The Observer, Winter 2023 - Issue 5

Morgana Carroll News Editor

A poll of 85 students taken on campus last week by The Observer showed that the majority of CWU students believe they have become desensitized to seeing news about police brutality. 63 out of 85, or 74.12%, of students polled said they feel they have become desensitized.

Some students said they feel this is the result of social media and how they have more accessibility to the news of police brutality.

“We’re so used to hearing about mass death that death doesn’t mean much anymore,” Quinn King, an undeclared first year, said.

Lecturer in Law and Justice

Todd Mildon said he thinks the reason for desensitization is how accessible information is on social media.

“It could be a feedback loop,” Mildon said. “People become desensitized to violence and they become more likely to commit violence because it has less of an emotional consequence.”

Some students said despite police brutality becoming almost routine at this point, they still are not desensitized and their reactions are as strong as ever.

“I have a lot of empathy, so everytime this happens again, I get really upset,” Senior Elementary Education Major Lee Schwartz said. “I just want it to finally stop.”

The poll also revealed that of the 44 people who said they had heard about what happened to Tyre Nichols, 33 of them had

found out about it through social media. Four had found out through mainstream news, and seven had found out through other means.

63 of the polled students said they think that society has become complacent to police brutality, while 22 of the polled students don’t think that society has become complacent.

Some of the students who answered ‘no’ said while they feel like a large part of society has become complacent, there are still people who protest and make demonstrations after instances of police brutality.

Aiden [Collins] Schoch, a third year in law and justice, said he feels like society has become complacent because of how helpless people feel to make lasting change.

“I think a lot of people feel powerless,” Schoch said. “As important as individual action can be, a lot of people feel like it isn’t enough.”

Mildon said that it is important for society not to get desensitized to police violence. He said the consequence of becoming desensitized is a tolerance of immoral acts, as was historically the case when many Americans were desensitized to slavery and segregation.

“One of the ways that we ensure that violence does not become more common is for all of us to be more outraged by it than we are when we become desensitized,” Mildon said. “In order to protect our own society, we have to remain vulnerable to the emotional impact of violence around us.”

Gun violence in America: CWU students share experiences

Megan Rogers Assistant News Editor

According to the Mass Shooting Tracker, as of Feb. 6 there have been 69 mass shootings in 2023. These shootings resulted in the death of 116 and the wounding of 262 people. A mass shooting is defined as, “an incident of violence in which four or more people are shot.”

Washington has been affected by one mass shooting in 2023, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker. The shooting in Yakima took place on Jan. 24. According to ABC News, Jarid Haddock went into a Circle K and killed three people, later killing himself.

According to a poll collected in April 2021 by Pew Research, 53% of Americans believe gun laws should be more strict, 32% believe the laws are “about right,” and 14% believe the laws should be less strict.

Student’s perspective on gun violence

Ian Moffet, a senior public relations major, was a victim of gun violence in April 2021.

“I got shot … in the face … someone was trying to murder me,” Moffet said. “Someone I knew. There [was] mental illness involved with schizophrenia.”

Dede Moreno, a junior graphic design major, said she experienced gun violence in her own life when she was shot in 2020.

“We were just having a get-together at my cousin’s house, and one of our friends had pulled out a gun and drinking was involved too,” Moreno said. “He was just kind of showing us how to load the clip.”

Moreno said the friend cocked the gun back and unloaded the clip, then pulled back the trigger, thinking that it was empty.

“I just happened to be in the line of sight,” Moreno said. “It [the bullet] went right through my arm. It was a really intense moment that happened in my life, but for the most part, I’m okay.”

Moreno said when she sees a mass shooting on the news, she isn’t surprised.

“With the gun laws that we have, they’re pretty less restricting,” Moreno said. “It’s so easy to access guns wherever you go.”

Moffet said he is sad that Americans tend to be numb to mass shootings.

“I was in [the] UK this summer and I was talking to some Scottish guy about it and he was like, ‘we can’t even imagine any sort of gun violence,’” Moffet said. “Just to get to a point where we’re surprised

again. Obviously [I] don’t want any of it to happen, but can we skip to a point where we’re surprised?”

Moreno said she believes gun laws should be stricter, and if someone chooses to own a gun, they should go through a training course and find a firearm that fits them personally.

“With the situation I went through, I feel like if he had known better safety precautions and when to and when not to bring out guns, especially if alcohol is involved,” Moreno said. “It should be common sense not to do that, but obviously a lot of people don’t understand safety with guns.”

Moffet said there should be stricter sentences for gun violence and the U.S. should have federal Red Flag Laws.

According to lawdistrict.com, “A red flag law allows police officers, doctors, family members, or even co-workers to petition a state court to take away an individual’s firearms for up to a year if they believe that person is a danger to themself or others.”

CWU’s response to gun violence

In 2019, there was a threat of an active shooter on CWU’s Ellensburg campus. According to Assistant Chief of the CWU police department Eric Twaites, the threat turned out to be false and was due to miscommunication through many channels.

“With all the training that we had, we responded appropriately and quickly realized that there was no actual active shooter on campus, which was a blessing,” Twaites said. “As unfortunate as the event was, that still once again showed that … we haven’t had any violence with guns on campus.”

Twaites said, in the almost 23 years he has worked for the

CWU police department, he hasn’t seen any trends in gun violence on campus.

“We were incredibly blessed [because] we have not had any gun violence on campus,” Twaites said.

“We have a very good community. We’re a very safe community … I think it’s due to a lot of the community outreach and partnerships that we have with our students, staff and faculty.”

To help students avoid gun violence in their own lives, Twaites said people who are in an environment where they don’t feel safe or think something is odd, report it.

“If you’re ever in question of something, call 911 and then we can go and respond and figure out what the situation is. Just always be aware of your surroundings,” Twaites said.

Twaites said it is also important for gun owners to understand their firearms and treat them as if they are always loaded.

“There’s probably more accidental discharges when individuals are cleaning their firearms,” Twaites said. “When they’re in your house, make sure they’re locked and that’s by law … they’re not toys.”

If someone is not used to their firearm, Twaites recommended attending a firearm training class.

Twaites said CWU has a lot of programs and educational pieces to teach students, faculty and staff how to properly handle firearms.

“We [have] a women’s self-defense class called R.A.D through the PE department,” Twaites said. “We just talk about how to properly handle your guns [and] how to store them if you have them.”

CWU has also created an educational safety video on what to do in the case of an active shooter on campus, which can be found on the CWU website.

SeattlePoliceofficerinEastPrecinct. Photo by Joshua Kornfeld

Beyond Our Coverage

A 26-year-old woman from White Swan, Washington, was killed in a traffic collision on I-90 three miles west of Ellensburg. According to KPQ News Radio, she was traveling westbound on I-90 with her three children, when the vehicle veered off the roadway into oncoming traffic and collided with a semi truck. The three children and the driver of the semi were uninjured.

