VOLUME 15 ISSUE 25 | WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY| FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015
Just Do It: President Obama in Portland SEE PAGE 3 FOR STORY
BASEBALL WINS GNAC After winning three games in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament, the Wolves baseball team clinched its 14th consecutive championship in a 4-3 win against the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders. Left-handed pitcher Darrien Moran earned the title of GNAC Championship MVP. Right-handed pitcher Jesse Pratt was named to the 2015 Daktronics, Inc. Division II AllWest Region Baseball Team. Pratt was also named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-West Region Team as an honorable mention selection, along with outfielder Matt Taylor. The Wolves are waiting for word on whether they qualify for the NCAA Division II West Regional tournament, which will be announced this weekend. PHOTO FROM WESTERN ATHLETICS
Student journalists receive high honors at Collegiate Newspaper Contest The Journal wins six awards including three first place
Lu’au:
More than just the hula By Jenna Beresheim Staff Writer
By Sydney Joa Staff Writer
Western’s Journal and its staff took awards in multiple categories in the 2015 Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Collegiate Contest. Having not received any awards since the 2011 contest, the announcement of nominations was an exciting time for the members of The Journal team. “I am very proud of all of the staff who work hard to produce such a quality paper; it’s a privilege to get to work with them week by week,” said Dr. Meg Artman, student media adviser. The contest awards Oregon’s collegiate newspapers in a multitude of different categories including those for specific articles, and some for whole issues and volumes of the paper. There are three separate groups of categories for schools
within the contest; The Journal competed in group two, which consists of four-year colleges and universities with non-daily newspapers. Universities all throughout Oregon compete, as this is the only collegiate newspaper competition of its kind in Oregon. The Journal was honored with first place in the Best Special Section category for its special issue on sexual assault awareness, published Oct. 31, 2014. The Special Section award looks at not only content, but also layout and general look of the paper. The issue included information on sexual assault compiled and written by Laura Knudson. It also included an anonymous personal account transcribed by Allison Opson-Clement, and an article by Jennifer Halley detailing Take
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Western students will have a chance to break away from the drab Oregon weather, entering a cultural snapshot of Polynesia and beyond at the Hawai’i Club’s ninth annual Lu’au, Saturday, May 16. The event spans over five hours, with doors opening at 4:30 p.m., dinner beginning by 5:30 p.m., and rounding out the evening with a reggae concert by Steadyriots at 9 p.m. The main attraction, the dance show, will take place between these two events, starting at 6:30 p.m. “There will be Tahitian dancing, Samoan dancing, Maori dancing, and Hula dancing,” said Hawai’i club president, Kamaluhiaakauanani Kauahi-Daniels, a second year communications major. “It will be filled with lots of fun, and
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you can experience a whole lot of different cultures of the Pacific.” If none of these dances are familiar to you, or you have never experienced the culinary culture of Polynesia, this event may be for you. Do not be fooled that this event will only focus around Hawaiian culture -- the variety of dances show that many cultures will be exhibited in this fun-filled night. “We put on the Lu’au so we can show and teach the world of the many Polynesian cultures that run through our islands,” said Alyssa Carvalho, a senior business major and vice president of the Hawai’i club. “The dances we dance have meaning and history behind it. It’s the stories of our ancestors and islands. It’s not all about grass skirts, palm trees and bright colors.” Students should also ex-
pect to engage in games, a photo booth, and even a bake sale outside of the main show. These events will be going on during the breaks before dinner and in between the dance presentation. “For this year, we hope to reach out to others and teach them of our cultures and get them wanting to come back to our future Lu’aus,” Carvalho said. Tickets are still available for pre-sale through Friday, and start at $5 for students and $15 for non-students. At the door on Saturday, they will raise by $2 each. KauahiDaniels heavily encourages students to attend “to learn more about the Polynesian culture. There will be lots to do there!” If you are interested and wish to purchase your tickets, contact the Hawaii Club at hawaiiclub@wou. edu.
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THE JOURNAL 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361 Student Media Department TERRY HOUSE NEWSROOM 503-838-8347
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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.
