The Observer, Winter 2023 - Issue 9

Photo courtesyof Flickr.

See more Women’s History Month coverage

Pg. 6 - 7

Racing to the top: CWU track and fieldcompetes in the Ken Shannon Last Chance Meet

best and personal records.’’

Women’s History Month Edition

Women’s Herstory Month: Vision boards set the tone for women’s futures

Jordyn Rossmeisl Staff Reporter

The soundtrack from “Bridgerton” softly played in the background of the Diversity and Equity Center (DEC) as feminine-identifying folk snacked on cupcakes and chatted amongst themselves.

The “Envisioning the Future” event took place on March 2, as a continuation of Women’s Herstory Month hosted by the DEC.

according to Linder. THRIVE created vision boards for the Women’s Herstory event last year.

The CWU track & field team traveled to The Dempsey Indoor Facility in Seattle to compete in a meet full of Division I programs, as the regular indoor season ended at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Meet on Feb. 21.

The Wildcats left the meet with championships in the 60-meter hurdles, pole vault and the men’s 4x400 relay.

Head Coach Kevin Adkisson spoke on his team’s performance after the meet concluded.

“There were few good things, but nothing big like we were hoping [for] in terms of improving national marks,” Adkisson said. “It is always hard coming off a conference meet where you put out such big efforts and go three days late.’’

There were Wildcats who had stand out performances, including runners like E’lexis Hollis who ran a time of 7.57 seconds in the 60-meter dash preliminaries, finishing as the top non-Division I competitor in 16th place.

“I feel like the team worked hard and put in the work for us all to perform at a high level,” Hollis said. “All the hard work

Lauryn Chandler also ran a good race, finishing the 60-meter hurdles preliminaries with a time of 9.57 seconds, for 20th place.

“Our coach made sure we stayed positive no matter the circumstances,” Chandler said. “Having positive energy can always bring anyone up if they are feeling down.’’

In the women’s 60-meter hurdles, Chandler, a senior from Bremerton, Washington, is the 14th qualifier. With a season-best time of 8.57 seconds, Chandler won the GNAC Indoor Championships and took home the trophy. Her time was second in her school’s record book and fourth overall in the GNAC.

In the 400-meter race, Johan Correa finished as the top non-Division I competitor at 49.29 seconds and 31st place.

“I was happy to see my team perform well at a high level,” Correa said. “It was clear that everyone was hungry and ready to compete.’’

The Wildcats will now turn their focus to the outdoor season, starting with the Ed Boitano Invitational, hosted by the University of Puget Sound March 3-4 in Tacoma.

Victoria Linder, the organizer of “Envisioning the Future,” along with Women in STEM club officer and Equity and Services Council Representative for the Black Student Union, Genet Wubbie, gave a short presentation and discussion on the empowerment of women and the importance of gratitude.

During the presentation, the speakers talked about how important it is for women to recognize their achievements. They explained how writing letters and creating vision boards can help women do just that.

“I think that modern-day women/fems need to slow down and give themselves grace, and reflect about all of the powerful things they do,” Linder said.

After the discussion, the DEC provided attendees with materials to either write a letter to an inspiring woman or create a vision board, which they would then print and display for Women’s Herstory Month.

THRIVE, the Women of Color Empowerment Program which supports and provides validating spaces for women of color, is the inspiration for the vision boards,

“I remember thinking that I could feel the power from the vision boards created by those women,” Linder said. “I knew that I wanted this to help us look inward and feel our power and inspiration, and help us empower other women. I also wanted to give people the option to write letters of appreciation for those women who inspire us, or even take the time to write letters to our future selves.”

According to Wubbie, she is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Victoria and the DEC, and hopes to spread awareness of the Women in STEM club.

“It’s always nice to be a part of these spaces, especially for women of color because a lot of the classes, majors and jobs we’re in do not reflect what diversity should look like,” Wubbie said. “These types of events have encouraged me to keep the energy and the conversations I had at this Women’s History Month event outside of this event as well.”

Janiyah McNair, a junior studying sociology, said the event was much needed on campus and that she is glad it happened.

“The emphasis on gratitude is important for women in STEM … since STEM is male-dominated, being grateful for where you are at and remembering where you are at and how hard it’s been for you to get [to] that point … is good for women,” McNair said.

As Women’s Herstory Month

continues, Wubbie reminded students to be grateful for the women in their lives and to remember the women who came before them.

“There are many women in history who go unnoticed and are forgotten in the history books,” Wubbie said. “Women like Coretta Scott King, who helped to lead the Civil Rights Movement. Women like Alicia Garza, one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, are actively fighting to be seen and heard in a predominantly male community.”

According to Wubbie, women of the present deserve recognition too.

“Then there are the young women activists like Quinta Brunson, Yara S Shahidi and Leticia Wright who are bringing us into the future of black women,” Wubbie said. “We do not only honor the women of the past, but the influential women of today, and the future women who are leading us into tomorrow.”

While the first week of Women’s Herstory Month has come to an end, according to Linder, people should keep their eyes open for events celebrating women throughout the month.

“I hope that people know that there are events going on all over to celebrate Women’s Herstory Month, and that they can find other powerful women to celebrate all of their accomplishments,” Linder said. “It can be a really powerful feeling, and I hope that people know that someone is always cheering for them.”

Tre’Jon Henderson Staff Reporter

Students gather for the Women's Herstory Month kick-off in the DEC.

Makeup:

BSERVED

Elexis Hollis and Lauryn Rheanne. Courtesy of Jacob Thompson

Beyond Our Coverage

Finnish President Sauli Niinistö visited Washington on March 6. According to King 5, Niinistö talked to Jay Inlsee about the country joining NATO.

A proposed bill in the Washington Legislature, which was going to make school lunch free for all students, has been amended to only help low income students, according to Seattle Times. The bill is estimated to affect 90,000 K-12 students.

47-year-old Lauro Barrios of Wapato was struck and killed by a vehicle on Highway 97 on Tuesday morning, according to KIMA TV. KIMA had previously reported that Highway 97 is

23 people will face domestic terrorist charges after being arrested March 5 for violent protests in “Cop City,” according to CNN. The protesters turned violent at a police training regiment in Atlanta, Georgia.

Disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh will spend life in prison after being convicted of killing his wife and son, according to CNN. Murdaugh was also charged with 99 other crimes, which include fraud and conspiracy.

A bill in Colorado was proposed on March 3 which will ban buying and changing ownership of assault weapons. According to Yahoo News, the bill was proposed as a result of highschoolers protesting.

Letter from the Editor

So here we are CWU,

Another quarter, another nine issues under our belt, and countless memories and connections made in the meantime. We inquired into Title IX cases, covered news trends like gun violence and police brutality, and covered art shows galore. We have dealt with ups and downs in our personal lives the whole time, trying to keep it together for the sake of the paper. We have been led by our incredible woman advisor Dr. Jennifer Green, who inspires all of us on staff to be a leader, and we continue to celebrate women leaders on our Women’s History Month double truck on pg. 6-7. We have featured so many familiar faces, and occasionally it’s inevitable that we double feature the same people.

As a publication, we take great care to avoid conflicts of interest where possible, which means we try not to write articles directly about things we are involved in or featuring our friends. Occasionally, we cover the same person or organization more than once in an issue, as you may see this issue, but typically we try to cover the most variety of sources as possible. If you or anybody you know has questions about The Observer or has information and wants to be a source for a story, please reach out to our email CWUObserver@gmail.com. As always, we hope you find ways to bask in the sun this spring and we’ll see you in April!

