7 questions to consider before changing the WWU mascot

People don't like change. Even if it is positive (getting married, moving to a new state for your dream job, and so on), you have to trust that the benefits will outweigh the costs of making the change.

While I was in DC for the  2015 International Drug Policy Reform Conference, I found a Western Front article that talked about changing the Western Washington University mascot. According to a communications professor and some student leaders, there are certain problematic features of Victor E. Viking:

1) Hyper-masculine

2) Not representative of students of color

3) Problematic racial character

"Don't get rid of me, mothafucka"

WWU President Bruce Shepard lays out his opinion (and call for discussion) about this matter on his blog. I agree with him on several points. I am also of the opinion that while we may not change it (at least for a while), that it warrants discussion, like many other topics.

1) Do students actually want this change?

Personally, I feel that most people don't want a mascot change because of...change. This is not to dismiss the validity of these sentiments, but being resistant to change is not a reason to completely block off a dialogue. Of what I've seen on Facebook and Yik Yak, an attachment to being a Viking is what most students cite as a reason to not change the mascot. If the majority of students want to keep the Viking mascot, then why force a change? It may be a different story if the school had the name of a Native American group without their permission.

2) Is there an urgent need to change it?

Last time I checked, vikings don't exist anymore and Norwegians don't have a claim on their historic predecessor. If this had been a debate raging for years, I may be more inclined to say that we should look into a change. However, this is not the case. Is this controversy the beginning of a multiple-year debate? Maybe, but we can't be so sure. Time will tell.

3) Will the school spend over $100,000 for a new mascot logo design as they did with the Western logo?

Like it? You better - it cost over $100,000

4) Are our efforts better placed somewhere else?

Western would have to spend money to come up with logos for a new mascot. That would also mean departments, sports teams, etc. would have to use up resources to accommodate the new mascot. (Anyone want these old Viking sweatshirts?) I have seen many people on Yik Yak say that the school could accomplish more useful things by allocating resources to other projects that actually make a difference, and, frankly, I agree.

5) Are there any other drawbacks to changing the mascot?

Would certain alumni stop donating to the school? Are more people going to hate the new mascot than the current viking? I'm not sure if any of these fears are legitimate, or if I could come up with any, but people who want to help shape the decision in any way should become aware of any potential drawbacks.

6) Could the mascot be slightly modified?

While the role of a woman in viking culture is disputed and not necessarily what we would hope for, the school could consider making multiple versions of the mascot, including women. (Those horned helmets weren't real, so why can't we have an evil-looking female viking?) If the mascot being "hyper-masculine" is a concern that resonates with a number of students, make it look more like Sokka.

7) How do we decide on whether or not to change the mascot?

Why is it that a mascot change gets its own poll while every other issue and concern of the students has to go through the AS Elections? Are polls reserved for very serious issues? Does the AS know that they will not get a response representative of the student body? (Hasn't stopped them before.) Most importantly, is a poll the best way to gather data to make the decision on whether or not to keep the mascot? (And who actually makes that decision?) At least in the AS Elections, students can pretend that their vote actually matters. My thoughts on this are that if the discussion of whether or not the viking is a worthy mascot continuously comes up throughout the years, it deserves the same treatment as the Greek system on campus. For those who don't know, Western does not have any fraternities or sororities, but every certain number of years, students get to vote on whether or not they feel that it's addition needs to happen. Needless to say, the students overwhelmingly feel there is no need for a Greek system. I, like Bruce Shepard, feel like it would have been a good idea to introduce a referendum for the Elections in the past to see how students would respond.

Whether your reading responses to the mascot controversy via Yik Yak or through other bloggers, at least consider the viewpoints of the other side. I don't think a mascot change is necessary, but I'm open to listening to those who feel like it's not representative of the school. As for if a mascot change is made, I think it'd be cool if Western got suggestions from the Lummi or another Native American tribe about potential mascots. It may not be representative of most students at Western, but it's a great tribute to the region.

"Avatar: The Last Airbender" - "The Promise" analysis

Hopefully it goes without saying that there will be spoilers.

For about a year, I have been waiting to make enough money to buy the A:TLA comic books. Unfortunately whenever I did have enough money, I always forgot about them. One week, I got lucky enough to have about $30 to spend on whatever I wanted, so naturally, I decided it was time to buy some of the comic books. I bought one which was the collection of all the comics kind of just lying around, from Nickelodeon Magazine and such.