New committee named to oversee in-state transfer students Western provost to chair new organization By Jack Armstrong News Editor Western is among a collection of four-year Oregon universities that could soon see a shift in their policies concerning community college transfer students and their credit allocations in the coming years. Recommendations for inter-college credit transfers and course requirements for possible transfer students were all previously handled through the Joint Boards Articulation Committee (JBAC) and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC). According to their website, JBAC is an organization formed in 1992 by the Oregon University System (OUS) to “address issues related to student transfer and articulation.” The committee played an integral role in the past decade with the creation of the Associates of Art Oregon Transfer degree (AAOT), and the Associates of Science Oregon Transfer degree (ASOT). They also helped plan the Oregon Transfer Module (OTM), which compiles community college courses and their corresponding
four year credit labels. These degrees allow Oregon students to gain the first two years of a four-year degree at a community college and then smoothly transition to a fouryear university to complete their undergraduate work. The dissolution of the OUS had left the future of the JBAC in doubt due to rapidly shifting standards during the transition, but recently the JBAC received permission from the HECC to be reorganized into the Joint Transfer and Articulation Committee (JTAC). In its first iteration, JTAC will be chaired by Western’s own provost and vice president for academic affairs, Stephen Scheck. “JTEC’s ultimate goal is to streamline the process of transfer so that students get the most out of the coursework they take at the community college prior to transferring to a fouryear university,” Scheck said. The new JTAC model will operate in a similar capacity to JBAC but will be focused on creating and maintaining a complete list of courses offered at the community college level, and the corresponding
requirements at the four-year level. According to the Provost’s report to Western’s faculty senate, “an immediate request from the JTAC is for the four year schools to identify essential pre-major courses to be taken during the first and second year at the community college so students can transfer directly into junior-level course work.” This will require the dean of each department at the four-year level to compile a “request list” of required course work so that transfer students experience as little overlap as possible when making the switch from an associate program to a bachelor program. Currently, Western is a popular transfer destination for Oregon students due in large part to the relative ease of transferring in. “The process was super easy and there is a high volume of acceptance for some students,” said Juan Esparza, a 2015 Western business school graduate who transferred from Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) in Eastern Oregon. “I knew coming in that I would
probably be accepted because I had completed all of my LACCs at BMCC,” he added. While students from in-state schools have an easy time transferring to Western, some out-of-state transfer students have had a more complicated experience. “I had to go to each department individually and argue for my transfer credits to be counted,” said Elizabeth Aldrich, a third-year public policy major transfer student from Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, Colorado. “I have about 12 credits still that have not transferred over from my junior college in Colorado,” she said. Western’s administration has voiced their intention to focus on making the transfer process easier regardless of student origin. “Western has a diverse student base, and a lot of our population comes from community colleges in the area seeking further education. We will look to continue strengthening this tie with local community colleges moving forward,” incoming Western President Rex Fuller said.
CAMPUS BLOTTER Journal awarded at state competition Bark Dust Fire At 4:24 p.m. May 7, Campus Public Safety discovered a bark dust fire in Parking Lot Q. Criminal Mischief/Graffiti At 9:00 a.m. May 8, Campus Public Safety took a report of graffiti located at the Werner University Center Patio. Electrical Fire At 6:46 p.m. May 5, Campus Public Safety was contacted regarding an electrical fire at 584 Knox St. Harassment At 10:38
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p.m.
May 4, Campus Public Safety responded to a harassment call near Ackerman Hall. Informational At 6:19 p.m. May 5, Public Safety was contacted concerning an altercation in Hamersly Library. Theft – Bicycles At 8:12 and 8:45 a.m. May 6, Campus Public Safety was contacted regarding two separate bike thefts in Butler hall and Landers hall. The value of the bikes was unknown.
From Front Page
Back the Night, a sexual and domestic violence awareness event. Shannen Brouner contributed all the photos, and Haunani Tomas designed the issue. “This award was judged on many things and many people helped make it possible,” said Knudson, a senior communication studies major. “The award is such an accomplishment because so many people put forth tremendous effort to make it happen.” Another writer taking first was Tomas, winning the highest honors in the Best Sports Story category for a piece highlighting a double overtime game won by Western’s men’s basketball with a buzzer beater. The graphic for the story, also designed by Tomas, won third place honors for Best Graphic. “I wanted to cover how well our basketball team was performing and write something that highlighted a moment in their season. They deserved it,” said Tomas, a senior business major. Another first place win was taken by
Knudson in the Best Writing category. Her articles on gluten and gluten-free lifestyles, a feature on the Three Legged Dog Pub in Independence, and a news story on divestment of alumni funds at Western helped secure her highest honors. A third place award went to Knudson’s story on the new pub in Independence. This was awarded in the Best Feature Story category. The Journal also received awards for the news section. News Editor Jack Armstrong’s story on a Western alumna who was jailed in Japan for shipping herself prescription medication took second place in the Best News Story category. The Journal plans to enter additional national collegiate newspaper competitions soon. Copies of The Journal are widely available across campus as well as at local businesses in the MonmouthIndependence area.
