“
By the students, for the students
Jackson Roberts & Brandon Mattesich Co-Editors-In Chief
“For their legal protection, as well as due to the sensitive nature of the story, all students who volunteered their personal experiences have requested and been granted anonymity. Because of this, all student attributions will use a number in place of their name, and majors will not be disclosed. The Observer places a high value on its sources’ safety, and has made this decision in line with The Observer’s ethical code and in respect to source security.”
In the two weeks since Donald Trump was sworn in as president, he has passed executive orders banning birthright citizenship, ramping up immigration raids across the country and sponsoring the deconstruction of any Biden era immigration policy. The effects of his changes have been widespread, and many CWU students have expressed fear and uncertainty for their future.
ICE Raids
A major part of Trump’s recent campaign involved ramping up
the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws.” However, protests have arisen nationwide due to the recent increase in raids that have taken place, with many claiming the raids tactics are inhumane and unethical.
CWU Student 1, a first-generation American, talked about how their family has been affected by the raids. “The raids have been something that I’ve seen my entire life,” Student 1 said. “I’m thankful that my parents were able to secure their things [get citizenship] as they were able to within the
of family members that I’m constantly scared for, just because they have to work 100 times harder than the standard person that is a citizen. And they’re out in the street, and I have a lot of fear that they could get profiled, and they could get harassed, and things can escalate.”
“I’m worried they could be put in a detention center,” Student 1 continued. “Detention centers are known to be really, really inhumane. I have family members that have had to go through detention centers, and the stories make me feel unreal. I’ve had family members that were kicked to the ground like dogs, little kids too. It’s just an overall unreal feeling.”
Even if the ICE raids don’t affect someone personally, the effects of having them in a community can be extreme. Student 2, who was born in the
Graduation: ESC Graduation opens to students, continuing tradition
PAGE 5
Women’s Basketball: Sunny Huerta breaks all time scorer record
PAGE 8
burdens the raids have placed on them. “I’ve seen it personally, how it’s been affecting people,” Student 2 said. “I’m close with this family, who are all undocumented, except one of the kids, who is 13 years old, who was born here. They had to reach out to me, because I’m a US citizen, being like, ‘Hey, something happened to us. Can we entrust our kid to you?’ And I’m in college, I’m 20. So it’s nerve-wracking that they have to be put in such a situation where they have to try to plan their future for their kid in the case that they won’t be
CONTINUED
Grass Roots: Perkins closes its doors, reopens as The GrassRoots Grill
Photo design by Lizeth Valdes.
NLINE EXCLUSIVES
BEYOND OUR COVERAGE
LOCAL: “First-degree murder trial for gang-related shooting begins in Ellensburg” (via The Daily Record)
“Ellensburg Senior Nominated for McDonald’s All-American Team!” (via KimaTV)
“Cle Elum did not hear final proposal before pursuing bankruptcy” (via The Daily Record)
NATIONAL: “Trump suggests displaced Palestinians in Gaza be ‘permanently’ resettled outside war-torn territory” (via AP News)
“All 67 victims of D.C. midair collision recovered from Potomac River; only 1 left unidentified” (via NBC News)
“Climate change to obliterate $1.5 trillion in U.S. home values, study finds” (via CBS News)
INTERNATIONAL: “Sweden shooting: Around 10 people killed in Orebro school campus attack” (via BBC News)
“China counters with tariffs on US products. It will also investigate Google.” (via AP News)
“North Korea reopens to tourists after 5 years” (via NBC News)
LETTER from the EDITORS
Hello all,
Jackson: I hope everyone had a great week and enjoyed the last issue! This week has been busy yet fun as always while working for the O’. As you all saw Brandon and I got working on a very important piece that will be affecting many of the students here at CWU. A very heavy and moving story that needed to be touched on and I am proud that we are able to bring it to all of you.
Brandon: Personally, this week has been a lot. I don’t think there’s ever been a concept I’ve put this much time into, and I am super proud to be publishing this issue. The US is facing unprecedented challenges, policies and actions the likes of which we have never seen before, and I could not be more proud to be in journalism right now.
