@cwuobserver, cwuobserver.com
Vol. 117 NO. 9
November 10-November 17, 2020
‘Dialogues:’ BIPOC creators in theatre Star Diavolikis Staff Reporter “Dialogues: Voices From Performance” is an ongoing series addressing racism within the performing arts. According to Natashia Lindsey, head of the theatre department, there is an ongoing nationwide callout against theatre for being racist. A large misconception of theatre is that it revolves around dead white men such as Shakespeare. Theatre extends beyond Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies. “The theatre is not just for white, able-bodied, cisgendered men,” Lindsey said. “The theatre’s to be for everyone, but [the stereotype] is a consistent narrative that we really have to combat. … Not everything is Shakespeare.” Lindsey said Shakespeare and Greek theatre are the common defaults people think of on the topic of theatre. She wants people to rethink what theatre is and what the field can be, and
Flyer Depicting Ellensburg residents, elected officials, found online and around town Mitchell Roland Editor-in-Chief A flyer featuring caricatures and nicknames mocking several Ellensburg activists and elected officials, as well as a letter, was found throughout the Ellensburg area and on social media over the past several weeks. Among those on the flyer, which labels the group as “K-Valley Most Wanted” are Ellensburg Mayor Bruce Tabb and every Ellensburg City Council member. A CWU alumnus as well as a current student are also on the flyer which refers to them as “useful idiots aka minions.” The anonymous letter, dated Oct. 18 and signed by an individual or group calling themselves SHIELD, is riddled with grammatical errors and is directed at the Ellensburg City Council in response to the council’s Equity, Diversity and Arts subcommittee. Specifically, the letter objects to agenda item 11.D from the Oct. 5 Ellensburg City Council meeting, which was a report from the Equity, Diversity and Arts subcommittee on a “call for art” in the community. According to the proposal, the project is a “two-dimensional painting on exterior windows on a city-owned structure” and recommends the City of Ellensburg Visitor Center building. The subcommittee is also considering creating an “Equity and Diversity” themed arts program, which would “recognize
the value and contributions of historically marginalized people of color as a reflection of our community values.” The proposal states the subcommittee will look for “additional direction from the City Council, Arts Commission, and public” before the project is formally recommended. The SHIELD letter says the program would do “much of what the divisive Black Lives Matter Street Mural would have done, if approved by the council.” The letter claims this is also the “Ellensburg Councils’ (sic) way of ‘taking on’ the citizens who objected to and testified against the Black Lives Matters street mural.” The letter calls Black Lives Matter (BLM) a “Self-identified Marxist Organization,” and claims BLM wants to “get control of the schools” and “use student riots to format public protest” while also infiltrating the press. While the crude drawings depict elected officials and community activists, several of the people whose drawings were on the flyer said their first reaction was dismissive. Ellensburg Mayor Bruce Tabb’s first response to the flyer and letter was to chuckle when he saw it on Facebook. While Tabb said people have the right to express themselves, they do not have the right to threaten people, though the flyer “in and of itself was not threatening.”
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Union representatives speak out on layoffs Jessica Perez Staff Reporter Last week at a Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting, Skip Jenson, a CWU employee and president of the local Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) union, spoke out against the 56 layoffs President James Gaudino announced on Sept. 30. Jenson felt it was his responsibility to speak out in hopes the trustees would understand the impact the layoffs will have on employees. “It is part of my job to communicate members’ concerns with management,” Jenson said. During the public comment portion of the BOT meeting, Jenson spoke at length about how CWU is laying off essential employees needed during the pandemic. “The question is why you have targeted the facilities department when these are your frontline workers?” Jenson asked the board.
Continued on Page 4 In This Issue 1-4 5-7 8-10 11-12 13-15 16
News Scene News Opinion Sports Engagement
Page 7 Seasonal depression
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Racism and discrimination in Ellensburg
Continued on Page 3 Page 15 New signee for football