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Klipsun Magazine, 2008, Volume 38, Issue 07 - October, Ciara O'Rourke

Klipsun Magazine

We’ll be the first to admit our cover’s a little sensational. It might even smell desperate. But when we said we were planning a historical issue, we received what you might call scorn. The nerve.

Fortunately, murder, prostitution and war aren’t just heavy-handed buzzwords we chose so you would pick up the magazine (although that’s true, too)—they fit the bill.

Thirty years ago this January, the notorious Hillside Strangler killed two Western students in a series of murders tracing back to California. Circa the early 1900s, sweet Fairhaven boasted the best brothels in town (the Horseshoe did, too, but …

Klipsun Magazine, 2008, Volume 39, Issue 01 - Fall, Megan Claflin

Klipsun Magazine

On Nov. 4, as the Klipsun staff worked diligently to publish this issue, our attentions were diverted. We witnessed history unfold as Americans voted in their first African-American president.

Despite our personal opinions or the boxes we marked on our ballots, the Klipsun newsroom watched as many parts of the country were seized by an uprising of emotion, passion and action. More than ever before, young Americans, our generation, made their voices heard. We rocked the vote!

For America, I believe this election was like coming up for fresh air.

During the past eight years our patriotism has been tested. …

Klipsun Magazine, 2008, Volume 39, Issue 02 - Fall, Megan Claflin

Klipsun Magazine

As we ring in the New Year resolutions are on everyone’s mind. We set goals to strive for greatness and to improve our relationships, but with all of our attention focused elsewhere we can often forget to reserve a little time and energy for ourselves.

This issue of Klipsun is all about your mind, body and spirit and improving connections between the three. With a healthy mind we are happier, with a healthy body we are stronger and with a healthy spirit we can abolish any obstacles in our path.

So embrace this New Year and follow your bliss.

The Planet, 2008, Fall, Emily A. Linroth, Huxley College Of The Environment, Western Washington University

The Planet

No abstract provided.

Window: The Magazine Of Western Washington University, 2008, Volume 01, Issue 01, Mary Lane Gallagher, Office Of University Communications And Marketing, Western Washington University

Window Magazine

No abstract provided.

Klipsun Magazine, 2008, Volume 39, Issue 06 - June, Uniquely Bellingham, Ciara O'Rourke

Klipsun Magazine

So you think you’re pretty cool. We agree.

In fact, the whole city is packed with people like you: unique, creative, and sort of weird. We’re all quirky, but together, we’re brilliant, damn it. Sure it sounds vain. But we’ve got the chops to prove it.

Like an Arlington couple capitalizing on their homemade Australian outback. Or city churches funding a coffeehouse that trades treats for chores. The town is simply littered with unsung success, from local designers creating sustainable fashions, to border buffs confiscating marijuana from rotund bears. And with five fellow Bellinghams on the map, we’ve got some …

Klipsun Magazine, 2008, Volume 38, Issue 05 - April, The Food Issue, Nicole Lanphear

Klipsun Magazine

Yes, this issue is a little different. A little backwards, a little weird at first. When we looked at the stories we selected for this issue, we thought, “Hey, we almost have a whole food issue!” And the idea surfaced to do half of the magazine as the “Food Issue” and the other half as “Bellingham Lifestyles” issue.

We hope you enjoy the variety and breadth of stories in this April issue. From the profile of a semi-pro basketball player to the look at how a record label came to existence in Bellingham, the “Lifestyles” side has something to entertain …

Klipsun Magazine, 2008, Volume 38, Issue 05 - April, Bellingham Lifestyles, Nicole Lanphear

Klipsun Magazine

Yes, this issue is a little different. A little backwards, a little weird at first. When we looked at the stories we selected for this issue, we thought, “Hey, we almost have a whole food issue!” And the idea surfaced to do half of the magazine as the “Food Issue” and the other half as “Bellingham Lifestyles” issue.

We hope you enjoy the variety and breadth of stories in this April issue. From the profile of a semi-pro basketball player to the look at how a record label came to existence in Bellingham, the “Lifestyles” side has something to entertain …

Window On Western, 2008, Volume 14, Issue 02, Paul Cocke, Alumni, Foundation, And Office Of University Communications, Western Washington University

Window on Western

No abstract provided.

The Planet, 2008, Spring, Page A. Buono, Huxley College Of The Environment, Western Washington University

The Planet

No abstract provided.

Klipsun Magazine, 2008, Volume 38, Issue 04 - March, Nicole Lanphear

Klipsun Magazine

In the span of Klipsun’s existence, it has served as campus yearbook and magazine, spurred controversy over racy illustrations and won numerous awards for excellence from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Washington Press Association and others. Klispun has worn many covers over the years, but continues to this day to serve as a face of Bellingham lifestyles.

This issue goes to the heart of Bellingham: whether it is overcoming a life- shattering drug addiction, where Whatcom County drug cases surpass the average rate of Washington state, or following a group of leather-clad bikers riding their hogs in support of …

Klipsun Magazine, 2008, Volume 38, Issue 03 - January, Brittney Leirdahl

Klipsun Magazine

Perseverance.

