Cheers escalated each moment. The name Edward or Jacob was said softly and the atmosphere was suddenly charged.

This occurrence could easily have been 300 young teen girls at a pre-screening of “New Moon” in Seattle, cheering for the Twilight character they adored most. But it was not.

Western students, faculty and community members gathered in Arnzten Hall room 100 to listen to four women discuss the negative implications found in the “Twilight” saga written by Stephenie Meyer.

“I liked how [the panelist] wasn’t just saying Twilight was bad,” Western sophomore Charlotte Nickel said. “They gave reasons.”

Each panelist had their own negative topic to present, but before they did each one confessed how they could not put the books down.

Western sociology professor Jen Lois discussed the unrealistic romance in Twilight after humorously saying that she is the captain of Team Edward.

“I think it’s the vicarious romance that the author is able to trigger in the reader,” Lois said, explaining why people are attracted to Twilight. “After I finished the fourth book I went into a depression for two days. I felt like the books had broken up with me!”

Devlin O’Donnell, the Crime and Sexual Assault Services coordinator at Western, held her presentation portion of the evening on the unhealthy relationships formed between the characters of Bella, Edward and Jacob. O’Donnell said she worries because in the books, Edward stalks Bella to extremes and Bella finds it flattering.

Edward also becomes angry when he does not know where Bella is and he constantly wants to kill her but manages to restrain himself. In a scene in the book “Eclipse” where Jacob kisses Bella, she struggles to get away but he keeps kissing her until she gives in. What kind of message is being sent to young, impressionable people, O’Donnell asked the audience.

“I think it’s awesome to learn how to look at things critically,” Western senior Nicole Theberge said.

The portrayal of Native Americans in “Twilight” was examined by Kristen French, with the WWU Center of Education, Equity and Diversity. Besides the stereotypical descriptions Stephenie Meyer gave of the Quileute tribal members, French said she found it disrespectful that Meyer had not asked permission to involve the Quileute tribe or their history in her story.

“Stories are handed down within families,” French said. “You have to have permission to tell them. Quileute stories are not just for entertainment.”

At the end of French’s presentation she asked the audience if anyone knew how much of the proceeds Meyer was giving to the Quileutes.

None, French said.

Megan West said she was not sure what to think of the information French had presented.

“That was a little shocking,” West said. “I’d never seen it through anyone else’s eyes.”

Andi Zeisler, editor and creative director for Bitch Magazine, gave her thoughts on how the marketing of “Twilight” was underscoring gender dynamics. She described “Twilight” products sold at such stores as Hot Topic: pillows of Edward’s face and even dildos that sparkle and go in the freezer to mimic Meyer’s depiction of vampires’ cold skin and the ability to sparkle in the sun.

Western senior Sarah Emerson said having the panelist present their personal background with the series and making it clear that they had in fact liked the books, made the one-sided discussion more interesting.

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