The Observer, Spring 2023 - Issue 8

DIVERSITY

Bawa Health Initiative fundraiser provides healthcare to African village

Pg. 3

Twitter has undergone a series of changes over the last few months since its acquisition by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk in 2022 for $44 billion.

On May 11, Musk announced that he will be stepping down as CEO of Twitter, but will transition to being executive chair and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) overseeing production and software, according to NBC.

According to Senior Lecturer in the Communication Department Dr. Nicholas Temple, who specializes in public speaking rhetoric and digital contexts, there is a sort of duality to Twitter, as it has been a source of spreading both information and misinformation to the public. According to Temple, Twitter has had an undeniable cultural impact.

“I don’t use Twitter, but you can’t have existed in the culture without brushing up against Twitter tangentially,” Temple said. “Twitter has been great for spreading information and it’s been bad for spreading misinformation, that’s kind of the dual-edged sword that exists for a lot of communication media that exists out there right now. As much as I don’t use it and I sympathize with the idea that it’s like the cesspool of the internet in a lot of cases, you can’t deny that it had a lot of cultural impact.”

Twitter’s massive presence within the cultural landscape led to a huge reaction when Musk announced his takeover of the company in the fall of 2022, according to Mashable.

According to the BBC, Musk

claimed that he wanted to purchase Twitter to help humanity and create a “digital town square” where he would promote freedom of speech for all. However, according to Temple, Musk has repeatedly gone against his supposed ideals of free speech after frequent bannings of his critics on the platform, such as CNN’s Donnie O’Sullivan and Mashable’s Matt Binder, according to PBS.

“Based on what I’ve heard, you have what Elon says he did [it] for,” Temple said. “Which was [Musk] advocating for free speech and he didn’t feel like Twitter, as it existed, was promoting free speech, [and] you have his actions after he did it which is to silence people who are his critics, which is not free speech.”

According to Assistant Professor of Communication Dr. Josh Nelson-Ichido, who specializes in interpersonal and intercultural communication, Twitter restructured global communication on a level that hadn’t been seen before. According to Nelson-Ichido, Musk’s takeover, while not eradicating that international connection, has diminished it.

“Since Musk has taken over, it hasn’t eradicated that [global community], it has diminished it,” Nelson-Ichido said. “In a lot of those areas where you have oppressed people, you have social movements that are still using Twitter as their lifeline [and] their method of communication, the fact that Musk is [messing] everything up is secondary to the fact that Twitter still very much matters to them.”

According to Nelson-Ichido, Musk’s acquisition of Twitter was, at least in part, motivated by ego rather than a genuine desire to improve the service.

NEWS

Jaeda Nelson builds a legacy as CWU’s first Wildcat Pantry Coordinator

Pg. 4

“This is all speculation on my part, it’s influenced by things and ideas I’ve seen other people put out there,” Nelson-Ichido said. “This was all ego, I can’t not see that as at least a contributing factor. [Musk] has a persona that exists out there… he’s now an entity or character and this is something that [Musk] would do.”

In his six months as Twitter’s CEO, Musk has introduced a number of changes that caused controversy among users, including the reinstating of many previously banned controversial accounts (Kanye West, Donald Trump and Andrew Tate) and the removal of legacy checkmarks (meaning any previously verified account now has to pay for verification and has no way of proving they are truly that person/entity) according to the BBC. According to the Washington Post, paid verification (called Twitter Blue) has also stirred a response from users. According to Temple, these are all things that Musk has done that limit Twitter’s viability and credibility.

“By making [verification] a paid thing, it removes the ability to know you’re dealing with the real person [or] the real organization,” Temple said. “I teach public speaking, I teach rhetoric, so ethos is a big deal, online, part of that is being able to trust that somebody is who they say they are and if you can’t do that, what is even the purpose of this program?”

While the extent of the role these factors played into Musk’s departure can only be guessed at, what is certain is that Musk has found someone to fill his role as CEO: Linda Yaccarino. According to CNN, Yaccarino left her role as chairman of global advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal.

SPORTS Kiante Goudeau: A young coach with a detailed approach to elevating CWU’s cornerbacks

Pg. 11

CWU Safe Group holds open forum

New Voices for Change training proposed for students

CWU’s Safe Group held an open forum on May 15 for CWU’s community members to review recommendations created by the group. The open forum meeting served as an opportunity to present the goals that the team had created and get feedback from students and community members.

The workgroup was established in response to student and community protests regarding instances of Title IX violations in late 2022. (See past coverage: “Cats Against Assault claims lack of accountability in Title IX cases on campus.”)

According to Chief of Staff and Vice President of Public Affairs Andrew Morse, the goal of the workgroup was to understand the strengths, processes, practices and resources of CWU as well as how the university could better grow to live up to its mission of being a “model of equity and belonging.”

“The goal of this work is to also create a safe space for our students and our employees. Nobody should be hindered by victimization as they pursue their educational, professional and personal life goals,” Morse said.

According to the presentation given at the forum, the group came up with recommendations for accountability and sustainability, policies, survivor support and education.

Morse said they looked at the university’s current Title IX, Violence Against Women Act and the Clery Act and had an opportunity to talk with campus experts about the matter. He said they are now awaiting the release of new Title IX regulations.

During the meeting, Cochair for the Safe Group and Director of Wellness Center, Marissa Howat, said that one

of the recommendations was for students to have a required education course. According to the presentation, the training will be a “required consent, bystander intervention and campus resources prior to students registering for their first class.”

Howat said that this training is called Voices for Change and will be required for every incoming student at CWU.

DEC Program Manager Justin Santoli said he had concerns regarding accessibility for students to finish Voices for Change during the meeting.

“[We need to be] conscious of students who don’t have tech or English isn’t their first language,” Santoli said at the meeting.

Santoli suggested during the meeting that the training should be due by the end of the quarter instead of before registering for classes.

Another recommendation Co-chair of the Safe Group and Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Cindy Coe, said at the meeting that the group is strongly recommending more required training for employees than has been required of them in the past to help create more accountability.

Coe said they want to ensure there is documentation of the investigation and the results of the investigation faculty undergoes to ensure accountability and transparency.

Howat said, from her understanding, this documentation will not go in their personnel file but will be put into a separate investigation file.

“Personnel records are sealed so those are actually not available in a public records request, but investigative reports can be attainable [through a public records request],” Howat said. Two more open forum meetings will be held on May 25 1-2 p.m. in SURC 301 and May 31 4-4:45 p.m. virtually.

