Final Story

The odd-looking model placed on Konstantin Matveev’s desk resembles a hybrid between a hydroplane and an airplane.

The model demonstrates the work of the Advanced Marine Vehicles Research Group, an organization Matveev founded three years ago.

“This group is unique because it investigates several aerodynamic and hydrodynamic phenomena,” Matveev said.

The assistant professor for the school of mechanical and materials engineering merges the studies of air and water to find ways vehicles can travel more efficiently over all surfaces.

One such vehicle is the Power Augmented Ram Vehicle. This unique vehicle can travel over water and land. Additionally, the PARV contains a jet system at the front of the vehicle that blows air beneath it and out the back of the vehicle.

“The PARV flies in close proximity to the ground and creates a cushion of air that it can ride on,” said Matt Miller, Matveev’s undergraduate assistant.

If the PARV was developed commercially it could be used for research in areas such as the Arctic Circle or Antarctica. Research in those areas is difficult because there are no roads and it is time-consuming to unload equipment from a ship into a land vehicle. The PARV could transport the equipment over water and land, Matveev said.

The PARV could also be useful to the military. Soldiers could quickly be delivered from a large ship in the ocean onto a target on shore, he said.

“We could develop some real vehicles with more funding,” Matveev said. “But it all depends on the external funding we get.”

So far the Advanced Marine Vehicles Research Group has only received small, local grants from individuals and businesses. The group hopes that one day their ideas will be picked up by the government or a corporation and their models would be developed into actual vehicle.

Originally from Russia, Matveev is a man of few words. He became interested in studying the dynamics of marine vehicles after his father was involved in the manufacture of ships similar to the PARV back in Russia.

“Once you get past that initial reserve, you find that (Matveev) is a fun guy to work with,” Miller said. “He’s very smart. He’s brilliant and it shows in his work.”

Along with studying the mechanics of the PARV, the Advanced Marine Vehicle Research Group also studies hull systems. Improving the underbellies of ships could potentially save energy and eventually save money for the shipping industry.

“Boat hulls have been essentially the same for centuries,” Miller said. “They create large surface areas of drag which waste energy.”

The Advanced Marine Vehicles Research Group studied ship hulls in a hydrolysis research lab at WSU that contains massive pools of water. The facility made for an ideal, controlled environment to conduct research.

Originally the facility was occupied by researchers that studied fluid mechanics in the 1980s and 1990s. However, popularity in fluid mechanics died down and the facility was vacant for years until the Advanced Marine Vehicles Research Group decided to use it, Matveev said.

Miller admits he did not know about the facility until they started their research, even though he has been a part of the engineering program for four years.

“It’s a really big facility,” Miller said. “It was really interesting to see the large amounts of water and the big pumps at work.”

Matveev considers his work exotic. While vehicles such as the PARV are popular in Russia, they are relatively unknown in the United States.

He said he doesn’t know any other groups that are doing the same research on unique vehicles. Instead most research firms experiment on traditional vehicles.

Junior mechanical engineering major Nate Storrs is a student in Matveev’s thermodynamics class. He is well aware of the work from the Advanced Marine Vehicles Research Group.

“If Matveev’s research ever gets picked up by another research firm or company, it could have huge benefits for society,” Storrs said. “If better hulls are used or PARVs are developed, it would be cost-saving and good for the environment.”

“I wouldn’t mind helping in Matveev’s research,” Storrs added.

Speech Story

Claudette Casile admits she’s no Lara Croft or Indiana Jones.

Her experiences as an archeologist, which she shared with an anthropology 101 class on Wednesday, do not include escaping from bad guys or discovering ancient relics.

The WSU graduate student simply studies pollen.

“I try to figure out what I can learn from the past by looking at pollen,” Casile said.

A person who studies the fossils and non-fossils of pollen, such as Casile, is a palynologist. For her thesis, Casile studies fossilized pollen on the southeastern Caribbean islands of Marie Galante, Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique and Saint Lucia.

The main part of Casile’s field work is extracting core samples from sites on each island. The process is time consuming and difficult work.

