The Observer, Spring 2025 – Issue1 by CWU Observer

OBSERVER AND PULSE’S FUNDING THREATENED

S&A COMMITTEE PROPOSES NEAR-COMPLETE DEFUNDING OF CAMPUS PAPER AND MAGAZINE

2, 3, 4 & 5

ELLENSBURG SEES HIGHEST PROTEST TURNOUT IN YEARS DURING “HANDS OFF” PROTEST

EXCLUSIVE “HANDS OFF” COVERAGE FROM DENVER

THE OBSERVER’S STATEMENT TO THE S&A COMMITTEE

The following is a letter that was sent out to Joel Klucking, Senior VP Finance and Administration, and all ASCWU members. The letter was written with support of the full staff at The Observer, and was published online on April 2nd.

During spring break, we received notice that The Services & Activities (S&A) Committee plans to defund The Observer, an institution which has been a part of the CWU campus for over 100 years and serves as the voice of students. We implore you to reconsider this decision, and to seriously look at the ramifications of completely defunding student media. If this decision is to pass, it will mean the silencing of student voices as well as of a free and independent student press, by the students for the students, in a time when journalism matters now more than ever.

Student media at CWU are funded by fees paid by students, funds decided by the S&A Committee. In the S&A Committee’s minutes from March 17, 2025, the committee announced its plans to defund The Observer based on supposed violations of Killian Guidelines, which are the basic principles governing the use of S&A fees. Yet, just a couple of days earlier, according to the S&A Committee’s minutes from March 14, 2025, they originally planned to fund us $36,246, regardless of Killians Guidelines, for salaries, travel, and awards, but no printing. The Killian Guidelines have never been an issue in the past and the committee even stated in the meeting that defunding The Observer “feels wrong and sad, but this is just a recommendation and still has to be approved by the groups.”

We are writing this message to request that the S&A Committee’s proposal be rejected and that The Observer continue to receive proper funding for student hourly pay for a small staff, awards, professional memberships, office operations and potential travel. When we applied for this round of funding we requested what would be the bare minimum to keep this campus institution afloat. Originally, The Observer presented three options to the S&A funding committee for our

four-year base funding renewal 2026-2029: To continue printing weekly, to print biweekly, or to switch to a web-only format. The request ranged from a maximum $56,375 to continue current operations, to a minimum $36,346 to switch to a digital-only news outlet, a fraction of the funding The Observer has historically received. We were originally granted $36,346 on March 14, and we were prepared to switch to digital, as many campus newspapers have done. We were not prepared to have the rest of our operational budget stripped away. Following the March 17 deliberations, the S&A Committee proposed an annual budget of $1,100, which they said should be used for award submissions and web hosting for a digital format.

The reasoning provided by the S&A committee showcases a severe disconnect in the decision making process, as without funding there will be no Observer to submit for awards. These awards reflect well on the University, showing the high level of quality student media shows here at CWU. In simplest terms, the submitted $1,100 will not be enough to continue The Observer in any regard, it is not a feasible proposition. This proposed budget is not a budget, it is a death sentence to one of CWU’s longest running institutions, and to discredit it as just a class based on the amount of hours students have put into the paper is a disservice to the nearly 110 years of work that has built the campus newspaper into the award-winning institution it is today.

While it may act as a college course, the time we spend outside of class investigating stories, interviewing sources, writing, editing and designing, is that of a full-time news outlet. It requires far more than just another three-credit class; covering the news factually and thoroughly requires much more work. It is what we are passionate about, not only because of the great work we feel we are doing, but also the opportunities this work gives us to improve in our respective fields and provide a voice and outlet for students.

We, as the Co-Editors-In-Chief, can speak to the sheer amount of work required to put into this paper on a weekly basis, already drastical -

ly exceeding our paid hours and credit hours. And that is not counting the 20+ out-of-class hours our design and editing team each individually put into the paper every single week. Paid salaries are essential for those leadership positions. These are positions of great responsibility. We are liable for what all of our student reporters publish, and we take our roles seriously. Leadership is also responsible for mentoring writers/designers, helping run class, and consistently staying in contact with reporters, photographers and designers for updates.

The Observer serves a unique role to the campus as the voice of the students and a watchdog of campus administration, holding the powers-that-be accountable and shining a light on issues of concern to students. In the last quarter alone, we have covered stories ranging from issues with dining, heating in the library, budget proposals, a Q&A with Wohlpart, and gauging student voices for other concerns. We receive praise from students and staff on campus for the work that we put out weekly. Because of the years of work we have done, we have seen The Observer win awards, we have had students invited to speak at panels, and we have made important friendships and connections to help us in our future careers. The fact we have been able to put out the type of product we have and continue to win awards with the already limited funding we have, as well as significantly fewer staff members compared to other universities, is a testament to the efforts of our leadership team and the entire staff.

Please reconsider approving a defunding of your campus newspaper.

The photos used in the Winter Quarter Issue 9 story titled “‘We’re not here to make happy athletes, we’re here to make winners’” were selected randomly from the CWU Athletic Gallery. The athletes pictured did not represent people interviewed in the story.

WIDESPREAD SUPPORT SHOWN TO THE OBSERVER

FOLLOWING THREATENED FUNDING

Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief

Following the April 2 release of The Observer’s official statement on the current threats to student media at CWU, alumni, staff and students alike have shown widespread support for The Observer in its push to secure funding.

Social media pages were flooded with support, with Seattle Times Sports Reporter Tim Booth posting to X (formerly twitter) with the message, “I’m damn proud to have worked on The Observer for three years in school. @ascwu_sg and the Services & Activities committee should be appropriately funding student media at @CentralWashU. Full stop.”

Booth’s post sparked a trend on both X and Facebook, with many notable alumni sharing to their own personal pages in support of The Observer and PULSE magazine. Many reached out to The Observer asking how they could help, and were directed to write letters of support to be shared with and published for The Observers readers and decision makers at CWU.

The following is a collection of letters of support, collected, with permission, from direct submissions to the Observer’s gmail and from social media platforms. Some responses have been edited for length.

“My name is Isaac Hinson, I served on The Observer for eight quarters. From the Spring quarter of my freshman year until the Fall quarter of the senior year. I started as a staff reporter before being promoted to sports editor, and then to scene editor, and then finally Editor-In-Chief for a year. I have also spent multiple quarters as a writer at PULSE Magazine. Working with The Observer has been the greatest experience of my collegiate career. It gave so much to me. I was taught discipline, efficiency and what it takes to be a leader of strong character. But, I was also taught creativity, passion and what it’s like to work amongst a group of people I consider far more than just coworkers. Each week aspirational writers, editors, designers and photographers all get to practice and hone their craft in truly meaningful ways. The experience gained working in the Observer and PULSE far outweighs any isolated lesson that can

“I’m writing to you from the NCAA Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, where I am working for Getty Images as a sports assignment editor -- a position that uses leadership skills and industry knowledge I first began to hone while working at the Observer as a student more than a decade ago. The funding from S&A allowed us to pay our editing staff, which was a lifeline for many of us trying to go to school, publish a paper and in my case, also compete as a studentathlete. The Observer, along with PULSE and [formerly] Cat TV, provide a critical real-world experience for students who aspire to go into journalism. Graduating with a portfolio of work gives students a leg up in a highly-competitive and evershrinking industry. How many other groups that S&A funds can say that they’re sending students off into the world with portfolios of work that will help them get their first jobs post-graduation? Is that not the mission of the

be taught in a traditional classroom. Nothing I have learned in any class has prepared me for my future like the lessons I have learned, the successes I’ve had and the failures I’ve experienced in the office of The Observer. Intentional or notthe near-complete defunding of student media shows compliance and alignment with the current anti-media and anti-journalist administration in our great country’s White House. The removal of student press from our campus is the removal of transparency from our school’s administration, it’s the removal of someone to keep the people making the most important decisions in-check, and it’s the removal of one of the biggest avenues for student voices to be heard in a way that they maybe, just maybe, will reach the people at the top.

The people making the decisions about their funding only see the final product. Not a single person in administration or the S&A committee has ever

university, and thus S&A: to educate students and prepare them for jobs in their industry of their choice?

