*Beverly is a 2010 graduate of Seattle University School of law and a 2007 graduate of Western Washington University. She lives in the Proctor neighborhood of Tacoma with her husband of four years, Anders and their cat Murphy. Beverly can be reached at beverlymarieibsen@hotmail.com.

In 2007, I was working as a student intern in the Admissions Department of Seattle University Law School when I was asked to archive the files of admitted students. I came across my own file and took a peek inside. Scribbled on the first page was something like “No Financial Aid Award.” I already knew that of course, but it was a rude reminder that in order to graduate, I had to take on more than $100K in debt. “No problem,” I thought. “Odds are that I will be one of the lucky 97% that are employed within nine months of graduation and making $90K a year.” And then the Great Recession of 2008 struck.

Fast forward to graduation 2010. There was a strange mixture of anxiety and hope in the air of the Key Arena auditorium. None of my close friends (including the friend on Law Review who graduated in the top 5%) had jobs lined up. We traded rumors of who had managed to land that lucky position. Some students had a close relative who owned a law practice. Others had managed to land at the right place at the right time.

My path was not so straightforward. I gravitated to government and non-profit work. These fields attracted me because they tend to have a great work-life balance. I also felt great serving vulnerable populations or defending taxpayers. This led me to take positions with the YWCA of Pierce County and the Pierce County Civil Division. I had a great experience with both organizations and would eagerly have accepted a job with either. Unfortunately, an entry level job was not in the cards (or budget). As I accepted my diploma on stage, I beamed with pride and tried to shush my inner doubts. The raging headache and upset stomach that cut my family celebration short were not good omens.

After taking the bar exam, I started my job search. I found the internet to be rather hostile to entry level attorney jobs. Almost every entry on Craigslist, Indeed.com, or the law school job database required 3-5 years of experience. I had better luck with my informational interviews and landed a job in the Misdemeanor Division of the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office. Unfortunately, the contract was only for three months. One month into my contract, I learned that I had passed the bar exam. My contract ended, but I was now a licensed attorney. In theory, I could practice in any state court doing any type of law. So now what?

I decided to band together with two other graduates in my class to form a law firm in Seattle. After putting in a year with the firm, I decided to move my practice back to Tacoma. Tacoma is just the right size for a new attorney. And our local bar associations are extremely supportive.

Every once in a while, I’ll meet someone who is thinking about law school. The advice I give them is to plan with the end in mind. In other words, what career do you hope to have at the end of it? If you are not planning on practicing, that’s one thing. A law degree might complement your other skill set if you are positioned to move up in the business or education arena. But if you are planning to actually practice law, here are some practical survival tips:

• Evaluate each course and internship for its practical value. If you like environmental law, take environmental law classes. Cultivate a relationship with your professor. Go for those environmental law internships.

• Don’t count on being hired right away. Take some drafting labs and some clinic courses. That way you’ll at least be able to write a will or draft up a divorce petition if you find yourself on your own.

• Join your local bar association. Sign up for membership with different affiliation groups. The Washington State Bar Association has many sections that you can apply to. Go to wsba.org for the list. If you are a woman, join the Washington Women Lawyers. There are also many minority bar associations that provide a lot of support.

• Cultivate mentors. Never be afraid to ask for help. Veteran attorneys were young once too. They can be of enormous assistance in helping you navigate the job market or helping you figure out how to file your first complaint. There are no stupid questions.

That is not an exclusive list, but it will do for a start. If you want to talk to someone about law school, feel free to shoot me an email at beverlymarieibsen@hotmail.com. I’m happy to answer any questions or point you to someone who can.

*Editor’s Note: unfortunately this article was never published on  Sunday, November 29, 2009.  We have just passed the two year mark and thus feel it is fitting to publish this article and give honor to our fallen Lakewood Police Officers.

(Yesterday) will go down in history as one of the most heartbreaking and difficult days to fathom in Pierce County history. The cold blooded slaying of four dedicated and honorable Lakewood Police Officers is a tremendous loss to our law enforcement community and to Pierce County as a whole. These were officers that dedicated their lives to serving others, and did so with great pride and honor. Our heart goes out to the families of these fallen officers and to the Lakewood Police Department and the City of Lakewood.

When a tragedy of this magnitude occurs it does not matter what color uniform you wear or whether or not you are from a local, state, or federal agency. What matters is how we all respond to such a tragedy and how we work collectively to deal with the circumstances that are in front of us.  That is what was required of us today and that’s what I observed from the many local, state, and federal agencies that responded to this horrific scene. In particular, I am extremely impressed and proud by the professional manner by which our department members responded to this tragedy. Many of the first responders to this horrific scene were from our department and did an exceptionally good job in securing the scene and providing information as this incident initially unfolded. Department commanders worked together and quickly to establish incident command and control over department resources initially and throughout the day as well as managed department activities via the department’s Operations Center. Our SWAT Team, Detectives and Forensic personnel from Investigations Bureau, Critical Incident Management Team, and Chaplains worked collaboratively with Lakewood PD and their Pierce County Sheriffs Department counterparts throughout the course of the day in following up leads and supporting fellow officers and their families. This was truly a great team effort and a great demonstration of the care, compassion, and character of our Department members – Thank you!

