Vol. 17, Issue 9 (Nov. 30, 2016)

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2016 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 9

Lights aglow with holiday splendor page 8

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

Recap the Obama Presidency Page 2

Meet a graduating football star Page 6 WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Learn some tips to take on finals week Page 9

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NEWS

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

THE WESTERN JOURNAL

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

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STEPHANIE BLAIR

journaleditor@wou.edu

MANAGING EDITOR ZOË STRICKLAND

journalmanaging@wou.edu

NEWS EDITOR JADE RAYNER

journalnews@wou.edu

CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR PAIGE SCOFIELD

journalcampuslife@wou.edu

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ASHTON NEWTON journalentertainment@wou.edu

SPORTS EDITOR BURKE DE BOER

journalsports@wou.edu

PHOTO EDITOR KEITH MATHEW

journalphoto@wou.edu

DESIGNERS DARIEN CAMPO ELISSA SORENSON

journaldesigner@wou.edu

COPY EDITOR KRISTIN ECK

journalcopy@wou.edu

ADVERTISING MANAGER BRIAN TESCH journaladvertising@wou.edu

WEB MANAGER GEANELL BERNARDO journalweb@wou.edu

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER SAMANTHA DUNAWAY STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER RHYS FINCH finchr@wou.edu 503-838-9697

Yes, we did: Obama’s eight years in office Obama’s implementation of new policies affecting American citizens

By TK Layman | Staff Writer President Barack Obama is nearing his final days in the Oval Office, and he leaves behind a historic legacy. As the first African-American president of the U.S., his campaign slogan, “Yes We Can” led him to a victory over his opponent, Senator John McCain. During his eight years in office Obama has implemented many new laws and policies, those of which affect not only students as a whole, but students at Western as well.

One of his landmark decisions as a president was to sign into law the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010” giving service members of the U.S. Military the ability to serve as an open member of the LGBTQ+ community.

During the signing, Obama said of the act, “For we are not a nation that says, ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ We are a nation that says, ‘Out of many, we are one.’”

The belief that members of the military could be open in their sexuality was a turning point in opening opportunities for those to serve. The White House Press reported during his signing speech that President Obama said, in a show of solidarity: “I want to express my gratitude to the men and women in this room who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Services.

I want to thank all the patriots who are here today, all of them who were forced to hang up their uniforms as a result of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” but who never stopped fighting for this country, and who rallied and who marched and fought for change. I want to thank everyone here who stood with them in that fight.”

The Obama Administration also continued to fight for the right to affordable higher education for all students who seek it. As a part of the Courtesy of HUFFPOST.COM

SUBMISSIONS THE WESTERN JOURNAL encourages readers to share their opinion through letters to the editor and guest columns.

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

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Please bring submissions to THE WESTERN JOURNAL at Terry House or email to journaleditor@ wou.edu. Submissions must be received by Monday at 5 p.m. to be considered for print.

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Front page teaser courtesy of WHITEHOUSE.GOV

Health Care and Education Reconciliation act, the Obama Administration states that, “nearly 5 million federal direct student loan borrowers have the opportunity to cap their student loan payments at 10 percent of their income,” allowing students to pay as they earn. Obama’s administrative staff reported that this act also reinvested into the Pell Grant increasing the maximum total amount to $5,730 for the 2014-15 school year, increasing the maximum award by nearly $1000 since 2008. By expanding the amount, President Obama also increased the opportunity for students to receive the award by nearly 50 percent, the administration states.

Reforming K-12 education was a key point of the President’s first term. As Obama stated, the No Child Left Behind Act was overdue for a reform. The president implemented a blueprint for reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act giving schools a platform to create more college-readiness classes over standardizing education. This act gave students within the K-12 system the ability to be more ready for life after high school with college and career readiness programs.

A major talking point in recent years came from opponents of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The New York Times reported discussions opened up around congress

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Courtesy of ABCNEWS.COM

as they ruminated on the legality of the act, a provision stating that U.S. citizens must enroll in health insurance or pay a penalty. Ultimately that discussion carried up the ladder to the Supreme Court in 2010 where they ruled in favor of the act 5-4.

Chief Justice Roberts helped sway the vote to a majority “yea” vote writing in their dissertation: “The Affordable Care Act’s requirement that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax. Because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness.”

Along with the Affordable Care Act ruling, the New York Times states that a unanimous decision was made to limit the expansion of Medicaid, a federally funded program.

The justices came to an agreement that Congress has used too much of its power by attempting to limit state funding to agree to the expansion.