 

That was good fun, but I know I also had to get The Promise, and especially The Search - I mean who does not want to find out what happened to Zuko's mother?? The problem was...I only had enough money for either or. Because I am weird like this, I decided to buy The Promise because it came out before The Search. Yes, that is how my mind works. Sure, I will die a happy woman once I find out what happened to her, but chronological order is more important.


Maybe by buying The Promise first, I actually spared myself a few more months to live.

I had no idea I would enjoy it as much as I did - hence why I am writing this.

In order for you to know what I am even talking about, I will provide a synopsis for you - as a refresher if you have already read it, or do not ever care to read it (or you want to read it, but do not care about spoilers). After the war, Firelord Zuko and Earth King Kuei agree that is best that the former Fire Nation colonies are restored to how they once were, and Avatar Aang is recruited (or more like he volunteers) to make sure the transition is peaceful. It will be called "The Harmony Restoration Movement."

With a name like that, how could anything possibly go wrong??

Later, Zuko makes Aang promise him that if he ever sees him turning into his father, to "end" him. Reluctantly, Aang promises (hence, why this book is called what it is). A year later, a woman tries to assassinate Zuko, and he finds out that she did so because of her anger at The Harmony Restoration Movement, which is affecting her home - one of the colonies. The woman's father makes a point that generations of Fire Nation citizens have lived there, so they consider it home. After visiting with his father (which he does quite a bit), he decides to retract his support from THRM, which infuriates Aang, who seeks Avatar Roku's help. (In this case, Roku was as useful as he was when Aang tried to decide how to defeat Ozai without compromising Air Nomad morals.)

The Gaang goes to Yu Dao (that colony) where they encounter people, including the Freedom Fighters, protesting Zuko's decision. Speaking with Zuko, they discover that Yu Dao is the oldest Fire Nation Colony, where the first colonials settled over a hundred years ago. Because of the Earth Kingdom's influence, the citizens were able to develop some of the finest metalwork, making it one of the richest cities in the world, making it better for everybody who lived there. Not only did this help the economy and well-being of Yu Dao, the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation people started marrying. The woman who tried to kill Zuko is the child of such a mix. Zuko's explanation does not phase Aang because he believes that in order to be peace and harmony throughout the world, the four nations need to be completely separate from each other.

Let me tell you - once you read the first few pages of this book, you will never watch the A:TLA finale the same way again.

There is a sidestory about Toph and her school called "The Beifong Metalbending Academy" where she tries to teach a cast of misfits. However, due to THRM, a firebending school takes over the building, "reclaiming" it. They agree on having a match to see who is the better school...and Sokka seeing how much better the firebending students are, agrees to help train Toph's students. In the meantime, Aang and Katara land in Ba Sing Se and bump into the city's  chapter of the "Official Avatar Aang Fan Club." Katara gets jealous, but the Club provides them with a place to stay for the night.

Zuko, seeking advice on "pressures of the throne," visits his father, who tells him a story of an incident that happened during one of their family vacations to Ember Island. Young Zuko, no more than three-years-old, tried to rescue a turtle-crab from a hawk at the beach - he had an "odd affinity for the weak." Ozai says, "The hawk looked at you with hungry eyes, and you realized you were condemning it to starve." Before Zuko could make a decision on whether to side with the hawk or turtle-crab, a giant wave carried him out into the ocean and Ozai had to save him. After Zuko brings his father some tea, he figures he should have sided with the hawk - "It was strong and noble, much like the Fire Nation. It had earned its meal." Ozai does not accept his assessment, saying he is only partially correct, and tells him, "What I'm saying is this - there is no right or wrong apart from what you decide. Who you choose to defend deserves to be defended simply because you chose them." While Zuko is have an inner-battle between what is right and wrong, Ozai points out that the Earth King will send out his army to "crush" the Fire National colonials, "in an attempt to restore his own dignity." Ozai also believes that the Avatar is "an irrelevant relic of a bygone age" because he/she does not allow the stronger to triumph over the weak. Zuko defends Aang as his friend, but Ozai asks if he trusts Aang more than himself, and Zuko is unable to answer.

Kori, the woman who tried to kill Zuko, is training with her cousins when her boyfriend, Sneers, a member of the Freedom Fighters shows up. After learning that Sneers was a part of the protestors, she gets mad and they argue. He tells her she either has to choose the Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation. She replies, "Choose, choose, choose! All my life, people have been asking me to choose! I am an earthbender and a Fire Nation citizen, and I live in Yu Dao! That's what I choose!"

