed for downtown dwellers who need quick commutes between school and work. It’s a way to get your classes done without having to make a longer drive.

Riverpoint houses not only EWU and WSU programs, but also SIRTI, UW, SCC and Whitworth. Classes are mostly graduate programs or junior-senior undergrad programs, so don’t worry about doe-eyed freshman looking for the gym.

Ken Kesey’s paradise Riverpoint is home to EWU’s Creative Writing program and Alcohol Drug/Studies program, which, ironically, are on the same floor.

Teeth on the cheap The Dental Hygiene Clinic costs a third to half as much as a normal dentist’s office, although they recommend that you keep your dentist’s number nearby for dental surgery. Waits, however, can be long.

Getting there A parking permit for a single quarter can be up to $75, so many students take the bus (the No. 29 route runs right through campus) or ride their bikes. The Centennial Trail borders the school, along the river, and makes for a short bike trip from Browne’s Addition. Riding your bike or walking down Spokane Falls Boulevard has also been made easier with the installation of two crosswalks.

Little EWU The EWU Riverpoint bookstore advertises a 20 percent EWU clothing sale for everyone wearing school colors or EWU clothing. How much EWU clothing do you need? Nay, how much (discounted) EWU clothing do you want?

Point to River The Spokane River Clean-Up will be held on Sept. 26. Last year’s volunteers — 800 people — recycled one ton of refuse, so coordinators decided to extend the clean-up area.

Mmm There aren’t a lot of eateries nearby, so you may want to pack a lunch. However, Aracelia’s café has amazing daily house-made soups paired with fresh cornbread. And if you have some of Aracelia’s cornbread stuck between your teeth, the dental clinic is more than happy to hand out free dental floss. — SAM STOWERS

WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY

Watch your language No one wants to be seen as a freshman. And nothing gives a freshman away faster than actually calling things by their official names. “Mind and Hearth?” Sounds like a brochure with a lisp. We call it the “coffee shop,” because, you know, it’s a shop for coffee. The only one. And the cafeteria may be catered by Sodexho, but we tend to refer to the cafeteria — and its delicious food — as “Saga,” in memorial to the organization that went out of business 22 years ago.
There’s a rusty Harold Balazs sculpture — a mass of twisted metal and art in front of the library. That’s what students (lovingly) call “The Big Ugly.”

Knock hard at the school of hard knocks Whitworth’s toughest and most hard-to-spell teachers — Mohrlang, Migliazzo, Sugano — are also some of the best. Take a class from them and you’ll be challenged, frustrated, aggravated, tested, stretched and battered. But at the end, when the dust settles and the red ink dries, you’ll realize — through all the sorrow and pain —that you’ve actually learned about a whole hell of a lot. (Or, with theology profs, you’ll have learned about a whole lot of hell.)

Take your local genius out to coffee If you’ve gone an entire year, and you haven’t had a deep-ranging animated philosophical discussion with a professor over a cup of coffee, you’re doing Whitworth wrong. This isn’t one of those educational mega factories where profs hide behind bulwarks of TAs and research assistants. Pull up a chair in their office. Complain about cafeteria food. Hear about their crazy college days as a drinker/a hippie/a French woman. The great thing about Whitworth: The staff gets paid to be your friend. In past years, the student body government has even chipped in a few bucks to cover the coffee bill.

The South Warren Basement strikes back For the first time in years, men will live in the South Warren Basement. That’s eventful, because the last time men lived there — 1984— they were kicked out, mid-year, due to rowdiness. And by “rowdiness,” I mean repeated drunken vandalism. Will this year’s hall be just as memorable? Only time will tell. Only time will tell.

Whitworth is sooo green…  How green is it? Whitworth is sooo green, it spends three times more money to buy “biodegradable” disposable utensils, even though 80 percent of Spokane’s garbage already biodegrades very quickly in the flames of the Spokane Waste-to-Energy incinerator.

Lead for the passion, not paycheck Whitworth loves hiring hundreds of Official Leaders and paying them to put on Official Fun Events. But Official Leadership is often beset with Official Leadership Business — team-building exercises, leadership journals — and, despite their best intentions, their events get lost in a sea of other middlin’ Official Leadership Events.