Issue 4 Recap
Covering the immigration policies this week is something both of us are super proud to have worked on. The story, the photos that accompany it and the design all work great to cover what is one of the biggest changes under the Trump presidency. It’s a long but important story, and we hope you’ll take the time to read it. On top of that, we have coverage of the hooding ceremony, or lack thereof.
Sports this week showcases long standing records being broken and awards stacking up. However, the global sports world blew up this past week with international superstar Luka Doncic being traded to one of the most popular sports teams in the US, the Los Angeles Lakers. What a time to be an NBA fan as this trade may have flipped the NBA upside down.
Shoutout to The Hot New Jam and their improv show on Feb. 1 with our very own Lead Graphic Designer Z Morris as part of the show. We also see a story in the scene section this week covering the ESC Graduations opening up. Another story that could fall in either scene or news that I will bring up is Perkins closing down and the opening of GrassRoots Grill that you may see as you exit the freeway and make your way to the ‘Burg.
Design this week was really fun, with one of our designers, Lizeth Valdes, taking a crack at the front page for the first time. We think it turned out great, and the issue as a whole turned out really visually powerful. From sports to graduation everyone put their all into this issue.
Baby’s (Jackson’s) first Photoshop. (Photo by Z Morris)
Perkins closes, re-opens as
Katherine Lewis Staff Reporter
Longstanding Ellensburg restaurant, Perkins Restaurant and Bakery, closed and reopened as The GrassRoots Grill on Jan. 7. The environment inside became a rural-themed diner, with wooden log seats and leather menus. They’ve produced a new southern menu with a few changes and a few bakery items being taken away.
Supervisor at The GrassRoots Grill, Devyn Peckham, shared her experience with the change. Peckham has worked at GrassRoots for three and a half years, explaining that she was there for the full transition. “It has been a lot smoother than we all thought … the hardest part was figuring out the new systems but it didn’t take long,” Peckham said. She shared that the staff has adjusted well to the menu changes. Peckham also spoke about the bakery change. “Some customers have mentioned being disappointed that some bakery items were no longer offered … the owners have been in the process of figuring out what
desserts will be carried on or newly introduced with GrassRoots.” She said that the owners are excited with the change, gaining support through regulars as well as employees sticking with the restaurant through the change.
Current employee Nicole Morelli has been working at GrassRoots since 2023. She faced the Perkins-GrassRoots transition. “Personally, the transition was not hard … I was able to help with remodeling, and it was amazing getting to see all the changes.” Morelli has similar insights on customers only being upset about the bakery going away. “Perkins was well known for their pie … we had upset reactions when we decided to discontinue them.” The menu has a few of the same items from when it was Perkins, with the intent of keeping the regulars. Morelli said “I 100% think the switch will help the business and environment.”
Previous Perkins waitress Belen Guzman commented on her experience with Per -
kins before it became Grassroots. She started in Jan. 2023 and finished her time there at the end of March 2024. “Because it was a corporate franchise, it was about consistency … they had a way they wanted things to be run, so the owners had to follow it,” Guzman said.
Guzman said that the majority of the staff was younger, so it promoted cliques. However, they said this didn’t affect the way the business was run. “At the end of the day everyone was professional,” Guzman said. She thinks that with the business change, there will be an added level of care for the employees. “I just hope that they branch away from Perkins and re-involve themselves with Ellensburg as a community,” Guzman said.
The GrassRoots Grill Exterior. (Photo courtesy of Marlene Veveris)
Hooding ceremonY
not to be continued for 2025 graduation
Kyley Glenn Staff Reporter
There will be no hooding ceremony for master’s and education specialist students walking in the commencement for the graduating class of 2025, according to an email sent to students in Nov. 2024. Graduate students who are expected to receive either degree will walk the stage already hooded.
The hooding ceremony is an event that occurs when someone achieves the completion of either a master’s or doctoral degree. Whoever is the dean of graduates at that time is in charge of the event, and will hood the students on stage as a way to signify this. At CWU, there is not a doctoral program but there is a masters program where students can participate in this tradition.
Grace Mitchell, a film major graduating in spring said, “I just feel like people who are getting masters or doctorate deserve a hooding ceremony, and it makes me kind of sad that they’re not going to get one.”
