Sydnee Smith chooses a DVD from a shelf at Film is Truth 24 Times a Second. Charlene Davatos//AS Review
BY CHARLENE DAVATOS
The incoming class has joined the ranks of Western’s broke college students. With the $2,181 ticket price per quarter [$7,630 for out-of-state students], many freshmen are now beginning their journey of spending less on food, entertainment and activities. While TripAdvisor’s recommendations are great for the average adult visiting Bellingham with gas money and pocket change, Western’s upperclassmen shared their favorite adventures in the “City of Subdued Excitement” for incoming freshmen.
Boulevard Park
“Every freshman boy has to jump off the pier,” Luke LeClair, a student at Western said. The overwater pier at Boulevard Park is a popular place to people watch, dog watch and jump off of, they said. The public park is free to enter and has grills, beaches with water access and fishing docks.
“I personally love Boulevard Park. A lot of people will set up a hammock to watch the sunset,” Caroline Burns, a second-year student said. “It’s a nice hangout not too far from the dorms, but you’re still getting off campus.”
Address: 470 Bayview Dr.
Walking Distance From Campus: 30 minutes
Directions: From Western, walk northwest down Cedar St. Walk west along N. State St.. Boulevard Park’s trails and beaches will begin on your left.
Operational Hours: Dusk to dawn
Film is Truth 24 Times a Second
This non-profit local video rental store stocks DVDs, Blu-rays and VCR-tapes. The rental fee is $3. Second- year student Raven Klingele recommends the store for their commitment to keeping physical media alive.
“I always see [people] post on social media about being nostalgic for Blockbuster. They’re still out there,” she said. The store’s inventory ranges from well-known TV series like Rick and Morty, to arthouse foreign films like “A Nos Amours”.
“Just this weekend I went there and got ‘The Happiness of the Katikuris’, which is a very weird Japanese horror musical,” Kringle said. “That’s always fun, it felt like we were in a movie theatre.”
She recommends watching movies in Bond Hall with friends, if you don’t have a disc player.
Address: 1418 Cornwall Ave.
Bussing Distance From Campus: 10-15 minutes
Directions: From Western, take the 14 or 197 bus towards downtown. Get off at Bellingham Station. Walk northwest on E Champion St. Take a left onto Cornwall Ave.
Operational Hours: 3:00p.m.-10:00pm. Monday and Tuesday. 12:00p.m.-10:00p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Drizzle Olive Oil and Vinegar Tasting Room
According to Katie Kirchhofer, a third-year student, this business is a great place for free snacks.
“[The employees] are like ‘You wanna eat some bread? You wanna eat some cheese?’. Uh, yeah,” she said.
The store, which specializes in artisanal olive oil, offers samples of oils, vinegars, teas and spices on bread chunks. Kirchhofer said that there are dozens of things to sample at the store.
“If it doesn’t have a sign that says ‘Don’t Sample’, I’ll do it,” Kirchhofer said.
The stores discounted spices are often 50 cents, Kirchhofer said, and she’ll buy something cheap to avoid the guilt of too many samples. The store is next to Village Books, which offers a quiet space to study off campus.
Address: 1208 11th St.
Bussing Distance From Campus: 20 minutes
Directions: From Western, take the 14 bus towards Fairhaven. Get off at 12th St and McKenzie Avenue. Walk north on 12th St. and turn left on Harris Ave. Turn right onto 11th St.
Operational Hours: 10:00a.m.-6:00p.m. Monday through Saturday. 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Sunday
My Rancho Meat Market
Also known as Mi Rancho, this butcher shop specializes in meats, Mexican pastries and spices.
“They have $1 street tacos all the time,” Josie Rademacher, a fourth year student said. “You get chips and salsa too.”
The market is run by the Castillo family, who said that they try to serve high quality food while maintaining affordable prices.
“We do everything here from scratch, the beans and meat. And it’s only a dollar,” Sebastian Castillo, an employee, said.
Rademacher said that if you go often enough, you start to get to know the family.
“It feels really good to help a small business,” Rademacher said. Alongside $1 tacos, you can also get $1 conchas, pan finos and niño envueltos, which are all Mexican desserts.
Address: 3092 Northwest Ave. Bussing Distance From Campus: 30 minutes
Directions: From Western, take the 14 bus towards downtown. Get off at Bellingham station to transfer to the 232 bus towards Cordata/Whatcom Community College. Exit at Northwest Ave & Lynn St.
Operational Hours: 8:00a.m.-8:00p.m. Sunday through Thursday. 8:00a.m-9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Pokémon Go
The app, which launched in 2016, continues to spark a need to move and walk around for Western students. “Pokémon Go is great in Bellingham,” Bucky Bonifazi, fourth-year student, said. “You can just ride the bus and get pokéstops.”
The app is an augmented reality game, which allows players to “catch” Pokémon by having the app open and visiting real life landmarks. In updated versions, players are able to friend request other players through the app.
Throughout campus, there are “gyms” which players are able to “battle” other players for the title of “gym leader”. Gyms include the Fisher Fountain, Edens Hall and the Man Who Used To Hunt Cougars For Bounty statue in front of Wilson Library.
Pokéstops, which are used to gather in game supplies and Pokémon eggs, include the Depot Market Square downtown, Miller Hall and the Sehome Hill Arboretum sign.
Address: Everywhere
Walking Distance From Campus: N/A
Directions: Open the app on your smartphone. Catch pokémon.
Operational Hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week.