DIVERSITY Dissecting the Israel - Palestine conflict from Ellensburg
The diversity page returns!
Leo, Greta and Margot snubbed
See Pg. 3
See Pgs. 6 and 7
See Pg. 9
Vol. 127 NO. 3
January 25, 2024
By the students, for the students SLICE Employees at their Yakima River Cleanup event in 2022. (Photo courtesy of SLICE Instagram)
THE
FACTS:
HOW SIX SLICE EMPLOYEES WERE FIRED AND REHIRED WITHIN TWO WEEKS
Isaac Dobmeier Scene Editor
H
ours after returning to the office on Jan. 2, six SLICE (Student Leadership, Involvement & Community Engagement) employees were sat down in front of an audience of their peers and unabashedly told by organization director Veronica Pettigrew that their services were “no longer needed.” Nine days later, all employees were reinstated into their original positions following extensive outcry from current SLICE employees, students, faculty, community members and the Working Wildcats student workers’ union. What caused this series of mass firings? What led to the employees’ reinstatement? How did the campus react? Anna Ward, a member of SLICE’s Clubs and Orgs programming team recounted the situation: “We sat down in this meeting that was non-mandatory [the first meeting after winter break], we sat through four hours of training including back-to-back triggering videos… with no warning from our director that these would be happening,” said Ward. “At the end of the training, she [Pettigrew] laid down what she wanted to change in the office and then listed off [the names of] six employees, including myself, and said our services were no longer needed.” Ward also described a “Hunger Games”-esque scene where her co-
worker, Devon Nawdish, offered his own position to be cut instead of Ward’s, which Pettigrew accepted. According to a later email from the SLICE director and an open letter cosigned by all six fired employees, the reason for termination was “department budget, accessing programmatic needs, consultation with staff members, and grade point average.” SLICE’s budget had previously been cut by 10% according to Ward. The open letter condemns the firing, citing its arbitrariness, the “far above average GPAs” of the victimized employees and the distribution of the former employees’ shunted projects as indicating that the “process was not well reasoned, planned, or thought through.” Not all of the employees were in the office at the time of the firing due to the non-mandatory nature of the meeting and had to find out via group chat that they had been terminated. “None of us knew the magnitude of what would be happening,” said Ward. ‘“The pro staff who are directly above us… were not communicated with or told even before the meeting happened that they would be losing employees.” At the time of the firing, SLICE had been operating with a staff of 16, losing nearly 40% of the organization’s employees to this single set of terminations. The open letter also states that the “firing has the appearance of retaliation, and is part of a pattern of humil-
iating and disturbing behavior faced by employees in the office.” Examples are listed of circumstances at SLICE where Pettigrew questioned employee productivity, asked employees to perform frivolous tasks, and made “sweeping changes without even talking to Professional or Student staff who had been working on projects for months” after she joined the organization in November. A petition calling for the reinstatement of the fired SLICE employees garnered over 200 signatures, along with the damning open letter cosigned by Devon Nawdish, Emily Duncan Nastasjja Bach, Nova Wendikbo, Em Eichholtz and Ku Hoapili (the six fired employees). The letter was seen by university heads including President Jim Wohlpart and Vice President for the Division of Student Engagement and Success Dr. Margaret Ortega according to Ward. Ward also credits the Working Wildcats student workers’ union as being essential to the eventual reinstatement of the six employees. The Working Wildcats helped to draft the open letter as well as organize the petition, both of which can be seen on the union’s website. On Jan. 11 at 9:00 a.m., SLICE student employees were alerted that their six fired coworkers were offered back their jobs, a remarkably fast turnaround spurred by the actions of those on campus seeking fair treatment after the terminations.
Page 02
January 25, 2024
Beyond Our Coverage Local
National
Global
Stuart Meadows, an affordable housing project proposed by Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County, is experiencing delays in construction. According to the Daily Record, the project was supposed to be completed in August 2025, but is now expected to be completed in May 2026.
Dexter Scott King, the son of the late civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., has passed away. According to ABC News, following a battle with prostate cancer, King passed away in California on Sunday, Jan. 21.
The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, has been diagnosed with a malignant skin cancer that was discovered while she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. According to Global News, the doctors note that they found melanoma but are still running tests to see how far it spread.
The Supreme Court sided with the Biden administration over the Texas- Mexico border dispute that involved the razor wire fencing used on the border. According to ABC News, this wire fencing prohibited federal border agents from doing their jobs, but these wire fencings were removed after the court ruling.
In Kittitas County Superior Court on Jan. 16, a 53-year-old Ellensburg man by the name of Scott Kelly Reish pled not guilty to second degree assault and violation of a no contact order. According to the Daily Record, he is now in the process of a second trial. Student employees at Washington State University (WSU) have been bargaining with administration to make a contract, however this thus far hasn’t been resolved. According to the Daily Record, on Jan. 17 student employees at WSU went on strike to protest this irresolution.
An increase in respiratory viruses such as COVID-19 and influenza are continuing to spread across the United States. According to ABC News, experts are warning that it could lead to a rise in cardiovascular complications.
Eight bodies have washed up in the Mediterranean province of Antalya; two of the victims were discovered on a beach in the Serik tourist resort on Monday. According to ABC News, Turkish authorities are currently examining these cases. Jamaica is enforcing tougher domestic abuse rules in an effort to better protect victims on the island where many are reluctant to report such incidents to the police. According to ABC News, the penalties for breaking a protection order have been raised from $65 to $6,450, with a potential sentence of up to one year in jail.