The graduation class of 2015 was the last year the hooding ceremony featured the event having each student’s faculty advisor perform the hooding. With that inclusion, the ceremony lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes.
After evaluation, CWU decided to combine the graduations.
“As of right now, the only option being presented by the executive committee is to combine undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies, removing the intimacy and admirable distinction generally provided by the hooding ceremony. Graduate students would cross the stage already hooded,” according to the November email.
At the end of the email originally announcing the graduations becoming a combined event, solutions such as signing a petition or emailing Associated Students of Central Washington University (ASCWU) had been mentioned. The deadline to do so was Nov. 25, 2024. A petition for the school to hold a hooding ceremony had over 470 signatures. Thirty of which were faculty and 141 from alumni.
Dr. Rodrigo Renteria-Valencia, an Associate Professor in the Anthropology and Museum Studies department, was appointed dean of graduate education, the role that traditionally hoods the students.
hooding ceremony that was intended to take place to make up for there not being one included in the official commencement ceremony. Jan. 28, they were recommended to not move forward with it as it would compete with the official ceremony. This decision was made by the deans, Jim Wohlpart and the commencement team. There was also a mention of General Services Administration and the dean’s approval of this decision after it was made known.
Those who will be receiving a masters or Education Specialist degree will now be walking first and hooded by Dr. Rodrigo Renteria-Valencia. An optional rehearsal will be held on the evening of June 13, according to an email sent by the commencement team.
Photo courtesy of Pexels.
ESC Graduations are now open
Kam Schindewolf-Broyles Staff Reporter
The Equity and Services Council (ESC) is an organization dedicated to ensuring fairness and inclusivity on campus. The ESC is a cultural affinities group with many organizations under it. Each year some of these organizations participate in the ESC Graduation, events that celebrate and highlight the students that are a part of these communities.
This year the organizations holding these graduations are Filipino American Student Association (FASA), Black Student Union (BSU), Latinx Student Organization (LSO), Movimiento Estudiantil Chinana/o de Aztlan (MECHa) and the First Generation Students Organization (FGSO). These events hold significance to the students involved, it’s a way to honor their achievements here at CWU while also honoring their culture and where they’ve come from.
CWU FASA President, Ralph Ramier said, “The significance is to give graduates the opportunity to experience a more personal, cultural celebration,” he went on, “Kapwa is a value in Filipino culture in which all of us are interconnected. As Filipinos, we are all one.
Fil-Grad is a demonstration of Kapwa because graduation is the culmination of an individual’s academic career, which most of us could not have reached without the help of others. During Fil-Grad, we are able to celebrate with our families, friends, mentors, and fellow Filipinos, our ‘kababayan’.”
Alexa Silva Cabrera CWU LSO president said, “It’s a way to honor their accomplishments and celebrate their journey through higher education—a milestone that many in our community may not have the chance to achieve,” she continued, “Raíces Grad not only recognizes the students but also the supportive parents and loved ones who stood by them throughout their college years. We come together with music and traditional Latino cuisine, embracing the culture that defines us.”
Carbrera talked about the challenges that planning graduations like this can pose. “I won’t lie, it’s been pretty exhausting, especially since it’s my first time… but I’m excited to celebrate and show appreciation for our
Latino seniors. I’m so proud of them, and they truly deserve every bit of recognition and celebration,” Silva Cabrera said.
CWU FASA Vice President, Jaden Joy Rosabia, is the committee chair for this year’s upcoming Fil-Grad, “I can confidently say that preparing for Fil-Grad has been an exciting and honestly easy journey, which is made possible by the incredible team of students who have been working hard to make this ceremony special.”
ESC Graduation registration is now open. The deadline to register for the event you wish to participate in is Feb. 24 at 8 a.m. More information as well as the online link to register can be found on the ESC Instagram, @escatcwu, or by emailing Justin Santoli, the ESC advisor, at justin.santoli@cwu.edu.
Last year’s Fil-Grad graduates. (Photo by Kam Schindewolf-Broyles)
Student 2 also voiced their concerns with ICE’s training methods. “It’s really important to emphasize how ICE is trained specifically because they are trained to look at one’s accent, skin color and those racial profiling aspects,” Student 2 asserted. “That is how they’re trained, and that is what they’re looking for, which is a shame in 2025.”
