Libel Smackdown

Janice Winowski does not have a libel case because there is no proof of actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth. The reporters attempted to learn the truth of Winowski's situation with alcohol by calling the secretary of the courthouse. Just because reporters were not given information doesn't mean they were reckless. What is more, if Winowski finished top 5 on American Idol then she recorded on the American Idol Album. As such, while the season she was on the show is long over, her music is still available to the public. She put herself in the spotlight through the show and remained there by participating on an album and marrying a Survivor contestant.

New Law Seeks to Eliminate Slavery in Washington

Surrounded by twelve smiling state representatives Governor of Washington Christine Gregoire signed into law on May 3 the bipartisan House Bill 1874. The bill, effective August 1, is yet another step forward in an effort to eradicate sexual exploitation and human trafficking in Washington State.

Called modern-day slavery, human trafficking is a problem affecting almost every country. According to the International Justice Mission’s website, more people are held in slavery right now than over the course of the entire trans-Atlantic slave trade. Because of such trafficking, children, even in the US, are forcibly exploited in the commercial sex industry.

In 2003 Washington became the first state to pass legislature criminalizing human trafficking.

In 2010 alone the National Human Trafficking Resource Center received 228 calls concerning human trafficking—15 calls specifically reporting victims of sex exploitation. A study done by Debra Boyer in 2008 estimates that 300 to 500 children were victimized that year by child prostitution just in the Seattle area.

Yet, as of 2010, only one person in Washington has been convicted of human trafficking.

Rep. Christopher Hurst, chairman of the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee of Washington and a sponsor of HB 1874, said the reason for the lack of persecutions is because of the difficulties in obtaining evidence. A 14-year-old prostitute will never come to court to testify so testimonial evidence is nearly impossible to obtain, Hurst said.

HB 1874 hopes to change that.

In Washington, in order for law enforcement to record a conversation they must have the consent of all persons involved. The exception to this rule, called one-party consent, is when the investigation involves illegal drugs or, because of HB 1874, when the investigation involves human trafficking. More specifically, according to Hurst, this bill allows law enforcement to obtain one-party consent after the recording of conversation.

It is a long process for law enforcement to obtain approval to record based on one-party consent laws, Hurst said. It is a longer process than even a search warrant. Allowing investigators to obtain approval after a recorded conversation is crucial in capturing human trafficking criminals, he said.

HB 1874 also allows law enforcement to use the aid of a minor in investigation involving human trafficking if minor is the alleged victim in a case.

Kari L. Boiter works as the legislative assistant to Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson. Dickerson was the primary sponsor for HB 1874 and Boiter worked alongside Dickerson throughout the entire proceedings of the bill. Boiter explained that the bill will not allow minors to be used as bait during human trafficking investigations. The bill only allows law enforcement to use the aid of a minor if the minor is already involved, she said.

“We don’t want to be using minors as law enforcement officials,” Boiter said.

If a minor is out prostituting and law enforcement picks them up the new law allows investigators to tape the business proceedings of the minor and the pimp via phone or email, Boiter said. It will help give investigators concrete evidence to put traffickers behind bars, she said.

A speedy investigation is of the highest importance in trafficking cases, Boiter said. Human trafficking is ran like a business and the victims are moved around like inventory, she said. Even if police see a victim yesterday, by tomorrow the victim could be in Nevada.

HB 1874 will significantly speed up the process it takes to gather time-sensitive evidence.

“It’s an important tool for police to have,” Boiter said. “We have to do something to help these kids.”

Azra Grudic, anti-trafficking coordinator for the Eastern Washington Region, is glad to see more legislation passed in Washington concerning human trafficking. Grudic works directly with victims of human trafficking and is a self-admitted victim’s advocate.

“I think it is wonderful that we continue focusing on human trafficking and new laws,” Grudic said. “However, if we do not provide funds to assist the victims of human trafficking those laws won’t be beneficial.”

Grudic has seen numerous victims go back to their trafficker or pimp because of a lack of resources that assist victims.

Hurst hopes the new law leaves no traffickers left in Washington for victims to return to.

A single trafficker is often in charge of numerous victims, he said. HB 1874 will allow investigators to gain evidence needed to ensure prosecutions.