Ellensburg High School girls basketball went undefeated for the second season in a row, according to the Yakima Herald. They finished the season 12-0 after defeating Othello and head into the CWAC district tournament on Feb. 11 where they will host the semifinal matchup.

CWU football celebrates their newest signees for next football season. According to the Daily Record, with 29 freshmen coming in, it should be a help to this year’s football season.

Miami Police Department unveiled a Black-History Month themed police car to honor the first generation of black law enforcement in Miami; and according to NPR, has received backlash for being a poorly timed hollow gesture due to the recent police brutality incident involving Tyre Nichols.

Residents in East Palestine, Ohio were urged to evacuate their neighborhood after a train derailed Friday night, according to NPR. More than 500 residents declined to evacuate despite the warnings from officials.

The U.S. Military shot down a supposed Chinese spy balloon on Feb. 4, according to the Associated Press. The balloon, which was shot down just off the Carolina coast, had reportedly traveled over multiple sensitive military locations before being shot down.

Three U.S tourists were stabbed in Puerto Rico after being told to stop filming in a popular area. The tourists were recording a hamburger cart when they were told to stop recording. When they refused they were stabbed and beaten, according to NBC News.

Guest Column: Hunting for my inner elk

Jampa Dorje Guest Columnist

In the process of examining an artwork, the mind wanders and then comes back into attentiveness, and when this attentiveness is extended, a sense of losing oneself becomes a state of absorption.

In a mindfulness meditation one tries to observe whatever comes into awareness, one’s feelings and thoughts, without holding onto or pursuing them. Mindfulness meditation is an attempt to tame the mind, but if the mind is relaxed, there is also an aesthetic experience.

Howard Barlow, who teaches 3-D Design at CWU, frequently collaborates with his wife, Lorraine Barlow. As a thought

Lead Editor Katherine Camarata

News Editor Morgana Carroll

Assistant News Editor

Megan Rogers

Sports Editor Isaac Hinson

Copy Desk Lead /

Opinion Editor

Jacqueline Hixssen

Online Editor Madison VanRavenhorst

Assistant Copy Editor

Brittany Cinderella

Faculty Adviser

Jennifer Green

experiment, I posit my extended viewing of Lorraine and Howard Barlow’s “Lock, Stock and Barrel,” recently on display at the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery in Randall Hall, as a mindfulness meditation. This composite sculpture “Lock, Stock and Barrel” is a visual pun.

Staff

Graphic Design Lead

Glacie Kehoe-Padilla

Assistant Graphic Designer

Brandon Davis

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Senior Reporter

Omar Benitez

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Alahnna Connolly

Tre’Jon Henderson

Gavin Johnson

Charis Jones

Zileni Milupi

Joshua Packard

Deacon Tuttle

MJ Rivera

Editorial Consultant

Francesco Somaini

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.

It consists of a pair of imaginative hunting rifles consisting of different materials. Each “stock” is a bolt-action rifle stock minus the hardware, painted with a delicate, woven design and trimmed in fake fur. In the butt of each rifle is an embedded “lock” (a combination lock), and the barrel of each rifle is a four-point elk antler with an olive-green wool covering knitted in a cable stitch.

As a whimsical foray into a surrealistic world of consciousness, “Lock, Stock and Barrel” reminds me of one of Gary Larson’s The Far Side cartoons, where the usual suspects are in reversed relationship to one another.

There is a tactile language at work here, and I want to touch this sculpture because there is a quality to this artwork that moves beyond the visual information projected, but as with most artwork in a gallery, I must stand at a reasonable distance and take it in with my eyes.

The pair of sculptures, each about four feet wide mounted on the wall, have a strong design element, revealing fine craftsmanship, and the sensuous curves of the rifle are sure to have a certain heft familiar to anyone who shoots.

However, the conventionally blued barrel one would expect as the horizontal extension to a

rifle is contorted by the angular nature of an elk’s antler that form different patterns and are enigmatically covered in wool rather than the expected tissue of bone and cartilage.

As my eyes move around the sculpture, these different aspects of color, line and form suggest a satirical commentary on our American gun culture while, at the same time, I am emotionally in a suspended state of active involvement, experiencing the sculpture’s dimensionality and the perceptual awareness that is accompanied by intuitions of passing time unfolding in space which I perceive in the immediate present being a retention of perceptions just past, and this retention in the present overlapping with the perception coming to be, not isolated from others or fixed alone in time but flowing into each other, continually becoming different, go nowhere, as I return to where I began, standing in front of the sculpture, now with a smile on my face.

The interplay between mind openness and mind focus is echoed in the concept of play by Friedrich Schiller. In the fifteenth letter of “On the Aesthetic Education of Man” written in 1794, Schiller claims that “play”

is the principal expression of the human spirit and that it reconciles the divisions which civilization has produced in the human condition.

Schiller divides the creative impulse into the desire for sense (the body), the desire for form (the mind) and the desire for play. He believes that the development of the play impulse reconciles the dichotomy: “Reason demands, on transcendental grounds, that there shall be a partnership between the formal and the material impulse, that is to say a play impulse, because it is only the union of reality with form, of contingency with necessity, of passivity with freedom that fulfills the conception of humanity.”

How to raise human consciousness to this level is the challenge, but a sustained aesthetic appreciation of reality and the nature of mind through meditational stability would be a start. Meditation and art allow one to freely relate to both the inner and outer worlds.

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“These different aspects of color, line and form suggest a satirical commentary on our American gun culture...”

"Lock,

Stock and Barrel" by Howard and Lorraine Barlow. Photo by Jampa Dorje

A massive earthquake that was more than 7.8 magnitude hit southern Turkey killing more than 2,400 people, according to the Associated Press. Rescuers said there are more bodies being discovered as citizens search through rubble for their loved ones.

Drug overdoses fall as mental health emergencies increase in Kittitas County

Omar Benitez Senior Reporter

Trends throughout crime in 2022 varied but according to Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office Inspector Chris Whitsett and Ellensburg Police Department (EPD) Captain Dan Hansberry, it was a typical year for Kittitas County.

Overdoses and drug crimes

Drugs, specifically fentanyl, took taken the lives of six people in 2021. Last year, there was only one reported overdose death in the county.

However, according to Hansberry, reported use of Narcan has gone up, suggesting that drug use has not gone down like the reduction in overdoses may suggest.

“We know Narcan is being used privately,” Hansberry said. “It’s readily available to people, we

know it’s being used in the community [and] we’re glad that the opportunity is out there for people to revive friends or loved ones that have overdosed, but it still is telling us that … substance use and overdose is still very much a concern.”

Although drug overdoses fell by over 83% last year, according to Whitsett, drug trafficking and distribution is still an issue they’ve been dealing with.

“Just this morning our deputies intercepted a significant amount of drugs moving from one county to another county, through our county,” Whitsett said. “We’re impacted by drug trafficking or we’re impacted by drug use; and we’re impacted by crime that comes from drugs.”

