Volume 16 Issue 16 (Feb. 26, 2016)

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY | FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 VOLUME 16 ISSUE 16

What the raise in Oregon’s minimum wage means for student employment Page 7

NEWS

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

Students speak at IFC open hearing

“The Life of Pablo” review

We are the Champions

Entertainment editor Declan Hertel gives a rundown of Kanye’s new album

Wolves victory over UAA clinches GNAC title

Potential incidental fee increase prompts student response Page 6

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Page 8

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crossword puzzle Page 9

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

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CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR MEGAN CLARK

journalcampuslife@wou.edu

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR DECLAN HERTEL journalentertainment@wou.edu

SPORTS EDITOR JAMAL SMITH

journalsportst@wou.edu

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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 Contact information will not be published unless requested.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.

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CAMPUS LIFE

#BHM Black Student Union puts on event for Black History Month

By Rachael Jackson | Staff Writer Amongst playful banter of competition and gnashing on pizza crust, students gathered to learn about African American history.

The Black Student Union hosted the game of trivia and provided the refreshments. Students provided their brain power as they played through four rounds of 40 total questions.

One student, Keevontye Collier, business major and senior, was enticed by the games because of the importance of the history.

“It’s the history of my race, it’s important to learn how far we’ve come along. Knowing the history is the stepping stone into the future,” Collier remarked.

CAMPUS LIFE

The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

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WAWA WAAM

Picking on the banjo

WAWA, a deaf hip hop artist, will perform on Friday night for Western Accessibility Awareness Month

A look into the popularity of the banjo

By Joleen Braasch | Staff Writer

By Megan Clark | Campus Life Editor

Rian Gayle, accommodations coordinator, asks the panel a question during the discussion.

Photo by BRIANNA BONHAM

Want to test your own BHM knowledge? Here are some questions to get you started!

1. Who are the two pictured that saluted to Black Power during the 1968 Olympics? a. Tommie Smith and John Carlos b. William Carlos and Thomas Smith c. Thomas Carlos and John Smith

6. What bridge is tied to the events of Bloody Sunday in Selma, AL? a. Alfred Washington b. Ernie Davis c. Edmund Pettus

2. In 1968, who was the first African-American congresswoman? a. Shirley Chisholm b. Alice Walker c. Henrietta Lacks 3. Name this founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People: a. Frederick Douglass b. W. E. B. Du Bois c. George Crum 4. In what year did Black History Month become a month-long celebration? a. 1946 b. 1986 c. 1976

5. This ground-breaking performer sang “Strange Fruit” in 1939. Who is she? a. Nina Simone b. Billie Holiday c. Rosa Parks

7. True or False: Martin Luther King Jr. received his doctorate from Boston University? a. True b. False 8. What is the name of this university that was founded in 1866 to train black preachers? a. Wilson University b. Western University c. Howard University ANSWERS: 1. A 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. B 6. C 7. A 8. C

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The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

upcoming events SLCD Resumé Ready event Feb. 29-Mar. 1 12:00-1:00 p.m.

WUC, Ochoco room

UFC Fight (free) Mar. 5 7:00 p.m.

WUC, Willamette Room

Aoife O’Donovan Mar. 2 7:30 p.m.

Smith Hall, general admission $10 Sign up for a free ticket @WUC Info Desk

Suddenly Entire: Eleven Artists Draw Thru Mar. 18 8:00-5:00 p.m.

Cannon Gallery of Art

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Follow us online @theWOUJournal and use #WOUnow to stay updated on what’s happening on campus!

The banjo, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed, has been making a comeback. With bands like Mumford & Sons and Punch Brothers comes a slew of new appreciation for the five-stringed, twangy instrument.

It’s become so popular that its snappy strums have even graced WOU’s Smith Recital Hall. Noam Pikelny played for a gathered crowd, a performance made possible by a donation from Western’s own Dr. David Hargreaves.

Pikelny, of Punch Brothers fame, sang and played the banjo and various types of guitars, but really, his banjo playing was the highlight of the evening due to its earnest melodies, fast paced plucking, and old timey charm.

Though it seems like the hot new instrument, it’s not as common as the guitar and more technically difficult than a ukulele, another instrument that has been gaining traction in recent years.

But why is it becoming so popular?

The obvious answer is that it appeals to the hipster in all of us. Perhaps it evokes a simpler time when we didn’t need found footage films to scare us, but instead found horror in an overall-clad boy playing Dueling Banjos, a la “Deliverance.”

The audience for Pikelny seemed to eat up his fiery playing style. Hannah Williams, first year music major, stated that, “The banjo is more versatile than I originally thought [...] I could relate to the banjo in a way that caught me off guard in the most delightful way.” “[Banjo players] have these ring type picks for their fingers so they can fingerpick,” said Thomas Licata, senior inter-

Why not ask a black person?

By Rachael Jackson | Staff Writer

Hannah Grant, first year business major, practices her air banjo skills.

Photo by MEGAN CLARK

disciplinary major. He continued on to say, “using a pick instead of the fingertip gets a harder heavier sound which I generally prefer.”