“Only a couple cases to impact thousands and thousands of people,” Hurst said.

HB 1874 has given rise to controversy over privacy rights and government expansion, Hurst said. But because the new law seeks to protect the innocent opposition to the bill holds almost no weight, he said.

The bill passed unanimously in the senate and 82-15 in the house.

Who v. Whom

1. Whom did you go to the game with?
2. She's the student who writes the best articles.
3. Whom did you vote for?
4. Who failed the quiz?
5. We know who pulled that prank.
6. We want to know on whom the prank was pulled.

Pitch for Last Story

Human trafficking, called modern-day slavery, is a serious issue in the US. Last year the National Human Trafficking Resource Center received 228 reports of human trafficking from Washington State alone. On May 3 Governor Christine Gregoire signed a bill that allows law enforcement to use minors in capturing individuals involved in human trafficking. The bill, which will be effective on August 1, will hopefully aid greatly in eradicating the problem of human trafficking in Washington. Some, however, are concerned for the safety of the minors potentially involved in such investigations.

Grad School Applications Rise with Unemployment

Dana A. Olson, 21, a junior finance major at Washington State University, will likely attend graduate school. Not because he knows his career requires a master’s degree. Not because he’s always dreamed of it. Not even because he thinks it’ll be a great opportunity to learn more. No, Olson is likely to attend graduate school because of the poor economy.

“It makes more sense to go to grad school rather than working minimum wage with an undergraduate degree,” Olson said.

Olson is among many students across Washington who in light of the poor job market have turned to graduate school hoping for the economy to improve by the time they earn their second or third degree.

Since 2007 as unemployment rates in Washington State have risen to 9.8 percent overall and 15 percent nationwide among 20 to 24 year olds. Correspondingly since 2007 graduate school applications have risen almost 18 percent at WSU and almost 27 percent at the University of Washington. Also, in 2008 the average age of a graduate student at WSU went down two years.

As the recruitment and admissions coordinator for the college of business at WSU Mitch A. Swanger often talks to students who are thinking about graduate school instead of risking unemployment.

“The job market sucks,” Swanger said. “A good chunk of interviews I have with people are seniors in undergrad who are scared of graduating.”

About half of the graduate school applicants at the WSU College of Business aren’t even business majors, Swanger said. People want to stay out of the job market but don’t care to continue learning within their specific field of study, he said. Business is associated with everything, he said, and applicants hope a couple years at a business school will help them overcome the poor job market.

The problem is most graduate schools prefer to see some time spent in the work force and many employers want real world application over schooling, Swanger said. He never recommends going straight from an undergraduate degree to master’s. Most people don’t realize how much money graduate school costs or how long it takes to pay a loan off, he said.

Still, graduate school is a great investment, Swanger said. It helps with bigger career opportunities and helps develop a ton of skills, he said.

Unfortunately with more people applying for graduate school more people are being rejected.

In 2006, about 30 percent of applicants were admitted to WSU as a grad student. In 2010 only 24 percent were accepted. Similarly, in 2006 7,777 students were rejected from the UW graduate program while 12,330 were rejected in 2010.

Pat Sturko, Associate Dean of the Graduate School at WSU also recommends going to work before graduate school. Working first gives an advantage in getting a master’s or doctorate, Sturko said.

“Going to work after you complete your undergraduate education, it gives you a more wordly perspective,” Sturko said. “You can take those experiences when you go back to graduate school. It helps you apply your knowledge.”

But for some working first before pursuing a graduate education isn’t an option.

For many the only choices are school or living with their parents, Sturko said.

Peer Edit

1. Most nonprofits that work to help refugees are ethnic community-based organizations that received government grants.

2. Tennant spent 10 years working on patrol, 12 years as patrol sergeant, and the last seven as patrol commander.

3. Leslie Huff, the project’s technology director, acknowledged how much Egbert worked to make this project successful.

4. Fountain's brother and videographer, Joey, filmed the 850-mile adventure to snowboarding destinations in the Pacific Northwest.

5. “He has a lot of passion for the game of cricket--it's evident," so-and-so said. "We learn something new from him every day out there.”