During the “Occupy Wall Street” campaign, President Obama had signed into law the Dodd-Frank Act, which limits risk taking by business and

Continued on page 12

NEWS

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

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Taking action to ban false news Facebook and Google take responsibility for the distribution of false news

By Katherine Ljungqvist | Staff Writer

CAMPUS BLOTTER

Following the results of the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, social media giants Facebook and Twitter, as well as the popular search engine Google, are coming under fire for their part in spreading false information throughout the 2016 campaign season.

Through the use of paid advertising services, websites that contain false news are able to get posted onto Facebook and Google pages in spite of algorithms and filters put into place to prevent the spread of misleading information.

“The goal of search is to provide the most relevant and useful results for our users. In this case, we clearly didn’t get it right.” said Google spokesperson Andrea Faville, in a statement reported by the New York Times.

According to the Pew Research Center, in 2012 it was reported that roughly 49 percent of U.S. adults received at least a portion of their news from social media. A more recent study showed that around 62 percent of U.S. adults get their news from social media. This gives us a rough idea of how many adults are exposed to false

news, especially because, “the top malicious fake news stories actually outperformed legitimate news stories shared by some of the most popular media companies,” according to Business Insider.

Wineburg about a study of over 7,800 high school aged students who were exposed to false information; the results showed that as many as 80 to 90 percent of those students

As students, we can expect to be influenced by websites promoting false information.

NPR’s Kelly McEvers interviewed Stanford University’s Professor Sam

struggled to determine the validity of the information they were presented with.

According to Facebook’s Help Center, the ads and news articles that filter into

1. Marijuana Violation

Date: Nov. 17, 2016 Time: 1:30 p.m.

Incident: Public Safety found four males near the softball field violating Western’s marijuana policy.

4. Marijuana Violation

Date: Nov. 20, 2016 Time: 10:36 p.m.

Incident: Public Safety was contacted in reference to a possible marijuana violation in Ackerman.

Courtesy of NYTIMES.COM

2. Medical Assist

Date: Nov. 18, 2016 Time: 1:40 p.m.

Incident: Public Safety responded to a report of an individual in active seizure at the DeVolder Family Science Center.

5. Welfare Check

searches and news feeds.

The New York Times and NPR have quoted representatives from both companies accepting responsibility for their part in influencing political and social mentalities, in spite of Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg publicly denying that his company has any pull in political outcomes.

“Overall, this makes it extremely unlikely hoaxes changed the outcome of this election in one direction or the other.” said Zuckerberg in a public Facebook post from Nov. 12.

Zuckerberg did go on to say, in the same post, that Facebook has encouraged more than 2 million people to register to vote. In the meantime, as students, it is important to bear in mind that, for the most part, it is a good idea to take trending stories with a grain of salt unless it is being reported by accredited publications.

our Facebook feeds show up according to our trending interests.

Unfortunately, that means that we are being presented with information that conforms to our own

Date: Nov. 22, 2016 Time: 1:35 a.m.

Incident: Public Safety was called to Heritage Hall for a welfare check.

biases, which may or may not be well informed. Fortunately, Google and Facebook are currently working on ways to improve the algorithms they use for adding content to our

3. Suspicious Person

Date: Nov. 20, 2016 Time: 8:12 p.m.

Incident: Public Safety was contacted in reference to a suspicious person at Hamersly Library.

Contact the author kljungqvist16@wou.edu

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6. Medical Assist

Date: Nov. 22, 2016 Time: 10:50 a.m.

Incident: Public Safety was contacted about a medical assist in HWC.

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Photo courtesy of OREGONZOO.ORG

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ENTERTAINMENT

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Holiday festivities light up Oregon

There’s plenty to do this winter in and around Monmouth

By Katherine Ljungqvist | Staff Writer

The fall term is almost over, we will soon have made it through finals and winter break will be upon us. For those of you who will be spending the holidays locally, here are some events taking place in Monmouth, Salem and Portland.

In the Monmouth and Rickreall area there are a handful of holiday events to look forward to; in addition to the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony that takes place on campus, the Western Hemisphere Orchestra will be performing in Rice Auditorium on Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Eola Hills Wine Cellars in Rickreall is hosting their Enchanted Christmas in the Wine Cellar, Dec. 5 and 6, with musical guest Michael Allen Harrison.

The concert begins at 7 p.m., but seating is limited, so guests are encouraged to make reservations.

If you’re looking for activities

in the Salem area then check out Christmas in the Garden. Starting Nov. 25 and running through Jan. 1, there will be daily ice skating, with additional festivities Thursdays-Sundays such as a traditional German Christmas market, live music and carolers and a light display in Rediscovery Forest. See oregongarden.org for event details.

There is a Craft Bazaar and Chanukah Sale at Temple Beth Sholom in Salem featuring handcrafted goods that takes place Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Dec. 4.

Also in Salem, Enlightened Theatrics will be running their special holiday edition of “Forever Plaid” Wednesdays-Sundays now through Dec. 11 at Salem’s Historic Grand Theater.

Portland is hosting a plethora of festive events to look forward to this holiday season including

lights, music and a number of beer and ale festivals. Zoo Lights will run from Nov. 25 through Jan. 1, starting after 4 p.m. at the Oregon Zoo. Christmas at the Grotto will run the whole month of December and features over 500,000 lights, with choral singers and hot chocolate.

The Oregon Ballet Theater will perform the Nutcracker Ballet at Keller Auditorium select nights through Dec. 26. For those 21 and over, there is a Holiday Ale Festival Dec. 1-4 at Pioneers Courthouse Square; the St. Johns Winter Beer Fest in St. John’s, Dec. 9-11; and Ciderfest 2016 which takes place Dec. 16 at EastBurn, and supports Toys for Tots.

Contact the author kljungqvist16@wou.edu

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Review: “Star Wars: Catalyst” A high quality history of the Death Star

Courtesy of PENGUINRANDOMHOUSE.COM

By Ashton Newton | Entertainment Editor “Star Wars: Catalyst” is a prequel novel to the upcoming spin off movie “Rogue One”.

The novel centers around Galen Erso, who is father to “Rogue One” protagonist Jyn Erso, and Orson Krennic, the film’s antagonist. The novel is written by James Luceno, who also wrote “Tarkin” and “Darth Plagueis”. Luceno is known for bringing readers into the heads of “Star Wars” villains, and “Catalyst” is no different.

The novel is not the most accessible for the average reader. The appeal of the book is that it’s a “Rogue One” prequel and “Star Wars” fans will find the locations and familiar characters fun to read about.

However, the characters would just seem random without prior knowledge of the film.

At its core, “Catalyst” is a detailed history of how the

Death Star came to be. The iconic space station’s history is muddled with confusing mentions in both “Episode II” and “Episode III”. The novel puts all of that confusion to rest: “Catalyst” is the origin story of the Death Star.

“Catalyst” is an interesting book that is weighed down heavily by its lack of direction. Characters float from situation to situation without really any strong reasoning behind it.

The “Star Wars” timeline can be confusing at times. Jumping between forms of government three times: The Republic, The Empire and, most recently, The New Republic/First Order.

“Catalyst” deals with the Republic and Empire eras, but without prior knowledge of the political systems, the shift would seem weird.

The book shines in the character relationships. Erso and Krennic’s

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

rich history is intriguing. The best part of “Catalyst” is getting immersed in the struggles that the characters face. They have all have relatable struggles and flaws.

“Catalyst” is not the best “Star Wars” novel that has come out, but it is not the worst either. The interesting history of the Death Star and the rich characters are brought down by the book’s lack of a strong overarching plot. The book is perfect for diehard “Star Wars” fans looking for something to keep them busy until “Rogue One” releases on Dec. 16.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

ENTERTAINMENT

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Courtesy of STARDEWVALLEY.NET

Editor’s Recommendations:

I recently bought “Stardew Valley” for PC and it quickly took over my life. The game is a farming simulator with pixel graphics and a calming soundtrack. Players take up a character who has inherited their grandfather’s farm. Players can farm crops, fish, expand their farm, raise animals and more. “Stardew Valley” is an extremely relaxing game to play, the perfect way to wind down after classes.

Editor’s Picks

By Ashton Newton | Entertainment Editor

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Editor’s Disparagement:

“The Walking Dead” has run its course.

Currently on its seventh season with ratings dropping every episode, “The Walking Dead” just feels like it’s more of the same this season. The iconic characters are going through the same arcs and the show is having trouble with over-the-top action because they’ve already done it all. “The Walking Dead” doesn’t have many other places it can go, unless something big changes with the show’s core dynamic.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@ wou.edu

From our staff to you Holiday song recommendations for the upcoming season Courtesy of COLDPLAY.COM

By Ashton Newton Entertainment Editor

Courtesy of REPUBLICRECORDS.COM

“Christmas Lights” by Coldplay will always be my favorite Christmas song. It isn’t cheerful, but it gives a feeling of hope that is unmatched in any Christmas song. “Christmas Lights” acknowledges that things aren’t always perfect and cheery in the holiday season, but there’s always hope.

By Stephanie Blair Editor-in-Chief “Peppermint Winter” by Owl City isn’t a classic, by any means. However, it captures the childhood sweetness of the Christmas season while the melody leaves me slightly melancholy. Without a hint of romance, “Peppermint Winter” captures the levity and beauty of a white Christmas.

By Elissa Sorenson Designer

By Darien Campo Designer

By Paige Scofield Campus Life Editor

“The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)” sung by Nat King Cole has always been the quintessential holiday song for me. A tradition my mom and I have is that when we decorate our Christmas tree with ornaments and lights, we play Nat King Cole’s holiday album on the radio. Obviously, it’s a song that some people may consider to be overdone due to how many different artists have covered it, but the mellow tone and instrumental background of this particular version has always had a huge impact for me. Whenever I hear it, I always think of being at home with my mom in our living room and how happy that makes me.

As a person with very little interest in stale Christmas classics, I was ecstatic when I heard that John Roderick (of The Long Winters fame) and Jonathan Coulton (of Jonathan Coulton fame) were collaborating on an album of original Christmas songs (and one Hanukkah song.)

“One Christmas at a Time” (2012) is a wonderfully original ten-track album for the holiday season.

The songs inside are just as funny and as they are touching, and sometimes downright strange If you’re looking for a refreshing take on the season I cannot recommend these nine Christmas songs (and one Hanukkah song) enough.

I’m a sucker for holiday music, so it’s difficult for me to just pick one song as my favorite. I enjoy most. But this year, I’ve been listening to Frank Sinatra’s, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” a lot. His voice is soft, but filled with longing and tenderness. His low, quiet extended notes to the final letter of the words,“dreams,” and, “gleams,” keeps you yearning for something you can’t quite put your finger on. Although this song can seem melancholy, it accurately performs the feeling of longing during the holidays.

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SPORTS

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Photo courtesy of GEORGE SWARTZLENDER

The Bruiser from Burns hits the trail Defensive veteran George Swartzlender ends his Wolves career

By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor

Fishing on the Willamette River

When you stand on a hill in Harney County you can see the grassland roll for miles.

The sky is big and pale blue. With no trees or buildings it seems to come right down to the sagebrush and hay fields.

It’s here where George Swartzlender grew up: where he learned to hunt, fish and trap, where he learned to work hard and learned to compete.

But not where he learned to play ball.

Four years ago, Swartzlender came to Western. “I wanted to learn how to play football,” he said. “I wanted to see if I could do it.”

He is now finishing his Wolves

career with 165 tackles as a defensive lineman.

Swartzlender is known as the “Bruiser from Burns” or “Killer.”

Despite all the brawn and imbalance that’s commonly associated with tough tacklers, Swartzlender laughs easily.

“When I got here, I had never lifted a weight or anything like that.

People would be like ‘What the hell?

What do you do?’”

When he laughs, his laughter fills the room. “I don’t know, I just lifted a lot of hay bales.”

He first came west of the Cascades after a prolific high school wrestling career to join Oregon State University’s wrestling team.

The culture shock hit hard. Burns is the biggest city in Harney County.

It has a population of 2,728, which makes Corvallis roughly 20 times larger.

“I’ve got older and better,” Swartzlender said. “There’s a whole bunch of different people than what I grew up with and there was gonna be a lot more conflict if I let that get to me. But that was horrible. People calling us rednecks, thinking we’re all uneducated human beings. We weren’t the norm. And the norm for us if people talk s--- is to fight.

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We lived in a different generation almost.”

His time in Corvallis dampened further with the winter. “It started raining every day, I was like ‘Oh, God, take me home.’ I still haven’t

somewhere. Even going to Europe or anywhere we can go and just have fun.”

His transformation from gridiron novice to veteran is clear when you talk to his teammates.

Linebacker Bo Highburger has enjoyed taking to the field behind Swartzlender. This season’s tackles leader, Highburger c o n s i d e r s Swartzlender to be one of the toughest humans he’s ever met.

It was this toughness that helped him master football in the first place.

“I push myself to be better,” Swartzlender said. “I’ve found a way

I train so hard because I always thought someone out there was training harder than I was. And you can’t hide that adapted to the rain, I don’t think I ever will.”

All in all, he enjoyed his time in Corvallis. But while football players have the potential for lucrative contracts, wrestling doesn’t provide nearly as promising of a future.

With the goal of going pro, he’s already met with NFL scouts.

For their money, he sizes up well against professional linemen.

“Me and my buddy Jeremy [Moore] want to play together somewhere. If the NFL isn’t an option we want to keep playing

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Continued on page 12

Photo courtesy of GEORGE SWARTZLENDER

Photo courtesy of GEORGE SWARTZLENDER

Swarzlender made 37 tackles and 17 sacks this year

Swarzlender lines up before the snap.

SPORTS

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM

Winning in the New P.E. Women’s basketball rise to 3-0 at home, fall to 0-2 on the road

By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor Women’s basketball remains unbeaten at home after well rounded team play beat Oregon Tech 59-50.

Oregon Tech came into the game with five wins. Their talent showed through their statistics, where they were able to keep up with Western in terms of forcing turnovers. They were able to take better advantage of these turnovers, as they outscored the Wolves 11-15 on points off turnovers.

They also took more shots than Western, and at one point in the third quarter lead by ten points.

Ultimately, good ball distribution helped the Wolves team overcome the Owls.

Jasmine Miller, junior forward, and Kaylie Boschma, sophomore guard, each scored 10 points to lead the team on scoring.

Jasmine Miller has 58 points and 33 rebounds this season

Sydney Azorr, junior guard, was close behind coming off the bench, with nine points of her own. The Western bench contributed 25 points while

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Wolves traveled to Chico, California for the Coslet Classic where they suffered their first two losses of the season.

Good ball distribution helped the Wolves team overcome the Owls

Oregon Tech’s bench could only put up eleven.

Prior to hosting Oregon Tech, the

Shelby Snook, junior guard, put up 34 points over the two games.

Jasmine Miller scored 29 in the

Men’s basketball has 3-3 record after early season tournaments

A monster dunk by sophomore guard Isaiah Edwards tore up CBS Sports last week, between two tournaments weekends.

Thanksgiving weekend saw the men’s team win one and lose one on the road in Utah as part of the Dixie State Classic. Tanner Omlid, junior forward, had his third double-double of the season in the tournament.

This came the week after a poor showing at home, where the Wolves found themselves on the losing end

tournament, including a careerbest 19 points against the host team Chico State.

The Chico State game came down the buzzer when Snook attempted a three point basket that would have sent the game to overtime. Instead the ball bounced off the rim and Chico State took the victory, 67-70.

The team are at home for the rest of term, where they will open conference play. They host Seattle Pacific on Dec. 1 and St. Martin’s on Dec. 3.

Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM

Men’s basketball splits games in the Dixie State Thanksgiving Classic

By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor

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Ali Faruq-Bey scored 21 points over San Francisco State

of both games at the D2 Shootout.

The weekend of basketball in Monmouth saw the Wolves face off against two California teams. The Nov. 18 game against San Francisco State took three overtimes before the Wolves narrowly fell, 93-99.

In the long game, Ali Faruq-Bey, junior guard, racked up 21 points as the points leader of the explosive offense.

Worn out from the triple overtime game, the Wolves couldn’t rebound to win the next day’s game against UC San Diego. The game was a

playoff rematch, and despite a 19 point outing from senior forward Yanick Kulich, the Wolves fell again.

While the Wolves rested up, the Edwards dunk tape hit the CBS Sports Facebook page. In the video, the sophomore from Albany tosses the ball behind his back then crosses it under a leg before completing the dunk.

“My word,” was the response from CBS Sports.

The day after Thanksgiving, the Wolves topped Westminster College, lead by Omlid’s 23 points and 10

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rebounds. He also tallied five steals and two blocks.

The next day, the Wolves played the host school Dixie State. Trailing early, the Wolves were forced to play catch up for the match, and couldn’t quite seal the deal. They lost 73-78.

The are now .500 on the season, at an even 3-3.

Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

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CAMPUS LIFE

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Front page photo courtesy of WOU NEWS

Light up the Night

Western celebrates 49th tree lighting event

By Paige Scofield | Campus Life Editor The giant, 123-foot sequoia tree on Western’s campus has thrived for 129 years. Throughout these years students have been able to admire it’s height from anywhere on campus, especially during the holidays.

For the past 48 years, Western has decorated the giant sequoia tree with bright lights and topped it with a shining star. This year is no different.

On Friday Dec. 2, Western’s Alumni will be holding the 49th annual tree lighting event, Light up the Night: Holiday Tree Lighting. As stated by the Western’s alumni page, the event begins at 6:00 p.m. The invitation to enjoy the splendor is as follows: Come to campus to watch the

parade, hear the laughter and songs of children, build community and watch the tree light up in splendor.

The WOU A l u m n i Association Board of Western students celebrating the holidays on campus Directors will Activities for the whole family will hand out complimentary hot cocoa take place after the tree lighting and and hot cider under the alumni tents, will include pictures with Santa, be sure to come say hello and grab a cookie decorating, crafts and more. cup to warm your hands.

Photo by KEITH MATHEW

This event is for all to come and enjoy.

Contact the author journalcampuslife@wou.edu

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Winter wonder week kick off

Dead week holiday event

By Shaylie Pickrell | Staff Writer If studying for finals has made you lose your holiday spirit, and caused you to look for other forms of distraction, then look no further.

Until Dec. 9, the Student Engagement Committee will be hosting events to help students de-stress from finals, as well as get them into the holiday spirit. On Monday Nov. 28, Student Engagement held the event: Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Students received the opportunity to take a

break from studying and get a feel of some homemade snow.

Students got to be creative and make their own little, snowy bundles of joy by using fake snow, felt and pipe cleaners to bring them alive. The Student Engagement Committee was thrilled with their inclusive and festive event. If you missed it, don’t worry, the Student Engagement Committee has hung posters highlighting many other

fun opportunities to partake in this week.

If you have trouble finding them, you can go and take a look at the Student Engagement Facebook page, search for WOU Student Engagement. They also have their own personal Elf on the Shelf, who will be announcing these events. The Student Engagement Committee will even provide an opportunity for you and your friends to help name the

little guy. The other events include things such as snowman bingo and a stress ball making station. So, if you want to join in, make sure to check out their page for daily updates and information about these fun winter events. It’ll get you in the perfect spirit for the tree lighting event on Friday Dec. 2.

Contact the author spickrell15@wou. edu

Photo by KEITH MATHEW

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

CAMPUS LIFE

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

How to make it to the other side

Tips for finals

By Paige Scofield | Campus Life Editor The dreaded week is almost upon us.: finals week. One of the most stressful times for college students everywhere. By the end of the week, students look more like ghosts than people and your bed is the light at the end of a dark, dark tunnel.

For some, finals week is an old battle ground they keep tirelessly returning to, for others, it is only the beginning. Whether you’re a first year, or an eighth year senior, finals week is never easy.

The amount of stress that college students go through during the school year, and especially during finals, can seem endless. Massive amounts of stress aren’t only bad for how well you perform in school and day to day activities, but can take a

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physical toll as well.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, everyone’s body deals with stress differently: “ ... Some people experience mainly digestive symptoms, while others may have headaches, sleeplessness, depressed mood, anger and irritability. People under chronic stress are prone to more frequent and severe viral infections, such as the flu or common cold, and vaccines, such as the flu shot, are less effective for them.”

Below are some tips for finals week, so you can keep your stress levels down, and your studying techniques at top notch.

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Front page teaser courtesy of HUFFPOST.COM

Courtesy of USATODAY.COM

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Know when to take a break

According to the American Psychological Association, “... time off boosts energy reserves so that you need to exert less effort to get work done when you return.” Taking a break when you have a lot of studying to do can be beneficial to the quality of your work in the long run. So make sure you put the books down for a day or two and go out to eat, watch a movie or chill out.

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The less caffeine, the better

Energy levels can begin to drop when you’re stuck in one place for too long. Many students rely on coffee or caffeine filled drinks to keep themselves going. Make sure you don’t over do it. Once finals week rolls around, coffee drinkers tend to go from two cups a day to four or five, just to keep up. For your own health, don’t do this. As stated by Mayo Clinic, drinking four or more cups of coffee a day may cause side effects such as: insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, upset stomach, fast heartbeat, and muscle tremors.

Make an outline for those essays

Procrastination is a college student’s best frenemy.

Especially when you have an eight to 12 page paper due in two days. Being one of the biggest procrastinators on Earth, I can tell you that writing a brief outline of what’s going to be in your essay is extremely helpful. It allows you to organize your thoughts, so you know what direction your essay is heading. Don’t worry, you can still pull most of it out of thin air, but it’ll be just a little easier to assemble.

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Eat nutritiously

There are other ways to get energy than drinking your weight in coffee. Eating right to keep your blood sugar levels normal is just as effective at boosting up your energy. According to WebMD, “Portable combinations of complex carbs and lean protein, like low-fat cheese and whole-grain crackers, whole fruit and a handful of nuts, or a low-fat granola bar, are great munchies for energy.”

Sleep

Sleep is a student’s best buddy.

As stated by the American Psychological Association, sleep improves your ability to comprehend information. “...

Research suggests that sleep improves the brain’s ability to remember information. In a 2006 study in Current Biology, Harvard Medical School sleep researchers found that memories of recently learned word pairs improved when participants slept between learning and testing.” The longer you force yourself to stay awake to continue studying, the less information you keep.

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HUMOR

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

This week in completely made up horoscopes Thanksgiving: Compiled by Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor Aries 3/21-4/19 Over break, you will become a literal snowperson.

Taurus 4/20-5/20 This week when you order a drink with peppermint in it, you will instead be gifted a drink with spearmint.

Gemini 5/21-6/20 This season you will be gifted the world’s largest amount of coal. (Hint: the coal will take the form of eyeliner.)

Cancer 6/21-7/22 The stars are telling me that you should spend the entirety of December watching “Love Actually” on repeat.

Leo 7/23-8/22 You will have a secret admirer waiting for you under the Sequoia during the holiday tree lighting. Wear a bucket hat so they know who you are.

Virgo 8/23-9/22 Next Thursday your dorm will be filled with freshly painted dreidels.

Libra 9/23-10/22 The squirrels would like me to tell you that they would like a gift of acorns and Valsetz salad for the winter holiday.

Scorpio 10/23-11/21 When you go to catch your plane out of Oregon, you will witness a true horror: the PDX carpet will be changed yet again.

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21 Make sure to know the entire choreography to the “Jingle Bell Rock” dance from “Mean Girls”. It will come in handy this winter; I’ve promised not to tell you why.

Capricorn 12/22-1/19 You will be haunted by the ghosts of Thanksgivings past, present and future.

Aquarius 1/20-2/18 Swim south this winter, Aquarius. Don’t be caught in ice.

Pisces 2/19-3/20 You’re out of luck this week, Pisces. Everything is coming in a little blurry.

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a tradition of slaughter

This week, a guest contributor shares their opinion on this American holiday

By Darien Campo | Babbling Turkey GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE? GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE “GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE.” GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE: GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE; GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE “GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE.” GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE? GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE, GOBBLE GOBBLE-GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE. GOBBLE (GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE) GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE: “GOBBLE.” Contact the author at GOBBLEGOBBLE@ GOBBLE.GOBBLE

EDITORIAL

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

11

Photo courtesy of DONALDJTRUMP.COM

A year of silence

An undergraduate’s take on this historic election

By Samantha Lindsey | Guest Contributor

My labels include: 21-year-old, white, woman, pro-cannabis, promarriage equality, pro-choice, prouniversal healthcare, pro-LGBTQ rights, pro-border security, registered Independent, who voted for Donald Trump. I urge you to read on.

About two months ago, I was doing my homework in the Academic Learning Center, as I do most mornings. Across the room, however, the cubicles made noise.

Employees chattered, sipping their hot, morning beverages. What I heard were the familiar sounds of scoffing and wonder: reminiscing shards of rhetoric regurgitated from the second of three presidential debates. Condescending banter, the kind that had made me silent for more than a year now.

In my time at university, I’d learned to keep my tongue pressed between my top and bottom jaw. These days, at a place that claims to accept all

minds and opinions, those against the hive lose civil rights, and human dignity.

University made a promise to me, a promise that when you are in this

“

I spent a year living in a country divided, in a community of like-minded peers where outliers were overwhelmingly unwelcome

environment, you will have your views challenged on fair and just grounds. Yet, in the last year, what should have been a healthy political debate, generated a persecution. I was labelled: bigot, sexist, racist,

Cinema jerks beware

Movie theater etiquette is slowly disappearing

By Ashton Newton | Entertainment Editor Seeing a movie in the theater is always a fun thing to do. Whether it is a date, a movie you’ve been waiting for or just a night out with friends, going to the movies is almost never a bad idea.

Lately though, people have started viewing the “please silence your cell phone” messages as a suggestion, rather than a requirement. Trying to

xenophobic, transphobic, victimblaming, slut-shaming, woman. In the course of a year, I was called all of those names, and more, that can be generally embodied in the label:

block phone light from a few rows down with the chair in front of you is more common than it should be.

Movie theater etiquette is slowly disappearing. People are thinking less and less about others’ enjoyment of the film. Going to the movies is not cheap, and people need to take that into account before they read a text or talk to their friend while the

ignorant. Needless to say, I spent a year living in a country divided, in a community of like-minded peers where outliers were overwhelmingly unwelcome.

It was a year spent where I could

movie is playing.

Here are a few tips to maximize your enjoyment and the enjoyment of others during a movie: Open your candy and shake your popcorn before the movie starts.

When your drink is gone: admit defeat and stop slurping it.

Actually silence your phone, don’t put in on vibrate and be tempted to check it.

If you’re watching a horror movie, don’t laugh when a tense scene is on.

It ruins the scene for everyone else.

The person in front of you can most definitely feel your foot on their

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President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a rally

not speak on a topic I care so deeply about and followed so closely. I could not speak freely, and when I did, my views on platforms such as the economy were dismissed and I was labelled. A long year was spent watching my white, 17-year-old brother, and my white, 23-year-old boyfriend be stereotyped as rapists and sexists because of their color and gender.

It was a year where professors would subtly mention Hillary Clinton in their lectures, as if everyone shared the same view, as if this election was a no-brainer. It wasn’t. A year where, if you weren’t solidified in your vote by the time the primaries were over, you were ignorant. It was the year I was too afraid to even speak to anyone in my community without being labelled a sexist, racist, and xenophobic, transphobic.

I was relieved on Nov. 8, 2016, at 11:43 p.m. Not because the candidate

Continued on page 12

chair.

Wait until you get in your car to discuss the ending of the movie.

Please don’t bring your baby to the movies.

It’s okay to whisper small comments to the person next to you, but don’t have conversations.

If your kiss is going to last longer than three seconds, do it outside of the theater.

Contact the author at anewton15@ wou.edu

12

TAIL-END

The Western Journal Wednesday, November 30, 2016

George Swartzlender

Election afterthoughts

Continued from page 6

Continued from page 11

to win in every matchup. It’s a ‘You’re never gonna beat me twice’ type of thing. I’ll learn, I’ll adapt. I train so hard because I always thought someone out there was training harder than I was. And you can’t hide that.”

The one drawback to football is how it overlaps with hunting season.

Travelling is in the nature of sports and while cooped up on bus rides and plane rides to other campuses, Swartzlender thinks of home. Since he was old enough to walk, his family took him on hunting trips. Every fall, the family tradition returned and the Swartzlenders tracked game across the desert.

“I was in northern Alabama one year. We were playing down there against North Alabama. My brother sent me a picture of a big ol’ bull he killed. An elk. I’ve never been so jealous in my whole life. I just wanted to pack everything in.”

To overcome the jealousy he looks

at the big picture. “If I do this now then I can spend the rest of my time hunting and fishing as long as I can.”

Under the guidance of Wolves defensive line coach, Kimo von Oelhoffen, Swartzlender made the all-GNAC team three years in a row.

He became a staple of the defense and a leader on the team.

“The coaches gave me a shot, they gave me an opportunity, and I took it,” Swartzlender said.

His career at Western has come to a close. It may be the end of his football career as a whole. Or it may be just the start of the long story of a professional football player.

Wherever the road of football leads, the clear blue skies of Harney County will remain. Somewhere across the sagebrush flats an elk bugles and a tag waits to be filled.

I voted for won. No, I was elated to finally re-stitch the part of my tongue that had been severed by my community, in order to prevent pronunciation of my political views.

I listened, for a year, and what I got out of it is that this society is much more biased than I knew before: from hot-headed-headlines condemning Mr. Trump, to being called a bigot by my peers, and being silenced. I wanted to be heard, yet nobody would sit down and listen.

When The New York Times admitted

Contact the author at slindsey16@ mail.wou.edu

Yes, we did Continued from page 2

Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

reduces the burden on U.S. taxpayers according to the Obama Administration. According to the Washington Post the president said Dodd-Frank will, “ ... protect consumers, and lay the foundation for a stronger and safer financial system, one that is innovative, creative, competitive and far less prone to panic and collapse.” This bill has been paramount in rebuilding an already failing economy and increasing consumer confidence after an economic recession in 2008.

President Obama has been a part of many historic moments. From being the first African-American

Organic, free trade coffee.

Community events. Free cookies on Fridays. All at your neighborhood bank.

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President, to expanding healthcare and education reform, Obama started to implement policies that would help reshape America.

He also started the beginning of withdrawing the Army’s presence in Afghanistan, signed the DoddFrank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and implemented numerous others. As Obama ends his final term in office, he leaves behind a legacy of change, reform and hope for all citizens.

Contact the author at tlayman16@ wou.edu

Do you want to: Improve your writing?

Get your work published?

Eat free pizza?

AND Get paid for doing so?

Photo courtesy of GEORGE SWARTZLENDER

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the need to embrace the mission of journalism again, it became clear this election was nationally ruthless We were left in this burning dumpyard of a nation: where we no longer listen to one another’s views peacefully, rather, we persecute and stereotype. All I can hope is that we learn something: because four years from now, we vote again.

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, we’d love to have you work with us at The Western Journal. We’re always looking for freelance writers and photographers.

Visit http://www.wou.edu/westernjournal/apply-now/ for more details.

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