After Katara and Aang break the news to the Earth King about Zuko's refusal to continue with THRM, Earth King Kuei thinks it over and decides he is "tired of being weak" - he is going to send his army to Yu Dao, and the colonials have the options of  leaving peacefully or facing "the most dire of consequences," much to Katara's and Aang's horror.

When the Gaang goes to Yu Dao to warn the Fire Nation to leave because of the Earth King's army, they find out, just like Zuko did, that the situation is more complicated than they originally thought. The president of the Yu Dao chapter of the Avatar Aang Fan Club, Xing Ying, enters and introduces herself to Aang, who is impressed by her and her club members' attire ("Your clothes look just like the uniforms the Western Air Temple students used to wear!...And the arrows you've painted on your foreheads look almost exactly like real airbender tattoos!") However, to his frustration, he finds out that the tattoos are real, which ends up in this exchange:

"What?! But air nomad tattoos have to be earned though years and years of airbending practice! They're not-"

"Oh, we know, Avatar Aang! For a fan club member to receive her tattoos, she must master of airbender-like forms!"

""Airbender like"?! Those tattoos are sacred to my people! They describe who we are and how see the world! You have no right to tattoo yourselves like that!"

"I assure you that our members go through the most rigorous of study programs! By the end, they-"

"But how could you study air nomad philosophy at all and still do something like this?!

Despite Katara trying to reassure Aang that it was an honest mistake, he continues with, "For you to treat our tattoos like a part of some...some costume...! My costume isn't a game!"

After Aang flies off, Katara finds him in a miserable state, and he relays to her his thoughts, "I think I figured out why the nations have to be separate for harmony. Whenever two nations come together, the stronger one can't help but hurt the weaker one. They'll conquer or burn or, at the very least, make a joke of the weaker nation."

Katara replies with, "You once told me that separation is an illusion. Guru Pathik taught you that. The Four Nations are really one and the same."

Aang is caught up with preserving the world as he knows it, and feels that he has to see THRM through the end, even if that means fulfilling his promise to Zuko and going against his air nomad philosophy.
 