Math Quiz

1. It will spend $78,850.
2. About 87 percent passed.
3. A 20 percent increase.
4.a. A 25 percent decrease.
   b. About a 33 percent increase.
5. About a 10.7 percent increase.
6. Last year funding was about $156 million.
7. It will cost $280,000.
8.a. A 20 percent increase.
   b. A 1 percentage increase.
9. There is a .25 percent chance of assault in Spokane but a 7.3 percent chance in Pullman.
10.a. Mean price is $790,600.
     b. The median price is $207,000.

Pullman Pride in Six Strings

With a black beanie resting atop his shaved head Victor P. Hudak stared across the counter from eyes hidden behind a thin-rimmed pair of glasses creeping down the edge of his nose. A “chin-strap” beard curved around a strong jaw-line and a couple days worth of stubble ordained deep sunken cheeks. Hudak, co-owner of the locally iconic Atom Heart Music in downtown Pullman, is himself a Pullman legend.

Hudak opened Atom Heart Music in order to fill what he saw as a pressing need in Pullman. There had not been a music store in Pullman since 1974, Hudak said. For 30 years Pullman residents traveled to Moscow for their musical equipment needs—whether it was a guitar from Guitars Friend or orchestral sheet music from Keeney Bros. Music Center. Now Pullman musician have a shop to call their own.

As a customer carrying a small, brightly colored toy guitar walked into the store Hudak casually expressed a greeting from behind the counter.

“Can you make this sound like a real guitar?” the customer asked setting down the toy instrument across the countertop. The toy guitar is his four-year-old son’s and it doesn’t stay in tune, he said.

“I’ll try,” Hudak responded, his voice slow and methodical. “I still consider this a toy.”

Hudak worked for over four years in Moscow, Ida. before opening Atom Heart Music. The co-owner of Atom Heart Music, Steve E. Ashby, worked as the manager at Guitars Friend during that time. In 2003 Hudak and Ashby left Guitars Friend as their relationship with the owner dissolved, Hudak said.

While working at Guitars Friend people often asked Hudak why he didn’t just open up his own store, Hudak said. The circumstances were right soon after he left Guitars Friend and in 2004 Hudak and Ashby opened Atom Heart Music at its original location on Grand Ave., Hudak said. He hoped with the new store to offer the complete gamut of instrumentation.

As Hudak began to fiddle with the strings on the toy guitar, hoping a replacement string might fix the problem, he and the customer discussed guitars. The customer soon expressed interest in buying a real guitar. Within moments Hudak, whose speaking style is normally paced and rhythmic, rattled off enthusiastically his professional advice on which guitar would best suit the customer’s wants.

The customer walked up the single step separating the main floor with the guitar section and passed a wall covered in handwritten letters of gratitude. He sat down and strummed four times across the open fret board of a new acoustic guitar.

In the summer of 2007 Atom Heart Music moved to its current location in downtown Pullman, 255 Olsen St. It’s a better location with more foot traffic and cheaper rent, Hudak said.

Pullman resident Javier A. Suarez, 24, has worked at Atom Heart Music for only three months, but he’s known Hudak since he was 10 years old. He describes him as having always been a friendly face. Atom Heart Music is a cultural addition to Pullman and Hudak has always been the center of that, he said.

WSU student Levi E. Del Mar, 20, a self-admitted avid guitar player, interacted with Hudak for the first time a couple weeks ago at Atom Heart Music. After only one short interaction Del Mar described Hudak as someone with a naturally friendly and knowledgeable air about him. He seems able to help musicians of any level, Del Mar said.

For the last eight years musicians—inspiring and professional alike—have been able to walk into Atom Heart Music and see a friendly familiar face—Hudak. Hudak, supporter of local radio stations, who’s lived in Pullman since he was 12, who graduated from Pullman High School in 1987, and who attended Washington State University. Hudak, who first played drums and trumpet but who put away everything else after he fell in love with the guitar. Hudak, who now plays bass regularly in band that can be seen about once a month in Rico’s pub.

On a Thursday morning a customer walked into Atom Heart Music to fix a toy guitar. Within twenty minutes, thanks to a conversation with Vic Hudak, he walked out with a brand new $200 guitar, a $40 guitar case, some free picks, and a new found desire to become a musician.

“We’re here to encourage people who are potential musicians to play,” Hudak said.