This word means something different to everyone. For me it means dedication. For others it means determination. But no matter what the meaning of this word is for you it still has the same context: as long as you have perseverance you will continue on in any course of action despite obstacles.

This “course of action” we all achieve is made up of our goals. Everyone has a goal. Some set goals that can be easily achieved. Others set goals that go above and beyond their capabilities. But most set goals somewhere in between the two extremes to help …

Improving Metacognitive Skills, Jim Stewart, Mike Greiner, Cassandra Cook

Writing Research Fellows

Research Question: Can a short, weekly email reflection from students in introductory physics courses be structured to improve students’ thinking about their own thinking?

Method: By analyzing student responses we will refine the writing prompt and scoring guidelines so that, starting fall 2008, we can begin a longitudinal study in which we follow individual students through at least two quarters of the introductory physics course.

People, Places And Ideas: A Year-Long Conversation With Rural Alaskan Students, Lauren Mcclanahan, Andrea Gabler

Writing Research Fellows

Research Question: How can developing strong writing prompts elicit strong student responses concerning the evidence of climate change in a rural Alaskan fishing village?

Method: For this case study, my pre-service secondary teacher education students were paired (via e-mail) with middle school students in rural southwestern Alaska. The Alaskan students were from the small fishing village of Eek, which has a population of approximately 280. Through a process of continual refinement, my secondary education students drafted and revised writing prompts that encouraged the Alaskan students to think in terms of how climate change is changing their way of life.

Blogging As A Way Of Thinking, Julia Sapin, Robyn Rossmeisl

Writing Research Fellows

Research Question: How can technology help to establish more open classrooms through writing, thereby affecting who is involved in discussion and how involvement takes place?

Method: Developed questionnaire for blog participants in a variety of Julia’s classes. We based our findings on the responses in those questionnaires, supplemented by secondary materials that helped us define terms and technology.

Making It Through: From Start To Finish… Faculty And Student Co-Authorship Process, Tara Perry, Brian Launius, Hayley Peterson

Writing Research Fellows

Research Questions: RQ1: What is the process of co-authoring a writing project between professors and students? RQ2: What are professor’s perceptions of co-authoring a writing project with college students? RQ3: What are student’s perceptions of co-authoring a writing project with a professor? RQ4: What communication processes are involved in student faculty co-authorship?

Method: The qualitative method of data collection was utilized for this study. The researchers conducted two focus groups and seven face to face interviews with different subjects, professors and students. This study was conducted at a university in the Pacific Northwest.

Integration Of Technical And Scientific Writing Into Surface-Water Hydrology (Geol 472/572), Robert J. Mitchell, Niki Thane

Writing Research Fellows

Research Question: Do my practices improve students’ writing skills and their understanding of science?

Method: My primary goal is to help students develop their scientific thinking through writing. My hope is that as students advance from project-to-project, they will discover that learning the science is highly correlated to their ability to express their thinking in writing. Naturally, I also want students to learn the mechanical and style elements that define good scientific writing, such as writing concisely, using appropriate grammar, and developing proper figures and tables; conventions which are easier to learn and teach.

Journal Writing In The Classroom: Chore Or Delight?, Jennifer Karchmer, Anya Nakrokhina

Writing Research Fellows

Research Questions:

1. What are some attitudes and behavioral trends of students toward a journal writing assignment?
2. How effective is a journal writing assignment in the classroom?
3. How can a journal writing assignment be improved for both students and instructor?

Method:

Quantitative data based on 39 surveys administered during Fall 2007 quarter at WWU to COMM318 Professional Communication students. Also, this study included student journals (about 10-pages each) with qualitative comments.

Student Literacy And The Effect Of Digital Writing, Catherine Mcdonald, Amanda Hill

Writing Research Fellows

Research Question:

Our research question had three components:

• What is the effect of teaching the production of online texts?
• What is the effect of teaching the analysis of digital literacies?
• How do students assess the effect of studying self-sponsored digital literacies?

Method: Our methodology was a qualitative study using ethnographic techniques, or more specifically, ethnographic writing research. Wendy Bishop explains this research methodology (Bishop, 1999).While ethnography is a phenomenological method of participating in a culture and giving an account of it as experienced by native members, ethnographic writing research is a less intensive study of the literacy practices …

Using A Field Journal To Enhance Conceptual Understanding, Shelby L. Sheppard, Jennifer Baldwin, Gretchen Anderson

Writing Research Fellows

Research Question: Is individual experience a significant factor in deepening conceptual understanding?

Method: A Field Journal Assignment was given to two classes (1 grad and 1 undergrad) each of three terms over the course of the academic year. Students in each course were provided with a seminal reading which articulated the merits of deepening conceptual understanding by means of analyzing one’s beliefs about a particular concept and one’s reasons for holding those beliefs. (Wilson, J. 1998, “Seriousness and the Foundations of Education”, Educational Theory Vol 48: #2)

The Planet, 2008, Winter, Page A. Buono, Huxley College Of The Environment, Western Washington University

The Planet

No abstract provided.