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Just Do It: President Obama in Portland President’s visit seeks to garner support for trade initiative By Jenna Beresheim Staff Writer President Barack Obama arrived in Portland May 7 as part of a multifaceted trip, including a fundraiser and a visit to Nike. According to OregonLive.com, after the fundraiser, Obama was to “give remarks on free trade at Nike headquarters near Beaverton.” Routes and specific plans were undisclosed for security reasons. Traffic in Portland intensified with the president’s 20-car escort navigating through the area during May 7 and 8. “We have to make sure that America writes the rules of the global economy,” Obama said in his speech at Nike, “and we should do it today while our economy is in the position of global strength.” A 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact with correlated fast-track legislation plan was proposed. The agreement would open up commerce amongst the U.S. and 11
other Pacific Rim countries. The trade pact could potentially open up over 10,000 new jobs for American workers through Nike. Reducing tariffs in the U.S. and other countries would allow Nike to manufacture more shoes in the U.S., which in turn would create more manufacturing and engineering jobs locally. “Nike has factories all around the world, and let’s face it, some of these countries, they don’t have the standards for wages and labor conditions that we have here,” Obama said during his speech. The hope would be to cause these countries to raise their labor standards, setting a minimum wage and passing safe workplace laws to protect their workers. It would even allow workers the freedom to form their own unions if they chose to do so. This became a plan that immediately had backlash from the public, and those within the government as well. Opponents of this proposal planned to protest outside of Nike, while
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden joined in the mix by voting against the fasttrack proposal. Wyden, who was mentioned in Obama’s speech, was unable to attend. Wyden was not the only one fighting this proposal. The Statesman Journal reported, “more than a dozen other pro-trade Senate Democrats voted against a Republican proposal to begin consideration of legislation that would give Obama fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements.” 60 votes were required for the proposal to pass, with the overall score falling to 52-45, canceling out
“We have to make sure that America writes the rules of the global economy.” -President Barack Obama
the President’s ability to fast-track the proposal. The main focus was not even on the fair trade proposal, but in the way it was proposed by the President. Many people took offense in how Obama addressed individuals, particularly liberal Democrats. Labor unions were also skeptical of the move. U.S. News quoted Eric Hauser, an American Federation of Labor and Congress Industrial Organizations spokesman who stated that past trade agreements “have taught us that corporate-driven trade policy too often accelerates a global race to the bottom.” The real question becomes whether the proposal will go through, fasttrack or not, and what the impact will be, not only in the U.S. as a country, but in our own home state of Oregon, where Nike’s headquarters lies. Obama reinforced the idea by echoing Nike’s common slogan of “Just do it.”
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CAMPUS LIFE
Consent is sexy
SWAT educates students about sexual assault By Evelina Ramirez Staff Writer
Abby’s House and Western’s Campus Against Sexual Assault (CASA) invited the Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team (SWAT) from University of Oregon to interact with students and give them insightful information about sexual assault and violence. The workshop took place Monday, May, 11 in the Werner University Center. SWAT is a sex-positive program that values all sexual relationships as long as they are healthy. SWAT organized their presentation in workshops that included a sexual assault’s survivor monologue followed by interactive discussions with other characters involved in the narrative. They also mentioned how and how not to support a survivor of sexual assault. To help sexual assault survivors, SWAT said that one
must believe them, tell them it is not their fault, and lead them to other helpful resources. Additionally, they provided resources for survivors of sexual assault and a demonstration of healthy and unhealthy communication. “I like the interactive nature of this workshop because not only do they give the information, but they give the skills and then you actually get to use what you’re learning,” said Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, director of Abby’s House. Michele De La Cruz, SWAT member and sociology major, said: “Being a survivor myself, who has dealt with a lot of the things that we discussed in the workshop such as slut shaming, I think I am able to add aspects of realism and more depth to it.” According to their website,
swat.uoregon.edu, sexual assault, dating violence, and sex positivity encompasses many other issues, therefore is it not uncommon for SWAT’s workshops to touch on other topics such as: sexism, racism, homophobia, and more. “What I love about this group is that it’s a serious topic, yet they make it really fun,” Dello Stritto said. Their moto being “Consent is Sexy,” SWAT reinforced that consent is mandatory regarding any sexual relations. To contact SWAT, email them at SWAT@uoregon. edu. To contact Abby’s House, go to their website wou.edu/student/club/abbyshouse or email them at abbyshouse@wou.edu.
PHOTO BY EVELINA RAMIEREZ
Speaker shares experiences of deafblind and LGBTQ communities By Amanda Clarke Staff Writer Jasper Norman, a deafblind, transgender, Latino male from New York, shared his life story during a presentation in the Willamette room, May 11. Norman is a first generation Latino American. He is also a pro-tactile signer, which is new in the deafblind community. This way of signing includes signing on the person’s back to whom he is talking so he can feel the reaction to what he says, and using both hands to sign. When Norman was in the third grade, he said that was when he first began to feel that he identified more with males than he did females.
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It was not until later when he was attending college in Ohio, to receive a degree in web design, where he saw the transgender speaker, Joseph Gartner, that he realized his true identity as a male, Norman said. In college, his vision became so bad that he was unable to finish his degree. He then decided to move to Seattle to seek a better transgender community. Norman presented the video of his first testosterone injection during the presentation, and also added that he shows it at workshops as well. Norman takes testosterone injections weekly and has been doing so for the past two years. This event helped people to understand and learn more about the LGBTQ and deafblind communities as well as how they are accepted depending on their sexual identity in the world. Norman gave time after his presentation to let audience members ask questions. They were done in a variety of ways, such as signing, speaking out loud, or anonymously via text to James
Parrish, a first-year criminal justice major, who helped run the program. “I don’t actually know a lot of people in the trans community,” Parrish said. “It is nice to go somewhere and feel like I belong.” “My goal is to spread awareness,” Norman said. There is a “lack of news and understanding about LGBTQ […] because it’s such an old thing.” He also mentioned that with pronouns, people should, “ask first, instead of guessing.” Norman said that being deaf and blind is a bigger challenge than what he faces being transgender, especially because of the difficulty of finding employment with a disability. His talk at Western is one of his firsts, but he is willing to present more in the future, “not just for myself but for others who may benefit,” he said, as well as the “need to address the lack of information [with LGBTQ].” Sarah Tabor, a first-year psychology major, said it was a great to “hear about his life stories as well as some struggles, and it was very eye open-
ing.” Norman said he is looking to finish his web design degree, and help deaf and blind people. “A lot of deafblind people are isolated, and they stay home,” he said, because “they don’t have the accommodations they need.” Madison Adrian, a first-year early education major, said it “was really interesting. It was good to see his perspective and take on things and I learned a lot from it.”
JASPER NORMAN
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Fundraising for Nepal
Students and faculty raise over $1,500
A campaign against discrimination and proposition eight
By Katrina Penaflor Campus Life Editor A 7.8 earthquake hit Nepal April 25, resulting in a devastating toll of over 8,000 deaths, according to www.npr.com. NPR later reported that the disaster continued when a recent 7.3 earthquake struck Kathmandu, Nepal, May 12, just weeks after the first. Continuous aftershocks occurred with magnitudes of six and five. With the need for help being urgent, students and faculty around campus, some of which have a direct connection to Nepal, have made the effort to fundraise in support. “My family, friends, and people back home are directly impacted from this earthquake,” said Samrid Aryal, an information systems major. “So, I decided to do what I can from here and approach the WOU community for help.” Another student, Samhita Dixit, an international studies major, felt a personal impact from the earthquake, which drew him to get involved. “I remember looking at the news all weekend long and just crying,” Dixit said. “It was really hard not being able to contact family and friends.”
NOH8 By Emily Pate Freelancer
PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMRID ARYAL
Fundraising for the campaign, referred to as #woustandswithnepal, began with tabling in the Werner Center for two weeks, and extended to students asking the community to help. The International Club donated $1 from each of their tickets sold for their annual International Night, and additional money was raised during henna tattoo sales at the event. Students from Western who were involved with the fundraiser spoke with and thanked local organizations who were making their own efforts to help Nepal, like the Salem Rotary Club, who made an approximate donation of $10,000 to the Nepal Red Cross. Volunteers have received a lot of
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support around campus. Vikas Sharma, an information system major said: “We got a really good response from all the WOU community including students, staff and faculty.” President Mark Weiss and dean of students, Tina Fuchs, are among the many who donated. “We would like to thank everyone who made this fundraising possible,” Aryal said. “The funds that we collected will make a direct and immediate impact to the people of Nepal.” To donate, go to www.wou.edu/ give and click “Support WOU,” followed by “Others (Nepal Relief).” Checks can be made out to the WOU Foundation, Nepal Relief Fund and dropped off at Western’s foundation office.
November 4, 2008, Proposition 8 was passed in California, amending the state constitution to ban the legal right of samesex couples to marry. The NOH8 (no hate) Campaign, created by photographer Adam Bouska and partner Jeff Parshley, rose up in protest. According to the campaign’s website, http://www.noh8campaign.com, NOH8’s mission is: “To promote marriage, gender and human equality through education, advocacy, social media, and visual protest.” This Friday, as a part of Western’s Pride Month Celebration, NOH8 will come to our campus. This visual protest will take place in the Werner University Center, May 15, 12 to 3 p.m. There will be a photo shoot in the second floor lobby to document the support of Western students for their fight against hate. NOH8 is a silent protest. Subjects are photographed with duct tape over their mouths and NOH8 painted on their faces to represent the voices being silenced by Proposition 8 and legislation alike. Amanda Murray, a senior and interdisciplinary studies major, expressed her excitement at participating in the photoshoot, and for the NOH8 Campaign in general. “I don’t think it’s needed so much at Western, because we’re already such an accepting community,” Murray said. “However, I think it’s great when the NOH8 Campaign comes here. Not only is it fun, because I always have a blast, but it spreads awareness of the LGBTQ+ community’s struggles.” Patrick Harish, a junior business major, said he believes in the importance of the NOH8 Campaign’s message. “I think that it is important due to the fact that when we are born, we are all created equal and it should stay that way,” Harish said. Like Murray, he plans on getting his photo taken in support. “I am going to the photoshoot on Friday because I personally want there to be love and not hate,” Harnish said. The photoshoot is a way for anyone to get involved in NOH8’s message of equality. NOH8’s website reports that the Campaign has photographed nearly 33,000 faces, a number that includes Western students. While it started as a reaction against the banning of same-sex marriage, NOH8 has become a protest against all discrimination, a cause aided by campuses like Western.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Book Review: “Hemlock Grove” is howl-worthy horror By Jenna Beresheim Staff Writer If you’re craving an enticing novel full of the supernatural, look no further than “Hemlock Grove” by Brian McGreevy. This horror-thriller novel was published in 2010 and only recently began to peep out of the underground after the release of a Netflix series adaptation in 2011. Both the novel and series complement one another, so it is advised that you read the novel and use the series
as supplemental information. Netflix has signed on for a total of three seasons, allowing viewers to follow favorite characters long after the end of the novel. Vampires, werewolves, witches, oh my! “Hemlock Grove” has it all, and more. But this is not your typical supernatural series. McGreevy focuses on the macabre: vampires replaced by Upirs, a stronger, darker breed than what we are accustomed to. Lycanthropy is hereditary, with dire consequences following those who attempt to become one out-
side of natural law. This book is full to the brim with blood, impressive imagery, and complicated characters. Peter Rumancek, a werewolf from a gypsy family, moves to Hemlock Grove, Pennsylvania to start a new life with his mother. There, a string of grisly murders lead townsfolk to instantly blame him, assuming the newcomer is the base of all their problems. With Peter trying to clear his name, fate would have it that he befriends Roman Godfrey. Known for his wealth and influence as the spoiled son of Godfrey Institute, the town’s largest
company, Roman plays a key role in the two’s investigation. Ultimately, this book has its ups and downs. If you can keep track of an entangled web of characters and how they are all connected to one another, this is the book for you. If you are not squeamish and enjoy a good, dark read, McGreevy delivers to a whole new level. Next time you are craving vampires and werewolves, flavored with variety and seasoned with a hint of Gothic literature, look no further than “Hemlock Grove.”
KWOU APP HAS ARRIVED KWOU radio app now available on iTunes By Nathaniel Dunaway Entertainment Editor
Western’s student-run campus radio station KWOU now has an official app available through the Apple iTunes Store. The app, called “KWOU: Western Oregon Radio,” is free to download, and features common radio and podcast app features, such as “Listen Now” and “The DJs,” the latter of which gives a rundown of the station’s 20 DJs and shows, including Space Legs, Renegade Riley, and Domination Nation. “It has been a long process to finally get it out,” said KWOU Station Manager Iain Dexter. “But, we appreciate the work that Bruin Mobile from UCLA has done to help get this out. I am extremely excited to finally have the app ready for students and the Monmouth community to download and make access to our station much easier.” “Weekly Schedule,” “Events,” and instant connection to KWOU’s various social media platforms are
also available through the app, as well as information on how to get involved with the radio station, a part of Western’s student media. The app requires iOS 7.0 or later, and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. “I’m looking forward to seeing KWOU grow through this introduction to mobile devices, which is what most people use to listen to music and the radio” said Clara Pratt, KWOU’s technical engineer. KWOU joins Abby’s House as the two student-led organizations on campus with apps available through the iTunes Store. “With any new technology, there are always initial kinks to work out,” Dexter said. “Currently, we are updating information, but you’ll always have access to our music and shows.” In addition to the app, listeners can access KWOU at www.wou. edu/kwou.
SCREENSHOT OF KWOU APP
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ENTERTAINMENT
Flailing is fun: Interactive slapstick in video games
By Declan Hertel Staff Writer The surge in indie games has brought with it a new genre of game: interactive slapstick. Funny games used to be games where you do a thing, someone says a joke, repeat. While those games still exist in fine form (“Portal 2” is a prime example), there is a new sort of comedy game that derives humor from its physics or controls. Below is a list of very fine examples of the genre, and all come with high recommendations from me.
“Surgeon Simulator 2013”
This game is an example of an absurd control scheme used for humorous effect. In “SS2013,” you must perform complex surgeries with the use of only one hand. The arm and hand are controlled with the mouse, and each of the fingers and the thumb are operated with the A, W, E, R, and Spacebar keys on your keyboard. Picking up a scalpel becomes a gargantuan task, never mind using it to any great effect. On more than one occasion, I’ve taken the heart I’m to transplant and accidentally thrown it full force into the patient’s
face and watched it fall to the floor, never to be seen again. After many failed attempts, I finally completed the operation by removing everything from the man’s chest cavity and plopping the heart in. This is good enough in “Surgeon Simulator.”
“Goat Simulator”
The other main type of interactive slapstick comes from odd usages of physics. The developers of “Goat Simulator” left in every bug and glitch that didn’t crash the game, created a monster that plays like a demented “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater,” awarding points for tricks and stunts like running up walls, getting thrown across the map by a speeding truck, or knocking over a crowd of people by headbutting some poor sap into them. That’s all you do; run around the map and cause mayhem as a goat. And it somehow never gets old. Every time you fire it up, you find some new way to mess with everything.
“Octodad: Dadliest Catch”
“Octodad,” a fusion of the above two methods of interac-
tive slapstick, is a heartwarming game by Young Horse Inc. about a suburban father trying to be the best dad and best husband that he can possibly be while keeping his dark secret safe from the world, and even from his family; his secret being that he is, in fact, an octopus. The player must guide the titular cephalopod through simple activities, like making breakfast, while controlling each of his super-elastic limbs individually. But you also have a secret to keep, so you must fight against your rubbery appendages and try to accomplish these mundane tasks as mundanely as possible. You’ll be doing well, walking around the kitchen, making small talk with your family, and then one false move later you’ve thrown the milk across the kitchen, and then as you go to retrieve it you knock over some chairs, and that sends your leg flying into the air and you flip into the wall, and after much hilarious flailing, you finally deliver a bowl of cereal to your daughter, who thanks you wholeheartedly. And all is right.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PCWORLD.COM
COMIC CORNER MY SUPERVISOR IS A DINOSAUR BY ANONYMOUS
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Multiple GNAC champions earn honors on home track during Outdoor Championships By Rachel Shelley Staff Writer The Great Northwest Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships were held this past weekend on the Wolves home turf to showcase the outdoor track season as well as giving those going a chance to prepare for the National meet. The first highlight came from Emmi Collier who became the first Wolf to win an individual title in the shot put since 2006. Her lifetime personal best came Friday, May 8, en route to win the shot put with 13.89 meters.
Jeremy Moore was able to step on the podium Friday after a 45.34 mark in the discus to give him a second place finish overall. For the runners, preliminaries took place Friday. Rochelle Pappel raced the 100-meter hurdles, qualifying for finals in 14.46 seconds. Laura Patrick raced the 100 to qualify for finals in 12.36. In the 400 hurdles, seniors Audrey Hellesto and Laura Knudson raced to keep their season alive, qualifying for finals in 1:04.31 and 1:04.96, respectively. The men’s side included Aaron Whitaker finishing
DAVID RIBICH PHOTO BY RACHEL GOSNEY
STEPHANIE STUCKEY (fifth in from the left) PHOTO BY RACHEL GOSNEY
KYLIE REINHOLDT PHOTO BY RACHEL GOSNEY
THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015
the 400 in 49, finishing seventh and qualifying for finals. Standout first year Cody Warner earned a spot in the finals in the 100 with 10.67 and the 200 in 21.68, taking second in both events. Kaleb Dobson raced the 400 hurdles, winning his preliminary race in 54.18. In the 800, All-American Badane Sultessa, Josh Dempsey and Josh Hanna all earned spots in Saturday’s finals. Sultessa won the prelims with a time of 1:51.46. On Saturday, senior Rebecca Laible defended her individual title in the triple jump with 11.79 meters. She won the event by 1.50 inches and also achieved a season-best to end her career at Western. Kylie Reinholdt took third in the event with 11.69, a life-time best. Stephanie Stuckey raced the 1,500, placing third in 4:35.26. Emily Wetherell threw a lifetime best mark of 48.70 in the hammer throw while
Amanda Short and Sheila Limas De La Cruz finished third and fourth, respectively, in the javelin. They both threw lifetime bests in 44.12 and 44.04 meters, respectively. The men took home two individual titles when Sultessa won the finals of the 800 in 1:52.31. He became the Wolves’ third 800 champion since 2011. First year David Ribich took home his first conference title in the 1,500 in 3:50.58, a lifetime best. Warner finished in second place in the 100 after finals while Dobson finished second in the 400 hurdles after the finals race. The men’s team finished with 88 points in the conference standings, placing fourth overall after the two days. The women’s team placed fifth with 62 points. The last opportunity to race during this outdoor season takes place on May 21-23 in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Championships. The Wolves will wait for the announcement
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SPORTS
CAMPUS BRIEFS NUESTRA FIESTA LATINA Western’s Multicultural Student Union is hosting the Nuestra Fiesta Latina all day Friday, May 15, in the Werner University Center. This family friendly event will include mariachi music, salsa and merengue dancing, and traditional Latin food. Due to the event, Church Street will be closed to through traffic from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information regarding the festival, please contact the MSU at 503-838-8403 or visit www.wou.edu/ DAVID RIBICH msu. NOH8 PHOTO-SHOOT Western’s Pride Month Celebration will be hosting a photo shoot in support of the Noh8 campaign to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. The shoot takes place Friday, May 15, from 12 to 3 p.m. in the second floor lobby of the Werner University Center, and is free to the public. This event is designed to promote a hate-free environment for Western’s campus. For more information, please contact the Pride Month Celebration Committee at 503-838–8261.
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INAUGURAL TREE ARBOR DAY EVENT The Western Oregon Tree Campus Committee will be hosting an Arbor Day event, including a tour of the three memorial trees planted on Western’s Campus. The event will take place Wednesday, May 20, from 12 to 1 p.m. The tour begins behind The Cottage (east side) by the McAuliffe Memorial Tree. The committee will also be planting their own memorial inaugural tree. The event is free. For more information, call 503-838-8129. “IDENTITY THEORY AND SOCIAL CAPITAL” DR. PETER CALLERO Wednesday, May 20, from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Health and Wellness center room 105, Dr. Peter Callero will be hosting a lecture entitled “Identity Theory and Social Capital: How to advance Democracy at the Level of Interaction.” Dr. Callero has been a professor of sociology at Western since 1986, and his research interests center on the problem of self-identity in modern society. This event is free and open to the public. For more information on the lecture, please contact the Social Science Division at 503-838-8288.
will be hiring section editors for the 2015-2016 school year. Stay tuned next week for job postings and descriptions on WolfLink and http://www.wou.edu/studentmedia/student-media-job-descriptions/
Corrections The Journal misprinted the final day to take a “W” grade in last week’s issue. The final date to take a “W” grade is May 15. Please contact Jesse Poole at 503-838-8083 for more information. In last week’s article “The ‘Coming Out Monologues’” the incorrect gender was listed for Sam Stageman.
THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015
OPINION
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Trans Pacific Partnership:
What you need to know
You may be wondering why you should be concerned about some boring free trade agreement that few people know anything about, but I’m here to tell you that it plays a significant role in the future of the labor market that us college students will soon become a part of. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is a relatively new free trade agreement being spearheaded by the U.S. and about a dozen other Pacific Rim countries, including Canada, Chile, Vietnam, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The agreement on the U.S side is currently stalling in the Senate, as the vote to “fast-track” the legislation was struck down on Tuesday, which would have essentially allowed the agreement to be pushed through on a quicker agenda. It is supposedly designed to ease the flow of goods and services in order to grow businesses and the economy, but since the legislative hearings of trade agreements occur in secret, it is difficult to tell what the text of the proposal actually says. In order to really understand something like the TPP, we first need to understand what free trade is. Free trade is designed to create open markets between countries. This means imported and exported goods and services should not be taxed or tariffed by countries engaging in trade with each other. The opposite of free trade is fair trade, aptly named even though it doesn’t really create “fairness,” so to speak. The idea behind fair trade is to protect industries and services being produced within a country from being infringed upon by another country. For example, when Hyundai, a Korean car company, exports a car to the U.S, the U.S. may impose a tariff, which is an import/export tax, so that it is closer to the price that American car manufactures can afford to charge customers in the U.S. However, this hurts the global economy because we are not focusing on something we could be competitive at. All we are doing is causing the price of cars to be higher than necessary. The benefit to free trade is that it creates more competition between countries and can lead to specialization in the goods and services being produced. Specialization makes economies more efficient and wealthier in the long run. This is because countries are then able to focus more on a few products and services and, therefore, produce them better than one country would if it tried to make everything it wanted or needed all on its own. If you as an individual tried to grow your own food, brew your own beer, make your own clothes and design your own computer, you would not be very well off because you don’t have the time or resources to do all of those
THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015
things well. However, if I only made clothes and you only grew food then I could trade my clothes for your food and we would both be better off. That is why when individuals, or countries in this case, trade with each other they focus on a few things and then trade those with another country for something else. For instance, the U.S focuses on pharmaceutical drugs while China focuses on the manufacturing of consumer products such as children’s toys. This is incentive for free trade. It makes it easier for countries to trade their specialized products with those of other countries. This is in part why the TPP is being pushed through and why many other free trade agreements in the past, such as the European Union and the North American Free Trade Agreement were passed. However, it may not be the only reason that this deal has been drafted. Unfortunately, little is known about the TPP by the general public. The trade agreement has been in the developmental stages since its drafting date all the way back in 2005, and the process to put this trade act together has been all but transparent. Much of it has taken place behind closed doors with both the public and even Congress to some extent held in the dark. Initially, four countries signed the agreement and then the others came on to negotiate while others were still in the prospective stages. In the last five years or so, negotiations have been slowly rolling along with many of the decisions occurring in secret. However, WikiLeaks has been successful in obtaining some information on the deal, but it pales in comparison to how much we don’t know. In more ways than one, the TPP may be particularly damaging to some industries and demographic groups in the U.S. Back in the early 1990s, the passing of NAFTA reportedly resulted in the “relocation of some 700,000 jobs, 61% in manufacturing,” according to an article by Jana Kasperkevic of The Guardian. However, if you buy the free trade argument on the whole, the economies of those engaged in free trade will improve even though it will result in the shifting and changing of some industries. This kind of outsourcing of manufacturing jobs is notorious for being one of the main causes of the decline of the American dream, on which a person is able to rely on the abundance of a high-paying job in the U.S. It is also seen as one of the reasons that wages have stayed stagnant in this country for so long. A loss of decent full time jobs is painfully felt by American workers, resulting in resentment of free trade agreements and the government officials who support them.
By Jerry Creasy, president of the business and economics club
The passing of this act could be very beneficial to U.S corporations with stake holdings in any of the countries involved. According to WikiLeaks, many parts of the TPP will result in a significant amount of increased freedom for transcontinental businesses, such as Nike. In fact, Nike is one of the main supporters and happened to be where President Obama decided to speak to the public on how great TPP would be for everyone involved. The President claimed it will help improve working conditions overseas while simultaneously creating a stronger workforce here at home. It is curious, however, that President Obama chose Nike headquarters as his platform for his speech, as has been one of the companies most notoriously known for sub-par working conditions in its manufacturing plants overseas where it outsourced a number of jobs. It is difficult to say whether or not this agreement would actually be worth it for the global economy or, more importantly for American college students, whether or not it would stand to benefit the U.S. job market. Another key component of this deal is that one of the largest Pacific Rim countries is being intentionally left out of the deal.
TPP
You guessed it: China. The deal is somewhat aimed at countering China’s influence amongst the Pacific Rim, since the country is infamous for manipulating its currency so that it is worth less than others and thereby incentivizes businesses to buy products made there rather than from North America or Western Europe. Another issue is that many of the corporations resemble oligopolies to an extent with major shares of the markets that they compete in. This means they have very few competitors and thus have a huge effect on the market. This could give them significant power and influence over the details of this agreement so that it benefits them. With an increasingly competitive labor supply, it may become harder for graduating college students to find work. Some jobs will be shipped overseas not only in the manufacturing sector, but other areas as well. Others will have wages forced down as competition from foreign countries becomes fiercer. Additionally, when large companies have such a large impact on the economy, wages could decrease, along with employment. We will just have to wait and see how this pact plays out, but for now it’s up in the air.
?? ? CONGRESS
PUBLIC
ARTWORK CREATED BY CARLY FISTER
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OPINION
Sleeplessly coming of age By Haunani Tomas, Editor-in-Chief
I
n attempting to complete a 10-page group paper the night before it was due, I ask myself the question any student asks themselves at three o’clock in the morning: how did I even get here? Umpteen cup of Folgers medium roast later, I look out of my kitchen window: the beams signifying a new day, as well as the hourly approach of my deadline, shone down on the red doors of the Whitesell Townhouses as my eyes adjust to something other than my computer screen.
As the capstone course to complete an undergraduate business degree, students are required to enroll in strategic management. Among completing various case studies and reading Harvard Business Review articles, we are assigned a group project consisting of four separate 8-10 page papers that analyze a publicly-owned business of our choosing. Aside from being a royal pain in my you-know-what, group papers and projects test one’s ability to collaborate with peers to work toward one goal: submitting something that doesn’t look or sound like it was done during the wee hours of the morning, around the same time as your roommates and their boyfriends are stumbling on home from the bar. This strategic management group project is one of three groups I am involved in this term, courtesy of the remaining upper-division level classes required to graduate. So, in attempting to, for lack of a better phrase, get it over with, I parked my rear-end on our kitchen counter around nine in the evening and proceeded to analyze in great detail the generic strategy of Cabela’s and yield in-depth coverage on potential strategic options Cabela’s could pursue in their endeavor to substantiate themselves as the World’s Foremost Outfitter. Fun stuff really. At this point in the school year, a squirrel has what seems like an endless attention span compared to mental capacity I have going on upstairs. There exists no limit to the things that hinder my ability
S
to focus on anything academic. The limit does not exist! Anyway, 10 pages of single-spaced Cabela’s strategic implications later and, oh! Good morning sunshine! Literally! Staying coherent enough to see the light of a new day is something I giddily partook in during the ages of 10 through 14. The last time I remember staying up for the entirety of the Earth’s 360-degree rotation was way back in what seems like Nam. In my Gatsby-esque “younger and more
end up with Sharpie tattoos, which would be drawn on bodily parts unforeseen by one’s own eye and would read something similar to “owned” or “[insert name] was here.” Regardless of how I remember all-nighters as a child, they do not presently merit the same amusing recollections. There is no sound rationale I can think up that would gladly incline me forego an eight-hour REM cycle. Similar to running around on the playground, summoning the energy to stay
In my Gatsby-esque “younger and more vulnerable years,” if you will, I rejoiced in disobeying my mother’s orders to go to sleep at the reasonable hour of ten o’clock. vulnerable years,” if you will, I rejoiced in disobeying my mother’s orders to go to sleep at the reasonable hour of ten o’clock. Particularly during slumber parties, my friends and I prided ourselves in withstanding the allure of a good night’s rest. If you were anything like a normal adolescent en route to puberty, you understand. It was implicitly understood that whoever fell asleep first would most likely
awake all night does not come as easily as it once did, nor does it occur because of the reasons it once did. So, I concluded that my all-nighters can be attributed to a lack of proper time management. It’s difficult to believe my mother when she tried to convince me that these days are the best of my life when I wish she would pester me to get a great night’s rest far before midnight.
o after staying up for upwards of 36 consecutive hours to complete this report worth 60 percent of our final grade, our professor emails us to inform us of two things: first, to cancel class and second, to move the due date of our 10-pager to next week. After making another cup of coffee, I slouch back down in front of my laptop screen, defeated and exhausted. My phone begins ringing. Mom. “Hey, baby girl! Did I wake you up?” she asks. She greets me between sips of her first coffee of the morning. Maxwell House. “Yeah, something like that,” I say as I close my laptop screen and rub my eyes. and curl up on the couch.
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TAIL-END
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NEW STUDENT MEDIA HEADS Conner Williams The Journal Editor-in-Chief Zoe Strickland Northwest Passage Editor-in-Chief
Grant Harris KWOU Station Manager
LETTER TO EDITOR I understand your perspective in your May 8 column [“Fighting hate with hate is NOT the answer”]. The Sweet Cakes by Melissa owners intentionally broke the law and discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation. It was their decision to do so and they stand by their decision. They didn’t say, “Whoops. Didn’t know that was against the law. Our bad.” You mention that there are two sides to every story — that suggests that the lesbian couple who had been patrons of the cake shop were in the wrong to ask their local baker to make their cake, as they had done for other occasions. But the law is clear. The bakers did discriminate based on sexual orientation—a violation under Oregon statute. Would we say it’s “two sides to every story” if the bakers wouldn’t make a cake for African-American people? There are consequences to homophobia. We do need to send a message that bigotry is not a practice endorsed in Oregon commerce. How else would you sanction a business for an egregious and intentional violation of the law? Homophobia needs to remain separate from business practice if business owners intend to set up shop in Oregon. Sweet Cakes by Melissa chose to act on theirs and being outed about their homophobic beliefs and prejudice was what cost them their business. (You should also see this, if you haven’t:http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-20698-the_ cake_wars.html) Lastly, I agree with you, there is no excuse to belittle someone because they have a different belief system or lifestyle. People who are gay, lesbian, bi, or queer don’t have a lifestyle, they just have a different sexual orientation and in Oregon that is a protected class. Best, CM Hall Project Coordinator, Western Region Interpreter Education Center Adjunct Faculty, ASL/English Interpreting Program
THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2015
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