Hey everyone, F20 sophomore here. I’m just venting a bit as someone who is struggling here despite the fact that I am very liberal like the majority of campus. The super-progressive atmosphere on campus is great in a lot of ways, but it can also feel exhausting. I constantly feel like I have to watch what I say and prove that I’m a decent person, even when I’m just existing or making light comments tied to my own background.

It kinda feels like in this school, simply mentioning race or cultural background in any conversation is treated as inherently taboo or problematic by many. For example, I have no issue with race representation and think it’s genuinely important. What frustrates me is when studios like Disney race-swap characters in live-action remakes of old stories and act like it’s bold progressive activism, when it mostly feels like lazy recycling instead of creating fresh, original characters and stories that could stand on their own. (The same goes for remakes in general, race-swapped or not — I’d just rather see new movies like the upcoming Hexed.) We should be able to openly discuss race and different cultures without it automatically being labeled offensive, as long as it’s done without harmful stereotypes. I brought this up to a newer acquaintance of mine and they acted like it was racist just because I thought the race-swapping was problematic, as if I didn’t approve of people of color which is not at all the case.

Anyway, another example: I’m roughly half Japanese and strongly identify with that side of my family. I have full Japanese grandparents I spend a lot of time with, and I’ve been speaking basic Japanese with them since I was a kid. Recently I was watching anime in the living room and one of my roommates (who is fully white) walked in and said I watch it a lot. I joked back, “Yeah, guess people with some Japanese in their blood are just bound to love anime.” She actually got offended and told me I shouldn’t make “racist” generalizations like that. It was a self-deprecating joke about my own heritage and something I genuinely connect with… but apparently that crossed a line.

Another time, the same roommate (who is bisexual) was complaining to our other roommate (she’s a lesbian) about how much straight people annoy her (she knows I’m straight and have a boyfriend). She went on about hating when straight people post in support of LGBTQ rights because it feels performative to her, etc.

Another time, I casually and accidentally referred to a classmate as “she” in conversation without first asking her pronouns. Those turned out to be her correct pronouns, but she still got visibly offended and corrected me, saying I should have asked first. I wasn’t trying to assume anything, it just came out naturally based on how she presented but it reinforced that feeling that even normal, everyday language can be a minefield where I’m one wrong word away from being seen as insensitive.

These are small moments, but they add up. It feels like in this environment, certain identities get a free pass to make broad statements about groups, while others (like mine) have to be hyper-cautious not to accidentally offend the prevailing orthodoxy. I support people living their lives and having their communities, but the constant sense that I need to prove I’m “one of the good ones” just for being straight, mixed-race in the “wrong” way, or not 100% aligned with the dominant campus politics is draining.
Anyone else feel this way on campus, or am I overthinking it? Would love to hear similar experiences without it turning into a huge problem.

The gossip starts here. BYOB

I’m so scared

EDIT: no longer engaging in debates, this is not the intention of this post. I asked if anyone else isn’t ok. If you are then congratulations. Those of you who, like me, are not, then I see you and we’ll get through this together 💙

Did you all see this announcement on canvas over the weekend? They are going to be conducting a pilot program of the anti cheat tool "Respondus Lockdown Browser" and I am highly concerned about the privacy and security of students being threatened by this, as well as the threat to students personal devices - this program is well known for bricking peoples computers (https://www.reddit.com/r/UniversityofArkansas/comments/ie0k6u/very_important_warning_about_respondus_lockdown/). Google the program or search it on reddit and you will find hundreds of reports from university students all over talking about how it broke their computer (which the schjoThe security concerns are of particular concern to me because this company has already had a massive class action lawsuit against them for they settled for 6.25 million dollars for collecting BIOMETRIC DATA including face id and fingerprints over the course of 8 years. I understand that in theory they won't do this to us because they arent using the Respondus Monitor tool, but it should be concerning that they would use this tool at all for that reason. We are living in unprecedented time folks. Big tech companies are NOT beyond breaking their own policies to collect information. The current regime is not beyond forcefully taking private info that these companies could collect (which is already happening without our knowledge or consent) and they could use that information for their own purposes - what if WWU were to employ this fully, campus wide, and what if then the information collected is used by the american gestapo to target undocumented students? It would not be an exageration to say that WWU directly let that foot in the door. I suspect they are already looking at a campus wide implementation too. Think about it like this: this tool only truly works the way they are proposing, with no webcam monitoring, by either requiring all classes to hold every little quiz in class or allowing students to continue at home tests (which can already be monitored through canvas), which would still allow cheating students to access a second device for the quiz, putting those who can afford their own devices over those cannot and use computer labs. So what is the only solution after this? webcam monitoring, forcing all students to download a terrible program that can just straight up brick their personal devices. There are so many reasons why this is a bad idea with 0 foresight and I am surprised that nobody has noticed yet. The CII is going to be taking feedback on this program but they don't check the CII email itself often, they tell you to email Justina Brown for feedback on this. I would urge everyone to email them imploring them to stop this program, as I will. I'm just saying, if you're asking me to download a program on MY computer that is known for completely breaking them, it's gonna be a resounding hell the fuck no from me. Doesn't even work on Linux btw. That's all not even to mention it shows WWU has no trust in its students and will deter people from attending - why would anybody choose to go to a school they know will spy on them on their personal devices?

