Volume 16 Issue 5

Volume 16 Issue 5 | Wes tern Oregon University | Friday, Oc t . 3 0, 2015

Celebrating

Dia de los Muertos Megan Clark | Campus LifeEditor

ENTERTAINMENT Generating buzz Anticipation for 7th installment of the Star Wars franchise builds Page 9

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday during which families honor their deceased love ones and help guide them back to the mortal world from the afterlife.

Western celebrated its own Dia de los Muertos on Oct. 28.

The presentation, held in the WUC, began with live music and offerings of hot cocoa. Dr. Jaime Marroquin Arredondo presented a short slideshow, which highlighted the history of Dia de los Muertos and its connection to Halloween.

The tradition of Dia de los Muertos began prior to the Spanish invasion. It’s now celebrated as a combination of All Saints’ Day, a Spanish holiday where the dead are remembered, and the traditions and religion of the native inhabitants of Mexico.

In modern day Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated by making altars for the dead and building arches covered in flowers to help guide their way through the living world.

Death is presented as a woman, the most notable representation being La Catrina, a skeleton wearing a

Continued on Page 6 Photo by BRIANNA BONHAM

EDITORIAL Straight from the source A plea for rational fact-checking Page 11

Bill discourages tuition rises, gives federal funding Oregon Senators aspire to lower cost of college Conner Williams | Editor in Chief

SPORTS Dramatic four set win for Volleyball The win is the third consecutive win for the Wolves Page 4

NEWS Western celebrates Food Day The annual event was themed “Toward a Greener Diet” Page 2

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced a bill on Wed., Oct. 2, 2015 that aims to reduce the cost of college for students across the nation.

According to a press release from the office of Sen. Wyden, the Promoting Access and Retention Through New Efforts to Require Shared Higher Investments in Postsecondary Success (PARTNERSHIPS) Act “encourages states to hold down college tuition costs by creating a program that provides federal matching funds for states that agree to end tuition growth at their public colleges and universities.”

For universities that choose to eliminate tuition growth, the bill provides matching federal funds “based on how much funding a state provides for public higher education operating support on a per student basis, compared and indexed to the maximum Pell Grant award,” the press release stated.

The bill asserts that states that generally spend more per student already can receive federal matching rates upwards

Reclaim

the streets

Take Back the Night event helps survivors reclaim confidence

By Alvin Wilson | Staff Writer Tuesday, Oct. 27, Abby’s House presented this year’s Take Back the Night event.

The event is held every October in honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is a one-and-a-half hour event that takes place during the evening hours in order to raise awareness about domestic violence.

“Our student advocates have been working very hard to raise awareness about domestic violence, especially in the last few days,” said Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, Abby’s House director, during an opening statement. “We’re trying to address ways to support survivors of violence in general.”

Take Back the Night events started in 1975 to help empower women who had historically been told to stay indoors

during outbreaks of violence.

After Stritto’s opening statement, Abby’s House student coordinators gave some history behind Take Back the Night.

“Take Back the Night has its origins in the fears and anxiety that women have historically faced while walking home alone at night,” Hannah Towle, Abby’s House Sexual Violence Resource Coordinator, said.

A b b y ’s House external program development coordinator, Jessica Fontaine, said, “Over the last 30 years, Take Back the Night has focused on eliminating all forms of violence. Thousands of colleges and universities, women’s centers and rape crisis centers have sponsored events across our country — and the world.”

If I’ve learned anything it’s that the product of violence is fear, and the product of fear has been silence.

Continued on Page 2 WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Continued on Page 3

2

The Journal Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

THE JOURNAL 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361 Student Media Department TERRY HOUSE NEWSROOM 503-838-8347

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CONNER WILLIAMS journaleditor@wou.edu

MANAGING EDITOR KATRINA PENAFLOR

journalmanaging@wou.edu

NEWS EDITOR JENNA BERESHEIM journalnews@wou.edu

CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR MEGAN CLARK

journalcampuslife@wou.edu

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR DECLAN HERTEL journalentertainment@wou.edu

SPORTS EDITOR JAMAL SMITH

journalsportst@wou.edu

PHOTO EDITOR STEPHANIE BLAIR

journalphoto@wou.edu

DESIGNERS CARLY FISTER BENJAMIN BERGERSON journaldesigner@wou.edu

COPY EDITOR JACK ARMSTRONG journalcopy@wou.edu

ADVERTISING MANAGER TBA journaladvertising@wou.edu

WEB MANAGER MARY GEANELLI BERNARDO journalweb@wou.edu

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER SAMANTHA DUNAWAY STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER RHYS FINCH 503-838-9697

SUBMISSIONS THE JOURNAL encourages readers to share their opinion through letters to the editor and guest columns. Submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name. Contact information will not be published unless requested. Unsigned submissions will not be printed and original copies will not be returned.

Letters to the editor may be up to 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 500 words.

THE JOURNAL does not guarantee the publication of all letters or columns. THE JOURNAL reserves the right to edit for punctuation, grammar, and spelling, but never for content.

Please bring submissions to THE JOURNAL at Terry House or email to journaleditor@wou.edu.

Submissions must be received by Wednesday at 5 p.m. to be considered for print.

All opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do necessarily reflect those of THE JOURNAL or Western Oregon University.

F o o d

D a y

NEWS

2 0 1 5

Green choices and policies come into focus annually on Oct. 24

By Jenna Beresheim | News Editor The nationally celebrated Food Day came to Western for a two day event this year.

Typically, Food Day is held on Oct. 24, but with the event falling on a Saturday this year, campus decided to push the event forward to the 22nd and 23rd.

The event supports making informed food choices, sponsoring local farms, decreasing carbon footprints, recycling, changing food policies, and much more. The national theme this year was entitled “Toward a Greener Diet.”

The Oct. 22 activities included a free movie viewing of “Living on One Dollar” and a Green Passport event in Valsetz with activities and prizes including pumpkins.

The focus for the day was on sustainability and greener choices, such as making jack-olanterns from empty milk jugs and battery operated tea lights.

Friday, Oct. 23 was food focused and packed with samples. A “clean” eating meal was featured at Valsetz, vendors from near and far filled the WUC, and outside the building WOU food pantry traded pumpkins for non-perishable food items.

“Some people donate one food item, and others will donate two, or five,” explained Christie Colasurdo, a fourth year community health major and director for the WOU food pantry.

“Even if you just get 10 cans, that’s still something, and you know that someone who needs a meal is going to be able to get it,” said Colasurdo.

All pumpkins were donated from Charlie’s Produce in a large flat, and were traded for both cash donations as well as food.

Within the WUC, Samuel Benjamin, a representative for Portland Roasting Coffee, poured samples for interested participants.

Scattered along the table were several types of coffee, as well as some flavorings to customize drinks as necessary.

PARTNERSHIPS Bill: From Front Page of about $1700 per student.

Colleges and universities usually increase tuition due to rising funding cuts for higher education at the state level.

According to the press release, this means that states “currently spend about 20 percent less per student on higher education nationally than they did in 2008.

“College students in Oregon and across the country feel like they’re getting hit by a wrecking ball when it comes to the cost of tuition,” Sen. Wyden said.

“It’s time for our federal and state govern-

A sampling of 180 degree snacks at Food Day 2015

“I love when people are enthusiastic and open to learning more about coffee,” said Benjamin, “there is always more to learn and I love being able to provide that.”

“Both the Morning Blend and Italian Blend are available in Allegro,” reported Benjamin’s coworker, Nikolai Cherny.

Another vendor present was the WOU Campus Garden, a volunteer-run garden overseen by their advisor Dr. Emily Plec, a professor in communication studies.

“You can have an individual plot or garden collectively with other students,” stated Plec.

“Volunteers get first crack at the harvest, and anything else goes to the food pantry here on campus,” Plec continued.

Herbs from the garden are also donated to campus dining to use in their dishes.

Students interested are encouraged to find ments to partner [together] to bring down tuition costs and reinvest in higher education here in America,” Sen. Merkley reiterated.

Wyden and Merkley met with students from the University of Oregon, Southern Oregon University, and Lane Community College to discuss the rising costs of tuition and to converse about methods of decreasing the cost of college.

In addition to providing matching federal funds for states that eliminate tuition increases, the PARTNERSHIPS Act “would expand and make perma-

Photo by JENNA BERESHEIM

the campus garden on Facebook at “Campus Garden WOU.” Over 14 separate vendors participated in this event, from large companies such as Odwalla to smaller homegrown entities like Jamie’s Jellies.

WOU Food Day started four years ago and has gained popularity since, emsuring that there will be more events in the years to come.

“Eating real [food] can save your own health and put our food system on a more humane, sustainable path,” reports the Food Day website.

For more information regarding the national event, please see www.foodday.org.

nent the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which is available to families to help pay for college,” the press release said.

The bill would increase the tax refund for lower-income families that do not owe any taxes, and would make all Pell grants awarded taxfree.

There will be a follow-up story in next week’s issue with additional information from the western administrators.

College students in Oregon and across the country feel like they’re getting hit by a wrecking ball when it comes to the cost of tuition.

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

The Journal Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

NEWS

Photo by BRIANNA BONHAM

Take Back The Night: From Front Page

After the opening statements, there was a moment of reflection. The room went silent as a gong was sounded every nine seconds to symbolize how often a woman is beaten in the United States.

During the reflection period, attendees could read encouraging words that were written on paper hearts across the room.

The hashtag #selfiesforsurvivors was printed below a personal message on each heart.

After the moment of reflection, the keynote speaker, Jackie Sandmeyer, was introduced.

Sandmeyer is a training specialist for the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force.

3 apps that help victims of domestic violence

“I want you all to keep something in mind,” Sandmeyer said.

“Tonight we’re not just here to take back historically unsafe spaces, such as the night. I want you all to know that we’re also here to empower those around us who have experienced violence.”

Sandmeyer’s speech focused on educating the audience about domestic violence stereotypes, and empowering the audience to make a difference.

“You don’t have to experience violence to get loud,” she said.

“Tonight is about breaking the silence that a lot of survivors in our own community bear the weight of every single day.”

During her speech, Sandmeyer provided statistics about domestic violence.

One in five women are victims of domestic violence, she said, and men aren’t far behind with one in seven being the victim of domestic violence.

Disabled, gender non-conforming, and minority peoples have an even higher risk of experiencing domestic violence.

These statistics, Sandmeyer said, are the reason to continue having events like Take Back the Night.

“It’s about making that which we overlook every single day, and which we stay silent about constantly, echo through our streets,” she said. “That’s why we do chants during our march.

The idea is that we want to pass strangers and friends alike and know that we’re safe. Just for this one night.”

Sandmeyer has traveled across the country trying to find ways to stop violence in all forms.

“If I’ve learned anything,” she said, “it’s that the product of violence is fear, and the product of fear has been silence. When we come together to stand with those who wish to speak, and when we protect the silence to be broken by those who own it, fear becomes a lot less relevant.”

After the speech, attendees marched down the campus streets holding candles and signs with such phrases as: “our life, our night, our right,” “my dress does not mean yes,” and, “consent is sexy!”

Sandmeyer left the attendees with some closing words.

“Tonight, I’ll say that we’re all more than the statistics people apply to us. We’re a lot more than the one in five. And tonight, I want to challenge us all to remember that, for this one night, we’re more than victims as well. Because tonight, each and every one of us are survivors.”

entered, the app automatically notifies authorities of your location.

Although it is beautifully simple and easy to use, there is a con. SafeTrek is free to download, but it has a modest $2.99 per month fee in order to keep their call centers operating. New users can try SafeTrek out for free with its sevAlvin Wilson | Freelancer en day free trial.

Aspire: October is National Domestic Violence Aspire is another great app with a Awareness and Crime Prevention Awareclever design.

It allows victims of domesness Month. In the spirit of awareness, tic violence to get information and help we are reviewing three apps that can aid without worrying about their abusers victims of domestic violence and possibly finding out. prevent incidents from happening in the It does this by disguising itself as a first place. news app. After setting up an account SafeTrek: and opening the app, the user has an opSafeTrek is an ingenious smartphone tion to pick from three main categories: app that, as its name implies, helps the Top News, World News and Entertainuser feel safe. It was designed to be used ment News. while the user travels from an area where The user, of course, isn’t looking for the feel unsafe to a safer one, but it also news.

Under the “help” section, the user works well to help victims of domestic can either get help in a domestic violence abuse. situation, or get information regarding It couldn’t be any easier to use: simply domestic violence. open the app, and then hold down a butWhile setting up an account, the user ton until you no longer feel unsafe. When adds emergency contacts to the app. If the button is released, the app will ask they decide they need help, they can eifor a four number PIN. If the PIN isn’t ther find the “Get Help” button, or tap

three times on the top border of the app.

This notifies their emergency contacts that they need help via text-message.

Aspire is free, but its creators warn that it is not a replacement for contacting the authorities. It is simply meant to be discreet.

ICE BlackBox: ICE Blackbox is the last app we reviewed. It’s another cleverly designed app, and it is similar to the previous two with regards to the private/hidden nature of the interface.

When the app is first opened, users set up an account and add emergency contacts. Instead of sending a text, however, it allows users to record a video of their abusers. Trusted contacts can access the video, and it is automatically saved to the cloud so the abuser has no way of deleting it.

This app also has another built-in safety feature. If the trusted contacts are unable to respond quickly enough, the app has a button that immediately calls 911.

ICE BlackBox is free to download and use.

If you need help or information regarding domestic abuse, contact Abby’s House, or visit www.nrcdv.org.

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

3

“Amp” up the park New amphitheater is being built in Main Street Park Katrina Penaflor | Managing Editor The Main Street Park in Monmouth is getting an upgrade. In fact, students may have already noticed the recent developments underway for the building of Monmouth’s new outdoor amphitheater.