This is also a time to reflect on the fact that our profession, although a very honorable and fulfilling one, is a profession where tragedy such as the one that occurred today can happen anytime, anywhere, and without warning. This is a sad reality that we have to live with and one that is to me unconscionable.

We will continue to support the City of Lakewood, Lakewood Police Department throughout this investigation and beyond as I know that they would be doing the same for us. This is a very tough time for them and they need all of our support.

Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, Greg Richard came to work today with every intention of returning home at the end of their shift to be in the comfort of their families as we all do as we begin our shift. Please keep these fallen heroes and their families in your thoughts and prayers as we all grieve this great loss.

Vialle never sent me a picture, so I borrowed this campaign one from the internet.

Karen Vialle was introduced to me as a “bulldog,” her supporters have called her efficient and tough, and the TNT endorsed here whole-heartedly as a “a force of nature. Her qualifications are almost over the top.” There’s no denying she is experienced in policy and budget issues (if you doubt me I’ll send you her 20 minute answer to “Tell me about yourself”), and she’s familiar with Tacoma schools because she has taught as a substitute teacher in them for 9 years. Heck, she’s taught every grade level. And on top of it all, she’s the only candidate raising money in her race, allowing her to print doorbell cards and send out mailers to voters.

Now, don’t get confused, this is not an endorsement or intended as support. This is just my way of explaining Vialle having conquered 53% of the vote in a four way primary.

However, when I interviewed Vialle the primary election hadn’t happened yet. At the time I knew very little about her other than the fact that she had once been mayor and had recently been compared to a bulldog.

I don’t really have a mental image of a bulldog floating in my head (having no real experience with them), so I let Wikipedia do the talking. There I learned that according to the American Kennel Club (AKC) a Bulldog’s, “disposition should be equable and kind, resolute and courageous (not vicious or aggressive), and demeanor should be pacific and dignified.”

Vialle met me at Cutter’s Point on 6^th and Orchard. I’m not sure if she exemplifies all of the adjectives above, but she was definitely friendly, and after ordering coffee we sat down to chat. Another adjective that strikes me when I think of Vialle is practical. I never remember exactly what she wears (I’ve seen her in everything from a suit to doorbelling clothes) but it has always seems to be pants, a jacket, her shirt tucked in, and comfortable shoes. These first impressions did not answer the bulldog question, but throughout the interview I kept it in mind.

The first part of the answer to this mystery came when I asked her when the first time she knew she was different. There was hardly a pause at all before Vialle said, “Probably when I was a social justice enforcer in my fourth grade class.” I think I laughed, because the image that came to my head was a lot more like what you’d see on TV than in real life, and it all seemed much too serious for a fourth grader. Vialle explained the situation:

“I guess that’s the best way I can put it… I never grew up with any kind of racial prejudice, thank god, on the part of both sides of my family… And we had an African American family move into our neighborhood, and there was a lot of, I’d call them rednecks now, even though ‘they shoudda known better,’ as my dad said. So when school started (they moved in in the summer) my dad told me, ‘If there’s any trouble, you take care of it.’ Well, sure enough there was. One of these kids—and she was a bully! She was a big girl, a lot bigger than me. And she probably still remembers what happened–she called, you know, used the inappropriate word, and made Jolene cry. And I said, ‘Take it back,’ and she said, ‘I don’t have to,’ and I said ‘Take it back or I’m going to hit you.’ And she didn’t believe me, so she wound up with a bloody nose and a split lip.

“And I, of course, got sent to the office, because it was an inappropriate response, but I still remember my mom coming up to school, and laying into our principal, who she had gone to school with. His first name was Clarence, and all I could hear was ‘Yes, Clarence, Karen needs to be punished, but more than that, our society is changing, and people need to be treated equal and children don’t need to come to school and listen to that. Now I expect you to take care of it.’ And that was my mother. I mean, she did that. And so that’s when I first really realized that I did the right thing. I mean, I got in trouble for hitting, you know, but I mean my mom and dad both said that you did the right thing.”

And then, offhand, she added:

“Also, I was good in math, and girls weren’t supposed to be.”

In retrospect, the first story is an amusing anecdote not just because it represents Vialle’s first experience as an activist, but also because it shows her perspective now as a teacher looking back on her time as a student. There were several instances later in the interview when she grew passionate and used a “bad word” like “sucks,” and it was always followed “I hate that term, I tell the kids at school ‘don’t say that!’” and I found it to be an enduring view of vocabulary reserved for elementary school teachers (which Vialle primarily is). In a similar vein, hearing her using words like “inappropriate response” and “diversity” and “prejudice” sound very adult in a story about an elementary school squabble. Vialle’s conversation consistently juxtaposed complex policy terms and a child’s world where saying “sucks” gets you yelled at.

To be honest, though, Vialle’s offhand comment about being the only girl good at math was a much more honest moment. The first story could have been part of her campaign, that one moment revealed a struggle she had lived through, and a lot of the activism she would take on later.

But to continue with the story: the fact that Vialle was good at math and had conviction for standing up for what she thought was right, created a powerhouse combination that set her on her career path. Her 20 minute answer to “Tell me about yourself” was pretty much a long-form resume, and while I don’t want to repeat it step for step there are interesting points along the way.