“It’s like giving birth,” Casile said.

First Casile’s team of archeologists hoists a tube of about ten feet over the site. Then the tube is pounded into the ground. The tube is eventually pulled out from the earth and a core sample is produced.

The smooth, golden sample is cut into smaller pieces, sealed and put under a microscope to be examined. Each sample should contain 200 or more grains of pollen.

“Usually when you think about an archeologist’s work you don’t think about the tough work that goes into collecting the samples that are analyzed,” junior communication major, Ben Krein said.

The samples collected by Casile provide several clues to the history of the each island. The sample is translated to a graph that shows the different kinds of pollen, the radio carbon date, and the types of substances that were contained in the pollen.

Casile showed one of her sample graphs, Core VF08-1, to the anthropology class. She dissected the graph, telling the class how a spike in the graph signified information about how charcoal was found in the sample at one point in history. Charcoal is a sign of human colonization.

The charcoal in the sample became entangled in the pollen between 2,500 years ago and 3,000 years ago. Upon further analysis, Casile was able to hypothesize that humans settled in the area around 1,000 B.C.

“It’s like you’re getting a picture of what happened thousands of years ago,” she said. “It’s awesome to think about what the ancestors of the Caribbean really experienced back then.”

In order to arrive at her field site in Guadeloupe, Casile had to trudge through an uninviting swamp in a desolate rainforest.

“Who knows what is swimming in your boots? There are several different kinds of crabs and snakes (in the swamp),” she said. “Who knows what you can catch?”
Casile refers to this rough environment as her playground. She points out that her work in the Caribbean is not as glamorous as one would think but she finds ways enjoy her surroundings.

“You have kind of a repetition in the environment and food (of each island),” Casile said. “But the flavors are different. Each island had a different colony. They each had a different road to revolution.”

She discussed with the anthropology class her difficulties of being the only woman on her team, trying to navigate around the Caribbean on a “100 word French vocabulary,” and always wearing dirty clothes. Despite these difficulties her team made the best out of their circumstances.

In a picture of Casile and her team during their off-time, Casile’s colleague holds a large conch shell to his ear. The team referred to this as his iPod.

“Archeology is not all fun,” Casile said. “The Caribbean is not all fun. But you can make it fun. You have to use your imagination.”

Palynology is not just about finding clues to human history, Casile reminded the class. The study of pollen also holds several uses that solve contemporary problems.

For example, petroleum companies analyze pollen samples to find geological deposits, farmers employ pollen to create stronger crops and forensic scientists study pollen samples to find clues in criminal cases, she said.

“I never knew pollen could be so useful. You can apply it to a lot of things. I don’t know if I would want to study it, but it really has a lot of purpose,” said Garrett Brown, senior construction management major.

Casile’s overall lesson to the anthropology class was included in the Italian saying she wrote on the white board:

“Il Mondo e bello perche e vario,” which means, “the world is beautiful because (it has variation) it is varied.”

Casile told the class this is the key to anthropology. Even something as simple as pollen can provide answers to the world’s beauty.

Press Release Exercise

"Virtual Journalism" to be Explored at Upcoming Conference

The worlds of journalism and virtual technology will merge at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

Leading technology experts and journalists will participate in workshops, presentations and panels about the emergence of virtual journalism in a partnership between Washington State University and the McCormick Foundations on April 6.

"We're excited to bring together many of the leaders in technology and journalism to discuss and explore this new media channel for storytelling," said WSU President Elson S. Floyd.

Virtual journalism is a new way of journalism organizations sharing content with their public. News organizations such as Sky News and CNN have picked up on this trend, by using "in-world" news bureaus that offer quick access of content in a virtual world.

"As the traditional, newspaper-based world of journalism looks for appropriate new ways to provide the vital checks and balances vital to democracy, this event will provide a very significant catalyst for innovation," said Erica Austin, interim dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

Second Life and Club Penguin are two popular examples of virtual worlds. Founders of both companies will be present at the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.


Questions:

How does the public access these "virtual journalism" sites and what information is shared in these sites?