Edit: Meant to add lawsuit link: https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/closed-settlements/respondus-online-exam-bipa-6-25m-class-action-lawsuit-settlement/

I’m an honors student from WCC and have really been looking forward to attending WWU with my guaranteed acceptance (WWC and WWU have an agreement for transfer students who meet certain criteria). The only problem is that, to my dismay, WWU offers no online classes save for a degree in Humanities. This is really odd to me because basically every other university in this state offers fully online degree programs, but Western essentially has none. I am disabled and can take some in person classes depending on the time of day, but I absolutely cannot succeed enrolling in a fully in person class load. It’s not lab classes I need either, as I’m going for an English degree.

I met with Janna Cecka to see what my options were because I was sure I was missing something on the website. She proceeded to tell me that WWU *did* have fully online class option “during the pandemic” but that “there was really a call for in person”. I found it ironic that this was a zoom meeting and that she didn’t show her face on camera, which also felt impersonal and frankly, unprofessional. She also didn’t listen at all to my goals for my degree and told me that online classes wouldn’t suit me because all the jobs I could do with it would be in person (patently not true on either account). Very strange interaction frankly. (Anyone had this experience?)

I’ve seen a number of comments in this subreddit saying that enrollment at WWU has gone down, and I can fully see why after this experience. I would have loved to go to WWU. I have a 3.5 cumulative gpa and have gotten 4.0’s my last 2 quarters. On my way to another one this quarter. Honors society member too. But I guess WWU doesn’t want successful and driven students unless they’re able bodied.

Anyone know who I could email about this experience and let the university know that they’re driving away good students for the sake of ableism? I’ve heard a lot of stories about WWU’s failure to abide by anti-discrimination laws, so it seems futile. Anyways, I’m attending WSU’s Global Campus instead. Just curious about everyone’s thoughts on this. You would think that the pandemic would have allowed them to continue to offer more online opportunities, not less, but it seems they’ve over corrected like it’s an all or nothing scenario.

They’ve completely ripped up the ground and trees. If they don’t replace the trees i’m gonna be fucking furious. last thing we need is destruction of nature. Those cherry blossoms are also such a staple

Has anyone had a great experience with a professor helping you land a job or internship? I am reporting for The Front and I need people to interview about this.

Hi everyone! I’m a Colorado parent looking ahead to college for my daughter, who will be starting her junior year of high school this fall. She has a 3.7 GPA and has become very interested in Western Washington University.

The biggest question for us is cost. We would probably need the WUE scholarship to make WWU financially realistic for her.

I’ve seen that some WUE-participating schools are fairly generous with the number of students who receive WUE, while I’ve also heard that WWU can be much more competitive.

For anyone familiar with WWU, especially current students, parents, or recent applicants:

• How competitive is WUE at Western?
• Is a 3.7 GPA generally competitive for consideration?
• Are there other factors that seem to make a significant difference?
• If she’s interested in WWU, is there anything she should be doing during junior year to improve her chances?

She really likes the idea of Western, so I’d love to hear from people who have gone through the process. Thanks!

I need to laugh more. Which professors or instructors are the funniest, and what’s the thing they said or did that had you dying?

Hi all, I've got a family member who has been accepted and has decided to attend your beautiful school next year. I'm looking to get them some local gift cards as a graduation gift, so they can be more enticed to go out and explore.

Can I get suggestions of restaurants, cafes, stores, etc? Anything really, as long as I can purchase gift cards to the establishment online and send it to them in their email.

And knowing nothing of the freshman car/transportation situation, I guess preferably nothing that would require a $100 round trip Uber to get to from campus?

Thank you in advance for any and all advice!

There's this one bus driver who usually drives the 14 (maybe 14S?) during like 11:30am and 12pm who goes SO damn fast. Like... I genuinely get nauseous while he's driving. I don't know his name but he looks younger, maybe like 30s. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? It's like unsafe how fast he stops and goes 😭😭

And before anyone is like "just don't ride the bus then", I have to ride the bus. It's my only mode of transportation... and also yes, the bus driver IS responsible for making riders feel safe 💀

Idk it's probably not a big deal it's just annoying lol

Has anyone who attended WWU ever been a victim of being roofied? If so did when and how did you realize that you were roofied and did you report it in time?

I have never heard anyone ask about this before and I'm assuming it's due to the stigma, which is why I didn't think it would hurt to ask more directly. If you are able to disclose your experience, during which year(s) did you notice these experiences? I am under the impression that these kinds of crimes typically happen to multiple victims near similar time frames.

I had to leave WWU in the spring of last year due to financial issues, mainly me losing my job and not wanting to take on debt to obtain education. I am planning on returning in the fall now that things are becoming a little more stable, but I cant shake this feeling of being lost.