After graduate school she returned to her undergrad Alma matter and taught political science at the University of Puget Sound. This was one of her first experiences as an adult, dealing with being a non-traditional women. “When I went to UPS I was one of the first women to teach there in the non—what they called non-female, you know, it wasn’t a foreign language and they had home-economics then and English—to teach outside of that box.”

Soon after that Vialle was the first women hired by the state budget office to work as a program analyst at OFM. She started in ‘72, and was promoted to assistant director in February of 73. Her explanation of what that experience was:

“The legislature was considering a bill upstairs and it was really important and our legislative person had not been doing what he was supposed to… [Someone she knew] called ‘get over here, I want this bill out of here and it’s about to not!’ So I went up and I testified and thought ‘oh, man I’m going to be in trouble,’ and when I came down and Wally said, ‘Oh, man from now on as of right now you’re handling all of our legislative stuff.’ And then about a month later we got all these bills out, it was amazing.”

Vialle took on a tough role at OFM, dealing with a tight budget and budget cuts, and took the job and responsibility of helping to balance the budget very seriously. “We were a real budget and management agency under Dan Evans. You saw us show us you knew your job might be in jeopardy, including department heads. I’d tell ‘em, I’d say ‘You know If I were you I’d get my stuff cleaned up or you’re going to be over there—and the Governor said to tell you—peddling your resume at 5 o’clock in the afternoon down on 11th and capitol. Now, you can either talk to me and get it together or you can talk to [the Governor}.’”

From there she did a lot of budget work and made connections to powerful folk in state government who helped her get other positions where she was able to further expand her knowledge of budgets and policy. To sum up the rest:

"And then we adopted our first child, so I went home. Then I went back to teaching part time at UPS and got involved in community activities, I was on Urban Policy Committee and when my kids got old enough we adopted another child a year and a half later, so you know I got into the PTA, preschool and all of that, and then in 1987 there was a city council seat on the west side of Tacoma and a lot of people in the community convinced me that I needed to run, and so I did and got into that, and then got elected mayor.”

This is a different moment in her life where two seemingly different worlds are brought together. Vialle had returned home to be a mother, but instead of falling back into the traditional role of managing the household she once again resorted to her passion for politics and policy.

I asked Vialle about what it was like to be a woman mayor who was willing to be different, do a lot of things first, and be good at math. The traits that Vialle had that helped her get that far—being tough, efficient, and determined—made her time as mayor interesting:

“When I was mayor it was harder because I got picked on much more by people who were looking for you to stub your toe… and if you were strong you were regarded as being kind of a witch [this was clearly a euphemism, Vialle says euphemisms fantastically], you know, and if you’d been a male you would have received accolades.”

“It was an acceptance that you had to do better, and prove yourself, and I was willing to do that and show them, ‘Hey, I’m just as good as you are.’ If I have to work harder, and if I did that and show that I’m just as good as them, then it was going to make it easier for somebody else who came behind me… I kinda look back and think, ‘Hey, it was worth all that, to be a part of opening doors.’”

While she served as mayor from 1990-1994, Vialle lost her re- lection campaign. I don’t know what the political issues of the time were, but she was the only person I interviewed this year who had run for election before, and it was interesting to get her perspective on what it’s like to experience having lost (which is an experience most candidates share).

“I think what it is, when you run for office—If you’re a bit of a control freak, and I tend to be a tad bit—is that it’s something you can’t control. But I came to grips with this when I lost… I look back on that… I’ve done that my whole life, and if I have done my absolute best, and this was my dad, if you have done your best… then don’t look back.”

“When I lost that election—really truly, I’m my toughest critic, my husband will tell you that—I looked back and I thought I did everything that I could do and the results were out of my hands.”

“It didn’t mean it didn’t hurt, it hurt for a long time. Losing, as somebody said, sucks. It does. I hate that term, I tell the kids at school ’don’t say that!’… But on the other hand, I walked away knowing that I made a tremendous difference…And people have aid later ‘you should run for mayor again,’ and my philosophy on that is that if you’ve already done something, you can’t go back. Things have changed, the dynamics, and it’s time for someone else to do it. I was proud of being mayor of this city, I love this city.”

Now she’s up for election again. It doesn’t seem like a step down, or a step backwards, but rather a continuation of her story in life.

“You know it wasn’t a real easy decision to do that. I’d thought about it, intellectually it was, but then you go back and think… you know, campaigning is hard. It’s a strain on everybody, your family and it’s a big commitment. But every time I thought, you know, I make the decision all through the fall, and I see these kids struggling at school, at you know, lack of support from the board, and them being in total denial about what’s going on within the schools. I thought, you know, I’ve got one more shot at making a big difference, and that’s always driven me in my whole life.”

I have a lot of quotations from Vialle about making a difference driving her. She grew up in the civil rights area and was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and J.F.K. She protested against the Vietnamese war, and is incredibly passionate about supporting soldiers and veterans rights. She taught her children to be accepting of others, and they have in turn become “social justice enforcers” at their own schools, making sure that kids aren’t being bullied or put down because they’re different. She works hard subbing in elementary schools and doing her darndest to prepare young children for the future.