Why did the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication decide to choose "virtual journalism" as this year's theme?

News Feature Story

A fleet of camouflage, army cargo trucks sit in a parking lot while men from the National Guard use forklifts to load supplies into the truck beds.

This isn’t a disaster-relief area or a war zone. This is the Zeppoz parking lot in Pullman and the supplies are non-perishable foods collected after last year’s Palouse Cares food drive.

The Palouse Cares food drive is one of several events that will cap off the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week from Monday, Nov. 16 to Friday, Nov. 20.

“The whole week is to bring education to students who don’t realize how many homeless people there really are. It gives all of us new insight,” said Kelsey Parsons, a peer mentor for the Center for Civic Engagement.

The campaign aims to collect supplies for the homeless and to educate the public on issues of poverty and hunger in the United States.

Events throughout the week include a free musical and dance performance, four separate banquets, a community service project, a film, and the Palouse Cares food drive, said Parsons.

Funds collected from the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week will go to local food banks.

The Palouse Cares food drive is one of the main events during the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

The food drive has occurred on the first Saturday of every December for the past 15 years. Around 500 volunteers go door to door in neighborhoods throughout Pullman and Moscow to collect canned foods.

Last year the food drive collected about 28,000 pounds of food, said Rick Minard, president of Palouse Cares.

Though the Palouse Cares food drive takes place after the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week it is still considered an event for the campaign.

“Being out there every year brings credibility and legitimacy to my charity,” Minard said. “If a volunteer gives me an hour of their time and we get the numbers we want, the drive is an instant success.”

The main goal for the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is to educate students at WSU about people in the community struggling to make enough money to feed their families, Parsons said.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average income for Whitman County is well below the state’s average. In 2007, while the average income in Washington was $55,628, the average income for Whitman County was $36,438.

The difference in income hints at a poverty problem in Whitman County.

“This is a serious issue I’m dealing with 365 days a year,” said Jeff Tietjen, assistant manager of family development for the Community Action Center.

The Community Action Center serves more than 5,000 people who are living in poverty in Whitman County each year.

Tietjen said when he first started working for the Community Action Center seven years ago, the organization served around 70 families a month. However, the Community Action Center now serves 200 to 300 families a month.

Parsons hopes the education students experience from the National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week will breed action in the fight against poverty.

“When students learn about this, they are more likely to help and do good things for the community,” said Parsons.

Grammatical Revisions for Story

Andrew Talevich

For many local voters, Referendum 71 encompasses more than politics- the piece of legislation puts religion front and center. (technically the referendum is not legislation)

(I think a summary lede may work: Dozens of religious leaders have announced their support for a referendum that would extend rights …)

(an anecdotal lede with Laird may also be stronger)

In the months leading up to the November election, the Washington Association of Churches gathered a signature list of more than 85 clergy leaders who support Referendum 71. These clergy members come from a scope of different religions including Judaism, Methodism and Evangelicalism.

* great job finding an interesting angle to a well-tread story

Among the clergy supporters of Referendum 71 is Associate Pastor Chip Laird of the United Church of Christ in Pullman.

“Along with faith, this is also an issue of people’s rights in America, and it should be treated like that so I’m very much in support with Referendum 71,” Laird said.

Referendum 71 is commonly referred to as the “everything but marriage” law because it would grant same-sex partners the same rights as married couples.

While many clergy leaders across the state support Referendum 71, a large population at WSU opposes the measure. Freshman McKinley Storey is one of those students.

“I oppose Referendum 71 because I’ve always learned that marriage should stay between a man and a woman,” Storey said. (counter from supporters who mention that it’s not technically marriage)

Jordan Seider, a senior accounting major and member of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender and Allies committee, said he has experienced direct opposition from conservatives who oppose same sex marriage because of their faith.

“I’ve noticed that people who are against this referendum are usually more conservative,” Seider said. “They try to bring in religion. In general people try to use the bible (Bible) as a defense.”