Beau Sansom Staff Reporter

Morgana Carroll and Megan Rogers News Editors

Billionaire bows out: Elon Musk steps down as Twitter CEO CWU communication faculty weigh in on the development

ElonMuskwalkingintoTwitterofficetolethistakeover“sinkin”. Photo courtesy of Flickr

Beyond Our Coverage

Amazon employees at the headquarters in Seattle are planning to “walk off the job” on May 31 as the tech company enforces a “return-to-office mandate” according to an email sent by Amazon employees, as reported by KOMO News.

Iam Tongi, an 18-year-old student from Kahuku, Hawaii who attends Decatur High School in Federal Way, Washington, was named the winner of “American Idol” last Sunday during the season finale, according to The Seattle Times.

A Terrace Heights man was shot during a birthday party on Sunday, according to Yakima County’s Sherriff’s Office. The injuries were not life threatening and according to the Sheriff’s Office no one has been arrested yet.

US President Joe Biden and top Republican Kevin McCarthy have called their latest talks on the debt ceiling productive, but no deal has yet been reached. According to BBC News, the tone of the talks at the White House appeared to be more optimistic after weeks of divisive partisan discourse, but it is unclear how quickly the two sides can reach a deal.

The NAACP has issued a travel advisory for Florida. According to CBS, the advisory came just days before Gov. Ron DeSantis and is to announce his presidential campaign, with the NAACP being the latest in several groups to issue warnings about traveling to Florida, including the League of United Latin American Citizens and LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Florida.

A national manhunt for Michael Burham, 34, has made its way to North Charleston after the homicide suspect allegedly forced two people to drive him there. According to the Post and Courier, Burham is a suspect in the murder of 34-year-old Kala Hodgin in New York and is considered armed and dangerous.

Statement

19 children were killed in a school dorm fire in Guyana. According to CNN, the fire that engulfed Mahdia Secondary School’s female dormitory killed 18 girls and a boy, according to Guyana’s Department of Public Information (DPI), revising down its earlier death toll of 20.

Russian officials alleged that Ukraine military forces launched a strike across the border, according to AP News. The Russian claim describes the action as sabotage, killing eight people in a small border town. Ukraine has denied the accusations.

The Observer posted an article on May 10 titled “ASCWU responds to concerns regarding role of police on campus.” There were inaccuracies in the original article that have been changed for the online version. A quote from Brady Smith about the difference between experiences with police officers as a student and as an elected official was wrongly attributed to Luis Reyes. ASCWU was incorrectly called state representatives when they are student representatives. Smith said meetings have to be scheduled weeks in advance, which was incorrectly quoted as taking months in advance. We claimed that BSU was not allowed to speak at a meeting when it was JSA that was not originally able to talk at the meeting. Additionally the original article titled “Coalition of student representatives asks for less police presence on campus” published on May 3 stated that AUAP had signed the letter, when it was AUAP Friends that had signed the letter. The Observer strives for accuracy, integrity and transparency, and will strive to do better in the future.

Sincerely,

Morgana Carroll and Katherine Camarata News Editor and Lead Editor

Editorial Policy: The Observer is a public forum for student expression, 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 free debate of issues, ideas and problems facing the community at large; and to be the best source of information, education and entertainment news. As a training program, The Observer is the practical application of the theories and principles of journalism. It teaches students to analyze and communicate information that is vital to the decision making of the community at large. It provides a forum for students to learn the ethics, values and skills needed to succeed in their chosen career. If you have questions or concerns, email us at cwuobserver@gmail.com. Staff Faculty Adviser Jennifer Green Editorial Consultant Francesco Somaini Staff Reporters Anna Fridell Ryan Gildersleeve Tre’Jon Henderson Charis Jones Mykah Koke-Filimaua Hunter Rhea Beau Sansom Quincy Taylor Graphic Design Lead Glacie Kehoe-Padilla Orientation / Assistant Graphic Designer Brandon Davis Assistant Scene Editor Zileni Milupi Photo Editor Yohanes Goodell Copy Desk Lead / Opinion Editor Brittany Cinderella Online Editor Madison VanRavenhorst Assistant Copy Editor Kai Kyzar Sports Editor Isaac Hinson News Editors Morgana Carroll Megan Rogers Lead Editor Katherine Camarata May 24, 2023 Scene Editor MJ Rivera Assistant Online Editor Deacon Tuttle Clarification

Bawa Health Initiative fundraiser held by CWU professor provides healthcare to African village

“This Bawa dinner for me is bringing the community together, it’s like a melting pot having all of those families together, the friends and colleagues. When they come through the door, I look at their faces, they are happy. Of course for the food, but to be together. They are happy to come for a cause. ”

“I’m hoping that this event will help the Ellensburg community to see beyond themselves, to think about what they can do for the lives of their neighbors. They don’t have to change people in Bawa, but even their neighbors here in Ellensburg or the U.S. Go make somebody else smile. That’s my hope.”

“I love seeing all the different people that are here and seeing Dr. Dondji interact with everybody. I think it’s really cool to see him in this kind of light, because I’ve only seen him on campus, and everyone seems so happy and full of love.”

Technicolor regalia, cultural dance performances and an African feast awaited over 170 attendees of the annual Bawa Health Initiative (BHI) Fundraiser dinner on May 20 held at a private party barn in Ellensburg. The Bawa Health Initiative was founded in 2005 by Dr. Blaise Dondji and Dr. Dennis Richardson to provide healthcare, bed nets and other medical supplies to Dondji’s home village in Bawa, Cameroon, Africa. After Dondji’s mother died during childbirth due to a lack of healthcare in Bawa, Dondji knew he needed to provide support to his village. Since its foundation, the BHI has built the first clinic in Bawa, funded an ambulance and currently employs full-time doctors and nurses. See past Observer coverage “It takes a village: Dr. Blaise Dondji provides healthcare to his home in Bawa, Cameroon.”

“There’s a really good community vibe that’s here, everyone is here for a good cause to help, and it’s so cool to see Dr. Dondji not at school teaching us. He’s in his element here.”

“My hope for the future of Bawa Health Initiative is to expand the Sophie Awounkeu Community Health Centre, provide specialized care such as women’s health, pediatrics and others. The long term goal is to have a self-sustainable Health Centre.”