The leadership skills I developed as an editor for three years at The Observer played a huge part in propelling me forward in my career, more so than anything else I did at Central. The work I produced at The Observer helped me get an internship at the Yakima Herald-Republic while in school, and created a domino effect, improving and growing at each new work opportunity. Post-graduation, that work and leadership experience helped me get an internship at the Huffington Post, and got me into the Mountain Workshops, which got me my first fulltime journalism job at a small newspaper. The 10-page paper I wrote on the documentary “Super Size Me” for a history of documentary class did not get me a job, nor did my math homework. But my journalism class homework, articles and

seen what it actually takes to create an issue of The Observer or PULSE. None of them know the countless hours and sleepless nights that already far exceed the paid hours we had been allotted in years previous. The designs thrown away at the last minute, the late-breaking story that needs to be put on the front page, the countless interviews done each week, the array of photos taken just to find the one perfect image. Both publications already operated on budgets that were minuscule compared to other institutions. Without funding, why would any student ever want to come to CWU to study journalism?

Across the awards cases in Lind Hall, the phrases “Students Matter” and “Credibility Matters” are printed on the glass covering PULSE and Observer’s many awards. These moves from S&A and Administration go directly against that messaging, showing that if anything, their students do not matter to them,

photos for The Observer? That work did get me a job. Hiring editors read those articles and saw those photos, in addition to my resume, and gave me a chance.

Without that practical experience at Central, without those clips students produce each week and publish in The Observer, you will eliminate that chance for these students, and many to come. This is not to say the other skills developed and classes taken at Central were not valuable. They are. The bachelors degrees I earned are valuable too. But you can draw a direct line from my work at The Observer to my current position that put me here in San Antonio for the college basketball championship, and at the Paris Olympics last summer. Do not erase that line for the hundreds, maybe thousands, of students who will come through Central.”

-Katharine Lotze, alumna and former Observer EIC (Editor-In-Chief)

and credibility is a thought that goes in one ear and out the other. If CWU, S&A, and President Wohlpart truly care about the students in their communication and journalism programs, then I please urge them to reconsider their proposals. The importance of student media can not be overstated. Free the student press.”

FREE STUDENT PRESS!!

-Isaac Hinson, student and former Observer EIC

PETITION TO SUPPORT STUDENT PRESS

“The connections that I’ve made within the community with honest and accurate reporting mean the absolute most to me and I can strongly say that I could not have done so without my time on The Observer and PULSE.

As a CWU alumni and former contributor to both The Observer and PULSE Magazine, I STRONGLY urge S&A to reconsider defunding student media. I have made a successful career for myself because of my experiences with these two student publications, and I know others that have graduated from the program have done the same. At a time in our world when true and honest journalism is of the utmost

I worked on PULSE Magazine from 2015 to 2018 as a graphic designer and creative director later in my career. During my time there, I received invaluable experience and mentorship that I simply did not get from my classes alone. Working at PULSE truly shaped the trajectory of the career, and I would not have the opportunities that I have now without the experience I received while spending countless hours on the magazine. To minimize and downgrade the amount of work and effort that students put into student media is incredibly disappointing.

As the Creative Director, I witnessed first-hand not only how much work we put into the design of the magazine, but how hard and how passionate the reporters put into writing their stories. We worked on

importance, the students of Central Washington University NEED to have the opportunities to contribute and participate in studentled journalism.

I can confidently say that I would not be where I am today in my journalism career without the experiences and the knowledge that I gained during my time with The Observer and PULSE Magazine. PLEASE reconsider the decision to defund student-led journalism at Central Washington University. The loss to the students and the community would be devastating.”

-Kyle Wilkinson, alumni and former Observer photo editor

many issues tackling tough subjects like the rise of sexual assault reports on campus, the Black Lives Matter movement, and eating disorders in athletes — the reporters of these stories did not take these topics lightly. We recognized the importance of journalism, as my dear friend and former EIC Bailey Williams wrote in her editor’s note for the Fall 2016 Issue Two edition, “our jobs as journalists is to give a voice to the voiceless” — that driving sentiment has been carried on through so many issues, well beyond after I graduated.

