the
Jo u r n a l
Wester n Oregon Univer sity’s Weekly student newspaper Since 1923 w w w. w o u . e d u / s t u d e n t / w e s t e r n j o u r n a l
Volume 13 Issue 20
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Photo Courtesy | Michael Reynolds EPA
preview Campus Life Model United Nations Hits the Big Apple See Page 2 The Difference of Yes and No See Page 3
Entertaiment Jurassic Park 3D Spares No Expense See Page 4
Sports Track Kicks Off Their Season See Page 6 Baseball on Pace for Another League Title See Page 7 Memorial for the lives lost in Boston bombings.
Boston Bombings Brother Suspects Charged
FIND US ONLINE
FACEBOOK.COM/WOUJOURNAL @WOUJOURNAL
WOU.EDU/STUDENT/ WESTERNJOURNAL
At ten minutes to three last Monday, April 15, as Boston Marathon runners headed for the finish line, two bomb explosions, separated by mere minutes, changed the outcome of the day, and in a lot of ways, the week for all those in Boston. What started out as another annual celebration of the marathon ended in tragedy as the number of injured began to rise, from 10 to 20, from 50 to 100. By the end of the day 170 attendants, both runners and spectators alike, were announced injured; three had passed away. The aftershocks of the event left many asking, “Who did it?”; a question answered briefly by President Obama with the promise that whoever it was, whatever the reason, they’d, “Feel the full weight of justice.” Boston spent the days following the marathon on lock-down as authorities surveyed the damage and
tried to find answers for the community. However, it wouldn’t be until Thursday, three days after the attacks, that the manhunt would have a face thanks to surveillance videos and photographs of the event. By Friday, the police were tracking the suspects down via a cell-phone left in the first of two stolen vehicles. The suspects, brothers Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, were cornered Friday in a showdown between officers that would leave one brother dead and one severely injured. As officers arrested Tamerlan, the older of the two brothers, and recovered an injured comrade, the younger used the carjacked SUV to charge arresting officers and in doing so, killed his brother. As of Monday, April 22, and as reported in numerous sources, charges have been brought against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev according to a statement from the Justice Department.
The only remaining suspect “was charged with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death,” CNN’s ongoing report of the situation explained. As the events of last week turn towards the upcoming hearings and trial of Tsarnaev, many are still left asking “Why?” and “Who were they?” While it is still unclear as to why the suspects took up arms and attacked the Boston public, much about the family the Tsarnaevs come from has been discussed. In a report by Krit Radia for ABC News from Makhachkala, Dagestan, it is explained that the family background of the brothers is riddled with instability and war. “Sitting at her kitchen table here, the suspects’
aunt, Patemat Sulemanova, recounted from memory a complex family history involving a deportation by Soviet leader Josef Stalin, two Chechen wars, and a severe beating in the United States that ultimately brought the suspects’ father back to this restive region in southern Russia,” the article said. The Tsarnaev family moved around from Kyrgyzstan to Chechnya following the fall of the Soviet union, and then back due to wars in Chechnya. In 2001, the family moved to the United States as refugees, and, in the 10 years that followed, lived through the divorce of the suspect’s parents, and the turn of the older brother towards Radical Islam. In 2011, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was interviewed by the FBI following a prompt from the Russian government. “The request stated that it was based on infor-
mation that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country’s region to join unspecified underground groups,” the FBI said in a statement. The interview did not reveal any terrorist activity, however it has struck many as disturbing and unsettling. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a student at the University of MassachusettsDartmouth. While more information is looked into regarding the lives of the brothers, their activities leading up to the events of last Monday, and as officials begin to move towards the judicial processing of the remaining brother, Boston continues to highlight its own resilience as it picks up and continues to move forward as a community united by tragedy.
weather forecast
Annie West | News Editor
2 Campus Life
April 24, 2013
Model United Nations Hits the Big Apple The Campus Life section incorporates many different aspects to its readership. One topic of coverage is to introduce new clubs or organizations in the hopes that students who read might just find that inclusivity they have been looking for. Other topics include events that raise awareness to our students on Western’s campus. The particular focus that this article speaks to is the awareness of the great things that clubs and organizations are doing outside of our community. Model United Nations (MUN) is the oldest club on Western’s campus. It is a strong, united club that provides the opportunity for students to learn life skills from public speaking to research and writing abilities. Throughout the year, students are given a country that they must study. They are usually given two to three topics to delve into in order to fully represent the country’s policies and opinions in global concerns. The students of MUN promote the awareness of international issues (such as land mines) through fundraisers for certain events and attend MUN conferences where we participate in debates on global issues. These conferences are places such as Seattle, San Francisco, and British Columbia. This past spring
Ashley Casebeer | Campus Life Editor
break was a chance for selected members to participate in the National Model United Nations Conference. It was a five day conference where students from around the world came to. The four selected students from Western included, Shannon Grosse, Erika Azua, Brianna Cunningham, and Michael Valdez. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for them. Aside from being involved in a National conference, they were able to take this opportunity to travel around New York City and see sites such as Times Square, Empire State building, Ground Zero, Central Park, and experience a different kind of culture like the subways. There were over 2,500 students that attended this conference in search of learning, interacting, sharing, and debating. “I enjoyed meeting people from around the world and being able to network and connect with other people who had similar interests,” said Valdez. Azua also described her experience in the Big Apple, “My experience at the National Model United Nations Conference was unbelievable. I learned so much about the way other states view international problems. I met incredible people from all over the
world and learned about their culture and languages. It is incredible how individuals with different backgrounds and difference personalities can be in a committee and get so much work done, think critical, challenge themselves to look for better solutions, and get along with each other.” Azua continued to say, “Each committee brings so many ideas that it is amazing how we get challenged. I definitely enjoy finding resolutions on topics the actual United Nations are working on resolving or improving. Model United Nations has taught me a lot and has given me experiences that I will take with me forever and friendships that I know will be life lasting.” On the last day of the conference, delegates convened in the actual United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Western delegates described the feeling as inspiring to be able to sit in the exact place the country’s delegates meet to discuss issues from around the world. It’s clubs like these that students are quickly finding out about and wanting to join. This is an ever growing club and is always looking for new members. If you are interested go to a meeting which is held at 12 p.m. on Fridays in Bellamy (HSS) 107.
Day of Silence Echoes Loud and Proud On Friday, April 19, students at Western participated in a national awareness event known as the Day of Silence. First started in 1996, at University of Virginia, Day of Silence is about calling attention to how members of the LGBTQ community suffer in silence because of the bullying or harassment they receive, often without recourse for action. It has since become the “largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression,” (Dayofsilence.org). To students, it can mean many things. Day of Silence was the topic of the day for the “Lunch and Learn” workshop that was hosted by student, Joe Hahn, and sponsored by Western’s Safe Zone. As one of the activities during the workshop, participants were asked what participating in Day of Silence meant to them. Hahn, active member of Western’s Safe Zone and Triangle Alliance, replied, “It represents standing up to bullying and harassment, representing anyone bullied -ever, and visually showing my support.” Kim Lavoie, a student and resident assistant, illustrated her point by saying “Supporting others because I have seen friends suffer from hateful actions and words said and/or done to them.” These declarations were shared after Hahn had led the participants through an exercise where they were formed into smaller groups and given some thought provoking topics to discuss. First, each person was asked to write down what instances of bullying they have endured. Second, they were asked what participating in the event meant for them. Third, they were asked to write down what they would do to end the silence. A Western faculty member who wished to be anonymous stated that they would end the silence by; “Supporting students any way I can – including by being a role model (if possible).” While the faculty member is anonymous, their actions in supporting Western students are loud and clear. As part of the “Lunch and Learn” event, the history of Day of Silence was discussed. The first Day of Silence in 1996 had over 150 students participating. Organizers decided to make Day of Silence a national event in 1997 with almost 100 colleges and
www.wou.edu/student/westernjournal
Jessica Sabrowski | Freelancer
universities that participating. After the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) began sponsoring Day of Silence in 2001, it became a worldwide success. Day of Silence is an event that sparks conversation about equality in the education system. In 2009, there was a National School Climate Survey conducted by GLSEN. The results showed that; “nearly nine out of ten LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and more than thirty percent report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety,” (dayofsilence.org) Until these statistics are no longer present, the work that GLSEN, Triangle Alliance, Gay Straight
Alliance (GSA) and other groups are committed to will not end. Their primary goal is to share the message that it’s not just the work of organizations to end bullying for any reason, but the work of each and every person. We all have the power to end the silence let’s end it once and for all. Followed by the Day of Silence was the Night of Noise. This follow up event has quite the opposite meaning. It signifies the retaliation of being “quiet” by celebrating our hope for an equal and accepting future. This portion of the day took place on-campus and had music, food, games, etc. The day as a whole was used as a piece of hope for every student who has ever felt bullied or rallied against.
Campus Life 3
April 24, 2013
OPINION
The Difference Loving the Between Girl in the Mirror, Yes and No Not the Katie Drew | Freelancer
“Consent is sexy.” This slogan was worn proudly on the t-shirts of individuals from the University of Oregon’s Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team (S.W.A.T.). Abby’s House, the center for women and families here at Western, hosted the eight S.W.A.T. members on Tuesday, April 16, evening to facilitate a workshop on sexual assault. To kick off the evening, the team stood up next to each other in front of the audience, introduced themselves, and explained why they joined S.W.A.T. The reasons varied from being a survivor of sexual assault to not knowing much about it and now taking steps to learning and becoming involved in the advocacy of such a serious and prevalent issue. Throughout the workshop, the team performed skits of scenarios that are all too often real life in our generation. Since these examples were realistic and relatable, before, during, and after each scene, the team was sure to remind the audience that if they needed to get up and take a walk or get a drink of water for their mental and emotional health, they should do so. Before the more serious acts, the concept of consent was illustrated by a slightly silly demonstration. One of the S.W.A.T. educators stood in front of the audience and asked for a volunteer. A Western student went up to the front where the educator was standing. As the student arrived to the front, the S.W.A.T. member threw a small wallet at him. She asked if that was an effective method in getting the student to take the wallet. The audience agreed that it wasn’t, and the educator asked what would be more effective. The students offered up a few suggestions and acted them out. One of the
strategies was to ask the student, “Will you take the wallet?” While that worked and was polite, the educator pointed out saying, “Do you want to take the wallet?” was a clearer way to check if the student really wanted to or not. Once the illustration was over, the S.W.A.T. member looked to the audience and said, “Now, we all know we’re not really talking about a wallet, right?” The definition of “consent” is one aspect of the night that S.W.A.T was sure to focus on. The organization’s official definition is, “a ‘yes’ freely given when the option of a ‘no’ is present and viable.” Another way to say it is that consent is not just the absence of a “no,” but the presence of an enthusiastic “yes!” One of the team members commented that sex is always better when both individuals are excited and wanting to be together than when one of them isn’t really into it. Another topic S.W.A.T. covered was how bystanders can potentially help prevent an assault from occurring. The group defined a bystander as “somebody not in the situation who puts themselves in the situation to attempt to change the outcome.” Different strategies to prevent an assault were discussed and demonstrated. To be clear, this isn’t to say that if someone doesn’t step in and try to divert the assaulter, some of the blame would be placed on them. In any and every assault situation, the only person to be blamed is the assaulter. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, stalking, harassment, or a plethora of other health and safety issues, contact Abby’s House in the Werner University Center or at 503-838-8219. Tori Gannon | Freelancer
Speakers lead the sexual assult workshop.
One in the Media Jodi Andersen Photo Editor
Take a moment and think of all the things that make you, as a woman, or a man feel self-conscious. Did you instantly think of your appearance in terms of height, weight, style, ect. as being the one constant thing that all of your negative feelings derive from? If you did, believe me you’re not alone. We live in a world full of standards that are so far from realistic, that we psych ourselves into thinking that we need to look and be a certain way to satisfy the people whom we should care less about satisfying, simply because we are habituated to think and act certain ways. When it comes to mind and soul in reference to health, I really ought to step my game up. I feel as though by being a woman my mind is constantly consumed with thoughts on how I look, sound, and am overall perceived to society. I am growing up in an era where the norm is a size two stick thin female who is told she looks better with her bones showing than the what used to be “average” sized female with a little bit of meat and curves on her naturally healthy size 10 body. What absolutely kills me is that even though I eat like I should and make sure I exercise, my body is naturally curvier and (as I like to say) womanly. Why this kills me is because even though I have come to terms with how my body is and have become accepting of it, there is still that asshole that has to point out that I am “bigger.” My first thought is, if I am “bigger” then me and my whole gang of gals should get used to being referred to as the bigger girl group, because although we all may be curvier and vary in sizes from 6-12, we will be criticized and ostracized for the rest of our lives, by society and ourselves based solely on the size of our pants. Why will we be criticizing ourselves? Because we have been conditioned to feel like we are gross and disgusting our whole lives. Even with all the self-love and self-assurance there is still that little guy on our shoulder that is reminding us that we could be thinner and more attractive. Sometimes I feel as though people are unaware that they are capable of having a filter and they just choose to be ignorant assholes. Well I have news for all you sad, low-life fellas out there, some women have curves and some don’t. We are all humans and are made differently. Every women is unique in her own way and simply judging her based off of her size is tacky and leaves me dumbfounded. I’m going to take pride in my body and let you all know that I am pushing the boundaries and choosing to accept my curves, because I know that I am healthy with what I have now and am damn proud to be who I am.
www.wou.edu/student/westernjournal
4 Entertainment
April 24, 2013
the
Journal staff
(503) 838-8347 editor-in-chief
ALEXA ARMSTRONG editor
@westernoregonjournal.com
news editor
ANNIE WEST awest
@westernoregonjournal.com
entertainment editor
LAVEN VOTH lvoth
@westernoregonjournal.com
campus life
ASHLEY CASEBEER acasebeer
@westernoregonjournal.com
sports editor
STEPHANIE LANE slane
@westernoregonjournal.com
copy editor
ASHLEY WRIGHT awright
@westernoregonjournal.com
campus life & sports designer
LACEY SPILLMAN lspillman
@westernoregonjournal.com
news & entertainment deisgner
HAUNANI TOMAS htomas
@westernoregonjournal.com
photo editor
JODI ANDERSEN jandersen
@westernoregonjournal.com
student media adviser
SHELBY CASE cases
@westernoregonjournal.com
Amazon Unveils 14 Original Shows Amazon.com, the massive retail mega-site where many college students turn for their textbook, Kindle, DVD and canned unicorn meat needs (look it up), has released 14 original TV show pilots, and wants viewers like you to help determine whether or not they should become full series as part of the site’s instant stream service. Like Hulu and Netflix, Amazon Instant Video has been a major distributor of Video-on-Demand, adding to the constantly growing popularity of streaming material online. Since 2006, Amazon Instant has
Nathaniel Dunaway | Freelancer
made television shows and movies available to subscribers for purchase or rental, but like Netflix, has only recently taken the step of producing completely original content. Netflix’s step was a successful one, with the series “House of Cards,” which premiered its entire first season back in February to great critical appraise. Whether or not the 14 new shows produced by Amazon Studios will fare as well is yet to be seen, but Amazon is counting on viewers to watch, review and vote for them on the site, which anyone with an
Want to work for the Journal? Become a freelancer! CONTACT Jodi Andersen for Photos jandersen@westernoregonjournal.com Annie West for News awest@westernoregonjournal.com Laven Voth for Entertainment lvoth@westernoregonjournal.com Ashley Casebeer for Campus Life acasebeer@westernoregonjournal.com Stephanie Lane for Sports slane@westernoregonjournal.com
www.wou.edu/student/westernjournal
Amazon account with the site can do for free. Once it’s decided which pilots become series and which fall by the wayside, however, viewers may have to join Amazon Prime to continue watching. Amazon Studios director Roy Price described the unique process to TV Guide, saying “They’ll be on the site for at least a month. One month after they’re up we’ll sift through the data. It will be a quite diverse source of feedback … [there is] going to be a lot of data and a fair amount of work.” Six of the pilots are
shows aimed at children and eight of them are comedy programs, with a few of the latter boasting big names. “Alpha House,” for example, a political comedy about four United States senators living together under the same roof, stars John Goodman, and “Arrested Development’s” Jeffrey Tambor (George Bluth Sr.) stars in the pilot for “Onion News Empire,” which satirizes modern political media. Other new shows include “Zombieland: The Series,” inspired by the 2009 film of the same name, “Those Who Can’t”, about three
immature high school teachers and “Dark Minions,” a stop-motion cartoon that would feel right at home on Adult Swim. As online streaming and original, commercialfree content continues to become more and more readily available, television will soon become a thing of the past. Until then, check out the new pilots from Amazon Studios, and tell them what you think. The fact that the site is looking to users and not to executives for feedback is further evidence that we viewers are the ones in control.
One Acts Patrick Willett | Freelancer
The greatness of tomorrow lies with the children of today; it’s a phrase that seems all too true and all too eager to pass the torch on to the youth. That seems to be the stance taken by the One Act Festival that played last weekend at Rice Auditorium, when two of Western’s own students were tasked with directing a one act play each; Trevor Jackson was given the Edward Albee play “The Zoo Story,” while Vicktoria Walker Hough was given Don Nigro’s “Barefoot in Nightgown by Candlelight.” Suffice to say, they gave it the old college try, and for what it’s worth, they managed to put on an entertaining hour of theater. The first play of the night was “Barefoot in Nightgown by Candlelight,” which tells the story of a young orphan girl named Cath, who is living at a boarding school in the country. One night, she is confronted by the two most popular girls there, Alicia and Belle, who wishes to have her play a game with them, called Mistress and Slave. The game, however, turns very dark and twisted, very fast, and one by one, they lose their innocence. While the narrative itself is gripping, the direction very much had a “by the numbers” feel; there was nothing wrong with it, but there weren’t very many risks taken, and the result was that there wasn’t much impact. Part of this may have to do with the fact that this play took place in the black box theater, and thus, the set was incredibly minimalist. Un-
One Acts See Page 8
Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor must be signed with submitter’s name, affiliation (if applicable) and include a physical address, email and phone number. Letters may be edited for grammar, punctuation and spelling, but never for content. Letters to the editor may be up to 250 words. The Journal reserves the right to run letters to the editor that are over 250 words if space allows it. DEADLINE: Letters to the editor must be submitted no later than Monday at 12 p.m. in order to run the paper the following Wednesday. The Western Oregon Journal cannot guarantee the publication of all letters due to space limitations. SUBMIT: Letters to the editor may be submitted to editor@westernoregonjournal.com or in person at the Student Media office located in the WUC during scheduled staff and adviser hours. Students can also comment on any story online by visiting the Journal’s website: www. westernoregonjournal.com. Editorials written by individual Journal staff members do not necessarily reflect the opinion and/or values of the staff. The Western Oregon Journal, published for use by Western students, faculty and staff, is private property. A single copy of each week’s Journal is free from campus newsstands. Unauthorized removal of multiple copies will be considered theft and is prosecutable.
Entertainment 5
April 24, 2013 Photo Courtesy | Amblin Entertainment
Opinion
Own Your Emotions and Your Choices Alexa Armstrong Editor-In-Chief
3D Spares No Expense Nathaniel Dunaway | Freelancer
Twenty years ago, Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” was released in theaters, becoming an instant classic and the highest grossing film of all time with $914.7 million at the worldwide box office. It was the third time that a Spielberg film had become the highest grossing ever, and it would stay that way until the release of “Titanic.” Based on the critically-acclaimed novel of the same name by the late and great Michael Crichton, “Jurassic Park” is a scifi, thriller and adventure all rolled into one (its PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America is attributed to its “intense science fiction terror,” which is just about the coolest combination of words there is). It boasts a brilliant cast of humans and dinosaurs alike, and tells an incredible story that the tagline accurately claims as “an adventure 65 million years in the making.” For these reasons and more, re-releasing “Jurassic Park” with a 3D conversion to commemorate the film’s 20th anniversary was a no-brainer, and a slam-dunk for Universal Studios and fans everywhere. This film’s plot is so well known, it’s almost ridiculous to go over it. But in case your memory is rusty, “Jurassic Park” tells the story of eccentric millionaire John Hammond, who creates a wildlife amusement park in which the main attractions are living, cloned dinosaurs. In order to put the park’s investors at ease, Hammond oversees a preview tour of the park for an endorsement team
made up of paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, paleobotonist Ellie Sattlerer, lawyer Donald Gennaro and consultant “chaotician” Ian Malcolm. Also joining them is Hammond’s grandchildren, Tim and Lex (the latter of whom played by actress Ariana Richards, who lives in Oregon and attended Western Oregon University in 2004). When all power in the park goes out, the dinosaurs escape from their paddocks and all hell breaks loose. Grant must return himself and the children to safety, in a world in which dinosaur and man have been violently thrown into the mix together. “Jurassic Park’s” special effects are still dazzling 20 years later, with the transitions from live-action puppets and props to revolutionary CGI to depict the dinosaurs being almost seamless. The creatures have incredible life and in no way do the film’s visuals feel dated. In many ways, it’s the perfect movie for a 3D conversion. A sense of almost claustrophobic depth is added to the dense jungles of Isla Nublar, and lush imagery fills every inch of the screen. The sheer level of detail that comes from the high definition is beautiful, and never does the 3D feel gimmicky or overdone. Not only does the style work, it really, really works. It’s almost as if Spielberg intended for it to be seen this way. Other reviews of the re-release have said it, and I’m once again inclined to agree: “Jurassic Park 3D” is an
“Do you think I should wear this? Does it make me look fat?” “Should I go out on a date with him?” “He’s cute, right?” “I really love him, do you think we’re good together?” These are questions that every girl asks of their support group; whether that be their mother, their best friends, or their co-workers, they will undoubtedly be bombarded with these questions. These are questions I’ve asked my girl friends countless times. I am 22, and these are questions I am tired of asking. Most girls seek the approval of their fathers, at least stereotypically. But I am a victim of a different kind of stereotype: divorce. So, yes, of course I don’t want to disappoint my father, but he is at the bottom of the list when it comes to approval of my life choices. The people at the top of my list are my friends; without their blessing, sometimes a decision just feels wrong. But as I enter the adult world, leave the comfort of Monmouth, and begin my long list of goodbyes to my four-year-family, I am starting to see that I can’t please everyone, and the only person I really need to please is myself. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. I’ve never once thought about pleasing myself, doing something just for me because I want to do it, until now. I realize that it’s time to grow up and stop caring about what other people think. I need to stop gauging my happiness on the reaction; of my friends or my family, or anyone for that matter. It’s my time now, and I can’t live my life for anyone else but myself. I am a fast person. I make fast decisions, whether it be picking out clothes, groceries or boyfriends. I am also fast to run. I am fast to change my mind. Sometimes my mood swings and life choices give my friends and family whiplash and leave them confused and wondering what my next move will be. In my head, every decision I make is linked; it all makes perfect sense, but I need to realize from the outside there’s a disconnect. However, regardless of the amount of sense I make, my friends are going to support me no matter what. Because they love me, and they also love whatever, or whoever makes me happy. And all I can do is try to connect the dots for them, and try to help them understand where I am coming from. I need to let their reactions and thoughts be theirs, and accept them. At the end of the day, the only emotions I am in control of are my own, so I need to learn to just let the rest go, and let people react how they are going to react, because it doesn’t matter how others react to my life choices, because they are just that: mine.
Jurassic See Page 8
www.wou.edu/student/westernjournal
6
Sports Brian Mahuna Sports Columnist
For even the most casual NBA fans, this time of year brings excitement throughout the world. Playoff basketball, like football, is an entirely different game than in the regular season. The games are tighter, more personal, and they are 48 minutes of war until the bitter end. Once the regular season ends and 14 teams are making plans for their offseason, the leagues best are rehabbing their tired bodies, and preparing to go to war for that championship trophy. Here is a run down of the match ups, and my predictions for the first round series. W e s t e r n Conference: 1: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8:
April 24, 2013
Playoff Time
Houston Rockets - The reunion of the Beard and the Durantula looks to be a shootout that will eventually end in an easy series victory for the Thunder. James Harden of Houston showed that he can be the star of a team after spending the beginning of his career as a bench scorer for the Thunder. Once this Houston team grows together a little more, shores up consistency problems, it might be a factor in the west, but as of right now, they are just too young. My Prediction: Thunder in five games. 2: San Antonio Spurs vs. 7: Los Angeles Lakers - Easily the most talked about match up includes a Lakers team that squeaked into the playoffs after a dismal season in comparison to what the Lakers fan base is used to. The Spurs were once again atop the Western
Conference and look to dismantle a Laker team that is missing it’s All World star Kobe Bryant. The Lakers to match up better with the spurs than perhaps anybody else in the playoffs so this series could be interesting... But probably not. My Prediction: Spurs in five games 3: Denver Nuggets vs. 6: Golden State Warriors – Two teams that are almost identical in every facet except for how they go about their business, the Nuggets and Warriors both can light up the scoreboard and push the tempo to the max. But where the Nuggets dominate in the paint, scoring a league best 106.1 points per game, the majority of which is right near the hoop, the warriors score from beyond the three-point line, with some of the best three point scorers in the
league in Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. My Prediction: Nuggets in six games. 4: Los Angeles Clippers vs. 5: Memphis Grizzlies – There is not a match up in the West where the teams playing are more opposite of one another. The Clippers are the most high flying team in the league, “Lob City” dunking over everyone, running the break and filling the gym with excitement. The Grizzlies are the opposite, hard nosed, defensive minded, and tough. But the Clippers have probably the best point guard in the game running their show. My Prediction: Clippers in seven games E a s t e r n Conference: 1: Miami Heat vs 8: Milwaukee Bucks – The Miami heat finished the season 372. The Bucks on the other hand, struggled
Track Kicks Off Their Season Jordan Salazar | Freelaner
Friday, April 12, the Western Wolves hosted their first meet of the 2013 outdoor season. With the right mentality the Wolves were able to give an amazing show at the John Knight Twilight meet. Many athletes displayed their skills as the meet continued throughout the night. “The John Knight meet is always exciting” said junior Brett Campbell, “it gives our team a mid-season taste of what the Greater Northwest Conference (GNAC) meet is like. Brett was able to take first place in the 110-meter hurdle with a time of 15.57. The Western athletes were truly taking advantage of competing in front of friends and fellow students at the John Knight meet. Western had over 20 athletes place in separate events, and one athlete being able to place in multiple events. Freshman Jeff Howard placed second in the 100-meter with a time of 11.53 and took first in the 200-meter with a time of 22.17. Competing on the same track they use daily allows the athletes to build a competitive mentality that will push them to a higher level in the following
practices. Westerns javelin throwers have been outstanding this season. Junior javelin thrower Seabre Church ended the night with a throw of 151-05.25 to win the event. The toss is a new personal record for Seabre placing her fourth in the NCAA performance list this season. Senior Amanda Schumaker finished second right behind Church with a toss of 150-07.75. On the men’s side Justin Larson led Western with a javelin toss of 200-09 placing him in third. Both throwers have two of the top five marks in the nation. The middle distance runners of Western Oregon keep providing top performances as they showed their speed in the 800-meters. Senior Chris Olsen finished in second-place with a time of 1:51.97 while junior Ryan Hansen finished in thirdplace with a time of 1:53.33. With a time of 1:50.75 former Oregon standout and two-time Olympian Andrew Wheating won the event. With great performances turned in by the current athletes of Western, the talents of some Western alumni were showcased at the John Knight
www.wou.edu/student/westernjournal
Twilight meet. Every year the participation of alumni increase at the meet. Former Western huddler Janna Wander Meulen won the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 1.58 while former Western runner Landon Burningham took first place in the 400-meters in a time of 49.27. With GNAC conferences just around the corner many athletes are past the John Knight Twilight meet and focusing towards a brighter future. “Focus and consistency are vital for the next few weeks before the conference meet” stated Campbell. This last weekend the team split as some athletes visited Eugene, Oregon while others went for a longer trip driving to Walnut, California. With mid-season past the future holds many opportunities for several Western athletes. The next meet will be the Oregon State Invite in Corvallis, Oregon. Campbell stated, “As we train from now on our team understands that if we want to bring GNAC championship back to Monmouth we all need to surpass our own expectations and gather every possible point.”
to win 38 games in the entire season. Enough said. My Prediction: Heat sweep in four. 2: New York Knicks vs 7: Boston Celtics – A great match up of rival Eastern Conference powers, the Knicks are up and coming, taking the league by storm this year winning over 50 games for the first time since 2001, and ranking 2nd, while the Celtics have started to slide a little since their reign at the top in 2008-2010. With age not on the Celtics side plus the absence of all star guard Rajon Rondo, Carmelo is just too much for the Celtics. My Prediction: Knicks in six games. 3: Indiana Pacers vs. 6: Atlanta Hawks – Almost every team going into the playoffs wished that they were playing against the Hawks. They have been struggling as
of late, not playing good basketball, and ended their season getting blown out by a Raptors squad that wasn’t punching any playoff tickets. The Pacers are one of the strongest defensive teams playing against a team that is struggling to score. My Prediction: Pacers in five games. 4: Brooklyn Nets vs 5: Chicago Bulls – Two teams that surprised us in different ways this year. The Nets were the good surprise, finishing 4th in the East, turning their franchise around in their first year in Brooklyn. The Bulls underachieved without their MVP point guard Derrick Rose, and look to continue that trend in the playoffs. My Prediction: Nets in six games
Athletics Schedule (through May 25, 2013) BASEBALL Saturday, April 27 HOME against St. Martin’s (DH) @ 1 p.m. Sunday, April 28 HOME against St. Martin’s @ 1 p.m. Friday, May 3 AWAY against Central Washington (DH) @ 1 p.m. Saturday, May 4 AWAY against Central Washington @ 12 p.m. SOFTBALL Friday, April 26 HOME against Northwest Nazarene @ 1 p.m. Saturday, April 27 HOME against Central Washington @ 12 p.m. TRACK Friday, April 26 Oregon State Invite in Corvallis, Ore. Monday and Tuesday, April 29 and 30 GNAC Multi Championship at Western Oregon Friday, May 3 Oregon Twilight in Eugene, Ore. Saturday, May 4 Oxy Invite in Los Angeles, Calif. Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11 GNAC Outdoor Championships at Western Oregon Thursday-Saturday, May 23-25 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Pueblo, Colo.
Sports
April 24, 2013
Baseball on Pace for Another League Title
Stereotyping in the Media
Iain Dexter | Freelaner Rikki Earle | Freelancer
Western’s baseball team may have started the season out slowly, but with the number of recent home games for the squad, they have climbed themselves back up to a 25-17 record with an outstanding 18-6 record in conference. “We have a lot of new faces this year,” said Head Coach Kellen Walker. “A lot of talented players, but we lacked some experience at some spots. They are settling into their roles and starting to get a better feel of the level of competition that we face every weekend. We have started to become more comfortable in our roles which has led to a heightened confidence.” With only two more weekends of games left in the season, the team only has a short time to perfect their game before the playoffs roll around. Western will be home this weekend to take on Saint Martin’s before traveling up to face Central Washington in the final series of the season on May 3 and 4. On April 12 and 13, the Wolves arguably had their best series of the season as they swept Northwest Nazarene in four straight games. The pitching was fantastic as they gave up a combined five runs in the entire series. Not only was the pitching strong, but the hitting came through as well with 24 runs scored in the four games. “We competed well last weekend,” said Walker. “It wasn’t always extremely clean, but we competed well. Finding a way to get 4 wins in a
OPINION
Senior Scott David catches during a double header on April 12.
weekend is always a good effort by your club.” Senior catcher Scott David also added, “When the pitchers are on target and dealing, it makes my job a little easier and much more enjoyable. I congratulated all my pitchers on how dominant they were on hitting spots and getting ahead because getting ahead early in counts are very vital to winning at bats which leads to winning games.” Most recently the Wolves took on Lewis and Clark State in a nonconference, four game series. The first two games started out rough for Western as they dropped both games 6-9 and 12-
13 in two high scoring contests. In the first game, the Wolves were led offensively by shortstop Blake Miller who finished the game 3-for-3 with one run scored and three runs batted in. In the second game of the series, Western came up just short as they fell in a high scoring, onerun game. The offense was once again led by Miller who finished 4-for6 with four runs scored and two runs batted in. Though the pitching was roughed up a bit in the first two games of the series, they were able to come through with two strong games to finish the weekend up. Zach Nuno
was the starting pitcher for the first win as he was able to both start and finish the matchup in the complete game effort. Nuno gave up two runs on eight hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts. In the final game on Sunday, starting pitcher A.J. Burke and a strong bullpen led the Wolves to their second straight victory and a series split against Lewis and Clark State. Burke pitched six innings of one-run baseball, giving up only five hits, two walks, while recording six strikeouts. The bullpen finished the rest of the game as the Wolves came out on top 2-1.
Want to be a MEDIA HEAD next year? Applications: WUC Info Desk OR Student Media Office REQUIRED:
-Application -Cover Letter -2 References
DEADLINE: April 25 by 5 p.m. QUESTIONS? Contact Shelby Case cases@wou.edu
7
Annie West News Editor
Part of my job includes research, and a lot of the time that means reading what other news and media outlets have to say on current events. Up until today, I never realized how often what the media has to say annoys the heck out of me. Actually, it’s not even what they have to say, but how they say it. For example, I’ve spent a lot of time following the situation surrounding the Boston Marathon bombings this week, and other than “the suspects” or identifying said suspects by their names, media reports have labeled them one of two things. Either they’re Islamic extremists or they’re Jihadists. Now, the first label sort of makes sense. It’s the equivalent of calling someone a member of the Westboro Baptist Church here. It’s essentially saying that these people are of a denomination of a religion that takes the beliefs they hold to such an extreme that it often hurts others, whether physically or emotionally. The term ‘Jihadist’ as a way to describe the suspects, however, is toeing the line of offense while simultaneously misleading the public to believe that a Jihad is a horrible thing. Here’s the reality. The word ‘jihad’ in Arabic means “struggle.” It is, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “A personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline,” or “A crusade for a principle or belief.” It is not always and forever a bloody crusade to kill as many people as possible in the name of a deity or belief, but it can be, and for extremists, it is. This, unfortunately, is also how the majority of the American population views Muslims. What they don’t realize, and what Twitter user Yasira Jaan summarizes best, is that, “Muslims view “Islamic” terrorists the same way most Christians view the Westboro Baptist Church…” Muslims are not all the same, and they do not all fall under the same category or hold the same beliefs. A jihad for one may simply be a spiritual struggle fought at home, or it may be as we often are told, something catastrophic that ends or damages the lives of many. It is not only the latter, and in fact, that is representative of only a small corner of the faith. I know, mind blowing, right? The sad part is Muslims are not the only one’s to suffer at the hands of media misrepresentations. We see it daily. We as a population see it every time someone is mislabeled based on how they look. We see it in the jargon the media uses to describe certain cultures, people, religions, or parties. We get so hooked up on finding an easy way to label people or things as a way to desensitize ourselves, and make no mistake, that is what it is for, that we miss the bigger picture and our world view gets a little more narrow. Now, here’s the thing. I know that it is nearly impossible to avoid every single cultural faux pas out there. We all make mistakes, stumble, and try our best to correct ourselves so as not to continue to make the mistakes. Lately, however, it seems that we forget that last part, and instead, continue to reiterate and reinforce the fallacies without thinking about how it can and often does affect those around us. For the last 10 years we’ve heard over and over about “those jihadists” without anyone really stopping to think how that paints the bigger picture. Over and over, we’ve heard about “those right wing nutcases” or “those Christians/Catholics/ Mormons/etc..” We over generalize constantly in our media, and by doing so create stereotypes that paint people into boxes most of them don’t actually fit in. It’s not right, and at the end of the day, it’s doing far more harm, far more damage to the communities abroad, then good. In the end, I’d like to reiterate that you should always be mindful of how you label others.
www.wou.edu/student/westernjournal
8 News & Entertainment History Department Receives Heritage Center Service Award Courtesy | Western Oregon University Public Relations Western Oregon University’s History Department has ticularly by these undergraduate students, demonstrates a been selected for the 2013 Heritage Center Service Award core value of our programs in the Department of History from the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem, Ore. This at this university, where we are committed to academic excellence in service to the award is in recognition of communities of which we the department’s meritoriare also a part,” said Dr. ous efforts in support of Max Geier, professor of the Willamette Heritage history and chair of the Center’s mission and viHistory Department. sion. The award will be presented during the 21st About the Willaannual Heritage Awards mette Heritage Center dinner on April 19. SpeThe Willamette cifically, the award recogHeritage Center, which nizes the Western History was formerly the Marion Department for the conCounty Historical Society tribution of graduate and and the Mission Mill Muundergraduate student seum (before those two, roles in service to public separate organizations history initiatives at the merged to form the WHC Willamette Heritage Cena few years ago), has been ter. a long-term partner in of“The 15 students fering internship, emspecifically recognized in ployment, research, and this award represent conother professional opportinuing collaborative eftunities for undergraduforts since the recent forate and graduate students mation of the Willamette enrolled in History proHeritage Center (WHC). grams at Western Oregon We are particularly grateUniversity for most of the ful for more than two depast two decades. This cades of mutual support formal recognition by the and mentoring involving Board of Directors for the our students with heritage WHC is a credit to the reprofessionals at the WHC - Dr. Max Geier cent and current students and its predecessor instiCHAIR OF WESTERN’S HISTORY DEPARTMENT listed above, and to their tutions, the Marion CounHISTORY PROFESSOR predecessors, who were ty Historical Society and the Mission Mill Museum. Our students and our programs strong ambassadors for our university in collaboration with have been greatly enriched by this ongoing collaboration, this nearby partner in the mid-valley heritage community. and this recognition of the service of this department, par-
“Our students and our programs have been greatly enriched by this ongoing collaboration, and this recognition of the service of this department, particularly by these undergraduate students, demonstrates a core value of our programs in the Department of History at this university, where we are committed to academic excellence in service to the communities of which we are also a part.”
One Acts from Page 4 fortunately, this meant that many things, most especially the various scene changes, had to be pantomimed. Maybe if they were given a larger stage to work with, putting up a set that could incorporate all of the various scene changes, it would have had more resonance. But seeing how expensive something like that would be, and working under the constraints of a non-existent budget, it manages to do just fine for what it is. The acting by the three ladies (Rosie Peterson, Natalie Piper and Kolleen Chapa) was passable, though occasionally stiff. In the end, “Barefoot in Nightgown by Candlelight” managed to meet expectations, but did little to exceed them. The second play, “The Zoo Story,” tells a tale of a man named Peter who enjoys reading at a bench, but is interrupted by a stranger called Jerry who repeatedly pesters him, most notably going off on long, tangent filled stories,
all meant to culminate in one about what he did at the zoo that day. It’s a very rambling play that offers insight into the nature of human relations though it prefers to talk about Jerry’s incredibly odd life, such as a lusty landlady and a permanently angry dog while Peter just sits there and listens. Still, the direction of this one-act was solid, with good acting and a perfect use of its minimalist space and set. JR Jackson’s performance as Jerry was especially gripping, nailing the motor mouth delivery that the role demands. Richard Borland didn’t have much to do as Peter, but what he got was certainly serviceable. Still, for what it’s worth, “The Zoo Story” was well done and enjoyable. These student directors have shown that they do have quite a bit of talent, though there is so much more potential that they simply haven’t tapped yet; let’s hope that they get to do bigger and better things in the future.
Jurassic from Page 5 improvement on perfection. That being said, there are a handful of reasons to see the film that have little to nothing to do with the fact that it’s in 3D. The score, for one thing; hearing John William’s wonderfully memorable main theme booming in theatrical surround-sound as the helicopter makes its way to the island for the first time gave me chills. Secondly, the dinosaurs. Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, Velociraptors and of course the infamously cool Tyrannosaurus Rex fill the
www.wou.edu/student/westernjournal
30-foot-tall screen from top to bottom, with their bellows, growls and roars pinning viewers to their seats. Finally, and probably the best reason of all, it’s “Jurassic Park.” It’s one of the most beloved films of all time, and one of a handful of truly rewatchable movies. It’s movie magic, and seeing it on the big screen will make you feel like a kid again, simple as that. Also, Jeff Goldblum. Because who doesn’t love Jeff Goldblum? I mean, come on.
April 24, 2013
An Update On North Korea Annie West | News Editor
Last Monday (April 15) marked a holiday in North Korea, celebrating the 101st anniversary of the birth of its first leader, while also marking a day of quiet when it came to threats of Nuclear war from the North. However, after hearing of burnt effigies of the North Korean leaders, threats began once more on Tuesday. “Our retaliatory action will start without any notice from now,” KCNA, the North’s news agency reported. Threats aside, the North has said they would not sit down with South Korea, the United States, and China if humiliation and degradation, like those acts seen in the South on Monday, come to an end. “If the puppet authorities truly want dialogue and negotiations, they should apologize for all anti-DPRK hostile acts, big and small, and show the compatriots their will to stop all these acts,” KCNA said. Regardless of the rhetoric, many analysts and officials believe that North Korea is more open to talks than it seems. The threats and refusal to talk, then, are nothing more than a show of strength according to a number of sources including NBC news. “The aim of the North’s aggression, analysts say, is to bolster the leadership of Kim Jong Un, the 30-year-old grandson of Kim Il-Sung, or to force the United States, which has 28,000 troops in South Korea, to open talks,” the NBC news report by Robert Birsel and Jack Kim explained. However, as China, the United States and North Korea head into a week of what could be, given a decent amount of flexibility on all sides, critical talks that could lead to the end of the current tensions, it is unclear as to what may actually come from the longstalled discussions between the three. A CNN report covering the issues with North Korea has explained that, heading into the talks, North Korea has already stated that its nuclear and ballistic missile programs are non-negotiable, while the United States and its ally South Korea demand that a way to end such programs need be on the table. Meanwhile, “South Koreans are increasingly saying they may need a nuclear deterrent to counter Pyongyang’s threats. China, of course, detests the possibility the U.S. would reintroduce strategic nuclear weapons there. (They were removed in 1991.) Everyone is heaping pressure on China to rein in the North Koreans,” the report explained. As it stands now, everyone involved is looking to China to pressure North Korea, while China looks to the aid of talks between the parties to settle the tension, knowing, as the CNN report explains, that should the North Korean Regime fall, all those effected would flood China’s borders. “China has shown disdain for Kim’s recent outbursts. But Beijing’s No. 1 priority is keeping his regime from collapse and millions of hungry North Koreans on his side of the border. China is arguably sympathetic to young Kim’s predicament,” the report said. For now, many watch with anticipation, uncertain as to what the oncoming diplomacy will provide, and hoping that the tensions between the powers will come to a quiet.
Find the Journal at the following locations every Wednesday:
Ackerman, HSS, Education Building, WUC, Health & Counseling, Landers, Heritage, Barnum, Gentle, Butler, Valsetz, APSC, Admin. Building, Library, New PE