TusuyPerudancegroupledbyDr.FabiolaSerraFuertesinCWUBiologicalSciences.

Katherine Camarata, the reporter of this piece, has family members who volunteered for this event. The Observer wishes to disclose all conflicts of interest to be transparent.

TusuyPerudancegroupledDr.FabiolaSerraFuertesintheCWUBiological Sciencesperformedattheevent.

Dr.Dondji’sstudentsservedrice,peanutsaucewith mushroomsandfufutoraisefundsforBawa.

DresseswereavailableaspartofthesilentauctiontoraisefundsforBawa.

Photo spread by Katherine Camarata

TheDondjifamilyposesforafamilyphotoafterasuccessfulfundraiser.

-Madison,juniorinbiomed

-FrancineDondji,Dr.Dondji’swife

-SophiaHickey,freshmaninecology

-Dr.BlaiseDondji

-Dr.BlaiseDondji,Bawa HealthInitiativefounder

Jaeda Nelson builds a legacy as CWU’s first Wildcat Pantry coordinator

Zileni Milupi Assistant Scene Editor

Inspirational, self-driven, inclusive and a change maker are a few of the words those who work closely with Wildcat Pantry Coordinator Jaeda Nelson used to describe her. As the first person to ever hold the position since June 2022, Nelson has established connections with donors and partners and has largely contributed to the overall growth of the pantry in a short period.

President Wohlpart created the position last year when Nelson and her fellow PUSH (Presidents United to Solve Hunger) club members approached him with the need for a professional staff to oversee the administrative aspects of the pantry as it continued to grow. According to Nelson, she was among the candidates and was selected for the position by her peers.

“Being a first-generation student, it was important that I was able to provide some kind of experience for other students that have similar experiences as me to feel like when they come to campus, they’re taken care of and that people recognize them and they see them,” Nelson said.

Wohlpart explained the importance of the pantry and how he acknowledged the need for the position.

“This is an imperative for the university and an imperative for me as President to make sure we are providing all of the support for students that they need,” Wohlpart said. “Especially so that they can focus on their learning experience and not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.”

According to Nelson, she initially didn’t expect to get the position herself, but saw the need for someone to ensure the sustainability of the pantry.

“It wasn’t something that maybe I expected,” Nelson said. “I think that’s been a nice thing that I’ve kind of just been leaning into work

that makes me feel good and makes me feel like I can contribute to something bigger than myself.”

PUSH club and pantry background

According to their website, PUSH (Presidents United to Solve Hunger) is a consortium of universities from around the world that have the collective mission to end hunger and poverty, both locally and globally. CWU launched its chapter in 2015 to help combat food insecurity on campus.

Nelson explained that while most universities’ PUSH chapters tend to be led by faculty and full-time staff, CWU’s chapter was completely student-led since its conception. According to CWU’s PUSH club website, the Wildcat Pantry initially started out as a student-led initiative through the club.

Prior to having a space for the pantry in Brooks Library, the PUSH club would provide free food for students using boxes and shelves throughout campus through neighborhood donations from what Nelson called a ‘walk and knock.’ Nelson joined the club during her second year at CWU in 2018 and became President of the club during her senior year.

Nelson explained that she and her peers had the idea for a full-time staff to take on responsibilities of the pantry to offload the duties from the students who ran the pantry without paid positions.

Nelson began her oneyear contract in the

position after she graduated with a degree in business from CWU in June 2022.

“With my full-time position, I’m able to actually oversee this as a university program and the push club can be a club now, allowing them to actually do normal student things and not have to worry about the emotional and physical labor that’s required of students to run a pantry program,” Nelson said. “So right now where we sit is the PUSH club is kind of their standalone identity, being a club focused a lot on food efforts in basic need access for students and making sure that students are aware of resources.”

Executive Office and Project Manager Dania Cochran, Nelson’s supervisor said that one of Nelson’s goals going into the new position was to reduce the stigma associated with using a pantry on campus.

“Jaeda really looked at what partnerships needed to be happening on campus and maintained them so

that we could continue replenishing our food sources, replenishing our donations.” Cochran said.

According to Wohlpart and Cochran, although the position was new and would inevitably come with challenges for Nelson, her background with PUSH gave her a foundation for success.

“Part of it was her passion, her dedication and her knowledge,” Wohlpart said. “She clearly was passionate about this issue and dedicated to it and she had developed a great deal of knowledge about how to do this work at a very high level. She had built the relationships she had ongoing with the other students.”

Accomplishments and contributions

During the time that Nelson has been in position, she has established relationships with community members and businesses that have helped her form partnerships with various donors. According to Nelson some of the donors include Costco, FISH community food bank, Fred Meyer, Target, Central Park Apartments, The Verger and various alumni.

According to Nelson, some donors such as Central Park Apartments and the Verge held drives to donate to the pantry.

Local businesses such as Iron Horse Brewery and Cornerstone Pie sales and donate a percentage of their proceeds to the pantry.

Cochran and Wohlpart credit Nelson’s inspira-

tional leadership for the constant pouring of donations and number of people willing to help the pantry.

“She has built bridges and built communities so that there’s a large number of people who are excited about volunteering and supporting the pantry,” Wohlpart said.

Wohlpart cited one example in which faculty and staff from the president’s office and human resources volunteered to keep the pantry open during winter break due to Nelson’s influence.

According to Cochran, Nelson’s inclusivity and love for community has also contributed to the success of the pantry.

Cochran cites the Wildcat Essentials Coalition as an initiative Nelson launched that demonstrates how much she acknowledges the importance of community.

According to Nelson, the Wildcat Essentials Coalition is a union of about 20 different departments, organization groups, representatives off and on campus with the goal of amplifying and advocating for basic needs at CWU. Cochran said Nelson acknowledged that the nature of her position required multiple voices to help make decisions, as her job is to serve students and faculty.

“I think that really helped her be successful, as she knew that this is not something she can do alone,” Cochran said.

According to Cochran and Wohlpart, apart from Nelson’s inclusivity and community-oriented nature, her initiative and self-motivation also contribute to the success of the pantry.

“Jaeda has a maturity and wisdom beyond her years and I was abe to discern that in our first meeting,” Wohlpart said. “In the year she’s been in the role, all of us who have been here to support her have watched her soar. We’ve provided support and feedback, but she has really done this on her own.”