I’ll let you decide for yourself what sort of dog is the best comparison for Karen Vialle (you know, if you insist on not mixing metaphors). I certainly haven’t made up my mind yet on what sort of person (or canine) she is. Looking back, it’s amusing that at the time I interviewed her she said things like “Right now I’m about ready to jump out of my skin. Tuesday can’t get here soon enough!” but having looked over everything she said, I don’t want to end this on a political note (even though there’s a pretty good political monologue I have hanging about). I don’t think politics is the end all be all for this former mayor. I think she’s really doing it for the kids.

“You feel empowered every time you go into a class room and teach kids. Last time I felt empowered, oh my gosh… I guess I’ve always in my life felt empowered in the sense that you can make a difference. You don’t have to hold public office, you don’t have to be walking around with everyone walking around saying ‘Mayor’ and ‘your honor.’ …. For me I feel empowered when I am able to help someone, or I can speak out for something, or I can help a family find help at one of my schools, or when the kids will come up to you and say thank. I think to me empowerment is a state of mind.”




Fun facts about Karen Vialle:

One of the things I appreciate most about living in the Pacific Northwest is the availability of cheap or free fresh berries. Berry harvesting is also a great excuse to experience the outdoors!

Blueberries:
My favorite place to get blueberries is Blueberry Park, located at 7402 East D St. and E 74th Street. Originally a blueberry farm, the school district purchased the land in 1968 in order to build a high school at that location. However, the school was never built and neighbors began working together to maintain the blueberry bushes. In 1997, the land was adopted by Metro Parks as Blueberry Park. Volunteers continue to maintain the park every third Saturday of the month from 9 am – 12 pm. The blueberries are still ripe, so be sure to visit this Tacoma gem.

Blackberries:
I have a love-hate relationship with blackberries. My day job is to dig up the ubiquitous Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus discolor), an invasive species which has taken over our road sides and habitat sites. It is covered in thorns, and I have been scratched hundreds of times. However, the berries are delicious and best of all, free. Just look around and you’ll be sure to see blackberries wherever you are. If you are a huge blackberry fan and would like to have them conveniently located in your yard, there is a lovely native species of blackberry, called Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus). They taste better, look nicer, have fewer thorns, and won’t grow into tall unruly bushes.

Strawberries:
There is a native species of wild strawberry in Washington State as well (Fragaria vesca). This would be a great ground cover to grow at home because it is well-suited for our climate and it has pretty white flowers in the spring. If you are vigilant, you may even spot the wild strawberry while on a walk in the woods. There are also many local u-pick opportunities for strawberries in the local area. I usually go to Picha Farms in Puyallup.

Raspberries:
If you love raspberries, you will be happy to know that we also have a native type of raspberry in the Pacific Northwest called the Black Cap Raspberry (Rubus leucodermis). It looks a lot like a blackberry vine except that the stems are an icy blue. Of course, raspberries are also a popular u-pick crop.

Thimbleberries, Salmonberries, and Red Elderberries:
There are many berries from the Pacific Northwest that you won’t find in your local grocery store. I personally enjoy Thimbleberries (Rubus parviflorus), although I know people who don’t. These tart berries are surprisingly common and I love to feast on them while hiking. Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) are a more popular berry. They resemble a blackberry plant except that their stems are golden in color and their berries are orange, yellow or red. Red Elderberries (Sambucus racemosa) are commonly harvested for wine or jam (don’t eat them raw).

Before You Harvest:
Before picking berries in the wild, it is important to familiarize yourself with their identifiable characteristics. There are poisonous plants out there, so it is critical that you first do your homework. I recommend the book “Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast” by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon as a source for descriptions and pictures of plants common to the Pacific Northwest.

An Edible Yard:
A good way to acquire a free native berry plants for your home would be to attend a plant salvage event and dig your own. Plant salvage events occur in locations with a plethora of native plants that are slated for development. These plants are either salvaged with permission from the developer, or they are typically bull-dozed. I recommend contacting the Native Plant Salvage Alliance or the Native Plant Society for information on upcoming salvage events.

The HCG is the latest and greatest diet craze to hit the scene.  I hear about it constantly from people, on the radio, in magazines… You name it, I see it.

What it is?

The hCG diet promises rapid weight loss by recommending an extremely restrictive diet of 500 calories per day.  This level is far below the minimal recommended caloric intake of 1200 calories daily.  The hCG diet is also founded upon the use of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a pregnancy hormone. HCG is injected either as a daily shot or taken as a sub-lingual tablet.  Diet promoters and developers believe that this hormone promotes fat mobilization in the body and works as an appetite suppressant; however, there is no medical or scientific evidence to back these claims.

Will you lose weight?

The hCG diet does result in weight loss because of the extremely low-calorie diet it promotes.  On only 500 calories a day, anyone will lose weight.  However, on a diet this low the body is in a constant state of starvation.  Any weight loss seen is not effective for long-term success as the body is not burning fat, but instead losing valuable muscle and protein stores.

Because of the drastically low calories consumed on this diet, when a regular diet is reintroduced, the body is literally starving for nutrients and any weight lost will be regained. Furthermore, because this diet does nothing to support behavior change for long-term weight loss success, individuals often fall right back into unhealthy eating habits contributing to further weight gain.

