WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY | MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2016 VOLUME 16 ISSUE 22
By the beat of our drums Pow wow Page 9
WOU Baseball continues winning streak Page 5
Relive childhood classic “The Jungle Book” in a whole new way with Declan Hertel Page 6
Get Tipsy with Rachael Jackson at Cocktail Corner
Are English Majors going extinct at WOU?
Page 8
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Large percentage of student loan borrowers not making payments Page 3
Income inequality and the American family Page 11
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Crossword puzzle, horoscopes, and more!
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NEWS
The Journal Monday, April 18, 2016
THE JOURNAL 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361 Student Media Department TERRY HOUSE
Endangered English Majors
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 BRIANNA BONHAM journalphoto@wou.edu
DESIGNERS CARLY FISTER BENJAMIN BERGERSON journaldesigner@wou.edu
COPY EDITOR STEPHANIE BLAIR journalcopy@wou.edu
ADVERTISING MANAGER BRIAN TESCH journaladvertising@wou.edu
WEB MANAGER MARY GEANELLI BERNARDO journalweb@wou.edu
Photo by CARLY FISTER
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER SAMANTHA DUNAWAY
English department seeking answers to decline
STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER RHYS FINCH
By Jenna Beresheim | News Editor
503-838-9697
Cover photo by KYLER FREILINGER
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 Contact information will not be published unless requested.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.
Western Oregon University’s English department has seen a rapid decline in English majors within the last few years. In 2010, there were a recorded 137 English majors, which soon dwindled down to a meager 56 this year. Out of those 56 there are 25 recorded seniors, with only 10 seniors applied to graduate at the end of this term. An average English major graduates from Western with 211 credits, an additional 31 credits than needed, which is the equivalent of having another year of study. A team of professors within the department is aiming to pinpoint the cause behind dwindling numbers in the program. Dr. Thomas Rand, Dr. Cornelia Paraskevas, Dr. Katherine Schmidt, and Dr. Carol Harding are a few of the members interested in improving sign-up rates within the English degree focus. “Our numbers in English are down, and we’re trying to survey why interest is so low,” said Harding, the Humanities Division Chair. “If anyone who reads this chose not to take an English major route, we would gladly listen as to why that happened,” continued Harding.
A survey was sent out within the first week market for English teachers,” Harding said, of Spring Term to English-focused classes “but people associate the major with teachand asked questions regarding which stu- ing only - there are so many other things out dents were English majors, when they had there that you can use it for.” become these majors, and so on. “I believe advising may be one root of the “In my current Writing 230 class, I only problem. We love our program and students, have 5 English mabut we can do better,” adjors,” said Schmidt, mitted Schmidt. professor and Writ“I was trying to get ing Center director. into [ENG] 318 [ConAn average English Schmidt reported Literary major graduates from Western temporary that most of her stuTheory] for several dents were writing with 211 credits, an additional terms, but it was alminors or students offered during 31 credits than needed, which ways outside of the discian upper division class pline seeking to fulfill is the equivalent of having I also needed, so I altheir writing intenways had to choose,” another year of study. sive requirements. said Emily Walley, a “Too many of my fifth year double destudents don’t know the answers to basic gree major in English and history. questions like how many upper-division credThe English department hopes to not only its are required to graduate. This is one area trim down students’ time within the program that impacts English majors who are trans- to get them back on track to graduate in four fers because the 41-credit core requirement years, but also boost the advising process to includes only 9 upper-division credits. This eliminate any confusion connected with deputs transfer students at a great disadvan- gree requirements. tage, especially when they must also complete If you have any feedback for the English 2 years of lower-division foreign language as department pertaining to issues addressed part of the BA requirement,” said Schmidt. within this article, please contact them at Speculation around the cause falls into a 503-838-8258, or email Dr. Thomas Rand at few categories, and in turn may be a combi- randt@wou.edu nation of all of them. Contact the author at Jberesheim11@wou. “I think part of it is in the decline in the edu or on Twitter @WOUjournalnews.
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NEWS
The Journal Monday, April 18, 2016
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Large percentage of student borrowers not making payments paying, at some point they’re just going to write it off,” he said. “They’re going By Alvin Wilson | Staff Writer to recover what they can by taking back your car, and that loan is now history. If Many students today are only able to you declare bankruptcy, that loan can be attend college with the help of student wiped out. Student loans never go away.” loans. But what would happen if the stuLeadley said that dents borrowthe accumulated ing that money bad history of stuweren’t able to If you declare dent loans, which pay it back? goes back much furAccording to bankruptcy, that loan can ther than the hisa recent article be wiped out. Student loans tory of other loans, published by the can inflate the numWall Street Jour- never go away. ber. nal, more than Something else 40 percent of that inflates the number is the prevapeople with student loans are either belence of predatory lending in for-profit hind on payments or have received perinstitutions. mission to postpone payments. According to a report by the Brookings Roughly 16 percent of those people Institution, an organization that reports have defaulted on their student loans, on economic activity, 13 of the 25 institumeaning they have gone at least 270 days tions where students hold the most debt without making a payment. are for-profit. John Leadley, professor of economics “What you hear the most about in at Western, is critical of the numbers in the news are these student loans from the article because of the nature of stufor-profit institutions,” said Leadley. “If dent loans. Because of this, he said the you’re applying for a student loan, the percentages may be inflated. lender doesn’t ask if it makes sense for “When you say there’s a high percentyou in any way.” age of people who aren’t paying, that’s Leadley said he thinks the predatory going to be a higher percentage than it is lending habits of for-profit institutions for virtually any other kind of loan,” said contribute to the problem. Leadley. “These are loans that they never “Part of it is the for-profit side seeing take off the books.” this as money for them, and not really Unlike other kinds of loans, Leadley caring if the student is ever going to get said, student loans don’t disappear. a job to pay it back,” he said. “If I’m lend“If you have a car loan and you stop ing money, and the federal government
Photo by BRIANNA BONHAM
guarantees that I’ll get my money back if the student defaults, what incentive do I have to check?” Western has one of the lower student loan default rates for Oregon universities, according to Collegemeasures.org, coming in at 6.1 percent. That puts us between University of Oregon (4.4 percent) and Southern Oregon University (8.7 percent). We’re a long way from being in danger. Leadley still thinks Western students should start looking at loans in a way that
reduces their odds of being in the 43 percent of non-payers. “If I was a student, I would want to ask myself what the implications of taking out that much debt for my degree are,” said Leadly. “Get good career and academic advising. Do research about potential salaries. Ask yourself what your loan payments might be like. Take those things into consideration.” Contact the author at awilson15@ wou.edu or on Twitter @awilsonjournal.
Clinton wants to “get to the bottom” of the alien conspiracy By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor Are we alone in the universe? Are extraterrestrials visiting our planet? What may seem like script from a science fiction movie are actually serious questions posed by many Americans. Well, fear not, Hillary Clinton just announced that if elected president, she will “get to the bottom” of the alien conspiracy. It’s no secret that the government keeps things from the American public, either to protect the national security of the nation, or because the people in charge believe that the American public can’t handle the truth. However, recent comments made by Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, and by Clinton herself, suggest that Clinton believes that
the American public can indeed handle the truth. Posada, who heads Clinton’s presidential campaign, was asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper on April 7 if Clinton would release information concerning Area 51 and UFOs if she were elected into office. “What I’ve talked to the secretary about, and what she’s said now in public, is that if she’s elected president, when she gets into office, she’ll ask for as many records as the United States federal government has to be declassified, and I think that’s a commitment that she intends to keep and that I intend to hold her to,” answered Podesta. When Tapper asked Posada if he had personally seen UFO documents during his time serving as the White House Chief of Staff, Posada tip-toed around the question and responded by stating,
“President Clinton asked for some information about some of those things, and in particular, information about what is going on at Area 51. But I think that the U.S. government could do a much better job in answering the quite legitimate questions that people have about what’s going on with unidentified aerial phenomenon.” Clinton has also recently commented on the issue, and given hope to conspiracy theorists. In an interview in late December with a New Hampshire reporter from the Conway Daily Sun, Clinton was asked about her husband’s comments on national television where he said, “If we were visited [by aliens] someday, I wouldn’t be surprised.” She responded by stating, “I think we may have been [visited already]. We don’t know for sure.” Clinton also pledged
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to “get to the bottom of it.” Then, on March 24, Clinton appeared as a guest on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Kimmel, who has asked both Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton questions pertaining to UFOs, asked Clinton if she would be more successful than her husband in attempting to find and release government documents concerning UFO’s. “I would like to go into those files and, hopefully, make as much of that public as possible,” said Clinton. “If there’s nothing there, let’s tell people there’s nothing there. If there is something there, unless it’s a treat to national security, I think we ought to share it with the public.” Contact the author at jsmith15@wou. edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU.
4 Monday, April 18, 2016
HUMOR
Local woman receives wrong order at Dutch; “barely lives” to tell tale Literally, like such a major nightmare
Compiled by KATRINA PENAFLOR
The Journal
Only Drake knows.
I spoke with Jupiter and she told me to pass this info along; go on and explore your sexuality with that kid from Bio that you keep eyein’.
By Katrina Penaflor | Managing Editor On Friday, keep looking in the mirror. Half of your eyebrow (because I know you always do your eyebrows) will wipe off. Be warned. No one is going to speak up about it, Gemini, that’s why I’m warning you.
Ever swim in a pool full of adorable Corgis? No? That’s about to change this week, Cancer.
It’s not Herpes, Leo. Congrats!
Virgo, I predict good fortune on the horizon. Go to a bar this weekend and start a tab, the bartender will accidentally put all your drinks on another person’s. Sucks for them, but a night of free drinks for you! Photo by BRIANNA BONHAM
Jessica - or maybe it was Rachel - Smith spent last Tuesday in a panic during her Intro to Psychology course when she discovered the drink she had ordered from the local Dutch Bros. in Monmouth was, in fact, wrong. Smith had ordered her usual non-fat, sugar free, iced Caramelizer with no whipped cream, only to discover later in class that the drink was “completely wrong.” “First of all, the drink was hot,” said Smith. “I wanted it iced.” When asked how she didn’t notice right off the bat that the drink was served in a hot to-go cup instead of the clear plastic one used for iced drinks, she replied, “I told you, I didn’t try it until I got to class.” Smith also explained that the drink was actually a chai latte, and not at all a Caramelizer. To investigate further, I travelled to the Dutch Bros. of said incident to speak to the barista who served Smith her drink. (Because, really, what else did I need to spend my time doing?) I arrived to Dutch and was greeted by a man who was in a much better mood than I was. Taylor Swift was playing on the stereo and I immediately regretted my decision to take on this unnecessary investigation. The man at the window, Marco (I didn’t actually ask his name but he definitely looked like a Marco) told me that he was the one who served Smith. It was his first day on the job and he accidently served her the drink that was meant for the opposite window. “I realized my mistake right after I handed it to her, I tried to called for her but she had already driven away.” Marco graciously offered to remake the drink he had gotten wrong and asked me to hand it off to Smith, to which I replied, “absolutely.” While singing to “Shake It Off ” Marco passed off the corrected Caramelizer and continuing to repeat, while I re-answered, the question of what my plans were for the day. After receiving Smith’s fixed drink, I waved goodbye to the chipper barista, and drank the Caramelizer on my way home. Case closed.
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Password to your ex’s phone: 5331
Go ahead, Scorpio, celebrate taco Tuesday- you’ll regret it immediately.
I’m predicting a literal mental break down for you this week, Sagittarius, over the fact that you can’t get your eyeliner in check. Prepare for this. I prescribe a fat of bottle of wine. (For the 21 and over crowd. Or, like, drink Martinelli’s and pretend it’s champagne if you’re of the younger variety.)
With child.
Not really advice, Aquarius, but I’m sensing you need to be salty. Make dinner plans with all the people you hate and cancel 15 minutes prior.
Go to Yang’s, order an extra side of cabbage, and see what happens.
SPORTS
The Journal Monday, April 18, 2016
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Magic in the month of April Wolves extend winning streak to 10 games By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor A little over two weeks ago, Western’s baseball team found themselves in an
unfamiliar position, with a record of 1013; a few more losses would have put the Wolves in jeopardy of not finishing at the top of the GNAC. But that was then and this is now. Fast-forward two weeks and 14 consecutive conference victories, and the Wolves are at the top of the mountain Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM
again. To say that the month of April has been good to the Wolves is an understatement; it has been tremendous. After hitting the road for their first 27 games of the season, a six game homestand was a welcomed change from the stress of traveling on the road. Western opened up their six-game home series April 9 with a doubleheader against Concordia University. The Wolves easily defeated the Cavaliers 11-1 in the first matchup, and squeaked out a 5-4 victory in the second. Senior infielder Brandon Oliver had an incredible day hitting the ball. Oliver, who is ranked in the top 15 for hitting percentage in the GNAC, finished the doubleheader with five hits, three runs, and three RBIs in nine at-bats. Concordia looked for revenge the following day, but the Wolves played with a supreme level of confidence, and blanked the Cavaliers 10-0 in the first matchup of the doubleheader. The Wolves also came ahead victorious in the second matchup with a score of 6-3. In the first game, junior infielder Erik Long went four-for-four with four runs batted in, while senior infielder Trevor Podratz had a pair of doubles. In the second game, Podratz hit a perfect
three-for-three. Podratz leads the Wolves in hitting percentage and is ranked fifth in the GNAC with a batting average of .350. The final two games of the Wolves’ six game home-stand pitted the red-hot Wolves against Saint Martin’s University in a doubleheader on April 13. Western jumped all over the Saints in their first matchup, winning easily by the score of 11-1. The second game was closer than the first, but the Wolves found a way to come away with the 8-4 victory. Freshman pitcher Jacob Fricke got his first collegiate start and threw six shutout innings. Senior outfielder Cody Sullivan had seven hits for the day. The Wolves’ next home game is on April 27 at 2 p.m. against Montana State University of Billings. The matchup against the Yellowjackets is the first game in a nine game home-stand to finish out the regular season. Western has won the last 13 GNAC conference titles but still, the Wolves want to add more hardware to their trophy case. Contact the author at jsmith15@wou. edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU
Senior Trevor Podratz swings the bat as he makes his way toward a .GNAC fifth best batting average of .350.
Defying expectations Portland will face LA Clippers in first round By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor Earlier this week, the Portland Trail Blazers clinched the fifth seed in the Western Conference and will play the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. The fact that the Blazers have even made it to the playoffs is nothing short of amazing. Portland lost four out of their five starters from last year including the cornerstone of the franchise LaMarcus Aldridge. After losing Aldridge to free agency, Neil Olshey, the Blazer’s general manager, decided to rebuild the team with younger talent centered around All-Star point guard Damian Lillard. After a complete overhaul of their roster, most sports analysts picked Portland to finish near the bottom of the conference. In a Sports Illustrated article pub-
lished before the start of the season, the Blazers were projected to finish 11th in the conference out of 16 teams with a win percentage of 38.6. The young Blazers took the early season predictions with a grain of salt, and instead of tanking the season to get a lottery pick, the squad buckled down to prove their naysayers wrong. After a rough start to the season with a record of 11-20, the Blazers quietly grinded out a string of victories that put them into contention for a playoff spot midway through the season. However, at the top of the conference were the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs who sat comfortably in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively. Realizing that a first round matchup between either the Spurs or the Warriors could spell a quick postseason exit, a hungry Portland squad continued climbing up the Western Conference ladder, finishing the regular season with a record of 44-38. “With everybody writing us off … A
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team like us, we’re the most dangerous team [in the playoffs],” said Ed Davis in an interview with NBA.com. “You don’t really wanna play against a team with nothing to lose, just don’t care what the outcome is. That’s us. We’re gonna be that team that’s gonna fight.” The fact is, the Blazers have exceeded all expectations, and now they are playing with house money, but the team is not going to be satisfied with a first round elimination. “We put in our time. It’s been a long season, we believed in ourselves,” said Lillard at the post-game press conference after the Blazers defeated the Denver Nuggets to claim the No. 5 seed. “We’ve played through the tough times, we didn’t get too high off the good times, and here we are. We finally got our spot and our work still isn’t done.” Contact the author at jsmith15@wou. edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU
ENTERTAINMENT
6 Monday, April 18, 2016 The Journal
Head back into the jungle
Photo courtesy of PEOPLE.COM
By Declan Hertel | Entertainment Editor From the moment the first trailer for “The Jungle Book” dropped, I wanted it so freaking badly. I have no especially great love for the 1967 version, beyond enjoying it as a child, but this new take on it looked gorgeous and had a killer voice cast, and I’d been super stoked for it since. So as the lights went down on a Friday afternoon screening, I found myself giddy, hoping that this movie would be as awesome as I had imagined it would. And you know what, it came pretty darn close. This is a solid flick. My favorite thing about this new version, directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), is that it doesn’t care that it’s gorgeous. James Cameron’s “Avatar” blew us all away in 2009 with its spectacular visuals, but honestly, it knew that’s really the only thing it had going for it: it looked stupid good. “The Jungle Book,” for my money, looks better. But it doesn’t care. Painstaking effort was put into making it seem like this movie was shot by real people in real places with real cameras starring real animals. It’s not out to show off, it’s out to tell a good story, and just happens to feature visuals that would have been unthinkable five years ago. As for telling a good story, this is where the movie falls slightly (but just slightly) short. In this age where blockbuster films are—seemingly as a rule—two and a half fugging hours long, I feel weird saying this, but here goes: I wish “The Jungle Book” was longer.
Coming in at a tidy one hour and 40 minutes, “The Jungle Book” certainly doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it also leaves too soon. When I say I wish it was longer, I don’t mean they should tack on another 20 minutes; I mean that I wanted another 30 seconds here, two minutes there, so that they could flesh out the great, great stuff they’ve got. Not more content, but fuller content. All the makings are there for a wonderful epic: it’s just not epic enough. I have fantasies of a director’s cut, but I realize that’s kind of a silly notion. Personally, the visuals are worth the price of admission; just because the film doesn’t draw attention to them doesn’t mean they aren’t attention-grabbing. The voice performances are invariably great and delightfully understated (particularly Christopher Walken as a big-ass ape), and newcomer Neel Sethi—merely 10 years old—does a truly admirable job of carrying the film. I would love to see him get more work and improve his already pretty notable abilities. I could say an awful lot more about the film, from the individual characters, to the perfect inclusion of “Bear Necessities,” to the slightly weird inclusion of “I Wanna Be Like You,” to the multiple questions raised by basing a mass-market movie in 2016 on a work steeped in the attitudes of a deeply racist time (next week in editorials), but alas—I’m almost out of words. Suffice to say “The Jungle Book” is a solid, highly enjoyable flick. Contact the author at dhertel11@wou.edu or on Twitter @JournalFunTimes.
DISNEY’S THE JUNGLE BOOK (PG) CRIMINAL (R) BATMAN V SUPERMAN (PG13) HARDCORE HENRY (R) THE BOSS (R) BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT (PG13)
DISNEY’S ZOOTOPIA ZO (PG)
DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT (PG13)
GOD’S NOT DEAD 2 (PG)
4/22- THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR
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Sex Ed
ENTERTAINMENT u paid attention 1
The Journal Monday, April 18, 2016
Sex Ed: Hope you paid attention
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Across 2 The male sex cell, looks like a tadpole 5 Stuff you use to not have babies 7 Voice cracks, acne, hair in new places, just a great time 9 Technical word for bangin‘ 10 True name of a boner 12 Funny name of the tubes that lead into the uterus 17 The lady’s twins, making all them eggs 18 Greek god of marriage ceremonies Down 1 3 4 5 6 8 11 12 13
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Male sex organ “That time of the month,” I’ve been told it sucks a lot Diploid cell you get after the individual sex cells fuse STD, sounds like a flower, is not nearly that pleasant Not bangin’ on purpose The true name of sex cells “The Clap” Crude term for coitus Female sex cell
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The dude’s twins, making all that semen Don’t be silly, use this to wrap your willy Female sex organ
April 11 crossword answers: Across 3 Scamander 4 Gnomes 6 Beholder 8 Cryptozool- ogy 9 Kraken 10 DRAGON 12 Cloverfield 14 Zombies 15 Cthulhu 17 dwarves
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Down 1 Planet of the Apes 2 Man 5 Sharknado 7 Okapi 9 Kaiju 11 Goldblum 12 Capybara 13 Owlbear 16 Troll 17 Dire
Tweet @JournalFunTimes to get crossword hints and to talk to a totally rad wizardly dude
ss Down male sex cell, looks 1 Male sex organ a tadpole 3 "That time of the month," Weird and different sounds are very present in “Junk.” you use to not have I've beenThe told it sucks a lot songs “Bibi the Dog,” “Walkway Blues,” and “Road By Ashton Newton | Staff Writer es 4 Diploid cell you after Blaster” areget all very fast paced There are few bands that give me the same feelings e cracks, acne, hair the individual sexthat cells dance songs rely on unthat M83 does.aIt’s been that way for longerfuse than I can recognizable synthpop sounds ew places, just recall. Something about listening to their mellow syn- to create a groovy beat that the t timethpop sound, deciphering their poetic5lyrics,STD, sounds like a flower, and jam- queen would have no choice hnical word for is not nearly that pleasant ming out to their fast danceable tunes grabbed hold of but to dance to. gin' me and refused to let me go. 6 Not bangin' on principle “Junk” also has its sweet side. Thatasaid, when “Junk” was announced name of boner 8 I could Thebarely true Susanne nameSundfor of sex lentcells her voice contain my excitement. M83’s 2011 LP “Hurry Up, We’re ny name of the tubes 11 "The Clap" for the song “For the Kids,” a Dreaming” one of the most breathtaking things I’dterm lead into thewas uterus 12 Crude coitus morefor traditional sounding balever listened to, and shaped the way I look at music. lad. “Atlantique Sud” is a beaulady's twins, making 13 Female sex cell “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming” was a very cinematic tiful French duet with Mai Lan hem eggs 14 The dude's making record; the songs went with each other and flowed per- that twins, is the most sentimental ek godfectly. of marriage all that The album was hugely inspired by movies. But semen song on the album. “Junk” is different in that the songs are to stand monies 15meant Don't be silly, use thisanto Beck also makes appearalone, yet work together in an unrelated way.wrap your willy ance on “Junk” in the song The first song to release off of “Junk” is “Do It, Try It”, sex 16 Female “Timeorgan Wind.” Beck’s vocals
M83’s new album “Junk” brings a groovy new sound
and it’s apparent that M83 was trying something entirely new with their music. The song is weird, completely on purpose. The pop sound is so upbeat and all over the place that it’s so weird it’s danceable.
for me. M83 is known for long and epic instrumental songs like “Lower Your Eyelids to Die with the Sun” off of their album “Before the Dawn Heals Us,” but on “Junk” the instrumentals like “Moon Crystal” and “The Wizard” just feel too short and rushed for their style. The album ends with “Sunday Night 1987,” one of the most calming songs on the album. M83 ends their albums with songs that leave you thinking and with a smile, and “Junk” is no exception. “Junk” is an extremely satisfying album to listen to. M83 gives a new, unique sound with songs for every mood and perwith M83’s music make for a son. Photo courtesy of ILOVEM83.COM really cool song. Rock artists Contact the author at anewand M83’s music go very well together. ton14@wou.edu. There are some songs that are a bit underwhelming
entertainment picks THE EDITOR WHOLEHEARTEDLY EMBRACES “Stardew Valley.” You guys remember “Harvest Moon?” Start a farm, get married, build a life: it’s a deceptively simple formula, but one that produced many sequels and spinoffs for a dedicated fanbase before kind of fading away in recent years. “Stardew Valley” is an indie spiritual successor to “Harvest Moon,” with deepened gameplay intended to preserve the spirit of the veteran series while improving on its shortcomings. It has been a critical darling since release and has already sold one million copies just months after its release, and incredible feat for an indie title. The success of “Stardew
Valley” warms my heart, not just to see “Harvest Moon” make a comeback in some way, but because its level of success should be a huge encouragement to developers looking to make waves. “Turbo Dismount.” This game has been out for some time, I know, but it’s still updated fairly frequently and the community is still going strong. It’s a beautifully simple game: put a crash test dummy in a silly pose on a silly vehicle and launch it into traffic, off huge ramps, across gorges, over cliffs, into walls (the list goes on), just to see how badly you can mess it up. After each run, you can watch the attempt again immediately in slow-
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mo replay, and they’ve added a feature where you can record a GIF of the crash directly from the game. I have wasted many an hour trying to see how fast I can get the shopping cart to go off a ramp, or if I can time a certain level to leave the dummy unscathed, but usually I just have him hang off the back of a sports car and send him headlong into a bus. THE EDITOR SEETHES WITH UNBRIDLED RAGE TOWARD You. HA just kidding. Nah, pop culture’s pretty chill at the moment.
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CAMPUS LIFE
The Journal Monday, April 18, 2016
Environmental Club this week in need of Planeteers
Cocktail Corner: Feeling
By Rachael Jackson | Campus Life Editor Bloody Marys are a brunch tradition. Though perhaps not as flashy as their sweeter counterpart, the mimosa, they remain symbolic of this late morning meal. Also going for them is their ability to squash the most debilitating of hangovers. Fight fire with fire, I always say. Olivia, my eldest sister, loves a good Bloody Mary and as such has a quick and easy recipe. Not exactly my go-to drink because of the savory quality, there remains something enthusiastically social about the Bloody Mary that begs to be shared with close friends in large quantities. Here is the basic recipe she goes by: Clamato (or V8), Demitri’s mix, Worcestershire sauce, and vodka. Olivia prefers Clamato over V8 because it’s not as thick and provides a better flavor. Add Demitri’s mix (find it at the liquor store) to the Clamato, add in a few extra splashes of Worcestershire. Demitri’s has Worcestershire in it already, but add a couple extra
Dear Dear Esmeralda,
One of my close friends may be “ghosting” me. She and I have known each other since middle school. We roomed together during our freshman year of college. I was the first person she came out to. I helped her move into her new apartment last summer. Over winter and spring break we both went back to our hometown and I was excited that we could see each other. I had reached out to her on multiple occasions, but my texts usually go unanswered. When I do get a response, it’s typically, “Sorry! I’m just too swamped!” I know she made time to see another friend who ranks higher than I do in the “who to see” list. It still hurts. Am I being too sensitive? Too self-centered? I’m worried that this is her way of breaking ties with me and I’m just not taking the hint. An outsider’s point of view would really help, even if it’s a harsh truth. Sincerely,
Lost in Life
splashes because it’s good for you (probably). Just pour it all into a pitcher, eyeballing the ingredients and tasting the mix as you do. Add ice to the pitcher, your glass, or both. If you’re having a brunch with friends then I suggest you all split the cost on a bottle of Kettle One vodka for your bloodies. It isn’t the economical choice, but choosey day drinkers choose Kettle One. Trust me on this. Most importantly, unless you are some kind of animal, you will need to garnish your drink. Some suggestions for garnishes include: bacon/salt rim, celery, bacon, jerky, shrimp, olives, pepperoncinis, pickled asparagus, pickled beets … the possibilities are boundless. We popped in fake bacon for my vegetarian roommate, even. Set up a garnish bar and have your friends ride their very own trains into flavor station.
Esmeralda Dear Lost in Life,
Long lasting friends are always the hardest to lose. I get you there, friend. Deep breaths! Coming out to a friend is a big deal however, people do change (especially in college). Looking around at the people I know from high school (thankfully, I don’t know many of them now) and even the first year here at WOU! God! I came into college as a straight cis male! Look at the goddess that is me now! Schedules are complicated and maybe the other friend’s schedule fit in better to hers? Maybe this is someone she’s interested in? Not sure how your friend identifies or the gender of their friend but that is a very good possibility that this person could be her boo-thang. Personally I don’t think you are being too sensitive- no tea, no shade, no pink lemonade. I do think you’re going to have to realize that your friendship may be over with this person … I’m so very sorry for you dear. Sometimes even the closest friends grow apart. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, dear. I wish you the best! All my best,
Esmeralda
Contact Ezi on Twitter @miss_ezi or journaleditor@wou.edu with your questions on love and life!
Lee Lindley, leader of WOU’s Environmental Club.
Photo by RACHAEL JACKSON
major] was the leader previously, but work has made it so she can’t be as By Rachael Jackson | Campus Life Editor active. I don’t really have time for the Lee Lindley, senior earth science magroup either, but it has to be done. We jor, is a reluctant leader of the Environ- need to keep the group going so we can mental Club. Started a little less than two try and get funding for things like comyears ago, the club hasn’t gained much posting bins in every building.” traction in the way of student participaLindley is hoping he can get more tion. members soon through recruiting at Lindley was ecstatic to have my group campus events, but he needs help. join him. Usually it’s just him. “A group has to stay active for two With my group of miscreants, we made years to get funding, but with just me it an even four. We drew posters, discussed doesn’t really feel like a club. We need to solar panels, and joked about being Plan- get more young people into the group. I eteers (from the ‘90s show, “Captain really need people to help with tabling Planet and the Planeteers”). during new student week and spirit Making posters isn’t exactly the pur- week.” pose of the club; Lindley would prefer Interested in joining? Meetings are in having a chance to get out and hike with HSS 230 at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. the group, or go to places in Oregon that Find them on Facebook at “WOU Enviare in danger due to human encroach- ronmental Club.” ment. Contact the author at rjackson13@ “I have been a member since last wou.edu or on Twitter @rachaelyjackSpring. It has always been pretty low at- son. tendance. Beth [Bello, political science
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CAMPUS LIFE
The Journal Monday, April 18, 2016
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Celebrating native culture for 23 years MSU hosts Annual Pow Wow at WOU By Amanda Clarke | Staff Writer Western Oregon University celebrated its 23rd annual “Multicultural Student Union Pow Wow” with the theme “We Live By The Beat of Our Drums.” A pow wow is a Native American cultural celebration that is conducted through song, dance, and food as a means to bring community together. Represented at the event were those of the Siletz and Grand Ronde tribes. The pow wow allows Western students and the community to learn about the Native American culture. By witnessing and partaking in activities, students and people within the community are given a chance to experience the culture in a different perspective that perhaps they haven’t had before. Although the Multicultural Student Union has been holding the event for 23 years, there have been other club sponsored pow wows held in the past. In 1937, the Eastern Oregon Club, which was composed of students from east of the Cascade Mountains, held a powwow at Western as well. The Multicultural Student Union Pow Wow is held in order to allow students to experience traditions of the Native American community, which includes different forms of dancing, such as traditional dancing, grass dancing, and other categories.
Members of the Siletz and Grand Ronde tribes dance during the Multicultural Student Union Pow Wow.
“In my opinion with serving the Multicultural Student Union, it is important for anyone in the local community and Western to be educated on the Native American culture,” said Samantha Valdez, a member of the MSU and one of the
co-coordinators for the pow wow. The event hosts dancers, vendors who sell traditional Native American supplies, and drums. Every year, the event is open to everyone and includes a competition for people of all ages.
Photo by KYLER FREILINGER
Raffle tickets were given out and amongst the prizes were paintings, a Pendleton blanket, and jewelry. Contact the author at aclarke14@wou. edu.
HUMANS OF WESTERN Brandt Van Soolen, senior philosophy major and veteran.
“... Whatever you may study, be it earth science, political science, at the base of all those things is philosophy. Philosophy is a way to understand the world. … I really love [Martin] Heidegger, the German philosopher. He comes with baggage because he became a full-blown Nazi there at the end. His idea of what philosophy is is a good starting point. He says that philosophy is the study of beings, so I think it is a good place to start. … A lot of the time when I say I study philosophy, people will start asking me questions on religion. They are thinking about moral philosophy - ethics - but before you can even start that discussion, you need to try and understand what a human being is so you can discuss these things. … There are [existentialist] ideas that your life’s goals are achieved after you die, so really your life here doesn’t have a purpose until you die. But what if we are born with certain things that are basic knowledge to being human, like you understand certain things and that is
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how you perceive the world. It is when you recognize the person besides you as a human being that you start to understand yourself, start to ask questions about what it is to be human. … [Dr. Hickerson] teaches classes that other people won’t teach, like phenomenology and continental philosophy [which is defined by its opposition to analytic philosophy]. But, more than that, he makes it accessible and really tries to help his students.” … In the military, you get trained to focus less on yourself and more on protecting the group. What is good for the whole is most important. A person jumping on the grenade to protect five other people and sacrificing himself is seen as heroic … but really they are just reacting to their social training. They are trained that that is the right thing to do. The actual desire is just a result; the person has been trained to sacrifice themselves. One person suffering so everyone can be happy is not the world we should want to live in.” By Rachael Jackson | Campus Life Editor
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EDITORIAL
The Journal Monday, April 18, 2016
Democrats on the Issues There’s no doubt that much of the two Democratic candidates’ political rhetoric (and personal antics) are aimed towards younger generations. After Obama’s overwhelming success that was directly related to his use of social media and web analytics that allowed his team to create targeted messages to voters, Sanders and Clinton have developed platforms that largely spread through the use of social media communication. The two have certainly gone to extraordinary lengths to present themselves as relatable to younger generations, but just what do they stand for? Despite many media outlets portraying political figures as celebrities, there’s still the actual policies to focus on. Here are the Democrats on the top five issues, as per their campaign websites. By Conner Williams | Editor-in-Chief
Photo courtesy of NBSNEWS.COM
Photo courtesy of MARCOGROB.COM
Bernie Sanders Hillary Clinton * berniesanders.com
hillaryclinton.com
Income and wealth inequality closing the gap between the upper and lower economic classes
Alzheimer’s disease - providing a cure for the disease by 2025
Tuition and debt free college - end for-profit student loans and subsidize tuition through taxes on Wall Street speculators Campaign finance reform - repealing the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling and outlawing Super PACs Rebuilding infrastructure through increased jobs - investing $1 trillion over 5 years to “modernize our infrastructure” Higher wages for workers increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour nationwide
Many of the programs proposed by the Democratic candidates have been shunned by those on the right because of their inevitable cost to the taxpayers. Reducing college tuition, addressing greenhouse gas emission standards, and rebuilding the infrastructure do call for a significant investment in the future. And that’s the way we should be thinking of
Campaign finance reform overturning Citizens United, eliminating unaccountable sources of money, and establish a federallyfunded system to match small donations Campus sexual assault - providing support to survivors and increase prevention programs Climate change and energy creating jobs in clean energy, install 500 million solar panels, and bringing greenhouse gas emission to 30 percent below the 2005 levels New College Compact - refinancing current student loans at lower rates, enforce affordable tuition rates, and ensuring no student “has to borrow to pay for tuition, books, or fees to attend a four-year public college in their state.”
it: as an investment, not a cost. Investing in education, infrastructure, healthcare, and other public-interest programs will benefit huge denominations of people. Economically speaking, building a giant wall will do nothing to improve the American economy, even if Mexico were somehow coerced to pay for it. We need to address large-scale economic issues
* issues are listed in alphabetical order on website and may not reflect level of importance
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that affect people all across the country from all denominations and levels of income. The catch, however, is that the Democratic candidates promise that much of the bill for these investments will be footed by those at the top-end of the income spectrum. Contact the author at journaleditor@ wou.edu or on Twitter @journalEIC
EDITORIAL
The Journal Monday, April 18, 2016
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Income inequality & the American family By Brian Tesch | Advertising Manager Lately, income inequality has become a very hot topic. With all the coverage from the presidential campaign, it seems like everyone has an opinion on it. What’s not being discussed, and what is perhaps even more troubling, are the correlations between income inequality and the American family. The Pew Research Center has placed some rather surprising numbers on the status of American families. Divorce rates by the number of marriages have doubled over the past 50 years. Household sizes have dropped by 25 percent, and the number of births to unmarried women has risen a whopping seven-fold. Children that grow up in a household where one parent is absent for a period of time, whether divorced or single by birth, are at a great disadvantage to
other children when it comes to social mobility. They are actually half as likely to move up, compared to kids raised in a household with two parents. Social mobility is the leading factor to income inequality, and it’s important we understand why this is. It is actually quite simple; two parents are better than one. Double the experiences, double the knowledge, double the capital, and double the support. For economists like Professor Zenon Zygmont, they prefer to call it “double the human capital.” Zygmont explained that human capital is the most important element to any economy and also to any individual. “Look at countries like Japan, and Germany between 1940’s and 1960’s.” Said Zygmont. “After the war, most of their physical capital was completely destroyed. But in 20 years they were able to
completely rebuild their countries.” While physical capital seems more tangible and more important to us, the importance of human capital must be emphasized. For the most part, a majority of an individual’s human capital is developed before they turn 18. Primarily, parents play the biggest role in the development of human capital. In single-parent households, there is less human capital available to children. Maybe that’s why children living in a single-parent household in the United States are twice as likely to drop out of high-school, twice as likely to have a child before the age of twenty, and one in a half times as likely to be “idle” (being out of school and out for work). “But that’s not the full story,” said Professor Mike Mcglade. 55 percent of births in Sweden are actually from unmarried women.
How do you feel about gender neutral restrooms? “I think they’re great - you can use them whenever you want without worrying about a line for a specific gender bathroom.” - Jesus Hernandez, junior early childhood special education major.
“Despite this, social mobility remains high, and child poverty rates are next to nonexistent,” said McGlade. It’s no mystery why; it’s all about public policy. McGlade pointed out that Swedish parents are entitled to up to 480 days of paid maternity leave; while maternity leave in the United States is non-existent. Maternity leave, and other policies that support single parents, allows single mothers to spend the time with their child. It helps them compensate the lack of human capital a single parent can offer. It is why children that grow up in single-parent households in Sweden are at less of a disadvantage, in terms of lifetime social mobility, as children in the United States who grow up in single-parent households. Contact the author at btesch14@wou. edu
Jenna Beresheim | News Editor
“I think all bathrooms should be gender neutral, everyone has to go to the bathroom - it doesn’t matter which parts you’re using to do so.” -Jenesa Ross, senior biology major.
“I like them better because they’re more private.” -Mark Drevdahl, first-year education major
“Great idea. I think we need to be an all-inclusive campus.” - Martha Kools, fifth year criminal justice major.
“Genderizing single bathrooms is stupid.” - Asia Cohen, junior ASL studies major.
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TAIL-END
The Journal
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