Letter from the Editor Hi CWU! Hi Mom! Hope that you all are well settled into your classes by now. The weather is finally starting to not be dangerously cold. At this point, I’m ready to be at People’s Pond floating on the water with some dogs on the grill. It’s officially a new era of The Observer, we’ve cooked up some fresh new designs and are continuously experimenting with new ways to make the paper more visually appealing. Big ups to our designers Brandon and Z for shooting the paper in the arm with much needed creative juices. We’ve got a great issue for you all this week, notably the return of the Diversity Page with a story on a romance hidden in time, a piece on first-gen college students and a story on the importance of diversity and equity centers. Plus, I poured out my thoughts on the recently revealed Oscar nominations in a slightly manic, but hopefully, entertaining way. And as always, two great pages on CWU’s student-athletes and a farewell to longtime Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Pete has been a staple of my sports-watching, and frankly pacific northwest-living life for as long as I can remember, and it’s bittersweet to see him go. Enjoy the issue. Until next week Wildcats, Isaac
Photo by Megan
By the students, for the students
Editor-in-chief Isaac Hinson
Copy Desk Lead / Opinion Editor Megan Foster
Scene Editor
Isaac Dobmeier
Faculty Adviser/ Editorial Consultant Francesco Somaini
Sports Editor Charis Jones
News Editor
Winnie Killingsworth
Graphic Designers
Brandon Davis, Z Morris
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.
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Staff Reporters
Lee Beck Devanee Lopez Raya Miron Astor Powell-Pedersen Jackson Roberts Layla Taha
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Page 03
January 25, 2024
The Israel -PalestineWar: Perspectives on Campus
Layla Taha Staff Reporter Oct. 7 2023 marks the advent of another bout of intense conflict in the ongoing war between Palestine and Israel. Since then, our country has seen an eruption of protests and heated debate. One place that has been affected nationally by this war is college campuses; students from Harvard and various other colleges are facing serious backlash after proclaiming bold stances on the war. College campuses are more politically active than ever. But how has this war affected CWU? Students at CWU have taken a bold and unwavering stance on this war. Since the very beginning of the war, students on our campus have organized demonstrations, informational workshops and released statements, all in support of Palestine. While on our campus, nothing has been done to show support for Israel. One organization on campus that has seemingly taken the most initiative in showing its solidarity for Palestine is the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (Chicano Student Movement of Aztlán or M.E.Ch.A). M.E.Ch.A is an organization that is based in the United States and is dedicated to Chicano unity and empowerment through political organization. M.E.Ch.A has hosted demonstrations, informational workshops, passed out informational flyers and they also released a statement via their Instagram @mechadecwu on Nov. 11 showing their support for the Palestinian people. Stating, “M.E.Ch.A de CWU stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We also strongly condemn the war crimes committed by the Israeli re-
gime against the civilian population of Gaza through their active genocide of the Palestinian people and colonization of their land.” First-year students, Mariana Bravo and Kiko Gomez are the political action coordinators for M.E.Ch.A. While the decision to show solidarity with Palestine was a communal effort by M.E.Ch.A’s board, Gomez and Bravo played a key role, given their positions. Even though M.E.Ch.A has no connection to Palestine, Gomez and Bravo still found it necessary to show M.E.Ch.A’s position on the ongoing war. “We [M.E.Ch.A] are probably one of the most politically active organizations on campus and we do serve the Hispanic community a lot… to a certain extent, we felt like our main mission was getting a little bit lost… It took kind of like a group conversation to kind of refocus what we wanted to do with the situation because it is something that is affecting millions of people across the world, ‘’ Bravo said. “This is an issue we feel needs the most exposure possible,” they added. M.E.Ch.A wanted to ensure Palestinian students felt supported on campus.“We do have Palestinian students on campus, and we just wanted to make sure they felt welcome and feel safe here which is why we started doing all of our demonstrations and workshops… It’s been an ongoing war and genocide” Gomez said. “We’re [M.E.Ch.A] there for everyone and we understand that the situation happening in Palestine is so easy to get misconstrued with Western media outlets… and we understand that it puts a lot of people in vulnerable positions… with our platform, we’ve been trying to aim to keep people educated…” Bravo added.
M.E.Ch.A’s statement standing in solidarity with Palestine. (Photo courtesy of Kiko Gomez)
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A vigil made by M.E.Ch.A.
(Photo courtesy of Kiko Gomez)
Bravo and Gomez both mutually expressed their agreement that CWU can do more to help with the situation. “M.E.Ch.A just wants to make sure that the campus is aware of what’s going on, which is why we did our demonstrations…it is just kind of being tossed in the air [by CWU] and then forgotten about,” Gomez said. While our students have taken a hard stance on the ongoing war, CWU’s official statement takes a neutral stance. CWU President Wohlpart’s email was released in Nov. 2023, calling for peace and condemning violence. This was then followed up with a few resources available for students to access if needed. Bravo said in reaction to CWU’s official statement, “I feel like it doesn’t amount to the things that have happened within the last over 100 days. It definitely minimizes it completely. It doesn’t allow the voices of the voiceless to be amplified in the way that they need to be… It makes it seem like it’s something that they can push under a bunch of things… even though it’s not because there’s massive amounts of loss. It’s cultural cleansing. People’s lives are being completely destroyed as if they meant nothing.” “[CWU’s official statement] doesn’t truly represent the amount of heartbreak and tragedy that’s been happening, especially given that all the people of Palestine, they were somebody, they’re all people. They were people’s mothers, fathers, doctors, children that didn’t even get to live” added Bravo. M.E.Ch.A has resources to help in their Linktree through their Instagram @mechadecwu. As made known by Gomez and Bravo, M.E.Ch.A holds a very strong stance on the ongoing war. But what do students who have no affiliation to M.E.Ch.A have to say about CWU’s official statement and the general environment on campus since Oct. 7?