Take care and enjoy your Spring break,

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

Graphic Design Lead

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

Jordyn Rossmeisl

Editorial Consultant Francesco Somaini

The H5N1 (bird flu) outbreak continues, with Peru reporting at least 3,487 recent sea lion deaths linked to bird flu, according to CNN. Risk to humans remains low, but the World Health Organization says, “We cannot assume that will remain the case.”

Graves discovered in southeastern Europe show remnants of the earliest known horse-riders, according to CNN. The riders, buried upwards of 5,000 years ago, bear markings and patterns of wear on their leg-bones and spines that suggest they rode horses.

A massive fire in Bangladesh at the world’s largest refugee camp has left 12,000 people without shelter, according to BBC. Police have begun investigating into the possibility of arson.

Guest Column: Who is the assignee?

“The secret behind things is that they have no essence.”

–Foucault

I am not my driver’s ID, nor my social security number. I feel, at times, like an evolving self or many selves or an incarnated mindstream or, presently, a pronoun in this sentence. What is my ontological situation? Is that “me” in the mirror? Why am I checking my phone to see if someone has called me, or checking Facebook or Twitter or any social media platform, or going to a priest or a shrink or a teacher or a parent or a friend to find out? They seem to think “I” exist. I get messages that imply there is someone here to answer these messages, these tweets, these posts. I wake from a dream and am amazed I am still here. I use my inner transhumanistic yoga

practices to be sure I will find my way after I am dead. I enhance my sleeping state with lucid dreaming, my awakened state with mindfulness meditations and my meditative state with a cushion and a cup of tea. I make sure my Vajra body is tuned to perfection. I check on my Shamanist allies and protectors. I study the topography of the Attic Greek underworld with its six rivers, the Hebrew Garden with its two trees, the three Dzogchen bardos (intermediate states between death and rebirth), the Egyptian weighing of souls and the Christian judging of souls. I had better have a soul or it will not be judged. I had better have a spirit or it will not be blessed. Or a self that will not be active on Facebook.

Staying active, my sense of self disappears, and I do not have to dwell on the moribund actuality that I do not have a self that

has a personality, that has a soul, that must prepare a face (with or without a mask) to meet the faces that I will meet. This situation goes further back than Descartes and Augustine and Plato. “Death in Life; Life in Death; Rebirth,” is Orphic. Coming forward, I want to improve the brand, add a little hardware to the kludge, maybe download my entire conscious mystery into a gooey substance left over from a fried computer terminal (Aronofsky, π) and, thereby, in the literal sense, embrace a cybernetic system. Change the mainframe, change the game. What I cannot understand is why a human would circumvent a system that is not broken and requires an operator merely to look beyond the bars of hir self-centered imprisonment.

Photo by Dylan Hanson

Jampa Dorje Guest Columnist

Diversity and Equity awards honor CWU and Ellensburg community members

native community] were not even included, and that was something that was often ignored or not recognized in the field of education,” Greene said. “So I committed to making a difference for those that needed a voice.”

The award ceremony then officially began and more guest speakers stepped up to the podium to unveil the winners. The awards were divided in three categories and were given to students, faculty and staff.

The first awards handed out were the student awards. The winners included Diversity and Equity Center Student Initiative Coordinator Paige Hall, ASCWU Equity Vice President Mariah Minjarez, ASCWU President Luis Reyes and accounting assistant Manny Valencia.

tecting it through the generations.

in economics Tennacia Dacass, Director of Bands T. Andre Feagin, Professor of business Sayantanni Mukherjee, Associate Professor in physics Darci Snowden and Director of El Centro LatinX for Latino and Latin American Studies Christina Torres-Garcia.

Feagin, who’s been director of bands for three years, talked about how important diversity is in university in making an inclusive atmosphere for everyone.

does her best to guide students who find themselves in similar situations she was in.

The ninth annual CWU President’s Diversity awards kicked off on March 2 in the SURC Ballroom.

The night began with an introduction from President Jim Wohlpart where he recognized the native tribes of this land.

“This is the historic home of the Yakama people, the Klickitat, the Palouse, the Walla Walla, the Wanapum, the Wenatchee and the Wishram people,” Wohlpart said.

“They remain committed stewards of this land, cherishing it and pro-

We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands and we give thanks to the legacy of the original people.”

The ceremony continued with a speech from guest speaker and Yakima School District Superintendent Trevor Greene. Greene is an enrolled member of the Muscogee Creek Nation and was raised on the Yakama Indian Reservation, and he talked about how he’s been trying to make an impact for the native community as an educator.

“Oftentimes, when I was growing up and even now as an educator, I would see that my people [the

Valencia, a senior in accounting and the son of two first-generation Mexican immigrants, talked about how much this recognition means to him.

“Just to be nominated is a humbling experience, win or lose,” Valencia said. “I feel like just being nominated and recognized by my peers, that’s everything to me. So I was overwhelmed to even have my name announced and have [the diversity award] right here , I’m just very grateful.”

The second round of awards handed out was the faculty awards, and there were a total of five winners, including Assistant Professor

“The real conversation is belonging and inclusivity, and those have to do with atmosphere and how people feel in an environment,” Feagin said. “I think before we can talk about diversity from a number sake, we have to talk about how inclusivity and belonging impact why people go to places and more importantly, why people stay at places.”

Five awards were also given out to staff; including Assistant Director of Leadership and Development Fiona Corner, Regional Director Mishel Kuch, Exploratory Academic Advisor Jessica Murillo-Rosales Davis, Assistant Director of Culinary Operations Joe Ritchie and Disability and Accessibility Consultant Kendall Smart.

Growing up in a first generation immigrant Guatemalan home, Murillo-Rosales faced her share of obstacles that comes with being from a first generation family, like being first in the family to attend college. In her role as advisor, she

“Going through college and being a first generation college student, a child of immigrants, I recognized that there were privileges out there that I might not be able to achieve in one way due to my ethnicity,” Murillo-Rosales said. “That’s why I became an advisor, to try to help remove some of these barriers and make sure that they feel welcomed and they have the resources they need to stay.”

The final award given out of the night was the Bobby Cummings Lifetime Achievement Award that was awarded to former Vice President of Inclusivity and Diversity Dr. Kandee Cleary.

The awards were started by Cleary as a way to honor those individuals working to spread diversity and equity on campus.

“This was her vision, to elevate the work of diversity, equity and inclusion on our campus,” Wohlpart said. “She did it to recognize the people doing this really important and hard work.”

According to Wohlpart, all winners and nominees were nominated by other students, faculty and staff with nomination forms that get emailed out to the university community.

Nominations for next year’s awards begin in November and nominations will be collected in January, according to Wohlpart.

Central Washington Disability Resources creates more accessibility with new PAS Program

Central Washington Disability Resources (CWDR) is located in Ellensburg and services the disabled members of the community. Within the last month, they created the power, action and system (PAS) program to modify the homes of people living with disabilities to help them become more accessible.

“We can help individuals build ramps for their home for accessibility so that they can enter their homes,” Mayra Colazo, executive director for CWDR, said. “We can also do some bathroom modifications, and then we can do the grab bars in the bathroom for accessibility.”

Colazo said another thing the program can help with is yard work, because overgrown bushes and trees eliminate mobility access.

“With this funding, people [can] do some yard maintenance, cut down the yard, trim down bushes, make it more welcoming,” Colazo said. “Depending on people’s disabilities,

maybe they don’t have the ability, maybe they don’t have the energy to work on their yard.”