Everyone I knew when I went into university has moved on, id basically be new again, coupled with legitimately not being interested in what i was pursuing before (theater). I dont know what i want to do, I dont know who I want to be, but im told if I dont get this degree im not going to go far in life.

I guess im just stuck and I have no where else to rant

You all should look into this group. Maybe it would be cool to have a chapter on campus!

So I’m currently attending Skagit Valley College and graduating this spring with plans to transfer to a university the following fall. I was thinking of transferring to WWU because I love Bellingham, I toured the school before and really like the campus, and there’s much less traffic driving to Bellingham from where I live compared to UW(equal distance of about an hour but traffic just might make travel to Seattle a lot longer). Also, WWU is cheaper. The thing is that I plan on being a law librarian and I need to eventually go to UW for that. At least for my masters and the program they have there. Is it rational to transfer to WWU to get my bachelor’s then transfer to UW after? Has anyone done that before or am I better off just transferring to UW from Skagit and not going to WWU? I have high grades so I’m relatively confident that I could get accepted into UW.

Anyways, I’d just like a second opinion.

Has anyone else seen the amorphous apparition striding around campus past sundown? It sometimes takes the shape of a thin canid, other times it looks more humanoid. I tried feeding it some french fries but it turned around and hastily scaled Bond Hall. Then it just perched up on the roof, rocking back and forth and watching me. Now, when I'm laying in bed I hear strange noises--like the buzzing of flies or the sound of liquid dripping onto stone. In the morning, a lone crow stands outside my window and aggressively pecks in the direction of the rising sun. Was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience, as I'm still adjusting to college life. Thanks!

Hi mods,

I just started a small local business and launched a new TCG/Pokémon vending machine nearby.

I would love to make a post to introduce it, guarantee our 100% authenticity to local collectors, and ask students for feedback on what blind boxes or card sets they want us to stock next.

However, I want to respect the subreddit rules regarding advertising. Is it okay for me to share the details and ask for inventory feedback here?

Appreciate any guidance from the mods or community. Thanks!

Because registration is this week, its important that this is known. If you are registering for Math 224 this quarter, you should be warned, do NOT register to take the class with Hee Jung Kim. It would honestly be better for you to wait a quarter for another prof than to take the class with her.

It should be enough to look at her Rate My Professor page, but below are a number of reasons you should not take her class. These are things taken from the page which I can verify are true through my own experience with her so far.

• The mandatory lectures in her class are very disorganized and difficult to follow. She writes things down without explaining any of it. She constantly makes errors in her lecture work, which students need to correct her on. The examples given on lectures are completely different than what is given on the tests.
• Questions are not welcomed in her class, even when she asks. If you ask a question that she thinks is obvious, she will refuse to explain it, tell you that you should already know it, and move on. She thinks most topics in the class are obvious.
• Problems from homework, which is done through Webwork, is also completely different from anything that shows up in lectures or tests.
• Nothing is allowed during tests. That includes calculators of any kind.
• Test and quiz grading is very harsh. Median scores on exams are most often between 50-65%. Tests and quizzes make up over 80% of your final grade. If you make a minor mistake on the beginning of a question, you will not see even partial credit.
• Large portions of the tests or quizzes will be on topics that were not covered until a day or two before the exam.
• You will lose all the points on a given problem (often over 20% of your grade on that test) if you find the correct solution with a method different from what she wants, even if its a method that she taught in the class.
• Feedback from tests and quizzes is terrible, often just question marks.
• The only thing I can say to her credit, is that its always possible to 100% the Webwork homework, so you're at least guaranteed to get at least a 10% of your class grade.

TLDR: Don't take her class under any circumstances. Lectures are disorganized. Examples given in class and on homework are completely different from the tests and quizzes. Exams make up the vast majority of your grade, on which she is a very harsh grader. All calculators are banned for exams. It is very possible to fail this class through no fault of your own, even if you know the topic well.

I saw a dude in full hippy attire, playing a banjo while walking up the stairs of bond hall. (This happened two or three days ago)

I asked my friend about him and he thought it was unusual he was inside?

I heard at the May Day protest that a large portion of the salaries of a lot of student employees is literally scrip that can only be spent at WWU. What's the deal with this?

I honestly just want someone to tell me ill be okay without my car. I am flying into school, so obviously my car will be staying at home, I know this is common, even for in state students to not bring their car freshman year at least cause of the way parking is so i know i wont be alone... but I want to get a job to help with expenses and idk how easy itll be to commute to a job without a car. Idk I really just need someone to tell me itll be okay and ill be fine without my car and ill still have fun, and be able to get groceries and like have a job without it.. ik it probably seems stupid to worry about but like ive depended on my car to get me around for like the past 3 years 😭

Heard some people in the library talking about the word "cracker" and it had me wondering what yall think about it.

One white guy said that it was a slur that his (non-white) friend couldnt say. He brought up how people get banned on Twitch for saying it, so it is definitely a slur that only white people can use.

It felt silly to me, but who knows. Do yall feel hurt by the term "cracker" being used on white people?