Plans for the park’s upgrade began “back in 2008, when the city updated its park masterplan,” said Mark Fancey, community development director for the city of Monmouth.

2013 marked the beginning of an open and public design process for the amphitheater. Residents were polled, and their opinions were taken into consideration to help create a design that would best benefit downtown Monmouth.

When complete, Fancey said the amphitheater will be able to accommodate crowds of around 500 people, with the possibility of holding nearly 1,000 if the entire park is utilized.

The amphitheater will create the perfect venue for the Monmouth’s Music in the Park series, a collection of summer concerts that take place in Main Street Park every year.

Fancey said the park will benefit Western students in addition to town residents by providing a place to host and perform “plays, drama, and dance.”

An estimated cost for the construction comes in at $1.2 million.

When the project initially began, Fancey said, “The city had the funds in place,” providing half the cost and receiving a $500,000 loan from the city’s Urban Renewal Plan.

“The City of Monmouth Urban Renewal Plan contains goals, objectives, and projects for the revitalization of the Monmouth Urban Renewal District,” according to the city’s website.

In this instance, the area of the district is downtown Monmouth.

Construction plans call for the amphitheater to be completed by April or May of 2016.

The completion of the park will mark the third successful park project for the city of Monmouth. The first two were the Madrona Park and the addition of the fountain in the Main Street Park.

4

SPORTS

The Journal Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

Volleyball gets dramatic four set victory Cross country

team competes in GNAC championships Men place 4th and Women place 6th

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor

Libero Christie Colasurdo bumps the ball in the match aginst SMU

Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor The women’s volleyball team edged out Saint Martin’s University (SMU) in a tense four sets on Saturday Oct. 24.

The scores for the four sets were 25-19, 25-23, 21-25 and 29-27.

After winning the first two sets, WOU looked to sweep SMU with a win of the third set.

With the score tied at 10-10, the Saints would go on a five point unanswered run and would pull away from the Wolves, eventually winning the set 25-23.

SMU continued to build momentum in the fourth set, going up on WOU 11-5. But the Wolves clawed their way back, eventually tying the score at 23-23.

Seeing the score tied at 25-25, the Wolves buckled down and took their first lead of the fourth set at 2625 on a long back-and-forth volley. SMU wouldn’t go down without a fight though, and responded by leveling the score twice before the women would put SMU away with a kill from redshirt sophomore Sydney Blankin-

ship.

“I was really happy at how hard we fought today, especially in that last set,” head coach Brad Saindon said.

Redshirt sophomore Alisha Bettinson (OH) led the Wolves with 14 kills and 6 blocks, and redshirt sophomore Sydney Blankinship (MB) and redshirt freshman Amanda Short (OH) each added 9 kills.

“We are improving each game and our confidence is coming around,” added Saindon. “I think we can be a really threatening team for the rest of the season, and the future looks bright for us as well.”

The conference victory improves Western Oregon’s overall record to 7-14, and 4-8 in GNAC conference play, and is the Wolves’ third consecutive victory.

The Wolves hit the road on Saturday, Oct. 31, to play Northwest Nazarene University before returning home to play Western Washington University on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m.

Western’s cross country team competed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships Saturday, Oct. 24, in Bellingham, Wash.

Out of 11 schools, Western’s men’s team placed fourth overall, and the women’s team placed sixth.

The men were led by sophomore David Ribich, who tallied 122 points and finished fourth out of ninety-one athletes on the 8K course. Ribich ran a personal-best time of 24:59, which was 57 seconds faster than his run in the 2014 GNAC Championships.

Senior Stephany Stuckey placed thirteenth out of ninety-seven with a spectacular time of 22:40 on the 6K course.

“I went into the race and felt fantastic and had so much fun with it,” stated Stuckey. “I talked with my teammates before the race about believing that the people behind us on our team was really going for it and putting their best foot forward.”

“I’m really proud of my work, but also of my teammates work,” Stuckey added. “We just did really well as a team.”

Next up, the Wolves will host the NCAA West Regional Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Ore. The women will start at 10 a.m., and the men will begin at 11:15 a.m.

I’m really proud of my work, but also of my teammates’ work

Braxton leads Wolves to fourth consecutive victory Football’s fourth consecutive victory

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor In a clash north of the border, the Wolfpack headed to Canada on Saturday, Oct. 24, defeating Simon Frasier University (SFU) 37-26.

The Wolves were led by freshman Malik Braxton (RB) who had a record-setting game, and was awarded the GNAC Football Offensive Player of the Week. Braxton finished the game with 199 yards of all-purpose yards: including 179-yards rushing, two rushing touchdowns and a touchdown pass.

Redshirt sophomore Phillip Fenumiai (QB) got the start for the Wolves and would show his dual threat abilities on Western’s first possession, rushing on third down for a 45-yard first down. Fenumiai tallied

81-yards rushing for the game, adding another 55-yards through the air.

Braxton would finish out the first drive with a bit of trickery, throwing a touchdown pass to sophomore Paul Revis (WR) which evened the score at 7-7. Revis finished the game with five receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

On the next drive, Braxton would break away for a ridiculous 75-yard touchdown run which would give the Wolves a 14-7 lead.

In the second quarter, SFU would outscore the Wolves 10-3 and take a 20-17 lead going into half time.

Midway through the third quarter, senior Trey Shimabukuro (QB) made his return to the field after a three week absence due to injury. On his second drive, Shimabukuro would throw a 56-yard touchdown strike to Revis which gave Western a 24-20 lead, and would be the only points scored by either team in the quarter.

Just seconds into the fourth quarter, and on the first

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

play of the drive, Shimabukuro would connect with redshirt sophomore Katakana Apelu (WR) for a 50-yard touchdown pass which increased the Wolves’ lead to 3120.

SFU answered the Wolves’ touchdown on their ensuing possession with a seven play, 73-yard touchdown drive to bring the score to 31-26.

With 8:05 remaining in the game, the Wolves started their drive from the one yard line.

On the first play, Braxton broke through and raced past the SFU’s defense, running for a 99-yard touchdown, which set a GNAC record for the longest rushing touchdown and sealed the victory for the Wolves.

The impressive win improves the Wolves’ overall record to 5-3 and 3-1 in GNAC conference play. This is Western’s fourth consecutive victory.

Western’s next game is at home on Saturday, Oct. 31, against GNAC opponent Azusa Pacific University at 1:00 p.m. at McArthur Field.

The Journal Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

SPORTS

5

Photos by JAMAL SMITH

LEFT: Defender Allison Sprecher fights MSU-Billings Forward Hayley Warren RIGHT: Midfield/Forward Taylor Higa on break-away against MSU-Billings

MSU Yellow Jackets sting Wolves

Wolves soccer falls to MSU-Billings 1-0

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor The Wolves women’s soccer team lost at home to Montana State University-Billings (MSU) 1-0 on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The loss brings the Wolves overall record to 7-7-1 and 3-6-1 in GNAC conference play.

A large crowd was on-hand to cheer

on the pack for senior day, the last home game of the year.

“Senior day is a very exciting day and it’s a really emotional day,” stated head coach Steve Ancheta. “It’s hard to keep all of those emotions in check and come out and play well against a good opponent.”

Western fed off the energy from the crowd and pressed the Yellow Jacket’s defense.

Controversy arose in the 15th minute after the Wolves sent a cross into MSU’s 18-yard box which should have been a hand ball on one of MSU’s defenders.

Wolves basketball: all the hype and expectations A preview for winter basketball season

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor

However, the referee chose not to award Western a penalty kick.

MSU took the lead in the 36th minute on a shot from the top of the 18-yard box which sailed over Nicole Tejada’s (GK) outstretched arms.

In the second half, the Wolves continued to press MSU but couldn’t find the back of the net. Western’s best chance for a goal came in the 56th minute when junior Mariah Konyn (M) just missed the top right corner.

The Wolves would outshoot MSU 144, but the Yellow Jacket’s stingy defense

Are you getting excited for basketball? Lucky for you, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams are currently preparing for the start of the season.

The GNAC coaches’ poll, released on Thursday, Oct. 15, ranked the men’s team no. 2 out of the 11 teams in the conference.

The expectations for the men’s team are high on the shoulders of last season’s successes.

The Wolves finished the season with a program best winning record of 23-7 and reached the NCAA Division-II West Regionals for the first time in school history.

“The season is just a journey and we are starting out 0-0 just like everybody else, and last season doesn’t mean anything,” stated head coach Jim Shaw. “We have to approach this year as an opportunity to get better every day, and then we will be all right.”

The men’s team has four returning starters, and two First Team All-GNAC selections in redshirt: senior Andy Agvi (F) and senior Julian Nichols (G).

Agvi was also selected for the GNAC pre-season All-American Team. In his junior year, Agvi averaged 18.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He also was named the 2014-15 GNAC player of the year.

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

held their clean sheet.

“Although we lost, we still worked really hard as a team, and I’m really happy for our seniors,” stated Ancheta. “They brought a lot to this team and I will miss all those guys.”

The Wolves hit the road for the final two games remaining on their schedule.

The first is against Seattle Pacific University on Thursday, Oct. 29, and the final game of the season is against Simon Frasier University Saturday, Oct. 31.

“Our foundation comes back to four things: our attitude, our work ethic, our leadership and our ability to work as a team,” added coach Shaw. “I expect them to compete every night, no excuses. We have to leave everything out there on the floor and let the results speak for themselves.”

Last year, the women’s team had an overall record of 8-18, and 5-13 in GNAC conference play. In the GNAC coaches poll, the Wolves were ranked no. 10 in the conference.

The women’s team looks to the return of three starters from last year, including GNAC preseason team selectee junior Jordan Mottershaw (G). Last year, Mottershaw led the Wolves in scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game.

Returning sophomore Sami Osborne (G/F) had a great second half of the season last year, and started 13 games for the Wolves. Last year, as a true freshman, Osborne averaged 8.8 rebounds per game.

The men’s team faces a huge test in an exhibition game against the Oregon State Beavers on Thursday, Nov. 5 in Corvallis at 7 p.m.

The first exhibition game for the women’s team is also on Thursday, Nov. 5, on the road against Weber State University at 7 p.m.

6

The Journal Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE

Photo by DAKOTA KAIDA

Ghosts flee Western No ghosts to be found as the ghost hunter visits campus, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there

By Rachael Jackson | Staff Writer Washington-based ghost hunter Ross Allison has spent over 25 years researching the paranormal.

He now bears many accomplishments in his field: he is president and founder of Advanced Ghost Hunters of Seattle-Tacoma, founder of the Seattle Death Museum, tour guide at Spooked in Seattle, lecturer, and author of three books.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, Allison visited Western’s campus to lecture and to lead a ghost hunt.

Allison began his visit with a lecture entitled

The Story of a Hiroshima Bomb Survivor Ed Kawasaki gives a firsthand account of the atomic bomb and its aftermath

By Emily Pate | Staff Writer Photo courtesy of KMOV.COM

Ed Kawasaki, survivor of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, came to speak at Western this past Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The talk, in conjunction with the Black Rain, Sadako’s Story, Hiroshima Ground Zero, and Never Again art exhibits in Hamersley Library, builds awareness of the aftermath of the bombing.

Kawasaki was born in 1929 in Hawaii to Japanese immigrant parents. When he was 11, his family moved back to Hiroshima, Japan.

“Ghostology 101” to give the audience an overview of the history of his field. To be a successful ghost hunter, he explained, one must have passion, devotion, and patience, because finding a ghost is no easy task. Ghost hunting is tedious work, so it can be hard for some not to rely on gimmicks for publicity.

“You don’t need to make up stories to convince people,” Allison stressed before entering the second half of his lecture.

Kathryn Sinor, a junior anthropology major and aspiring ghost hunter said, “I appreciated that he wasn’t like, ‘I’m not going to convince you,’ just, ‘here’s the evidence and take it as you will.’ That was neat.”

For those in need, Sinor seems interested in starting a business of her own.

“If anyone has ghost problems, come to me,” she said.

After the lecture there was a ghost hunt in Campbell and Todd Hall.

On Aug. 6, 1945, when Kawasaki was 16, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He happened to already be in the hospital for a ruptured appendix he suffered prior to the blast.

A few days previously, his father had called a surgeon at Shima Hospital. The call could not connect, so Kawasaki went to a different hospital two miles from the epicenter of the bomb.

This move saved his life, as Shima Hospital was ground zero for the explosion.

“What a lucky twist of fate,” Kawasaki said about his survival. “I sometimes feel as though I’m living on borrowed time.”

Will Edwards, a junior Geology major, has always had a passion for WWII history.

Through a reenactment and education group, he has met many veterans, but never anyone who was in Japan during the bombing or, as he called Kawasaki, a “primary source.”

“To be able to know something that happened first hand is pretty cool,” Edwards said. “It definitely puts nuclear war into perspective.”

Juneau Singleton, a first year with an undecided major, also attended to hear a firsthand account.

“I thought it was really unique that a real survivor was coming,” she said. “You never really hear that perspective. You hear that they dropped the bomb, but not that the next time he went to school half his class was gone.”

Kawasaki said that Americans should not be ashamed of their nationality because of the atomic bombs.

“We all have to realize that war is hell,” Kawasaki said. “Yes, we could question ourselves whether it was OK or not OK to have used the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But if you are asked about the atomic bomb by a foreigner, as an American, I would say, ‘I am sorry that it happened.’”

“Let us forgive each other for the war,” he said.

“Let us all pray for eternal world peace. And then we should just move on.”

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Todd Hall was the first stop where Allison handed out equipment to a few students to aid in the ghost hunting. This equipment included a thermal camera, laser grid, compass, dowsing rod, and ping-pong balls for ghosts to manipulate.

While in Todd Hall, there was some commotion when a cold spot appeared near a group of students.

The compass swung between south and southeast, refusing to find north, all while the dowsing rods crossed. Allison explained during the lecture that these were all signs of ghost activity.

While the hunt remained inconclusive about the presence of a ghost, the students that were in attendance were told to check their phone recordings for possible Electronic Voice Phenomenon, the term used for when the voice of a ghost is picked up on recording devices.

The rest of the night remained quiet and seemingly absent of paranormal activity.

Dia de los Muertos From Front Page

feather and flower adorned hat, designed by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada.

Sugar skulls are another famous image that originates from Dia de los Muertos.

They are colorful decorations made from sugar and clay. Making sugar skulls is a tradition that dates back to the 17th century, when local residents were taught by Catholic monks how to make them. These skulls were used to adorn churches and gravestones. They can be made to represent a deceased individual, often having a name inscribed on the forehead of the skull.

Dia de los Muertos is intended to bring families and friends

Photo by BRIANNA BONHAM

together. Dr. Marroquin stated, “It’s community, it’s a familiar thing ... It’s a family celebration, you have to drink and enjoy.”

The event was attended by a large and diverse group of spectators, including those who have celebrated this holiday before, and those who were unfamiliar with it.

Sandra Dominguez, senior education major, said, “It’s something from my culture, so it’s nice to see on campus.”

Those in attendance were offered pan de dulce—a sweet, sugary bread, the taste and texture being similar to a doughnut or sugar cookie—and tamales. Emily Lowry, senior business major, said, “I have never been to these kind of events before ... I thought it was well organized and thoughtfully put together.”

Overall, this holiday is meant to celebrate the living and the dead. This holiday is not intended to be for mourning, but festivities and bringing community and family together.

“It would be considered something rude to be sad, so you have to drink your tequila ... It’s a happy celebration,” Dr. Marroquin said.

The Journal Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE

Violin, Viola, Vielle & Friends Four talented Northwest artists gather on stage for an afternoon of whimsy

By Rachael Jackson | Staff Writer

English Professor Dr. Marjory Lange showcased her violin, viola, and vielle skills in the Smith Recital Hall on Sunday, Oct. 25.

The concert began with a piano trio composed by Clara Schumann. Dr. Lange played the violin for this piece with Christopher Wicks on the piano and adjunct faculty member Katherine Parks on the cello.

The two pieces that followed were unique in their own way a whimsical sonata that Wicks composed himself (which Dr. Lange played the viola for), and movements from Bach’s Twopart Inventions that was transcribed for the violin and cello.

Bach was a fun piece that many audience members bobbed their heads or tapped their hands to.

Then the concert moved to a real treat for history and music lovers alike, featuring a series of songs played on Medieval and Renaissance period instruments - the vielle played by Dr. Lange, and the douçaine by Aage Nielsen.

Both instruments were minimalist designs of their junior

counterparts - the vielle looks similar to a violin, while the douçaine resembles its woodwind cousin, the bassoon.

The first two historical compositions they played were traditional works from the 13th and 15th centuries. In contrast, the duo’s third song, “Four Strong Winds” is by modern day Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Tyson. This may seem like a strange inclusion until Nielsen explains it.

“During the big folk boom in the 60s, we had a lot of traditional-inspired songs show up,” he said. “This is when the singer-songwriter boom took place.”

Their final song, ‘Estampie,’ an anonymous composition from the 14th century, was a long and virtuosic piece that showcased the range of the instruments.

While there seemed to be a large number of faculty, friends, and community members in the audience, there was also a distinct lack of students.

Lange spoke about the importance of pursuing hobbies, saying, “Students tell me they used to play an instrument and I ask, ‘Why did you stop?’ It’s necessary for intellectual growth to keep a hobby or two.”

There are several upcoming events for students to attend at the Smith Recital Hall.

The next concert will be Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015 when jazz flugelhorn player Dmitri Matheny will perform with his trio of musicians at 7:30 p.m. Western students get in free with I.D.

HUMANSOF WESTERN

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

7

By Megan Clark | Campus Life Editor Perrin Dean, sophomore, Pre-ASL interpreting major Jackson Fryer, transfer student, ASL Studies major Dean: “We actually just like met randomly in the music hall, and he, I don’t even know what you asked me-” Fryer: “I was like, hey I’m looking for people to play music with” Dean: “And I was like, ‘hey, I play music!’”

Fryer: “And one thing lead to another, and here we are.”

Fryer: “Well, usually [we sing together], though most of the time it’s me singing and me trying to get her to sing. But she’s a f---ing amazing and talented singer and musician, but she just don’t think that herself.”

Fryer: “At least for me, if the whole ASL thing doesn’t work out, then you know … I guess, it’s more like if the music thing doesn’t work out, then I have the whole ASL thing to fall back on.”

Fryer: “Have we only known each other a month?”

Dean: “It has not been long! We bonded really quickly … We should make a friend-iversary.”

Fryer: “Can you bake a cake? I like cake.”

Fryer: “I was in band, so my teacher was like, ‘Hey Jackson, you want to play an instrument, right?’ and I was like ‘F-- yes!’ Instruments equal cool, equal friends, you know? So then he was, ‘Yeah, so the tuba ...’ And I was like, ‘That’s f--ing genius!’ So I started playing the tuba ... I quickly realized that any instrument with a spit valve is not a cool instrument, so I switched over to the guitar, and it’s been, you know, love at first strum.”

The Journal

8 Friday, Oct. 30, 2015 Your New Favorite Podcast: “It’s Wet Outside with Ollie Bergh” WOU Student hosts a weekly talk show

By Declan Hertel | Entertainment Editor I sat down over a cup of coffee with Ollie Bergh, a BFA Acting/Music major at WOU and creator and host of the podcast “It’s Wet Outside,” to talk about his show.

Declan: So, Ollie Bergh. The man behind the mask. The curtain. The magic.

What is “It’s Wet Outside?

Ollie: What is “It’s Wet Outside?”

Well, it’s a talk podcast, in the simplest terms. Although, if we’re going to get philosophical, and we are, because we’re college students, it’s become more than that. It’s become an extracurricular activity. In the same way that in high school,

ENTERTAINMENT your extracurriculars were where your group of friends was founded. “It’s Wet Outside” has become that, at least for me.

And I would venture to say [the same] for many of the folks in it.

But it’s a talk podcast, I structured it sort of halfway between the way that American talk shows, late night comedy—think Conan—I structured it halfway between that with… in the second year we did it I added sort of what the British late night talk shows do, which is have everybody on at once and kind of have a round table discussion about whatever it is.

But it served another purpose: I did a lot of stand-up [comedy] in high school, and I didn’t want to lose that part of me.

But with the demanding schedule of being a theatre student, I couldn’t go to Salem on Tuesday nights to do the open mic. So I created the podcast, where I could try to be funny; try to keep that going. [Laughs.]

D: I’ve got to ask about the name. How did it come about?

O: So my buddy Jackson had a show at [Portland State’s radio station] KPSU; I think they have the radio frequency, they’re big. Huge institution, really great programming there. And he was showing me all the different shows on KPSU, and all of them had these hilarious names. My favorite was “Eat Your Children.” Jackson’s was something simple like … “Big Jack Attack” or something, you know,

radio name. But he was like “you know, just think of something funny, and that’ll be your radio show. So I was like, “Radio Puppy.” To me, that had a nice ring to it, Photo by DECLAN HERTEL

it was funny enough, weird enough. But also friendly enough that people would listen to it. And I was in my dorm, and [I said to my girlfriend], “I’m gonna start a KWOU show called Radio Puppy.” And she was like, “that’s such a stupid show title.” And it was pouring outside, and I was like, “well, what else am I gonna call it? Like … like … ‘Bats Eat Mayonnaise?’

Like, ‘It’s Wet Outside?’” And then … wait. There it is. That’s the magic.

D: What was the first iteration of “It’s Wet Outside?” I know it’s been through

It’s No Myth Popular science, explosion based show to end in 2016

By Ashton Newton| Freelancer Discovery Channel announced last week that “Mythbusters” will officially go off the air in 2016 after its 14th season.

Some of the favorite memories my dad and I share are watching “Mythbusters” all through my childhood.

Like many kids, I was inspired by the science that was made awesome by hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman.

The beauty of “Mythbusters” is that there is always something to take away from it, whether it’s not to use your toaster in the bathtub or how fast you need to shoot at a tree to go directly through it. “Mythbusters” managed to perfectly merge science and entertainment.

The busters also appealed to TV fans and moviegoers alike with specials for “Breaking Bad” and “Star Wars.”

Last Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, Discovery Channel announced the news in a statement, saying “After 248 episodes, 2950 experiments, 1050 myths, and 900 explosions, hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman will say goodbye to the series this winter.”

Last season saw Kary Byron, Tory

Belleci, and Grant Imahara leave the show following drops in the show’s ratings. With them gone, the final season will feature Savage and Hyneman by themselves.

Hosts Savage and Hyneman have known about the shows’ ending for over a year now, and have been planning on how to make the final season the most intriguing season yet.

‘Mythbusters” will still play in syndication on Discovery Channel’s sister network, the Science Channel, after the show’s end.

Fans can also mark their calendars for the “Mythbusters” marathon that is going to play every episode chronologically on the Science Channel starting Dec. 23rd, 2015.

Savage and Hyneman have one more Mythbusters Live Tour coming up in November, with a stop in Eugene on Dec. 12, 2015. Tickets are on sale at www. mythbusterstour.com.

The 14th and final season of “Mythbusters’ starts in Jan. 2016, with an explosive series finale that Adam Savage promises will be amazing.

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

a couple.

O: I think the first episode is a great way to tell you how it came about. I was on my way to walk into the KWOU building to do the first episode, I had no idea what I was going to do. And I look at a guy in my dorm, Nick Reeve, and I go, “hey Nick! You wanna be on ‘It’s Wet Outside?’” And he’s like, “yeah I’ll be on ‘It’s Wet Outside.’” And I think I scheduled some of [my girlfriend] Sheridan’s friends to come on, we were going to do girl talk, and talk about why girls hate me, or whatever. So it started with me and Nick co-hosting and just doing this show, finding anybody to come on.

Not a lot has changed. [Laughs.] But it was more news-based in the early days, I remember one time Nick… Nick loves basketball. And I said, “Nick, do a bit on basketball.” And I thought, ‘this is gonna be so funny,’ right? And he just reported, gave basically a sports column on the air.

No jokes. [Laughs.]

D: In that vein, what sort of stuff do you talk about on “It’s Wet Outside?”

O: Basically anything. The way that I try to capture it now is… think of what all your bros would be goofing off about.

It’s like that plus more. It’s real topics, with that aspect, you know? So [with the upcoming episode], there’s going to be some talk about vegetarianism, so picture you and your buds just shooting the crap about vegetarians, you know?

To read the rest of my interview with Ollie, visit wou.edu/westernjournal.

The Journal Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

Hype Builds, Controversy Follows New Star Wars Trailer Next “Star Wars” installment keeps gathering attention

By Ashton Newton| Freelancer The theatrical trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was released on Monday, Oct. 26, 2015 with advance tickets going on sale immediately after the release.

I watched the trailer about fifteen times that night, picking through every little detail I could find. I was not alone in doing so; the trailer got 128 million views the first day.

People took their reactions to Twitter; @elmayimbe tweeted, “My pops took me to see the original trilogy in theaters. This time I’m going to take him to see #TheForceAwakens.”

Several large cinema chains who hadn’t fully prepared for such a great influx of fans buying advanced tickets, saw their websites crash soon after the trailer release.

Alamo Drafthouse theater group CEO Tim League apologized, saying the release is “the single biggest simultaneous surge for movie tickets our industry has ever seen.” IMAX alone grossed at $8.6 million with presale tickets. Someone in Philadelphia even took his ticket to eBay, selling it for $1000.

There were those less excited about the new trailer, though.

The hashtag #BoycottStarWarsVII began trending on social media not long after the trailer hit the web.

The hashtag was used by people saying that the new Star Wars is “anti-white propaganda” for having an African American as the lead character.

The boycott was later revealed to have begun as a joke, but the sheer volume of tweets could indicate that some have begun to take it seriously.

The majority of the use the hashtag got was people re-

9

acting to the appallingly racist reason that others were citing as motivation to boycott the movie, including comedian Patton Oswalt who took this opportunity to mock the boycotters.

JJ Abrams himself responded, saying “We cannot wait to share the trailer with you tonight. We don’t care if you’re white, black, brown, Jawa, Wookie, Jedi, or Sith. I just hope you like it!”

In China, Disney had an event tied to the trailer release. 500 Stormtroopers gathered on the Great Wall of China and handed out lightsabers and other souvenirs to fans that came.

The event was aimed at increasing the fan base for Star Wars in China, which hasn’t been as widely celebrated and watched as it has been in America, so the country is largely unfamiliar with the franchise.

Disney is pushing for greater Star Wars popularity in China because it is currently the world’s second largest film market.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is shaping up to be one of the most popular new movie releases of all time.

Fandango already released first day ticket sales, stating that they were 700% higher than the previous record holder, and that’s even with their website crashing during the sales.

The next installment of the Star Wars series is looking like it’s going to break some big box office records.

Photo courtesy of STARWARS.COM

An Interactive Medium of Horror Is horror better suited for video games?

By Darien Campo | Freelancer It’s a bittersweet time in my house.

Here we are in the final week of the month; October is almost over. On the other hand, it’s almost Halloween!

The final movie countdown has been getting pretty spooky this week with “ParaNorman” (2012), “The Thing” (1982), “Scream” (1996), “Alien” (1979), “Young Frankenstein” (1974), “Silent Hill” (2006), and “Plan Nine from Outer Space” (1959).

Watching “Silent Hill” is always a unique experience for me.

As a huge fan of the Konami video game series that it’s based on, it’s always

fun to see all the monsters and locations from those classics brought to the big screen. But at the same time … it’s just not a very good movie.

I enjoyed it more when I was younger, but every time I watch it now I just can’t help but notice how badly put together it is. The plot is a lazy mess with a whole scene at the end that literally has to stop the movie to explain to the viewer what is happening.

That is really bad writing.

The main problem is that “Silent Hill” only works in its original format – as a video game.

Along with my parade of horror movies, I’ve also been playing my fair share of horror games this month. The film borrows heavily from the first two games, so I’ve been replaying those along side this

new viewing, and in an interactive medium, Silent Hill thrives.

Horror films are already a form of interactive art. We aren’t asked to sit idly by and watch a story unfold in front of us during a scary movie.

Instead, scary movies will specifically prey on our fears and try to “attack” us directly. A good horror film will do all it can to make the audience feel as if they’re personally in danger. We jump, we scream, we shiver, and we laugh; horror asks for a certain level of audience participation.

This is why I think that video games are actually the perfect medium for a genre like horror, even better than a theatre screen.

Playing a game like “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” (2010), in which the player’s only defense from the grotesque

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

monster is to run as fast as possible and find a place to hide, is an exhilarating experience that is hard to capture in film.

Putting the audience in the shoes of “Alan Wake” (2012) gives us a feeling of personal danger that a movie can rarely replicate.

A movie can show us things we’re afraid of, but a video game can make us fear for our own lives.

If it hasn’t been made obvious already, I love horror. I’m a confirmed ghost story and horror film addict. But I’ve also realized that if the horror genre is going to grow, it might be time to start shifting over into a more interactive medium.

There will always be a place for horror in cinema, but a scary game is a whole new experience.

The Journal

10 Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

Not so sweet

Where to draw the line on racially insensitive Halloween costumes.

By Jenna Beresheim | News Editor Photo courtesy of MR.COSTUME.COM

Musing from a woman on the edge

By Katrina Penaflor | Managing Editor Let’s talk about how basically, from a retail perspective, Christmas comes before Halloween. And, in all honesty, it is (The Journal does not permit me to use swear words so please insert your favorite one here) ridiculous.

Why is this ridiculous? Everyone loves Christmas, they say. It’s the most fun holiday to celebrate, they say. No one has a problem with seeing Christmas stuff so early, they say.

Well I say, let me celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving now, and get all this tempting, wonderful Christmas propaganda away from me—that is until the right time prevails. I will gladly celebrate it then.

Let me make this clear I am not bashing Christmas. I freaking love Christmas.

What upsets me is that I love the other holidays that come before it, like Halloween and Thanksgiving, and I hate seeing them dismissed in the retail markets.

I guess my anger this year started when I was at Costco.

I was minding my own business, looking for the best deal on hummus, and circling around the store eating a dinner sized portion of samples, when I stumbled upon the massive Christmas section.

It was Oct. 9.

Why? Why? Can’t I enter a bulk food distributor and see spooky costumes and

decorations for sale without running into polar bear Coca-Cola cans?

Halloween is so much fun to celebrate, and I hate that stores are taking away from the enjoyment of that by pushing other holidays upon us.

I was at Target the other day, and when I was perusing the costumes aisles I found that they stopped short. Half the aisles that were covered in Halloween decorations and candy the week prior, were already cleared out and being stocked with Christmas lights.

It’s not like the store sold out of everything. I actually saw an overflow of decorations, candy etc. in the “designated Halloween aisles.”

It’s simply that Target, much like Costco, could not wait for the start of the Christmas sales.

I see why the stores do it: they want a jump-start on sales. However, I feel like these early Christmas preparations are taking away from the spirit of Halloween and Thanksgiving.

It also makes me think about the craze to start Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving - a Thursday, might I add - and the sales simply cannot wait for the holiday to be over. But that’s a completely different conversation.

Wouldn’t it be odd if around St. Patrick’s Day we were seeing fireworks displays at grocery stores? I just wish one holiday could be enjoyed at a time before barreling on to the next one.

EDITORIAL As Halloween draws near, and the parties start lining up, there is the typical mad scramble for costumes and candy.

Soon, college students will be partying it up and children will be moving doorto-door in hopes of bagfuls of scrumptious sweets.

Something not so sweet is the tasteless, ignorant, and blatantly disrespectful costumes that line store shelves, or even worse still, are homemade.

Ask anyone and they can come up with at least one example they have seen in stores, created by a fellow partygoer, or even on children as the door opens to pass out treats.

On Oct. 31, the streets may be filled with costumes such as: Little Amigo, Indian Brave, Caitlyn Jenner, Confederate General, Rastafarian, and many more.

Whether it is a longstanding tradition of insensitivity, such as costumes focused on Native American outfits and culture, or a trending topic such as Caitlyn Jenner or the Boston Marathon bombing, it’s still always wrong.

Some individuals may claim these costumes are meant as a joke, but what’s really the joke is the human wearing the outfit.

This goes for costumes involving racial, ethnic, religious, LGBTQ+, cultural, and numerous other topics. It is probably safe to say that anything involving

blackface is a no go, as are sugar skulls, despite what many Pinterest populates may think.

Don’t get me wrong, my cautionary tales are not about taking the “fun” out of Halloween.

The fun is in hanging out with friends, having a great time at whatever strikes your fancy on Hallow’s Eve, and being safe while doing it. There are plenty of other costumes to choose from that are sure to get the approval of friends and cultural communities.

Some top trending 2015 ideas for the pop culture pioneers are as follows: #FollowMe Couple, The Tumblr Dress, Minions, Left Shark, Mad Max, Game of Thrones (Shame Bell Lady, anyone?), and even the Margarita Man from Jurassic World.

Of course, these featured costumes cover the comedy aspect of Halloween versus those who go full force with the gore. It’s all about personal preference.

For a great, succinct rundown of the idea behind the culturally sensitive costume movement, more information can be found at the source: Ohio University’s STARS program.

The website features past promotional posters and more information on what Culture not a Costume is all about.

Front runners take a back seat in GOP debate Candidates focus attacks on the media at large

By Jack Armstrong | Copy Editor The third major GOP presidential debate took place on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015 at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

The broadcast, hosted by CNBC, lasted the better part of two hours and featured the two current front runners Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson, as well as the eight other leading candidates.

This debate was widely labeled as the “economic policy” debate, especially since CNBC is NBC News’ financial outlet, but the discourse only turned briefly to taxes in-between jabs at the media, fellow republican candidates, and democratic opponents.

With Carson recently surging past Trump in the polls, the chance was there for the doctor to really take control of the race, but both Carson and Trump put in relatively subdued performances compared to the first debate.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Reince Preibus released a statement after the debates claiming that, “CNBC should be ashamed of how this debate was handled.”

Ted Cruz (R-TX) even went so far as to refer to the debate as “a cage match,” and the heckling raining down from a majority of the 1,200 audience members seemed to agree with him.

Many of the candidates accused CNBC of intentionally derailing the debate with hidden agendas, Cruz saying, “The questions that have been asked so far in this debate illustrate why the American people don’t trust the media.”

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Continued on back

The Journal Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

EDITORIAL

Straight from the source A plea for rational fact checking The desk of The Journal Editorial Team

erful tools for furthering political ideology, especially on social media sites like Facebook where people can press the “share” button and spread the message in a matter of seconds, or on Twitter where the retweet option has turned into an almost subconscious reaction.

This can become a very slippery slope as more and more people share these ignorant/factually inaccurate posts to validate their existing biases; they accept statements as truth when said statements further their own ingrained beliefs without fact-checking them for accuracy.

It does not matter if we agree with a statement or not; the focus of our efforts should be to fact-check everything we see on the Internet.

mise has created a wealth of misleading memes, blurbs, and faux inspirational fodder on both sides of the aisle.

In our fast-paced world, surrounded by the incessant want (or need) to instantly share our views with the world, it is imperative to check the facts before the share button comes into play.

After all, your “real world” views are more important than the views you typed up for your last paper, so why use less rigorous standards when analyzing your “real world” sources?

Where is the information coming from?

With the prevalence of background organizations like Super PACs in the American political process, memes and blurbs

As more accessible and innovative means of technological communication and research become better developed and implemented into mainstream use, it can be easy to get caught in the vices of factual inaccuracy.

“If it’s on the Internet, it must be true” is -People Magazine, 1998 a sarcastic saying that has somehow found its way into the minds of individuals that are seemingly more willing to accept a claim as fact if it is placed Meme created by CARLY FISTER in the foreground of a picture featuring a well-known political In a digital age where it is incredibly are often originally shared through profigure or a celebrity. easy to create and send messages through files linked to shadow organizations.

For example, in the past few weeks, multiple mediums of communication, we Try to find out who initially made the a picture of a decades-younger Donald need to be especially cautious when we post and understand that all organizaTrump has made the rounds on social take someone’s word on a given subject. tions are only going to cultivate content media with a quote that makes the attenBesides, what does it say about our that supports their candidate or their tion-seeker seem even more flamboyant- own ideology if it is founded on falsified viewpoints. This is not dissimilar to rely outspoken than he already is. statements and inaccurate claims? searching the background of an author The quote is claimed to have been It says that we are easy. on an academic source. sourced from a 1998 interview in PeoIt says that as a society and as a comIf the author of a research paper conple magazine, and says, “If I were to run munity, we have drifted from searching ducted the vast majority of their research [for President], I’d run as a Republican. for the best information available, to sim- at a private, mainly religious college, their They’re the dumbest group of voters in ply searching for the information that findings will naturally be influenced by the country. They believe anything on Fox suits our needs for the situation. their surroundings, and must be viewed News. I could lie and they’d still eat it up.

There is a term used in psychology that in that context. It is no different for social I bet my numbers would be terrific.” perfectly describes this trend: confirma- media sources.

While the quote fulfilled its intended tion bias.

Can the quote be verified? goal of stirring the liberal pot and further Simply put, confirmation bias is the A cursory Google search of the terms fueling their disdain for Trump, the fact tendency for people to recall or prefer in- “Donald Trump” and “People Magazine remains that the quote is entirely made formation that supports their viewpoint, Interview” revealed that the Donald up. Trump never said anything of the sort and to discount or pay less attention to Trump meme was not an actual quote. during his interview with People maga- information that doesn’t.

The search pulled up the original article, zine almost two decades ago.

Confirmation bias, combined with an in addition to several news stories about Such pictures and quotes can be pow- out-of-control attitude towards compro- how it had already been discovered to be

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

11

a false attribution.

The internet is forever, and in most cases (especially when dealing with recent quotes), the original source is easy to find.

That doesn’t mean you will be able to find the appropriate sourcing all the time, but obvious mistakes like the Trump incident will become immediately apparent.

Does it really need to be meme?

Recently, the Internet’s intention for creating memes has shifted to sharing shortened version of more detailed communication. In the beginning, however, memes were mostly limited to inconsequential communications like jokes, and pithy inspirational quotes.

Shouldn’t we be striving to take the

memes out of the political sphere (unless it’s a well crafted joke)? Shouldn’t we hope that our political views are more impressive and complicated than two sentences?

Memes simply provide another way for us to further chunk up our politics into sound bites, but the sound bite culture removes any sense of context, background, or viability. It cheapens our incredibly complex system of democracy, and it makes it entirely to easy to polarize our fellow citizens.

So the next time a Donald Trump or politically related meme spreads across the internet, take into account the context and credibility.

The trend towards immediate assumption of internet truths into our personal viewpoints is dangerous. Never take something as a fact, or share your support, without assessing the evidence first.

The Journal

12 Friday, Oct. 30, 2015

TAIL-END

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM THE JOURNAL! Halloween Safety Tips With Oct. 31 quickly approaching, here are a few tips to keep in mind for having a safe and fun Halloween •Stick with a friend—avoid walking alone at night. Ask a friend to go with you or find a safe ride to and from your destination.

•Watch your drinks—both in consumption and what’s in your hands.

When out at a bar or party, be careful of how much you drink, and always keep an eye on what you have in your hand.

Never accept a drink from someone you don’t know.

•Carry your phone—for the obvious reason of communication, but it can also be utilized as a light. Keep yourself visible to ongoing traffic, especially if dressed in a dark costume.

•Trust your gut—if a situation feels too “spooky” or uncomfortable, leave.

Stay in a location or at an event where you feel the safest.

GOP Debate From Front Page

With the bulk of the focus still centering on in-fighting and taking swipes at opponents across the aisle and at the media, what little policy talk that occurred was still vague.

Carly Fiorina suggested that she could cut the entire tax code down to three concise pages, but she was unable to expound on exactly how she planned to achieve this. Similarly, Cruz promised that if he was elected, he would cut the tax code to the point where Americans could file their taxes on a postcard, also with little explanation about how this plan would come to be.

Overall, the end notes for the debate seem to all be ones of confusion and anger. An event that should have seen two clear front runners stretch their leads through clear policy discussion quickly degraded into name calling and finger pointing.

The post-debate polls have yet to show any serious fluctuation, and we are still no closer to knowing who will clinch the GOP nomination in the lead up to November 2016.

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, this debate continued to highlight a problem that permeates our current system of elections.

The talking points were of little consequence, and the focus of the debate shifted from policy and procedure, to personal gain and jabs at the moderators.

Nothing was really discussed, nothing was really clarified, and all we really learned about the candidates is that they don’t like being asked difficult questions – or at least questions that aren’t framed in a pleasing manner.

Hopefully as we approach the one-year mark on the presidential countdown, the field will begin to thin and we will have a better idea of who our choices are without all of the noise and pointless in fighting from both sides.

The next debate is scheduled for Nov. 10, 2015, broadcasting on the Fox Business Network from the Milwaukee Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL