4.11.14

theJournal

byIain Dexter Sports Editor

Bonfire

TONIGHT!

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The Wolves were next victorious over #24-ranked MSU 21-4 on Saturday, April 5. Dougan led the team with a season-high nine points, eight of them goals.

Bohince followed him with five goals and three assists for eight points. Junior midfielder Daniel Hochspeier added seven points with three goals and four assists.

“I know a lot of us on the team believe that being 12-0 is only a number,” said Smith. “We could easily be in a dog fight any given day and any given game regardless of records, but that’s what makes this game so great.”

RED BULL SCHLITTENTAG EVENT // page 4

LACROSSE page 6

Photo courtesy of [name]

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hula app shares sexual info // page 3 Photo by Everett Bouwer

After victories over Gonzaga University and Montana State University (MSU), the men’s lacrosse club remains undefeated with a 12-0 record and moved up to #7-ranked in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) Div. II. The Wolves defeated #21-ranked Gonzaga easily 15-1 in Spokane, Wash. on Friday, April 4. The team was led offensively by senior attacker Jacob Bohince, who had five goals and an assist. Senior attacker Clay Malensek added three goals and an assist, followed by senior midfielder Taylor Dougan, who scored two goals in the game.

Senior goalie Ronnie Rothstein saved a seasonhigh 12 shots in the game, giving up one goal for a .923 save percentage.

“One of the big things we have going for us that helps us excel as a team is that we have really bonded this year as a team,” said senior defenseman Cooper Smith. “[We] look to each other as a family, rather than just teammates.”

KWOU Spring

feature Spread the word to end the word

by Amanda McMasters Entertainment Editor In our society, we strive to become more and more politically correct, trying to knock out the use of derogatory slurs against other people. We as a nation are well aware of the hurtful and hateful language used against people of different races, religions, cultures or personal beliefs.

However, there’s a certain group in our society that people have a habit of pushing to the wayside. People with intellectual disabilities and special needs make up a large percentage of our population, yet we just don’t think about them. People often use hurtful language that is derogatory towards people with intellectual disabilities, and a lot of times we don’t even realize we’re doing it. One such derogatory slur is the word “retard” or “retarded,” often called the R-word by people aware of its negative connotation.

According to the 2012 U.S Census report, about one in five Americans have some sort of disability. About 0.14 percent of babies are born with Down syndrome, 2 percent are diagnosed with autism, 8 percent of children have a learning disability and 17 percent of American’s have communication disorders.

The Special Olympics, a sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, sponsors the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, a cause that is close to the heart of Western student Jordan Sollman.

“I started doing the R-word campaign in high school,” Sollman says. “I saw a lot of special needs people being made fun of and I was always the person to stick up for them.”

Last term, Sollman did his part in trying to spread the word, hosting a campaign right here on campus. Set up in the Werner University Center, Sollman had a banner for people to see

WORD page 2

Photo from KHON2.com

Men’s lacrosse club remains undefeated

Volume 14 Issue 15 | Friday, April 11, 2014

LINDELL SKAGGS FEATURE // page 8

student media announcement The Student Media Department has moved to Terry House, located adjacent to Campus Public Safety and across from Heritage Hall.

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theJournal

News

Friday, April 11, 2014

theJournal

WORD from Front Page

503-838-8347 Editor-in-Chief Laura Knudson Copy Editor Marissa Thompson News Editor Allison Opson Clement Sports Editor Iain Dexter Entertainment Editor Amanda McMasters Photo Editor Tori Gannon Designers Haunani Tomas Caitlin-Marie Frost Jimmy Wilder Web Manager Jordan Salazar Student Media Adviser Shelby Case

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 in Room 106 located in WUC, or e-mail them to Managingeditor1314@gmail.com.

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

All options expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do necessarily reflect those of The Journal or WOU.

Oregon businesses receive fewer harassment and discrimination charges

by Allison Opson Clement News Editor Harassment and discrimination charges have decreased by 15 percent in Oregon since 2012, according to an annual report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

“The purpose of [the EEOC’s] enforcement and litigation report is to give a comprehensive look at the state of harassment and discrimination in workplaces across each state and the country,” said Jimmy Lin, vice president of product management and corporate development at The Network, a governance, risk and compliance solutions provider. “The results are found by compiling all of the harassment and discrimination charges in 2013 and analyzing the results – seeing what type of harassment and discrimination had the most charges, which ones went up, etc.”