Student 3 shared a similar fear regarding the ICE raids. “My mom has told me that, like, ‘hey, if something were to ever happen and they deported me, god forbid, you would be in charge of not only your little brother, but also the house we own and the mortgage and everything,’” Student 3 said. “Thankfully, I’m about to graduate, but if that were to happen anytime soon I’m afraid that I would potentially have to drop everything to take care of my family, in place of my mother, and that terrifies me … I wake up every morning and just hope that I don’t get that phone call.”
Local Response
CWU students facing these challenges are not alone. Central Washington Justice For Our Neighbors (CWJFON) is an organization that provides free immigration services for the community. Founded in 2018, they do advocacy work, provide ‘know your rights’ presentations, rapid response training and rapid response resources. This means they verify rumors of ICE or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in certain locations by having people go out to see if the rumors are true. If the rumors are confirmed, they take photos or videos in an attempt to track ICE in a safe manner.
and just picking people up nonstop,” Scholar said. “Obviously, if you’re picking up people en masse, claiming that they’re all criminals, or that they are only going after ‘criminal immigrant populations,’ it’s just inaccurate. You simply can’t tell if you’re just randomly picking people up.”
According to Scholar, because of the increase in ICE activity across the country, CWU has consulted CWJFON on ways to protect students.
Scholar urges students, professors and administration who have questions to visit CWJFON’s website at cwjfon.org, which can be read in over 100 different languages. For immediate help, they ask students to report directly to them. “Please come to us,” Scholar said.
younger are coming back into play,” Student 4 continued. “Like, don’t open the door to strangers, and people in uniforms are no exception. If we see a police officer at our door, especially a police officer, we don’t open it. And I feel like that’s so backwards, because we should be able to have confidence in people with authority, but it’s something that we’ve had to grow up with, and it’s something that I’m trying my best not to get desensitized to. I want to keep fighting for change on this issue.”
“I wake up every morning and just hope that I don’t get that phone call.”
“That’s why we are here and that’s why organizations like us exist. We’re all here for you and I hope we can support you.”
“It’s happening, you know, when [President Trump] said he was going to make sure that what had previously been considered sensitive locations were no longer going to be sensitive locations, and it’s happening,” Scholar said. “There is no question now that that promise is being seen through.”
“The fact that she has to live in fear to even do something as simple as going to the grocery store is ridiculous to me.”
The work that CWJFON does is unique, especially in Ellensburg, where there are not many providers for immigration legal services.
“Obviously, we are in a very different political landscape than we’ve seen at least in my lifetime, and we know that historically immigration law has never been particularly positive. Pro-immigrant policies are a rarity,” Executive Director of CWJFON Abigail Scholar claimed. “Right now it’s much more open to violations of people’s civil liberties and civil rights because everyone in America, no matter their immigration status, has certain civil rights, and they are being violated … It’s putting people in a rightful place of fear.”
“I think it is important to note, in Yakima, multiple times a day there are ICE sightings and ICE activity. There was a period of about an hour where they were parked outside of a public park
One CWU student, Student 3, described how the ICE raids are impacting them and their mother’s lives, with their mother not being an official US citizen. “My own mother does not have legal citizenship, and that is the same with a lot of my family members,” Student 4 said. “The fact that she has to live in fear to even do something as simple as going to the grocery store is ridiculous to me. Personally, I’ve already been seeing it impact my community back home, where there isn’t as much people out and about anymore. The community is very quiet because there’s a blanket of fear, and you can feel it anytime you go outside.”
Birthright Citizenship
Another one of the largest changes Trump has signed into his executive orders is the removal of birthright citizenship, a right explicitly outlined in the Fourteenth Amendment.
Student 3, who has citizenship through the policy of birthright citizenship, talked about how the change could completely uproot their life. “If birthright citizenship were to end and if our birthright citizenship were to be revoked, that would uproot all of our lives, and that strikes a big amount of fear in me,” Student 4 said. “Especially because we were born in America, we were raised in America, we are Mexican American and to suddenly have the American part revoked is such a big blow to our identity.”
“Lessons that were taught to me when I was
Another CWU student, Student 1, discussed their fears with these new policies. ”I’m not a traditional American, I don’t have the same liberties as a traditional white person because I was born here, but I’m not white,” Student 1 said. “So if we are put in this situation [ending birthright citizenship] then we’re being stripped from the only identity that we’ve only ever known.”
“I even have fear for myself; it has definitely made me carry myself completely differently in the way that I am when I present myself in public,” Student 1 said. “I try to make my body language a lot more approachable and I just can’t do anything wrong. I’m a lot more alert and aware just because I really don’t know who around me has this prejudice and hatred that is being shown in these raids and these efforts to really just take a lot of people out of this country wrongfully.”
Student 2 shared their confusion with Trump’s order to remove birthright citizenship. “I feel like for being president, you kind of have to have a basic understanding of what the constitution means and things you can and can’t do,” Student 2 said. “The fact that he’s going out of his way to do all of these things is just confusing to me.”
Student Resources
In an email sent out by CWU President Jim Wohlpart, CWU detailed its plans to “promote a living, learning, and working environment where everyone is safe and supported” through these new national policies. The email, which was sent out Jan. 28, read, in part: “The safety, inclusion, and belonging of our students and employees is of the utmost importance to the Central Washington University community. Because of recent federal executive action related to national origin and citizenship status, I am writing with important information and resources that our university community may find helpful.”
The email then continued to list online resources, and mental health support for affected students, with the promise that, “In the coming days, CWU will issue a fuller set of guidance and resources about the university’s policies and practices related to national origin and citizenship status.” As of the Observer press time (Feb. 4), no follow-up emails had been sent.
Pasco, Wash. ICE Protest. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Batres Calderon/@jessbatrescalderon)
Despite the email, some students still expressed concern with how the university is handling the executive orders. “I find it really interesting that Central kind of prides themselves on being a diverse school,” Student 4, a student at CWU, said. “They use the percentage of Hispanics or people of color that go here as an incentive for others to come here. But other than an email from the President, we haven’t really seen much about resources or what the school’s doing to protect undocumented students or people who have family members, or know somebody.”
Student 3 had one request for how Central could support their students. “I would say for Central to just not cooperate with ice, because that is something they can very much do, and it’s something that they’ve already kind of made a statement about, saying that they are willing to protect students.”
“It’s a big burden, even if it doesn’t directly affect you,” Student 4 said regarding Trump’s new policies. “You can’t really go about your day knowing that some people are never going to see their parents again, you can’t really go about your day knowing that ICE could bust in through the doors in the middle of class and take somebody. I’d love to see more from Central.”
Student 2 also described the stress these raids have caused them. “Can I go on about my day knowing that there are other people who this is their last day seeing their families? No, I think about it constantly,” Student 2 said. “I have empathy for them. I’m at night trying to go to bed, and I wonder what I can do for them because I’m just so privileged that I was born here.”
CWJFON Executive Director Scholar suggested one way CWU could accommodate students who may have had a family member detained or deported. “How do we ensure that their schoolwork or their position in the college isn’t negatively impacted?” Scholar asked. “In the same way that we have family paid leave … let’s put that student’s semester on pause, that they can jump back into and it doesn’t impact their GPA.
Student 3 shared a hopeful message. “I think us as
LIST OF POLICIES
Detention Center at Guantanamo Bay: Trump signed an executive order to build a detention center in Guantanamo Bay capable of holding up to 30,000 people.
Ending Birthright Citizenship: Trump signed an executive order looking to abolish birthright citizenship, despite its protection in the Fourteenth Amendment.
Freezing Refugee Admissions: Trump signed an executive order freezing refugee admissions, now only accepting refugees on a “case by case” basis.
Declaration of a National Border Emergency: Trump signed an order declaring an emergency at the US’s southern border.
Expansion of Expedited Removal: Trump issued an executive order that would allow for the deportation of people without a court hearing.
Benefit Pause: Trump issued an order looking to place a pause on all benefits being given to undocumented citizens.
Revoking Biden Era Enforcement: Trump revoked almost every Biden instituted border/immigration order, effectively wiping the slate clean.
Expanding ICE Territory: Trump signed an order expanding ICE’s area of jurisdiction, allowing them to enter schools, hospitals, churches and other places that were previously discouraged.
immigrants should really band together in this situation. I know specifically for Mexican immigrants, and like the Mexican community as a whole and the Hispanic community as a whole, it’s easy for those who have gotten citizenship to kind of start looking down on those who haven’t yet … my hope is that in these struggles, we all unite, and we put aside those differences, and go back to our roots and embrace the fact that we’re Mexican, embrace the fact that we’re a part of this community.”
A CWU student Student 1 said that for them, fear cannot be a limiting factor in their education. “This is the world we’re living in, and we’re just gonna have to get through it, but we can’t let this be a reason why we don’t go to work, we don’t go to school,” Student 1 said. “I’m going to continue to work equally as hard, to honor a lot of the stuff that my family members have done to live a meaningful life here. So yes, I’m scared, but that’s not going to hinder me. I’ll stand in front and I’ll try and protect the people that are behind because fear and having that hinder you can make you unwillingly complacent in what’s going on.”
“...You
can’t really go about your day knowing that ICE could bust in through the doors in the middle of class and take somebody. I’d love to see more from Central.”
RESOURCES
Central Washington Justice For Our Neighbors: cwjfon.org (509) 300-1101
National Immigrant Justice Center: immigrantjustice.org
Immigrant Defense Project: immigrantdefenseproject.org
Washington Student Achievement Council: wsac.wa.gov/immigrants
Know Your Rights: knowyourrightswa.com
CWU Emotional Support: cwu.edu/student-life/health-wellness-services/ counseling-services/crisis.php (509) 963-1391
Kittitas County Crisis Line: (509) 925-4168
Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network:` 1 (844) 724-3737 https://waisn.org/
Pasco, Wash. ICE Protest.
(Photo courtesy of Jessica Batres Calderon/@jessbatrescalderon)
“LEIDING” THE CHARGE
BEN LEID NAMED TO DIVISION 2 WEST REGION AND ALL-AMERICAN TEAM
Hunter Rhea Staff Reporter
Ben Leid, fourth year senior and outfielder out of Corvallis, Ore. is making the most out of his preseason by getting nominated for Pre Season All-American and Pre Season All West Region Team.
Leid is no stranger to accolades. While attending Crescent Valley High School, Leid was a two time First Team All-State Catcher for Oregon. After returning from an injury that sidelined the 6 foot 2 inch outfielder for a majority of the 2022, Leid Averaged a .418 batting average, 77 Hits, nine home runs, brought home teammates to score 46 times and a slugging percentage of .668.
All of this earned him First Team All-GNAC honors and received College of Sports Communications Academic All-District honors for
the 2024 season. With the preseason play starting, Leid continues collecting accolades before conference action begins.
Achieving these two titles was a good start for Leid, but he has other goals in mind. “We definitely want to make a statement in the region by playing well since we don’t have the auto-bid to a regional if we win the conference tournament anymore,”
Leid said. “I would say that’s our main motivation”.
Leid and the Wildcats main aspiration for this season is to bring home the championship, Leid wants to up his performance to bring the Wildcats goals into reality. “The goal is to win a championship and make it to the regionals, I hope I can bring some of the same performances I had last year and more.” Leid said.
Recently the Wildcats came off a stretch of road games against Stanislaus State in Turlock, Calif. where Ben Leid in game two of the double header had four at bats, led the team with two runs and three hits.
With Leids stats over the past four years as a Wildcat, his mentality isn’t looking at what the statistics shows on the card, looking to break a record
SUNNY HUERTA
BREAKS 22-YEAR-OLD CWU RECORD
Parker Wood Staff Editor
There was six minutes and 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter on Jan. 25 when the 5 foot 4 inch senior Sunny Huerta broke the CWU record for All-Time women’s scorer in Basketball. Huerta entered the game just shy of the record and despite scoring less points than her average 18.4, the guard cemented herself in CWU history by scoring point 1,698 of her collegiate career, becoming the alltime CWU women’s basketball leader in career points.
Huerta entered the Physical Education Building in Monmouth, Ore. to face off against Western Oregon University on Jan. 25 as the ‘Cats looked to continue the three game winning streak that they found themselves in.
Sixteen points is all Huerta needed to break the record set by Rose Shaw in 2002, and at the time, Huerta’s average points per game was 18.4. This put Huerta in the perfect spot to claim the title for her own, as she had already scored 16 or more in 12 of the 17 games played. The senior
made her presence known throughout the entire game, never slowing down and keeping the Wildcats lead out of reach for the Wolves.
The record breaking shot came in the middle of the fourth quarter, as Huerta lined up to make a free throw after being fouled. Huerta was tied with Rose Shaw in career points scored at 1,696 as the ball left her hand. The next second, Huerta held the record by one. By the next minute, she held it by two. Despite leaving the building with a lower points per game average and her lowest field goal percentage of the season, none of it mattered as the Wildcats triumphed over the Wolves and Huerta’s name would forever be in the record books at Central Washington University. Since then, Huerta has continued her tear, scoring 17 points the following game against University of Alaska Anchorage where the Wildcats fell 56-65 and rounded out the ‘Cats trip to Alaska with a 21 point game in a 81-70 win over University of Alaska Fairbanks.
or summer league baseball, Leid is set on the title. “I just want to win the conference tournament,” Leid said.
The Wildcats play Feb. 7 through Feb. 9 in Caldwell, Idaho and Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 against Cal State Bernardino in San Bernardino, Calif.
Huerta now stands at 1,736 career points entering a Thursday night matchup against rival and reigning Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) champions Western Washington University. The game will take place in Nicholson Pavillion on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 5:15 p.m. with
massive GNAC implications as both Universities share a 8-3 conference record and the Vikings have already beaten the Wildcats earlier in the season in a 65-67 loss.
Sunny Huerta looks for an opening as Wildcats beat Wolves 66-35 on Jan 25, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Clayton Jones).
Ben Leid hits a double vs NNU on March 29, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson)
The Hot New Jam
BRINGS YOU A MURDER
… under the sea
Patrick Pugh Scene Editor
To celebrate Valentine’s Day, CWU’s Improv Club, The Hot New Jam, put on a show in a packed SURC theater on Feb. 1. The show featured improv comedy, props and performances from CWU students across all majors.
“We put on these shows because we are a group of people who like to have fun and that’s one of our main premises,” Annika Brimhall, the president of The Hot New Jam, said. “It’s just we like to have fun, and we like to bring our improv silliness to Central. It’s something that this team has held at such a high regard.”
The play followed an audience influenced narrative. King Poseidon had been murdered with a rubber chicken and the only suspects were his daughter, a constantly singing squire and a scuba diver.
The show itself started out with the club asking the room for a location. Many suggestions were given out, from a dark alley to a Waffle House, but in the end, the bottom of the ocean was chosen as the location for the play to take place.
Next, the club asked the crowd for an object, with a rubber duck being the final answer. The request was slightly altered to a rubber chicken and from there, chaos ensued.
The show began with two members who acted as fish detectives as they looked into the recent murder of King Poseidon, ruler of the sea.
As their investigation continued, they interviewed the last three people to see him before his death, his daughter, his squire and a scuba diver. It was during these interrogations that the suspects said what they were talking to the late king about before
his untimely death. All three conversations gave a clear motive for why the suspect might want the king dead.
The lack of a script or prior direction meant that the club members had to think of everything on the fly. With the situation only getting more complicated as time went on.
There were times where actors would suddenly have to give an “Oscar moment,” and other times where club members would randomly be brought into the story as completely new characters.
In the end, the room of onlookers decided who the murderer was, with it being none other than the constantly singing squire and his lawyer that he found on the road. Their motive, the death of the king would allow Reaganomics to get passed.
The show ended with thunderous applause, despite one murder being performed on stage. At the very end of the show the rubber chicken was accidentally ripped in half while the club members were saying goodbye.
After the event, Brimhall said, “being one of the more popular clubs on campus, we get a lot of outreach from both campus, and from students, and we just feel it’s really important to come here and make people laugh. We want to make people smile, and it’s one of the things that we strive for.”
Performers from left to right, Cesar Trejo, Z Morris, Dylan Santini, Annabeth Price. (Photo courtesy of Jess Jones)
Sudoku
Grammy Winners Word Search
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Untitled Poem
William Campbell
Fourth year music and history major
Whenever we run, we run. And now I can see you within the moonlight, As your face is hidden behind distant hills, It seems to real, to be true, yet, You continue to hide, as a means to escape what can possibly hurt you,
Compromising a part of your own self that is soft and fragile, To such an extent, that it is too brittle to be touched, Or embraced, as a means of, and for, your own comfort, Or your sense of security.
But when love has become observed within the foreground, Providing an opportunity for it to become reached, There is a personal choice that has to be made, A choice that calls out for attention, Only to raise you up, Stating, or rather declaring, That you are comprised of one singular entity, Within its entirety, and one singular life, That is within its own entirety, as well.
Carpenter Rolling Stones Kendrick Lamar SZA
Sabrina Carpenter Rolling Stones Kendrick Lamar SZA
Chappell Roan Beyonce Doechii
Chappell Roan Beyonce Doechii
Shakira Chris Brown
Shakira Chris Brown
Sabrina
WILDCAT WORDS
Divined by Z Morris
Aries (March 21 - April 19): Aries, you’ve been soft spoken lately, be louder! Talk over everyone, it’s not like they really want to talk. In fact, use a megaphone. Tip of the day: crank it to 11.
Taurus (April 20 - May 20): After months of looking inward, you might be thinking of making a change. Perhaps it’s a change of diet you need, or a new gallbladder! Tip of the day: I bet a gallon bag would work.
Gemini (May 21 - June 20): It’s time to advocate for yourself Gemini! Who told you that you “need to attend class”. WHATEVER! Tell that teacher how much you want to procrastinate! Tip of the day: SLEEP DAMMIT.
Cancer (June 21 - July 22): Trust your gut Cancer. You might feel uneasy these days, but it’s only because of the meal you had earlier. Your tummy is a lil sensitive today :((((( Tip of the day: Buy Tums.
Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22): Leo, Valentine’s day is coming up, and love is in the air. My suggestion is to find someone, go on a date, and see if you can slide into the friend zone! Tip of the day: yay friends!
Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sep. 22): You may have felt uninspired in your career Virgo. So why not a change in pace? I heard that the Ellensburg Mafia is hiri ng. Tip of the day: don’t tell them that I sent you.
Libra (Sep. 23 - Oct. 22): It’s a great time to leave it all behind Libra. Reckless decisions don’t seem that huge when you think about it. Just choc k it up to being a silly guy. Tip of the day: GO. OFF. GRID.
Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): Scorpio what are you doing slacking off! I see you there, glancing at the paper to distract you from your studies. It’s midterms for heaven’s sake! Tip of the day: Look at canvas you silly sausage.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): You’ve been battling monsters, demons and the inner dark thoughts. Crashout is on the horizon like a mirage, but DON’T GO TOWARDS THE WATER! Tip of the day: take your own advice.
Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan.19): Capricorn, the weather is getting colder, so light a fire. No fireplace, no problem! Get a lighter, and light this paper on fire. Instant fire! Tip of the day: tell the fire department I say hi!
Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb.18): Aquarius, prepare to be delighted this week. The best is just around the corner! But not like the best, like it’s subpar. Well not subpar, it’s like the worst. Tip of the day: good luck.
Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20): Pisces, you better get freaky this week. Like, I mean what I say, FREAKY! Get the flowers, candles, bacon grease, candy and bacon grease! Did I mention bacon grease??? Tip of the day: heheheh tip.
Events compiled by Brandon Mattesich.
“Zach Bryan”
Landon Stadler Fr. Law and Justice
Martel Mitchell Jr. Social Security
“21 Pilots” Martha Hill Sr. Secondary Art Education Tray Larson Jr. Aviation Management
“Rod Wave”
“Mike Sherm”
“Good Kid”
Jonathen Vilmer Fr. Undecided All Day - OPR Snow Tubing