In The News

I’m back with a recap of the 100th Annual Apple Cup as promised. While it was a disappointing loss of 42-35 for Husky fans; for the better half of the game, the score was tied and both teams seemed to be evenly matched.

Husky quarterback Jake Locker, went back to play, seemingly unimpeded by his neck sprain from a few weeks ago. The huskies lead the game for the greater part of the first half, but the Cougars tied up the score 28-28 by halftime.

For halftime show the UW and WSU marching bands combined forces and performed an elaborate display while photos of all 99 previous Apple Cup games were shown on the Huskytron screen.

The second half was more exciting, with several near fumbles and a touchdown drive by Locker. Unfortunately the Husky team crumbled after that. The final blow came when Washington State Quarterback Alex Brink, a Senior from Eugene, Oregon, threw a long touchdown pass. With 25 seconds left in the quarter, the Huskies tried to drive back down and tie up the score, but were stopped short by the clock.

After the game, Washington State Governor Cristine Gregoire presented the Apple Cup trophy was to WSU Coaches and players.

I originally wrote this following last week’s game.  I can say that I was a bit worried about the huskies using their backup quarterback.  But seeing as they won, it seems to me that it wasn’t a bad thing at all.  That’s not to say that Locker’s injury was a good thing,  but that the team held up admirably.

Husky Quarterback was injured the game on November 10th against Oregon State in Corvallis. Doctors diagnosed the injury as a stinger and a trapezius muscle strain; a “neck sprain” as Coach Ty Willingham described it to reporters after the game.

Locker, a UW Sophomore, was second in the nation for yards rushed by an NCAA quarterback, with 807 yards in ten games. With three games left in the season, Willingham told reporters that he wouldn’t rush Locker back into action. Doctors have determined that Locker’s injury is not permanent and he began physical therapy the day after the injury.

While many on the team have been expressing that it seems like Locker wants to play again this season, there is a clear message from both Willingham and Locker that he wont be playing until the doctors give the ok; which might means he probably wont be playing the rest of the season.

Last week Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times predicted that Willingham was preparing backup quarterback Carl Bonnell to play last Saturday’s game against California and it prediction turned out to be correct.  Bonnell was able to keep up the pace of the game, not letting off for a minute.  The fowl weather at the start of the game seemed to slow down California and give the Huskies a sizable lead the Bears were not able to overcome.

While the UW’s 4-7 record is not good enough to get into a bowl game this year (for the fifth year in a row); with the win on The Huskies moved from being the lowest ranked team in PAC10 Football to the number seven slot above Washington State and Standford.  I will be attending the Apple Cup which will be played next Saturday at 4 p.m. at Husky Stadium and it should be quite an interesting game.  While doctors have cleared Locker to play, commentators seem to think that he will not re-appear until next season.

The lawns in the Quad and in front of the Hub were transformed into graveyards November 2, when volunteers placed markers bearing the names of more than 3,800 soldiers killed in Iraq since the beginning of the U.S. occupation in 2003.

The student-lead Washington Huskies Against Military Occupation in Iraq (WHAMO) organized the display with the help of about Seventy volunteers. The markers themselves were loaned to WHAMO by the local chapter of Veterans for Peace who have been maintaining these signs.

Joshua Farris, a WHAMO officer and a veteran of Iraq, said that their club was formed last month by about five people and has since grown to about twelve active members and more than eighty supporters.

“Why is it that there isn’t already an established Iraq occupation group on campus as we are about to enter the fifth year of this conflict?” he asked rhetorically. “As a veteran I was disgusted by the lack of one. “

In addition to the display, WHAMO staffed four information tables with pamphlets about the Iraq war, as well as advertisements for their club and an upcoming documentary.

Farris said that their club is also planning to establish ethics courses and community discussions for ROTC program, provide material aid to returning Iraq veterans & Iraqi refugees in the form of financial assistance for attending or teaching at the UW, and to actively encourage companies and individuals to divest from companies which profit from the Iraq occupation and/or provide materials which injure Iraqi civilians.

For more information about WHAMO email: whamoiraq@gmail.com.

Click here to view WHAMO’s letter to The Daily.