It would have probably been great if this song existed in the Avatar world.
Katara reveals to Aang that the first time Zuko showed them around Yu Dao, she "saw Kori and her family standing in the street, staring at us like we held their whole lives in our hands," leading her to change her mind about THRM. Their session is interrupted by Smellerbee's protestors, and after quelling some of the action, Katara goes on to say that what she wants is to find a peaceful way for Yu Dao to go on the way it has for the past century.  Aang wants to end things peacefully too, but with the Fire Nation leaving Yu Dao peacefully too. She knows that it is not an option anymore when both the Zuko's and the Earth King's armies arrive.
After getting out of the way of most of the action, Katara tells Aang that when she saw Kori's family, she also saw their future. "If the nations have to be separate, what will that mean for us?" Aang decides to go find a quite place to help himself make the right decisions.
Sokka sums up the situation perfectly: "Let me see if I got this, the protesters and the Earth Kingdom army want the colonials to go, the Fire Nation army wants the colonials to stay, and the Yu Dao resistance just want their city to be left alone?"
Katara makes her way into the Earth King's hot air balloon, where he is cowering, and he remarks with, "Who knew Yu Dao would be like this?!"
"You've never visited Yu Dao?" Katara responds.
"Up until a year ago, I'd never even visited my own city's outer ring."
She extends a hand to him to show him the people "who have had to live with [his] decisions." After the Earth King gets to see how Yu Dao actually is, all ends well...although Roku warns Aang in meditation that if he continuing to make indecisive action, he continues to put the world at risk. (Is this from Roku's own regret on not killing Sozin, and/or have we seen repercussions in Korra?)
Even the Yu Dao Avatar Aang Fan Club earns Aang's respect, as he tells them:
"I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about this. I love my people's culture and I don't want to see it corrupted. At the same time, it can't just belong to history. Air Nomad culture has to belong to the future, too. According to my friends, many of you led the way to peace on the battlefield, putting your lives at risk for the sake of others. I 'm deeply impressed. You already have the hearts of Air Nomads, so I've decided to teach you the ways of the air nomads. But you can't just be a fan club anymore. From now on, you'll be known as the Air Acolytes!"
They seriously need to make these comic books into TV movies.
Anywho, now that I am done with providing you all with practically the gist of the entire book, let us touch upon the themes...
While The Harmony Restoration Movement sounds good on paper, as we can see, it did not play out well in real-life. Little did anyone expect two nations living in one area not only cooperating with each other, but starting families. The idea of the four nations has been around for so long that they cannot see through the illusion of the separate nations. I would be willing to bet all of my money (which is not saying much, since I am literally broke while writing this) that this series of events with THRM and Yu Dao were a precursor to the establishment of Republic City. Not only were the"Fire Nation" and "Earth Kingdom" citizens cozying up with each other, but their economy is pretty damn good. Is this a precursor to global capitalism in the Avatar world, and that it makes people's lives better?
By reading this, I felt we got to know Ozai a bit better , and not necessarily in a bad way (adds a bit of dimension). Ozai's story about Zuko connects with the theme of Roku's disapproval of Aang being "indecisive." When Ozai says that the Avatar is the "irrelevant relic of a bygone age," it reminds me of the Red Lotus' beliefs on keeping nations separate. We get to see that a ruler can set out their armies on a whim, also keeping in tune with the Red Lotus' ideas that leaders and governments cannot be trusted. It also foreshadows the topic of the relevance of the Avatar that Korra is struggling with in her series.
Through learning that story of Zuko and the discussion he has with his father afterwards, I can see a theme that makes its way into Book 3 of Korra - the absolute power of the leader, whether or not the people of the kingdom or elsewhere agree with it. According to Ozai, if Zuko has to make a choice, by making that choice, he makes it the correct one. Bumi points out in Book 3 of Korra that the Earth Queen had the right to treat her citizens in the dastardly way she did. I kept procrastinating while writing this, but we see the same thing (it's actually a major theme) in Book 4 of Korra.
It is only when the Earth King actually sees the people of Yu Dao, he and Zuko decide not to go through with THRM. Because of Katara wanting to one day form a family with Aang, she knows that THRM will do no good for anyone. Too often in the world (yes, including ours) we separate ourselves from other groups of people and label them as "others," an unfortunate side effect of human's natural tendency to collectivism, which is not a bad thing. Nevertheless, in a changing world, behaviors that have served us well in the past can turn their backs on us. With wars being waged around the war, it can be too easy to isolate ourselves from other groups. By letting individuals on all sides connect with each other, we can see that not all members of that certain group are bad.
The last social topic I ever thought that A:TLA would touch upon is that of cultural appropriation. Despite the Yu Dao Avatar Aang Fan Club's sincere attempt at reviving the Air Nomad culture, Aang is infuriated at their (unknowing) lack of respect. I find discussions on cultural appropriation to be quite sticky and headache-inducing at times because of many individual agents trying to define the term - where is the line crossed from cultural appreciation to appropriation? When in time does wearing a costume become appropriation to historical reference, and does it depend on the group? (For example, is a samurai costume a historical costume or a stereotypical reflection of Japanese culture?) Very basically, I think it can be defined as people wearing costumes that superficially display a certain culture, especially sacred garments, in a way that contributes to the objectification of the attire and that culture.
People try to tack on other aspects to the definition, but this is what we will stick with right now because this is a topic that deserves its own post. Not only does Aang have to deal with children appropriating the sacredness of his culture, but he has to, again, face the reality that his people are gone. While his feelings were probably justified, the way he went about scolding them was not. All too often in real life, I see people shaming others who engage in cultural appropriation (think Halloween). Realistically, the people who wear "geisha" costumes or dress as an "Indian chief" do not realize the impact of dressing as these characters. It is important to try to patiently educate them on why what they are doing is potentially harmful. Of course, Katara is able to sympathize with the Avatar Aang Fan Club. The formation of the Air Acolytes is a good compromise in this situation, but I doubt it could be employed in the real world for several reasons. What were some of your thoughts about this story? Which themes have you noticed in this that are also seen in A:TLA and Korra?

Why I will never work with the Leadership Institute

Important note: As mad as I am with the Leadership Institute and the individuals who work there, I am not willing to expose identities, hence you will notice ambiguous gender pronouns and the use of "he/she" throughout.

It was fall quarter of 2013 when I was first contacted by someone via the Western Libertarians Facebook page from the Leadership Institute. I was told that if our club worked with them, that they would give us resources in order to help us. While this was tempting, I had to know:

1) Whether or not we should associate with a conservative organization.

2) If the Western Libertarians would still have agency and maintain our independence if we worked with them.

My first year at Western Washington University, the Western Libertarians had joint meetings with the College Republicans. When I became president spring quarter of that year, I decided to still have the joint meetings for the remainder of that school year, but separate the next. The reason for this is that I found that people did not seem to know the difference between conservatism and libertarianism, and I did not want to help contribute to that line of thinking. Not to mention, by focusing more on libertarianism, the club would be able to explore more topics that Republicans generally do not like or touch upon. However, for the sake of networking and access to resources , I decided that it would not be bad to become associated with the Leadership Institute. For the record, if a liberal/progressive organization comparable to them had contacted us, I would have probably gone through a similar mental process.

The Western Libertarians was founded as an independent club - not a chapter of any national/international organization. We take pride in our uniqueness. While we are currently working with international/national organizations and would not mind working with more in the future, we make sure that we are not jumping too quickly into something we would regret. There are, of course, agreements stated by these organizations, which we abide by, such as taking photos of when we use their materials. That, we do not mind because it is entirely understandable and not invasive. The Leadership Institute assured us that we would be able to maintain our independence. Nevertheless, because of what the organization stands for, I would always be wary of them.

The person told me that he/she would be heading around our area soon, and if we would like help tabling, which I agreed to. He/she brought posters to make signs with, went around Red Square to help gather signatures, and gave tips. I was told to call someone within Leadership Institute to learn more about it, and to give the necessary information so we could become a "chapter." (The reason I contacted this person was because the other who referred me would be leaving soon.)

Not too long after that day, I learned there would be a "boot camp" in another state - I forget which one. I would have gone (and dragged some club members with me), but there was a Students for Liberty Regional Conference in Seattle that same weekend. Time, travel costs, and the fact that SFL is actually geared more towards libertarians all contributed to our attending this instead. Afterwards, I became too busy to follow up on whether or not the Western Libertarians became officially-affiliated with the Leadership Institute, but it was always on the back of my mind (and somewhere on my "to-do" list).

Fall turns to winter, winter turns to spring. On April 15, 2014 Campus Reform published an article about President Bruce Shepard and his blog, fueling a notion that WWU was somehow racist against white people. 'Twas then I noticed that an obscene amount of shit turbulently collided with the brisk and unforgiving fan.

Do all of us a favor and actually read what Bruce Shepard wrote.

I noticed this because my WWU Facebook friends were posting the link to this article, saying that the "reporter" did not know what she was talking about. I was curious, clicked it, read it, read the comments (why did I think that was a good idea??)...and wanted to die right then and there.

Soon enough, Daily Caller published an article on how WWU wants to weed out white people.

Hopefully, you know that what Bruce Shepard was really talking about was demographics - if more people of color are coming in to the US and WA, WWU is going to have to have an accurate portrayal of attendees consistent with those numbers. That's all. Simple.

This has nothing to do with affirmative action. If it did, I would have been less inclined to defend my school and our president.

My friend wrote up this excellent piece on the matter.

In response to the national recognition we gained, students rallied behind Bruce Shepard. (As if we did not already have enough attention from the "riot.") One project entitled "I, Too, Am WWU - We Are Diversity" launched on Facebook and Tumblr, documenting views on themselves and diversity, which The Western Front covered.

The Western Front also published this, this, this, this, and this...and I would not be surprised if I was missing any.

One day, these people appeared.

This timing of this was quite coincidental for me. A few days before all of this, I read an article that said that in a few decades, the majority of Americans will be multiracial, which made me happy because I am multiracial and it would show that more people are willing to set aside skin color differences and make families with each other. A friend reposted it, and one of his friends was mad and said something along the lines of it being white genocide.

First off, the correct term would ethnocide - the eradication of a group of people's culture.

While the comment did infuriate me, it did me get me thinking about unintentional ethnocide - is it really ethnocide? Is conforming to a country's standards and practices a form of ethnocide, whether or not it is required by law?

The White Genocide Project is quite scary. It is fairly obvious that these people are masking their racism. Even if they were somehow not racist, their "logic" and "intellectual reasoning" make no sense to me.

On April 28th, a "Diversity Rally" was held - march and the actual rally with speakers, covered by The Western Front.

This is where I personally noticed when some normal, rational WWU students thought the school was taking this too far. "Circlejerk" was a term applied to the "We Are Diversity" response, and I will not deny I was feeling this way too. It was a bit overkill for me. Then again, I guess it could be a personal issue because of the isolation I feel with quite some people at the school not accepting that I am multiracial and bisexual because I look "white" and "straight." (It makes me wonder, how is it that someone can tell someone's sexual orientation or even ethnicity for that matter by just looking at them?)

"I just know this girl is white and straight, okay? DON'T QUESTION ME!!"

Now you may be wondering...what does all of this have to do with the Leadership Institute?

For those of you who do not know, Campus Reform is a subdivision of the Leadership Institute.

When I first found this out, I was embarrassed and infuriated. A friend of a Facebook friend was commenting on something I posted, did his research, and relayed his findings. From there, I took things personally, and felt it was my duty to talk with Campus Reform/Leadership Institute.

From the amount of times and the way I talk about the Western Libertarians, I would think you, as a first-time reader of my blog or as a regular, know how much I dearly love the club and will do anything to make it even better every year. By even thinking of former association with the Leadership Institute, I cannot fully express my embarrassment, both personally and for the club.

Another person from the Leadership Institute/Campus Reform came to campus to film what students had to say about Bruce Shepard's diversity comment. I saw this person a couple of times, but I did not know what he/she was doing because if I had...oh boy.

I received a Facebook message from him/her telling me that he/she was on campus and had a list of students who would be willing to become involved with the Western Libertarians. I told him/her that I was not interested in that list, and wanted to talk with someone higher up in the organization. The reason I would not accept the list is because there was no telling how this person got people interested in the club, especially with what he/she was doing while on campus. For all I know, they could be a bunch of racists.

I tried calling this person quite a few times. First time, they were closed because it was Good Friday - I could not help but roll my eyes at how conservative they were. (While I did grow up Catholic and am highly-respective of the religion, it was the absurdity of how stereotypically-conservative it was of them that amused me.) Finally, I got a voicemail from the person I was trying to reach. Due to the combination of being incredibly furious and my phone being somewhat broken, I never got back to him/her.

Throughout this, it made me mad to this that this organization with potential greatness (for the conservative community) had to resort to immature and unprofessional means of getting attention. We, the Western Libertarians, and I would hope all libertarians in general, understand the importance of integrity and seeking knowledge from a variety of sources. We encourage our members to attend political learning opportunities of all kinds because how can one understand libertarianism and shape your own views without knowing others? To get people interested in our philosophy, we do not have, or feel the need, to resort to desperate measures. If an organization like the Leadership Institute has not and/or cannot accept that line of thinking, what was the point of trying to have a mature conversation with them?

A couple of months later, a friend told me that he saw a cameraperson filming someone (possibly the same one from Campus Reform?) badmouthing Bruce Shepard. Then the person said something along the lines of, "They probably want someone who looks more like her," and pointed to one of the candidate's poster from the AS Elections. Such class. Wow.

What are my opinions on what Bruce Shepard had to say? I agree that the school should reflect the demographics of the state, without  having to resort to controversial measures to do so. Even talking with those who agree with this, they have criticized him for his choice of words. I am pretty indifferent to that. Out of context, yes, that sounds terrible, and can (and has) been easily taken advantage of. However, I also get the point that it was worded that way spark up discussion and debate. I, and a lot of others, found it funny that Campus Reform wrote the article months after the blog post (and years after his first mentioning of it).

It really is a shame that the Leadership Institute feels a need to do what they did. From what I see, they provide great activism training and online resources to groups and individuals who are in need of it. They have the potential to be respected by a number of people from different backgrounds, but only if they could play nicely.

The only way the Western Libertarians and I would work with the Leadership Institute and speak nicely of them is if:

1) They apologized for the demeaning and misleading media published on their site about WWU and Bruce Shepard.

2) They vowed to be honest and did not resort to disingenuous tactics in order promote their organization and to further their own cause, and stayed true to their words.

But what are the chances of that happening?

I really feel like I need to apologize for what they did to WWU. Somehow, I feel like if I kept better track of what they were up to, I could have prevented it from happening.

To wrap this all up, another friend of mine pointed out that if the Leadership Institute wanted to publish something about WWU that was candid and questionable, they would have been better-off publicizing the controversial WWU party bus.

Despite popular belief, you didn't hear that whole "party bus thing" from me.