If you look back at farewells from previous seniors in PULSE, you’ll see many of us signing off with “PULSE for Life” — is it cheesy? Sure, but the sentiment was always genuine. Once you spend hours late

“It’s beyond disheartening to see Central Washington University’s student media publications may no longer exist due to the preposterous proposal by CWU’s Services & Activities committee to defund The Observer and Pulse Magazine.

My name is Sean Bessette, former Editor-in-Chief and proud alum of The Observer. I spent five quarters on staff at The Observer, from Fall 2020, my first quarter on campus, to Winter 2022. The Observer shaped me into the communications professional I am today, and I can credit my success to the experience I gained at The Observer.

But, this isn’t about me. This is about all students, current and past, that have been impacted

by the opportunities presented through student media. This is about future students, who would no longer have the opportunity to participate and grow in a student publication. This is about CWU’s campus community, and the fantastic coverage from these student publications for 110 YEARS. I urge CWU’s S&A committee to reverse course on the proposal to defund student media. This blatant attempt to silence student voices cannot continue, and I hope the committee can continue to fund these publications properly for generations to come.”

-Sean Bessette, alumni and former Observer EIC

“The Central Washington University Services & Activities committee has plans to defund The Observer and Pulse Magazine. Let that sink in for a second. This isn’t just a headline, this is a gut punch to the history of students in the past, present and future.

Let me be blunt: The Observer is the reason I am where I am today. In June, I’ll hit the fiveyear mark working in news professionally—and it’s not

into the night making sure the writing was edited and accurate, the photo shoots were completed on time, and the designs worked in harmony with the stories being told, with people who are so hardworking and dedicated to craft — that feeling of community sticks with you. I look back fondly for my time at PULSE and have loved watching it continue to grow over the years. I can only hope that the decision to defund student media will be reconsidered, or else the loss of print media to the campus will be a devastating one.

-Vanessa Cruz-Rivera, alumna, former PULSE Graphic Designer and Creative Director

because of my degree. It’s because of the experience I gained during my three years working at The Observer. Without that, I would not have had the foundation to build a successful career in journalism.

But beyond my personal success, the impact of The Observer cannot be overstated. It’s a living, constantly-adapting historical archive that has served this campus for decades. To defund it would be a direct attack

on student journalism and, by extension, the entire student body. The Observer has a motto: “By the students, for the students.” That isn’t just some slogan. It’s the heart and soul of the school’s community. By defunding student media, you silence students. We’re about to celebrate 110 years of The Observer’s publication. One hundred and ten years. If the S&A committee follows through with this decision, they will not

I worked for The Observer for three or so quarters and student voices are very important in a college. It’s what makes the students heard. Taking that away makes them feel silenced. What is that going to do to them in the future? It’s going to make them feel like they have no voice of their own. It’s going to hurt their future. It’s ridiculous if you ask me. You can’t do that to The Observer. I had a great time working with everyone I did.

- Emily Lafave, alumna and Online Editor

only undermine a pivotal part of this university’s legacy—they will be making a catastrophic mistake that will hurt current and future students. This cannot happen. I truly hope this is some sort of misunderstanding and the committee chooses to be on the right side of history.”

-Mariah Lane, alumna and former Observer EIC

“Before I joined student media outlets like The Observer, I had little confidence in myself as a neurodivergent, queer journalist who had not published anything in years. After working with trusted mentors like Jennifer Green to develop as a writer and editor, I became so clear in my voice and purpose that I was able to help survivors of assault and gender-based discrimination share their stories while collaborating on a publication that our team was proud of.

To defund student media outlets like The Observer is to remove an integral part of communication among students, administration and various organizations across CWU. This action restricts the only news publication in Ellensburg that is always actively running investigative stories, as was evidenced when I was told by editors of Ellensburg newspaper The Daily Record that the

“My name is Maddy Wilson, and I am a former Editor-inChief of PULSE Magazine at Central Washington University. Currently, I am a Student Organizations Coordinator at Boise State University where I advise and coordinate three award-winning Student Media programs including a student newspaper, magazine and design agency.