JaedaNelsonatthesecondharvest. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Spring atFashion CWU

Isaac Smith (he/him), a senior who’s majoring in physics, wears a pair of sweats and a t-shirt from Old Navy. He enjoys wearing soft, 100% cotton clothing that’s comfortable on the body.

Beth Anulo (she/her), a sophomore majoring in computer science, wears a crop top and crop jacket from Forever 21. Beth’s favorite store is Forever 21 because “their products are cheaply priced and stylish.”

Yuji Horinaka (he/him), a Japanese exchange student studying business, wears a light blue jacket from Wild Life Thrift Store located in Vancouver B.C., Canada.

Aslan Rames (they/he), a freshman majoring in music performance, wears Doc Martens and a skirt that were both thrifted. According to Rames, “if you want to go thrifting for good stuff, go to a big city like Seattle or a populated area.”

Photo spread by Yohanes Goodell

The decline of local newspapers:

MJ Rivera and Mykah Koke-Filimaua Scene Editor and Staff Reporter

Local newspapers are becoming few and far between. Mike Gallagher worked at Ellensburg’s local newspaper, The Daily Record, for 25 years as a reporter and managing editor. He said journalism is different now than it was when he first started.

“When newspapers first started, they made a lot of money- most newspapers came to 30% profit margins,” Gallagher said. “When I first worked at the Daily Record, there was no issue about how big the paper would be every day, it would be as big as we want[ed] it.”

According to the Pew Research Center, the print newspaper industry has experienced a dramatic decline over the past two decades. Since 2004, weekday newspaper circulation in the United States has plummeted by 57%. Furthermore, between 2008 and 2019, the number of newsroom employees in the newspaper industry dropped by 51%.

One significant factor contributing to the decline of local newspapers is the changing landscape of advertising. As more advertising dollars flow toward online platforms, local newspapers have struggled to adapt.

Pew Research Center data revealed that print advertising revenue for newspapers fell from $46.2 billion in 2003 to $14.3 billion in 2018. The Week also stated a similar stat showing the newspaper revenue plummeting from $49 billion in 2006 to $14 billion in 2018. This substantial decline has severely impacted the financial viability of local newspapers, forcing many to reduce staff, cut coverage or cease publication altogether.

“This is a whole different world,” Gallagher said. “As the years went on, the industry became less profitable. The crash in 2008 really hit newspapers hard. That was kind of the tipping point for most, especially smaller-town, newspapers.”

News deserts are expanses of space that do not have any local newspapers, according to Gallagher.

“There [are] so many large gaps between places that have newspapers…they’re called news deserts,” Gallagher said. “Initially, there was some sort of connectivity, every little town had their paper or some sort of network, and that is frayed and fractured. You saw the New York Times making boatloads of money, but nobody else [was].”

According to US News Deserts, more than one in five papers has closed over the past decade and a half, leaving thousands of our communities at risk of becoming news deserts. Additionally according to US News Deserts, half of the 3,143 counties in the country now only have one newspaper, usually a small weekly.

The impact of less funding to newspapers was that reports had to be let go.

“So, [there were] fewer people doing more work, which is never really a good recipe in newspapers because it’s stressful enough as it is, so you’re kind of scrambling to cover a lot of stuff,” Gallagher said.

The Daily Record used to be owned by an offshoot of the Scripps family, who were a legacy family in news because they owned a lot of newspapers, according to Gallagher.

Gallagher said the Scripps family was used to making a lot of money and probably hadn’t had a reporter in the family for three or four generations.

“They were just so used to just rolling in the money without having to really do much at all,” Gallagher said. “The industry hasn’t changed much since post World War II…they had no capacity for change for quite a while, and then change crushed them with the internet and how they could deliver their product [so that] people can access their product, because they were still getting a lot of readers,

they’re just not making any money off it.”

The Daily Record has not been under local ownership since the 1950s, according to Gallagher.

“My attitude, ever since I started working in newspapers, is that it was all one big business,” Gallagher said.

Newspapers everywhere were negatively impacted by COVID-19 as well.

“[COVID-19] was a crusher, that’s another factor as far as newspapers, how we are able to staff. It’s hard to hire people.”

Despite his job at The Daily Record being difficult at times, Gallagher said he does not discourage people from pursuing journalism- they just need to know how to get started.

“The best thing about newspapers is there’s one everywhere. I mean, you can just pick a place,” Gallagher said.

Local news is important because when people know what is going on around them, they have a more realistic idea of what’s going on in

their community.

According to The Week, local newspapers have played a crucial role in the nation’s public life like binding communities together, promoting civic engagement, telling citizens how their tax dollars are being spent and rooting out malfeasance by public officials.

“If you create on the community level, you’re more likely to overcome [the] fear people have, the isolation, because they live in this community,” Gallagher said. “It’s harder to be fearful [when] it’s something you encounter every day.”

The best way to carry out journalism work nowadays is to adapt to new ways of communicating.

“I think people have to be creative in how they craft their careers,” Gallagher said. “Be willing and capable of creating your content in different forms, in different formats. It [can’t just] be a print product. You have to know how to create either a video or audio version of the story you’re doing. People can consume their information in different manners

newspapers: How journalism is affected

now, they’re not sitting at home waiting for the paper to fall on their porch at four o’clock.”

While online news sources have emerged as alternatives, there are concerns surrounding equitable access to information.

The transition to digital news sources exacerbates existing disparities in access to information. The Pew Research Center identifies a “digital divide” that disproportionately affects lower-income communities and older demographics, limiting their access to digital news platforms.

“This divide further compounds the loss of local newspapers, exacerbating information inequalities and impeding democratic participation for marginalized communities,” according to Pew Research Center.

Gallagher emphasized why it is important for people to continue pursuing journalism.

“If you give up on the concept of journalism and news, then you’re really in trouble, because this leaves the people’s republic open to manipulation.”

The Society of Professional Journalism warns that the decline of local newspapers weakens democracy by diminishing government accountability. Without robust local coverage, public officials are less likely to face scrutiny, potentially leading to corruption and a lack of transparency. Citizens, in turn, may become less informed and engaged in local affairs, eroding democratic participation and the overall health of civic life.

Sara Fischer, an author of Axios Media Trends, commented on what’s at stake when losing local newspapers.

“At a minimum, the loss of local news only worsens the political, cultural and economic divisions in this country,” Fischer said.

Also according to Fischer, she describes the state of play if this crisis continues: “Around 7 percent of America’s counties now have no local outlet and around 20 percent are at risk of their communities becoming news deserts in the foreseeable future,” Fischer said.