The graphic shown here, created

by The Network from the EEOC report, shows how Oregon compares to the rest of the United States, and the state of harassment and discrimination charges in the country.

According to Lin, Oregon has had a steady decline of harassment and discrimination charges since 2009. However, he said “charges did increase in 2012 quite drastically,” followed by the15 percent reduction in 2013. He expects this decrease to continue steadily in coming years.

“Businesses are putting more time and thought into their employee training programs,” said Lin, “which in return is helping employees better understand what harassment and discrimination is and what they should do if an incident occurs. Instilling these strong ethics in employees from day one is crucial in establishing an ethical workplace that’s free of harassment and discrimination and is something that seems to be working.”

The Network works with companies to help them mitigate risk, achieve compliance with ordinance and create more ethical workplaces, in part by assisting in the establishment of a comprehensive code of conduct and policy, complimentary to overall compliance training. This helps human resources departments better track and manage non-compliance.

ASWOU elections Vote to elect next year’s Associated Students of Western Oregon University (ASWOU) April 21-25.

Campaigning begins Monday, April 14, so keep your eyes and ears open for your favorite candidates!

A free candidate forum was held Thursday, April 10, and another will be held Wednesday, April 16 at 4 p.m. in the Willamette Room of the Werner University Center.

Questions? Contact ASWOU elections chairs Ryan McBee and Greg Cronk at aswouelections@mail.wou.edu.

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sign their pledge to stop using the R-word as he tried to spread awareness of the negative connotation of the word. His banner had nearly 500 signatures of Western students who believed in his cause.

The campaign asks people to pledge against using the R-word, seeing it as a starting point in creating a more accepting environment towards people with intellectual abilities. The R-word is offensive, exclusive and hurtful when being used in a negative way.

Timothy Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics, regards the R-word as hate speech. What was once used as a clinical term is now used to degrade and insult people, and as a synonym for “dumb” or “stupid.” This reinforces the notion that people with intellectual disabilities are of a lesser value to humanity.

Students who were opposed to the R-word campaign argued with Sollman that they have the freedom of speech. Sollman’s response was that people didn’t necessarily have to wipe the R-word from their vocabulary, but instead be aware of it and try not to use it in a negative sense.

“When someone doesn’t agree with you it’s not the end of the world,” Sollman said, “but you just have to respect that they have their own point of view.”

Sollman, a psychology major who intends to get a masters in special education, has had a passion for helping people with special needs for as long as he can remember. Sollman has participated in the Polar Plunge for about eight years.

The Polar Plunge is a fundraiser to support the Special Olympics by jumping into a frigid and icy body of water somewhere in Oregon. Participants of the event must pay a $50 entry fee to take the plunge.

Last year, Sollman took a small group of brave Western students to take part in the Polar Plunge while also raising money for the Special Olympics.

Through his efforts, about $700 was raised for the organization. Instead of asking for presents on his birthday, Sollman asked his family for sponsorship in taking the Plunge, receiving a couple hundred dollars to donate.

Immersed in student activities, Sollman is part of Western’s fraternity Kappa Sigma, the Student Activities Board and Plus Team. He also coaches a basketball team in Dallas. Among his many responsibilities, Sollman has worked at Work Unlimited, a group home in Independence, for three years. Working with special needs kids, he’s determined to break down the walls and engage them. He works to help integrate them into the community and teach them life skills.

“Seeing improvement in them and seeing the quality of life increase for these individuals makes me happy,” said Sollman.

“My goal is to try and sponsor an event with the fraternity for next year and get the guys involved,” Sollman said.

Running the R-word campaign for the second year on campus, Sollman intends to make it a tradition here at Western. He hopes to get others involved, creating a team or committee to be in charge of the campaign, as well as focusing on the Polar Plunge.

theJournal Hula app offers easy sharing of sexual health information

by Allison Opson Clement News Editor

Photo from Digitaltrends.com

News

Friday, April 11, 2014

A new free app, Hula, originally called Qpid.me, allows people to exchange information about their status concerning sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Hula can be used to find a location to be tested for STDs, and receives information from any facility in the United States. The app can then be used to request the individual’s results and send them directly to a secure personal health record from the health care provider. An easy-to-understand display indicates those results, and can be shared privately with others online or in person, according to the website, hulahq.com.

“The company wants you to have fun, but to do so safely while knowing both your status and your partner’s,” said a press release for Hula, written by Kelly Cinelli. “The company’s mission is to help people make better health decisions by giving them accurate health information at their fingertips.”

The profile always displays the most recent results of a test.

Positive results for an STD automatically disable sharing of a user’s profile, which can be later enabled again.

Personal information is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA); data is encrypted, and employee access limited. Confidential information is maintained by the account creator by username and password, according to the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page.

Information is only shared with those the user chooses to. On a user’s profile, their real name may be displayed or hidden as they decide. Results must come directly from a health care provider, but sharing of those results (positive or negative) is optional; users retain control over their records and profile, according to the webpage.

Sharable tests and vaccinations include those for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, and hepatitis, but not human papillomavirus (HPV). Only verified health care providers may contribute data, and new providers are verified before being accepted.

Hula is limited to finding STD testing resources, not birth control, and is not a replacement for safe sexual practices. As it is possible for people with STDs to test negative, testing every three months, depending on sexual activity and lifestyle, is recommended by Hula, according to their webpage.

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Entertainment Friday, April 11, 2014

f o d l r o The W

R

by Amanda Once again, Marvel has produced another McMasters hit as “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”

Entertainment breaks yet another record during its opening Editor weekend, grossing an estimated $96.2 million,

“

With so many superhero films flooding the theaters, there was worry of audience exhaustion, yet the opposite seems to hold true. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has already made more overseas during its first week than “Captain America: The First Avenger” made in total gross capital.

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marking it as the biggest debut in April ever, surpassing 2011’s “Fast Five.”

Marvel Studios, a fairly recent addition to the Hollywood block, has encountered success since its first major film, “Iron Man,” starring Robert Downy, Jr, debuted in 2008.

For each character franchise Marvel produces − Iron Man, Thor and Captain America − their trajectory only increases with each successive film. Marvel’s success has set the bar so high that no other superhero franchise can match its records, not Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men or even Superman.

With so many superhero films flooding the theaters, there was worry of audience exhaustion, yet the opposite seems true. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” has already made more overseas during its first week than “Captain America: The First Avenger” made in total gross capital.

Marvel has creatively threaded each of their franchises together, having its characters cross over into other films, like Scarlett Johansson’s character Natasha Romanoff, who has appeared in “Iron Man 2,” “The Avengers” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”

Meshing the success of its films, Marvel created the mega-franchise film “The Avengers” that featured Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow coming together to save the Earth.

This star-studded film grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide. Building on their triumph, Marvel Studios is currently filming the sequel “Avenger: Age of Ultron,” which is set to release

in May of 2015.

Also in development, Marvel Studios is currently working on the film “Black Widow,” for Johansson’s franchise character.

While largely successful, Marvel has had its low points too, most poignantly the less-thanwarm reception of “The Incredible Hulk.” Marvel, unsure of whether to give the green rage monster another solo movie, failed to excite audiences with the first film.

Dipping their toes into the television business, Marvel tried to expand its universe with the show “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” which has been less than successful.

However, even with these setbacks, Marvel has still managed to gross nearly $6 billion with only nine films in just over six years. This phenomenal achievement hasn’t gone unnoticed, as other film studios attempt to mimic Marvel’s success.

Sony recently announced their plans for its rebooted Spider-Man franchise and intend to expand it. Not to be outdone, Warner Bros. intends to feature Batman and Wonder Woman in its next Superman film, showing the beginnings of a Justice League of America.

Twentieth Century Fox Films is rebooting the “Fantastic Four,” in association with Marvel Studios, with an entirely new cast to play the four astronauts who gain superpowers in space.

They were unable to keep the same cast due to the fact that Johnny Storm was originally played

by Chris Evans, who now portrays Captain America. There have also been rumors of Fox bringing in the X-Men alongside the Fantastic Four.

As every other film company tries to compete with Marvel, it’s clear the studio is the most popular kid on the Hollywood block.

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theJournal ‘Schlittentag’ attracts Western students

Entertainment

Friday, April 11, 2014

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by Haunani Tomas Designer

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6 Photos courtesy of Everett Bouwer

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1. The Muy Guapo Sliders 2. Breaking Rad 3. The Sexmen 4. The Seamen 5. The Couch Potatoes 6. The Golden Girls

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One to three-person teams competed for title of “fastest sledder” in the 2014 Red Bull Schlittentag event was held at Mount Hood Ski Bowl on Sat. March 29. Despite it being his first year as Red Bull Student Brand Manager, Anthony “Rhemy” Rhemrev-Field recruited enough people to create four teams to participate in the schlittentag this year--one more team than last year’s event.

The term schlittentag is German for “sledding day”, summarizing Red Bull’s description of the event: “daredevils willing to propel themselves down a snow-covered hill and over a jump on a sled they built themselves.” The sleds are typically built out of otherwise unconventional materials and thematically based on pop culture.

The four Western-based teams included the Sexmen, the Seamen, the Couch Potatoes and the Golden Girls.

The Sexmen, a two-man team consisting of juniors Jacob Hansen and Mitch Martell, recreated the wheelchair of Professor Xavier, from X-Men. Juniors Will Waterbury, Shane Kuenzie, and Austin Gatchet dubbed themselves the Seamen after creating a boat fit to cruise the slopes of Mount Hood.

The Couch Potatoes, a team consisting of Alaska-native juniors Tyler Thain and Dylan Castle, slid down the course together on a couch, accompanied by their third non-registered team member: a keg.

The Golden Girls dressed as old women and conjoined their walkers to create a sled unfit for anyone’s grandmother.

The Golden Girls were captained by junior Jessica Westby, joined by a team of non-Western team mates.

Although anyone could register to participate, other familiar Pacific Northwest schools that participated in the schlittentag included Linfield College, Oregon State University, Portland State University, University of Oregon, University of Washington, Washington State University, and Western Washington University.

“Most of the sleds were very creative and the teams had some really good themes,” said Waterbury. Waterbury’s favorite team was the Muy Guapo Sliders from Portland, who were the overall winners of the schlittentag.

“These three guys [sledded] down on literally a boxing ring, wearing Mexican wrestling masks, tights, capes, and no shirts,” said Waterbury. “They had ring girls carrying signs that said ‘Round 1’ with their team name on it.”

However, the crowd favorite was Breaking Rad, a team whose sled was inspired by the hit AMC television series, “Breaking Bad.” Their sled was made out of blue barrels, similar to the barrels that the show’s main character, Walter White, uses to produce methamphetamine in the show.

In order to successfully undertake the character of White, Rhemy said Breaking Rad “wore weird, full-body suits and gas masks.”

Building a sled out of unconventional materials which are thematically-based is just one of the numerous ways by which Red Bull markets itself as a company and as a product to college students.

“The purpose of the event is just to be cool and exciting and market Red Bull,” said Rhemy.

Mount Hood Ski Bowl claims that the Schlittentag event is “the most winter fun you’ve had sitting down.” According to Waterbury, this is true; exciting is an understatement when Waterbury describes his schlittentag experience.

“It was probably the best way to spend my last weekend of spring break,” said Waterbury. “I will most definitely be participating next year. My team has already started thinking of ideas for our name and theme.”

“All of the teams that [participated in the schlittentag] this year plan on doing it next year,” said Rhemy. He also said that other students have already approached him with the intention of participating in next year’s schlittentag.

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Sports

Friday,April, 11 2014

Baseball continues conference dominance

by Rachel Shelley Freelancer Baseball completed their fourth straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) series win, defeating Saint Martin’s University (SMU) in 3-of-4 games March 22 and 23 in Lacey, Wash.

The Wolves shutout the Saints in the first three games of the series 4-0, 4-0 and 5-0 respectively before dropping the final game of the series 5-9. Senior pitchers Spenser Watkins and Matt Minnich were contributors to the victories on day one as they each threw five innings of shutout baseball.

“We were able to get some good outings from our starting pitchers which gave our hitters time to get going in the series,” said head coach Kellen Walker.

Senior second baseman Parker Miles was 5-for-8 at the plate hitting three doubles with one run batted in (RBI) on day one. Miles was named the GNAC Player of the Week, finishing 8-for-16 over the four-game series. Junior infielder Austin Hamilton added two RBI and went for 3-for-5.