Sometimes, if you’re going to make a great college experience, you’ve got to do it yourself. Be a vigilante leader, without endorsement or paycheck. Choose one event — one a year— to make amazing. Make it bigger and better than anything Whitworth has ever seen.

Of coffee and beer Becoming a coffee snob is a requisite part of the college experience. Rogue Coffee, Cravings and Cabernet is a nearby jaunt to the east. The Service Station is further to the east, for those who like the occasional concert along with the coffee. Both are great places to have the ol’ define-the-relationship talk.

And if they’re of the age of alcohol, Whitworth students love to have their designated driver chauffer them to Fizzie Mulligan’s or The Bigfoot (which hosts “Whitworth Mondays”). Just make sure that if you come back to the dorm, you’re not still all vomity. That’s a no-no. — DANIEL WALTERS

SPOKANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

A field guide to SCC wildlife SCC is a diverse mix of students from standard post-high school students to Running Start kids to returning adult students. SCC is known as the technical-skills school of CCS: 65 percent of the students attending are there for a two-year professional degree. There’s also an unusually high percentage of camouflage ball caps and Carhartts for an educational setting.

A place where people who can do stuff, do stuff for you SCC is a service-training school, so there are many perks to enjoy on campus. You can eat a five-course lunch at Orlando’s for $16.50. The cosmetology school offers haircuts, washes, perms and various spa and esthetic treatments ranging from $5 to $35. Automotive repairs can usually be performed by Automotive Repair students for the cost of parts. (Don’t worry, mistakes are fixed by instructors.) During finals week, the massage therapy course offers free massages to all students in the Lair. Also, the gym and fitness facilities are free to all students. Admission to all CCS sporting events is free, too.

Fight for your right to parking The battle cry of students for the past decade has been parking. There is a front lot, a back lot and a way-back dirt lot. Only the back lot has quick access to the most often-used buildings. At the beginning of each quarter, all of these will be full — but as people drop classes, parking becomes easier. Construction of a technical education wing on the campus’ main building and renovation of the science building now makes finding a place to park that much more of an adventure. The best bet for finding a parking space is to schedule classes that start before 10 am or take the bus. SCC is a major STA transfer hub. — SAM STOWERS

SPOKANE FALLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Meet the SFCCers Students are mostly out of high school and vying to transfer to a four-year college: 66 percent of the students attend with the intention of going to a four-year college, while 28 percent go for job certification. Eight percent are just taking classes. The Falls is designed to cater to those interested in the liberal arts, but there is an emphasis on business degrees and health professions as well.

Future Mash-up prodigies SFCC has a great music/technology/audio engineering program that lets students work with a DAW (digital audio workstation) and learn about recording, mixing and producing.

A&P VIP Teachers take more of a hands-on approach here than in most college classes. For nursing students dreading A&P (Anatomy and Physiology), Professor Gary Blevins is famous for presenting information in a clear, direct fashion. Students from EWU and Gonzaga have even enrolled in SFCC to get their A&P credits from him.

Bus fare Since SFCC only has one bus line that makes stops on campus, most students either carpool (Google “SFCC rideshare”) or drive. Parking will be hindered even more by the construction of a new music building and a life sciences building. (At least there’ll be a planetarium!)

Book it Both of the CCS bookstores are crippled with lines in the opening three weeks of the quarters. To avoid this, students can buy books from the school online and simply pick them up on the first day of classes. Alternatively, browse Amazon, Craigslist, e-campus and similar sites for better deals. — SAM STOWERS

UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO

Brothers and sisters About 15 percent of the University of Idaho’s student population — approximately 1,800 boys and girls — are members of the university’s Greek community. According to U of I’s sizable Greek Life website, “Choosing to become a member [of a fraternity or sorority] means living with a group of men or women who you can share your hopes, dreams, goals and ideals with.” Awwww. Can’t you just feel the warm fuzzies building up inside of you?

I can, but I suspect it’s for a different reason. My cousin was a frat boy at U of I, and as far as I could tell, sharing “hopes, dreams, goals and ideals” meant drinking a lot of cheap whiskey and then passing out in a group setting. There’s nothing like the warm glow of alcohol and a slurred “I love you, man.”