According to Hansberry and Whitsett, the biggest challenge police in the county and Ellensburg are facing is a mental health crisis that often goes hand in hand with

substance use.

“We’ve seen a steady rise in mental health calls,” Hansberry said. “2022 was our highest year overall and looking back all the way to 2015, for the past seven years, our mental health calls have more than doubled.”

Oftentimes, in small communities like Kittitas County, the responsibility falls on police to care for people going through mental health crises.

“We can be a part of the solution,” Hansberry said. “It really takes community partners and community groups to participate in that to get them resources and actually help these people.”

Whitsett said due to lack of other resources, oftentimes, people find themselves in the county jail as a result of their crisis.

“What we need, as a county, is a much more robust mental health system,” Whitsett said. “We need a

facility with a lot of beds for people who need help, we need a lot more mental health professionals that are capable, when it comes to taking care of people. In the absence of those, the jail becomes by far the biggest mental health institution in the entire county. And that’s not what it’s for, and it’s not a good place for those people, but you get stuck if there’s no place else.”

According to Hansberry, a longterm care facility in the county is what is needed to be able to properly address this issue and help those with mental health disorders.

Additional crimes

One of the biggest crime events in the county this year, according to Whitsett, was the arson at the ACX maintenance building and Ellensburg Racquet and Recreation Center on Dec. 2.

The arson caused an estimated $8 million in damages and resulted in the arrest of 24-year-old Ellensburg man Kyle Morgan for first-degree arson, Whitsett said.

According to Whitsett, carjackings did rise substantially in Washington in 2022, although there was no noticeable difference in Kittitas County and Ellensburg.

Some crime trends that did see an increase were organized retail theft in some department stores, according to Hansberry. In response, EPD put officers in some department stores to help combat this.

There were no reported homicides in Kittitas County for 2022. Other crimes including assault and burglary saw no significant change, according to Whitsett. Traffic accidents and traffic infractions did see a slight increase, with that being mainly due to reduced COVID restrictions in 2022 compared to previous years.

CWU students attend UN Summit

CrowE said she has always been involved with social justice. “I got involved with social justice because I care about other people,” CrowE said. “My passion started with that empathy and continues to be encouraged by my own life experiences.”

Both honor students said they were eager to attend and knew they hoped to jump on the rare opportunity. Once attended, they participated in discussions and experienced presentations about climate change and its effects. The event broadened their understanding and opened them up to new ways of thinking.

According to Cubilie, she picked the students because of their impressive applications.

ing, and Torem’s work with the Kittitas Environmental Education Network, Cubilie knew they were people committed to positive change and would continue to seek it.

CrowE is a writer majoring in professional and creative writing, and she uses her pen and paper to invoke change.

“I currently have works already published that deal with my opinions, which can be found on my LinkedIn page,” CrowE said. “I’m currently working on a collection of poetry about sexual harassment and assault and how survivors move through recovery. I hope to one day get this collection published.”

are applicable to activists and non-profit employees across the board.”

Torem said he believes the best tool for change is passion. Having faith in one’s mission and doing what you are excited about–that energy is infectious and wins people over, in his opinion. It’s also best to start by connecting with your audience rather than trying to immediately persuade them. He said how building trust is important to growing understanding.

Torem said a goal of theirs is to eventually work at the U.N. on sustainable development goals, quality education and climate action.

Joshua Packard Staff Reporter

CWU students Emma CrowE and David Torem attended the United Nations Green Summit in Bangkok last December. The students were nominated by Dr. Anne Cubilie, executive director of the CWU William O. Douglas Honors College.

“At first, Emma and I were scheduled to attend the third

Peace summit,” Torem said. “However, that was canceled and replaced with the Green Summit. Both of us still wanted to go and had some interest in Climate Action. I was planning on going to the Peace Summit because it would help me with my capstone project for the Douglas Honors College: a case study on war and peace throughout the current war in Ukraine and the historical background.”

“The Summit was specifically focused on bringing together youth leaders from around the globe who would bring their networking and learning from the Green Summit back to their communities and their future work,” Cubilie said.

Cubilie spoke of Torem and CrowE as being deeply engaged change-makers who are very involved, not just with their academic studies, but also with working to make positive changes in their communities. With CrowE’s engagement with social justice and her writ-

CrowE expressed that the biggest thing she learned at the summit was to play to her own strengths. She enjoys writing technical papers and the like, but her creative pieces are where her passion for social justice is evident.

Torem found that “there were a few speakers that I felt imparted relevant knowledge.

Felipe Queipo spoke about the importance of communications for activists. While he focused specifically on communicating with those who didn’t support climate action or didn’t believe in climate change, the concepts

“I believe that climate change is the issue of our time, and our generation has to fix it,” Torem said.

In terms of goals, CrowE said she hopes to empower others with her work. If her words could empower even one person, then she’d consider that a success.

“Social justice doesn’t have to look one way,” CrowE said. “I’ve been in marches and organized protests, but that’s not the only way for someone to bring awareness to a particular topic. Use your other passions and skills to inform the way you fight for social justice.”

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia

CrowEwasoneoftheyouthleadersinvitedtotheUnitedNationsGreenSummit.

Photo courtesy of Emma CrowE

Gifts to the Future: legacy Ellensburg artists honored at Art Walk

Katherine Camarata Lead Editor

A vast array of unique paintings and sculptures decorated Gallery One as high-spirited artists from older and newer generations alike gathered to honor community members who have left lasting artistic impressions on the valley over several decades.

The Gestures: Gifts to the Future exhibit opened at the First Friday Art Walk on Feb. 3; a corresponding artist’s talk is set to occur on Feb. 11 at Gallery One from 10 a.m. - noon.

The exhibit is a collaboration with the Kittitas County Historical Museum; each legacy artist displays several pieces in the gallery, and eventually donates one piece to the museum to preserve art as a permanent piece of local history.

Seven long-time Ellensburg-based artists are showing in the exhibit, with mediums

ranging from watercolor to junk assemblage to acrylic to stained glasswork and beyond.

The artists are: Sam Albright, Richard Denner, Bobbie Halperin, Cindy Kreible, Molly Morrow, Jane Orleman and Julie Prather.

Orleman is the owner of the fabled Dick and Jane’s spot on N. Pearl St. She is typically a muralist and said she selected the specific painting for the exhibit titled “She Asks for Time to Unravel the Mystery” because it was able to “fit inside the building.”

“This painting is actually really dear to me,” Orleman said. “I was painting it during the time my brother was dying. The title is ‘She Asks for Time to Unravel the Mystery,’ and it’s the mystery of living and dying and being.”

Orleman displayed her work at CWU in 2019 for the first time in over 20 years. The work was centered around

childhood abuse and family violence. Orleman is currently displaying a painting in the stairwell of Gallery One called “She’s Stronger than She Looks,” depicting a child holding a woman on her shoulder.