How to discover a sense of style

Katherine Camarata Columnist

Trying to establish your own personal sense of style is not an experience so easily pinned down in words, because in my eyes, it comes more from a feeling. An affinity toward one color or another, one texture over another, one silhouette over another, stemming from some innate inclination whose origins may never be traceable.

It’s all subjective; no matter if something is trending or out-of-style, whether something appears as beautiful to an individual is such a unique experience. Suffice it to say, there is no true definition of what can be considered beautiful.

So if you want to wear colors or patterns that clash, I say, why not? You are the only one who is seeing what you’re seeing right now, so honor that inner sense. That’s how you’ll find yourself styling unique outfits where people can look at you and know this is something you would be wearing.

Style is a great way to create an image for a project, particularly in performing arts. We all have aspects of ourselves we keep more private from the world, and in this vein, living every day life may feel like somewhat of a performance, striving to maintain whatever status quo needed to fit into society. That doesn’t mean the performance has to be boring. Wear electric green chaps with gold gogo boots and a cowboy hat with a third eye if you want to and the occasion calls for it (and even if it doesn’t, critical ly examine these parameters.) Nobody is stopping you from living out your style fantasies.

Be lofty with your visions. Pair the unexpected. Mix gold with silver with bronze jewelry if that calls to you. Wear a crystal crown to the grocery store. Wear a ball gown to Taco Bell in a Micarah Tewers-esque fashion. Show a lot of skin, or wear clothes from head to toe. Maybe you’ll get a few extra looks, but it’s usually a conversation starter to wear a strange statement piece. It attracts a vibrant energy to you.

If you want to be a gender bender, shop in the men’s section if you’re a woman (or vice versa.) Some of my favorite clothes come from my dad’s closet or the men’s department. Don’t let the confines of labels stop you from exploring your expression!

If you like straying off the trampled path but are afraid of being your fullest self, I encourage you to let go and allow yourself to be weird. Indulge yourself in your own brand of oddity. Be somebody that’s wholly you, by showing yourself love and support when you have outthere ideas and dreams. It doesn’t matter if people don’t understand it or appreciate it. There may be people who think you look awful in your favorite outfit. Let them have their taste without losing your own!

Your sense of style is just as valid as anybody else’s, and if you’re acting from creativity, there will be an element of pushing boundaries in a way that won’t be palatable to every old body. If an outfit is polarizing, that means it inspires

Fashion is an art like any other and can be used to make political and social statements. It can be sourced with ethics in mind through buying second hand or upcycling. How we choose to consume is a statement in itself, and this extends to how we dress ourselves.

Many of my favorite items I have purchased from various thrift or consignment stores. Buying vintage or handmade items on Etsy, Depop or Ebay is another route if you want to invest a little money and find exactly what you’re looking for with the click of a button.

Evolve Clothing & Jewelry on Pearl St. and Old Skool’s on Main St. are some stylin’ local picks. Habitat for Humanity stores, Value Village and yard sales occasionally offer clothing items. You’ll likely want to leave Ellensburg for the best thrift pickings. I have found lovely items in thrift stores on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Finding that stand-out item that you never expected to see is the paramount thrill of the thrifting experience.

Avoid fast fashion when you can. Sometimes you can find brands like Forever 21 or Shein in thrift stores new with tags, so stay wary if that’s something that interests you but you don’t want to support those businesses directly.

Don’t ever be down on yourself for being extra when it comes to aesthetics. Be extra with a side of extra extra! Or tone it down and go full minimal or mono chrome with varying shades. If you want

more dimension, contrast colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel, like blue and orange. If you’re Morgana, our color blind news editor, disregard this comment.

Steps for styling a fresh fit:

Start by choosing one statement piece with an intriguing color, material or pattern to center your outfit around. Choose other layering pieces around, over and under it. Then add another accent color or two that contrast wellblack and white work for this in contrast with colors.

Match different elements of the outfit in multiple areas. For example, my Doc Martens have a gold-ish hue to them, so I might wear a gold top. Then I might wear black everywhere else!

Don’t be afraid to accessorize! Stack those bracelets. Slather on those necklaces. Wear that scarf! Throw on that hat and tip it to your friends. Don’t forget a pair of sunglasses that match some accent color within your outfit already. Cheers!

Katherine Camarata showing off her sense of style.

PhotosbyYohanesGoodell

The top five advantages of owning a dog

Megan Rogers Columnist

1. A built-in best friend (or child)

According to the University of Sydney, “Researchers from the University’s Charles Perkins Centre and RSPCA NSW found new dog owners self-reported lower levels of loneliness within three months of getting a dog.”

I have a six-year-old American Staffordshire Terrier mix named Annie and I 100 percent consider her my child and best friend. I love to spend time with her by playing with her and teaching her new tricks. She truly does make me feel less lonely. I mean, human interaction is overrated anyway.

2. Your ticket to get out of any social situation

This one is for my fellow introverted people out there. Are you ever hanging out with a group of people and just want to leave? With a dog, you have a guaranteed-to-work excuse to leave. Just try these; “I have to go feed my dog.” “I need to go let my dog out.” “I have to go walk my dog.” “Sorry, my dog is plotting

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” glides towards the top Switch game on my list

The hero of Hyrule soars into a new adventure

START OF THE GAME SPOILERS AHEAD!

Brittany Cinderella Columnist

3. Helps you get out and exercise

While the energy and need for exercise differ for each dog breed, according to Academy Animal Hospital, “a general ruleof-thumb is that your dog should spend between 30 minutes and two hours being active every day.”

There are tons of fun activities you can do with your dog, like biking, hiking, swimming, playing with their favorite toys and going for a walk. Or in my dog’s case, playing with her beloved tennis ball over and over and over and over again.

4. Better your mental health

Dogs can help alleviate anxiety. According to Four Paws, “Physical contact with an animal has been proven to rapidly reduce symptoms of anxiety. Petting a dog can help slow your heart rate, which can alleviate panic attacks.”

Dogs can just provide an overall comforting presence when you are sad. One of the best things about owning a dog is that you can talk to them and they will listen to you with no judg ment.

5. Honorable Mentions

You can go eco-friendly and have your own personal garbage disposal (dog-safe food only of course). They can eat the same thing every single day and still act like it is the best thing they have ever tasted. If you have a dog with long or fluffy hair, you get to become a fancy hairstyl ist. They are super cute. You can

“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” sprinted so that “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” could glide. May 12 saw the release of the sequel to one of the best games to come out on the Nintendo Switch. With almost 300 hours in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” over the last few years since its release, I’m no Zelda expert, but I’m happy to give my thoughts so far. There will be some spoilers ahead!

I first played “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” when it was released in early 2017 and made it about three-fourths into the game before I was stopped by an enemy named Thunderblight Ganon. For those unfamiliar with the game, he’s basically a mini-boss that moves as quick as lightning and is really annoying to beat. In my fit of frustration, I put the game away for almost five years before getting the courage to restart the game and learn my way through it. After a lot of ‘game over’ screens and a lot of advice from friends, I was able to finally learn how to beat Thunderblight Ganon and finish the game in time for “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” to come out.

Seeing the trailers, I had no clue what to expect. Most of the trailers were cinematic, showing off new characters and new areas I had dreamt of seeing in “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” At midnight on the night of the digital release, I loaded up the game to see a beautiful loading screen and cutscenes depicting moments

To keep things easier, I’m going to refer to “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” as “Breath of the Wild”, and “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of

Being honest, I was a bit disappointed at first with the graphics. The character models felt the same as in “Breath of the Wild” and lots of items looked reused from it. The tutorial ditches the idea of being reliant on a Nintendo Switch of ancient times. We see the new main antagonist, who curses Link’s hand; to solve this we are given a hand from a spirit of a Zonai known as Rauru. Guiding Link through the ‘tutorial island’ as I call it, we learn new abilities that help Link traverse the land and skies of Hyrule.

Finishing the ‘tutorial island’ took me three hours. I’m a bit disappointed because playing it back a second time, I felt the same feeling of boredom as I had to cross the entire island on foot, with no paraglider. If there was ever a time I needed the Old Man from “Breath of the Wild” to hand over his paraglider, it was then!

The game leaves you wandering around to look for the new equivalent of Sheikah towers and egg-shaped rock shrines before pushing you towards more dialogue and lore. Although I love the idea of learning a game’s lore through dialogue, the amount of dialogue is overwhelming. I felt tired just reading out the dialogue and trying to remember what each character was teaching me. After learning new mechanics with familiar faces, I went towards a stable to find more familiar faces and people asking me about my horses.

To my surprise, my hooved companion was waiting for me to continue our adventures from “Breath of the Wild”! My horse, Adonis, had his same goofy smile and we were able to set off on a new adventure together.

I won’t go too much further into detail to avoid more major plot spoilers, but so far, I am thoroughly enjoying what the game has to offer. The map shows Hyrule in all its glory and allows players to discover new hidden secrets, whilst also seeing old friends! The graphics do give a great sense of familiarity, whilst also showing just how much work went into the game’s world building.

If you’re new to “The Legend of Zelda” franchise, I highly recommend starting with “Breath of the Wild” to get a great sense of open-world exploration. I’m absolutely loving the game so far

A Nintendo Switch, game box and an amiibo figure on top of “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: The Complete Official Guide Expanded Edition”

Photo by Brittany Cinderella

Photos of Annie.

Photos by Megan Rogers

Drawing of a Korok from Legend of Zelda.

Artwork by Brittany Cinderella

The ‘concerning’ and ‘traumatic’ experiences of a school lockdown

Anna Fridell and Morgana Carroll with contributions from Katherine Camarata Staff Reporter and News Editor

No amount of lockdown drills could prepare a student for the feeling that violence may be around the corner in a space that is supposed to be safe.

The Ellensburg School District (ESD) experienced a swatting incident on May 10. The difference between this event and others that have occurred in the past is the level of knowledge going into the threat, according to ESD Director of Safety and Security Neil Musser.

“This one we had no prior knowledge [of] and based on what was said that was reported to us, we thought it was pretty imminent,” Musser said. “The impact was pretty substantial.”

46 school shootings occurred in 2022, a record high number with a total of 43,450 children exposed to school violence at K-12 schools, according to Truthout.

So far in 2023, 23 school shootings have occurred following 2022’s record high of 51 victims to death or injury according to EducationWeek.

“In talking with a number of our students that go to school here, what they shared is that for some of them, [it was] very concerning, very traumatic,” Musser said. “All they want to do is come to school and learn and they’re made to think about this stuff

because of that potential.”

The threat was placed near the end of the school day resulting in an immediate lockdown at a time where students were in transition, according to Musser.

“We had students that were gone, students that were in the commons, in the lunchroom, students that were outside, parents that were showing up to pick up their kids,” Musser said. “So it was pretty hectic, pretty chaotic. It [had] a substantial impact on our campus.”

According to Serena Scheffer-Arango, an EHS junior enrolled in the running start program who was present during the lockdown, an announcement rang out over the school intercom around 12:30 p.m. about the active lockdown, stating that this “wasn’t a drill” and instructing students to hide in classrooms.

“I heard screaming from the cafeteria … and a bunch of people came running past the hallway and into our room, and then one of our club directors held the door closed because our door didn’t have a lock on it,” Scheffer-Arango said.

While the threat was deemed a false report, students nonetheless felt the weight of the situation.

“I texted my mom to let her know what was happening, and the parents didn’t get a message until after the lockdown was over that everything was fine, but I was with my friend under the desk, we were

holding hands,” Scheffer-Arango said. “There were some people crying because none of us knew what was happening.”

Scheffer-Arango said they had never experienced an active lockdown before at EHS. She mentioned recent national news in terms of gun violence and its impact on students.

“I think running through everybody’s head, it was like, there’s probably a school shooter here because that’s just the current events happening right now,” Scheffer-Arango said. “It’s just kind of jarring that I actually got to experience it, but I also felt relief afterwards that no one was hurt.”

One Ellensburg High School (EHS) mother, who wishes to remain anonymous because she said she fears her claims could impact how school faculty treat her son, said her son was one of the students who had left when the lockdown began.

“[When I called my son he] said, ‘there was a lockdown. We were standing by the door and we figured that our chances if there was something going on in the building would have been better to just exit,’” the mother said. “Him and his friend left the building and ran up to Craig’s Hill.”

The mother said she worries the students aren’t informed enough on what to do in the event of a shooter or lockdown. She said her son had

left when he heard the lockdown announcement, but if the threat had been outside the school he may have been running into danger. The mother said she thinks there should be a way of letting students know where the danger is and to teach the students what to do in specific situations.