Reliable medical studies to date show that the effectiveness of weight loss on the hCG diet is directly related to the caloric restrictions and is not in any part due to the use of hCG.  HCG has never been proven effective for weight loss or scientifically linked to it in any way.  Most recently, in April 2011 the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a double-blind crossover study showing that there was no statistical difference in the weight loss seen between patients using hCG and those using a placebo.

 Is it safe?

No, on both accounts.

Individuals should never consume a diet of less than 1200 calories without strict medical supervision.  A diet lower than this can trigger severe nutritional deficiencies which may lead to chronic health issues.  A diet lower than this also does not support long-term weight loss success.  The 500 calorie recommendation purposed with the hCG diet is highly unsafe.

The greater medical community does not support the use of hCG for weight loss and the FDA states that hCG and its claims are fraudulent.  It is considered an illegal dietary supplement and is not an approved homeopathic drug.  HCG is not supported as a weight loss supplement or appetite suppressant due to the lack of any supporting research.

In addition to hCG being deemed fraudulent and illegal by the FDA, because the production and sales of hCG is not monitored in any way, consumers really have no idea what they are getting in their products, or if it is safe.  You would never inject a solution or take a pill without knowing 100% that it would not cause bodily harm and that its ingredients are safe and backed by a governing body.  So why would you even consider purchasing this product and putting it into your body?

Myth busted, the hCG Diet promotes a highly unsafe diet (of less than 500 calories a day) and hCG is proven to be ineffective by medical research.

A diet for successful, long-term weight loss…

… Is a healthy one.

If you’re looking to loss weight and improve your health, follow a balanced diet containing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean protein sources.  Check out The Basic 8 for more tips!

At the end of the day successful weight-loss and maintaining a healthy weight comes down to caloric balance (calories in does not exceed calories out), eating healthy, and physical activity.  Although we often want success immediately, a slow weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week is the most beneficial for long-term results.  There is no fad diet in the world than can provide the type of success which can be gained from leading a healthy lifestyle.

*Editor’s note: this article was originally published at Chelsey Lindahl’s website, Chew With Your Mouth Open.

Are you looking for an excuse to go outside?  Maybe you’re trying to impress that special someone but are on a tight budget?  I highly recommend going on a picnic in Tacoma.

Where to go…

Owen Beach at Point Defiance

If you’ve never been to Owen Beach, you’re in for a treat.  The beach has a beautiful vista of the Sound and such amenities as picnic tables, shelters, and grills.  You can even rent your very own kayak for some post-picnic fun.  If you don’t have time to pack your own picnic, stop at the Antique Sandwich Company for some gourmet sandwiches to go.

Reconciliation Park in Old Town

I love to go for picnics at Reconciliation Park in Old Town.  There are tables with lovely views of the waterfront.  The newly renovated park also has trails that focus on making peace with Tacoma’s dark history of racism against the Chinese.

Wapato Park in South Tacoma

Wapato Park has plenty of picnic tables, grills and trails that will meet all your picnicking needs.  There is a tranquil view of the lake and play structures for the kids.  However, beware of aggressive squirrels that will try to steal your food!  There is also currently some construction at the park.

Wright Park in the Stadium Neighborhood

Wright Park is a perfect place for a picnic.  Amenities include tables, grills, playgrounds, spray grounds, a basketball court, and greenhouse.  I like to sit on a blanket under one of the many enormous trees and people watch.  I recommend getting some soup and bread to go from Infinite Soups, which is within walking distance of the park.

What to bring…

• A picnic basket or if you’re really enthusiastic, a picnic backpack from REI
• Blanket or tablecloth
• Plates, silverware, cutting board, knife
• Main course: I like to pack a baguette with some brie and a tomato
• Fruit: Strawberries are romantic if you’re trying to impress
• Dessert: Brownies pack well and are always delicious
• Drink: Lemonade or Italian soda in a mason jar with plenty of ice

What are your picnicking suggestions?

Quiz night! Have other words inspired such confidence or fear in the hearts of men? Quiz night! Where people compete in the grueling, debilitating world of ideas and the alcohol flows and everyone pools their remaining nickels for a quarter-order of tater tots. Quiz night! The time where your friends prove to be the best friends in the whole world or losers.

Quiz nights at The Swiss (1904 Jefferson Ave, Tacoma 98402) are on Tuesdays beginning at 7:00 p.m. and ending at 9 p.m.  Entering, one feels the magic of a bar that has the space of a bar, restaurant, concert stage and pool hall. This is a place you can actually hang out.  The gin & tonics ($4.25 post-tax) are strong enough and the rotating beer selection compliments the flavor of salt; useful for the post-quiz-cry into your beer. Quizmaster Joe strikes up a friendly, affable atmosphere and walks the competitors through five rounds; general knowledge and the picture round being the bookends of the night. The other three rounds are variable, but there is a strong rotation of movies, cars, computers and terrible, horrible song lyrics. The prize is the pool of money created by the $2 entrance fee. The team maximum is 7 people. Bring as many as you can. Many teams enter, one team leaves…with the all of the money.