Colazo said she wanted to start this program because there weren’t services like PAS within the community and because situations can happen in life where people’s mobility changes, and some may not have access to their homes.

“We have another program, which is where we do emergency evacuations with individuals with disabilities,” Colazo said. “We found out that when we’re going to their home, they’re having a hard time exiting their home in case of an emergency.”

So far, the PAS program has helped out one person and according to Colazo, they have had around six or seven individuals already reach out about the program.

Colazo said it was amazing when the PAS program helped someone get a ramp to their house.

“They really struggle getting into their home and after they send us a picture of the final ramp, it is beautiful,” Colazo

said. “This allows people to be more independent in their community. This individual can now get out of his house, go out and get some fresh air by himself without any assistance.”

Colazo said having programs like PAS within communities is important so everyone has the same access.

“Sometimes if we don’t have a mobility disability and we don’t realize the barriers in our communities, which are accessibility and it’s important for everybody to have equal access,” Colazo said. “There’s little things that we don’t pay attention to with accessibility, which really impacts a lot of people.”

People who are interested in applying to the PAS program can call 509-962-9620 or email admin@cwdr.org. To apply, people must be living in Kittitas, Chelan, Douglas, Grant or Yakima County.

“Individuals that are both under 50% area median income or have Social Security benefits are automatically eligible for the program,” Colazo said.

LuisReyesacceptsanawardfromPresidentWohlpart. Photo by Omar Benitez Omar Benitez Senior Reporter

Megan Rogers

Assistant News Editor

National Alliance on Mental Illness local chapter forms to raise awareness in Kittitas County Board members strive to prevent suicide and ‘save lives’

Katherine Camarata Lead Editor

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a nationwide organization that seeks to destigmatize discussion surrounding mental health and provide resources for people with disorders and their families. The Kittitas chapter of NAMI was created at the start of the pandemic by board member Marie Marchand to bring NAMI’s offerings to this community, and programs are set to begin this year.

“One of the goals of NAMI is to really reduce this stigma across the world, because the less prejudice there is, the more people feel that it’s okay to ask for help, and then that reduces suicide rates,” Marchand said. “So really, the goal is to save people’s lives.”

The drive behind the NAMI board

Marchand said she was drawn to this work because her home life growing up was “chaotic.” Marchand’s brother dealt with schizophrenia and substance use disorder and her mother was in and out of hospitals battling depression. Marchand’s background includes working at the Downtown Emergency Service Center in Seattle for the mental health drop-in center and later working at a transitional housing facility for houseless people with mental disorders.

“In high school, I was developing bipolar disorder,” Marchand said. “So working with people and in the field was also a good way for me to learn coping strategies and resilience for my own illness.”

Marchand said she decided to become more open about her own diagnosis in 2014.

“I thought that for my own mental health, it would be better if I could be open about it because I didn’t want to be ashamed of it,” Marchand said.

James Donaldson, a NAMI Kittitas and NAMI Seattle board member, additionally said he was driven to this line of work because of the situations he has overcome in his own life.

“I myself went through a lot of mental health challenges,” Donaldson said. “That really drove me to the verge of suicidal ideations and thinking about ending my life. I made it my life’s work now to be a voice and an advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention.”

Donaldson was a former player in the NBA and volunteered with NAMI Seattle for three years prior to starting with NAMI Kittitas. He said he made it through his personal struggles after his doctor helped him realize he had a problem.

Donaldson published a book about his journey and process called “Celebrating Your Gift of Life: From the Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy” which is available on Amazon.

“The 12 months I went through my depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, it was 12 months of pure hell and darkness,” Donaldson said. “But I made it through. Finally, that darkness started lifting and I realized that I have a purpose. I have a reason to continue living and helping other people.”

and let me know that they’re suicidal right now,” Donaldson said. “They don’t know how to get through the day and these are 12 year olds and 13 year olds, 14 year olds. It’s such a shame and a tragedy that we don’t feel comfortable enough to talk about it and to reach out for help when we need to.”

NAMI Kittitas offerings

NAMI is currently training facilitators to run their signature program, and they are also planning to offer a peer recovery support group called Connection in May and a virtual family support group for those whose loved ones deal with mental health challenges. These offerings will be available through their website, NAMIKittitas.org.

“I want to encourage people to look for those support groups, because they can be the perfect complement to medical treatment for those looking for emotional support,” Marchand said.

Donaldson said statistics show that two out of five people will deal with mental health challenges at some point in their life, and this number could be on the rise due to the pandemic and social media use. The NAMIKittitas.org fact sheet said that, “One in four American adults experiences an episode of mental illness per year.”

Donaldson’s work with NAMI Kittitas includes visiting middle and elementary schools to give presentations about mental health where these issues are prevalent.

“When I go and speak to schoolaged kids, invariably there’s three or four young people that come up and talk to me individually after my talk

Donaldson recommended youth who struggle with mental health take a break from their normal routines to find stillness within.

“My advice to them is really trying to get to know themselves,” Donaldson said. “A lot of times, we don’t really acknowledge who we are and what we’re going through inside, but if you take a few moments a day to just put your phone down, tune out of the social media for 30 minutes or an hour and just sit still, be quiet with yourself and get to know and love yourself again, that will go a long ways toward maintaining that healthy balance. I know it’s hard to do because social media is like an addiction. It’s hard to break that cycle, but these are the steps.”

Marchand said NAMI also offers the “In Our Own Voice” program, where their two trained volunteers can speak at different schools or businesses about their stories with mental health conditions.

“Anybody could contact NAMI Kittitas if they want to help stomp stigma at their workplace or their classroom and they can host an ‘In Our Own Voice’ training,” Marchand said.

NAMI is hosting a community forum event at the Hal Holmes Community Center on March 31 at 6 p.m. in order to, “unveil ourselves to the community so people can find out where they fit in,” according to Marchand.

Marchand said they are searching for volunteers and interns, and interested people can reach out via their website NAMIKittitas.org.

“The less prejudice there is, the more people feel that it’s okay to ask for help, and then that reduces suicide rates.”

- Marie Marchand, NAMI board member

Ellensburg volunteer fair showcases various opportunities for students

MJ Rivera Staff Reporter

The Pine Street event center was packed with CWU students, community members and over 25 local organizations and nonprofit groups for the Ellensburg Downtown Association’s volunteer fair on March 2.

There was a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, such as community events, work in the arts and work in nature.

League of Women Voters of Kittitas County

The League of Women Voters (LWV), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was represented by the Program Director Tish Eaton and volunteer Susan Kelleher.

“Our mission is to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in government and to influence public policy through education,” Kelleher said.

The league prepares presentations about current topics that would affect the voting constituents in the county.

“We go into schools and educate kids about how to vote and why it’s important,” Eaton said. “We do PowerPoint presentations in public high schools and we have programs once a month that deal with issues that are current.”

Some recent program and presentation topics include Planned Parenthood, election integrity, county commissioners and environmental issues.

“We go to the county commission meetings, the city council meetings and we just observe and write notes about what’s happening,” Eaton said. “Our newspaper doesn’t always cover that, we’re kind of the watchdogs..

The LWV is always looking for volunteers for help with things such as registering people to vote at CWU and the many events the league puts on.

Kelleher said anyone can sign up to volunteer on their website, kittitasleague.org, and that they are looking for new members and board members.

Ellensburg rodeo

Jon Morrow, one of the directors of the Ellensburg rodeo, said that they always need volunteers to help pull the rodeo off.