According to the mother, she was worried for her son when she got the news EHS was in lockdown, and she describes school shootings as acts of domestic terrorism.

“Yes, I was worried,” the mother said. “I thought to myself, do I need to arm myself to go pick up my son right now? This is terrorism.”

Columbia High School (CHS) in White Salmon, Washington experienced a similar threat on May 10 regarding a phone call from a potential school shooter saying they’d be entering the school according to the Marion County Sheriff’s office.

“Some students chose to stay home the next day, probably some of the more impacted students chose to stay home but when they came back in, we had counselors available to them, and same thing with staff,” CHS Principal Craig Mckee said.

Most school shootings on the news appear to be done by students or former students, according to Mckee. The best way for educators to prevent this event from happening is to provide care and resources for all students.

“I think the best thing we can do as a school district is to build relationships with our students,” Mckee said. “It’s really about taking care of the students that we have and helping them be successful and that is just treating them in a way that they know you care about them.”

The top four motivations of school shooters include past or current experiences of bullying, revenge, home abuse and a disregard for the value of life according to Alfred University.

Active violence training in schools have increased over time in correlation to the rising amounts of school shootings per year in the United States, according to Musser.

“Run, hide, fight, is what we do now. There was a time period where you just sit under your desk, and they found that that wasn’t good,” Mckee said.

CWU Campus Safety provided a video on ‘Run. Hide. Fight.’ in the instance of a violent threat on campus. The video can be found on the CWU YouTube page.

For anyone that is a victim or has experienced trauma related to gun violence, the CWU Student Counseling Center and WildcatCARE365 can offer resources and support.

CWU baseball leaving it all on the mound

Kiante Goudeau:

A

Tre’Jon

Henderson Staff Reporter

The Wildcats ended their season in a pair of losses to the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks and the Western Oregon Wolves. The teams battled in close games to keep their championship hopes alive but came up short.

“The guys fought hard, it was an up and down season, so I was simply happy the guys never quit,”

CWU Head Coach Desi Storey said. “The guys have battled adversity all season, I know it is not the outcome they wanted but I am super proud of them either way.”

During the first game versus Northwest Nazarene, Ben Leid hit 2-4, had two RBIs, and scored a run, Trevor Tripoli hit 1-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run and Sam Lauderdale also went 1-4 with an RBI.

Travis Helm hit a double, went 1-3 at the plate, and pushed across one run, Austin Ohland went 1-4 with a run and a walk and Brady Hinkle had a hit in three at-bats.

“It was a crazy season from summer until spring, we just battled the whole way and could not be prouder of my team,” Outfielder Sam Lauderdale said. “You do not really know what teams go through until you are in their shoes, this team has so much heart just wish we could have finished it out on top.”

During their loss that ended the Wildcat’s season versus the Western Wolves, Reid Rasmussen got the start for the Wildcats and recorded three outs on three pitches in the first inning. He would pitch

five innings before Nolan Milliman came in for an inning and struck out a batter.

Alex Brady entered in the seventh inning and finished the game. Trevor Tripoli hit 2-3 with a home run, one RBI, and two runs scored. Charlie Larson went 2-5 at the plate with an RBI, Jake Felton was 1-4 at the plate with an RBI double and Travis Helm went 1-3.

“It is not the way we wanted our season to end, but the way we just worked our tails off throughout the season just showed how much we wanted to win,” Catcher Austin Ohland said. “We were young this year and a lot of young guys got to get in and earn their stripes, we just got to get back to work and learn from our mistakes.”

The Wildcats started the season slow, going under .500 in the first half of the season. The Wildcats were not in the playoff picture until a sudden turnaround in which they pushed themselves in with a great second half to the season. The Wildcats won their last 7 out of 10 to give themselves a shot at the playoffs.

“The turnaround happened after we beat Montana State Billings, we just looked at each other and said nobody can stop us if we believe we can win every game,” Pitcher Reid Rasmussen said, “The older guys had to step up and lead the young guys, once we were all on the same page, we were a whole new team.”

The Wildcats get a little break before they are back training in July in search of the championship for next season.

young coach with a detailed approach to elevating CWU’s cornerbacks

Sports Spectated

By: Isaac Hinson

Charis Jones Staff Reporter

CWU football has welcomed three new graduate assistant coaches to their staff, each bringing their own expertise and enthusiasm to the team. Joining the ranks is Amanda Ruller, an offensive assistant, Ripken Braman, who was recently promoted to the roles of chief of staff and recruiting coordinator and Kiante Goudeau who will take on the role of cornerbacks coach to round out the dynamic trio. With a background in coaching at various levels, Goudeau said that he aims to bring a unique perspective and a strong desire to help his players reach their full potential.

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Goudeaus coaching journey began as a high school defensive backs coach at Nogales High School. He then served as the defensive coordinator at Compton College in 2022, showcasing his ability to lead and develop players. Goudeau’s own playing career took him from Edison High School, where he won a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championship, to Long Beach City Junior College, and eventually to his graduation from North Dakota State University.

“Honestly I was open to coaching anywhere in the college world,” Goudeau said. “Central just happened to give me a call and I’m forever grateful because this is a great place and I’ve just been running with it ever since.”

As the cornerback’s coach, Goudeau said that he aims to instill a strong sense of detail and organization in his players.

“I would say first and foremost, [helping them] be as detailed as possible, not just only on the field, but off the field and in everything they do,” Goudeau said. “My guys would say I’m one of the more detailed coaches they’ve probably been around, and I also want them to be very organized as well.”

“I’m definitely not a ‘yeller’ coach. Some of the guys would say I’m the ‘youngest oldest guy’ they know because I don’t raise my voice a lot,” Goudeau said while talking about his coaching style. “I have a stoic

personality, so I’m on the same level at all times. But, I’m still going to coach the guys hard, just in a different way than someone else might.”

While Goudeau is primarily responsible for coaching cornerbacks, he expressed excitement about learning more about the entire defensive side of the game.

“[I’m excited to be] learning from coach Torgerson on the front end of stuff,” Goudeau said. “Really diving into the whole side of the defense, not just the defensive backfield, but also learning more about defensive line playing and linebacker play.”

Goudeau emphasized the importance of leadership, attention to detail and organization when describing the qualities of a successful football coach.