“I wanted to give it to the museum so that it would continue the discussion and the dialogue about families that need healing,” Orleman said.

Lauren Otto, a senior in anthropology and intern at Gallery One, said she especially appreciated the colorful paintings of Sam Albright and Cindy Kreible, emeritus CWU art professor.

“I love his [Sam’s] work for the way that it is able to bring stuff to life on canvas, just gorgeous,” Otto said. “The way she’s [Kreible’s] able to capture the environment and the color.”

Former CWU Librarian of 20 years Guy Shover said his favorite pieces in the exhibit were created by Albright and Denner; he said he particularly enjoyed reading Den-

ner’s chapbooks in the gift shop.

“I like Sam Albright’s stuff,” Shover said. “He makes mandolins, he makes great paintings. They’re representational in a nice way.”

CWU alum and exhibitor Albright said his artwork is about inspiring a feeling in the viewer that might connect them to the artist. Albright primarily works with watercolor; his pieces in this exhibit feature winter scenery, the likes of snow and mist that permeates the pine trees.

“It has this graphic intensity about it, and I’m trying to find someplace in between the naturalness and then using watercolor in a little more intense way than a lot of people think of watercolor,” Albright said.

The vibrant stained glass lamps of Julie Prather, former employee of the CWU photo lab, have been displayed all over town, and Prather said she creates one every month

because it gives her joy. Prather said she often ponders what glass and photography have in common, and she said they both deal with light.

“Light in a photograph makes a beautiful photograph, and then the light with glass makes it magical,” Prather said. “I’ve always hoped that I bring color and light to people’s lives.”

Assemblagist, collagist and poet Richard Denner said he feels this show marked the dawn of a fresh cycle.

“Having been an artist in Ellensburg for a period of almost 50 years, it seems as though things have come full circle and now we’re beginning a new cycle … a new era of artists and art collectives, and I feel very honored to be part of this new wave of art in Ellensburg,” Denner said.

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“SheAsksforTimetoUnraveltheMystery”byJaneOrleman,“BeingontheColor”byJuliePratherand“Ezekiel’sVision”byRichardDennerintheGiftstotheFutureexhibitatGalleryOne,andPaintingbyCynthiaKrieble.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

Navigating race with emotional intelligence: seminar sheds light for Black History Month

Jordyn Rossmeisl Staff Reporter

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is defined by Milton Kuolt Professor of Business Anderson Parks as being aware of “who you are at your core, how your emotions are, what you’re feeling, and how those emotions impact others, and using that information to go out and build more authentic bonds and stronger relationships.”

The first week of Black History Month at CWU wrapped up with a talk called “Using Emotional Intelligence (EQ) To Navigate Race, Corporate America, and Higher Education,” presented by Parks.

During this presentation, part of the First Friday event series hosted by the Central Learning Academy, Parks shared his personal experiences with racism and explained how having EQ can help navigate race in our lives and workplaces.

Parks explained how he came to learn about EQ by working with a life coach after recovering from a cancer diagnosis.

“We went through a lot of exercises on self-awareness and self-management, which are two of the components of emotional intelligence,” Parks said. “Then later on, I started to work on bringing that work out into the public through the social side of EQ.”

According to Parks, there are four components of EQ. The first two fall under the category of self: self-awareness and self-mastery. While the second two fall under a social umbrella: social awareness and empathy.

“When you have an awareness of your biases, and you can connect those back to your core values, it helps you understand why you may get triggered by people that are different than you,” Parks said. “Having that understanding is the first step.”

According to Parks, triggers are unconscious and bringing them into the forefront of one’s mind can help people tune in to the reason for their reactions.

“When you have empathy with other people, you can then become compassionate for their experience and their story,” Parks said. “Through that compassion, you can start to move to a place of advocacy and or allyship. But without empathy and compassion, it’s difficult to do that.”

Parks explained that it is important to practice mindfulness or to have a contemplative practice in order to grow self-awareness and eventually, EQ skills.

“I really encourage all of my students and people that I work with to develop a contemplative or mindfulness practice,” Parks said.

There are many ways to get started, one of the most popular being meditation. Some resources he recommended looking into were: ‘Vipassana meditation,’ ‘The Association for the Contemplative Mind in Higher Education,’ the app ‘Mindspace,’ and even on YouTube.

It is important to develop your EQ if you are looking to be in a leadership position, as evidenced by Harvard Psychologist Daniel Goleman who Parks referenced in the presentation.

Parks said: “research has shown that 85% of performance effectiveness as a leader is due to emotional intelligence skills and behaviors. If you want to be in a position to lead others effectively, you also need emotional intelligence as part of your toolkit.”

Attendee Jessica Murillo-Rosales said the presentation “was raw, vulnerable and reflective. Andy is the type of presenter that builds up his setting beautifully to ensure everyone truly understands the intent of his presentation.”

Parks encouraged everyone to become curious about people whom they perceive as different. He explained that as a society, we tend to look at people who are different from us as being less human.

Parks asked everyone to embrace the diversity of humanity by becoming curious about those whom we view as “others.”

“I do believe that there is a lot of goodness at the core of who we are. All of us. It’s just getting past those visual or surface differences,” Parks said. “Once we can become curious and explore who we are at a deeper level, that’s when the true relationships start to develop … and then it’s easier to become empathetic and to develop

compassion for others.”

Parks asked people not to wait to become involved, to instead start now and start simple.

“It could be as simple as smiling to someone who doesn’t appear to be accepted or doesn’t appear to fit in,” Parks said. “This has been a lifelong journey for me, and it’s easy to get frustrated, it’s easy to give up … but think about what legacy you want to leave behind … what is it that you want to be remembered for?”

Abortion ethics seminar educates CWU as reproductive rights dwindle

Alahnna Connolly Staff Reporter

In light of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last spring, an Abortion: Ethics, Privacy and Technology Post-Roe’ seminar was hosted on Jan. 31 by philosophy professor Cynthia Coe to inform students about the current state of reproductive rights in America.

This year is the 50-year anniversary of the original Roe v. Wade, ruled in 1973. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, this was the Supreme Court decision that decided abortion bans were unconstitutional.

Dr. Matthew Altman, Dr. Lauren Nuckols and Dr. David Schwan spoke at the seminar.

Altman is a professor of philos-

ophy and teaches ethics, applied ethics and philosophy of law. He presented about the ethical and legal background of abortion laws for patients and doctors.

Nuckols is a lecturer in philosophy who teaches the ethics of big data and technology. She summarized what it means to talk about privacy in general, and the different forms of surveillance that may be used post-Roe.

Schwan is a lecturer in philosophy, and teaches courses in ethics, applied ethics and conducts research in medical ethics. He spoke about moral arguments on both sides of the issue, and how complicated the legal scene is going to get with federal and state laws.