Day two of the series finished off the first half of conference play. The Wolves shutout SMU for the third straight came behind junior pitcher Eric Huson, who threw a complete-game two-hit shutout. He had five strikeouts and had no walks.

Senior outfielder Daniel McNabb was 5-for-9 at the plate and hit two doubles, over the final two games of the series. Junior infielder Garret Harpole hit two doubles with two RBI and was 4-for-9. Hamilton went 3-of-6.

An eight-spot in the fourth inning of game four worked against the Wolves as they lost the final game of the series 5-9. Western led 4-0 after the first inning, but could not hold on to the lead when the SMU bats awoke.

The Wolves next faced Concordia University for one game on March 25 after they lost their first meeting 6-3 in February. This time, Western took home the victory 12-6 on the road against the non-conference Cavaliers.

Miles went 3-for-4 from the plate with two triples and four RBIs. He is now the ninth player in Western history to hit a pair of triples in a single game and the first since 2003.

Harpole assisted the Wolves in becoming the second team in Porter Park history to hit two home runs in a single game.

Junior catcher Michael Sherwin and senior outfielder Chris Bradshaw each went 3-for-5.

The Wolves are now 15-2 when they are out-hitting their opponent. During the match-up against the Cavaliers they had a conference season-high 18 hits on 45 at-bats.

Sophomore first baseman Nate Etheridge swings in a home series conference win. The Wolves are in first place in the GNAC. Photo by Tori Gannon

“This year we are focused on defending our GNAC title and cementing a spot into the regional tournament,” said McNabb. “To accomplish our goals we have been working on having better approaches at the plate and knowing what each one of our roles are during the game.”

The Central Washington University (CWU) Wildcats took the first two games of the series 11-9 and 2-1 on Saturday, April 5 in Ellensburg Wash. They became the first team in the GNAC to win two games over Western in a series this season.

McNabb went 3-for-8 at bat while Bradshaw and junior outfielder Matt Taylor added three hits each. Taylor, Miles and sophomore infielder Nate Etheridge, each scored twice.

CWU won the first game despite being out-hit by the Wolves 17-9 and while committing four errors to the Wolves one. The Wildcats hit two of their three home runs in the first two innings.

The score was tied at four after junior outfielder Tim Rausch and senior catcher Will Chavarria each added an RBI in the third and fourth innings. The Wildcats scored two runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth. The Wolves answered in the seventh with a two-run home run from Rausch and a two-run single by sophomore infielder Sam Cameron to match the Wildcats 8-8. CWU answered back in the bottom-half of the inning and went on to win 11-9 over Western.

The second game of the series was a pitching battle; Minnich threw for the first five innings and did not give up an earned run. The Wildcats threw 78 strikes out of 121

pitches only allowing one earned run on five hits. CWU scored a run in the bottom of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead, going on to win by that score.

On day two of the series, the Wolves won the first game 12-7. Taylor led Western going 5-for-9 with a double and three RBI. Bradshaw scored four times and finished 4-for-9 at the dish. Huson remained unbeaten on the mound after the win, allowing three earned runs on seven hits.

Western had five of their 12 runs in the ninth inning after RBI singles from Hamilton and Taylor. Bradshaw also added a two-run double.

The Wolves lost the series in the fourth game 4-6, junior pitcher Clark McKitrick struck out two batters and gave up five walks during three innings. He allowed two earned runs on one hit.

“Central has a good club and competed well throughout the series,” said Walker. “We had opportunities to make some more plays in the series whether it was at plate, in the field or on the mound. We didn’t play well enough to win the series,” said Walker.

CWU took 3-of-4 games in the series, but the Wolves are still in first place in the GNAC despite the series loss with a 13-7 conference record.

The Wolves take on Montana State Billings on the road for a pair of doubleheaders beginning Friday, April 11.

“This coming weekend, we are just focusing on being better as an entire unit, having better situational at bats and making the pitch when we need it,” said Harpole. “This week at practice is all about having a plan and executing it.”

LACROSSE from Front Page Bohince leads the team with 51 goals this season and is tied for the team lead in points with 64, ranking him third in the MCLA in both categories. Junior attacker Brandon Determan also has 64 points and leads the team with 33 assists. Malensek and Dougan have 63 and 60 points respectively. The Wolves have four of the top-eight scorers in Div. II. “Our team has been waiting for an opportunity to be great,” said Bohince. “The last five years we have had the same drive and the same desire to win but this season we

have finally come together with enough talent to be able to be very successful. We have a powerful offense that has outscored all of the PNCLL in Div. I and Div. II. We step on the field every game knowing that our offense is one of the best in the entire nation.”

Western has two games remaining during the regular season. They face Portland State University in their last home game on the Intramural Club Sports Field on Sunday, April 13 at 12 p.m. They wrap up their season against Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (PNCLL)

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rival Southern Oregon University on April 19 in Ashland.

“We will only be happy with an undefeated season ending with us being number one in the nation,” said Bohince. “Anything else and we will be unsatisfied.”

The Wolves will then compete in the PNCLL Playoffs for an opportunity to play in the MCLA Div. II Championship Tournament in Greensville, S.C. The team has made it to the tournament in each of the last six seasons, but has never made it past the second round.

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Sports

Friday, April, 11 2014

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Softball win streak reaches 10 games

by Iain Dexter Sport Editor

The 2014 softball team became the second team in Western history to reach double-digit consecutive wins after sweeping a doubleheader over reigning Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) champion Saint Martin’s University (SMU) March 21.

The Wolves are now 13-1 in conference and sit in first place in the GNAC. “When we hit into league games, we started clicking and working well together,” said junior outfielder Amanda Evola. “I think since the pressure of league, we’ve been doing really well.”

The Wolves defeated the Saints in back-to-back 6-2 victories, led by a homerun in each game off the bat of freshman designated player Raina Reece. She finished 3-for-6 at the dish with her two home runs and six runs batted in (RBI).

Senior pitcher Eryka Brill was the winning pitcher in game one of the afternoon, pitching six innings and giving up one earned run as she picked up her sixth win of the season. Junior pitcher Kelli Demianew won her fifth game with a complete game, giving up two unearned runs through seven innings in game two of the doubleheader.

The Wolves’ 10-game win streak ended in game one of a doubleheader against Central Washington University (CWU) on March 23, Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Western lost 3-2 in game one, accounting for the team’s first loss in the GNAC and at home.

“For us, [it was] more of an all-cancer awareness day, so we want to go out and play for those people,” said Evola. “We absolutely support it 100 percent.”

The Wolves bounced back with a win in game two as they defeated the Cougars 4-0 behind a complete game, shutout victory from the starting pitcher Demianew. She gave up nine hits in the game and struck out two batters on the way to her sixth win of the season.

Reece had another big hitting day as she hit her fifth home run of the season and had five RBIs. Freshman second baseman Kelsie Gardner finished 5-for-7 at the plate over the two games and Evola was 4-for-5.

“The dynamic of the team has helped us mix really well and make us successful,” said senior shortstop Melanie Pfeiffer.

The Wolves were dominant in the following series against Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) in a four-game series as they outscored the Crusaders 41-10 in a series sweep.

The teams took part in a tripleheader Friday, March 28 in Nampa, Idaho, winning each game 12-3, 5-2 and 15-5 respectively.

Evola finished 5-for-12 on the day with four RBIs while also extending her conference’s longest hit streak to 14 games.

Pfeiffer was 7-for-12 with two doubles and three RBIs in the three games while Reece finished 5-for-12 with five more RBIs. “I’ve gained confidence I haven’t had,” said Pfeiffer. “Practicing over and over on my own time and not just going through the motions has helped me succeed and know if I get on (base) I will get hit in.”

Brill was the starting pitcher in game one as she gave up three earned runs in three innings and a third. Freshman pitcher Sammi Cadwallader picked up the victory in relief for Brill and was also the winning pitcher in game three. Demianew was the winning pitcher in game two with another complete game. She gave up two runs, one earned and walked one batter while striking out four.

The Wolves won the final game of the series 9-0 on Saturday, March 29. Demianew picked up another victory for Western as

she pitched six shutout innings on her way to her eighth victory of the season. She also lowered her conference-leading earned run average to 1.73.

Evola extended her hitting streak to 15 games as she finished 3-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI. Pfeiffer was 4-for-5 with three runs scored, a double and a triple. Freshman first baseman Destiny Kuehl hit her first home run of the season in the seventh inning, driving in three runs with the swing.

Head coach Lonny Sargent was named the GNAC Coach of the Month of March after leading the team to a 16-2 record during the month.

Most recently, the Wolves competed in the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif. beginning Friday, April 4. Western finished 3-4 during the tournament, ending with a 3-1 defeat against Cal State-San Bernardino.

The Wolves are now 25-15 overall and 13-1 in GNAC play. Leading up the Tournament of Champions, they had won 15 of their last 16 games and are currently receiving votes in the NCAA Div. II National Poll.

The team heads back into GNAC play with a two-game road series against Western Washington University on Friday, April 11.

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The Tail-End Friday, April 11, 2014

feature Lindell Skaggs: ‘The Guy Who Sings and Plays Guitar’ byErik McFarland Freelancer Western Oregon University, while not one of the largest universities around, has its fair share of spectacles; one of which is the 6-foot-5-inch bearded guy who sings hymns in front of the Werner University Center (WUC) on sunny days. To some on campus, he is known only as “the guy who sings and plays guitar on campus.” To family, friends and those who take a moment to speak with him, his name is Lindell Skaggs.

While being only a freshman at Western with an undecided major, he is no stranger to the area. After being offered a position as a campus missionary three years ago, he packed up his bags and moved in with a family nearby. What led him to that point, and to start singing in the middle of campus was anything but normal.

Born in Bakersfield, Calif., his family raised him there until he was about six years of age.

“My parents were on [methamphetamine] at the time and I was abused by one of their ‘druggy’ friends,” said Skaggs. “That was the push needed to spur my family out of that lifestyle and out of that state.”

Skaggs and his family then moved to Gold Hill, Oregon, where he spent most of his life.

“I started singing when I was about 10 or 12,” said Skaggs. “There was a talent show at a church and I wanted the money. It’s sad to say that’s what started it, but it is what it is.”

He tied for first place, and ever since it became a form of “escape” for him. Only briefly taking up trombone in middle school, guitar has been his instrument of choice.

After high school, his home life took a turn for the worse, but Skaggs came out of it with a new perspective.

“When I was 19 I became a follower of Jesus. That was the best and worst year of my life,” Skaggs said.

After dealing with unemployment, depression and “unspeakable horrors” within the family, Skaggs says, “My father woke up one morning, walked down to his favorite fishing hole and hung himself.”

When Skaggs found out the following morning, he was picked up from his girlfriend’s place and dropped off at his house “[There] were about 20 people in the living room, silent or sobbing. After a bit of silence I picked up my guitar and sang ‘Better is one day in your courts, better is one day in your house, better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere,’” Skaggs said. “A [peace] came over me when I praised the Lord, even in that most awful situation.”

“I have not stopped praising Jesus since,” Skaggs said. “I sing those songs in the hopes of sharing that [peace] with others.”

His passion has not gone unnoticed, as small groups of students often gather around him to join in the singing.

“There are a number of people who stop and sing with me,” said Skaggs. “Some of them are not even believers or followers of Christ Jesus, they just love singing. I thank all of you friends who stop even for a minute. Your

encouragement means much more than you know.”

When he is not singing his heart out, Skaggs says he likes to “to watch movies and spend time with the people I live with, and my [girlfriend] Harley−she’s awesome, and gorgeous− I love music and road trips with a loud radio and no plans. I like to write, especially poetry.”

In regards to what he does at night he says “I’m Batman shhhhh.” Other than his nighttime crime-fighting job, Skaggs says he is unemployed at the moment, but is working towards becoming a care provider. He is also involved in a band called “Mzungus” with Western students Ethan Wilson and Kylan Berger, and Western alumni Zeb Udell.

“We would love to do a show in the theater sometime,” said Skaggs. “I would love to make a career out of this band. My [overall] life plan, though, is to share the gospel with as many people as I can.”

Skagg’s conviction and faith is heard loud and clear when he says, “The story of Jesus paying for our sin is why I do what I do. I want everyone to hear this message and come to me if they need prayer or help or even just to ask a question about life. Place your faith in Christ Jesus.

We have all sinned against our creator and need a savior.

Please repent (turn from your sin) and put your faith in Jesus.”

It takes great courage to sing songs of praise in public, and great faith to sing them in times of mourning.

Lindell Skaggs is one of the many unique individuals who make up the diversity and intrigue of Western.

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