Summer 2004
Social Sciences
Summer 2004
Racial profiling in Washington— policy and perception
The likelihood of being stopped by the Washington State Patrol on state roads and highways is not affected by a driver’s race or ethnicity, according to Washington State University researchers who analyzed two million WSP contacts between May 2000 and October 2002.
The WSU report was issued last summer by political scientists Nicholas Lovrich and Mitchell Pickerill, criminal justice professors Michael Gaffney and Michael R. Smith, and sociologist Clay Mosher. Unlike studies in other states, the report indicates no evidence of biased policing in the rate of driver stops.
Washington is one of at least 14 states that have passed legislation to help eliminate “the … » More …
Summer 2004
Be nice: GRACe examines gender
GRACe examines the many aspects of gender. » More ...
Summer 2004
All that Remains
Nearly two-thirds of the Lewis and Clark Trail is under man-made reservoirs. Another one-quarter is buried under subdivisions, streets, parks, banks, and other modern amenities. Almost none of the original landscape is intact. No one appreciates this contrast like author and historian Martin Plamondon II, who has reconciled the explorers' maps with the modern landscape.
» More ...Spring 2004
A more effective nag
How the mere asking of a question can become a force for positive change. » More ...
Winter 2005
When buoy meets barge
“You look out on the ocean, and it looks huge. It looks like there’s space for anybody or anything out there.
“But,” says Steve Harbell, “really there’s a lot going on.”
Take, for example, crabbers and ocean-going towboats. Historically, the two have not mixed well off the Pacific coast. Dungeness crab fishermen typically set 400 to 500 pots in the waters off Washington’s coast. Multiply that by 228 fishermen, and you get a thicket of buoys attached by monofilament to the pots 50 to 250 feet below.
That same ocean, near shore, is a towboat highway over which huge boats towing barges laden with various … » More …
Winter 2005
Medieval Missive: An ancient document rediscovered
A sacred and significant artifact of European history-a genuine papal bull from the Middle Ages-was recently found tucked among the books and papers of Washington State University’s Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections.
The bull, or bulla, named for its original form as a bubble-shaped metal plate, and later for the lead seal affixed to an official document, was most often a legal missive from the pope. Papal bulls did everything from advocate for an individual’s safe travel to advise the citizens of a country to follow their king.
The written communication from the pope now at WSU once protected a house for lepers in the … » More …
Fall 2005
Our Drink: Detoxing the Perfect Family
Toren Volkmann and his mother, Chris Volkmann '70 have co-authored a book about their family's experience with Toren's alcoholism. What they learned through direct experience dovetails with what counselors and researchers are discovering at WSU and beyond.
» More ...Summer 2005
Gig Harbor: Laureen Lund markets the town she loves
Laureen Lund (’82 Comm.) recently celebrated her fifth anniversary as the person who sells Gig Harbor to the world. She seems to do her job well. At least, that’s why I’m sitting in her office in Gig Harbor’s city building in mid-August.
“The best use of our dollars is public relations,” she tells me, without a trace of irony or triumph. “If I can get somebody to do an article, it costs me nothing.”
I let that sink in for a minute. So-do I feel exploited?
Nah, not a bit. I’m having a fine time.
As for Lund, she just seems very pleased that she’s … » More …
Summer 2005