“Out of 650 [Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association] rodeos worldwide, Canada and the United States, Ellensburg is ranked number four,” Morrow said.

Volunteers can help in a variety of ways, such as being ticket scanners or ushers, helping with setting up and tearing down, driving golf carts, and helping with parking.

The 100th anniversary of the Ellensburg rodeo is this year and tickets are already almost sold out, according to Morrow. Rodeo events go from August 30 to September 4.

Helen House

The Helen House is a safe space representing sexuality, orientation, gender, identity and expression(SOGIE) youth and young adults. The house is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3 - 6 p.m. for drop-ins.

Amanda Russert, the assistant director, said, “we want to get more volunteers in; that way, we can look at what other future programming things we can start putting into place.”

FISH Food bank

The Friends in Service to Humanity (FISH) food bank also had a table at the volunteer fair, showcasing many opportunities for locals and CWU students to help out.

Elise Warren, the volunteer coordinator and executive assistant for FISH, said that FISH has a food pantry and open-table meal services. They also do Meals on Wheels, which provides nutrition and medically-tailored meals to seniors.

Volunteers can work in the warehouse and stock shelves, work in the pantry and assist guests with selecting groceries, or work with Meals on Wheels driving and delivering meals to seniors.

Prospective volunteers can email volunteering@kvfish.org for more information.

Valley Musical Theatre

Jessica Black, the executive director of Valley Musical Theatre (VMT), said they have a lot of opportunities for college students to get involved.

“It takes a village to put on a show,” Black said. “Everything from being not just on stage, but behind the stage. So, everything from costume or set design, lighting operating and props.”

Theater experience and knowledge is not necessary to sign up, as Black explained that community theater is for everyone.

“A lot of times we do trainings ahead of time, so if anybody is brand new in the theater and they’re wanting to get involved, that’s what community theater is about, to start to expose people to theater and give them an easy way to find a creative outlet,” Black said.

VMT puts on three-to-four shows

each year, Black said the upcoming summer show “9 to 5 the Musical” could be of interest to CWU students. More information is on their website www.valleymusicaltheatre. com.

Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group

Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group provides volunteer opportunities for those who love being in nature.

Aaron Balagot, the restoration technician, supervisor and volunteer coordinator, said the organization is a nonprofit dedicated to salmon restoration.

“We’re all around working on the Columbia and Yakima rivers and all the tributaries that connect to it, and it’s all for salmon enhancement,” Balagot said.

The organization has made some large-scale plantings and large wood installations in streams to create creek habitats for salmon.

Volunteers help with upkeep on sites as well as events throughout the year.

“Starting in spring, we do a lot of prep like mulching, picking up trash and taking tarps out of planting sites, Balagot said. “Then, as we move on to summer, it’s more watering and weeding, and then in fall, we’re planting.”

Balagot said he hires a seasonal crew every year and that getting in-

volved with Mid-Columbia Fisheries would also be a good experience for college students interested in environmental science.

“We have a pint night over at the Iron Horse brewery on March 30, and we’re always looking for more volunteers,” Balagot said.

Community involvement

Marcus Ashton, a CWU senior geology major, went to the volunteer fair with his roommates and friends from church.

“We are all just getting a little bit of our voices out there with volunteer opportunities,” Ashton said.

He said his favorite table at the fair was Mid-Columbia Fisheries.

“I just got a position with them, so seeing them here was pretty cool,” Ashton said.

Jerry Pettit, a retired county auditor and volunteer firefighter in the community, said he hopes the Ellensburg community will get a lot of volunteers.

Pettit was a volunteer firefighter for over 30 years, and he and his wife have been helping the community in various ways for over 40 years.

“We always need volunteers in the community, that’s something that I believe in,” Pettit said.” I’ve been volunteering in many things for a long time. It’s important for our community, to give back. That’s what makes the community what it is.”

EllensburgCommunityRadio. Photo by MJ Rivera

AaronBalagot,Mid-ColumbiaFisheries. Photo by MJ Rivera

JonMorrow,Ellensburgrodeo.

Photo by MJ Rivera

The wins and woes of being a successful woman

What is a ‘girlboss?’

Morgana Carroll News Editor

From Lois Lane of ‘Superman’ fame, to the First Lady of the Black Press Ethel Payne, to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, people love to see a woman winning. But, is this “girlboss culture” reflected in the real world?

Michele Denbeste is the provost and vice president for academic and student life at CWU. Despite having such an esteemed position, DenBeste said she doesn’t consider herself a leader, and concedes it is because of how society has made her think about women and leadership.

“I know that because of how we think of women … When I thought about leadership, I think I thought about men and leadership, and that wasn’t anyone’s fault,” DenBeste said. “It was just what I absorbed.”

The American Association of University Women explains that this is because of old stereotypes that still permeate.Men being in leadership positions for so long has caused traits that a leader typically has to now be viewed as masculine, and these traits are viewed less favorably in women.

How would you define success?

DenBeste defined success as being able to spend each day working toward the things you want to accomplish.

“Professional success is being able to do the things that I really enjoy and being able to work with a good team and … being able to build a life around it in the kind of ways that one would like,” DenBeste said.

DenBeste said she feels as though the bar for womens’ success is higher than mens’.

“I think that women who are, to

my mind, very successful have to do something to be successful,” DenBeste said. “How you have to invent something new and that is success, [not] to me, but to the world.”

Ruth Erdman is a professor in women’s gender and sexuality studies. Erdman said she thinks success is the ability to be one’s truest self.

“Success is being the person you feel you really are, the person you were meant to be, and fulfilling your individual potential to the best of your ability,” Erdman said.

What is a woman?

“For me, it’s just growing into who you want to be,” Denbest said. “And I think gender-wise anyone should be able to do that. Man or woman or using they pronouns. Deciding the gender you were born in isn’t the right one for you, that should all be a part of who we are.”

Denbeste said that sometimes society can make it hard to express oones femininity in the way they feel is right for them. She recounts a time in her childhood where this happened.

“It was hard for me to say when I was a girl,” DenBeste said. “I often strained against social convention. I was a child who loved to read… I always loved learning…None of those were seen by my family or friends as being girly, or I was constantly being told to read less books.”

Erdman’s definition of a woman is straightforward.

“A woman is anyone who identifies as a woman, who knows herself to be a woman, and who aspires to live her life as a woman,” Erdman said. “Anyone identifying and living as a woman is likely to experience the joys and trials of womanhood.”

Women in the professional world

According to Erdman, there is a double standard between men and women in the world of business.

“Very often in the professional world, a man with a natural aptitude for taking charge and moving things forward is a ‘leader,’ while a woman with the same traits is a ‘bitch,’” Erdman said.

Erdman said that transgendered women can experience this juxtaposition in real time.

“Transwomen experience this very directly,” Erdman said. “The respect and compliance they commanded while presenting to the world as ‘male’ evaporates when they transition and show themselves to the world as women. Their status and authority have suddenly been pulled out from under them.”

Erdman said the double standard and tendency for women to be seen as naturally lower in corporate rank has become more nuanced, but is definitely still present.

“The double standards are less blatant than they used to be,” Erdman said. “But they’re not gone. Now they’re likelier to take the form of missed promotions, microaggressions and unflattering portrayals in the media.”

DenBeste said that she thinks that due to a double standard in the workplace she has to approach situations differently.

“I feel like I can’t necessarily do those [tasks] in the same way as if I were a man,” DenBeste said. “Like coming into a room and demanding that X Y and Z happen. It’s not going to go over well.”