This seminar was held in person and over Zoom, and there were around 37 attendees on Zoom and around 35-40 in person, according to Coe. Coe referenced a White House release from July 2022, and said: “‘Today, fundamental rights — to privacy, autonomy, freedom, and equality — have been denied to millions of women across the country.’ It seems like people were inter -

ested, as it is a hot topic right now involving human reproductive decisions,” Coe said.

Coe said there were questions asked by students involving privacy which included: ‘Who can track my google searches?’ and ‘who can track my period app and has access to it?’

As Coe spoke about privacy, she told the story of a case last August where someone’s discussion of an abortion procedure wasn’t as private as they thought.

“A woman used Facebook messages to help her daughter get an abortion,” Coe said. “As those were private and they thought they were safe, the police got a warrant against META (Facebook) and took the messages and used them against them in their case.”

This article can be found in the New York Times.

With technology and data being breached, there are many economic implications on this topic.

To avoid misinformation, Coe said: “check your sources, get multiple sources, be sure to get reliable statistics instead of just going on Twitter to find something that could be false.

There is a lot of misinformation in the world.”

According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, state laws will continue to protect abortion in Washington. Nine other states will continue to allow abortions and plan to expand access to them. In contrast, 12 states have banned abortion.

Those at CWU who are in need of reproductive help can reach out to their healthcare provider, Student Wellness Center and Planned Parenthood. If students have questions about ethical concerns, they can reach out to the Diversity and Equity Center (DEC) in Black 101-5.

The resources that these centers provide are support groups, private counseling and emergency/after hours crisis (no additional charge to students for Student Wellness Center). They have confidentiallity and medical clinics available. According to Planned Parenthood’s website, they can work with you if you have no money or offer a discount rate for abortion/birth control services, depending on the service and location.

Roev.Wadewasthelandmarkcasethatruledthatabortionbanswereunconstitutional Photo courtesy of Pexels.

SpeakerAnderson(Andy)Parks. Photo courtesy of CWU News

Concert livens up the Bistro with jazz

MJ Rivera Staff Reporter

Jazz music filled the 1891 Bistro as CWU’s jazz bands returned under the direction of Dr. Keith Karns. Jazz bands I, II and III performed a mix of ballads and uptempo jazz standards for students and community members on Feb. 1.

Student musicians

Isaac Hurtado, a senior music major who has been playing the trombone for about 10 years, said his favorite moment of the night was soloing.

“That’s just a really great way for me to express myself,” Hurtado said. “I haven’t played a solo like that in a long time. I took a break from the music program and coming back, I feel more like myself.”

Hurtado said he hopes people who saw the performance realize CWU’s reputation for music, and that CWU has one of the best music programs in the northwest.

According to Hurtado: “jazz is a super underrated genre of music, but it’s a building block of how American music came to be.”

CWU sophomore and graphic design major Bri Wilde said since CWU is a smaller school, she wasn’t expecting the jazz program to be so prominent.

”They definitely proved me wrong during that performance, they broke expectations,” Wilde said.

Senior music major, Gabe Bradley, has been playing the tenor sax for 10 years. He said his solo was one of the best parts of his night.

“We’ve been able to play really burning stuff, and because of the help from Dr. Karns, this band, and he, can really thrive with charts like that,” Bradley said. “There’s super high energy and it’s just a really good way to kind of get back to our roots here at Central.”

CWU has had three jazz directors in the last three years. Bradley believes that the jazz program is only going to get better from here.

“I believe that now to the next couple of years, the jazz scene here and the level of musicianship is going to skyrocket,” Bradley said. “So I would really encourage people to pay attention, because special things are happening here.”

Bradley said he hoped his performance inspired learning musicians in the program and motivated them

to keep learning and playing music.

A sophomore music education major and trumpeter for five years, Daniel Garcia, said that he was fond of the high-energy songs.

“During our song ‘Fingers,’ when everybody was performing and just watching everybody in the crowd go crazy. That was a really fun part,” Garcia said.

He said he hopes to invoke a new love for jazz and a desire to support the music program in all who were present.

The JEN Club

Corie Williamson is the president of CWU’s Jazz Education Network (JEN) club. She is a junior music education and trumpet performance major.

“We’re a part of the national organization of the ‘Jazz Education Network,’ and we’re a collegiate chapter,” Williamson said. “We aim

to promote diversity and access to jazz, and to fill in the gaps where the jazz curriculum does not provide equitable access to students or provide a lot of instruction.”

One of the main things JEN club does is host an annual “Women in Jazz Day” that anyone can attend that aims to showcase women in jazz. This year, the event is Saturday, April 22 in McIntyre Hall.

Corie explained that JEN club has been at CWU for over a decade, and that she joined the club as a freshman, became the secretary her sophomore year and is now the president of the club as a junior.

After the performance, Williamson said: “I just want more people to hear jazz and get to listen to all the hard work that the students do. Jazz is for everybody. It doesn’t matter what your experience level is; we want everybody to be able to listen to and play jazz.”

Former JEN club president and current club member Shaina Ellis said she hopes the performance at the Bistro will bring awareness to jazz and early Black American music. She also believes that there should be more diversity in jazz.

“[People] need to see and hear incredible badass women that are in the jazz scene,” Ellis said.

Director’s perspective

Jazz Director Dr. Keith Karns is only in his second quarter teaching

at CWU. According to his website keithkarnsmusic.com, he has received awards from the National Trumpet Competition, the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Downbeat Magazine, and the Jazz Education Network (JEN). The JEN club gave him a young composer award for one of his original works around seven years ago.

Karns put a focus on soloing for this performance, as he said it is something that students have to learn by doing. With students learning a variety of instruments, he had to pick songs that would create a good learning experience for everyone throughout the bands.

“The students here are really receptive to my philosophy of teaching and the things I want to do and so I think, as you saw tonight, we just got together and we had fun,” Karns said.

Karns said he has been having a fantastic time teaching the students of CWU and that he intends to stay with CWU bands.

“Dealing with a pandemic and then all that instability, I just want people to know that the program is in good hands,” Karns said. “The students are doing great. The bands are sounding great, and we’re here to stay.”

To attend any JEN events, follow their instagram @cwujen and see CWU jazz bands again February 25 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Dr. Wayne Hertz Concert Hall inside McIntyre Hall.

“Jazzisasuperunderratedgenreof music,butit’sabuildingblockofhow Americanmusiccametobe.”

- Isaac Hurtado, Music Student

CWUJazzBand. Photo courtesy of Emily David/CWU Hype ShainaEllisplayingsaxophone. Photo courtesy of Keri Kunz/CWU Hype

Over-the-Topera production returns with a competitive twist judging panel adds new element to decade-long tradition

Zileni Milupi Staff Reporter

This year’s Over-the-Topera, Death by Aria edition, was an operatic battle royale to determine whose vocals soared above the concert hall, featured for the first time in the production’s history at CWU.

The event took place on Feb. 3 at the Wayne S. Hertz Concert Hall in the Mclntyre Music Building and was put on by Music Department Professor Dr. Gayla Blaisdell, who started Over-the-Topera 15 years ago. The concert showcases the talents of the classical music enthusiasts in the program. She decided to switch things up this year and incorporated concepts from talent shows like ‘The Voice’ and ‘America’s Got Talent.’

This year’s production consisted of three rounds with three judges

and 13 student performers. The first round featured each of the 13 students performing an aria, or a dramatic art song with aria-like elements for one minute. The second round featured six students, and this round had no time limit for their performances. The last round featured the final four performers. The final round ended in a surprise tie with winners, Mckayla Sherman and Trevor Pierce.

“I participated in an opera program in Utah,” Blaisdell said. “Death by Aria was often talked about in the program. That’s what the singers called it ‘arias,’ because it felt like death.”

An “aria” is a vocal piece that blends musical theater elements with opera, according to Opera Colorado. Arias are an opportunity to showcase one

solo voice and to get to know what is going on in the mind of the character in the moment, according to Opera Colorado.

The judges of the competition were esteemed and respected members of the CWU community: Kathleen Beach, Dean Jason Knirck and Joe Regelbrugge. None of the judges had professional opera experience, which made choosing the winner more interesting, according to Blaisdell.

“There’s a difference between performing for a professional and performing for a lay person,” Blaisdell said. “You have to be very particular about the details when performing for a professional. When you’re performing for a lay person, you need to know what you want to communicate to them and how to draw in the audience.”

Third year music major and third place finalist, Sophie Otness,

explained how she hoped to impress the judges before the event.

“I want to use my movement to tell a story and communicate the feelings of the character,” Otness said. “It’s hard to convey the emotions of a character while singing in a different language, I want to do my best.”

Fourth year music major and performer in the competition, Madison Larson, also expressed the importance of grabbing the audience’s attention prior to the performance.

“I’ll do my best to perform and make it fun and visually enjoyable to watch.” Larson said.

Some members of the audience showed appreciation for the students and their talents after the event.

“It’s hard to believe they’re students, they’re so professional,” Associate Professor of Psychology

Rich Marsicano said.

Despite the competitive aspect of this year’s production, Blaisdell and her husband Torrance Blaisdell who co-hosted the event, emphasized the value of all the performers beyond this.

“One thing the people you audition for will value the least is the number of competitions you’ve won,” Torrance said.

“Competition is very subjective and not representative of who you are as a person or how hard you work. None of that can be seen in two hours.”

After the last round of the event, Blaisdell had some final words for the participants.

“No matter what you’re competing for or what you’re doing, your efforts are appreciated,” Blaisdell said.

SophieOtnessperformsinMcIntyreHall.

Photo by Zileni Milupi

Mr.andDr.Blaisdell,creatorsofOver-the-Topera. Photo by Zileni Milupi

“I want to use my movement to tell a story.”

-Sophie Otness, Music Major

Does technology make us more alone?

Alahnna Connolly Columnist

Growing up in the 2000s, there was a major boom in technology and the internet. When I was younger, I didn’t think much of being on my phone or being worried about social media and my image.

People are becoming more alone with technology, as technology is preventing us from making those one-on-one connections. As we once formed relationships in person and by getting that personal connection, now everything is done behind the protection of a screen.

A study at the University of Arizona said that smartphone dependence predicted a higher rate of loneliness in adults. GFC Global said that too much so-

cial media can lead to emotional harm. I can see this happening everyday when I wake up, I instant [of dopamine].ly grab my phone to check it.

As I check my phone, I am sucked into the world of social media and I could be on my phone for longer than an hour. I deleted all my social media for a one-week dopamine cleanse. At first it was hard, and I felt so bored.

Over time, I felt more myself and less insecure about what I was doing in my life. I would advise a lot of people to do this, so you can snap back into real life. Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter that is responsible for pleasure, according to Psychology Today.

“Every time we pick up our phones for Facebook, Twitter

and Snapchat it can release an overwhelming amount [of do pamine]. Too much social media can make you feel isolated and alone, and potentially lead to stress and anxiety,” according to PEW Research Center.

Being online can lead down bad paths, because people that are lonely are easily vulnerable to extremist ideology that can persuade them into believing things that are dangerous. So, does technology really make us more alone? The answer is yes. People, especially young adults, want to stay up to date with trends and keep fitting in, but it is doing more harm than good for them. Making sure you stay active can help avoid the loneli ness from creeping in.

A way you can stop this from happening is by limiting your

The hidden misogyny behind “not like other girls”

MJ Rivera Columnist

Most women have had a time in their life when they thought to themselves, “I’m not like other girls,” because they chose an alternative, better way of living that doesn’t involve so much pink lip gloss. If this is you, you might not realize that you’re lifting yourself up by putting other women down. We all have individuality in common.

In his book “How to Interpret Literature,” Robert Parker said: “there are many different ways to enact gender, many different ways to live as a female or a male, not one essentialist way. Feminists see this sense of multiplicity as liberating. It means that it is best for women to choose how to live as women.”

In this way, Parker explained that gender can be seen as a performance. With billions of women in the world, there are just as many renditions of femininity. He said this idea might suggest that anyone can choose whatever performance they want, but that we inherit models of gender and femininity from our surrounding culture.

Parker also said that while repetition solidifies the essentialized idea of gender, each repetition varies slightly from the last. Humans naturally tend to do things differently with the progression of time.

According to Elle magazine, “closer to where we are now, we’ve got multiple iterations of women who aren’t like other girls.”

For example, in 2023 we have gamer girls, sporty girls, tik-tok girls, metalhead girls, artsy girls and so many more. So, who are these ‘others’ that none of us want to relate to? Girls who we call “basic” for sharing the interests and hobbies that men deem as common and frivolous.

Elle magazine wrote, “if ‘you’re

not like other girls’ is a compliment, what does it say about ‘other girls?’”

Any phrase that suggests there’s a ‘basic’ version of women, and that rejecting that inherent standard will make you more interesting, is misogynistic in nature. I believe that all girls are more than just their style and preferences.

I’m drinking a chai tea latte and watching “You” on Netflix, but I also play the drums and go golfing often. Any girl that you see doing ‘girly’ things has more on her mind than shoes, I promise. If all girls are dynamic, unique, unexpectable beings, there are no ‘others’ to be afraid of or defy. We are all girls and we all deserve to be known.

Some women wear feminine as basketball shorts and tank tops, but they might have a lot in common with the girls who wear feminine from Hot Topic. Then there are the “other girls” who choose heels and dresses, and their whole stereotype is that they’re air-headed or shallow. Remember that women are human beings, and it is in human

nature to have multiple interests, to go through phases and to be unique from other people.

Discussions around how we represent femininity will help us realize just how similar we all are, and ultimately allow us to lean

on one another and trust that we don’t need to tear each other down to be successful in this world.

that“Anyphrase versionsuggeststhere’sa‘basic’ ofwomen,andthatrejectingthat inherent standard willmakeyoumore interesting,ismisogynisticinnature.”

Photo courtesy of pexels.com

Photo courtesy of pexels.com

Best picture preview: The blockbusters

Morgana’s Complaint Corner: I hate parking

miracle. I never go grocery shopping the day after payday, because I know the parking lots will be hell.

There’s nothing worse than driving around in circles trying to find a parking spot.

As an Oregonian, I like to visit Portland. It’s a fun city with a lot of good options for places to eat. But parking in Portland is hell. I throw out the idea of finding free parking from the get-go.

It’s a miracle if I can even find parking.

Nearly every time I’ve parked in Portland I’ve had to park at least five minutes away, in a paid lot.

In my own home town of Salem, Oregon it’s a chore to find somewhere to park, especially if I want to go anywhere downtown. Street parking is always full, even into the evening. And if I want to go somewhere nice like the Waterfront Park I have to pray for a

This isn’t even limited just to large cities. Here in Ellensburg, when I’m parking on campus, I can never find an open spot to park.

Usually parking isn’t super difficult in Ellensburg, but I’ve had a few times during the weekend when I’m trying to visit downtown, and finding somewhere I can park is nearly impossible.

Even parking outside of my own dorm isn’t easy. The closest spot to park for free is the parallel parking on Alder Street. If I pray to every god I know I’ll find a spot to park on the street. I would park in the parking lot outside of the music building, but that would require a parking pass, which I cannot afford. They already take so much money from me each term, do they really need another $273 a year from me on top of tuition?

I have to park 15 minutes away from my dorm if I don’t want to get a ticket. The fact that the university has the gall, the gumption even, to ask me to pay for the right to park. Now I have to go through all the work of walking my groceries the full 15 minutes to my dorm. Sometimes, I even have to make multiple trips if I don’t feel like risking a ticket.

Don’t get me started on tickets. The cops on campus must not have anything better to do than read every single license plate, mouths foaming at the thought of catching me in a parking spot I’m not supposed to be in. They gave me four tickets for parking in one spot that they’ve allowed me to park in other times.

Isaac Hinson Columnist

In an incredibly transparent effort to regain the attention of the populous, three films that could be considered blockbusters were nominated for Best Picture at the 95th Academy Awards this year.

“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Elvis” all received Best Picture nods.

Comparatively, the 2022 nominees only featured one franchise film in the class: “Dune.” “Dune” swept six of its 10 nominations, notably losing Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

“Maverick,” “Avatar” and “Elvis” likely won’t win Best Picture either. But they’re all worth reviewing and having a discussion about their individual chances.

“Top Gun: Maverick”

Released over memorial day weekend, “Maverick” hit theaters and was immediately heralded as one of the best blockbusters of all time. A rare sequel that not only improves on the original, but does so exponentially. The film received nominations for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best Sound, Best Film Editing and Best Visual Effects.

Despite receiving six nominations, there is one notable snub missing from “Maverick’s” haul: Best Cinematography. The work Tom Cruise and company did to pioneer aircraft filming in this film is unmeasurable. I hate to be blunt, but they literally put IMAX cameras on jets. That alone deserves recognition.

When it comes to Best Picture, “Maverick’s” chances aren’t zero. Any other year, I would say that it's fun that it’s here, but the chances are slim. However, in a post-slap Oscars, it’ll truly just depend on whether the Academy decides to go all-in on deciding they want to appeal to as many people as possible or not.

“Avatar: The Way of Water”

Coming into awards season, I felt that this was the blockbuster most likely to win Best Picture. The original was nominated for nine awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The technological craft on display in this film, combined with its anticipation and established high-profile in the Academy led me to believe

“Avatar” had a decent chance. However, unlike the original film, James Cameron did not see a Best Director nomination for “The Way of Water,” which is one of the biggest snubs of the year. But, since this is the case, I feel the chances of an “Avatar” victory are slim. Typically the more nominations a film receives the better their

chanc- es are. But look at last year, “CODA” only received three nominations and ended up taking home the big trophy. So anything is possible.

“Elvis”

Has anyone had a better four year-stretch than Austin Butler? Kicking off his path to stardom in 2019’s “Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood,” he was quickly recognized as one of the many highlights of that movie, and inturn earned the shot to play Elvis Presley.

While shooting “Elvis,” another film being produced by Warner Bros. was looking for someone on the younger side to play their big-bad. After looking at his then unreleased work in “Elvis” and a successful audition, Butler got the job as Feyd-Rautha in “Dune: Part Two,” which is set to be released this November.

Of the three films highlighted here, I think “Elvis” far and away has the best odds to bring home Best Picture. It was nominated for eight awards, including Best Actor and I wouldn’t be surprised if Butler already knows where he’s putting his trophy. The Academy has been flirting with music biopics for the last few years, awarding “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Rocketman” among others, and it feels due for the subgenre to cross the Best Picture threshold.

Morgana Carroll Columnist

Photo Courtesy of Libby Williams

Photo courtesy of pexels.com

Super Bowl viewing spots in Ellensburg

CWU’s athletic training duo

I wanted to even get a little bit more of a smaller town feel, and that’s kind of what attracted me up here.”

CWU baseball swings into spring season

CWU athletic trainers Isaac Perry and Annie Espinoza share their passion for athletics. Perry, long-time assistant since 2014 appointed head trainer in 2017, and Espinoza, a year removed from her 2022 graduation, lead the school’s athletic training staff. Specializing in football and men’s basketball, Perry shares a look behind-the-scenes into what goes into his job.

“Especially [regarding] high contact sports teams, really any day someone could be seriously injured and you have to deal with it,” Perry said. “When those things happen, it’s our responsibility to help the student-athlete make that process smooth and easy for them. We help them along the way by doing everything we can to try to get them back healthy, as quickly as we can.”

Perry attended Fresno State University during his undergrad years and continued his education as a graduate student at Chico State University. While California is one of the bigger states in the country, Perry found the adjustment process of moving to Ellensburg to be quite smooth, given his familiarity with small-towns while living in Santa Cruz.

“I grew up in a pretty small town, probably even smaller than Ellensburg,” Perry said. “[Because of that] the small town didn’t really put me off at all … Fresno State was great, it didn’t have a big city feel so that’s why I liked it there. But then I think

Espinoza, on the other hand, stayed local during her college years. She completed her undergraduate degree at Washington State University and then found her home here at CWU when she came to finish her master’s degree. Espinoza grew up playing sports but, given the size of her high school, she never had an athletic trainer.

“I went to a small high school where we didn’t have an athletic trainer, so I really didn’t know athletic training was a thing,” Espinoza said. “When I realized what it was, I realized ‘oh, that’s something that’s really important.’ I just think it’s really important for athletes to have access to this kind of care, so I felt like athletic training was a good way for me to stay involved in sports and then get into the health and medical side of it so I can then provide care for other people.”

Espinoza announced her pregnancy to the football team during the early days of their season, but maintained her work with the team. She continued to travel with the group and do her job.

“I don’t think [the pregnancy] could have been timed better, I really lucked out,” Espinoza said. “We did most of the traveling when I was in my first trimester and early second trimester, so I wasn’t at the point where I was super uncomfortable or anything yet. I feel like I didn’t have a ton of limitations from the pregnancy to effectively do my job.”

Charis Jones Staff Reporter

The latest talk regarding the baseball team came from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) preseason coaches poll, where CWU tied for third place with Montana State University- Billings (MSU- Billings). However, catcher Austin Ohland, explained that he doesn’t put much thought into such standings.

“Typically, I try to not pay too much attention to things like that,” Ohland said. “This is baseball and it is anyone’s conference, if they get hot at the right time. While we might be third now, I think we can finish ahead of that if we go about our business the right way.”

Before CWU baseball’s season opener took place last weekend, pitcher Ryan Arredondo expressed his confidence in his team’s abilities and their readiness to step foot on the diamond.

“I will always expect great things from this team and everyone on it, as do they,” Arredondo said. “We are confident in our preparation and excited to get the first taste of a long great season.”

Arredondo also provided a bit of insight as to what the difference is between this year’s approach compared to last.

“[There are] lots of small

Isaac Hinson Sports Editor

Super Bowl Sunday is right around the corner and I’m here to give you my predictions that surely will come true. Despite both conference championship predictions I gave on ‘Press Pass’ (which is live at 6 p.m. every Wednesday on 88.1 the ‘Burg) falling flat on their faces, I have faith in myself for this go-around.

The Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, Jalen Hurts vs. Patrick Mahomes and Jason Kelce vs. Travis Kelce. So many storylines, so little space in this box. I think the Kansas City Chiefs will win and will be flying out of Arizona with the Vince Lombardi trophy in hand. Patrick Mahomes is built for the big-stage in ways very few players in the history of the NFL have been. He’s been here before, he will be here again and he’s not walking away empty-handed.

My thoughts aren’t a slight to Philadelphia or the Eagles, I love Jalen Hurts and I owe the city of Philadelphia my life for Chris Ryan’s existence. The Eagles are a very good team and will be competing for championships for a long time, they’re just happening to run into the greatest player on the planet.

The real winner here is the Kelce brothers’ mother, Donna. With her son Jason playing for the Eagles, and his brother Travis playing for the Chiefs, she’s the happiest woman on earth at the moment.

subliminal differences between this year and last,” Arredondo said. “Small things in this game are what make you successful or not, so identifying what those are and making the appropriate changes is key. I believe we’ve done so.”

Both players give credit to their coaching staff for the work they’ve put into the program. Seeing that the baseball team is currently running on only two paid coaches, the responsibilities the coaches have taken on are more than usual.

“Our coaches’ roles are beyond comprehension,” Arredondo said. “They have a ton on their plate and a lot of logistics to work out on a dayto-day basis. Every year they work extremely hard, and this year they’ve somehow upped their workload.”

Both players also agreed that the best thing about their team this year is the brotherhood felt among the group.

“We have become a pretty close-knit team,” Ohland said. “After all the hectic scheduling of the Pav being under construction, we have gone through a lot together and it has just brought us all closer.”

Arredondo echoed this and said: “The best thing about this year’s team is the positive camaraderie. Everyone has great relationships with one another and [the] guys are closer than ever.”

Tre’Jon Henderson Staff Reporter

CatcherAustinOhland. Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media

IsaacPerry. Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media

ThePhiladelphiaEaglescelebrateintheendzone. Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher

ART WORDS

Untitled

Artwork

by Frances Froland

“When summer ends”

by:J.R.

“JoeLastie’sNewOrleansSoundft.GreggStafford.”

autumn begins i always think of you and that night in Seattle where new names blurred together over plastic cups of boxed wine cheap alcohol you tried to throw up but couldn’t so i sat with you on an unfamiliar bathroom floor and watched over you sober while you laughed and cried about a dead dog that was still alive. i remember that day in September when you told me you were bi and i didn’t know what that meant until i began to follow you everywhere you went everywhere you went i hung off of your words like gospel my heart devoted to your laugh your smile your brown eyes devoted to you. i remember the traffic cone orange-stained fingers i got from dyeing your hair, toxic dye bleeding from my hands before dripping down drains. i tried to scrub you off. but you remain.

Puzzle #1

Wildcat Words:

What is your hot take, the hill you will absolutely die on?

“I would say soccer is the biggest sport in the whole world … [but] no one cares about soccer here in America.”

“Our music program needs to be more funded “because we are underfunded and we’re under-appreciated half the time.” People don’t under stand how great music is in life and how important it is.”

“I think coffee shops here are what represents Washington … [but] redbull stands should be what represents Washington.”

Q&A Q&A Isaac

Isaac Smith is president of the Astronomy Club and a physics student currently working on a new spectrograph for Discovery Hall’s 0.6-Meter telescope as part of his research. Smith is also part of the Hot New Jam improv team.

Smith

What do you love about the Discovery Hall telescope?

My favorite part of the 0.6-Meter Research telescope is how accessible it is for not only students but also the public. It is very uncommon for a research telescope of any university to be available for community use or interaction. It also takes astounding photos of galaxies.

What first got you interested in physics and astronomy?

Ever since I was a kid, I have had a passion for learning and discovering more about the world around. The older I got, the more I learned, and eventually I hit a point where to understand more complex topics I had to specialize. Physics built the strongest foundation for understanding the world around me and then I specialized further into astronomy as my questions pointed more outwards to the stars.

What do you wish more people knew about the telescope and its features?

The Astronomy Club and Physics department provide many occasions for the public to come learn, interact with, and use the telescope. We can use [it] with an eyepiece or the mounted camera to look out into space. You can even control and take pictures with the telescope while sitting next to it and I’ll say that seeing the telescope move and point to objects is personally one of the coolest things on campus.

What are you hoping the spectrograph will add for the future of the telescope?

The telescope currently “sees” only in black and white, meaning that we can see objects and how bright they are but have no information about that object’s color. The Eras Coloré Spectrograph will bring color to the telescope allowing for the tracking of objects’ speed, discerning their compositions, and in the future, the analysis of Jupiter-like exoplanets with the hope of discovering potentially habitable worlds.

What is the coolest thing you’ve seen through the telescope?

Seeing our nearest neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy through our telescope, will always cause my jaw to drop.

What’s one book you can’t stop recommending to people?

“An Infinity of Worlds: Cosmic Inflation and the Beginning of the Universe” is a great read. It leans more on the math side of things, but does not require high level physics or math to understand as the author meticulously brings together the complex math and science in a way that allows for anyone to walk away fascinated and educated on some of the most complex laws of the universe.

“I think mint chocolate ice cream is horrible, and I will stand by that decision probably for the rest of my life.”

Remi Boeholt Fr. Construction Management

David Mata Jr. Clinical Physiology

Madison Schumacher Soph. Music Education

Ulstad