Seider said the Bible has also been used in the past to stop progressive movements and to justify stances against interracial marriage and women’s rights.

“Every time one of these issues comes up there’s always a Bible verse that is used to justify their position,” he said.

Though Seider is a non denominational Christian himself, he said that he has not experienced any conflicts between his religion and his stance in support of Referendum 71.

Storey, a conservative Christian, said he uses his faith as a moral compass in determining his values.

“A lot of the decisions I make are based on what I learn from the church,” he said. “I think that’s a good thing because it has the power to be a strong guide.”

The majority of churches in support of Referendum 71 were from Western Washington. The United Church of Christ was the sole church from Pullman listed by the Washington Association of Churches.

Laird said he was unsure about whether other religious communities were in support of Referendum 71 in Pullman. However he believes that based on local historical beliefs less people in Pullman were in support. (how have other church leaders responded to his support of this? Did the head pastor support as well, or just the associate pastor)

“It continues to surprise me that people in America don’t support basic civil rights,” Laird said.

Despite his pessimism about people’s beliefs he said he was encouraged by the growing trend of religious leaders who signed in support of the domestic partnership law.

An interesting angle, especially the content from Laird. But why include the students’ voices when you could include the voices of other religious leaders who disagree with Laird? See notes in text. 89/100

News Feature Story Proposals

Snail, drug use.

A group of students and professors in the College of Veterinary Medicine are currently working on experiments which measure the effects on memory of snails that are subjected to methamphetamine. The conclusions from these experiments may expand revelations on human drug addiction and relapse rates. When covering this story I would want to know how a simple experiment with a snail could be relevant to drug addiction. Furthermore I would want to know how these conclusions could help people fighting addiction. I would want to talk to students or professors who are conducting these experiments and drug experts who may see why these experiments may be helpful to their line of work.

Friends of Bahia Street

A while ago for the Daily Evergreen I covered a group which had just started up called Friends of Bahia Street. This group supported a larger group, Bahia Street International which raised money and resources for young women and girls living in poverty in Salvador, Brazil. The aim was to provide these adolescents with education which would empower them to become successful when they were older and help them escape poverty. Friends of Bahia Street was started by a junior at WSU who had witnessed the poverty first hand while on a mission trip. To cover this story I would talk with the president and possibly the advisor and others involved in the group. I would also want to talk to a representative from Bahia Street International. To make this story up to date I would want to find out what specific actions Friends of Bahia have completed to raise funds and what future events they have coming up. I would also want to report on their progress from their start up until now.

Political Story

For many local voters, Referendum 71 encompasses more than politics- the piece of legislation puts religion front and center.

In the months leading up to the Nov. election, the Washington Association of Churches gathered a signature list of more than 85 clergy leaders that support Referendum 71. These clergy members come from a scope of different religions including Judaism, Methodism and Evangelicalism.

Among the clergy supporters of Referendum 71 on the list was Associate Pastor Chip Laird of the United Church of Christ in Pullman.

“Along with faith, this is also an issue of people’s rights in America and it should be treated like that so I’m very much in support with Referendum 71,” Laird said.

Referendum 71 is commonly referred to as the “everything but marriage” law because it would grant same-sex partners the same rights as married couples.

While many clergy leaders across the state support Referendum 71, a large population at WSU opposes the measure. Freshman McKinley Storey is one of those students.

“I oppose Referendum 71 because I’ve always learned that marriage should stay between a man and a woman,” Storey said.

Jordan Seider, a senior accounting major and member of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender and Allies committee, said he has experienced direct opposition from conservatives that oppose same sex marriage because of their faith.

“I’ve noticed that people who are against this referendum are usually more conservative,” Seider said. “They try to bring in religion. In general people try to use the bible as a defense.”

Seider said that the bible has also been used in the past to stop progressive movements and to justify stances against interracial marriage and women’s rights.

“Every time one of these issues comes up there’s always a bible verse that is used to justify their position,” he said.

Though Seider is a non-donimational Christian himself, he said that he has not experienced any conflicts between his religion and his stance in support of Referendum 71.