I am writing today to express my disagreement with the suggested cuts to the PULSE Magazine and Observer budgets, as outlined in the recent budget proposal by the Services & Activities Committee. Student Media is a pinnacle of student voices, expression and creativity within many universities. As an alumna of the CWU Student Media program, my experiences led me to pursue a career in higher education where I have since worked with students across the country in areas of design, public relations and marketing.

original breaking Cats Against Assault story could not be run in their publication due to the piece featuring anonymous sources. Defunding The Observer greatly inhibits the opportunity for people to safely speak out against injustices at our university and in our town without fear of repercussions, as the Cats Against Assault founders expressed during our anonymous interviews in 2022.

The Observer has a history of breaking investigative pieces that would otherwise be swept under the rug, as was the case when Laynie Erickson wrote the dining services story in 2021, covering a manager who was still working around students after he was caught sexually harassing employees in the workplace. This story and the testimonies of the sources eventually led the person committing these acts to be given less access to students and

Specifically, in my previous professional role I used my knowledge of journalistic and public relations writing (gained from Student Media) to advise a public relations team on developing press kits and interacting with the media for a multi-million dollar non-profit organization. Furthermore, the leadership skills such as public speaking, team management and delegation I gained from my time in Student Media have impacted my day-to-day work in education.

However, the impact of Student Media is more than journalism training. Beyond the personal impact of CWU Student Media on my career, I want to share some data about financing a Student Media program that is unmanageable given the proposed cuts. A standard printing contract for a weekly newspaper can cost upwards of $25,000 across an academic year. Additionally, a print magazine published twice

placed a more discerning campus-wide eye upon his actions.

Women especially need an outlet to share stories of abuse and trauma in a reputable way without facing potential violence and harassment as backlash. Removing funding for student media publications is a slap in the face to all brave sources who shared their testimonies through The Observer and to any future women or students of any identities who will seek out a publication to share their truth in pursuit of freedom and justice. There is somehow room in the budget for a salary increase for our university president, but when it comes to any funding for a publication that trains students to exercise their first amendment rights and push back against unjust patriarchal systems with testimonies from victims, CWU is falling short. Despite the salary increase

and the funding for student media likely drawing from different financial wells, the power imbalance and skewed priorities in these decisions is not lost on many of us. Budget cuts are happening nationwide and campus wide, but it is imperative to state that a campus newspaper reporting on topics that would otherwise not see the light of day should not be one of the casualties of this horrible, discriminatory presidential administration, especially not during a historic time in which our first amendment rights and our rights to live in a truly democratic nation are more at risk than ever.”

-Katherine Camarata, alumna and former Observer EIC

per quarter can be approximately $20,000+. If you cut down the total allocated for printing to even half of that estimate, you’d still need at least $22,000 in operations to maintain a biweekly print newspaper and a magazine printed three times per year.

Currently, there is a national 25% tariff on all paper goods from Canada, which many American printers source their paper from. Further, this increase in price to import paper has resulted in supply chain issues, causing many American paper producers to increase their prices or be unable to meet the printing demand. There is no predicted end to these tariffs, leading to many proposed budgetary increases for news agencies with printed products.

If funds from CWU Student Media are cut, there will be no ability to provide a print product to the student body due to the projected increase in printing costs.

This budget cut will eliminate an advertising source for campus departments and local businesses (such as ROTC, ATM, Planned Parenthood, Care Net, and more) as well as censor the student voice. Without print papers and magazines available across campus, awareness of Student Media will decrease, thus decreasing students’ awareness of campus news.

An informed student body is one that can actively engage in their community, advocate for others and grow their learning. By defunding Student Media, I believe the Services & Activities Committee is silencing the student voice and taking away a source of critical information to the student body. Thank you for your consideration, and I hope

-Maddy Wilson, alumna and former PULSE EIC

Ellensburg Joins the Nation in “Hands Off” Protest, The Largest in Years

Kyley Glenn Lead Reporter

Starting at University Way in front of Barge Hall, residents of Kittitas County filled up both sides of the road with signs in support of “Hands Off” Saturday afternoon. The protest focused on policies that have been enacted so far during Donald Trump’s second term in office.

The Ellensburg protest was one of over 1,500 protests held across the United States of America. Globally, it reached in Austria, France, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal and the UK according MSN. It was referred to as a “mass mobilization” by the creators of the event.

