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VOICENEWSVolume 61, Issue 27

May 12, 2010

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‘almost, maine’ opens with rave reviews

After a lengthy, wrongful death suit, the parents of former EWU student Jerid Sturman-Camyn have settled the case for $1 million.

More than two years ago, Eastern students mourned the death of Sturman-Camyn after he was strangled and dragged 13 miles during a hunting trip just north of Spokane. Newman Lake resident Wen-dell C. Sinn Jr. was charged and convicted of second-degree manslaughter for the death of Sturman-Camyn and was re-cently released from prison after serving a 27-month sentence.

Sinn Jr. tied a noose around Sturman-Camyn’s neck after claiming he was act-ing aggressively toward others, and then attached the rope to a truck. Sinn Jr. then ordered his son, Justin Sinn, to drive the truck. Justin Sinn, who said he did not know that Sturman-Camyn was behind the truck, was not charged in the case. In hearings leading up to the settlement, Sinn Jr. said he was acting in self-defense.

Sturman-Camyn was described by his peers as easygoing, competitive and a very active student on campus.

“We never had any problems with [Sturman-Camyn]. He got along with everyone,” said Tom Hanrahan, former president of the Sigma Phi Epsilon house, to which Sturman-Camyn belonged. “It was weird, he was only there three months or so, but it felt like he was there for years because he really just � t in with everyone so well.”

� e fraternity house held a candle-light vigil after Sturman-Camyn’s death, as well as various fundraisers to help his family. Hanrahan described the overall feeling in the Sigma Phi Epsilon house as being devastated following the incident. “[It was] one of the toughest things I have ever had to go through personally and one of the toughest things I’ve had to see any-one else go through.”

After the death of Sturman-Camyn, his parents created the Jerid Sturman-Camyn Athletic Memorial Fund to help underprivileged students in the Klahowya Secondary School, in Silverdale, to play sports.

“� ere was a lot of the stu� in the me-dia about him being an amateur � ghter, but all that aside, he was a great individu-al, a gentleman in front of all women and just a really good soul,” Hanrahan said.

� ough a dollar sign couldn’t be set on the loss the family has experienced, Hanrahan said the settlement will provide some closure.

“I can only express that his death to his Eastern Washington University friends and fraternity brothers is still a tragedy,” said Evan Buelt, former ASEWU presi-dent.

BY NICOLE ERICKSONnews editor

New campus considered in a cultural mecca

Dragging case reaches a$1 million settlement

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Dr. Georgia Bazemore is trying to start something big: an EWU campus 7,000 miles away from Cheney.

On April 22, Bazemore and some of her students met with pro-spective donors at the Davenport Hotel to fundraise for a campus in Cyprus.

Cyprus is an island 46 miles south of Turkey and 65 miles east of Syria.

“So far, the reaction has been very positive,” Bazemore said, de-spite the need for the $20 million to be raised to start the campus.

Since 1992, Eastern students have traveled to the village of Kouk-lia in southern Cyprus to excavate

archaeological sites and expand their world perspective. � ey could continue to do this, but Bazemore wants more, speci� cally a dormitory that would house 50 to 60 students and enough money to cover their airfare.

Of the $20 million, only $5 mil-lion will be used to build the com-pound. � e hope is that students will be able to stay in Cyprus all year. Any remaining money would accrue interest, which would pay for the airfare and at some point make great pro� ts for the university.

Bazemore’s motivation lies in her upbringing. Neither of her par-ents earned high school diplomas but always emphasized the power of higher education.

She wants to give Eastern stu-dents a chance to partake in this

educational opportunity that is normally unavailable. Although it sounds like a program that would attract Ivy League schools, Baze-more said that it’s not. “It’s a pro-gram to reinvigorate and educate the middle class. � is is not for Harvard or Yale students. I don’t want anybody to get that idea. � is is for Eastern students,” she said.

All Eastern students would be welcome to attend the Cyprus cam-pus. Although the program would focus on serving students in hu-manistic � elds, all subjects would be taught because English is a promi-nent language in Cyprus.

Professors have expressed an interest and a willingness to partici-pate, but renowned professors from all over the world would be invited to teach as well. � is would give

Eastern students an opportunity to obtain an education similar to that of Oxford and Harvard students.

Cyprus’ location between Tur-key and Syria also provides for a multi-cultural experience as it is both European and Middle Eastern.

“Peace in the Middle East is not going to come at the end of a gun barrel or over negotiating tables,” said Bazemore. “Peace is going to come from friendships between Americans and Middle Easterners. A quarter in Cyprus will change your life and give you friends you’ll never forget.”

Kari Mcklure, a student of Baze-more, agrees. “It was the best learn-ing experience I have ever had. It was academic, cultural, and I grew as a person. It was life changing,” she said.

Adorned in brightly colored feathers and beads, participants of the EWU pow-wow danced their way to creating a more diverse atmosphere.

� e 42nd Spirit of the Eagle Powwow was held at the EWU campus Friday, May 7, and Saturday, May 8.

� e � ag ceremony di� ered from pre-vious years as the Mexican � ag was held alongside the U.S., Canada and Prisoner of War � ags.

“� e � ag was a way of decolonizing our minds and our process of how we think of each other and to bring together di� erent people as one,” said Yvonne Sher-wood, an Eastern student and powwow

participant who came up with the idea to have the Mexican � ag present at this year’s gathering.

Sherwood said that the Mexican � ag was representing the various indigenous people who make up America. She said that it also brought to light the struggles of people in Arizona with the recent law that was passed regarding illegal citizens.

“Whether we like it or not, people are always involved in racism and upholding boundaries, and by bringing in the � ag, it helps to understand our connections to others,” Sherwood said.

Acceptance to diversity was also strong among the participants throughout the events of the powwow. Drum groups cre-ated an interlocking circle on the main � oor, helping break down the interracial

racism. Each group consisted of mem-bers from di� erent tribes who came to-gether because of a shared passion for the drum. � e host drum group, Iron Spirit, consisted of members from the Spokane, Colville, Shoban, Flathead and Coeur d’Alene tribes.

According to Denise Jackson, presi-dent of EWU’s Native American Student Association (NASA), drum groups in the past excluded women from participating. Powwows now allow women from any tribe to take part in the drum groups and express themselves through music.

“With the change of the drum groups, it now allows the beautiful voices of wom-en to be heard as well,” Jackson said.

During the course of events on Satur-day, a mother’s dance was held to honor

and thank all of the mothers present. � e mothers stood in a circle and

swayed to the beat of the drum while being thanked with a handshake by the NASA committee members. Each were given ear-rings as a way of showing their apprecia-tion.

Dancing was a major part of the event with various competitions from each age group throughout the course of Saturday.

� e powwow brought out approxi-mately 400 people with tribes representing all corners of the nation, from Connecti-cut to Alaska, as well as Canada, accord-ing to Kathleen Warren, o� ce manager of American Indian studies program.

“People can just come out and dance because it is a part of our ancestors and is in their hearts,” Jackson said.

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$20 million needed to establish an Eastern Washington University educational institution on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus

Annual powwow draws out diversity on campus through festive dances, music and craft displays

BY JARED BOGYOcontributing writer

A CULTURAL OUTPOURING

BY MELISSA CARROLLsta� writer

Easterner Graphics

Megan Hopp/Easterner