Storey, a conservative Christian, said he uses his faith as a moral compass in determining his values.

“A lot of the decisions I make are based on what I learn from the church,” he said. “I think that’s a good thing because it has the power to be a strong guide.”

The majority of churches in support of Referendum 71 were from Western Washington. The United Church of Christ was the sole church from Pullman listed by the Washington Association of Churches.

Laird said he was unsure about whether other religious communities were in support of Referendum 71 in Pullman. However he believes that based on local historical beliefs less people in Pullman were in support.

“It continues to surprise me that people in America don’t support basic civil rights,” Laird said.

Despite his pessimism about people’s beliefs he said he was encouraged by the growing trend of religious leaders who signed in support of the domestic partnership law.


Outline:

Part 1: Lede: important to tie Referendum 71 to religion
-List of clergy leaders who support Ref. 71.
-support lede, centerpiece of story
Part 2: Localize issue. Pastor Laird signed list
-his input. Why did he sign it? What’s the consensus in this area?
-Brief recap of what Ref. 71 is.
Part 3: Student opposition and support. Student input. Why do you oppose this? Why do you support this? How is this connected to faith?
Part 4: Tie it back to Pastor Laird. Do people in Pullman share his same beliefs? Elsewhere? Broad view.

A brigade of New Orlean citizens, mostly black, camp out along the side of an interstate which cuts through the heart of the city. The citizens wait for buses to take them from their previous shelter at the Superdome to new shelters in Dallas and Houston.

Where a busy highway once existed now serves as a waiting area with hundreds of people but few cars in sight.

A tight crowd of evacees at the Superdome eagerly wait for buses to transport them out of New Orleans. People in the crowd display a mix of emotions from anger to disbelief as the thousands of citizens cram into lines.

Jeremiah Ward's sandals are anything but typical. Beneath each of his feet are two cardboard packages wrapped together by a rubber band. The cardboard packages ironically say, "keep moving"- something that many citizens have had to do in order to survive Hurricane Katrina.

Politics Story Proposals

Referendum 71

To localize this story I would talk to local groups that support and disapprove the referendum. Possible ideas would be to talk to a spokesperson from the Gender Identity/ Expression and Sexual Orientation Resource Center or other politic groups that support or oppose the referendum. I can also get input from random students. Furthermore I would ask questions how the referendum would directly impact WSU if it would at all. To get further detail in the story I could contact a lobbyist who may have a direct impact with the referendum. I would also need to provide background on the referendum such as what it would do if passed and how it became a referendum.

I-1033

There are several possible angles I could take on covering this controversial issue. I think the most affective angle that pertains to WSU would be how it could affect higher education if passed. According to a Seattle Times article published yesterday, the inititive if passed could mean deep cuts for higher education across the state. With massive budget cuts already in place it would be interesting to find opinions on those who support and oppose this initiative. I would interview sources within the WSU administrative and lobbyists in Olympia (possibly the ASWSU lobbyist for WSU). I could also get student input and input from professors.

Justice Story

During two hot summer nights in mid-August a series of assault allegations shook the WSU campus and raised serious concerns about public safety and accountability.

The three allegations from two freshman women turned out to be false.

“If you look at what happened when they did this you saw a sense of alarm and a sense of uneasiness around campus,” WSU Police Lt. Steve Hansen said.

The first alleged assault was reported on Aug. 19 and was followed by a second and third report on Aug. 24.

The freshman woman who reported the first and third assaults later recanted both accusations after police found inconsistencies in her statements.

The second report made by another freshman woman also had inconsistencies and was proven fictitious. There is no link between the two freshman women, Hansen said.

“We treated all three incidences as if they were valid until we proved they were wrong,” Hansen said.

The two freshman woman could face a gross misdemeanor for filing a false report which carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $10,000 fine, Hansen said.

Although WSU Police are unsure if they will file criminal charges, Hansen said they have a year and a day after the accusations took place to file a claim.

“These women should be punished to the fullest extent,” freshman general studies major Zach McKiernan. “Because of these false claims, women are now afraid when they see me or any guy when I’m walking home at night.”

The false assault claims led several students to ask questions about public safety, said freshman kinesiology major Allie Guy.

“Just because the assaults were fake doesn’t mean something like that couldn’t happen,” she said. “All the sudden me and my friends were a lot more cautious.”

Over the five day period when the three assault claims were reported, students who registered their cell phones to the campus alert system were informed through text messages about the alleged assaults.

“I think (the text messages) were very affective,” Hansen said. “It got the message we wanted out there in a short period of time.”

With members of the Cougar Security Program, police interns, and WSU and Pullman police making their presence seen during the night, Hansen considers campus a safe place.

“We’re always out there in the night patrolling,” he said.

Although there has not been a significant decrease or increase in the number of assaults on campus, new safety measure such as code blue alarms, elevator alarms, increased lighting and women’s transit has made campus feel safer, Hansen said.

“I definitely feel safe when I walk around campus at night,” Guy said. “I feel the likelihood of an assault is really low but there are devices that make me feel even safer.”

###

Welsh Lede

Spokane police believe a local Catholic Bishop is the lead suspect in a strangling to a male prostitute in Chicago last month.

The Bishop, Lawerence Welsh, was visiting Chicago for a Knights of Columbus convention when the altercation took place.

Story Proposals

Story 3 Proposals

Student Recreation Camera- An Invasion of Privacy?

One issue that is ripe around campus is the ASWSU proposal to install cameras in the Recreation Center so students could monitor if the popular work out areas are crowded. Ideally the plan is a good one. Students can see when the best time to work out would be. Also the Rec. wouldn’t be so crowded. However, many students are saying this is a clear invasion of privacy. For this story I would be sure to get lots of student input on if they believe the cameras are a good idea or a tool that could be used to abuse power. There are also alternative ideas such as a technology that would report on occupancy levels rather than having a camera. My question would be how much more important is this technology than the camera?

What happened with the students who cried wolf?

Over a course of a week about one month ago the WSU campus was startled to hear about a series of assaults that had taken place during three nights. Students across campus were notified of these assaults via text messages and e-mail alerts. President Elson Floyd teamed up with the WSU department to create a $5,000 reward for the capture of the perpetrator. However, all three assaults were later recanted. What consequences did these female students face after falsely reporting such news? An incidence such as this one tarnishes WSU’s image and could create trouble in the future if other female students actually get assaulted and administrators are slow to believe their claim.

Meeting Story

Headline: New Group Sets out to Give

The white board stood mostly blank at the beginning of the first meeting for GIVE, a university group aimed at completing community service projects.

After an hour of brainstorming the board was covered with philanthropy ideas.

“We’re shooting for open-ended projects that people can get involved with,” said senior Edison Kent, ASWSU director of philanthropy and community outreach.

GIVE is an offshoot of ASWSU’s philanthropy branch. The organization plans to receive funding from ASWSU and the Center for Civic Engagement.

“[GIVE] is really our own beast,” Kent said. “The CCE and ASWSU are groups that are willing to support us because they believe in students getting involved and making a difference.”

The concept of GIVE started with senior Erika Schoonmaker. To generate funding and ideas, Schoonmaker teamed up with Kent. Though the group has only had one meeting and is in the process of becoming a university-recognized club, members of GIVE are eager to make a difference.

GIVE intends to switch off between local, regional, and national or international projects, Schoonmaker said.

“If we can make service fun and something people want to do then it will go a long way,” Schoonmaker said.

The nine members in attendance on Thursday discussed their mission statement, t-shirts ideas, and various outreach projects they plan on becoming involved with.

Schoonmaker unveiled the logo for GIVE. The design is a hand forming a peace sign with GIVE ingrained in the middle and the words “Hope, Love, Back” under it.

GIVE plans on creating t-shirts for their organization. Kent hopes a mass distribution of t-shirts will create a buzz around campus and encourage student involvement.

“We are going to figure out a way to get t-shirts to everybody; and by everybody I mean a lot of people,” Kent said.

For every project GIVE works on, members will come up with a different t-shirt design. The t-shirts will include the ASWSU and GIVE logos on them along with a story or statistic about the cause the project is intended to help.

Organizations that GIVE discussed contributing to include TOMS Shoes, Invisible Children, Habitat for Humanity, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Ten Thousand Villages.

Sophomore Alicia Reddy proposed the idea of raising awareness against drunken driving. The issue stemmed after the death of recent graduate Tanya Guseva, a passenger that died in a drunken driving accident over the summer outside of Pullman.

“I think doing something against drunk driving would be something very educational for this campus,” Schoonmaker said.

To make a lasting impact on WSU students, Reddy proposed setting up a mock crash at Terrell Mall to show the harsh reality of drunken driving accidents.

“For this thing you want the shock factor,” Kent said. “For one specific day you park this car on the hill. I think it would work really well.”

In order to turn their brainstorming into action, GIVE thought of ways to reach out to students. Possible solutions included setting up a booth in the CUB, designing a Facebook group, displaying GIVE information on the CUB electronic board, and passing out fliers.

GIVE plans to meet every Thursday in CUE 319 at 5:30.

Preview Story

Headline: Briggs Roberts to make symphonic debut

Summary: Conductor Jeremy Briggs Roberts will make his debut leading the Washington/ Idaho Symphony at the Richard L. Domey Auditorium on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The quiet chambers of the Richard L. Domey Auditorium will come to life on the night of Sept. 26 as the Washington Idaho Symphony performs the works of Mozart and Tchaikovsky.

The performance titled, “Symphonic Titans” will be musical director and conductor Jeremy Briggs Roberts’ debut as the leader of the Washington Idaho Symphony.

“It’s a completely active entertainment option,” Briggs Roberts said. “It requires you to engage your mind. It’s an interesting form of entertainment. There’s nothing like coming to a live performance.”

The show starts at 7 p.m. and general admission tickets cost $18. Richard L. Domey Auditorium is located in the Gladish Community and Cultural Center in Pullman.

The two pieces that will be heard at the Richard L. Domey Auditorium are Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major or more commonly referred to as “Jupiter,” and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor. Briggs Roberts considers these pieces powerhouses in the classical music genre.

“Both pieces are huge representations of the classical symphonic repertoire,” he said. “When they are played they are very large in scope.”

Prior to the show, Briggs Roberts will give a lesson about each piece and how they are performed. Briggs Roberts believes it is important for the audience to know about the background of each piece.

“People who come to this show will walk away with a unique experience,” Briggs Roberts said. “From depths of sadness and depressions to jubilation and happiness this show encompasses all emotions. It shows the full capability of the orchestra.”

More than 70 instrumentalists make up the Washington Idaho Symphony. One reason why such a large symphony can exist in a sparsely populated area is because Washington State University and the University of Idaho create a vast pool of talent.

Most of the instrumentalists come from the musical programs of both universities, said Kierstin Ross, executive director of the Washington Idaho Symphony.

“All our musicians go through a competitive audition process,” she said. “We really do have a world class orchestra. Considering our location I think we are very fortunate.”

A portion of the money collected from the show will go directly back to the Gladish Community and Cultural Center to help support programs at the center such as karate and education lessons, said Denis McConnell, Gladish executive director.

Events like the symphony also increase the visibility of the Gladish Community and Cultural Center to people who normally would not see it.

“We get a lot of students that come here for the symphony and see we have an auditorium and then use it later for their groups,” McConnell said.

Ross admits that college students do not make up a large portion of the audience that goes to a symphony. However, the Washington Idaho Symphony has tried to expand its audience by choosing exciting pieces to perform and keeping ticket prices affordable.

“I think a lot of students just haven’t tried to go to a symphony,” Ross said. “Many are not in touch with classical music. It can be such a nice evening out and I think it’s something students would enjoy.”

Briggs Roberts promises his first show will be a hit for those in attendance.

“It will be a really lively and vibrant atmosphere,” he said. “Everyone should really come and enjoy it.”