“Hands Off” was the organization that helped plan over 1,200 rallies throughout the country. The phrase refers to concerns about the new administration’s attitudes toward social security, cancer research, veterans administration, wildfire fighting, bonneville power admin, consumer protection, Canada and Greenland, Medicaid and Medicare.

Participants marched to Unity Way for speeches and live music an hour into the event. The speakers were local professors and members of the Kittitas County Democratic Party.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and women too, for that matter, that we, the people, are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Dr. Jean Marie Linhart, a professor of Mathematics at Central Washington University, said during her speech.

Another speaker was Shelley Lowndesbury Griffin, current vice chair of Kittitas County Democratic Party

“There is a myth in Washington State that there’s the west side and there’s the east side, and the west side is liberal and it’s progressive and it’s business people and it’s tech people, and the east side were all conservative farmers,” Lowndesbury Griffin said, adding that “41 to 45% of the entire Kittitas County has voted for our Democrats. In Ellensburg proper, it’s 58% and in Roslyn, that’s 60%. That tells me that this story about East Side / West Side is not true, and we need to stop believing in that.”

Attendees varied from babies and their parents to senior citizens. Many attendees were students from Central.

“I am not very happy with this nation, and I really want to be able to save the world and help out. Help save our country from this dictatorship that we’re in now,” Mulholland Dunlap, a second year Media & Journalism major at CWU, said.

The protest stayed peaceful with the exception of colorful words being yelled by a handful of citizens passing by in their vehicles as well as the protesters yelling back in response. Many other drivers honked in solidarity. The White House and President have yet to speak on the protests. A fence was put up a day before the protests took place and garden tours there were postponed.

Photos

Kyley Glenn

EXCLUSIVE: “LEAD US” DENVER PROTESTORS REACH OUT TO STUDENTS NATIONWIDE

Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief

Denver was one of the thousands of cities across the nation that joined in on the “Hands Off” protests this past Saturday. Our Co-Editor-In-Chief, Brandon Mattesich, was in Denver for the Western Regional Honors Conference and covered the protest. The turnout was in the thousands, with many of the city’s senior population taking the chance to protest on a variety of issues including Trump’s federal policies.

One group of protestors had a key message in mind. “If generations before us had been complacent, we wouldn’t be here,” Beth Kelly, one protestor who attended the event with her church group, said. “So hopefully the march motivates our younger generations to realize they can get involved with us and lead us. Not only get involved, but lead us. Help us fight for free press, because that’s how you move forward.”

The group said they were there to protest for what they believe to be “core values,” arguing that everything that happened recently at a federal level was backwards. “I’m angry and motivated against the administration right now and all the injustices that they’re carrying out against all kinds of people,” Julie Coleman, a protestor with the group, said. “This year, the actions of this government have hurt our family, personally threatened our jobs and our health care.”

Coleman also discussed how she had personally been affected by the new policies, having watched systems she helped build up over years unravel. “It’s not the country I grew up in, and he’s rebuilding colonial- ism,” Coleman said. “If you go all the way back to FDR in the 30s, when we actually established social security, and we built that up in Medicare and Medicaid, and in one fell swoop, it is being threatened by this administration almost 100 years later. We marched for women’s rights back in the day, now it’s been reversed, that’s why we’re here today.”

Eileen Hunter Sweeny, another member of the protest group, shared a final statement, “Compared to what happened 80 years ago, World War II, and how far our country has come with the help of the allies … it’s gone. It’ll be gone in a matter of years.”

DOUBLE THE POWER, DOUBLE THE JOY

KARSYN DECKER LAUNCHES FIRST TWO CAREER HOME RUNS

Jackson Roberts & Parker Wood Co-Editor-In-Chief, Sports Editor

Coming into the 2025 softball season, senior outfielder Karsyn Decker, out of Anchorage, Alaska had yet to hit a home run in her collegiate career. During a four game road series taking on Montana State University Billings (MSUB), she struck a new found power as she launched not one, but two home runs in the series to earn her first and second career home run in the span of just a couple hours.

Starting in the last 77 games, Decker has cemented herself as an important piece of the softball team’s lineup as primarily a contact hitter with speed on the basepaths. In her senior season, she is putting up career-highs with still eight games remaining. Her batting average has taken a jump to .317 from her previous career best in her sophomore year from .257, she is getting on base at a career-high .355 and already has more hits in 30 games this season than she had in 47 last year.

The emotions were high after the first home as she was overwhelmed with applause from her teammates. “ I almost cried, I was so shocked,” Decker said. “The first day of the series, I think I was maybe one of the only people who didn’t hit a home run in the lineup, and I was told that. So that kind of fueled me into the next day. It was my pitch, I was hunting that inside pitch and I just knew it right off the bat. It was the best feeling ever.”

“I think I was just competitive with my teammates, everyone was hitting home runs so I thought it was my turn to see if I can,” Decker said. “I am very competitive, against other teams, my teammates or anybody.”

With such a big improvement in her batting average, Decker talked about what went into her offseason and bettering her swing. “I got really comfortable swinging away. I’ve always been kind of short ball thinking, like having to use my legs or my speed. This summer, I did a lot of hitting with Serena [Perez] and Coach Joe (DiPietro) and got very comfortable with swinging away and knowing I am strong enough to hit past the infield.”

Softball coach Joe DiPietro spoke on her improvement and her swing progression. “Karsyn has improved in a lot of ways since her freshman year… On the offensive side, she has grown each year and is having her best year this year,” DiPietro said. “She has primarily been a slap hitter that just tries to put the ball in play but this year, she has worked extremely hard in developing a full swing which helped her during the [MSUB] series.”

It doesn’t stop on the offensive end, Decker is an instinctual defender and has made highlight play after highlight play out in the outfield saving the team from multibase hits and keeping runs off the board. “I love defense, I love just seeing what I can do,” Decker said. “I just shock myself most of the time, like the home run I stole this year, I had no clue it was a home run. I didn’t even know the fence was there, It kind of just happens.”

Coach DiPietro sang praise for the outfielder’s defensive ability. “Defensively, she possesses great speed and an ability to make plays look easy,” DiPietro said. “She has worked on her arm strength to the point that most won’t run on her.”

DiPietro, Decker, and the Wildcat’s softball team look to win their first series as they return home for the first time in almost a month to face Saint Martin’s University, with the first game starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 12.

“I almost cried... it was the best feeling ever.”

Karsyn Decker.

(Photo courtesy of Alistair Hennessey)

c o n n e c t i n g c u lt u r e s

Origami night at the AUAP Friends Club

Jackson Roberts Co-Editor-In-Chief

The Asia University America Program (AUAP) gives students from Asia University a chance to come to America and immerse themselves in new cultures. It is a study abroad program where the students learn communication skills through content instruction. Each week the AUAP Friends Club has a different event in the Black Hall 202 for the students to kick back and hang out with their new friends they have made at CWU.

The first meeting of the quarter was origami night, where many students alike were showcasing their artistic abilities through making art with paper. Over 15 students made their way to Black Hall as they all sat down with smiles on their faces eating snacks, folding origami and talking amongst one another.

President of the AUAP Friends Club Reyhaneh Bagherian elaborated more on what the club is all about. “The purpose of our club is that our students are coming here to Japan and staying here for almost five months. They are mostly here to learn American culture and everything related to America,” Bagherian said. “The mission of the club is that we have an environment for all students, CWU students and AUAP students to just engage and have space for themselves.

“It’s really interesting because they are coming from a totally different culture, and

it is totally different with US culture. So, the most important part for me personally is sharing different cultures and seeing the differences in our cultures,” Bagherian said.

Intercultural Communications Professor Josh Nelson-Ichido, highlighted the impor tance of Wildcats on campus to befriending the AUAP students who are likely farther away from home than they have ever been.

“For the AUAP students, having domestic students who are eager to engage with them and are willing to actively accommodate to their communications styles and actually think. ‘Okay I want this person to feel welcome, to feel comfortable, I want to make sure that they feel understood or at least valued,’ that stuff is hugely important for a second language learner who is now in a foreign country.”

“Some of my favorite moments have been seeing students of mine who have never heard of AUAP, never done anything with intercultural groups or even thinking interculturally at all. Once they start to interact with AUAP and they do these joint classes or the classroom volunteering, it becomes a passion for them. They become very interested and involved with AUAP,” Nelson-Ichido said.

In the Intercultural Communications class, Nelson-Ichido has the students volunteer to have an in person experience with communicating interculturally.

“It can be very hard to drive home some of the elements because people often have that mentality that ‘oh well intercultural only applies when I’m interacting with someone from a different country or somebody who speaks another language,’ which it is obviously not but it is very hard to drive that home for a lot of students,” Nelson-Ichido said. “Having the option or opportunity to be able to get our students involved with and interact with people from very different cultural and national backgrounds can really highlight some of the concepts that we’re talking about in class that we might not see in their day to day intercultural interactions.”

The AUAP Friends Club will continue to host interactive events throughout the quarter on Thursdays where all students alike have the opportunity to get to know our AUAP Wildcats.

Origami night at AUAP Friends Club.

(Photos by Jackson Roberts)

News Outlet Word Search

WILDCAT WORDS

Divined by Z Morris

Aries (March 21 - April 19): You may be feeling some tension in your

Like something is bubbling up inside of you, making your stomach go in knots. Something dark is encroaching…. Tip of the day: stop drinking two liters of

three minutes.

Taurus (April 20 - May 20): Don’t be so modest about your skills, you’re incredible! Give yourself a pat on the back! I have never seen someone land a triple backflip like you. You’re a natural! Tip of the day: do it right now.

on the streets, I don’t care. Do. It.

Gemini (May 21 - June 20): You’ll be drawn to people that put a smile on your face, like Archie the Dog! I love that guy. He drives me to school in his campus car, and fist bumps me as I go to somersault to class. Tip of the day: keep dog treats on you.

Cancer (June 21 - July 22): Be as aggressive as you need to be to get stuff done. It’s proven that people listen better the louder you are. So if you realize your chicken tender meal has no ranch, go to your server and yell “CAN I PLEASE HAVE MY RANCH PRETTY PLEASE!!!” Tip of the day: ask for a toy while you’re at it.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22): Your mind may be wandering a bit, but where’s it going? Is it going somewhere fun? To Safeway, or Club 301? Down some stairs under a pool table? To the secret society meeting in downtown Ellensburg? Tip of the day: bring a mask?

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sep. 22): You’re going to be so brave today. You are doing so good, I mean here you are reading the horoscopes! That’s a really brave thing to do. Trust me, I know. I write these things. The spirits are really freaking weird. Tip of the day: cleanse this paper in moonlight.

Libra (Sep. 23 - Oct. 22): Your goals are just within your grasp, there’s just a huge obstacle in the way. It’s big, red, round, and you’re actually going to be on WIPEOUT THE HIT T.V. SHOW! PACK YOUR BAGS LIBRA, IT’S TIME TO LOOK LIKE A DORK FOR ALL OF AMERICA!! Tip of the day: the show stopped running in 2014, but you can dream.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): Luck and prosperity lie within your reach, they also happen to be under one of three cups. You see if I shuffle the cups around, you lose track of your prize. Under the other two cups is a moldy egg sa ndwich and Burgfoot’s fur shampoo. Tip of the day: good luck (and listen to 88.1 The Burg).

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): You might be falling into a bottomless pit. Sagittarius’s this week may be compelled to go to Mel’s Hole this week located in Ellensburg. Many may hear a song in the distance, feel a gravitational pull, or hear voices that say “...the end is never the end is never the end…”. Tip of the day: I still haven’t reached the bottom.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan.19): Don’t just talk about big trips, just go! You deserve an extra break. Who needs to tell teachers or bosses or your famil y, get outta this world! Take a rocket made by a tech bro! See what happens! Tip of the day: hope you make it back safe.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb.18): Acknowledge how important you are and embrace your responsibilities. That’s why you should be at the front of the line whenever you order from dining. How dare the school not acknowledge how important that caesar salad is, it’s feuling a great mind! Tip of the day: email the President every day.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20): People are counting on you, even if you don’t realize. So don’t mind it if all your loved ones are muttering under the ir breath, they’re counting. Counting how often you blink, breath, your steps and how often you do something silly. It’s for data. Tip of the day: don’t worry about it.

All Day - Spring Day of Service Canyon River Ranch

7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - 21st American One Act Operas |

McIntyre Music Building