“Number one, you’ve got to be a leader... You have to be a detailed-oriented person... And then the third thing if I could put anything out there, it’s just being organized with your time as a coach,” Goudeau said. When it comes to player development, Goudeau focuses on promoting confidence within his athletes.

“I help players by instilling more confidence in themselves. For example, if we’re dealing with a particularly quiet kid who isn’t really showing much emotion, I usually have a natural way of bringing the best out of kids,” Goudeau said.

During his time as a graduate assistant coach at CWU, Goudeau said that he has two primary goals. Above all else, he aims to be the best cornerback coach he can be for the team. Secondly, Goudeau seeks to broaden his knowledge of defensive football by learning more about the front-end aspects of the game, particularly linebackers and defensive line play.

As CWU gears up for a new season, the addition of Kiante Goudeau to the coaching staff brings renewed enthusiasm and a strong commitment to achieving high standards. Goudeau’s meticulous approach, unwavering dedication to player development and eagerness to expand his coaching expertise position him favorably to contribute significantly to the team.

What a bittersweet week. NBA all-time legend Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement on Monday. Anthony is 9th on the all-time scoring leaders list, and while never breaking through to the finals, more than cemented himself as one of the league’s greatest thanks to his prolific scoring. His announcement was met with celebration around the league from players, coaches and fans, myself included. Anthony began his career with the Denver Nuggets, before requesting a trade and being sent to the New York Knicks after seven-anda-half years in the mile high city. Anthony blossomed into an All-NBA caliber player in his final years in Denver and his time in New York, while spending the twilight of his career in OKC, Houston, and Portland before ending his career with the Lakers. Anthony’s time in Portland is something I value dearly, it’s very rare for all-time players to make their way through the 503, let alone seem like they enjoy their time here. Anthony spent two seasons with Portland, gave us countless memorable moments and entered the top ten all-time scoring list as a Blazer. He eats for free in PDX.

Anthony came into the league in the 2003 draft, which was headlined by number one overall pick LeBron James, who after being swept by the Denver Nuggets in the western conference finals began hinting at possible retirement. James said in his postgame press conference after game 4 that he had a lot to think about regarding next season, and then a report from Chris Haynes came out later in the night saying James was considering retirement and was unsure if he would be with the Lakers at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Hearing that Carmelo retired and that LeBron was considering retirement on the same day was not easy for me as an NBA fan. My journey as an NBA fan really began with LeBron’s first game as a Laker (It was against the Blazers and the first game of the 2018-19 season, Portland won), and I’m really sad that I didn’t get to see the rest of his career. Selfishly, I hope he keeps playing so I can make up for lost time.

KevinVarnergettingreadyatbat. Photo by Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media

Goudeauonthefield. Photo by Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media

Wildcat Words:

What’s your favorite memory from spring quarter?

Wildcat

“Probably

“My favorite memory was a culture corner event called Mexican Cinema. I just love all kinds of cinema so it gave me a long list of things I needed to watch.”

Q&A Q&A

Lily Beck is a freshman at CWU and a running start student majoring in dance and journalism. She is from Arlington, Washington and is currently a news anchor at 88.1 the ‘Burg radio station at CWU.

Lily Beck

What got you interested in reporting the news and what is your favorite part about doing it?

I met this journalism teacher and he just made me so interested in journalism and telling news; I took Journalism 101 that quarter and I just got so interested in it. His name is Professor Wall and I absolutely adore him. We still keep in touch to this day and he really helped me find my passion for telling news and why it’s important to tell news. Then I needed a job when I came here and I saw that 88.1 was hiring for a news anchor and I was like, oh my gosh, that’s perfect because I’m a journalism major. Luckily, I got the job and it’s been such a fun experience and I love getting to tell the campus about what’s going on in the world, because I feel like here in Ellensburg, we’re so confined to Ellensburg. It’s 45 minutes away from almost anything else. So, being able to tell people what’s going on nationally or worldwide or regionally, I just think it’s really important for college students especially to know, because they’re the next generation of decision makers.

Who are some of your favorite people that you’ve gotten to interview on the job?

Her name is Deborah Stevens, she is a justice for Washington state. I did an interview with her and that was really, really cool. That’s probably the most notable person I’ve ever interviewed and it was great. She’s a first generation student like myself, and I feel to have that on the radio at the university is really cool because there are so many first generation students, and to have somebody like her to look up to is really impactful. When I worked for our newspaper back at Everett Community College, I did a story on how terrible our safety is on the campus, and so I was able to interview the head of safety there and got some great information from him, and that was one of my favorite interviews.

What makes a good interview?

What makes a good interview is being able to talk back and forth with the person. I like having a rolling con versation with my interviewee. I think that makes it a lot more seamless and you get to connect more when you have communication with them, and so you get really good information from them.

Tell us a little bit about your show on 88.1 the ‘Burg, The Pond.

I play folk rock and alternative music and everything in between those two genres. We have some segments that are like bird of the week, and I talk about whatever bird I want to talk about that week. I have weekly affirmations, so just some affirmations that hopefully somebody will carry with them and they can reflect on throughout the week. I do a segment on my favorite thing from the week. [This week] I went to Seattle on Saturday and Sunday to visit my boyfriend, it was our four-year anniversary. We went to a Mariners game and went to the aquarium. It was really fun.

“It would probably be learning that I got this job at the library because I really wanted this job, as I loved libraries and reading.”

6 a.m. - 10 p.m. - Student Appreciation Festival 2023 in Barto Lawn 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. - Coffee with the Cops in Library 203 Study Room

4 - 8 p.m. - PolyFest 2023 in SURC Ballroom

9 - 10:45 p.m. - The Hot New Jam in SURC 210

International Burger Day

1 - 2 p.m. - Pride Week: Amateur Drag Show in SURC Patio 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. - Monday Movie Madness: “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” in SURC Theater (Students Only, Bring ID)

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Don’t Waste, Donate! in SURC 137A/B

5: 30 - 7 p.m. - Backpacks to Briefcases in Samuelson Hall 105

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Don’t Waste, Donate! in SURC 137A/B

Emma Cavin Jr. Forensics Anthropology

“My

6th. ”

Justin Jakahi Jr. Computer Science

Q&A compiled by Katherine Camarata

Maritsa Rodriguez Grad. School Psychology

Cate Edelen Fr. Geography

Shani Griffin Soph. Law & Justice

Oscar the Observant. Design by Brittany Cinderella