Quiz nights at Doyle’s Public House (208 St. Helens Ave, Tacoma 98402) begins at 8 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m on Wednesday nights. The bar is a large-one room with a concert stage which began to see use as I left. Some people really like Doyle’s. Some people don’t. There are two rounds, each beginning at the top of the hour. The gin & tonic ($5.00 post-tax) had the taste of lightly spiced water. Many people would consider this a good drink, alas, I ordered, “the welliest well G&T you can possibly well-up from the well.” Perhaps I am too picky to be comfortable in new places, but Quizmaster Russ is the warmest and friendly presence in a relatively warm and friendly place. The quiz itself was an interesting mix of logic puzzles, word puzzles, and current events in Republican gaffes. There was no cover charge. Later that night, I heard that reward was shots.

If the quiz night at The Swiss is rooted in the gnostic priesthood of Voltron and carburetors, and Doyle’s quiz night replicates the genteel atmosphere of 1700’s French cafes, the quiz night at the Office (813 Pacific Ave, Tacoma 98402) is the closest thing to a dystopic communistic treasure hunt I’ve ever seen. The quiz begins at roughly 7 p.m. and ends at about 9 p.m on Thursday evenings. The Office glows from laminated wood floors, basks in brick-hued walls and is primarily lit by television’s warm glowing warming glow. The place is loud and crowded and everyone seemed to have at least three empty glasses in front of them. My gin & tonic ($4.25 post-tax) took about 15 minutes to arrive. Quizmaster Chris struggled bravely against his mike and the non-quizzers. He lost (and while we’re here, shout-out to the guy who kept yelling, “NEEEERDS!” You captured the spirit of our internal debate about whether we should list characters only from a specific Star Trek series to anyone from the Star Trekverse), but every team walked away a winner. With a $2 cover charge, every round has a cash prize ($20-$40) and occasionally, swag. Every round (word scramble, star trek/star wars, Seahawks, word scramble) resulted in a tie and divided treasure between the teams. After the best people in the world and I came down with acute cases of deafness, blindness, sudden-empty-wallet syndrome, we left.

Have a quiz in the Seattle-Tacoma area you think I should go to? Contact me at jacole25@gmail.com with suggestions and details!

My dearest M.,

You are off to college, soon to become a real adult. I am sad you are leaving your home of many years, to make the arduous trek across 21st street.

I hope you are not over burdened with the responsibilities and obligations that one must tend to as a college student: attending your weekly frat party, socializing with these strange “loggers”, purchasing unknown texts, and learning to navigate a foreign land referred to vaguely as “UPS.”

I would feel tremendous regret if I were to send you on your way without passing on some sort of affectionate, heavy handed advice, so please listen to my words with care:

The first humanoids you meet at college… well, they’re not real people. You will feel compelled to cling to them in excitement, and sadly, I must advise you follow your urge to befriend them (or be forever known as the anti-social creep), but understand that six months after you settle in they will disappear, and you will be happier for it.

Try many things! You will attend five extracurricular clubs in the first month, and meet many other humanoid creatures. This is a fine experience one must go through to build character. But then you will settle into some fine place like a library or a “SUB” and you will find eating french fries with friends to be the better course.

Your intelligence will serve you well, as will your aptitude for books. However, doing all the reading is not what it takes to succeed. You must speak! Be brave and audacious and dare to speak your mind! The professors at this “UPS” establishment are rumored to care much for this sort of nonsense, and so you must embrace the habit enthusiastically.

Be nice to the campus cat. It will bring you luck.

But most of all, keep in touch! I shall miss you terribly, and even though you will be off adventuring wonderful adventures, check in from time to time. I am eager to receive news of your upcoming excitements, accomplishments, struggles and surprises, and I wish you all the best for the coming years.

Affectionately yours,
L.

Scott Heinze with his Children

When Scott Heinze says, “It’s not differences that drive us apart, it’s really commonality and appreciation of differences that bring us together,” there is a passion to his words that forbid them from being cheesy.

As a child he played a lot of sports: basketball, baseball, football. When he talks about his leadership style now he compares it to how sports teams work together. “Having been on a lot of sports teams, that idea of organizationally building teams, community building teams, you don’t want everyone who has the same skill set or thinks the same way. That’s not the most effective team. If you can bring together people who have different thoughts and experiences you’re going to be really well rounded.”

Now Heinze strives to be a team builder in his role as a servant leader – something he is focusing on both in his graduate studies and in life – and explained to me that, “as a servant leader I was being involved in my community, trying to encourage others to have a vested interest In their community.” He sets an example for his children by always thinking about “How do you give back, how do you get involved, how do you make a difference?”

I had never heard of Gonzaga’s leadership program, or it’s jargony terms like “operators,” “conceptualizers,” or “servant leadership” before I met with Scott Heinze. To be completely unfair, I had never bothered putting much stalk in leadership programs, and did not expect to care about any of these terms when Heinze first described them to me.

Then again, I had met Heinze on his campaign trail before, and there was plenty to this interview that was not what I expected.

Heinze showed up to the meeting wearing running shorts, a hoodie and a baseball cap, and when he sat down he relaxed back into his seat, completely casual. I had only seen him before at speaking engagements—strictly business casual apparel with that stuffy networking vibe. This was different. The Scott Heinze before me was a guy taking time out of his (busy) Saturday schedule to have a chat about how he lives his life.