DenBeste said that she has to ap-

CWU event puts the ‘HER’ in history

The Diversity and Equity Center (DEC) hosted Women’s Herstory to kickoff Women’s History Month. Grad Assistant Victoria Linder who is a second-year student in the Cultural and Environmental Resource Management Program was the primary host of the event.

The event had refreshments, snacks, drinks and a cake saying “Women’s Herstory Month.” They use “HER” in front to replace “HIS” to honor and celebrate notable women in history, according to Linder.

Women’s “Herstory” was established in the 1970s from a feminist

movement, according to Linder. The event was a tribute to recognize the accomplishments of all women in the world.

“A lot of women’s voices haven’t been written through history,” Linder said. “This kickoff was to bring [a] voice to that for women and [feminine] identifying folk.”

Linder spoke about feminism and displayed a presentation explaining the differences between masculinity and femininity.

One of Linder’s favorite women that contributed to society is Marie Curie, a Polish French physicist who conducted research on radioactivity and is the only person to win two Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields.

A powerpoint dedicated to powerful women in today’s society told the story of someone who opened an all-women’s law firm after being told by her male boss that she needed to dress more conservatively.

Megan McConnell, director of the transfer center for student achievement, said she “finally understands femininity through being a mother.”

“Raising children has caused me to really think about what that means,” McConnell said. “I didn’t understand the connection to femininity until I had kids.”

DEC hoped all people would show up to these events to educate themselves. Linder said she wants women to be heard and practice gratitude throughout Women’s History Month, and recommended researching it online.

Linder said one woman that she looks up to is her mother, because she knows how to fix things and is a phone call away. She said her mother walked her down the aisle and she calls her even when she has a sink clogged.

To end off the event, the DEC offered white boards attendees could write on asking questions like, “Who are some important woman in your life?” and “Who is someone you have gratitude for?”

proach work situations slowly and relationally instead of “guns blazing,” but in the end she prefers to do things that way anyway.

Dean of Graduate Studies Yoshiko Takahashi recounted a time where a student of hers had to make a hard decision that to her felt like a double standard.

“She said that getting a Ph.D. meant that she had to give up having a family,” Takahashi said. “It was hard to convince her that she does not need to sacrifice her personal life to pursue a Ph.D. But at the same time, I wonder how many male students would think that way.”

Takahashi said that she feels women often have to accomplish more and take on a heavier workload to be recognized professionally.

“I feel that women, especially women of color, have the pressure of invisible barriers that are often not recognized in the workplace,” Takahashi said. “For example, women of color in higher education often take on more service work, such as joining committees

The origins of the term ‘girlboss’

According to BBC, the term girlboss can be used to describe a woman who is making her way up the corporate ladder in a male dominated industry; this means literally any facet of the business world. According to Forbes women held 38% of entry level management positions in 2021.

The term girlboss was first used in the 2017 Netflix original series “Girlboss”, where Sophia Amoruso, the owner of an online clothing store, is writing her titular memoir about her experiences and women’s empowerment.

BBC also said that the media has typically depicted the “girlboss” as a cold woman who wants nothing more than to climb the corporate ladder to success. This can be traced back as far as the ‘80s, which BBC notes as the root of women breaking into business roles in the second wave of feminism; during this time, people used the term “pantsuit fem-

Alahnna Connolly Staff Reporter

Woman’sHERSTORYmonthcake. Photo by Alahnna Connolly

Women’s History Month Poetry Extravaganza features WA state poet laureate

Local poets create crown of sonnets to celebrate women of the valley

Jordyn Rossmeisl Staff Reporter

The chilly evening air spilled into the packed gallery, mixing with the palpable excitement of people chatting over the lively piano while weaving through the crowd to grab a glass of wine or admire some art for the First Friday Art Walk. The energetic crowd gathered around the staircase to admire a different kind of art, one woven of words.

The Ellensburg Arts Commission and the Ellensburg Poet Laureate Marie Marchand hosted the Poetry Extravaganza event in the Gallery One Visual Arts Center to celebrate Women’s History Month on March 3. The event began with a land acknowledgment statement by Marchand and an opening reading by Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest from her book Patriarchy Blues, including a poem about what nail polish shade matches best with patriarchal oppression.

ley. A crown of sonnets typically features seven different poets, and each sonnet’s last line is the same or similar to the next sonnet’s first line, and the last sonnet’s last line is the first sonnet’s first line, so they all link together. Following the performance of the crown, local poets read some of their original work.

The focus of the event started as a small idea to celebrate women at a brainstorming session four months ago between three local writers: Jampa Dorje, The Observer Lead Editor Katherine Camarata and the first Poet Laureate of Ellensburg, Marchand.

“As we started talking more and brainstorming more, these amazing ideas came up to write poems honoring the women of the past, from the Kittitas Valley,” Marchand said.

Although it started off small, Marchand said the idea quickly picked up speed, and another local poet, Joanna Thomas, proposed the idea for a crown of

“It is a great metaphor for connection and things being inter-

According to Marchand, the whole event was about creating connections; connecting our past and present by having the women of today honor the women of our past, and connecting the downtown community with the

Nan Doolittle, director of the local nonprofit Northwest Expressive Arts Response, suggested the readers make physical crowns to present to the descendants of the historical women to whom

The seven poets each researched the significant woman they chose to honor with their sonnets, read in this order:

“Wearetrailblazerstoo,andmaybewewon’trealizeitfor80yearsor 100yearsfromnow,thetrailthatwe areblazing,becausewestillliveina societythatismisogynistic.”

The Observer Lead Editor Katherine Camarata for Ida Nason Aronica, Sarita Dasgupta for Donna Nylander, Nan Doolittle for Ethel Craven, Cory Eberhart for Rachel Page, Marie Marchand for Irene Rinehart, Katherine Whitcomb for Sarah Spurgeon and Maya Jewell Zeller for the Olmstead sisters, Leta May and Clareta Olmstead Smith. The poets collaborated on writing and tracking down the descendants of their chosen women.

“The seven poets chose the one woman they were wanting to write about because that woman spoke to them and inspired them,” Marchand said. “For me, Irene Rinehart really inspires me and the more I learned about her, the more I was inspired. I am an anti-nuclear activist and that was part of what she did on the city council during her sixteen-year run. And then Sarita, another poet, wrote about Donna Nylander, and they both wrote plays for children. So they were connected in that way.”

Marchand highlighted the similarities between the modern

women who read poetry at the event and the women of the past who were honored.

“We are trailblazers too, and maybe we won’t realize it for 80 years or 100 years from now, the trail that we are blazing, because we still live in a society that is misogynistic,” Marchand said. “Women make approximately 86 cents for every dollar that a man makes. So we have a lot of change to still make.”

One of the descendants who attended the event, Ethel Craven-Sweet, the daughter of Ethel Craven (to whom Nan Do little dedicated her sonnet), came all the way from Auburn on a bus to attend the event.

“It’s wonderful and refreshing that they are honoring poetry now, and I love poetry,” Cra ven-Sweet said. “My mother had 13 children. She had nine straight girls, and I am the ninth and last girl, so she named me after her.”

According to Cra ven-Sweet, her mother would have loved the event.

“Oh mama is smil ing from heav en, mama is smiling,” Cra ven-Sweet said. “She didn’t get to finish high school or any thing, but she made sure we got some school and she said how important it was, and I encouraged all my sons to do

the same thing. My mother was a very tough woman. Very tough. She taught us to work hard because she didn’t want to see us going astray.”

CWU senior and English major Anna Baldwin was moved to tears by some of the poetry.

“I cried a lot,” Baldwin said. “I really loved it. It made me feel really good about being a woman. I wish we had more. I feel like in my life, as a woman, I have not felt appreciated enough for just being a female and I have a large inferiority complex really related to that. And so, being uplifted as a woman is really, really im

CWU alumni return to inspire at Women in Business conference

Words of motivation and tips for success filled the Wellington Event Center during the third annual Find Your Voice conference on March 3, hosted by CWU’s Women in Business Club to kick off Women’s

Keynote speakers included Senior Vice President and Advisor of Wealthspire Advisors Julie Back and Assistant Vice President and Financial Advisor of Wealthspire Advisors Julie Penwell, who talked about the importance of net-

According to senior marketing and graphic design major Leila Haji, the main goal

of the conference was to empower the next generation of female leaders. Haji is the Women in Business Club president and co-planner of the event.

Networking presentation

Back and Penwell defined networking as connecting and building a community of trusted friends, colleagues and mentors and nourishing those relationships on an ongoing basis.

Back said early in her career she didn’t fully understand the importance of having a positive attitude toward networking.

“One of the things I learned is that people actually want to help you,” Back said. “People are genuinely good and want to share their experiences and help you fulfill the dreams that you have.”

Back emphasized the importance of establishing meaningful and last-

ing relationships with different people to grow professionally.

“When I was at [CWU], I was involved with lots of different organizations and clubs,” Penwell said.

“When I was doing that, I was networking without even knowing it.”

Penwell explained that Back became her mentor through the alumni association during her freshman year at college. The two grew and maintained their relationship during and after Penwell’s college experience, which eventually led to them working together at Wealthspire.

Reactions

Haji, who hosted the conference for the first time, explained why the event was important to her.

“The first time I attended the conference two years ago was really helpful to me,” Haji said. “It gave me some good insights and I just wanted to pass that along.”

Most of the attendees expressed their satisfaction with the conference, with a few expressing that they learned more than they expected.

“I felt like I always knew how to start networking, but I liked how they talked about finding ways to follow up and being able to go back into that connection,” senior entrepreneurship and wine management major Brittney Cornwell said.

“For me personally, I didn’t realize that I started my networking journey,” junior marketing management major Kirsten Lowe said. “It was really insightful to hear that what I’m doing is right and having these connections with people is a good thing, and building a good relationship with people that I feel are too important or I’m not good enough for is still important, and they’re going to be willing to help me.”

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Studentsatthefind yourvoiceconference.

Photo by Zileni Milupi

Localwomenreadacrownofsonnetsfeaturinghistoricalwomenofthevalley. Photo by Jordyn Rossmeisl

- Marie Marchand, Ellensburg Poet Laureate

Who’s taking home the gold?

This Sunday marks the commencement of the 95th Oscars. A year’s worth of movies watched, campaigns ran and other awards shows attended have all led to this, and right now it seems like the clear frontrunner for nearly every award it was nominated for is A24’s “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” Sweeping the Independent Spirit Awards this past weekend, it would be a safe bet to assume “Everything Everywhere” is going to clean house at the Oscars.

Since I’ve already covered Best Actor in a previous piece, I’ll be taking a look at the three remaining big awards: Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture. Does anyone else stand a chance against “Everything Everywhere?” Who do I think will win? Who do I think should win?

Best Actress

Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), Ana De Armas (“Blonde”), Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere”), Michelle Willams (“The Fabelmans”) and Andrea Riseborough

(“To Leslie”) are this year’s Best Actress class. Immediately, I feel safe saying Riseborough has no chance to win. The effort from

her campaign management to secure the nomination was great work. Sadly, that doesn’t equal an award, and she’s playing with the big girls now. Blanchett and Yeoh are the two clear frontrunners, with Blanchett giving arguably the best performance of the year, and Yeoh being the lead performer in the hottest movie of the year.

De Armas could make a push. Colin Farrell notably commended her performance during his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, which has led some to believe that the industry is a fan of her work in “Blonde”. Blanchett would be my pick, “Tár” lives and dies by her performance, but I think that ultimately the award will go to Yeoh. Yeoh has never won an academy award while Blanchett already has two, and I feel the Academy will take this opportunity to recognize Yeoh.

Best Director

Martin McDonaugh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), the Daniels (“Everything Everywhere”), Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”), Todd Field (“Tár”) and Ruben Östlund (“Triangle of Sadness”) are the nominees for Best Director this year. An impressive class.

But, nobody here is beating Steven Spielberg, not even Daniels. This is his award to lose. It’s some of the best work of his career, and with it seeming like “The Fabelmans” won’t be getting any Best Picture love, I feel this is how the Academy will be giving Spielberg and the movie its flowers. I think Spielberg should win, and I think he will win.

Best Picture

“All Quiet on the Western Front,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Banshees,” “Elvis,” “Everything Everywhere,”

“The Fabelmans,” “Tár,”

“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Triangle of Sadness” and “Women Talking” are the 10 in this years

What

Best Picture class. While a fairly predictable group, it’s still full of good films.

“Everything Everywhere” is the clear favorite here. It won the highest award at nearly every award show this season and has more nominations than any other film this year. I really really like “Everything Everywhere,” but if you had told me when I saw it in March that it would be the clear front-runner for Best Picture, there’s no chance I would’ve believed you.

There is one movie that I do think could dethrone it with the help of the aggregate voting used for Best Picture: “Top Gun: Maverick.” “Maverick” is legitimately very good, and I think that it’s going to be second or third on a lot of voters’ ballots.

But, I think that “Everything Everywhere” is going to be the winner of the biggest award in the film industry come Sunday. It seems inevitable. I for one would be perfectly fine with it winning, however an “Avatar,” “Elvis,” “Fabelmans” or “Maverick” upset would be quite fun.

most Americans don’t realize about inflation

One may ask: what exactly causes inflation?

Many people familiar with money understand that, in one way or another, inflation is harmful, both to their own personal lives and the economy as a whole. Something needs to be done about it, and that only arises through people’s awareness. Obvious tell-tale signs of inflation that are quickly noticed are generally higher interest rates, increased gas/housing prices and taxes, and an overall decrease in the value of money, which in turn leads to higher prices of all goods across the board of commerce. That being said, there are less understood or known effects that result in a crippling economy.

I feel most Americans don’t realize enough about inflation and its less understood or known effects that result in a crippling economy.

The greatest factor perhaps comes down to government spending. If the government needs a large amount of money, new currency is printed by the Federal Reserve. As more money is created out of thin air, the value of the dollar decreases, and prices of all things increase. This extra printing of money predominately boils down to paying off national debts or creating initiatives that I feel many Americans disagree with.

According to the U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data, as of Sept., our national debt is soon to surpass 30 trillion dollars–far higher than a decade ago, and the highest in our history. Unless government dollars go directly to creating new jobs or expanding the markets (which rarely occurs nowadays compared to the vast number of initiatives toward social issues), inflation will continue to rise, and recessions are inevitable.

One consequence often not brought to light, is that inflation helps the rich, and conversely harms the lower class. People experiencing poverty by definition have little money and sometimes being unemployed, cannot afford the increases of prices. However, the rich are hardly benefitted by this, particularly big businesses. The value of rich businesses are commonly represented in the value of their stocks. As inflation increases, those stock values do as well, while making it difficult for the less wealthy to buy those shares and make profits from the money that the company accumulates. For example, most of the extreme wealthy class hold their money in investments–not cash. When the economy is in the green, a billionaire may invest heavily in real estate, knowing that when inflation inevitably occurs, he can sell many of those properties at much higher prices. The billionaire need only wait until the economy is healthier to invest again.

The middle-class and upper middle-class aren’t out of the clear either. Those who have saved a fair amount of money will find that that money is worth less in value compared to rising costs and may burn through it more than they would a few years ago. If inflation shows no stop in sight, people will be discouraged to save at all, as they know it’ll eventually be worth less than if they spent it right away.

Even less realized is that higher minimum wages are sometimes a bad sign. The more money people need to survive, the less money is worth. People are gleeful when they rake in more money when housing prices go up, but their newfound wages may be harmfully affecting others. When prices increase, an employer doesn’t wish to lose money either. They will pay higher wages at the cost of hiring less or letting off more people.

The relationship between wages and inflation is incredibly complex, but the observation that unemployment may increase because of weakness of the dollar has been shown time and time again.

Sometimes, a low amount of inflation can have a positive influence on the market. It may increase consumer spending, which in turn ramps up production, labor and the creation of new jobs. However, when it spirals out of control and continually passes the forty-year high dayby-day, people begin to notice it and grow worried about the direction we’re heading, which is valid.

A key thing to keep in mind is that the blame should not be directed toward landlords, businesses, healthcare providers/ hospitals, etc. I feel that the majority of economists and businessmen would agree that they are not purposely attempting to be greedy, but simply attempting to not lose money like everyone else.

The solution comes down to bills and government. If we focused on initiatives tailored to the market for the betterment of our economy; by initiatives, I mean less taxation, more freedom to trade and building of government jobs, we would eliminate a substantial amount of stress from our lives.

Joshua Packard Columnist

Left to Right

Sammy Fabelman premiering one of his movies (Photo courtesy: Universal Studios) Lydia Tár passionately conducting (Photo courtesy: NEON) Maverick in the skies (Photo courtesy: Paramount Pictures) Joy, Evelyn and Waymond Wang (Photo courtesy: A24)

Isaac Hinson Columnist

can be a

Makeup: Not just for women

Jordyn Rossmeisl Columnist

The gender binary is losing its grasp on makeup, and I’m here for it. Society has started to shift its attitude towards makeup, no longer seeing it as purely effeminate. Many men are getting the memo, and are eagerly stepping up to meet the shifting standards. But, understandably, some guys have been hesitant to face the change- to change their faces. So, to the men who are reading this, let me wipe away your worries, and explain why you should stop avoiding makeup.

Every day, more and more men are beginning to take their looks more seriously, and thus have begun to venture back into the makeup scene after quite a long break. For those of you who didn’t know, makeup was not “just for women” until more recently in history.

According to Gentleman’s Gazette, before World War I, makeup was completely gender-neutral and often indicated higher status. Around the world, men wore makeup for a variety of reasons.

Gentleman’s Gazette explained, “Ancient Egyptians lined their eyes with coal, ancient Babylonians and Incans painted their

plexion, and ancient Greeks and Romans used ochre and iron gall to paint their lips and cheeks to appear younger.”

It is ridiculous that makeup ever became gendered. Thankfully, people are now taking a page from the past, discarding gender-binary norms and making make-up for everyone. Today, in part thanks to social media, makeup is becoming a way for men to look and feel their best while also serving as a medium for self-expression.

According to L Makeup Institute, “With the rise of social media apps like Instagram and TikTok, men and masculine-identifying people are trying out makeup as a form of self-expression. It’s an increasingly common view that society should separate beauty from stereotypes and gender binary norms.”

Another reason why men should stop avoiding makeup is that beauty standards are evolving. Men are just more attractive with makeup. But don’t take my word for it.

According to IFL Science, in a small study, “researchers have found that men are considered more attractive when wearing a smattering of the old powder and rouge than when barefaced.”

Boys, beauty standards are evolving. It is time to man up and

I am a woman.

Femininity isn’t written in law, it isn’t written in biology, it isn’t written in the stars. It’s a code we write ourselves and adhere to personally. It’s something that’s different for everyone. It’s an outfit, it’s a mask, it’s a style and everyone’s femininity is unique in the way that they wear it.

The distinction between sex and gender is worth drawing attention to when deliberating womanhood. The World Health Organization states that: “Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.”

Anyone can be a woman, just by the simple act of being a woman. All it takes to be a woman is to be a woman, and doing that just requires introspection and realization. One just needs to evaluate their own feelings, their experiences, the composition of their identity, and realize who they are.

To try and police who is a woman, who can be a woman and who has the right to be a woman is nothing short of authoritarian gatekeeping. What benefit does it bring anyone to enforce a patriarchal system that defines gender? What does harassing me, saying that what I’m doing isn’t real femininity but a performance mockery of femininity, on social media achieve?

What confuses me about when other women try to gatekeep my womanhood, is why they would even spend their energy on such an endeavor. You’ve let a patriarchal society turn us against each other, rather than try to connect to each other personally and share our experiences as women. We’re being pit against each other intentionally.

This policing of womanhood has grown to such drastic proportions that cisgendered women are being hurt by transphobic rhetoric. This argumentative gatekeeping of who gets to be a woman is what prevented Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, two cisgendered Namibian teenagers, from getting to compete in the Olympics. Two cisgendered women were

deemed too masculine to be allowed to compete, based on an arbitrary system that measures arbitrary levels of hormones. The rhetoric is harming more than transwomen at this point.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, with Caster Semenya having her Olympic title taken away from her because she tested to have high testosterone levels as an intersex person, meaning she has anatomy of both males and females. Despite being intersex she didn’t know that she was intersex until the test came back because she was born and raised as a girl, having no visible male anatomy.

Societal standards of womanhood and femininity are so rooted in western, white standards that they also intersect into racism. These standards are based off of anglo-saxon ideals, much like a lot of other societal standards, going into racist and colorist territory.

Having such strict, uniform definitions of womanhood is harmful to transgendered and cisgendered women, and only aims to further a patriarchal society’s agenda.

What is your definition of woman?

Morgana Carroll Columnist

Powder brush, beauty blender, liquid eyeliner and eyeshadow palette.

Photo by Katherine Camrata

CWU men’s basketball secures playoff spot with back-to-back buzzer-beater wins

Charis Jones Staff Reporter

With the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament underway, CWU men’s basketball has risen to the challenge and concluded their regular season with two back-to-back buzzer-beater wins.

“[The first] buzzer beater by Camron McNeil was a feeling that gave me and the rest of the guys so much joy,” junior Samaad Hector said. “We were able to knock off the best team in the conference who has currently won 10 out of their last 11 [games], with that loss coming against us. The other buzzer-beater at Western Oregon also felt nice, not only because I was the one who made the shot, but also because my teammates trusted me to take and make that shot.”

The final buzzer-beater that took place at Western Oregon University (WOU) was a substantial win for the Wildcats, considering it not only secured their spot as the fourth seed in the tournament, but also because the last time they faced off against WOU, CWU was the one who felt short due to a buzzer-beater.

“The first time we played [WOU] they beat us on a buzzer-beater, so it felt nice to get some revenge, and then to come out a few days later [in the GNAC Tournament] and play that same team and put on a statement for the conference showed a lot about this group of guys,” Hector said.

Carrying the momentum from these two victories, the Wildcats have made their way to Western Washington University (WWU) in Bellingham, Washington, where they have already begun their matchups in pursuit of the tournament title.

“Coming off those two big wins to end the regular season has given us momentum heading into the playoffs,” junior Camron McNeil said. “We’ve been operating the same as before, just really honing in and familiarizing ourselves with our opponents. At this point of this season, everyone knows what everyone likes to do, but whoever can pay attention to the details has a good chance.”

Over the course of the men’s season, senior Brock Gilbert said that the team has become a tight knit group, which has contributed to

their overall success throughout these past few months.

“We have definitely become closer as a team,” Gilbert said. “This team chemistry is by far the best I have been a part of, which has made everything on and off the court so much easier.”

Gilbert was also sure to recognize key players on the bench, such as sophomore Gaige Ainslie for his uplifting energy and the role that he has played on this team.

“Gaige Ainslie has been injured all year but has never let it affect him or his attitude,” Gilbert said. “This really makes it easier to do what we got [to] on the court with guys like him on our bench.”

Sophomore Colby Gennett had nice things to say about Ainslee and other bench players as well.

“The people that have been the most valuable people are some of the people that won’t get the recognition on the stat sheet,” Gennett said. “Players like Gaige who have been going through surgery most of the season, along with freshmen like Xavier and Bennett who have always accepted their roles on the team [ help to] bring that energy on the bench and lift the team spirit which was very

important this season, especially during the rough patches.”

Other aspects contributing to the Wildcat’s prosperity this season include consistency and focus, according to Hector.

“As a team, we have been buckling down and focusing on the things that have gotten us to this point,” Hector said. “We want to focus on consistent quality possessions, and to sum up what that means exactly is that we need to value the basketball each time down the floor and take good shots. This team has players who can put the ball in the basket and we want to maximize our chances of winning the game by taking the most shots and the best shots.”

These victories have given the team momentum heading into the playoffs, and their success can be attributed to their close-knit team chemistry, consistent focus, and the contributions of key players on the bench.

The team is currently vying for the championship, and their strategy is to make the most of every opportunity to score and take as many effective shots as possible to maximize their chances of taking home the title.

The last column of the quarter. What a time. We’ll conclude this quarter with a classic Sports Spectated: The Blazers, the Seahawks and Jake Gyllenhaal.

The Portland Trail Blazers completely blew their chance to make ground in the wild wild west, losing consecutive critical conference games against the then-injured Golden State Warriors and the still-injured New Orleans Pelicans. Anfernee Simons attempted an early return from injury against the Warriors to try and give the Blazers a much needed shot-inthe-arm, but he ended up re-injuring his ankle and left the loss early. Jusuf Nurkic and Justice Winslow are both still on indefinite timetables, and with their absence growing more apparent with each game as we continue to play the most vital games of the season. Great times in Rip City.

The Seahawks gave Geno Smith a three-year, $105 million deal! Very happy for Geno and his family, and if Seattle is going to be trying to compete for a championship next year this was 100% their best option. The deal is on the shorter end and relatively cheap (especially compared to the contract Derek Carr signed with the New Orleans Saints), which makes it extremely moveable and indicates that Seattle may be looking to draft in the QB position in the near future.

Jake Gyllenhaal was at UFC 285 this past weekend. Both as a “competitor” and an audience member. Why? He was filming scenes for his upcoming ‘Road House’ remake, which co-stars UFC all-time legend Conor McGregor and is being made by the director of ‘Edge of Tomorrow’. That is possibly the greatest paragraph ever put to print.

Isaac Hinson Sports Editor

SeniorBrockGilbert(right)signalingonthecourt. Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson SophomoreColbyGennettlininguptheshot. Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson

JuniorCamronMcNeil(holdingbasketball)pushingthepace. Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson

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THE WEEK Artwork by Andrew Ulstad

Photo Editor

Wildcat Words:

by Andrew Ulstad

Who is the most important woman in your life and why?

“Definitely my mom because she’s helped me throughout my life … in school she’s always helpful making sure I’m on top of things, because I’m a big procrastinator.”

“Probably my mom, because she’s a single parent so everything that I have … is built off of what she’s made. The fact that I can even go to a college is because of her.”

“My girlfriend. We’ve been together for about two and a half years … she’s the woman I think I’m going to marry.”

Q&A Q&A

Congresswoman Kim Schrier represents Washington’s 8th Congressional District; Schrierhad a career as a pediatrician in Issaquah prior to being elected. Rep. Schrier’s office responded to a few questions about how inflation is impacting college students.

“My mom, of course! I don’t even think I need to explain why, I owe everything to her.”

What are some of the reasons behind high inflation in the US, as well as around the world?

Inflation has been a worldwide phenomenon. There are a lot of factors that have contributed to this, but the pandemic, the tangled international supply chains, and corporate price gouging are three major contributors. Are there any federal programs the average college student should be aware of to help them deal with these cost-of-living increases?

Financial aid for housing often comes through FAFSA. Rep. Schrier has supported the FAFSA Simplification Act, which passed on Dec. 27, 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. This has a many small but important fixes, including: Streamlining the FAFSA form so more students complete it. Linking Pell eligibility to family size and the federal poverty level, broadening the pool of eligible applicants. This starts next year. Rep. Schrier has also supported the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act that expands the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit as part of the to create more than 66,000 units of affordable housing in WA state. This year in the Farm Bill, I am working to make sure that all higher education students are eligible for SNAP benefits.

What legislation has Rep. Schrier supported that reduces the effects of inflation on the average citizen? Ocean Shipping Reform Act (signed into law) – untangle international supply chains and provide support to U.S. exporters, like many we have in the 8th District. This helps resolve the supply and demand imbalance that contributes to shortages and higher prices. Inflation Reduction Act (signed into law)– to bring down prescription drug costs and invest in clean energy solutions that will make us less reliant on gas/oil in the future. This bill also capped insulin at $35/bottle for Medicare recipients. American Rescue Plan (signed into law)– reduced health care premiums and implemented temporary child tax credit that reduced child poverty by 50% and helped almost 80% of families in our district. Gas Prices Relief Act -- to temporarily suspend the federal gas tax and bring down costs at the gas pump. Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Act – to give the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) more tools to hold corporations who are price gouging accountable.

9:30-11:30 a.m. - Coffee with City Council

11 a.m.-2 p.m. - SMASH Mobile Rage Room on SURC Paito West National Mario Day

International Fanny Pack Day

7 - 9 p.m. - Open Mic Night at Old Skool’s Daylight Savings Time

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

7:30 - 10 p.m. - Monday Movie Madness: “House Party” SURC Theatre 210 National Napping Day

National PI Day

National Everything You Think is Wrong Day

Has Rep. Schrier supported any legislation that specifically aims to help younger people, college students, etc nationwide deal with the increase in cost of living/inflation?

She introduced the Tax Credit for Student Parents Act last Congress This legislation ensures all student parents who are working to get a post-secondary degree, including vocational school and two and four-year universities, are eligible to receive the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), which helps to offset working families’ childcare expenses. Right now, 22% of university undergraduate students, about 4 million people, are parents. For many student parents, childcare costs are a barrier to pursuing post-high school education. By making student parents eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, we will lower the cost of childcare for families needing a boost and make sure parents can afford childcare while they get their degree. Rep. Schrier has also introduced the bipartisan Expanding Access to Graduate Education Act to help students who received Pell Grants during their undergraduate degree utilize their remaining Pell eligibility towards their first year of graduate school.

Moe Kaburagi Soph. Accounting

Nye Tenerelli Running Start. Computer Science

Nicholas Powell Fr. Construction Management

Eli O’brien Soph. Biology

Kim Schrier