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Third- year student, Lucas Pierron* reacts to CWU’s official statement. “I find [CWU’s official statement] canned. I think it’s the safe play, which is par for the course for most public universities,” Pierron said. When asked if CWU was adequately handling the issue he said, “There’s always more they can do. They could be more outward.” Pierron added, “As far as I’m aware, they haven’t made any specific moves towards community outreach or financial help.” Pierron didn’t seem to notice a shift in the environment here on campus but did mention this, “I think I’ve seen more support, or more outward support [for Palestine], especially on social media.” The Associated Students of CWU (ASCWU) student government, had written up a statement showing their solidarity with Palestine, but it was never released as the motion to approve the letter on Jan. 22, during the General Assembly meeting, was rejected. The representative of the First Generation Student Organization (FGSO) made a motion to reject the letter from being released on the grounds of the letter not being sensitive to Israeli students. This swayed a majority of the eligible voting members to agree and reject the release of the letter. In the last 100 days, the death toll has risen to over 20,000 lives. More than 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza as news for a ceasefire has yet to be released. Student chosen to react to CWU’s statement on the war was randomly selected and his stance on the war was not known until interviewed.*
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January 25, 2024
Page 04
WILDCATS WILDCATS TO STEP THE MOUND Raya Miron Staff Reporter Since April 30, the CWU softball team has been training to conquer the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship title. While they ended last year with an overall season record of 21-27, this year they plan to strive toward growth and success. 5-foot-10 inch redshirt senior catcher, Anna Fridell, has been looking forward to this season. “I am feeling extremely excited, last year I was a transfer coming in, so everything was brand new,” Fridell said. “This year I’m coming in as a senior and feeling a lot more comfortable.” The Wildcats have been consistently bringing in new faces and putting in work for the upcoming season. Head coach Joe DiPietro has coached at CWU since Nov. of 2021. Prior to his arrival at the university, he was the head coach for the University of Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas where he was named head coach number 12 in program history. “The team is very excited to begin the season in Texas, especially since they’ll be playing teams we haven’t seen before,” DiPietro said. “I know the Texas A&M International coach from when I coached in Texas, and I know he’ll have his team ready so it’s important that we’re ready to go.” After the upcoming 2023-2024
season CWU softball will be losing 11 seniors. Though, they’ve been staying ahead and have already added 10 new faces for the 2025 season. “The freshmen Joe has brought in are going to have an immediate impact and that’s exciting,” Fridell said. “We’ve established a good culture and going into this year we want to win, so I am excited to see how far we are going to go.” The softball team is consistently hosting events all around town; they recently held a Winter Prospect Skills Camp on campus on Sunday, Jan. 7. At UIW, DiPietro recorded over 800 hours of community service. Instilling a similar mindset into his team, CWU softball also goes out and volunteers around town. 5-foot-7 inch sophomore outfielder, Anika Garcia spoke about the university’s one of a kind program as well as the encouragement garnered from the town. “CWU softball is different because we have a community in Ellensburg that supports the work we put in as softball players,” Garcia said. “Also, the softball team has the highest average GPA out of all CWU athletes. This fall every player on the team took time and volunteered at elementary schools as well.” This tight-knit group of young female athletes are prepared to put in the work for what they want and will not stop until they achieve it. “The biggest thing is our team chemistry,” DiPietro said. “Last year we didn’t jell like we should have, and it was a season that wasn’t fun.
This year everyone is pulling for each other, and the atmosphere is great. We also are a veteran team that has been through a lot of things since they’ve been here and are ready to improve from last year.” While they’re determined to make this “their” season, what really matters is how connected the team is and the foundation they’ve built. “CWU softball faces a lot of diversity that other teams don’t,” Fridell said. “When you look at Western [Washington University], t h e y have a lot of female sports over there. So they are really well funded, whereas over here [Ellensburg] we don’t really get much honestly.” Fridell also discussed last year’s less than ideal conditions as they were practicing in 10-degree weather during Jan. and Feb. because there was no fielding space. “We have worked extra hard to make sure we are ready to go for this season,” Fridell said. The Wildcats are on deck to play the Texas A&M International University Dustdevils on Friday, Feb. 2 at Scrap Yard Sports in Conroe, Texas.
Redshirt senior catcher Anna Fridell making her voice heard on the field.
(Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media)
Sophomore outfielder Anika Garcia had two putouts against Northwest Nazarene University last season.
(Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media)
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Page 05
January 25, 2024
Looking back on the wildcats nationally-ranked season Jackson Roberts Staff Reporter The CWU women’s volleyball team finished the season with an overall record of 20-7. This secured their spot at number 22 in the nation following their season ending in a loss to California State University, San Bernardino. Many great moments occurred throughout the season including an eight-match win streak to end the regular season. After her third season on the team, sophomore outside hitter Scottie Ellsworth gave her outlook on some of her favorite moments of the season. “Going 4-0 in Duluth was such an amazing way to start our season,” Ellsworth said. “We were like, ‘Wow, everything is possible.’ We beat a ton of ranked teams and were kind of the underdogs coming into the tournament and were able to come out undefeated.” While CWU started off the season on back-to-back losses, they managed to follow this with a seven-match winning streak which included all of their upset wins in the preseason tournament in Duluth. Junior defensive specialist/libero Hannah Stires spoke on what clicked for the team after those losses. “We were able
to find our ground and figure out what our identity was after those first couple games,” Stires said. “We were underdogs so we didn’t have a lot of pressure on ourselves. I think that allowed us to play a lot more aggressive and less timid.” Both Stires and Ellsworth relayed high praise for seasoned head coach Mario Andaya who has now finished 28 seasons in this position for the CWU volleyball team. “Everything that he says, once you implement it, it makes dramatic differences to your game,” Ellsworth said. “If you have complete trust in him then you will 100% improve and keep growing. There is no staying stagnant, you will always be improving.” Coach Andaya reflected on his time coaching and the learning curve that comes with it. “What
stands out to me is just how different the couple generations I’ve coached is different,” head coach Andaya said. “I like to see how they thrive and things I don’t know too much about and learn from them. Even with how they communicate, it is intriguing. I’ve got to learn from that, and I think I’m getting better at it.” He also spoke about what it is like to have his daughter, fifth year setter/outside hitter, Tia Andaya on the team and the thought process that went into her coming to play for CWU. “It was a blessing,” coach Andaya said. “We talked about what if we did this and there were way more pros than what if we did not. She trusted me as a coach and kind of put the father daughter roles aside. She made a lot of highlights for us as a family and for this program, so I am super proud.” After a number of match-
es played in the SURC gym, both Ellsworth and Stires were excited to get into the new and improved Nicholson Pavilion. While the new arena has its benefits, Stires mentioned how she enjoyed being in the SURC gym because of how close the fans were and as she stated, “They got to experience the fire and emotion of the game.” With a little under a year left before next season starts there are many things to look forward to. Not only will the Wildcats be welcoming new players onto the team, but veteran players are also set to be stepping into bigger roles. “I really want to give the keys to some of these kids who have been here for a while and see where they take it,” coach Andaya said. “We want to see what is in our big picture and see if we can accomplish it.”
Hannah Stires preparing for the ball.
(Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson / Thomson Sports Media)
Coach Mario Andaya high fiving junior Kylie Thorne.
(Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson / Thomson Sports Media)
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06 BEYOND A Page LOOK
Page 02
January 25, 2024 November 02, 2022
THE
DIVER
Sharing perspectives
A mask provided by FGSO for attendies of the masquerade. (Photo by Winnie Killingsworth)
Here for the First Time:
First-Generation College Students Winnie Kilingsworth News Editor
ost, if not all, college M students struggle in some way during their time
CWU’s FGSO Instagram account (@cwu_fgso) offers information on events and meetings for those interested.
at university. The balance of classes, homework, friends, work and more add up far too quickly. For first-generation college students, having people at home who understand the workload and challenges is not something they are guaranteed. A Center for First-Generation Student Success’s factsheet showed statistics based on National Postsecondary Student Aid Study with 89,000 study members that during the 2015-16 academic year, 56% of undergraduate students had parents who did not have a bachelor’s degree. 59% of undergraduate students for the same academic
year whose parents did not have a bachelor’s degree were also the first sibling in their family to go to college. But here at CWU, there is a group ready to offer community, support and more to all students with a focus on first generation students. It’s the First Generation Student Organization (FGSO). As part of the Equity and Services Council (ESC), it is under the umbrella of the ASCWU Student Government. The ESC is “a body dedicated to ensuring fairness, inclusivity, and accessibility” according to the ASCWU webpage. “The FSGO is an organization within the ESC that meets weekly to support first generation students,” said Rose Montano FGSO’s president. “As the president, I love being able to help students
with problems that I also faced when I first came to college. I wish everyone knew that the FGSO is here to help ALL students. That is regardless of their gender, race/ethnicity, sexuality, social status, or even whether or not they are first generation. College is a difficult journey that everyone needs support with.” On Jan. 20, the FGSO hosted a winter masquerade ball in the Diversity and Inclusion Center (DEC). Food, music and dancing were enjoyed by the approximately 25 attendees. Many attendees talked about wishing more had attended. Many said that their roommates and classmates had no idea it was happening until it was mentioned directly to them. (The reporter for this article only learned about it through an instagram post by a friend.)
Texas Ban on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Centers Astor Powell-Pedersen Staff Reporter
O
n June 14, 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17, which went into place Jan. 1, 2024. Senate Bill 17 requires that all state-funded colleges and universities close down their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Offices. On top of that, it also bans any required diversity training for both students and staff of the institution. It also prevents any diversity-based organization from being funded by the college or university, such as LGBTQIA+ centers on campus, but does not affect student-led organizations or clubs. Supporters of the bill say that the purpose is to promote a merit-based approach to hiring. According to Click2Houston, the man who filed the bill, Houston-area Sen. Brandon Creighton said that he believes that Texas’s diversity should still be highlighted in schools, “However, the elevation of DEI offices, mandatory diversity statements, political litmus tests, and diversity training have the opposite effect and only further divides… DEI programs have become a million-dollar industry at taxpayer-funded institutions–yet they have made no progress advancing or in-
creasing diversity.” Other supporters of Senate Bill 17, such as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, have said that DEI hiring practices themselves are “discriminatory,” as they provide “special benefits” to people based on classes such as race, ethnicity or color. “Texans have some of the best higher educational opportunities available nationwide, right here at home,” Patrick said, according to the Houston Landing. However, DEI hiring practices have caused division and must be stopped.” However, those who oppose the bill argue that the removal of DEI offices on Texas college and university campuses will have a negative effect on those students who are a part of marginalized communities. A former program coordinator in University of Houston’s (UH) LGBTQ Resource Center, Jamie Gonzales said, “There were students from out of state that would come to [the University of Houston] because it was listed as one of the most trans-inclusive campuses in the state … I absolutely think that if students have those funds and the resources to go somewhere out of state that is more inclusive, I imagine we will lose those students,” according to the Houston Landing. CWU first-year music education
student, Phil Furguson, a student program manager at the Diversity and Equity Center (DEC) on CWU’s campus echoed this same sentiment. “Honestly, I think they’ll see dropouts. I think that students, primarily students of color and queer students, just are not going to feel like there’s a safe place there, which just flat out will not make people come there,” Furguson said. On Monday, Furguson and a group of other youth activists made the trip to Olympia to talk to state representatives about the importance of diversity initiatives in higher education. “It’s really important to focus on the impact that not only education has, but just seeing people have different identities,’ Furguson said. “I grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Tacoma, and I was surrounded by people who looked and acted very different from me because I was in such a diverse community. I can confidently say that that’s had a positive impact on me.There are studies about not seeing queer relationships growing up affecting your views on queer couples later in life, and not meeting people of color regularly leads to more stereotyping.” CWU students around the SURC seem to agree.“Here’s the thing,” said Jackson Garry, a first-year paramedi-
cine student. “If it’s like colleges and for adults, then I really don’t feel like the government should have a say in that.” Other students said that even if they don’t use DEC resources here on campus, they know somebody who does. Twice a year, The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board intends to measure the effects of the new law, based on factors such as grade-point average, retention rates and graduation rates based on race, sexandethnicity.Theywillthen interpret their findings, and submit their recommendations to the legislator on Dec. 1 of each even-numbered year.
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January 25, 2024
RSITY
PAGE Supporting awareness
Amanda Hebeler and Sarah Spurgeon:
Why Don’t We Just Say It? Lee Beck Staff Reporter
A
rchival silence is a phenomenon among historians in which documentation is distorted, either unintentionally or intentionally, resulting in confusion about a historical event, person or place. A prime example of archival silence on the CWU campus is that of the relationship between Amanda Hebeler and Sarah Spurgeon.
Hebeler and Spurgeon were two succesful women at CWU in the early 1900s. Hebeler worked in early childhood development, and helped to establish the Edison building, which is now honorarily known as Hebeler Hall. Hebeler was an active member of the Ellensburg community, both on and off campus. Hebeler was also a golfer, often winning against whoever she played. Spurgeon was a professor in the art and design department at CWU, primarily focusing on art and art education. She was an accomplished painter, and some of her works are still on display on campus including a series of painted tiles in Hebeler Hall. Spurgeon was also immortalized at CWU with the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, located in Randall Hall. Both of these women were beloved by their students and loved to travel. What is often omitted about the history of these women is that they were domestic partners. They were never married, and lived together in a house on 9th Ave. At the end of an article in The Daily Record written about Hebeler’s retirement from CWU, she mentions what she’s looking forward to about retirement. Hebeler said “No eight o’clock classes, either, and plenty of time for reading and leisurely living and sharing my time with Sarah.” Not only this, but in Hebeler’s will, she left the house they shared, and everything in it, to Spurgeon. Hebeler and Spurgeon did not seem to be
ashamed of their relationship either. Dr. Hope Amason, museum director for the Museum of Culture and Environment in Dean Hall, said she met with a community member who was a friend of Hebeler and Spurgeon’s. The community member knew of the nature of their relationship, and said very plainly; “Well, Sarah and Amanda were partners.” If Hebeler and Spurgeon were open about their relationship in the early to mid 1900s, why is it still a whisper among the community? Dr. Amason said historians often wait to confirm or deny something unless there’s definitive evidence. History is based entirely around the stories we tell through records. However, with the relationship between Hebeler and Spurgeon, there are no “records” of their relationship because there was no marriage certificate. Some historians also have moral qualms with outing historical figures due to the lack of verifiable evidence. Regarding the outing of historical figures, Dr. Amason said “There was something that one of our students said that just got me. And that was ‘Well, you’re presuming that they were ashamed.’” With the amount of evidence we have of their relationship, it’s wrong to assume that Hebeler and Spurgeon were ashamed. Whether the secrecy behind the relationship between Hebeler and Spurgeon came from good intentions or not, it’s difficult to deny the two were open to those closest to them. Archival silence is often part of conversation about historical figures, and their speculated sexuality. Historians viewing queer relationships through their own heterosexual lens can often misconstrue the gravity of said relationship, and claim it was purely platonic. Combating distortions similar to these becomes possible when there is a broader range of diverse perspectives examining history.
Spurgeon on the left, Hebeler on the right. (Photo courtesy of the Ellesburg Public Library)
Page 08
January 25, 2024
To Bee or Not To Bee:
‘The Beekeeper’ (2024) Review
Astor Powell-Pedersen Columnist
I
magine that one guy we all went to high school with, yeah, you know the one. The kid who wore ugly expensive suits every day, drove his daddy’s fancy car to school and knew a little too much about cryptocurrency. Now age that guy up, add 10 or so zeros behind whatever is in his bank account, give him a good enough scam and you have every single villain character in “The Beekeeper”. We all knew that guy would end up running telephone scams on the elderly anyway. “The Beekeeper,” directed by David Ayer is a new action movie that was released on Jan. 12, 2024, starring Jason Statham and is arguably, one of the most entertaining action movies that I’ve watched. The movie follows Statham’s character Adam Clay, a man with seemingly no desire other than to tend to his honey bees and spend time with his neighbor, an older woman named Eloise, who rents him a space in her barn near the old farmhouse. In Clay’s words, she is the only person who has ever taken care of him.
When a phone scam comes, and tragedy strikes Eloise, Clay goes from being a somewhat gruff, quiet beekeeper to some sort of MMA fighter meets Navy seal meets death himself. In pursuit of revenge for his friend’s attack, this beekeeper decides that he is going all the way to the top, and he will do anything to avenge the hive. “The Beekeeper” brings exactly what you would expect out of a grand-plan action movie: intense fight scenes, military-grade weaponry and plenty, plenty of carnage. There’s also no denying that the cinematography of “The Beekeeper” is absolutely incredible, and every scene of the movie hits you exactly where you need it to visually. From the opening sequence to the farm to the technicolor data-farming call centers, you can tell that a lot of work was put into making this film a captivating watching experience. The downfall or perhaps the best part of the movie of course is the dialogue. Action movies are known for their cheesy, over-the-top one-liners.
For main characters always having the perfect comeback, and the villains make clear fools of themselves. I would say that “The Beekeeper” really took that to a whole new level, in the way that I’m not entirely sure that the person they hired to write these lines has ever actually had a conversation with a real person in their life. I found myself having to hold in my laughter even in the most intense scenes, as the absurdity of these people was just getting to me. You know I never thought I’d laugh watching a guy get stapled repeatedly in the face, but here we are. Part of me wants to blame some of this awkwardness on sub-par acting, and for pieces of it, you kind of can. The odd reaction time and out-of-place facial expressions were definitely noticeable and made the intense fight scenes and killing borderline, if not fully, comedic. While the odd dialogue and questionable reactions take away from a lot of the intensity of the
movie, that really only made me enjoy it more. Even though the writing was awkward at times, the characterization and motives of every character were clear. An absolute unit of a main character–the typical action movie protagonist with a sprinkle of being out of his mind, and top-tier level douchebag villains that are beyond satisfying to hate. Seriously, there’s an odd satisfaction that comes from watching a guy like Josh Hutcherson play the worst person you have ever met in your life. Overall, I would say that “The Beekeeper” is a worthwhile watch, even if you’re not into action movies in any way. Overall, it uses the absurdness of its exaggerated genre to its advantage, creating a movie that’s visually captivating, and sure to make you choke on your popcorn at least once from laughing at something that you for sure shouldn’t be laughing at (I swear it isn’t just me, the other nine people in the theater were laughing too.) As long as you don’t go in looking for something serious, you’re likely to get a good kick out of this movie.
The Beekeeper.
‘The Beekeeper’ debuted at no. 2 at the domestic box office, making $8.6M its opening weekend. (Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM)
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Page 09
January 25, 2024
GOLD RUSH
OPINION SECTION
Leonardo DiCaprio, Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie snubbed from the 96th Academy Award nominations Surprises, snubs, winners & losers from the nominations Isaac Hinson Columnist
B
right and early on the morning of me writing this (Jan. 23) at 5:30 a.m. the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were revealed. I was not awake. In fact I was sound asleep. I woke up at 7:30 a.m. and the first thing I did was open my phone to check the Academy’s twitter account. Before I got there, I did see a few tweets at the top of my home page from “The Big Picture” host Sean Fennessey.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone. ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is streaming now on Apple TV+. (Photo courtesy of Apple)
Sandra Huller.
Sandra Huller recieved a Best Actress nomination for her work in ‘Anatomy of a Fall.’ (Photo courtesy of NEON)
Margot Robbie.
Margot Robbie has been nominated for two Oscars, once in Best Actress for ‘I, Tonya’ and again in Best Supporting Actress for ‘Bombshell.’
(Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery)
Oscar Award.
SURPRISES & SNUBS “America Ferrera in but Margot Robbie out is genuinely one of the weirdest acting decisions related to one movie that I can remember,” read the first of his tweets that I saw. Oh God, I thought. I went to the Academy’s page to see if it was true. It was. Wow. Margot Robbie was snubbed in Best Actress for her work in “Barbie,” and as insinuated in the tweet, America Ferrera did receive a nomination in Best Supporting Actress. Ryan Gosling also got a Best Supporting Actor nod. On top of this, Greta Gerwig did not receive a Best Director nomination. The tough question is always gonna be “Well, what would you take out in its place?” and it’s hard to say for both of those categories. This is an unequivocally GREAT class of nominees, and there are a half-dozen contenders for each category that would’ve been equally deserving as those who made it. Gerwig is the first director ever to have all three of her first feature films be nominated for Best Picture (“Lady Bird,” “Little Women” and “Barbie”). Gerwig’s slot in Best Director seems to have been taken by Justine Triet for “Anatomy of a Fall,” which has gained serious steam since the Golden Globes. Just a truly bizarre batch of nominees for a film that I really love. As much as I love Gosling as Ken, him and Ferrera getting nominations but Gerwig and Robbie being ghosted feels backwards to me. Though Gosling’s nomination is as much a recognition of Gerwig’s writing and directing of that performance as it is for Gosling’s execution. I’m truly confounded at Ferrera getting recognized. She obviously has her monologue which is a truly great scene, but are we giving out nominations for lone scenes now?
(Photo courtesy of Pexels.com)
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“KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON missing in Adapted Screenplay, sheesh,” was directly below the other tweet. What???? For real?? It was indeed for real. “Killers of the Flower Moon” did miss in Best Adapted Screenplay. Granted, once “Barbie” got moved to Best Adapted instead of Best Original Screenplay, that category got really crowded really fast. This miss wouldn’t be as bad if it wasn’t also paired with Leonardo DiCaprio being flat-out robbed of a Best Actor nomination. Like, highway robbery. There were signs that this might happen, notably him missing out on a Screen Actors Guild nomination, but I didn’t think it would go this far. Would I, the leader of the “Maestro” army, take Bradley Cooper out of Best Actor for Leonardo? I’m unsure. But I shouldn’t be the one making this decision. WINNERS “Oppenheimer,” was the big winner of the morning, netting 13 nominations, one shy of the all-time record which is held three-ways between “All About Eve,” “Titanic” and “La La Land.” Among those 13, Christopher Nolan was nominated for Best Director, Cillian Murphy for Best Actor and Robert Downey Jr. for Best Supporting Actor. The sense is that all three of those are sewn up, but if anyone were to fall, I think Murphy might lose Best Actor to Paul Giamatti for his work in “The Holdovers.” Weirdly, “Oppenheimer” didn’t receive a nomination in Best Visual Effects, which would’ve put it in that elusive group of 14 nominations. I frankly don’t know what more you have to do to make it into that category when you successfully recreate an atomic bomb. But sure. “Anatomy of a Fall,” and specifically Justine Triet are massive winners. “Anatomy of a Fall” was nominated in five categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. Triet was nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. This comes after Triet’s film was not selected by France to compete in Best International Feature because of her fiery and political speech as she accepted the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Triet condemned the French government for its “Commodification of culture that the neo-liberal government is defending [that] is breaking the French cultural exception.” She dedicated her award “to all young female and male directors and to those who today are unable to make films.”
Despite his script not being nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and his lead actor getting snubbed for Best Actor, Martin Scorsese is still a big winner. He secured his 10th Best Director nomination for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which makes him the most nominated living director of all time. ALSO! Lily Gladstone was nominated for Best Actress for her work in the film, which is amazing. She becomes the second indigenous North American to be nominated for Best Actress (Yalitza Aparicio was nominated in 2019 for “Roma”). Will Scorsese get the win? I doubt it. I’ll write about the Best Director race more in-depth as the weeks go by, but Christopher Nolan might as well already have a spot on his bookshelf for it. LOSERS Arguably the biggest loser of the morning was the cast and crew of “May December.” Charles Melton, Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman were all snubbed of nominations in their respective categories. The film failed to get a Best Picture nomination, and Todd Haynes didn’t get acknowledged in Best Director. The film’s lone nomination came in Best Original Screenplay. Sad break for a movie that seemed to be a lock for Best Picture no more than a month ago. As said before, Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie could be considered losers. Though, they both accumulated generational wealth from “Barbie,” and were both nominated in other categories (Gerwig for Best Original Screenplay and Robbie as a producer on the film in Best Picture). “Past Lives” is somehow a loser? Despite being nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, it received no other nominations. It has the same amount of nominations as “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One” (which got two technical nominations). I loved “Past Lives,” and would’ve liked to have seen Celine Song in Best Director or Greta Lee in Best Actress. The country of France! Big loser! You got bitter at Justine Triet calling you out on the big stage and lost out on a Best International Feature Oscar! Now her movie is arguably the biggest dark horse to steal some awards away from the big boys. Not to mention “Napoleon” didn’t get nominated in any above-the-line categories. Tough beat.
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Page 10
January 25, 2024
Pete Carroll leaves Seattle: His legacy and the future
Pete Carroll.
Pete Carroll in a Seahawks throwback sweater. (Photo courtesy of Seahawks.com)
Devanee Lopez Staff Reporter
I
t was a staple in many Seahawks fan childhoods to see Pete Carroll on the sidelines of the Seattle Seahawks stadium. When fans thought of the Seahawks, they thought of Carroll. Carroll had been with the team since being named head coach on Jan. 11, 2010. This year, on Jan. 10, 2024 it was announced that he was stepping down. The Seahawks instagram page released a statement post, “We have amicably agreed with Pete Carroll that his role will evolve from Head Coach to remain with the organization as an advisor.” The instagram post had over 3,000 comments of fans expressing their feelings. I spoke to Cash Brown, a junior at CWU with a sports show on 88.1 The
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‘Burg. “It’s sad to see him go but at the same time it was necessary and it was time to move on and find somebody else to come take over this roster, but everything that he built in Seattle and the culture that he built in Seattle is gonna stick around,” Brown said. Over the 14 years that Carroll was with the team, he gave them their first Super Bowl. With a franchise-best 13-3 regular season record, Carroll guided Seattle to their first Super Bowl title in franchise history on Feb. 2, 2014. When the Seahawks won 43-8 against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, Carroll joined Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer as the only coaches to win both a college football national title and a Super Bowl in their careers. Before joining the NFL, he led the top-ranked USC team to its second straight national title in 2004 after a
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convincing victory over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game at the Orange Bowl. Only two teams have ever finished a season as the No. 1 pick in the AP preseason rankings. A team winning consecutive AP titles was only accomplished ten times. His team finished 13-0, setting a school record for victories, and 8-0 in the Pac-10. Six Trojans were selected to the All-American first team, a school record. “It’s been an honor and a thrill to be part of this program, I’ve loved every minute of it,” Caroll said in a statement with the Seahawks. With the current football season still underway, the Seahawks still have a lot of time to decide who will step in for Caroll and who can fill his shoes. It is an ending to a longer than a decade bittersweet ending.
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Page 11
January 25, 2024
Cat-ivities
Z Morris 2024
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Page 12
January 25, 2024
machine, Wildcat Words If you had a time where would you travel to?
“I would probably go back to the 50s, when rock and roll started.”
Abel Roduarte
Sam Koehler
Aiden Blanco
Fr. Business and Marketing
Jr. Business Administration
Soph. Elementary Education
“I know this is recently, but I would say 2014.”
“I’d probably go and watch how my parents met to be honest.”
“I think I would want to travel back to the 1980s, that’s just a cool era in my opinion. I want to see what California looked like in the 80s.”
Aviation Expert
Michael Johnson is a CWU aviation alumnus. Johnson grew up on the west side and came to CWU in fall of 2017. He stuck to his passion of aviation, and graduated with a degree in spring of 2021. Since graduating, Johnson has gone into the field as a line maintenance planner for Horizon Airlines.
Q&A compiled by Megan Foster (Photo courtesy of Michael Johnson)
A &A Q Q&
Michael Johnson How was your time at CWU? “I had a great time at central. I loved Ellensburg and definitely prefer the small towns over the packed west side cities I now face. The campus was beautiful in the fall when all the trees lining the walkways would be changing colors; and the professors were very kind and willing to work with me to enhance my learning experience. I frequented the SURC for the basketball courts and gym availability and generally liked how everything was in a close proximity on campus and throughout Ellensburg.” What influenced your decision to attend CWU? “CWU offers the aviation program with degrees in aviation management and professional pilot degrees. There was no other ‘large’ school in state that had that field available, so this made my decision quite easy. Being in the middle of the state was another plus, and made getting to and from home and weekend trips much more accessible than other universities.” Do you have any advice for CWU students hoping to enter a similar field? “For those entering into aviation; I would advise soaking up all the information offered in your classes and retaining as much of it as you can. Make connections and network with people in the same field and reach out to your professors and advisors to see if they perhaps know someone currently in a role you wish to attain after graduating (this could be a great shadowing or intern opportunity). Perhaps follow an aviation newsletter or page to stay up to date on the always changing industry. Keep refining your skills, stay informed, and actively seek opportunities to advance your career.” What fueled your passion for aviation? “My grandfather was a pilot for 50 years and had a passion far before me, which would be my root cause for the aviation itch. This then led to me being raised on a small general aviation airport from the time I was 2 until I went off to CWU. Being around planes, helicopters, pilots, mechanics, etc. I just gained a love for airplanes and air travel as a whole over that time. The fact we can put together tens of thousands of pounds of metal with some strong power behind it into the atmosphere still blows my mind and fuels my love to this day.” How did you get into the position that you’re working now? “I started off with my first job at Alaska as a crew scheduler for around 7 months, then was in the crew controller position after that for about 6 months, and then became a line maintenance planner which I have been doing for around 10 months. Along with that I am also in Alaska’s Leadership Development Program called DEL (developing emerging leaders). I gained most of these positions through networking and taking shadowing opportunities as well as reaching out to hiring managers and letting them know who I am/ who I’ve worked with/ how I’ve performed and relevant experiences to the desired position. The DEL program was a more strenuous multi-stage interview process that I had applied to because I wanted to further myself in Aviation and learn new skills that may not always be prevalent in the industry.”
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Brad Dawson Soph. Music Education and Trombone Performance
“I would go to the 70s and go hang out with Blue Mitchell.”
Weekly Events 4 to 5 p.m. - S&A Committee Meeting: On Zoom
25
THURS
26
6 to 8 p.m. - ESC Night Market: SURC Corridor
FRI
27
All day - Ropeless Rodeo: Recreation Center
SAT
28
National Daisy Day National Kazoo Day
SUN
6 to 10 p.m. - Monday Movie Madness: “Wish” - SURC Theatre
29 MON
6 to 7 p.m. - CWU String Studio Recital 1: McIntyre Recital Hall 8 to 9 p.m. - CWU String Studio Recital 2: McIntyre Recital Hall
12 to 7 p.m. - Lion Rock Visiting Writers: Katharine Whitcomb - Brooks Library 5 to 6 p.m. - Trivia Night: “Adventure Time” - Brooks Library
30 TUES
31 WED
(Design by Brittany Cinderella)
Fr. Geology
Oscar the Observant.
Makaiya DeMarco
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