The fact is, Heinze lives his life like a policy wonk. This translates to a person who simply knows a lot of things and feels compelled to give incredibly thorough, well thought out, and oftentimes long answers. So, during particularly long answers to questions his voice can create that soft lull we’re all familiar with from lectures of history or science.

But don’t be fooled into boredom or nod off while he speaks! There is more behind this man than policy! I mean, sometimes you have to wade through several levels of policy, but eventually you break through.

For example, in his initial efforts to explain himself, his doctoral program’s jargon comes in. Heinze explained that there are operators and conceptualizers, he being the latter. “Conceptualizers often times will get in as a change agent and say and do things that feel very radical to the establishment.” I actually find this to be interesting stuff, but this excerpt is also a bit text booky:

“In a typical organizational chart you would have this person at the top, this very hierarchical, linear system, and the person at the top has all of the authority to make all of the decisions, and they push that down. Servant leadership really flattens the organization chart. It invites everyone to be in part of the decision making process and they feel empowered with what’s going on.”

Again, this is interesting to me, after all, leaders aren’t well-known for giving their power away; much less give it away to achieve results. However, when Heinze speaks he often starts by explaining definitions and situations (this is a very policy thing to do), and I feel a little detached by the whole thing. It is only after he has explained all the details that he tells you a story that shows you what they mean. For example:

During his time as an Assistant Director of Outreach at Kent Youth and Family Services, where the residents were primarily immigrant and political refugees, Heinze was the daily operations guy who oversaw a diverse group of staff members. His goal was to empower his staff, and he told them, “you know your residents and participants the best, because you see them on a daily basis.” He gave his staff the opportunity to have impact on services and programs. “And it really, in the staff, inspired them to come up with new and innovative ways to deliver programs, and so it became meaningful to them. If they had to work longer hours to do that they were included to because they’d become so invested in it.”

“That’s how you get meaningful results – you include all of the stake holders and you give them authentic voice and you listen to what they have to say and you assign them responsibility.” (I make this bold because of the great amounts of conviction this line was spoken with, and also because I believe this one sentence was more powerful then his entire, original definition of what it meant to be a servant leader).

Heinze sees servant leadership as the way to empower people to do more and to become invested in their community. It is entirely possible that his commitment to servant leadership comes from the servant leaders who have empowered him.

As mentioned earlier, Heinze played sports. When asked what his favorite was he swiftly and decisively stated “Baseball.” He played baseball up until college, when he got injured. “I was no longer able to play and complete, but still had that inner desire to compete but was no longer certain how to channel it.”

It was at this point where his high school coach invited him back onto the team as an assistant coach. His old coach, and good friend, allowed him to take ownership of part of the program. “Certain parts of the program that were just mine, that I could just take and run and do what I wanted.”

“I didn’t understand it at the time, but in retrospect now I understand what an incredible act of servant leadership it was for him to give up control and authority of a part of his program that he worked hard to build. And it’s interesting too, I find myself as I get older, I turned 39 in June, of kind of bench marking the people who have been influential in my life, and going back to where they were at my age. So he was about 39 when he gave me that opportunity. So it’s just interesting to go back and think about it… and I use that to inform how I try to be.”

While Heinze provided many examples of how he lives his life now as a servant leader, his coach was one of the first people to empower him the way he seeks to empower others.

“It was such a selfish act [from my coach]. It didn’t require a whole lot of him other than a fundamental decision that he saw in me something he could trust and nature and mentor, and it did wonders for me in that I in turn create that relationship with the players I was coaching.”

As Heinze said about training activists during his work with the American Diabetes Association, “It was incredibly empowering because we did a lot around training… that transfer of knowledge and of experience and skill set was great… It was humbling and empowering to be able to create this multiplying effect and now 300 people have gone to the hill (in Washington DC), and will go back to their individual communities across the country to continue to do what they had just done.”

Heinze’s coach had empowered him to take on more responsibility, and helped him become a leader. In turn, Heinze is now able to take his skills and confidence, and train other people to be leaders in their own communities. This is what he is talking about when he speaks about servant leadership, and what he wants to bring to the Tacoma School Board.

All of Heinze’s experience within policy (he has worked for Congressman Adam Smith and Governor Gregiore) did not show him what it was like to be a politician, “I just assumed having been on the policy side that if I ever ran I would, you know, just instinctively know what to do on the campaign side – and that wasn’t the case.” Policy workers are, for the most part, behind the scenes providing support. As a politician you are the one in the open whose ideas are being judged. “For me there was this incredible feeling of vulnerability, of being exposed.”

How does he deal with that pressure?

“I’ve tried to run my campaign how I try to live my life – it’s open and transparent… This is who I am, this is how I live my life, this is how I envision serving as an elected official. And If that resonates with people, if they feel like they can trust me and they want me in that position then they can vote for me. And if they don’t then they won’t. But I’m going to be authentic to myself… It’s just me on the phone. It’s just me when someone walks up and asks me a question.”

“It’s so time intensive, but those most time intensive parts are probably the piece I like best about the campaign… those opportunities to doorbell, to sit and listen to people and hear their concerns, to answer questions they might have. That’s been the most rewarding part.”

Ten fun facts about Scott Heinze:
1. For the meeting he drank a short Americano with cream.
2. He is left handed.
3. His first job was at “The Dog’s Ear,” a T-shirt printing company in Spokane.
4. His favorite sport is baseball.
5. His favorite subject in school was current world affairs.
6. He lives in the Proctor District.
7. At the time of the interview, when asked if he had pets, he responded, “What, did my kids plant this question?” His children have been bothering him for pets. Since then, his son got a hamster for his 8th birthday.
8. The most exciting place he has ever been was at President Obama’s inauguration.
9. His parents were very protective and did not let him watch scary movies.
10. If he could give to just one charity it would be the one he is most active in: the American Diabetes Association.

Andrew Milton and his family

When asked about who, amongst all fictional characters, Andrew Milton would want to be, he replied “the John Cusack character in Gross Point Blank… Martin Blank. (That’s bad though, he’s an assassin.)” Certainly his assassin traits were not the ones Milton wanted to emulate.   “[John Cusack] is a funny, calm, but rather independent actor who gets to be in charge on his own terms.”

These characteristics that Milton admires in Cusack are the ones he strives to bring out in himself. He doesn’t see himself as a politician (“I don’t like politics per se”), he is a person who is working to stand up for teachers.

With the last 41 years, one way or another, being involved in schools Milton has a “teacher’s sense.” Working right now as an 8th grade language arts teacher, he views part of the  bureaucracy of his school district as a challenge for teachers. In his blog “Speaking of education” you can read about his concerns with programs like the Common Core, and how he worries that good ideas can turn into regulations poorly imposed.

“There are lots of mandates that come down. I would say be careful on how much we mandate and how we implement mandates,  ’cause if you mandate four different areas… eventually the teachers are like ‘how do I deal with that?” When comparing this to the possibility of “being in charge on his own terms,” Milton sees the later as an opportunity for himself (and all teachers) to do their work, and implement the larger ideas, in a way that works best for them.

In additional to public school teaching, Milton currently works at Troy University on Joint Base Lewis McChord, and in the past he spent time as a visiting professor at the University of Puget Sound. I asked him about the switch from UPS to teaching junior high. It was in part because he was working at UPS as a guest professor, in part because he didn’t want to move for another job, and in part because he thought he might make more of an impact in public schools.

“Actually I found that it is in some ways much more appealing – you really are contributing – even if just a small bit – it is easier to tell you are contributing to someone. UPS graduates are effective students by and large and are going to go be assertive, even aggressive, out in the world and are going to be fine… Students who maybe aren’t as effective actually need better teachers.”

To describe Milton’s commitment to helping people, particularly children, I would like to point out something about our meeting. I had not met Andrew Milton before this interview, and I recognized him more by the almost-four-year old boy he had told me would be coming with him than by his picture in my voter’s pamphlet. He had brought his son, Peter, with him because he agreed to meet me on short notice.

There is something very obvious about Peter: he is black, Milton and his wife are not. I did not need to ask (and I did not ask) whether or not Peter was adopted, but it came up in passing that he was and that he is originally from Atlanta. I did not ask about why Andrew and his family chose to adopt another child (he has two teenage children), but as I talked with Andrew about his life and his desires, he explained his philosophy: he supports specific work getting done for people – the process of meeting people’s needs.

It was hard for Milton to name just one charity, when asked, that he would give money to. He supports Children’s International, orphanages, someone he knows doing work in Thailand. Milton has gone on mission trips and helps out his local community through his church. He is passionate about making sure every child has what they need, to the point where he welcomed another child into his family to give him love and support.

And so, after years of commitment towards providing for children, time analyzing challenges that face schools on his blog, the desire to stand up for teachers, and with a good sense of humor, Milton entered into the race for Tacoma School Board, position 3.

The fact is, not many people know what it’s like to run for office. Since filing, Milton has had the opportunity to learn what it means:

“You file for the office – to run for office – online. So I filled out the, you know, and there’s a submit button at the bottom. And I think I sat there for hours. I couldn’t click the submit button. So I finally clicked and I thought, ‘Where’s the back button!?’

“You’re out there trying to win approval from people. You spend your life raising up your children, raising up your students, saying ‘You shouldn’t … Don’t get thrown in with needing approval’ and here I am saying, won’t 51% of you approve me please?’ It’s stressful in that way.

“It’s been good exercise to face that not everyone’s going to vote for me, not everyone’s going to like me. It’s good exercise in facing that not everyone’s going to like you – and that’s okay.”

Milton handles the pressure by understanding his priorities. He explained how he went on a vacation for five days just three weeks before the primary. It was a family vacation they had planned since November, and while he now felt a lot of pressure to stay and campaign, he knew the race can’t be everything. “I only checked my e-mailed once while I was gone.”

Andrew Milton can work hard running for office, and he would like your vote, but that is not how he defines his life. Like John Cusack’s character Martin Blank, Milton wants to live his life on his own terms, and his terms have a lot more to them than being a politician. They are about spending time with his family and friends, and doing his best to sustain others’ needs.




10 fun facts about Andrew Milton: