The Observer, Winter 2023 - Issue 7

Students raise concerns for lack of dining services training

Former supervisor with alleged ‘inappropriate boundaries’ still employed by CWU

FISH Food Bank to combine operations with $5 million expansion set for April

Omar Benitez Senior Reporter

The planned $5 million 6,000 square foot expansion to FISH Food Bank is set to begin construction in April, with plans for completion set for November.

According to FISH Food Bank CEO Peggy Morache, the plans for the expansion include an expansion of the existing 2,500 square foot food bank; as well as renovations to the existing food pantry and the creation of a new reception, client services and education center will house several social service agencies.

bution of food, Morache said.

“This new building will allow us to have a new commercial freezer and commercial refrigerator and also do state of the art materials handling,” Morache said. “We basically run a grocery warehouse here, so distribution is really important for us.”

Morache said the plan is to have one large central location that will be able to take care of food handling, storage and distribution, as well as housing the food pantry and education center.

Megan Rogers

Assistant News Editor

Student employees in dining services continue to raise concerns about communication and training shortcomings as they have for over a year, as reported by The Observer last winter.

Lack of training and communication

A former dining services employee who wished to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic said, while their overall experience working in dining was positive, one of the biggest issues was the lack of communication.

“A lot of the times, upper management would maybe tell the managers on the floor some things but it wouldn’t get back to student workers or to chefs as quickly as it probably should have,” they said.

The student said the training for student employees was very limited.

“They’ll throw you onto a station, and you’ll get trained by somebody, but sometimes, it’s not completely accurate, especially if it’s another student worker who’s training you,” they said.

According to the student, training should be done by the student coordinators, but there were some times when a coordinator wouldn’t be on shift when a new employee needed to be trained.

“I’ve had new student workers be pushed on me when I used to work there, and I was never a coordinator,” they said.

The student said one of the reasons they left dining services was because the lack of communication was never fixed.

Liam Rebol, a sophomore studying geology, worked for Panda Express in the North Side Commons from January to the middle of June 2022. He said he felt his training was rushed.

“I got maybe a day of being told what to do,” Rebol said. “I worked in food service beforehand, so I was pretty comfortable in the kitchen already. But I wasn’t really given a ton of support or anything for [Panda Express] specifically.”

Former supervisor investigated for ‘inappropriate boundaries’ still employed in dining

During an interview with The Observer, Dean Masuccio, CWU dining and catering director, con-

firmed that Ryan Aspiri is still currently employed by CWU’s dining services as a Food Service Worker Lead at Panda Express. According to Masuccio, the Food Service Worker Lead is essentially a “wok cook.”

According to an article by The Observer (See: “Dining services supervisor investigated for ‘inappropriate boundaries’”) allegations were expressed by multiple witnesses and complainants that Aspiri exhibited inappropriate behavior to female students while working in March of 2021, including alleged comments about the bodies of female employees.

The HR report said, “Based upon information gathered during the investigation it does not appear that conduct of a sexual nature created an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.”

The Observer reached out to Aspiri on Feb. 18 for comment, but did not receive a response. The Observer asked Masuccio and Human Resources about why Aspiri is still employed at CWU, and they declined to comment at this time.

Continued on Pg. 3

“We recognize the fact that people need more than just food,” Morache said. “We needed a more holistic approach to helping people who rely on us. So that’s why we want to include an education and services center because our goal is to help people move beyond a place where they’re in need.”

According to Morache, plans for the warehouse expansion have been in the works for over five years due to how much food they receive and distribute around the county.

“This expansion is crucial for us,” Morache said. “This food bank warehouse receives and stores about one and a half million pounds of food a year and then distributes that food to the food pantries located all over the county. To try to do that with that much food in a 2,500 square feet facility is very difficult.”

According to Morache, FISH is currently using the old Rodeo City Barbecue building as a food service building for distribution, due to zoning restrictions and lack of space and resources at the current facility.

The new warehouse expansion will allow for all these services to be under one roof and allow FISH to work out of one central location to be more efficient, Morache said.

The new warehouse will help FISH have the resources and facility to better deal with storage and distri-

Morache said the over $5 million in funding comes from a combination of fundraising throughout the years, state funding, as well as federal funding including a Community Services Block Grant. $900,000 from community project funding was secured by Washington state representative Kim Schrier.

According to Morache, the new expansion and renovations will be done in two phases. The first phase is planned to take place from April to Nov. and focus on the 6,000 square foot expansion, which will house the new food bank and food service center.

The second phase is planned to start after the completion of the first phase and will be completed by mid summer of next year. It will focus on the renovations of the current 2,500 square foot facility which will include the new education and services center as well as a renovated, and larger food pantry.

Morache said another one of her motivations for this project is to improve the experience for those using the pantry.

“We want to make the space more cheerful and let people have the ability to choose their own groceries from a variety of options,” Morache said. “We want the experience to be as pleasant as possible.”

According to Morache, food bank operations will not be affected once construction begins in April.

Singing, dancing and acting by the students of CWU at Short Works Festival

Alahnna Connolly Staff Reporter

Scripts, designs, characters and staging, all completely organized by CWU students, brought the Short Works Festival to life last weekend. The festival was a three-day long event from Feb. 16 -18 and took almost a year to plan.

There were four student-written plays featured: “A Fine Upstanding Lad: A New Musical” written by Shawn Mulligan and Maverick McCarl, “The Maiden” written by Caelyn White, “Dream of the Butterfly” written by Miles Baker, “The Good, the Tired, the Hungry” written by Peter James and “Body Bag” written by Mason Saulsbury.

The main festival creative team producers were Kathryn Stahl, Jason Tucholke and Lirit Pendell.

Junior tourism and event major Keteya Woodfroff said, “I can’t wait to see more student led plays, the creativity was amazing and the plays were very unique.”

Mason Saulsbury, the scriptwriter for “Body Bag,” said she thinks it’s important for student run productions to be featured on campus.

“It’s a showcase of raw talent that the students here have, something that isn’t only a licensed work, but something that was built from the ground up from people that go here,” Saulsbury said.

Jason Tucholke, one of the producers of the events, said he

thinks the Short Works Festival is important because it’s entirely student run.

“Each of the shows they do is important because it is produced, designed and directed by the students,” Tucholke said.

According to Tucholke, the performers had been rehearsing since the beginning of the quarter.

According to Saulsbury, she didn’t do any theater productions until she came to CWU, and had only recently begun her work in CWU theater. Saulsbury said the experience of working with everyone else in her production was unique.

“It was really cool to see something I wrote turn into something

I could watch,” Saulsbury said. “Being able to collaborate with such amazing people like Isacc, Jess, Megan and Elizabeth [was cool] as well.”

According to Saulsbury, who went to every showing of the festi-

val over the weekend, the opening night turnout was good, and attendance for the other showings was also high.

Sarah Spurgeon exhibit features Cozette Philips

Formerdiningserviceemployeessaytrainingwasrushed. Photo by Megan Rogers

Lefttoright:JessJonesasOliviaandMeganWaltersasAnnesitonadeadbodyandchat.

Photo by Mason Saulsbury

Beyond Our Coverage

A suspect accused of attempted robbery at the King Smoke Shop in north Seattle was shot and killed by an employe at the shop on Feb. 20, after said employee was shot by the suspect, according to KOMO News.

Strong winds and collapsed trees caused a power outage in the Puget Sound region on Feb. 20, according to King 5. Over 17,000 residents were left without power in the region, according to KOMO News.

Limited supply of the prescription drug Ozempic used to regulate blood sugar for those with Type-2 diabetes has caused shortages in Washington, according to KIRO 7 News. The shortage was said to be caused due to the drug’s weight loss properties.

The Carter Center confirmed Former President Jimmy Carter entered hospice care on Saturday, according to AP News. The 97-year-old was admitted to a hospice center in Plains, Georgia, and is the current oldest living U.S. President.

Texts between Fox News bigwigs, including anchors Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham and chairman Rupert Murdoch, show the news station never believed the claims they made about 2020 election fraud, according to AP News. The texts were released as part of a brief from Dominion’s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit on Thursday.

NASA confirmed a meteor weighing around 1,000 pounds landed in Southern Texas, according to Fox 4 News. Local residents reported rattling windows and earthquake-like shaking, and the meteor was big enough to be detected by satellites.

Letter from the Editor

Salutations CWU,

Despite the ups and downs of life, art and creation serve to unite us through creativity and expressed emotion. Sometimes all we want to do is hide certain parts of ourselves, particularly ones that aren’t seen as typically “happy.” The antidote to shame is illumination, the ability to share and shed light on topics that we may be conditioned to believe are unacceptable in some way. Art is one way to shed this light while connecting us to our community.

In the artistic spirit, we have featured coverage of the Short Works festival on pg. 1, coverage of the newest art exhibit at the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery on pg. 5, a double truck celebrating women’s basketball senior night on pg. 6-7 and an opinion piece covering the top five anime shows to start watching on pg. 9. As always, we at The Observer hope you all are taking care of yourselves, spending time with loved ones and taking walks out in nature.

Be well,

Katherine Camarata Lead Editor

Staff

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

Glacie Kehoe-Padilla

Assistant Graphic Designer

Brandon Davis

Photo Editor

Andrew Ulstad

Senior Reporter

Omar Benitez

Staff Reporters

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.

A second earthquake hit the Syria-Turkey border on Feb. 20, killing 3 people and injuring 213 others, according to NBC News. The earthquake was of 6.3 magnitude and hit two weeks after the first earthquake that killed over 44,000 people near the city of Uzunbag.

President Biden announced a plan to provide an additional $500 million in military help to Ukraine, including artillery shells, Javelin missiles, and howitzers, according to the NY Times.

At least 36 have been killed with dozens more missing after flooding and landslides hit the Brazilian state of São Paulo, according to BBC News. Nearly 25 inches of rain fell in a span of 24 hours. Nearly 50 houses have collapsed or were completely washed away.

Photo by Dylan Hanson

Editorial: Presidents Day? More like “Precedent for War Crimes Day”

Morgana Carroll Columnist

America likes to fetishize the commander in chiefs that we have had, and frankly, it’s disgusting.

The farther back you go, the worse it gets. Everyone loves the founding fathers, but don’t accurately hold them accountable for their actions nearly as much as they would for any post World War II president.

Everyone thinks of the founding fathers as such great men, but they really weren’t. They were all slave owners, and very few of them spoke out against slavery. Jefferson was particularly bad, having abused and sexually assaulted his slaves, according to the Washington Post.

Washington led a revolution and then his hypocritical ass stopped multiple rebellions with military force. His actions to stop Whiskey’s Rebellion

sparked modern day racism, creating the gap between low class white Americans and slaves after seeing how powerful and threatening of a force they were if they banded together, according to Vice.

Jackson is easily in my top ten list of worst human beings. He was wildly racist. His Indian Removal Policy was bloody according to the U.S. Archives, and was responsible for the start of the genocide of Native Americans in the American Southwest according to Indian Country Today. He owned hundreds of slaves and censored anti-slavery messaging in the post office according to State of the Union History.

And it isn’t just the founding fathers I’m not fond of. Reagan’s ideas have caused nearly every economic issue since his pres-

Phtoto Courtesy of Flickr.

idency. Obama’s drone strikes were inhumane and claimed more innocent lives than military.

We love to think of Teddy as this wonderful, powerful man who loved nature and inspired stuffed animals. He also called anyone that was not white from an “inferior race” according to History.com, displaced a lot of Native Americans, and committed what some could consider genocide in the Pacific Islands. There isn’t a single U.S. President that wasn’t an awful, horrible person and the American public needs to stop pretending that isn’t the case.

Graphic Design Lead

Photo Illustration by Katherine Camarata.

Dr. Lucinda Carnell takes over as interim VP of Diversity and Equity

professor in the department of biological sciences.

Breaking down barriers in biology

According to Carnell, inclusivity is important to her.

“Every person has value and a purpose and I want to help them be able to find that, and it’s something I have spent a lot of time doing, even for myself,” Carnell said.

Carnell said that her background had an impact on how much inclusivity and diversity mattered to her.

“I am a biracial African American. My father was African American and my mom was white,” Carnell said.

Morgana

Carroll

News Editor

It often feels like the word ‘belonging’ gets thrown around too much, but according to Dr. Lucinda Carnell, she truly wants to help students find a place where they feel they belong and where everyone feels valued.

On Feb. 8, President Wohlpart announced that Dr. Lucinda Carnell would be taking the position of Interim Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She will be appointed on April 1.

Carnell volunteered to take the position after the previous vice president, Kandee Cleary, stepped down to return to her prior position as a sociology professor.

Carnell was working in the Diversity Office as a fellow for three years before this, while also being a

According to Carnell, she also has sympathy for students having a hard time finding where they belong because she had a similar experience.

“I had trouble navigating college the first time I went, and I ended up going to a different college where I was able to have opportunities,”

Carnell said. “I realized I got excited about biology and I had the opportunity to find a program for minoritized students to get into research, and there I found peers.”

According to Carnell, she found a love of teaching because she loved learning.

“I’ve always liked learning, so I like sharing that knowledge,” Carnell said. “I get very excited about learning new things and sharing it with the students I work with.”

Carnell said that before becoming

Former dining service employees raise concerns for lack of training

a teacher she pursued that love of learning through graduate research, but only felt truly fulfilled when she started teaching.

“It felt like something was missing,” Carnell said. “I couldn’t really share that knowledge.”

Carnell said she wanted to become a teacher so that she could break down barriers for minority students.

“[Sharing] that experience of having to overcome these barriers because I still see that now,” Carnell said “These spaces aren’t as diverse and inclusive as they could be.”

Looking forward

Carnell said she intends to continue the initiatives and programs that the Diversity Office had already put in place.

“I consider it an actually great opportunity and an honor to try to move this forward,” Carnell said.

Carnell said she wants to empathize that she is thankful to the others in the diversity department.

“I see it as continuing the work of the office,” Carnell said. “There are a lot of Diversity Fellows, there’s an Associate Dean, Sigrid Davidson,and of course the stepped down Vice President Kandee Clearly, she’s been a mentor and a sponsor for me to provide me with opportunities to learn and grow.”

Carnell said she doesn’t know if she will be in this position long term, she’s just going to take it one quarter at a time.

Continued from Pg. 1

Dining and catering director responds to student concerns

Masuccio said one way he is trying to improve communication within dining services is by listening to the staff.

“Over the past year I’ve met with every single staff member just to kind of do a reset and just learn from each of our full-time staff members, but not including students,” Masuccio said.

According to Masuccio, another way they are trying to improve communication is by the introduction of different levels of student leadership positions, such as student coordinators and student managers.

If students bring up that they feel there is a lack of training, Masuccio said the first thing they do is listen and then talk to the team to see what they are doing to address the gaps, as well as continuously look at the onboarding process for dining services.

“I’ve heard, through anecdotal data points, that our onboarding experience isn’t to the levels that maybe students are expecting or that even we’re expecting, so how do we continue to look at ways to improve it,”

Masuccio said. “It’s definitely something that we’re continuously working on.”

The Observer asked Musuccio to respond to the experience the former dining employee had where new workers were pushed on them even though they were not a student coordinator.

“I don’t have all the context of that experience with that situation ... we all have a role in supporting the success of our teammates,” Masuccio said. “So not that it’s their direct responsibility to train and onboard a new student, but even as a unit level student employee we’re all supporting the vision of our program, so they are not solely responsible for but they likely are supporting pieces of it.”

Masuccio said he will continue to put in the effort to create a safe working environment within the dining services programs.

“I expect our teams to address situations that are brought to their attention in the appropriate manner to bring in resources from campus as necessary to support whatever the situation may be,” Masuccio said. “We try to introduce as much training to our programs so that students understand that they have a voice in their experiences and to use that voice.”

Dr.LucindaCarnellwillbeappointedas theinterimVPofDEIonApril1.

Photo courtesy of CWU website

Celebrating friendship at the Valentine’s Day Soireé

MJ Rivera Staff Reporter

Students of CWU played games, ate brownies and got to know each other at the Valentine’s Day Soireé in the SURC Ballroom on Feb. 14.

Freshman graphic design major Zoë Armstrong was playing a cup-pong game when she said that her ideal Valentine’s Day would be spent just hanging out with her friends.

According to Armstrong, Valentine’s Day is about “showing your love and appreciation for each other. Whether that be your significant other, your friend, your family member, it doesn’t matter.”

Freshman psychology major Jadon Lawrence-Olsen was sitting at the “Not-So Newlywed Game” table when she shared

the story of her favorite Valentine’s memory, despite not being a fan of the holiday in general.

“I used to work for a floral department, and during Valentine’s Day, it was very busy,”

Lawrence-Olson said. “I was walking back and forth with flowers and there was this one kid where the mother had bought her a rose and I had to give it to her and her face lit up.”

According to Lawrence-Olsen, Valentine’s Day should be less commercial and more about just hanging out with that person who’s really important to you.

Sitting across from Lawrence-Olsen was Jess Olsen, who also feels that Valentine’s Day is too commercialized.

“[Valentine’s Day is] people selling chocolate to make a lot of money off of people wanting to

be with each other,” Olsen said.

He said his ideal Valentine’s Day would look different than how it has been traditionally celebrated.

“Having these romantic connotations and stigma should be kind of taken out of it,” Olsen said. “There can still be some but I think it should more represent just loving your friends.”

Kimberly Lariviere, a junior communications major, was sitting with friends and meeting new people at the “Speed-Friending” table. In Lariviere’s opinion, love means to accept someone as they are and to adapt to their changing situations and needs.

Cullen Pratt, a junior risk insurance and safety major, said that he really enjoyed speed-friending and that his Valentine’s Day tradition is to buy spicy candy hearts.

The Valentine’s Day Soireé was planned and organized by Maddy Whiting, a junior hospitality tourism and event management major, and Michelle Carrillo, a sophomore law and justice major and sociology minor.

“I think Valentine’s Day is really fun,” Whiting said. “I know some people are like, ‘it’s just a greeting card holiday,’ but I always have fun with it. I know it’s fun for other people too.”

She said her hope for the event was that attendees would have fun and make a friend. She said she was particularly excited about the speed-friending event.

“I like decorating for my major, Whiting said. “It’s important for me to take the lead in planning more events. I thought this would be a good

opportunity to do that as well.”

Carrillo said her freshman year felt lonely until she went out to meet people, and that this soireé, to her, was one of those places people could come out of their shell.

“College is not that bad after you find your group, and the only way you’re going to find your group is by going out,” Carrillo said.

She said she hopes that the take away for attendees will be that they should attend as many events as possible so they can find their people.

Her favorite part of the night was witnessing friends being made.

“Seeing how everyone was actually interacting, I really liked that, Carillo said. “Everyone was telling me that they were having a good time, and that made me feel good.”

Not-SoNewlywedTable. Photos by MJ Rivera

XOtic-tac-toe.

Speed-FriendingTable.

Flowersontables.

Nature shown through metal, sculpture: Sarah Spurgeon features Cozette Philips

Zileni Milupi and Joshua Packard Staff Reporters

Behind every artist is a source of inspiration that is reflected in their art, as is the case for Interdisciplinary sculptor and metalsmith Cozette Phillips, whose work not only tells a story, but also reflects the state of our society today.

CWU hosted an opening reception for Phillips’ solo exhibition on Feb. 16, held in the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery in Randall Hall. Prior to the reception, Phillips gave a talk to students and faculty about her career and the skills she’s acquired throughout the years.

According to the Metal Museum website, Phillips earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Sculpture and Illustration from Columbus College of Art and Design, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Metals from State University of New York.

Phillips explained that she took jewelry classes that helped her to incorporate intricate details in her work as she learned to build smaller pieces.

A recurring theme present in Phillips’ work is the aspect of nature, which she said was inspired by her upbringing.

“I grew up in the country surrounded by nature so I’ve had that as a reference point of being in the woods and growing up on a farm,” Phillips said. “So moving from that location to cities and seeing how climate change is affecting the environment around us, has kind of informed my work.”

Phillips’ art uses recycled materials and draws on different elements that showcase the tension between the environment and the industry.

One focal point in Phillips’ career is her stay at the largest working artist community in Trondheim, Norway. Phillips worked at the Lademoen Kunstnerverksteder studios, which deals in woodworking, metalworking and photography equipment.

Phillips cited her stay in Norway as one of her most impactful experiences as an artist.

“There’s an appreciation for light and nature there that you don’t

see here in the U.S.,” Phillips said.

Regarding what young artists can learn from her work, Philips said she hopes she can inspire them to see themselves in her art.

“There’s a lot of different materials and textures represented that I hope someone can find a connection to,” Phillips said. “With the symbolism in the work, I’m hoping that there is a touchpoint for each person to find connections in their own life as their relationship.”

Sarah Spurgeon exhibit

Creative sculptures, paintings and abstract pieces by Philips are currently on display in the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery and will be available to see until March 11. Horn Johnson said a local prominent contributor to the gallery is Cozette Phillips, who has won numerous awards throughout the years in various exhibits.

Philips’ work titled “FINITE,” took up the space of the whole main wall and may be the first object seen when walking into the exhibit.

Heather Horn Johnson, gallery manager, said it’s important to show artwork on campus.

“We live in a visual culture and experience images on a daily basis, whether on social media or online,” Horn Johnson said. “We experience art everyday and it’s an important form of communication that everyone should learn about.”

The packed gallery showcased pieces ranging from a large slab of orange-tinted crystal to a sizable circle made of individual, small twisted branches. Horn Johnson said they try to present a balance between paintings, sculptures and photos.

One student attendee, Mona Kahsai, highlighted the significance of art at a university.

“It helps draw people into the moment, letting them contemplate while looking at [the artwork]. It gives students things to think about,” Kahsai said.

Kahsai said what she liked most about the presented pieces was the message behind them.

“I like that it explores different conversations with imagery,” Kahsai said. “Many of the works show a lot about nature. The artists do it in a pretty and shiny way, yet sad at the same time.”

Another student, Catherine Degeorge said that they found the exhibit relaxing.

“I like that the art is connected to nature, how it says something about the world without words,” Degeorge said.

Shawn Jezerianac, a student who attended the opening, said they think art is important for discussion.

“Art should be everywhere, including campus,” Jezerianac said. “I think certain conceptions can be sterile and challenge conventionalities.”

CWU student McKenzie Murphy said she found the juxtaposition of wood and metal interesting.

“[It] has a way of showing perspectives of ideas. It can also broaden one’s interpretations of art pieces and make them think differently,” Murphy said.

“SoundisSight”byCozettePhilipsintheSarahSpurgeonGallery.

StudentscontemplatedthemeaningbehindPhilips’sculptures. “TippingPoint”byCozettePhilipscombinesmetalwithafoundstick. StudentsobservedthesculpturesofCozettePhilips.

Lady Wildcats thrive

Reporters

CWU women’s basketball has put on a show this season with a 19-6 overall record so far. Their most recent game took place Saturday, Feb. 18 against Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) in Nampa, Idaho where the Wildcats blew the Nighthawks out of the sky with a sweeping 85-60 final score.

However, CWU’s previous victory vs. the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) on Saturday, Feb. 11 takes the cake, as the Wildcat’s senior night ceremony also took place that night.

“It was amazing to finally beat Anchorage in our home gym,” redshirt senior Samantha Bowman said. “It was the first time since I’ve been at Central and it was such a great feeling, especially on senior night. We played so well as a team and it was so good to see.”

CWU dominated the game with an 87-56 box score. Being able to walk away from their home court on such a high note

had players like redshirt senior Kiera Bush feeling great about the team and their outlook for the rest of the season.

“After the win against Anchorage, I just felt truly blessed to be in the position I am in,” Bush said. “Playing with such amazing people and being part of a program that pushes us past what we thought were our limits, there is no better feeling than being out there and playing for one another. With that being said, I also know that we aren’t done yet. We still have so many ways we can grow and I’m beyond excited to rise to that challenge.”

This was an emotional night for all of the seniors, as it was their last matchup here in Ellensburg, but redshirt senior Jenna Troy, expressed her gratitude for the program and all that she’s gained from being a part of it.

“It was definitely a surreal feeling,”

Troy said. “It really didn’t feel like it was the last time we were all going to play on our home floor, but I am really grateful for all of the opportunities

I’ve gotten at Central. It’s pretty emotional for it to be ending.”

Troy’s impact on this team has gone far but unnoticed, given sophomore Claire Heitschmidt’s glowing review of her influence as a teammate.

“She has been a big role model for me and has shown me how to juggle a challenging program while playing basketball,” said Heitschmidt. “Not only has she been [a role model] with that, but also in basketball. She couldn’t play her senior year due to an injury but that doesn’t stop her from being a great teammate to everyone. Everyone needs a Jenna to look up to.”

Troy is one of the four seniors on the team who recently earned Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Academic honors for her 3.75 grade point average (GPA); this happens to be Troy’s third time receiving this honor during her career at CWU. While these girls are no strangers to the ins and outs of juggling sports with schoolwork, this doesn’t make it an easy feat to accomplish. Heitschmidt, who also made it on the GNAC All-Academic honors selection list, shared

about her experience being a student-athlete.

“Some advice I would give to other athletes is to ask for help,” Heitschmidt said. “I know that’s very basic but that’s the only way I can juggle both basketball and school. Building a relationship with your teachers is very important and most of them will be more than happy to spend extra time with you if you need help.”

Heitschmidt is one of only two sophomores on the team who earned the GNAC All-Academic honors for her 3.92 GPA. Though it’s only her second season here at CWU, she continues to play a role in the team’s success, averaging nearly 16 minutes per game and scoring a total of 235 points this season.

Bowman, who is also a threetime GNAC All-Academic honors selection with a 3.66 GPA, admits that it took her some time to find that balance between basketball and her studies.

“It took me a year or two to figure out how to juggle being a student-athlete,” Bowman said. “Time management is a vital skill that I

needed to learn if I was going to succeed. It has definitely been a challenge balancing my master’s program but it’s a work in progress and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Samantha ‘’Showtime’’ Bowman averaged 21 points per game, while having a conference-leading 34 blocks and 355 rebounds on the season. Bowman is CWU’s all-time leading rebounder and broke the GNAC record for most rebounds in a game, with 31 rebounds.

CWU

The team has been showcasing their skills not only in the classroom but also on the court with an 11-5 conference record, winning six games at home and five on the road so far. With only two games left before the GNAC tournament, Troy is thrilled about the team this year and their odds once they make it there.

“I am super excited about the tournament,” Troy said. “I think we have done a really good job and put ourselves in a position to continue to be successful this year, so I’m really excited to see what is to come.”

Charis Jones & Tre’Jon Henderson Staff

CWU

WBB

Seniors.

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CWU on and off the court

SeniorsToriMaedaandSamanthaBowmangoforareboundatthesametime. Photos by Andrew Ulstad

SeniorToriMaedatakesacontestedshotlateintheseniornightgame.TheWildcatswouldgoontowin87-56.

SeniorKieraBushtriestoblockashotduringseniornight.

CWUbasketballsupportersrosetotheirfeet forseniornight. Photo by Andrew Ulstad

ValerieHuertamakingalayupshot.

Life lessons in ‘Letterkenny,’ the sitcom

“When a friend asks for help, ya help ‘em”

Relationships can change

“Letterkenny” is a strange show. It’s both horrible and fantastic at the same time, with too much toxicity in one episode, followed by a super soft birthday party in the next and entirely too many montages throughout every season.

For anyone unfamiliar with the Canadian show, it streams in the U.S. exclusively on Hulu. “Letterkenny” revolves around a farmer named Wayne and his family and friends (lovingly referred to as “hicks”) in rural Letterkenny, Ontario facing the social problems that arise in a town of only 5,000 people.

Despite some glaring faults and questionable messages, there are gems of wisdom buried in the

Often stated as a matter of fact, sometimes in an exasperated tone but always followed by action, this is one of the hicks’ main catchphrases. It’s a good basic rule that you can hope your friends would reciprocate given the chance, and that ends up being a common theme throughout the show.

Seemingly every season, somebody asks Wayne for help with some farm task or community project. He always accepts, and his group of friends grows season by season.

Which leads me to my next lesson, which unfortunately doesn’t have a catchy phrase:

Season one is a bit of a mixed bag. The central plot revolves around a strange obsession of Wayne being the toughest guy in Letterkenny, fighting any would-be challengers to prove it.

There are six fights in the six-episode first season, with the sixth starting in the final few seconds of episode six. Two of those six opponents end up in Wayne’s extended friend group due to a combination of mutual respect and reciprocal favors.

I’m not going around getting in fist fights, but I still apply this mindset to my daily interactions by thinking of it a little differently. I started to actively try to give people chances to make a second or third impression, instead of

allowing my first impression to shade future interactions with them.

I was surprised to find out that I could find common ground, even if just a square inch, with almost anyone.

Often that square inch and rough relationship can be found at work, which leads us to the final lesson:

“More hands make less work”

Look, this may be common knowledge for anyone who’s worked in the manual labor or service industries, but it rings true even beyond a workplace setting.

It’s really like taking the first life lesson up to 11. Instead of waiting for someone to ask for

help, offer it up or just start helping. From my experience, you can both strengthen your relationships and give yourself a little mood boost while you’re at it.

“Letterkenny,” despite a somewhat mixed bag of messages, does showcase one value through every season: empathy. When you put yourself in other people’s shoes, you will not only appreciate the road they walked to get there, you may even learn from it.

Are Marvel movies ruining cinema?

characters the actors play are the star, not the actors themselves.

Over the past decade, Marvel movies have practically dominated Hollywood and made a huge impact on pop culture. Unsurprisingly, an older generation of filmmakers haven’t had kind words to say about the superhero movie obsession that has taken the world by storm.

In 2019, renowned director Martin Scorsese inadvertently sparked discourse regarding the artistic integrity of Marvel movies when he compared the genre to amusement parks. Ever since the comment was made about four years ago, the discourse continues to evolve with more actors and directors weighing in.

Other established directors such as Francis Ford Coppola and Ridley Scott expressed their frustration with Marvel movies and explained that the popularity of these movies is killing original films. While these comments have been met with pushback, it was Quentin Tarantino’s recent comments that really turned this discourse on its head.

In a Deadline interview, Quentin Tarantino said that Marvel movies have “killed the movie star” and explained that the

“Captain America is a movie star; Thor is a movie star.” Tarantino said. Tarantino’s comments were, of course, met with a lot of backlash.

Interestingly, Anthony Markie, who plays Falcon in the Captain America movies, expressed the exact sentiment during a convention a few years ago.

“There are no movie stars anymore,” Mackie said. “Anthony Mackie isn’t a movie star, the Falcon is a movie star.”

I don’t recall any backlash or controversy surrounding Mackie’s comments. I have a few assumptions as to why the reactions toward the same message from different people have been vastly different. One of my assumptions is that the directors might come across as elitist or pretentious to the general public, which is why their comments aren’t taken too well.

Tarantino specifically doesn’t have the best moral or ethical reputation, therefore, the backlash toward him is understandable. Anthony Mackie using himself as an example of an actor who isn’t a movie star wouldn’t spark any uproar.

A lot of people would agree

that Marvel movies have greatly changed the scope of cinema. It’s safe to say that, in this case, it’s the messenger that influences how people respond to criticism of Marvel movies.

The dominance of Marvel movies is not to be taken lightly. According to Far Out Magazine, Marvel movies made about 30% percent of the box office revenue in 2021. To put this into perspective, five Marvel-owned movies were released in 2021 against the nearly 400 movies released in that same year.

Admittedly, in the years that the superhero genre has been dominant, there has been a decline in original ideas. To make things worse, the original movies that are being released today get little to no attention. This explains why seasoned directors see Marvel movies as a threat to the art they believe in, according to The New Daily.

Whether you believe Marvel movies have completely destroyed the film industry or you are indifferent to the situation, the standard for blockbusters and action movies have drastically changed as a result. There’s no denying the massive impact these movies have had on an entire industry.

Andrew Ulstad Columnist

Photo Courtesy of Pexels.com

Photos by Andrew Ulstad.

Photo Illustration by Brandon Davis.

Zileni Milupi Columnist

Ant-Man standing off with Kang the Conqueror. Photo courtesy Walt Disney Pictures. Photo Illustration by Brandon Davis.

Oscars: ‘Triangle of Sadness,’ and the ‘eat the rich’ dilemma

Isaac Hinson Columnist

The term “eat the rich” originates from a quote by Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, reading: “When the people shall have nothing more to eat, they will eat the rich.” Rousseau said this during the height of the French revolution, and could not possibly predict that it would become a modern day hot-phrase when discussing class affairs, capitalism and in a more niche realm, media.

Shows like “The White Lotus,” “Succession,” and “Chernobyl” (notably all HBO programs) have been praised for their commentary on class struggle and division, while still being enjoyable television. “Lotus” and “Succession” fall into the ‘eat the rich’ subgenre.

Recently, the Oscars seem to have been making it a point to award films that tackle class commentary. Two of the last three Best Picture winners, “Parasite” and “Nomadland” have heavy themes of class consciousness, and last year’s winner “CODA” tackles the struggles living in America as a person with impaired senses, which can be heavily linked to lackluster healthcare and accessibility options, which are both products of That trend continues this year with the film “Triangle of Sadness,” (and to a much lesser extent, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”). “Sadness” is a black-com-

Top three anime series you should watch

Episodes: 26

Where to watch: Crunchyroll and Hulu

edy from Sweden, and is directed by Ruben Östlund. The film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and comes into this year’s Best Picture race as a hopeful underdog.

“Sadness” follows two influencers and a cast of ‘in-theirown-world’ rich people as they journey together on a luxury cruise, and as the passengers on the cruise find themselves in turmoil, their loose grip on reality and life as an average person in America begins to show face.

Recently, as a part of the film’s campaign, a promotional image reading “3 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture” on the top and “Wealthy people of privilege, this film is about you” on the bottom was released.

While on the surface appearing as an attempt to draw in interest with an aggressive statement and poster, it’s raised an interesting question: How effective have these ‘eat the rich’ films been, if they are continuously awarded by the very people they critique?

If a predominantly rich, white and male organization, like the Academy, continues to award these films and say “We recognize this film and what it’s saying, but will only make marginal efforts to truly listen to it,” then how effective was the movie in reality?

However, the more compelling and mildly disappointing part of this to me is the blatant hypocrisy of the poster. Having a charged statement/call-out on the bottom of the poster, while listing all of the nominations and praise you’ve received from the very same people you’re trying to call out on the top, feels incredibly disingenuous.

How much can the filmmakers and crew behind these movies truly care about what they’re raising a conversation about, when they’re using the recognition of landscape that they’re putting into question for their own benefit, and will surely be at all the Vanity Fair and Vogue afterparties after the ceremony is Just some food for thought.

This is the only older or throwback anime I included on this list, this anime is an absolute gem and in my opinion, it’s super underrated. It was critically acclaimed and has an excellent soundtrack that was done by late Japanese lofi hip-hop legend, Nujabees.

It was also directed by Shinchirō Watanabe, who also directed another classic anime,‘Cowboy Bebop’ (another great anime you should watch by the way).

Samurai Champloo is set in Edo Period Japan, and follows Fuu, a young Japanese waitress who gains the protection from two swordsmen: Jin, who’s a ronin or wandering samurai and Mugen, who’s just a crazy character after beating them in gambling match.

The three unlike characters set off on a journey in search of Fuu’s long lost father, the Sunflower Samurai. In their journey across Japan, they come across many obstacles and get in many and awesome fights. They also meet many different people, each with their own unique and touching stories.

The anime is really historically accurate to the setting and even goes into topics like the persecution of Christians in Edo Period Japan and ban on foreigners. Overall, the show has great character development and the three end up forming a really close bond during their journey. This anime is one that will definitely leave you wanting more.

2. “Mob Psycho 100” (2018) Episodes: 37

Where to watch: Crunchyroll and Hulu

From the creators of One-Punch Man (another great anime you should watch) comes Mob Psycho 100. The story follows middle schooler Shigeo Kageyama or ‘Mob’ as his friends and classmates refer to him.

He’s no ordinary middle schooler, he just so happens to be one of the strongest espers (psychics) in the world. Mob just wants to live a normal middle schooler’s life, without having to rely on his powers. But he constantly finds himself getting used for his powers by people like his classmates, his spirit friend Dimple and his master Reigan who’s a self proclaimed psychic himself, but makes Mob do everything.

Throughout the show, you will also notice a meter slowly going up to 100 when Mob is put in intense or uncomfortable situations. When the meter hits 100 Mob completely loses it and his powers go out of control. So Mob is always living in that constant fear he could lose control.

It truly has some of the greatest character growth I’ve seen in an anime, not only for Mob, but also some of the main side characters as well. The anime has some genuinely awesome, funny and likable characters and just when I think the last season can’t be topped, they always do.

The anime is officially finished now, with the final season coming to an end in December. There are three full seasons for you to enjoy, and each is truly great so make sure to check it out.

1. “Chainsaw Man” (2022)

Episodes: 12

Where to watch: Crunchyroll and Hulu

The hype this past year for Chainsaw Man before it was released was REAL, and I think it completely delivered. I feel like the best anime are ones that are able to pull off multiple elements like being funny, sad, suspenseful, with a great story and fighting scenes.

This one checks all those boxes. The animation is absolutely beautiful, with another wonderful job by Mappa Studios. ‘Chainsaw Man’ is set in Japan in a world where creatures called ‘Devils’ exist.

These devils are similar to the curses in Jujutsu Kaisen, in that they are a manifestation of a human’s fear; basically anything that causes fear can become a devil, and the stronger the fear, the stronger the devil.

There are also devil hunters, who hunt devils by making pacts with other devils; usually, a sacrifice in exchange for use of the devils abilities.

The story follows 16-year-old orphan Denji who works as a devil hunter with his pet devil, Pochita, ‘the chainsaw devil’, as a way to pay off the massive debt he inherited from his father.

One day, the Yakuza gangsters he is in debt to decided to kill him. Pochita, remembering a promise Denji made him, decided to possess Denji’s body, becoming his heart and bringing him back to life and essentially turning Denji into a devil-human hybrid.

The next day, Denji is confronted by devil hunters. Here he meets Makima, the head of the Tokyo devil hunters, who gives him two choices: either die right now, or join the public safety devil hunters. Denji is then convinced rather easily by Makima who promises him anything in return if he helps her capture the infamous gun devil.

Soon, Denji finds out that this job is not easily survived. The anime has so many awesome likable characters: Denji, Power, Aki, Himeno and more. The story starts really goofy and upbeat, but gets intense real quick with some really impactful moments.

The first season just fully released in Dec. 2022, and with a new season expected to drop sometime this year, this is definitely one you need to be watching.

3. “Samurai Champloo” (2005)

Omar Benitez Columnist

Photo Courtesy of Pexels.com

Photo Courtesy of Pexels.com. Photo Illustration by Brandon Davis. @CWUObserver CWU Observer cwuobserver@gmail.com cwuobserver.com @CWUObserver

Tre’Jon Henderson Sports Editorial

Some may say the GOAT conversation between Michael Jordan and Lebron James will never be known. Some argue that the eras the two played in were two different types of basketball. One era was tough and gritty, and the other was pretty and smart.

Well, I am here to bring the conversation to an end: Michael Jordan vs. Lebron James. If you were thinking M.J., you are out of your mind. James is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound monster who was created in a lab in Akron, Ohio.

James was drafted in 2003. I was three years old when he got drafted, I am 22 now, and he is still playing in the NBA at age 38. James, to this day, only has 10% body fat on him.Lebron has spent half his life in the NBA. He was 18 when he was drafted, and he was so sought after in high school that he did not even attend college to play basketball, he went straight to the pro’s.

Jordan fans are the most biased fans I have ever seen in my life. The one constant point that the Jordan fans make is that he has more NBA

Deacon Tuttle Staff Reporter

Spring is the season of renewal, but sooner than expected the Seattle Mariners got a taste of that last season with their appearance in the American League Division Series (ALDS). Snapping the infamous 21-year post-season drought, Seattle hopes for sustained success with its core of young stars, a newly play-off experienced squad, and additional acquisitions.

Let’s take a look at three exciting narratives the Mariners have moving into spring training.

#1 Returning Rotation and New Arms

Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, and late-season standout Luis Castillo all headline the talented pitching staff. These three played pivotal roles in the team achieving the sixth-best ERA in 2022. With Ray and Castillo being new additions to the Pacific NorthwestPNW at the beginning and the end of the season respectively, there may be only brighter days ahead.

Jerry Dipoto said [about Castillo], “[Castillo is] JJust phenomenal. I’m very excited to see what he will do here for a full year and really for the five5 years at least to come.”

A young gun to look out for within the Mariners system is Bryce Miller. Miller is ranked numberNo. 98 on the overall MLB Pipeline prospect list.

Kolten Wong, it was just a big get for us to be able to bring guys in who have been there before,.” Dipoto said.

Who’s the NBA’s GOAT? Mariners Spring Training

The roles that Dipoto were looking for are fulfilled with these players who have had recent success but may need slight retooling. Spring training offers time to iron out some kinks.

The Blue Jays surprisingly moved on from outfielder Teoscar Hernåndez in November and he will take the reins from Mitch Haniger for the Mariners. Hernåndez brings over two silver sluggers from Toronto as well as an All-Star appearance infrom 2021.

A.J. Pollock signed in January on a one 1-year deal worth $7 million and is a flexible piece in the outfield. Pollock posted a 0.245 batting averageBA last season along with 14 home runs.

Kolten Wong is a needed replacement for Adam Frasier at second base. He is gifted on the defensive end winning two back-to-back gold gloves in 2019 and 2020, even in spite of his career-high errors (17) in 2022.

#3 World Series Aspirations?

Sports Spectated

Isaac Hinson Sports Editor

It was a pretty quiet week in national sports outside of the NBA’s All-Star weekend festivities. The NFL season has concluded, MLB is right around the corner, and the NHL is in the same boat as the NBA: waiting for the playoffs.

The All-Star weekend has been one of the most inconsistent products in major league sports over the last decade. The weekend has many events, including the skills challenge, the three-point shooting contest, the slam dunk contest, the rising stars game, the celebrity game and of course the All-Star game among others. But it never seems like they can all be good the same year. Notoriously, the skills challenge is always awful, with one team this year not even scoring a single point.

finals rings than Lebron. M.J. has six and Lebron has four.

It is ironic how nobody wants to talk about how James has more career points, rebounds, assists and a higher field goal percentage. It is always about the rings with the Jordan fans, and I wonder why.

Only ‘Bron fans know the truth, it is because they know that is the only thing you can say that M.J. has more of. James could do what M.J. did 100 times better, and again, at age 38.

Lebron is the definition of longevity, he is a couple of years away from playing with his son Bronny James who is a senior this year at Sierra Canyon in California.

James was even a better team player than M.J. James was adored by his teammates and fans, while M.J. was hated by his teammates but loved by his fans. Many say Jordan was a jerk and never hung out with his teammates outside of basketball.

James once gifted all of his teammates Rolex watches for their hard work and attitude. He has been the poster child of who people should want to be like in life. He is professional, smart and the greatest person to ever touch a basketball.

According to Baseball America, “hHis fastball sits 95-97 mph, touching 100 mph at peak with excellent vertical movement. His slider is a mid-80s sweeper that generates a high rate of chase swings out of the zone, playing well off of his fastball.” Miller is one amongst a slew of potentially viable options that include: Prelander Berroa, Bryan Woo and Taylor Dollard.

#2 Filling (and settling) in the gaps

According to Dipoto, in the off-season came the time to shore up gaps in positions (RF and 2B) with All-Star caliber players while also advancing the culture of the team. The goal is to improve with little to no disruption, Dipoto said..

“We thought having players with that type of experience like an A.J Pollock, Tommy La Stella, Teo, and

The Mariners are hovering around the ninth-best odds in baseball to make a run to the World Series, at +1600. After their competitive performance going toe-to-toe with AL West rivals and reigning World Series Champions, Houston Astros, it’s not much of a surprise.

Though Seattle was swept in the ALDS, the losses were all in close contests. The combined run differential was 13-9 in favor of Houston and involved the now infamous 18th-inning battle until the end.

“There’s a difference between where we’ve been the last few years trying to get over that hump that ultimately we did last October,” Dipoto said. “TAnd, the obvious stresses of coming in under the pressure of trying to repeat or now go back for a second time.”

Tears were shed in Seattle with tridents held proudly after the Mariners’ curse-breaking playoff berth and that seemed to be the unattainable limit. However, it may be time to expect them to rise for years to come.

The Mariners will hit the plate against the San Diego Padres on Feb. 24 at 12:10 p.m..

The dunk contest is the most in-debate event of them all. It seems like in recent years top-tier NBA players have not been inclined to participate in the event, with the last time a true star participating being Zach Lavine in 2016. Even legendary participant Aaron Gordon retired from the event. However, this year, it was actually pretty good! All four dunkers besides Jericho Sims had quality dunks in my opinion, and Mac McClung especially impressed.

Now I look forward to a Trail Blazers team returning after the All-Star break with three starters on the injury report, and an increasingly difficult schedule. Buckling up.

MichealJordandunkingtheballintothehoop. Photo courtesy of Flickr

JulioRodriguezsignalingthecrowd. Photo courtesy of Steph Chambers

ACROSS

2. A scored point

3. First down, yard lines, two goal posts

8. Forehand, backhand, alley, doubles

9. A team who has won the final game

11. Hitting another player or taking the ball outside the court

12. A game played with a white ball and bats

13. Affecting a shot that’s touched the backboard or is in the rim

15. A game played with a white ball over a net

16. Two nets on a wooden court

DOWN

1. Taking too many steps with the ball

4. A goal worth seven points

5. When the players and/or ball moves out of bounds

6. CWU sports players are called this

7. When a player regains the ball after a missed shot

8. To take down a player

10. Who throws or hands off the football

13. Another word for goalkeeper

CROSSWORD PUZZLE OF THE WEEK WORDS

14. Used to indicate a penalty has been committed

And in this solitary life Tumbling through the winding vines May you roll like a boulder Smoothing out the past

And underneath the ink stained sky Eliminate the need for why May you climb like the branches Searching for what lasts

And when you find your weary mind Outstretched toward an endless time May you fly like a dove Floating over love

And if you cease to hear the trees With a heart beating beneath May you roam like a clover Growing from above

And after all is said and gone Spirits linger, battles won May you choose like a seeker Grasping at the seams

And since you travel by the waves Sifting through the sands of day May you find soulful comfort In your arms may stay

And when you reach the time to die Shining through the dead of night May you guide like a planet Forging toward the light

By:Katherine LeadCamarata Editor

“And may you”

Wildcat Words:

Wildcat

Words

by Andrew Ulstad

How do you pull yourself out of a bad day?

Kelsie Collins Soph. Business

“I like to go outside, I like to go on walks and get fresh air … being in a dorm kind of just makes me feel all stuffy and sad a lot, so I just go outside and enjoy the sunshine.”

“Going on a walk for at least a half an hour, going to the Japanese Garden … quiet, outside fresh air usually sort of jumpstarts me if I’m in the middle of a really rough paper.”

Q&A

Caldwell

What has been your favorite class to teach at CWU?

There are so many essential components to filmmaking – directing, producing, cinematography, editing, sound, acting, etc. What brings them together is that they are all in service to the one, most important thing in filmmaking – story. Because of that, my favorite class to teach is Writers Room, where students create the short scripts that they can then produce into short films. Movies with character, emotion and meaning are made on the page first, and that is what we do in Writers Room.

How did you get interested in communications and fine arts?

I came to film almost by accident. My undergraduate degree was in finance and accounting, but working in that arena was enormously unsatisfying. I stumbled upon a night class at the University of Washington on film editing and that class changed my life. It opened my imagination to a new world that I have been fortunate to be a part of.

What has been your favorite memory during your careers with Disney, New Line Cinema and Vulcan Productions?

My favorite memory from my time with Disney, New Line and Vulcan was the midnight premiere of “Hard Candy” at the Sundance Film Festival. The film is quite intense and the premiere screening provoked very strong reactions. Some audience members raved about the film and thought it should be required viewing on every college campus. Others wanted to hunt us down and punish us for making such a film. The industry response was extremely positive and we spent the rest of that very late night dealing with the excitement of an intense bidding war amongst distributors who wanted to handle the film.

What’s your biggest piece of advice for someone interested in production?

Always be creating. If you’re not creating for someone else, create content for yourself. Every time you make a film, you learn something and become a better filmmaker. Always be aware of who you are creating for – an audience. Your job is to tell a good story and create a meaningful, emotional experience for an audience.

Which film was the most interesting and fun to be a part of?

One of the films I worked on at Walt Disney Studios was “The Joy Luck Club,” directed by the amazing Wayne Wang. The film was shot partly in San Francisco and, in an unprecedented manner, in communist China. No major American film had been produced in post-Cultural Revolution China before, and the film encountered significant production challenges and opportunities as a result. To this day, I remember how dailies for that film were so emotional that they would leave me in tears.

See Full Q&A Online

11:30 a.m. - International Café in SURC

137 A & B

7:23 p.m. - Original Partners: the Ellensburg Rodeo and Native American Contributions at KC Historical Museum

11:00 a.m. - Baseball vs. WOU

8 p.m. - Mardi Gras Dance in SURC Ballroom

7-9 p.m. - Open Mic Night @ Old Skool’s

3-4p.m. - ASCWU Public Meeting in SURC 235

6-9 p.m. - The Cookout in SURC Holmes Dining Room

5-6:30 p.m. - Women’s Herstory Month Kickoff in Black 105-01

Michael Bly Sr. History