With its sweetly sharp sound and its emotive melodies, the banjo is an instrument that probably won’t be going away any time soon. If the ukulele trend is anything to go off of, then pretty soon there will be Youtube covers of Adele’s “Hello”

on banjo. Oh, wait, there already are.

Maybe it will eventually even overtake the guitar in popular culture. Don’t be surprised if, at your next party, a mustachioed, bow-tie-wearing young man sits down with his banjo and starts fingerpicking Oasis’s “Wonderwall.”

Contact the author at meclark13@ wou.edu or on Twitter @WOU_CampusLife

The “Ask a Black Person” panel consisted of 6 black students ready to discuss what it is to be black in today’s society.

They discussed a wide array of topics including: experiences on campus, misconceptions of hair, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Due to low attendance from those students outside of the club, the panel turned more into a discussion among them and the group.

One student that came out, Rachel

Danskey, junior and public policy and administration major, saw how important it is to listen and discuss race issues.

She appreciated having the chance to listen to the diverse panel. “[These events] are a segue for me into different perspectives,” Danskey said.

“I see how white people have more of a voice than they do, and I think hearing it rather than just reading about in a book brought it all to reality.”

Thelma Hale, senior and communi-

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If you’re looking for a fun night, check out the hip hop concert on Friday, Feb. 26. As part of Western Accessibility Awareness Month (WAAM) and Black History Month Activities, WAWA will be performing in the Pacific Room at Werner University Center with his DJ, Nicar.

Don’t know sign language? No problem; WAWA voices the lyrics that he raps, and the concert will be interpreted.

WAWA, Warren Snipe, cannot hear, but he wears hearing aids, speaks, and signs. The rapper has been performing in many mediums of entertainment since childhood, and has been traveling the world to perform in the last dozen years.

As part of the emerging music genre Dip-Hop, deaf hip-hop, WAWA stands among other deaf rappers who are working to get Dip Hop into the mainstream music scene, including Prinz D The First Deaf Rapper, Signmark, Sean Forbes, and Survivor C. Ensuring that the deaf community is heard and pushing back against oppressors, WAWA raps about equality. In his single, “Vendetta,” WAWA states: “You can’t hold me down ‘cuz I’m busy givin’ love … Bully Bully Bully, how nice of you to visit me, now you in my world, consider yourself history.”

These lyrics ring to the goals of Western Accessibility Awareness Month. As stated by Madison Malot, a senior English major and ASL minor as well as a student worker in the Office of Disabilities, “WAAM is a time where the WOU community can come together and learn about how to be accessible and how to bring inclusion to our campus.”

Contact the author at jbraasch12@ wou.edu

cations major, explained how the possible perceptions of her hairstyle kept her from wearing it short and natural.

“I really didn’t want to come back here [to WOU] with my hair like that, I didn’t think I would feel comfortable. But they love it here; the people here love it. They always have something good to say.”

Contact the author at rjackson13@ wou.edu or on Twitter @rachaelyjackson

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SPORTS

The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

SPORTS

The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

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Wolves shine with 4 wins Blazers come

away on top at trade deadline

Wolves’ close-fought victory over University of Alaska Anchorage clinches GNAC regular season title

Blazers keep core together while acquiring future draft picks

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor

Wolves Softball went 4-2 on the road in West Texas.

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor

Wolves hoist GNAC Championship trophy after 64-58 victory over UAA.

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor The men’s basketball team had something to prove going into their matchup with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016 after a Tuesday loss to the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which was their third loss of the season.

Western rebounded from their loss and defeated the Seawolves 64-58. The closefought victory improves the Wolves’ overall record to 23-3 and 16-2 in GNAC conference play.

More importantly, the win seals the team’s first goal: winning the GNAC Regular-Season Championship.

Senior Julian Nichols (G) led the Wolves in scoring with 17 points. Nichols flirted with a triple-double but finished just short with seven assists and seven rebounds.

Three other Wolves scored in double figures: senior Devon Alexander (G) had 14 points, redshirt sophomore Tanner Omlid

(G/F) had 12 points, and the 2015 GNAC Player of the Year, redshirt senior Andy Avgi, had 11 points on a tough shooting night.

Western came out firing on all cylinders from the opening tip, scoring the first eight points of the game on consecutive three-pointers from senior Jordan Wiley (G) and Omlid, followed by a fast-break layup courtesy of Nichols.

Westerns’ lead was short lived as the Seawolves started draining shots from distance and the Wolves hit a dry spell. After an Avgi layup made the score 16-11 with the advantage to the Wolves, Western failed to score in just over five minutes of play and UAA took a 17-16 lead.

Head coach Jim Shaw, unhappy with the Wolves’ inability to score, called a timeout and regrouped his troops. Just seconds out of the timeout, junior Janvier Alaby (G) broke the Wolves’ scoring drought by scoring 4 points off of a much-needed jumper and draining two free throws, but the Seawolves would still take a 26-23 lead into

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM

halftime.

The second half went back-and-forth with both teams fighting for every point.

The game was so closely contested; there were 16 lead changes with 10 coming in the second half.

With 2:37 seconds remaining in the game and UAA up 56-52, Western buckled down on defense and showed why they are the No. 1 team in Division II basketball, only allowing the Seawolves two points in the final two minutes of regulation.

In the final two minutes, Wiley and Alexander both drained the deep ball and Nichols hit four clutch free throws to give the Wolves a 64-58 lead, the largest lead by either team in the game.

Before the start of the week Western looked like the consensus No. 1 seed going into the Division II playoffs, but Tuesday’s loss to Alaska Fairbanks puts the top seed in jeopardy. Regardless, the Wolves will be in a great position for a deep playoff run.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

The change in the season from winter to spring, marks the beginning of softball season, and for the Wolves, the beginning of the season has been a flurry of activity.

WOU entered the West Texas A&M Lady Buff Invite Tournament on Friday, Feb. 19 with a record of 3-6, playing four games the first weekend and five the next.

The West Texas Tournament was by far the biggest test for Western in their young season; which required the Wolves to play two games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday against different opponents.

The first double header pitted the Wolves against Newman University. Western swept the Jets, winning 2-0 in their first game and 4-3 in their second. Junior Destiny Kuehl (3B) scored both of Western’s runs in the first game, batting a perfect 3-for-3. In the second game, junior Kelsie Gardner (2B) scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to clinch the victory.

On the second day of the West Texas Invite, the Wolves played against the home team: West Texas A&M. West-

Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM

ern dropped their first game against the Buffs by a score of 9-1 and also loss their second game of the double header 6-7.

WOU got back on track on Sunday with a dominating performance in their double header against Lincoln University of Missouri. The Wolves won their first game against the Blue Tigers with a score of 9-1 and finished the second up 10-1. In the first game, freshman pitcher Haley Fabian, had a brilliant five inning performance, only allowing one hit while striking out three.

In the second game against the Blue Tigers, Gardner had three hits and Kuehl had three RBIs, but the entire team either had a hit, scored or had an RBI. When the dust settled from the flurry of six games in three days, the Wolves found themselves with a 4-2 record in the tournament and improved their overall record to 7-8.

Western begins their GNAC conference schedule on March 5 with a double header against Saint Martin’s University. The first game starts 12 p.m. and the second is at 2 p.m. at the WOU Softball Field.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsports

Wolves hurdle over GNAC opponents

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor The Western Oregon track and field team traveled to Nampa, Idaho on Friday, Feb. 19 to compete in the GNAC Indoor Championships, an event spanning both Friday and Saturday.

The men finished second place in the team race, behind the University of Alaska Anchorage, with a combined total of 93 points. The women finished the Championships in eighth place by accumulating 29 points.

On Friday, during the preliminaries, sophomore sprinter Cody Warner got Western off to a great start by finishing in first place in the 200-meter with a time of 21.89. Then on Saturday, Warner followed up his triumphant performance the day before with an even better time of 21.78 which earned the sprinter a league title in the 200-meter.

Warner also came in second in the 60-meter sprint with a time of 6.95.

Sophomore David Ribich, who set the Western Oregon school record for the fastest time in the mile the

previous weekend at the Husky Classic, was edged in a photo-finish. Ribich finished in second place with a time of 4:10.14.

On the final day of competition, the men’s squad had seven athletes finish in top-three spots. In the 60-meter hurdles, sophomore Kaleb Dobson followed up his record-setting performance last weekend in the Husky Classic with a time of 8.33 which earned him second place.

As for the women, senior Emmi Collier got second place in the shot put with a distance of 14.38-meters, and senior Stephanie Stuckey finished fifth in the mile run with a time of 5:08.05.

Freshman Olivia Woods broke the Western Oregon’s school record in the 400-meter during the Friday preliminaries with a time of 57.54 which slotted her into sixth place. Woods went on to finish seventh in the final on Saturday.

Next up, on Saturday, Feb. 27, the Wolves look to make an impact at the Seattle Pacific Final Qualifier.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

For the past few years, the NBA trade deadline has come and gone without any notable moves for the Portland Trail Blazers. This trade deadline was much different as Neil Olshey, the Blazer’s general manager, made a few moves that have left Blazer fans scratching their heads.

Fans who had hoped that the Blazers would add a marquee name or a crafty veteran to the roster might have been disappointed, but in the grand scheme of things, the moves the Blazer’s front office made were brilliant.

Here’s what went down: the Blazers negotiated a three team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic in which Portland traded a 2020 second-round draft pick for Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao and a future 2018 first-round draft pick (protected 1-10).

Then, later in the day, it was announced that the Blazer’s acquired backup point guard Brian Roberts and a future second-round draft pick from the Miami Heat in exchange for cash considerations.

To make room for Roberts, Portland had to waive backup point guard Tim Frazier.

“We went into the trade deadline trying to be opportunistic. We wanted to gather assets,” said Olshey to reporters after the two trades. “Clearly this group is really overachieving. There’s a lot of young guys that have a future. We wanted to make sure we were giving them a chance to win. We didn’t want to touch that core group of guys that have exceeded expectations.’’

Just an hour after the Trail Blazers acquired 33 year-old Varejao, the team immediately waived him and his $9.6 million dollar salary. Portland was able to dump his contract because the team was so far under the salary cap minimum. Essentially, the Blazers gave up money to get a future first-round draft pick.

“Go back and look at the transaction record of other teams and look at what level of player they had to give up to acquire a first-round pick,” Olshey added. “We gave up cap room. I think it’s really sexy.”

The young Blazers have defied most sports analysts pre-season predictions and are currently in the sixth spot in the Western Conference with a record of 30-27. While the team arguably didn’t get much better now, the future draft picks provide hope for the future.

This was possibly the best trade deadline move in the history of the Blazers franchise. Portland kept its young core of players together, acquired future assets, and most importantly sent a message to all the Blazer fans: “We want to win.” Bravo.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

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NEWS

The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

Students make voices heard

The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

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Apple-FBI in heated battle over your privacy Apple refuses to give FBI a backdoor into encrypted data Alvin Wilson | Staff Writer

Potential incidental fee increase prompts student response

By Conner Williams | Editor in Chief Facing a plethora of funding cuts and a potential $14 increase in the quarterly incidental fee, a group of Western students gathered in the WUC’s Pacific Room to join in on the discussion with the Incidental Fee Committee.

Preliminary decisions have set the fee to increase to $341 per term for the 20162017 academic year, nearly 4 percent more than the current year’s fee.

The committee is comprised of students, faculty members, and administrators and has the responsibility of determining the amount of funding that the clubs and organizations at Western receive. They do so by analyzing current budgetary needs for each department and then decide on a fee that each Western student must pay each quarter. Open hearings allow students and members of the Western community to speak directly to the committee about their concerns.

Jacob Higgins, a third year biology major, attended the hearing on Feb. 22 to advocate for the Natural Science Club and to give his thoughts on the fee itself.

“I guess the way to prevent the cuts is to add to the fee,” said Higgins. “But I think that if [the IFC] would explain what [the fee] was and that it benefits every student, people would be willing to understand that it’s not a big deal.”

Higgins said that the funds allow the club to take several students on trips for spring break each year, and he hopes that those trips will continue.

“The club is important to me. We have staff members come and speak to us about a bunch of different subjects, and that helps us learn as well,” he said.

Holli Howard-Carpenter, head coach for Western’s women’s basketball team, said that the current funding makes it difficult for the team when they have to travel for away games.

“We only have 12 on our roster, but

NEWS

The Journal receives funding funding from IFC Infographics by CARLY FISTER

we’re only funded to travel 10” […] “We have to fundraise for the remainder of that so that everyone can travel,” Howard-Carpenter said.

Jasmine Miller, a sophomore education major and guard for the women’s basketball team, reiterated the notion that a reduced budget causes complications for athletes on the road.

“When you go to a restaurant you only have $10” Miller said. “Today, like what can you really get for ten dollars? […]

You have to fuel yourself to perform right and it’s hard to do that sometimes on the budget that you have.”

Miller then noted that funding for athletics benefits the entire student body, not just the athletes.

“We want to get enrollment up in the school, so that these funds are not as much of an issue,” she said. “If we’re able to go and travel to these tournaments and wear our new gear and look right and represent our school, it’s going to help everybody, not just the girls’ basketball program.”

“We’re here to help everyone, that’s what we want to do,” Miller said.

Lilaah Jones, a third year gerontology major, said that sports teams should have to do more fundraising for themselves

rather than receive increased funding from IFC. “I know that a lot of clubs here are doing fundraising, and I don’t see other sports doing that,” Jones said. “I’m in the WUC a lot, so I see all kinds of clubs tabling and fundraising.”

“As a student, it’s hard to see what sports are doing to raise money for themselves,” Jones said.

Jones then noted that an increase in the fee makes it difficult for students that attend Western because of its relatively cheap price tag.

“I know that as a first generation college student, [Western] is a good choice financially. I don’t want this fee to be a reason that someone can’t afford to go here,” Jones said.

Emmi Collier, a senior exercise science major with a focus in P.E., said that she understands the burden that the committee itself has when deciding on the fee for each year.

“They have a really hard decision because they have to take a lot of money from every single student and put it towards programs that benefit that specific student or programs that benefit other students,” Collier said. “I think that’s a really hard job and I give them kudos.”

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“I think for right now they have a pretty sufficient process. I really love that they do the open hearings and they actually get the student input because I think that’s a really big deal,” Collier said.

Sam Stageman, a junior forensic chemistry major and representative from the Triangle Alliance, agreed that the open hearings are beneficial for students.

“It’s really nice to hear how each organization is helping out all the different students,” Stageman said. “They’re not just cutting wildly and all that, they’re actually wanting our input and that’s great.”

Currently, preliminary decisions call for a total increase of $67, 997 in the IFC budget from last year, plus an additional $4,777 with enhancements, bringing the total IFC budget for the 2016-2017 academic year to $4,378,474.

Three IFC-funded organizations have currently been approved for enhancement requests. 13 departments are set to receive cuts, three will gain additional funding, and three will remain the same, as per the preliminary decisions.

Contact the author at journaleditor@ wou.edu or on Twitter @journalEIC. Managing Editor Katrina Penaflor contributed to this report.

Apple is refusing to give the FBI access to encrypted data on one of the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone.

The FBI has requested that Apple build the technology necessary to decrypt the data that they currently can’t access.

Bob Broeg, professor of computer science at Western, described encrypted data as being a sentence with the letters jumbled up. To find the correct order, you have to have a key.

“With most encryptions today, you have two keys,” he said. “One is a public key that you can use to encrypt something, but you can’t decrypt it without a private key. So, anybody can send an encrypted message, but only the person with the second key can decrypt it.”

Apple encrypts some of the data that is stored on their phones to protect the privacy of the user, but the government still has access to metadata, according to Dana Schowalter, assistant professor of communication studies.

“The government can find metadata whether or not it’s encrypted,” she said.

“They can find—on our phone records and things like that, they can determine when we text somebody.

“But if you iMessage somebody else, for example, that’s encrypted. It doesn’t show up on your bill, and therefore can’t be subpoenaed from the phone company because they don’t necessarily keep re-

While we believe the FBI’s intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products.

Continued on back

WOU student jobs, are they at risk?

Oregon’s minimum wage raise could influence amount of available jobs Jenna Beresheim | News Editor

Oregon legislators have approved Senate Bill 1532, which will allow the state’s minimum wage to reach $15 by 2022.

Western Oregon University may be affected by this bill, especially those student workers who are employed

Photos courtesy of BRIANNA BONHAM

on-campus.

“Based on my early calculations, I believe it [Senate Bill 1532] could add up to 3-5% on student employee costs next fiscal year in my area,” stated Patrick Moser, the Director for Student Leadership and Activities.

“How that affects student employment in my department is highly dependent on how the Incidental Fee Committee chooses to address the budget issues of minimum wage increases,” Moser continued.

Moser also reported that, as far as campus budget impact, the Business office is already starting to study the issue at hand and how best to handle the situation.

“We are still in the middle of our budget process and determining all of the information,” commented Brandon Neish, the manager for the Budget Office.

This change in minimum wage could affect how many available job positions occur on campus, as it may prove more difficult to support as many workers at such a large increase in paycheck per person.

For students, more money in less time worked could prove to be a very appealing incentive. Although, at the same time, it could also result in cuts to student jobs, even current ones, in order to have certain student-run positions remain afloat.

After nearly four hours of heated debate, the bill cleared the Senate with a vote of 32-26. While just outside, demonstrators barricaded lawmakers within the House chamber, pounding on the walls and chanting.

According to The Oregonian, the bill would give pay increases to more than 100,000 workers, with some receiving nearly $6 more an hour.

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

The plan would take an estimated six years, starting the wage raise in July this year to $9.50-9.75 and ending in 2022 with ranges of wage depending on location. Portland’s urban growth boundary would see $14.75, midsize counties would reach $13.25, and “frontier” areas would expect $12.50 per hour.

The Coalition to Defend Oregon Jobs includes a wide range of individuals who fought against Senate Bill 1532.

“A massive wage hike kills small business jobs and forces schools and local governments to cut services or raise property taxes,” the Defend Oregon Jobs website proclaims. “Fixed-income seniors, working families, and college students will feel the sting.”

Contact the author at jberesheim11@ wou.edu or on Twitter @WOUjournalnews

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ENTERTAINMENT

The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

Gospel honesty and

A review of Kanye West’s latest album, “The Life of Pablo”

By Declan Hertel | Entertainment Editor This may end up as my favorite Kanye album.

I dig his first three albums, but “808s and Heartbreak” is the first album of his I really, really dug, and I’ve only dug each subsequent one more and more. “The Life of Pablo” is the latest in a line of really great records. I love the gospel sound with all my heart, plus it keeps the weird industrial synths and sudden tone shifts of Yeezus, and lyrically speaking this is an album of a man struggling with his faith, his fame, his marriage, his baser urges, his fans, and his own mythology. It’s heavy and weird and—somehow—a little bit inspirational.

Look, my boy Kanye is a bit of a polarizing figure. For people who don’t listen to his music or his interviews or anything, all they’ve got is the award show outbursts and the Twitter rants. And while it’s unfair, it’s understandable. But that’s Kanye West the Public Figure.

I recommend listening to “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” and “The Life of Pablo” to get a good idea of who Kanye West the Man is. I get this vibe from much of this album, and some of the tracks on “Fantasy” and “Yeezus,” that he is uncomfortably with finding himself happy.

He’s married to a woman who loves him and has guided him through his darkest times, not to mention mothered his children, and yet he still dreams of the destructive rock star life. He’s one of the biggest names in music, but can’t allow himself to take a break from work to tend to the rest of his life. On “Wolves,” the beautiful and haunting closing track

of the album proper, he worries that his deceased mother would disapprove of his life and art, that he’s “too wild.”

He is a man deeply troubled by a great many things (not the least of which is his ego, which he freely admits), and his level of unabashed honesty on “Pablo” makes it really easy to empathize with a man who should be, by all rights, impossible to relate to.

Currently “The Life of Pablo” is only available on Tidal because who the hell knows, but just snag dat free trial, and I would be really, really surprised if it never found its way to a real release.

I Love Kanye: Heheheheh Yeezy knows what’s up, love the self-awareness of closing with “I love you like Kanye loves Kanye”.

Waves: The almost-namesake song. Comes in SUPER HEAVY after “I Love Kanye” FML: This song is fascinating, trying to

Incomplete and Miscellaneous Thoughts I Wrote While Listening to this Album Stoned: Ultralight Beam: Oh man when the gospel backing comes in, blew my damn mind for a second. Chance the Rapper’s verse is dooooope. Apparently this was why the album’s release was delayed initially, I can see why.

Father, Stretch My Hands Pts 1-2 Damn Yeezy getting weird again.

Dude’s got a hell of a relationship with his family. His flow on Part 2 makes me uncomfortable and I loooove it Feedback: Man what a cool song. Savage feedback-y synths warm my soul parts Low Lights: More weirdness. Love the gospel influence. Ye did say this was a gospel record, dude wasn’t lyin’.

Highlights: Oh man that first hook is giving me flashbacks to Daft Punk’s “Discovery.”

Love it.

Freestyle 4: This song strikes me as uncomfortably honest. So dope.

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

ENTERTAINMENT

The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

The Merc With a Mouth EDITOR’S PICKS lights up the big screen

THE EDITOR RECOMMENDS “Love” is the new Netflix Original show from Judd Apatow, the dude behind “Freaks and Geeks” and “Knocked Up” and pretty much every movie in recent memory about sadsack twentyish-thirtyish people finding love and happiness. So, it’s no real surprise that this bleak rom-com is really, really good. Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust are both excellent as early-thirties losers who, after each having a “what has my life become” experience, set out to get their shit together, and maybe find some lovin’ along the way.

“Tales from the Borderlands” has been out for a while, but I just started it and you should, too. Telltale Games essentially makes interactive movies with stories that branch and change depending on the decisions you make for the characters. Really, play any of them. “The Walking Dead,” “The Wolf Among Us,” - you can’t go wrong.

They’re all deeply touching and well written, but I specifically recommend “Tales” because it’s funny as HELL. Pick ‘em up on Steam.

THE EDITOR DOES NOT CARE FOR YouTube Red is probs gonna make YouTube the worst platform for independent creators to work on. The subscription service eliminates ads site wide, which sounds good on the surface, except that’s how creators make their money on the platform (disable your adblocker you entitled little shit). Basically YouTube is stealing ad revenue from the creators that make it awesome. Plus, they’re starting to take on the role of producer, which this fella feels will lead to a more homogenized content base. This makes me sad. It should make you sad too.

Photo courtesy of FACTMAG.COM

give up the rock star life he worked so hard for so that he can be good to his family. Way dark and a bit spacey Wolves: Ugh this song breaks my heart. I hope he “fixes” it like he said he was gonna. I miss Sia and the other dude.

Contact the author at dhertel11@wou. edu or on Twitter @JournalFunTimes

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Photo courtesy of FORBES.COM

By Declan Hertel | Entertainment Editor Superheroes have been huge in movies lately. A little too huge, some might say, but they’ve been wildly successful nonetheless.

Marvel’s “Deadpool” brings a new kind of superhero to the big screen; One which comic lovers know as an “anti-hero.” For him, the lines between good and bad are very blurry. So, obviously, when I found out everyone’s favorite “Merc with a Mouth” was getting his own movie, I was skeptical and afraid we’d get a watered down version.

By far the best part of “Deadpool” was the R rating. If comic Deadpool is known for three things, it’s blood, language, and chimichangas. The R rating allowed all three of those to be expressed in full.

There was no holding back in the language or the gore, so the comic Deadpool was really well portrayed on film.

Ryan Reynolds did an incredible job as Deadpool, he didn’t hold back at all in his portrayal of the character. Even under a thick red suit, Reynolds was able to bring so much emotion out of the character through his masterful use of dialogue.

“Deadpool” was also a chance that Fox took to poke fun at itself and the entire superhero genre. Deadpool makes fun of Ryan Reynolds’ “almost Deadpool” from “X-men Origins: Wolverine” and his Green Lantern. The movie also jokes about the low budget being the cause of the lack of X-Men characters and the very confusing X-Men Universe timeline.

The movie is a very easy to understand story of revenge. Set in the larger universe

of the X-Men movies, the film seemed a little underwhelming in its small scale. I mean, there’s a guy named Apocalypse who’s about to try destroying the world in a few months. But at its core, “Deadpool” is a fun and entertaining debut of the beloved character on the big screen.

Comedy outweighed action in “Deadpool”. Whether it was breaking the fourth wall or one of his many one-liners, Deadpool had the audience laughing from start to finish. Comedy worked most of the time. As expected, a few one-liners fell flat, and some jokes were placed at awkward times, but “Deadpool” was still an extremely funny and entertaining movie.

A major weak point in the film was the side characters. Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead played the role of the voices of reason for Deadpool and Colossus trying to recruit him to the X-Men. The characters were undeveloped and provided nothing but some extra muscle for Deadpool and a few X-Men jokes.

The action was very fast paced and fun.

I found myself wanting more of it in slower moments. The R rating allowed the action to be filled with blood and gore. The film didn’t hold back at all when it came to blood or dismemberment, and it was fantastic.

Overall, Deadpool was a fun but small film that managed to bring a fan favorite character to the big screen while parodying the entire superhero genre. The film didn’t disappoint and left me wanting more.

Contact the author at dhertel11@wou. edu or on Twitter @JournalFunTimes

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AcrossAcross 2 Yeezy’s new album is 2 Yeezy's new album is

about him about 7 himIs about to fight Batman

in a movie 7 is about to fight 8 Thin White Duke Batman ashow movie 9 in The that just

opened in Rice 8 thin white duke Auditorium 9 the show that just 14 Your life fo rthe next opened intwenty Rice

years 15 The namesake of the Auditorium new building 14 your life for the next 16 WOU’s favorite rascally twenty years mammals 15 the namesake of the WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL new building 16 WOU's favorite

Down 1 your name 3 when you back at it again with the white vans 4 please clap 5 Deadpool's real name 6 the disease you fourth-years probably have 10 it comes for us all 11 said The Donald ain't a Christian 12 what are you doing Down 1 Your name 3 When you back at it

again with the white vans 4 Please clap 5 Deadpool’s real name 6 The disease you fourth-

years probably have 10 It comes for us all 11 Said The Donald ain’t a Christian 12 What are you doing

right now 13 Does NOT feel the Bern

at all

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EDITORIAL

The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

EDITORIAL

The Journal Friday, Feb. 26, 2016

11

CAMPUS VOICES How would you feel about an increase in your incidental fee that is used to pay for WUC, HWC, and other campus facilities and activities?

Alvin Wilson | Staff Writer “I voted yeah for the surveys that have gone out. I know they’re trying to build a new health and counselling center, and I think that’s really important.”

- Bethany Barnett, second-year psychology major

Photo courtesy of THENATION.COM

Obstructionism on both sides of the aisle Party politics are the problem, not just the GOP

By Conner Williams | Editor-in-Chief

So, big bad Obama thinks he has the audacity to appoint a justice to the Supreme Court during an election year of all times? Who does he think he is; the President or something? Oh yeah…

As it turns out, the President doesn’t have the option to opt out of appointing a justice to the SCOTUS just because it’s an election year, as many GOP members of the Senate have claimed. Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the President “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint…Judges of the Supreme Court.”

Interesting. Maybe I didn’t read it correctly, but I didn’t see anything that said the President may appoint judges, it said that he or she shall do so. There is also nothing in the Constitution that states the President may not appoint a justice during an election year, either. Which means Obama has to appoint a justice.

But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and a large amount of Senate Republicans, including some presidential hopefuls, have publicly voiced that they will block any nomi-

nation that Obama proposes.

Many congressional members on the left side of the aisle have publicly condoned this act of “obstructionist politics,” saying that to block any nomination just for the sake of it is to sacrifice the entire system of checks and balances under which our democracy operates. The situation has led to an escalation of yet another feud between the two parties, and I, for one, am sick of it.

Firstly, the Democrats can stop pointing fingers. Many Senate Democrats refused to confirm any justice appointed by President Bush back in 2007, and Obama himself even voted to filibuster one of Bush’s nominations when he was in the Senate. So, what’s with all the outcry when the Republicans do it this time?

I’m a firm believer that much of the debates stirred up by our elected officials are simply to increasingly polarize the country and dig us deeper into the rigged two-party hole that we have created for ourselves. There is no compromise anymore; it’s all about public demonization over which side is trying to ruin the country more. Since when did our legislative system become a jousting match?

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou. edu or on Twitter @journalEIC

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

“I think I’d be okay with that. I use the gym about three times a week, and I probably go in the Werner University Center about four times a week.”

-Mark Drevdahl, first-year education major

“I feel like it’s already so high, it wouldn’t make too much of a difference.

But it would probably still be frustrating” - Ashley Pilcher, firstyear education major

“That doesn’t make much sense to me. For people like me, who don’t use those things, I think I should be able to put that money where it’s useful to me.”

- Gabe Orso, fourth-year music major

“I feel like it wouldn’t make that big of a difference on our pockets because we’re already paying so much. I don’t think it would be very significant.”

- Gabriella Ledesma, firstyear education major

Musings from a woman on the edge

By Katrina Penaflor | Managing Editor

Shia LaBeouf is back at it with his performance art.

Remember his last performance, where he stayed in a theater and watched all his movies with a rotating crowd of fans? Silly question: of course you do.

Well, the newest one “#Elevate,” yes, the hashtag is to stay with the title, is the name of the actor/artist’s latest endeavor. LaBeouf stayed in an elevator on Feb. 19 for 24 hours at Oxford University with two other performers: Nastja Säde Rönkkö and Luke Turner.

It’s there so that visitors were welcomed to enter and exit the elevator to talk, question etc. with the three performance artists. But, really,

I’m pretty much 100 percent positive everyone went to talk to just LaBeouf.

Oxford Union’s video description read, “Visitors will be able to join LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner inside the elevator during this time, and are invited to address the artists, the debating chamber, and the internet, so that their collective voices may form an extended, expansive, and egalitarian Oxford Union address.”

If I was there I would obviously have asked an endless stream of questions about the show “Even Stevens,” and the movie, and of course if he still talks to Beans. Oh, and how can I forget about my grade school television crush Twitty, LaBeouf ’s best friend on the show.

Seriously, where is that guy now?

And what I’m really curious about is how La Beouf comes up with this stuff? Never would WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

I ever consider filming myself in an elevator for twenty-four hours. Because one, I could never stand for that long, and two, my anxieties about who is actually entering the elevator would be through the roof.

What if a crazy person entered the elevator and tried to attack me? Or what if a person tried to carry on a conversation about something super boring, and I was literally bored to death during the 24-hour time period.

Whatever the actor/artist chooses to do next I’ll, of course, have to comment on it because the list of priorities for my column include: ridiculous purchases, stuff I find to be outrageous, and, of course, all things Shia La Beouf.

Contact the author at kpenaflor12@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalkatrina

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TAIL-END

The Journal

Wolves fall short against Wildcats

By Jamal Smith | Sports Editor This season has been full of trials and tribulations for the women’s basketball team. With an overall record of 4-22 and 3-15 in GNAC conference play, the Wolves’ season has been a tough one.

Western looked to bounce back after losing two of their last three games in the game against Central Washington University (CWU) on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, but inevitably fell short 46-61.

Freshman Kaylie Boschma (G) had six rebounds, two assists, and a steal to go with her game-high 16 points. Sophomore Sydney Azorr finished with nine points, two boards, two assists, and a steal.

CWU jumped out to an early 9-2 lead in the first quarter, but with the lightsout shooting from Boschma, the Wolves clawed their way back into the game, scoring eight consecutive points to take a 10-9 lead.

First year guard Kaylie Boschman had a game-high 16 points against CWU.

Western’s lead, however, was short lived, and the Wildcats stopped the Wolves from scoring for the remainder of the first quarter to take a 16-10 lead into the second period.

All the momentum now belonged to CWU; the Wolves couldn’t find the back of the net and the Wildcat’s shots kept falling resulting in a double digit lead which reached as high as a 19 point CWU advantage.

With the cards stacked against them, the Wolves came out of the break with a never-say-die attitude and began chip-

HUMANSOF WESTERN Javier Garcia, junior business major “Living poor has made me motivated to go to college and want something better for my life instead of living paycheck to paycheck [...] Hopefully I can travel, I really want to travel.”

“I went to San Francisco for an alternative break and I went to Chinatown and randomly bought a Ninja sword [...]

I thought, ‘Oh, why not, we’re here.’”

What do you do with it?

“Oh it’s just decoration really, but sometimes I play with it and try to break things with it or pop things with it.”

By Megan Clark | Campus Life Editor

Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM

ping away at the Wildcats’ lead. Boschma hit two jumpers to start the Wolves’ comeback and Azorr hit two big shots from distance to bring the Wolves within 7 points of CWU. In the final quarter, Boschma sunk a layup to bring the score to 34-39 with 8:03 remaining in the game. Just when the pendulum had swung in the Wolves direction and it looked like Western could pull off the amazing comeback, the Wildcats started draining shots from beyond the arch.

CWU hit five three-pointers in the final

minutes of the game to provide a cushion which the Wolves could not come back from.

Western finished the game shooting 17-of-44 for a shooting percentage of 38 percent.

The final game of the season is on Saturday, Feb. 27 against Seattle Pacific University. Come cheer on the Wolves for senior day. The tipoff is at 2 p.m. in the New P.E. Building.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou. edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

Apple-FBI:

The FBI is arguing that Apple’s encryption policy is interfering with their ability to protect the public.

Schowalter is skeptical of this argument.

“If you take a look at what they’re asking Apple to do, I think there is some security case for being able to access that information,” she said.

“But at the same time,” she added, “asking for this backdoor seems to be a huge overreach, and I don’t think the government has shown that they can exercise restraint in what they’re collecting and how they’re using that information.”

Broeg thinks that Apple should help the FBI, but not by providing a backdoor to the government.

“I think if there was an error that the FBI needed to figure out, Apple could decrypt it for them,” he said. “But it should probably stay somewhat encrypted.”

Schowalter said the long term effects might be similar to what we saw with the Patriot Act. “I don’t think people really notice when they’re being spied on now, so I think it just adds a layer of distrust,” she said. “I think we, in the fearmongering that happened after 9/11, consented to all sorts of breaches of our basic human rights to privacy. I think it sets a very dangerous precedent.”

Contact the author at awilson15@wou. edu or on Twitter @awilsonjournal

From Page 7

cords of that.”

The FBI wants access to encrypted information on one of the San Bernardino shooters’ phone, but Apple is afraid of future privacy violations that could occur if the government receives access to this technology.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, sent an open letter to Apple customers.

“While we believe the FBI’s intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products,” Cook said in the letter.

“And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect.”

Schowalter agrees about the importance of our freedom of privacy.

“When that information is encrypted, I think people value that because it means the information is protected,” she said.

“In an era where almost nothing is protected, having at least some content that could be protected is very valuable.”

Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg has publicly supported Apple’s decision, but, according to a Pew Research poll, 51 percent of Americans think they should submit to the demands of the FBI.

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL