Photo Story

Our assignment was to put together five or six photos that tell a story. I followed Western freshman Nicole Enslow around in her preparations to be a model in the Condom Fashion Show hosted by the Sexual Awareness Center and VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood on May 20.

The Condom Fashion show on May 20 was co-hosted by the Sexual Awareness Center and VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood in the Viking Union Multipurpose room. The idea was to create an outfit featuring expired condoms. Each designer was given 1,000 condoms in a variety of different colors. The groups approached Art students first, but Nicole Enslow, a member of VOX, said after receiving negative reactions the opportunity to design an outfit was opened up to the rest of the campus. The show aimed to promote safe sex and all proceeds went to Planned Parenthood

Nicole Enslow, 19, is a member of VOX and one of the two models of VOX designed outfits, said VOX was originally going to use a male model for their outfit, but he was unable to make the meetings. The group then moved on and asked Western freshman Haley Rohl, 19, to be the model. She was interested, but was unable to participate. After the modeling opportunity was opened up to the group and Enslow and Stacy Breland agreed to model an outfit. “Basically anything VOX does is fun,” Enslow said. “I just thought I’m a freshman and I’m trying to do as much as I can my first year. And I thought that would be a really awesome fun thing to do. Especially since it was the first annual; they had never done anything like it before.”

Laura Hughes, 21, examines the finished project of a VOX sponsored condom theme dress she helped create. Hughes is the coordinator of VOX. On May 17 Enslow bought her dresses at Ross and at the next VOX meeting the group came up with ideas for the design of the dress. Hughes attached all the loose condoms and designed the headband that Enslow wore during the show. Enslow said the group did not have a plan while putting together the dress. “We were just trying things out and it ended up working out really well,” she said.

Enslow and her friend Alexi Thorn,19, prepare for the show by first straightening Enslow’s hair and then moving on to make-up. Enslow said Thorn came up to Bellingham from their hometown of Tacoma to watch the show. Thorn asked Enslow if she wanted help with her make-up before hand. The pair spent about an hour on hair and make-up before Enslow had to be at the Multipurpose room. After the show Enslow and Thorn spent Friday May 21 shopping and saw the new Sex and the City movie.

Enslow walked on the catwalk to the tunes of “Rockstar” by Prima J. Enslow said she chose the song because she danced to it while participating in the National American Miss pageant and she liked the beat. She said the song is upbeat and fun so it fit well with the idea of the show. Prior to the show Enslow had her friend Haley Rohl, who is a professional model, teach her the model walk. Rohl said the walk is about confidence. She said, “Don’t walk with the beat, but walk with the beat.” Enslow said as soon as she got on the stage all of Rohl’s teaching went out the window. Backstage waiting her turn, she said she felt nervous the entire time. After her walk on the catwalk, Enslow said her adrenaline was high, but the experience was awesome. “I was so happy that I did it and it was fun,” she said. “And I was just like ‘okay it’s over. I can’t change anything so just be happy with it.”

After the show Enslow’s friend Sarah Moran, 19, surprised Enslow with flowers and a card signed by Moran and a few other friends. Enslow said she knew a group of her friends were coming, but was surprised that they brought her flowers. The show ended around 9 p.m. which was perfect timing for Late night at the Viking Commons. Enslow said she had not eaten since breakfast because she was in class until 4:30 p.m. and then needed to get ready. She said she went to Late Night in her outfit and was the only model that she saw there wore her outfit after the show. “I saw people with outfits in their bags,” Enslow said. “I got a wide range of responses.”

Feature Photo

For this assignment we had to either do a photo illustration or find a feature photo that could stand with only a caption.

Jennifer Redmond, 25, works in as a guest barista at the Coffee Lady stand on Vendor’s Row Thursday May 27 and Friday May 28. Redmond said she sold the stand January 2008 to Christy Vega and told Vega that she would help out if needed. Redmond owned the stand for three and a half years and now owns Jen’s House of Chai. She sells her chai at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market and wholesale to coffee stand like the Coffee Lady. Vega was Redmond’s first customer when she started making chai. Redmond said the most challenging part of working at a coffee stand is keeping an eye on the drip coffee. She said the stand tries not to make large amounts at one time so the coffee will always be fresh. Redmond said coming back and making the different espresso drinks is like riding a bike—it is not something a person forgets once they know how. “I just kind of fell back into it,” Redmond said. “I haven’t made coffee in like three years, or something ridiculous like that.” She said it is fun to see some of the faculty and staff who used to order drinks from her when she owned the stand. One customer was surprised when Redmond remembered what type of drink he ordered and that he was still drinking the same drink.

Maddie's Show

These are some of my favorite pictures from my best friend Maddie Johnston's horse show. These were taken just for fun, not for class.

Heading back to the barn after a long day.

He was such a good boy in the ring.

Wally likes to jump these jumps really big. This about 3'3"

In the ring.

Horses faces can be so expressive.

Heading to the mounting block.

Getting ready to go to the warm-up ring

Wally Kisses

Controlling Motion Assignment

Duncan Graham, 23, skateboards outside the Communications and Academic West buildings. This is his favorite spot to skate. He said he likes the spot because it is low impact if he falls and he has room to do his tricks. The only time he does not like this area is when classes get out because there is too many people, he said. Graham said he started skating about ten years ago when his mom traded piano lessons for his first skateboard. Since then he said he has had hundreds of boards—and pairs of shoes. His most serious injury was a fractured fibula, which kept him from skating for two to three months, he said. “Most everything [else] has been flesh wounds,’ he said. “And a lot of them.”

Honest Emotion/Relationship

This assignment was the first assignment that we had to truly catch a moment. We could not set anything up or influence the situation.

Wes Christensen, 20, has played baseball for eight to nine years; ever since his t-ball days. He now plays on an intramural team at Western after being asked by a friend to join the team. His team was set to play a game on May 3, but the opposing team did not show. Instead the team practiced in a combination of rainy and sunny weather. During his turn to bat Christensen knocked four consecutive balls far out into the outfield. On his last hit he ran around the bases. Little did he know when he was batting that minutes later he would be sitting in the mud. He said later all he could think about was how he missed home plate. “I was mad that I didn’t hit the plate,” Christensen said. “Now I have to go take a shower.”

Environmental/Personality Profile

Madeline Meikle, 17, has owned her horse Marty since February. She competed at first show on him, April 24 - April 25 in the 2-foot-six-inch hunter jumper division at the Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, British Columbia. Her favorite part of showing is being in the ring, but right before she goes in she gets nervous that she will forget her course. This has never happened. Her favorite part of owning a horse is being able to ride whenever she wants too. “If I’m leasing one I don’t really have a say with what’s going on with him,” she said. “Now I can actually take him places like to my cabin and stuff. It’s up to me.”

Icebreaker Assignment-Question:What would you never consume again?

Kimi Smith, 17, a student at Shorecrest High school and future Western student visiting her friend in the Fairhaven dorms on April 21, said while in Japan she had gourmet cow testicles and cow tongue. “The idea of it is super weird,” Smith said. “It didn’t taste that bad. It tasted like something chewy and white.” On the topic of weird food her friend’s dad also tricked her into eating a dog biscuit.

Matthew Enertson, 6, who attended the Bellingham Farmer’s market with his father and brother, said he would never drink soy milk again. He said it was really spicy and did not like it because it looked weird. “I tried it once and I’m never ever going to have it again,” Matthew said. His brother Zach, 4, was having soy milk and that was the reason Matthew had to try it. Zach disagrees with his brother about soy milk, he likes it. What he does not like is mushrooms. Matthew of course likes mushrooms.

Gloria Shannon, 55, who is a vendor at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market, said she would not have sea urchin again. She and her husband were visiting San Cruz, Calif., and went out to dinner with another couple who told them sea urchin was wonderful. “[I’ll] never, never do that again,” Shannon said. “People swear to me if you get it fresh right out of the ocean it’s to die for.”

Western sophomore Gabi White, 20, attended the Bellingham Farmer’s Market April 17 with a friend. She said she would never consume a fig again. Her parents made her try the fruit four years ago. “I just didn’t like the texture or the taste of them,” White said.

Gus Kenney, 3, played with the hula hoops April 17 at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market. He said he would never eat sweet potatoes again because he didn’t like them. The orange color does not bug him though, “Orange, yeah, I like orange,” Kenney said.

At the Bellingham Farmer’s Market April 17, Rich Buford, 50, said he would never consume Totally Insane hot sauce made by a company in California. “Most painful experience of my life, where I actually wanted to amputate my tongue,” Buford said. “Once if definitely enough.”

Disposable Camera Image

The assignment for my Photojournalism class was to take a good photo that tells a story. The only catch we were required to use a disposable camera. Which by the way cost about $15 dollars, who knew? I had not bought one for at least six or seven years.

Cutline: Miss Poulsbo Erika Scott, 19, handed out stickers April 3 before the Raab park Easter egg hunt. Hannah Duffy, 4, wearing a crown she got for her birthday, rushes to show her mom the sticker she received from Scott. A combination of candy and eggs were hidden in the grass for children 11 and younger. The eggs were turned in for prizes like stuffed animals, crazy straws and toothbrushes. Scott participated in an egg hunt at Raab park when she was younger and she said that this appearance meant just a little bit more. “One of the prizes I got was a little yellow yo-yo that I’m pretty sure I still have,” Scott said. “Good times at Raab Park.”