The Observer, Spring 2021- Issue 8

May 26, 2021

Vol. 119 NO. 8

Fall sports expected to return on time

Students’ mental health gets a fresh check

By Jared Galanti Director of Athletics Dennis Francois said with classes returning to in-person instruction, sports may be able to start on time with very few restrictions.

Last fall CWU, along with others in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), decided to push fall sports back to spring due to pandemic concerns. However, with restrictions being lifted and vaccines becoming available, fall sports are looking to return to their pre-pandemic function.

“As of right now with the announcement from our university of being fully back in person in the fall with no physical distance anticipated, we are operating in that same assumption that we will [be] ‘back to normal’ as we proceed with our fall sports,” Francois said.

Francois said the football team will be reporting to campus as early as the first week of August, followed by women’s soccer and volleyball the following week. Cross country reported athletes will start practicing for their upcoming seasons towards the end of August.

It’s unknown what COVID-19 protocols will be put in place during the time the sports begin practice, and all of this is subject to change depending on how the country and state are handling the pandemic at the time according to Francois.

Francois also reiterated that the mandate for the vaccines for all students, faculty and staff will be very important as the insurance companies that pay for weekly student athlete testing will probably revoke those payments due to the vaccines available.

“We couldn’t afford to pay cash for all the testing that we did, because we anticipate once the vaccine is fully approved by the FDA, which we anticipate will happen over the summer, the insurance companies will stop paying for testing,” Francois said.

Francois said the athletic department will have to have discussions on how to handle student athletes who don’t want to receive the vaccine.

By Lexi Wicks The SURC was filled with music, chatter and students as the Wellness Center hosted Fresh Check Day this last Wednesday, May 19. Booths lined the room representing different mental health resources and activities for students. Each table was filled with pamphlets and flyers for various student mental health resources as well as free gifts and prizes.

These booths include CWU Student Counseling, CWU Health Services, Campus Police, Veterans Center, CWU Recreation, Outdoor Pursuits and Rentals (OPR), and CWU Presidents United to Solve Hunger (P.U.S.H.) to name a few.

Fresh Check Day is a signature program of the Jordan Porco Foundation and aims to create an approachable atmosphere for students to speak out about mental health.

It helps bridge any gaps between students and available mental health resources on campus. This event occurs annually in order to keep students updated and supported.

Each booth had activities for students to slow down and address their mental health. Some of these activities include painting rocks, planting seeds, coloring, creating masks and playing games to win prizes.

At the entrance of the event every participant was given a card as a reward for getting involved at several booths. After participating, students could get a stamp on their card that later allowed them to get a free slice of pizza and enter to win a raffle.

“I think it went so much better than we could have expected,” said Arryn Welty, office assistant at The Wellness Center. “There were definitely some nerves in holding an in-person event for the first time in a year, but I don’t think it could have gone better.”

Judging from the feedback Welty received during and after the event she was delighted to hear that several students were able to get in touch with programs they either did not know existed, did not know how to contact, or maybe wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise.

“Knowing that we were able to meet students where they were and provide that resources for them directly is really wonderful,” Welty said. “There are still some boundaries to access for students as far as mental health services go, and it’s events like this that allow those restrictions to access to kind of come down.”

Fresh Check Day is likely to happen again next May as part of a tribute to Mental Health Awareness Month.

“The most important thing to take away for students is just to know and understand what resources they have on campus,” Welty said. “And all of us within student success, it really is our highest priority to serve students and to remove those restrictions of access.”

The first ever Fresh Check Day on campus was held in 2019, but was not held in 2020. The Wellness Center was able to bring it back this Spring.

See more resources on the Observer website

Photos by Kassidy Malcom/The Observer

Page 3 Daycare center

Page 5 Dynamite in Kittitas

Fall sports returning, Page 11

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Saitama vs. Goku

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This week, online

May 26, 2021

WIDE ANGLE

COVID-19 affects how students prepare for finals week.

Softball awaits decision on postseason.

Plant sale.

Editorial: There are reasons for optimism, but the pandemic is not over yet The past year has been extremely difficult for most Americans.

People have been isolated in their homes. Millions lost their jobs as COVID-19 restrictions brought most of society to a halt. Fourteen months after the pandemic began, nearly 600,000 people have lost their lives due to the virus.

However, there is some reason for optimism. The White House announced on Tuesday that half of American adults are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As of May 23, over 44% of people are fully vaccinated in Washington.

The CDC has released new guidelines for vaccinated people which will allow them to live more closely to their pre-pandemic lives.

Those who are fully vaccinated don’t need to socially distance or wear masks indoors or outdoors in most instances.

The U.S. is averaging about 25,000 cases a day over the past week, which is the lowest rate in nearly a year. Over the last week, an average of 568 people have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. While this is still tragically high, it is also the lowest rate since the pandemic began in March of 2020.

Two weeks ago, Gov. Jay Inslee announced that every county in the state is on track to fully reopen

by June 30. Washington has also announced they plan for all K-12 schools to be open full-time for

in-person learning in the fall.

Events that bring us closer together are also returning. Both the Seattle Mariners and Sounders have reopened their stadiums for the season with limited capacity. The Seahawks are currently planning to open their stadium at full capacity in the fall. While these announcements may seem like small victories, the last time fans were allowed at a Mariners game was September of 2019.

While things are positive domestically, there are troubling signs and news internationally. India has reported nearly 27 million cases of COVID-19 and over 300,000 deaths as of May 24. In Argentina, more than 3.5 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Nepal is also facing a concerning rise in cases, with one doctor saying their “medical infrastructure is in crisis. The oxygen supply-demand gap is huge. We also have no more vaccines.”

If we truly want the pandemic to be over and to get back to our normal lives, as many people worldwide must get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Current data shows that the vaccine protects against different strains of the virus. But as the virus spreads and mutates, there could be a strain against which the vaccine is not effective.

While it seems like we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, we still need to do more to finally reach it.

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in which student editors make policy and content decisions. The mission of The Observer is two-fold: to serve Central Washington University as a newspaper and to provide training for students who are seeking a career in journalism. The Observer seeks to provide complete, accurate, dependable information to the campus and community; to provide a public forum for the

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May 26, 2021

NEWS

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Ellensburg daycares power through the pandemic

By Tony Smith Throughout the past year, Michelle Hill, director of Early Childhood Learning Center on Brook Lane and Brittany Tyler, assistant director of Early Childhood Learning Rainbow Center in Michaelson Hall, have been able to develop and implement changes to keep the facilities running throughout the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, parents were welcome in the building for events, such as family meals according to Hill.

“Family meals are something that we had to put aside with social distancing, so we did away with family style meals, and we are looking forward to bringing families back in the building,” Hill said.

At the start of the pandemic, it was unclear what the ECLC was going to have to do to keep going.

Tyler said with time and a lot of planning, they were able to create a strong reopening plan.

According to Tyler, having families being involved in children learning is a big goal at the ECLC. “The families being a part of the center and [being] able to see what their children are doing on a daily basis is a really crucial part of the learning experience when they are with us, and it really helps to build the relationships between the staff

Photo by Kassidy Malcolm/The Observer

and parents,” Tyler said. “Currently we have just been having to give them pictures or videos through the application that we are [utilizing] in order to support that.

Right now, if you have any symp-

CWU awarded over $65 million from the legislature for renovations

By Mitchell Roland During their latest session, the Washington State Legislature awarded CWU more than $65 million which will be used to renovate several buildings on campus.

According to a press release from CWU, $55.5 million of the money will be used to expand and renovate Nicholson Pavilion, which has not had a major renovation since it was opened 62 years ago.

The $55.5 million is in addition to the $5 million CWU received in the state’s previous biennial budget for “design and development of drawings and specifications” for Nicholson Pavilion renovations.

“The project will allow for the building to be modernized and expanded for the Department of Sports and Movement Studies degree program, which is one of the largest providers of public-school health and fitness teachers in Washington state as well as the Master of Science in Sport and Athletic Administration and undergraduate programs in dance, sport coaching, sport business, and recreation management,” the press release reads.

More than $5 million of the money will be used to design a new facility to replace both Farrell Hall and the Language & Literature Building. This building would serve the academic departments being displaced.

A portion of the money will also be used on upgrades to Brooks Library.

According to the press release, the current buildings are “extremely energy inefficient and require constant and costly repairs due to their age.”

“Built using concrete and masonry, the structures are difficult to modify

and cost-prohibitive to bring up to current building code standards,” the press release reads.

The budget also allotted $3.2 million for a new industrial chiller which will extend “campus cooling capacity for present and future growth.” $2.1 million in the budget is slated for restoring Barge Hall, which was flooded with several inches of water in February due to a frozen pipe.

President James L. Gaudino said he was happy with the money that CWU received in this year’s budget.

“Central did very well during this year’s state budget process,” Gaudino said in the press release. “The governor and our state legislators recognized the excellent work being done by our faculty and staff, and generously approved funding for critical infrastructure that will allow us to continue to provide the best quality education for our students.”

According to the press release “the construction will have an estimated $75 million economic impact” in Ellensburg.

Steve DuPont, the executive director of government affairs, thanked several local legislators in the press release for their support in helping CWU receive the funding.

“We’re extremely grateful that the state legislature and the governor prioritized these essential projects, and approved this vital funding,” DuPont said in the press release. “We’re particularly thankful for the support of Governor Inslee and our local legislators, including Senators Judy Warnick and Jim Honeyford, and Representatives Tom Dent and Alex Ybarra.”

toms, we ask that you be out for 48 hours.”

Hill said students used to be able to see teachers smile and express emotions, and parent-teacher conferences were in person. She said

she is looking forward to these aspects to return to normal as progress is made toward the state opening back up.

There were events every quarter pre-pandemic, according to Hill, but that was something that had to be cancelled due to restrictions.

“We have an event every quarter, for fall we have a harvest fest, and we invite families to come in and have a thanksgiving meal before the break ... We didn’t have our spring fling, which is the end of the year [for the]kindergarten graduation ceremony. We didn’t have our winter fest, we have that in December.”

Graphic by Ondrea Machin Moving forward they are still taking precautions and following CDC guidelines to keep the children and families safe according to Hill.

“We supported hybrid learning and virtual learning, we have been full days because public school is full,” Hill said.

Workers at the centers have adapted to assist with both online and in-person activities.

“We are masters with Zoom, getting the children logged in all their own Chromebook and headphones, helping with their schoolwork and just supporting and assisting with the online and hybrid learning.”

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NEWS

May 26, 2021

CWU asks ‘water you waiting for?’

By Jackie Tran

In an effort to encourage students to stay hydrated, CWU has paired with Total Wellness to offer the program “Water You Waiting For?” Students are given a free water bottle and can gain a prize through a point system for participating.

In the self-guided program, students have the opportunity to wrack up 200 points over roughly 25 days. However long it takes the student, reaching 200 points will make them eligible for a prize.

To help students keep track of how much water they consume, they can get a free time-stamp water bottle when they sign up. The stamps are time tracking marks printed on the outside of the container to help space drinking throughout the day.

Shana Kessler, the intramural sports and special events coordinator, said keeping hydrated impacts a person’s physical and mental state and can improve an individual’s performance.

“As small as 2% of a reduction in your water intake can lead to a 20% decrease in your mental and phys-

Photo courtesy of CWU Recreations

Kessler said she thinks there will be more long-term events such as this hydration challenge in the future.

ical performance,” Kessler said.

“That’s your ability to focus, your ability to stay energized.”

Photo courtesy of CWU Recreation

For those who don’t like the taste of water, Kessler recommends trying different temperatures of water, adding flavors or trying seltzer waters. Although there are ways to improve the water’s taste, it is important not to add too much and ruin the benefits that could be gained from drinking plain water.

“People often think that if they’re drinking something liquid that they’re still getting their water intake, and that’s not necessarily true,” Kessler said.

While participating in the program, students will receive weekly tips to help encourage them and introduce them to fun facts about water. To further supplement this, Kessler said there are plenty of free apps on the market that remind you to drink water throughout your day.

“It can be very motivating to those people who are driven by that idea of competition or accountability,” Kessler said.

To date, there have been roughly 30 people who have signed up every quarter.

“Sometimes it’s the same people because they want to keep going and that idea of competition motivates them to maintain that activity,” Kessler said.

CWU chose to work with the pre-existing program, Total Wellness, when the pandemic started so anyone, anywhere can participate and have the opportunity to access it.

In the future, the school hopes to continue hosting virtual and in-person activities like family day and walking challenges.

Kessler hopes to host nutritional and cooking based activities that will allow students to get creative with cooking in a dorm space.

“I think we will see these events sticking around for the long-term. I think they are really uniquely designed in ways that … students who may have been only online students when they joined Central can still participate in,” Kessler said.

Housing offers $3,000 discount on resident contracts

By Sam Harris Housing is offering a $3,000 discount for the 2021-2022 academic year for students living on-campus. To be eligible, students must apply for their housing and meal contract by June 1.

There is no limit to how many students can apply for the “Live Here, Wildcat” discount as long as they apply by the deadline. All students, except incoming freshmen, are eligible for the discount.

Trisha Rabel, the executive director of housing and residence life, said the intent of the program is to encourage more students to live on campus.

“The ‘Live Here, Wildcats’ incentive program is designed to be a one-time cost discount in recognition of the unprecedented need for a residential experience for students that may not have had an opportunity to experience the robust residential campus that CWU offers,” Rabel said.

Photo courtesy of Casey Rothgeb

There is no capacity limit to the “Live Here, Wildcats” program, a one-time discount of $3,000 that’ll be split evenly per quarter.

During the current academic year, fewer than 2,000 students live on campus. Since fewer students came to campus than previous years, many CWU students missed out on the full campus experience they were paying for. This coming year CWU plans to fully open

up the campus and allow more students to apply for housing.

The $3,000 discount will be split for each quarter with $1,000 being deducted from each quarter’s room and board costs. The “Live Here, Wildcat” discount will not apply to students living in on-campus apartments.

Students can apply on MyCWU through the MyHousing page, found in the “student” tab under “university housing.”

Only students who are both seeking a degree and have already spent three quarters living on campus will be accommodated by June 1.

May 26, 2021

SCENE

Dynamite found on Clark Street

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By Libby Williams Roses are red, violets are blue, and one Kittitas resident’s garden almost “blue” up.

On May 13, Kittitas Officer Brian DeFrang received an email from Chief Chris Taylor about a mason jar of explosives dug up by a Kittitas resident.

“He filled me in on an unstable situation,” DeFrang said. “We didn’t really know a whole lot about the situation, I knew the bomb squad was coming out and we just had to wait for them to get there … I stuck around for street security and was around to help out however I could, but it’s really the bomb squad’s show, they’re professionals and know how to handle the situation.”

The Washington State Patrol showed up on site. DeFrang said they’re specially trained for situations like this..

“They had to go in and evaluate it, it turned out to be a pretty unstable 80- to 100-year-old stick of dynamite in a mason jar that had been dug up,” DeFrang said.

Law enforcement closed the street for a few hours while the squad defused the situation, though no one needed to be evacuated from their homes.

‘What they ended up doing was soaking it on site in diesel for about an hour,” said DeFrang. “We had to block off one street, Clark Street, for about a block.”

After the dynamite soaked inside

Photo by Libby Williams/The Observer

The dynamite was properly disposed of and no one was injured after a Kittitas resident dug up a mason jar of explosives on May 13.

some protective containers in the squad’s truck, they brought it to Palmero Park and burned it in an open area.

Sergeant Nelson from the Kittitas Police Department said the department is lucky to have a team like the Washington State Patrol bomb squad.

“There’s really no agency in this county that’s big enough to handle everything, so working together really made that

shine for us,” Nelson said. “We couldn’t handle that phone call on our own, so having that available to us was great.”

DeFrang said this kind of thing occurs frequently enough for the bomb squad to be specially trained for it, and there is definitely a right way to react if old explosives are found.

“It happens around the state, I don’t know that it’s ever happened in Kittitas before, but it happens,” DeFrang said.

“For people, if they do find old explosives, the most important thing to do is just not to handle it. Call the police department.

The police department will call the bomb professionals. It’s just important to not handle it as much as possible.”

The dynamite was successfully and safely disposed of, and no one was injured.

“An unstable situation turned out to be a pretty good day,” DeFrang said.

Well known Ellensburg business gets a rebrand

By Jackson Sorensen The Yellow Church Cafe has been a part of the Ellensburg community for over 100 years, and has been the home of many successful businesses.

However, they have rebranded and it is now known as the Ellensburg Mexican Grill. The change occurred in April by business owner Oscar Guitron.

“People were looking for something that is unique,” Guitron said. “We already had so many American restaurants in Ellensburg, so we brought something unique to it.”

The Ellensburg Mexican Grill now offers a different type of cuisine known as pre-hispanic.

“Pre-hispanic food represents the recipes and techniques that were practiced before European influence,” Guitron said.

“Notice how bakeries use French and European techniques when they make bread.

This is before the European influence.”

Guitron uses ancient techniques and recipes to bring his idea of uniqueness to his communities.

“Some of the practices we don’t follow fully because people might get offended,” Guitron said. “When I was growing up, we’d cook the entire chicken, bones and everything. We want to keep everything as authentic as possible, while also keeping everyone happy.”

While Guitron does not show the entire chicken to the guests, he will offer it to parties if they choose to fully immerse themselves in the tradition.

While it took some time for people to get accustomed to the change, the reviews are positive now.

“We had about 50/50 reactions from the community when we announced

Photos by Jackson Sorenson/The Observer Owner Oscar Guitron said the change from the Yellow Church Cafe to the Ellensburg Mexican Grill was because Hispanic cuisine is unique to Ellensburg.

that we were changing,” Guitron said.

“Now everyone is happy.”

Guitron said customers are a mix between his previous customers and new customers.

“My staff have only been on this new style for a few months, but are learning and adapting to the new style of cooking,” Guitron said.

The original building was constructed in 1923 as a church for German Lutherans. Gallery 1 started in the Yellow Church, as well as D&M Coffee.

Oscar Guitron was born and raised in a small town called Cuautla, located in the

mountains of Jalisco, Mexico. He and his family grew and raised all the food that they ate. He moved to Washington in 1993 and started working on his culinary journey.

He started his journey as a dishwasher/ prep cook, which allowed him to quickly climb the culinary ladder. Guitron has experience in multiple 5-star hotels and restaurants.

After working for small and large corporations, Guitron had the chance to own a business. This opportunity allowed him to travel and gather more knowledge on regional cuisine and what he can bring to his communities.

The pandemic sparked a vision within Guitron that prompted him to rebrand.

“I noticed that the Roslyn Mexican Grill’s business wasn’t feeling the impacts from the pandemic,” Guitron said. “That’s when I started to realize that changes were coming.”

Guitron said that his greatest achievement in life is having a family. He sees himself retiring within a few years and will be taking on other opportunities that don’t require him to be on the kitchen floor for hours on end.

“I’m focused on my own path and what I believe is right,” Guitron said. “I love food and I always will.”

Students react to new as all Washington coun Recently, Jay Inslee released new COVID-19 Phase 3 guidelines and with summer coming and Wildcats ready for break, The Observer conducted a survey regarding new guidelines for student feedback.

With each new announcement of COVID-19 guidelines, a new storm of reactions, both good and bad, can be seen rushing the comments sections on social media and heard on the streets in local communities around the state. Such was the case on Thursday, May 13 during a press conference held by Gov. Jay Inslee. The guidelines are currently available to the public through the state website here.

On the website, it is announced that all counties in Washington will move towards Phase 3 of Inslee’s “Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery” reopening plan that will be in effect from May 18 to June 30.

One of the biggest changes within the recovery plan is in regards to wearing masks. Inslee has lifted the mask mandate for vaccinated people, though they are expected to comply if asked by businesses.

This guideline is for most indoor and outdoor settings.

When asked for their thoughts on the new COVID-19 guidelines, there were a variety of student responses.

Cassana Collins, English Literature major, said, “I think it’s acceptable that mask requirements will be lifted if you’re fully vaccinated, but it does make it hard to determine whether or not people actually are fully vaccinated or not. I do think that as long as people are getting vaccinated that we’re getting on the right track.”

All people surveyed were aware of the mask guideline being lifted and 66% stated they would continue wearing a mask despite guidelines not requiring them anymore.

There are also some concerns regarding masks and the COVID-19 guidelines and how they are being handled.

Maurissa Cowdrick, Japanese major, said, “Lifting the mask regulations too early. Yakima is nowhere near the regulations to be allowed to move forward. Every business in Kittitas isn’t enforcing, and neither are many in Ellensburg.”

The guidelines for indoor and outdoor settings have also changed with the new Phase 3 recovery plan. Indoor social gatherings taking place at your home are to have a maximum of 10 people outside of your household. Outdoor social gatherings are limited at a maximum of 50 people.

Guideline specifics regarding types of businesses include services of worship being limited to 50% capacity, retail stores at 50% capacity and professional services are also limited to the indoor 50% capacity guideline.

If you’re planning to go out to restaurants or any venues that include eating and drinking, they are most likely limited to 50% capacity and alcohol delivery gets cut off at midnight due to the guideline. Outdoor and open air dining are limited to a maximum of 10 people per outdoor eating area.

It’s clear from survey responses that students still have some concerns, such as who actually listens to the guidelines.

One respondent, choosing to remain anonymous, graduate student of the Professional and Creative Writing program, wrote, “I think that it would be better if it wasn’t just the honor system in place for vaccinated folks. However, as someone who is fully vaccinated and will continue to choose to be, I’m okay with easing restrictions around other vaccinated people. We live in an imperfect system, and many of us are doing our best to comply with safety regulations and confusing messaging.”

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Written by Jamie Wyatt

* Data reflects the nine people who responded to our poll on Twitter

Were not aware of the guidelines

Plan to return to worship services

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Won’t continue wearing a mask

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COVID-19 Guidelines nties move to Phase 3

r sports and fitness venues are limited to maximum capacity guidelines but are once owing showers, competitions and tournaOutdoor sports and fitness venues are alall risk levels with a 400 people maximum restriction on the facility. her concern with the days heating up as moves closer is wedding season. Indoor venues must follow appropriate guideindoor gatherings above and if the food k are served, they must also meet the s specific eating and drinking venues such rants. r and outdoor entertainment is also an g trend with summer approaching. Indoor ment venues are limited to a 50% capac0 people, whichever is less and must also od and drink guidelines mentioned above. entertainment venues will allow walk-up ith some restrictions and the maximum of spectators is 400 people with capacity n depending upon facility. rprising 100% of people surveyed were Inslee’s new Phase 3 guidelines. Only 11% aware that the new guidelines spanned all unties in Washington state. her student voiced concerns regarding the nd whether or not it should be mandatory. ine with being careful as we re-open. Not mandatory shots for all citizens,” Bridget Professional and Creative Writing gradunt, said. ear that while some respite from the panbeginning to occur with the new Phase nes, there are still many concerns from perspectives. To see the data for vaccin Washington state, that information is here.

• Were aware of Phase 3 guidelines • Were aware that Phase 3 lifts masks guidelines • Will comply with mask guidelines if asked by a business to mask up • Plan to comply with indoor and outdoor gathering guidelines

Designed by Meghan Salsbury

Said they would attend the wedding even if it doesn’t comply with guidelines

tinue a mask

Were not aware of this guideline

Said they would be least likely to attend if the wedding doesn’t comply with guidelines

Were aware indoor social gatherings at home are limited to 10 people outside of the home

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May 26, 2021

OPINION

Welcome to the NFL, rookie

By Gabriel Strasbaugh The 2021 NFL draft saw the hierarchy of quarterbacks of the NFL come first once again. From teams swinging for the fences in the first round with a franchise savior, to one of the greatest talents to ever command a huddle upstaging the rookies before they hit the field.

Top three get their QB 1.

For the first time in 22 years, the top three teams selected quarterbacks with the first three picks. For months, the media’s unanimous number one and two picks to bring the Jaguars and Jets back to relevance finally became a reality.

Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Brigham Young University’s Zach Wilson lead the rookie class with the highest draft grades on average through the national media. The Forty-Niners selection of North Dakota State’s Trey Lance sent shockwaves throughout the football world. With 391 pass attempts, Lance has the least experience by a quarterback taken in the first round in 40 years.

Classed as the next Peyton Manning, Lawrence attempts to turnaround a Jacksonville franchise that lost their last 15 games last season. Lawrence graded 7.40 from NFL.com as a perennial AllPro. With an overall record of 86-4 dating back to high school,

Lawrence has yet to lose a regular season game of any level of football. Unless the Jaguars go 17-0, there will be a new statistic for the national champion.

Along with Lance as an unknown, Wilson’s boom or bust factor was too enticing for the Jets to pass up. A sudden jump in production in 2020, Wilson impressed scouts posting an 11:1 TD-to-INT ratio. According to the Pat McAfee Show, Wilson leans more toward a bust due to his similar style of play to his predecessor Sam Darnold.

Clips surfaced on SportsCenter’s social media of Wilson throwing passes at his pro day that prove to be a high caliber professional quarterback. Not long after, videos of Darnold completing the same passes hit the airwaves.

The difference between the two; Wilson threw against no one on defense. Darnold completed the passes against an actual NFL defense in the Buffalo Bills during a game situation.

Outside of the top three, teams moving on from their “guy” pulled the trigger. Two more quarterbacks were selected in the first round, Alabama’s Mac Jones and Ohio State’s Justin Fields. After whiffing on their pick of Mitchell Trubisky in 2017, the Chicago Bears took Fields, a player who the media has modeled as a

bigger and stronger Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback who many have said should have been taken over Trubisky.

With teams getting the players they wanted, New England held their guard, not trading up for a signal caller. Instead, reigning national champion Mac Jones of Alabama, fell directly to the fifteenth pick and the Patriots. Taking over for the greatest quarterback of all-time has been placed on the shoulders of the former Crimson Tide quarterback.

In between quarterbacks came a flurry of wide receivers and cornerbacks. Speed dominated the wideouts seeing former teammates reuniting at the next level.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ selection of Louisiana State’s Ja’Marr Chase matches him with Joe Burrow, both of whom won a national championship in the 2019-20 season.

Miami followed suit, drafting former Heisman candidate Jaylen Waddle who dominated with former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The speedy Waddle hurdled his teammate DeVonta Smith, taken by Philadelphia at the tenth pick, whose resume far surpassed his own.

These wideouts have their work in store for them playing against the next generation of defensive backs. Carolina kicked off the night drafting locally with South

Carolina’s Jaycee Horn with the eighth pick. Horn’s father, Joe Horn, was a star wideout for the division rival New Orleans Saints in the early 2000’s.

Denver drafted Patrick Surtain II who followed his father’s footsteps playing the same position. His father made an impact during his time playing for the Miami Dolphins.

The Los Angeles Chargers added Florida State’s Asante Samuel Jr. to one of the league’s youngest rosters. Samuel Sr. earned his bones in the NFL, locking down some of the league’s top targets for over a decade in Philadelphia and New England.

The highlight of the evening came from a man who is already 16 years invested and stamped in the NFL. A report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter brought to light the future hall of famer Aaron Rodgers’ disdain for the organization’s management, saying he won’t play in Green Bay unless general manager Brian Gutekunst is shown the door prior to the season’s start.

For now, Rodger’s season still sits in unrest with nothing set in stone. With a season expanded for the first time in 43 years and a league broadcasting stadiums at full capacity, many football lives are not set in stone. One thing that is: football will be played in September.

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cwu.edu/summer For details and course list.

May 26, 2021

OPINION

9

Saitama vs Goku: And the winner is...

By Simon Lafita Bam! Just one punch is all it’ll take for Saitama to beat Goku.

In the anime community, people often debate on which character is the strongest. Most of the time, the two contenders who are up for debate are Saitama, the main protagonist from One Punch Man and Goku, the lead character from Dragon Ball.

Both characters are famously known for their absurd strength and feats. For example, Goku is known for being so strong he can grow and change the color of his hair. Saitama is known for training so hard he went bald. Although their feats are different, they have one similarity: defeating powerful opponents.

However, Saitama’s strength is often undermined by fans when compared to Goku. For instance, yes, Goku is a Saiyan, an alien warrior race, who has the ability to enhance his strength by transforming into a Super Saiyan. And Saitama... is just an ordinary human. But! Saitama’s strength is incomprehensible.

Saitama has trained to the point that he broke his strength limiter.

This means as each day goes by he continues to get stronger without doing anything. He’s so strong that he became bored of fighting. So, he often defeats his opponents with one punch.

On the other hand, there’s Goku, a Saiyan that has to continuously train and fight strong opponents in order to ascend to a higher level.

Graphic by Javier Medrano

He’s so addicted to achieving the pinnacle of strength that he searches for stronger opponents to face.

The mere comparison of strength between the two characters is crazy. Goku is an extrater-

restrial being who has to lose a fight in order to get stronger. Saitama is a man that can defeat any foe with a single punch.

If the two of them were to face off in a one-on-one battle,

Saitama would easily win. The fight wouldn’t last a second let alone enough time for Goku to transform into a Super Saiyan. Simply put, I guess being bald is better than growing your hair.

Everyone should have a ‘Hot Girl Summer’

By Mariana Gonzalez Rapper Megan Thee Stallion gave the world a gift on August 9, 2019, the gift of her new song “Hot Girl Summer.” Since it was released towards the end of summer, the chance to have a Hot Girl Summer was reduced to a month. Summer 2020 was supposed to be the first full Hot Girl Summer, but COVID-19 postponed it.

This year, summer is armed with a vaccine and lifting COVID-19 restrictions. Summer 2021 is gearing up to be the first full “Hot Girl Summer.” Fans of the original hot girl understand what it is. For those that don’t know or have never heard of it before, let me explain.

The official definition of “Hot Girl Summer” comes from the inventor of the phrase, Megan Thee Stallion, who defined it as, “ just basically about women — and men — just being unapologetically them, just having a [good] time, hyping up your friends, doing you, not giving a damn about what nobody got to say about it.” (The Root).

While this may be the official definition of “Hot Girl Summer” it actually has a different definition depending on who you ask. Some people think it means getting in

Photo by David Michalczuk, courtesy of Flickr

shape and looking good for the summer. Others may think it means dressing provocatively and hanging out with your friends. This may be confusing to newcomers, but this actually embraces the spirit of “Hot Girl Summer.”

Because the definition is so vague, it can literally mean anything. Want to put on a killer look of makeup or listen to your favorite music? That’s a “Hot Girl Summer.” Want to get your nails done

with your friends or eat ice cream?

That’s a “Hot Girl Summer.” Want to try a new hobby or improve your mental health? That’s a “Hot Girl Summer.”

Anything that you do during the summertime that makes you happy automatically makes you a participant of “Hot Girl Summer.”

Participants should know that there is a stigma surrounding it. I found this out recently when I exclaimed that I was going to have a

“Hot Girl Summer” and was called a nasty name. A lot of people think it means sleeping around. This assumption is usually wrong, but if someone wants to do that because it makes them happy, in the eyes of Megan Thee Stallion, that’s a “Hot Girl Summer.”

The term Hot Girl Summer originated with Black women and has feminist roots according to Rebecca Jennings, a senior reporter for Vox. It may not seem like a serious feminist movement but consider this, “There’s a third-wave feminist tilt, in the sense that women having sex and making money without shame — basically, activities men have been allowed to do forever — can be considered feminist acts,” (Vox). Women being allowed to do whatever they want to do, that’s the perfect “Hot Girl Summer.”

So, if you want to feel good about yourself this summer and do what makes you happy, I hope you have a great “Hot Girl Summer.”

For those who still don’t understand or may not be completely convinced. I’ll end with this quote: “Because this is the true essence of hot girl summer: It’s the mentality of going breezily about one’s own business regardless of what anyone else might think,” (Vox).

10

May 26, 2021

SPORTS

Opinion: Why everyone should take the time to stretch their muscles

By Noah Wright

Creaky knees, stiff necks, worn shoulders and tight backs are all things that we go through on a daily basis. With age comes wear and tear on our bodies, but like everything in life we can prevent some of this damage through constant care.

A big preventative method for slowing down the wear and tear of aging is to stretch daily. It doesn’t have to be for long, because no matter how long you take to stretch, your life and body will be changed for the better by doing it.

According to a Harvard Health article, “we all need to stretch in order to protect our mobility and independence.”

As people, we have very different lifestyles. Some people are very active, whereas others are more sedentary. But no matter the difference in lifestyles, the fact remains that our lifestyles directly impact how our muscle fibers form as well as how our muscles adapt.

An office worker who is constantly sitting and lacks movement will have noticeably shorter and tighter muscles than someone that is constantly moving. There is a common excuse that people don’t have enough time to stretch because of their work schedule; however, this is just an excuse to justify the lack of effort put into stretching.

An NBC article outlines that a person only needs to “schedule a stretch session 2-3 times a week … hold each stretch for 30 seconds.”

There is a common misconception that you need to stretch for a long time, more than 20 to 30

Courtesy of John DuPree

minutes, but in reality you only need to stretch for around 10 to 15 minutes for your muscles to become looser.

David Nolan, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital is quoted in the Harvard Health article when he says, “you don’t have to stretch every muscle you have.”

For the everyday individual, the main areas to focus on stretching would be the legs, shoulders, neck and lower back. These are the muscles that everyone uses on a daily basis, no matter how physically active they are.

The trouble is when people hear “stretching” they automatically think of working out.

However, John Ford, a certified exercise physiologist and owner of JKF Fitness & Health in New York City, is cited in the NBC article when he says, “another

way in which stretching can be helpful is by leaving you better prepared to perform everyday physical activities. From carrying bags, to moving items in your office or home, or even running to catch the subway.”

Even though stretching is a big component to high performance activity, it is much more than a warm-up or cool-down. When you actually take the time to stretch and fully immerse yourself, it is an almost spiritual activity.

Stretching is one of the best ways to become more attuned with your body.

When you are stretching you almost feel all of your stress go away.

By controlling your breathing and listening to your body’s limits, it almost feels enlightening.

Stretching is something that has to be eased into. It is wrong to think that you could start

John DuPree

stretching and be extremely flexible. It takes a lot of time and effort to get to the point where you are really flexible.

If you try to force a stretch past a certain point, you run the risk of pulling a muscle or seriously injuring yourself. The best way to stretch is by going to the point that you feel a stretch, then back off a little bit.

This is a good way to go about stretching because over time you will be able to go deeper and stretching will start to become a part of your daily routine.

Whether it is a morning activity, or a way to destress before bed, the benefits of stretching are numerous. If you want to live a healthy life and preserve your body’s ability to move for as long as possible, stretching is definitely an activity to incorporate into your daily routine.

Maier’s making the most of his track season

By Simon Lafita

With this year being senior Braydon Maier’s return to track and field after a head injury in 2020, Maier wanted to make the most of this season.

“When I had a head injury I couldn’t do anything for a few months,” Maier said. “I realized that I really enjoyed track and once it was taken away I missed it.”

As the 2021 track and field season progressed, Maier participated in a variety of events. Several events weren’t his forte. However, he produced impressive results in the events he excelled at: decathlon, pole vault, 110-meter hurdles and long jump.

During the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Outdoors Championships, Maier won the men’s decathlon with a total of 6,776 points.

He earned this by winning shot put with

Courtesy of CWU Athletics

Braydon Maier will compete next year after taking a redshirt season for 2020.

a mark of 11.42 meters, the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.26, discus with a mark of 30.99 meters, 1500-meter run with the time of 4:39.73 and pole vault with a height of 4.70 meters.

“Braydon is a great all around athlete,” said Kevin Adkisson, the head coach of track and field. “His athleticism overall, is super impressive and his work ethic goes with it.”

Maier continued to win events in the following days of the GNAC Outdoors Championships and the Ken Shannon Invitational. He placed first in the men’s pole vault at both events. On day two of the GNAC Outdoors Championships he took second in the men’s long jump, earning him the GNAC Men’s Field Athlete of the week.

Maier said he missed improving with his teammates and competing alongside them.

“I’m happy to be back on the field and being able to compete as much as we did,” Maier said.

With the season over, Maier is planning to continue practicing for the future. In 2020, he took a redshirt season, a year when a student athlete doesn’t compete, so he’s looking forward to getting another track and field season to compete in.

May 26, 2021

11

SPORTS

Volleyball: From Gonzaga to CWU

Tia Andaya returns to Ellensburg

By Kenia Reynosa Former setter for Gonzaga Tia Andaya joins the women’s volleyball roster for the next season. After playing two seasons with the Zags, Tia is ready to return to a place she once called home.

The sophomore, born and raised in Ellensburg, is pursuing a degree in exercise science.

During her time at Gonzaga she finished with a total of 42 matches, 927 assists and 238 digs. Tia said she enjoyed her time at Gonzaga but it was her personal growth as a player that made her think about moving on and transferring.

“I felt like I got out what I could at Gonzaga,” Tia said.

Volleyball has always been a part of Tia’s life. Her father, Mario Andaya, has been head coach of the CWU volleyball team since 1996. Growing up around CWU, she said she admired the girls playing for the crimson and black.

“Those were the girls I looked up to as a child, I thought what would be better than playing for Central and being one of those girls,” Tia said.

Tia began playing at an early age and joined her first team at the age of 8. She found success both in club and school teams.

Tia was a standout before even starting her collegiate career; she already had many achievements under her belt including being Central Wash-

Tia Andaya ington Athletic Conference Player of the Year three years in a row,Yakima Valley Sports Volleyball Player of the Year and was a two-time Class 2A allstate selection.

Mario is looking forward to working with Tia once again as he

previously coached her throughout her youth and club years. He mentions how they have learned to create a dynamic that works for them separating their father daughter relationship to a coach and player one on the court.

“She understands that dynamic and is comfortable with it moving forward with her decision,” Mario said. “We also have a great roster to add on to and we think she’d be a good fit.”

Tia is thrilled to work with him at the collegiate level.

“He is definitely hard on me but I know he has the best intentions.” Tia said. “College volleyball is much more intense and high profile … there will be a learning curve for sure but I’m super excited about it.”

Tia has been watching the wildcats and is anticipating to get to play and meet her new team.

“I’m excited to play with the girls,” Tia said. “I played club with a bunch of them … it looks like so much fun and I can’t wait to be part of the program.”

While at Gonzaga, Tia played as a setter but she is also a strong hitter and wants to show her abilities this upcoming season.

“I’m going to be hitting and setting for Central, which I haven’t hit in like three years,” Tia said.

Tia is already looking ahead and has set goals that will hopefully result in making it to a conference championship or NCAA tournament.

Tia is happy to be back in Ellensburg and with her family.

“I love Ellensburg,” Tia said. “It’s a nice little town, everybody here is super nice.”

Fall sports from Page 1 “So that is something we have to discuss as an athletic department for those people who have their reasons for not getting the vaccine,” Francois said. “How we are handling those individuals. Are we going to allow them to compete? Are we going to require that they do their own COVID testing to allow them to compete? All those things are to be determined, but like I said we are encouraging our student-athletes and staff to get fully vaccinated so we can get back to some resemblance of normal.”

Francois said it will be difficult to handle the combination of both vaccinated and unvaccinated student athletes throughout an entire sports season when it comes to protocols.

“It’s going to be challenging I think if we have people who are not vaccinated,” Francois said. “How do we protect those people who aren’t

Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson

If certain standards can be met to combat COVID-19 fall sports will be able to return.

vaccinated and how do we protect those people who are vaccinated?

Are they still going to have to wear a mask and do all these things? What will we allow? It might be the NCAA [protocols] it might be our conference [protocols], will it be our universities [protocols]? What will we allow in terms of unvaccinated individuals and how we are going to accommodate for that.”

Francois said they are anticipating the return of fans to games this fall.

“Of course it will have to be whatever our university’s protocols are and that might be screenings still that might be masking, but we sure hope not,” Francois said.

Francois said a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine meeting for all returning and new student athletes was held on May 19 to get information and ask questions about the COVID-19 vaccines from local health experts. “ We r e a l l y w a n t p e o p l e t o get educated and get their information about vaccines from medical professionals and not twitter where there’s a lot of misinformation out there,” F r a n c o i s s a i d . “ We w a n t o u r people to hear that information from medical professionals.”

12

May 26, 2021

ENGAGEMENT

PULSE Magazine presents a Q&A with

COOL CAT: Amanda carner Interview by Jessica Fryberger | Photo by Tim Perciful | Design by Itzel Montoya

Can you imagine a place where rescued goats graze and wander among yoga-performing visitors? The Wobbly Ranch, almost hidden by the green of Snohomish in Western Washington, is home to these rescued goats.

that need our help and expand as a non-profit. For sure that’s my number one goal, is to expand The Wobbly Ranch.

Their caretaker, Amanda Carner, is a Central Washington University Alumna, and the founder and director of The Wobbly Ranch. She provides a home where goats from all walks of life, no matter how wobbly, can live.

Here’s why you should know this Cool Cat.

There’s a lot of overlap between my personal and career goals, because my whole life is this non-profit and caring for these animals, so yeah, pretty much just to expand The Wobbly Ranch and bring in more animals!

What is your favorite childhood memory?

I, one time, spent 10 days in quarantine in an Indonesian hospital because they thought I had swine flu, which was very weird and interesting. I have been married to my husband for 18 years this year. We met in high school, which is a little bit unusual I think these days, and while I run a non-profit animal sanctuary for farmed animals, I have a master’s degree in non-human primate behavior and have had conversations with chimpanzees.

I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and during the summers we loved swimming all summer long. So, we’d get up in the morning, play Nintendo and then go out and swim all afternoon.

what are some of your hobbies?

I am an avid gardener. I love to garden. Of course, I love to spend time with the goats and the chickens. I like to travel as much as I can - it’s a little bit more difficult when you have a farm to get away [from], and also with COVID-19, but I love to travel, and I am also a beekeeper.

what are your career goals?

What are three fun facts about you?

what is a quote you live by?

I don’t necessarily have a quote, but I do try to live every single day to the fullest, because it may be our last.

where can we find you hanging out?

what are your personal goals?

I would really like to further expand The Wobbly Ranch; bring in more animals

In the barn with the goats!

THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS

26 WED

12-1 p.m. Craft Talk by Paisley Rekdal* 4-7 p.m. Student Appreciation: ESC Spring Block Party - SURC Patio East

30 SUN

International Hug Your Cat Day

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27 THURS

4-5 p.m. Artist Talk: Lindsay Peyton & Jerry Slough* 4-8:30 p.m. Student Appreciation: BBQ & Concert - SURC Patio East, SURC North Lawn 9-11:59 p.m. Student Appreciation: Headphone Disco - SURC North Lawn

31 MON

Memorial Day 3-4 p.m. Mindful Monday SURC Meeting Rm 274 8-10 p.m. Monday Movie Madness: Toy Story 3 - Recreation Sports Complex, *

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28 FRI

3-4 p.m. Careers in Digital Marketing with Dr. Mukherjee* 7:30-9 p.m. Hot New Jam Performance - SURC Theatre Rm 210

01 TUES

3-4 p.m. Women in STEM Club Meeting - SURC Rm 140

29 SAT

8-10 p.m. “26 Hours Later” Play Festival - SURC Theatre Rm 210

02 WED

4-5 p.m. Internships 101* 7-9 p.m. Trivia Wednesday - SURC Ballroom Rm 215A, *

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