On the serious side, though, there are non-alcoholic benefits to jumping on the Greek bandwagon. Many chapters offer scholastic support and carry out community service projects. Plus, connecting with Greek alumni and keeping in touch with your fellow brothers and sisters after graduation can be a great networking tool.

Indie airwaves School’s out for the summer, but U of I’s student-run radio station is still getting press: I found out about the station while blog crawling. Music writer Jennifer Waits profiled the station on her blog, “Spinning Indie,” as part of her “Spinning Indie 50-State Virtual Tour” after seeing a profile of the station in the university’s Argonaut newspaper.

KUOI-FM, located at 89.3 FM and streaming online, is perhaps the antithesis to Greek life. Broadcasting “Democracy Now!” and “Counterspin,” the station has a decidedly liberal bias. KUOI plays everything from the Vaselines to Johnny Cash to Serge Gainsbourg.

Station manager Mike Siemens referred to the station as the campus’ “personal mix-tape” in his interview with the Argonaut. (Would that make him the campus’ own personal Jesus?) Anyone who wants to be a DJ can go online to kuoi.com and download an application. Being a DJ will make you sexier. Trust me.

High times and cool cats For the past 40-odd years, U of I has hosted the prestigious Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival. Jazz performers and enthusiasts of all ages, from gray-haired jazz masters to chubby-cheeked elementary schoolers, get together to groove for four days every February.

If you’re a musician, you can attend a clinic or workshop. If you’re not, just go to the concerts. Each night of music is themed: Latin, Brazilian, swing and general dance music. Bring your dancing shoes and your sunglasses.

Another popular festival of sorts is HempFest. Not yet as old or prestigious as Jazz Fest, HempFest started in 1996 and showcases artists who blow glass, not saxophones. Held annually on or around April 20, HempFest is the place to get a new “tobacco” pipe or get baked with the help of some baked goods. (A reliable source recommends the pumpkin loaf.)

Snacks and smokes New to Moscow and don’t know where to get dinner? Recent U of I graduate Mark Borland suggests Mikey’s Gyros, where you can never go wrong with a lamb gyro. Otto’s Produce Market is hands-down the best place for a sandwich. “It looks like just a produce stand, but has great sandwiches. They make all of their sauces by hand,” says Borland. You can bet the veggies are fresh, too.

After a night at the bar, there’s no better place to relax than Umoya, Moscow’s hookah lounge. It’s open until 2 am and sells organic cigarettes and cigars along with hookah. Smoke off your beer buzz with flavored tobacco or simply have fun pretending you’re that caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. — CAREY JACKSON

NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE

Livin’ la vida lago There aren’t many houses of learning on lakefront property, and North Idaho College students don’t take it for granted. As far as NIC graduate and former Sentinel editor Jake Donahue is concerned, NIC’s location on Lake Coeur d’Alene makes it “literally, the greatest collegiate campus in America.” Likewise, Carla Darrar, returning to college at 47, describes the scenery as “superb.”

The college has a private beach and volleyball court on the lake where students can lounge… er, study… in the sun. Most of the students attending NIC probably know this already: 89.5 percent of the student population is from Idaho.

Sports — a staple and a surprise The biggest sports on campus are basketball and… wrestling? A member of the National Junior College Athletic Association, NIC boasts a women’s basketball team that finished ninth in NJCAA nationals last year. Even Jonathan Gardin, who isn’t a “sports person,” recognizes b-ball as “the most popular.”

But men’s wrestling is the most decorated sport on campus. Of the 14 NJCAA team national championship titles awarded to NIC, 13 went to men’s wrestling. The team finished second nationally during the 2008-2009 season. The team’s success — and tight uniforms — have earned them a lot of fans.

The je ne sais quoi  factor Looking for the best class on campus? Want to gain some extracurricular experience while you’re at it? Sign up for Professor Nils Rosdahl’s Journalism 100 course.

“This old geezer is a hoot in class,” says Gradin, who writes for the Sentinel. “He teaches well — you’ll be hard-pressed to forget the material.”

Donahue agrees. “I left NIC for 18 months, but he is the sole reason I returned to finish my degree.” He knows “countless” others who attended NIC just for Rosdahl and his effect on students. Plus, year after year, competition after competition, the Sentinel walks away with awards. — CAREY JACKSON