NEWS Dignified Western alumni recognized for Women’s History Month Page 3
WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 2017 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 19
Voices of Western CAMPUS LIFE Poet Dominuque Christina comes to Western Page 5
SPORTS Indoor track sets new national record at Division II Campionship Page 9
Western’s a cappella groups take to the stage in winter concert Page 7
NEWS
THE WESTERN JOURNAL
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Incidental fee committee reaches final decision
program budgets. However, they did respond positively to groups that focus on student employment. The total incidental fee that students will owe each term for the upcoming school year will be $349, an $8 increase from the current academic year; the summer 2018 fee reflects a $20 increase compared to the summer 2017 fee, which will bring the total to $153. Regarding the club’s and organization’s individual budgets, only a few faced significant changes from the preliminary decisions to the final one. ASWOU received an $11,793 increase from the preliminary decision, giving them a total budget of $277,132 for the 2017-2018 year. Student Engagement received an increase of $6,570 from their projected budget, putting them at $1,289,707 for the 2017-2018 school year. Rather than seeing a significant increase, Athletics faced a $5,841 decrease between the preliminary and the final
The process of finalizing the clubs and organizations’ budget comes to a close By Jade Rayner News Editor
After the extensive process of preliminary decisions and open hearings, the Incidental Fee Committee has reached their final budget decisions for the 2017-2018 school year. The final meeting took place on Friday, March 3 and was approved by the ASWOU Senate on Monday, March 6. At the start of the process, the IFC committee didn’t have a set plan on what they wanted to increase, with the fee or specific
decision. Athletics will have a budget of $1,284,159 for the upcoming academic year. A big change that came up during the final decision process was the enhancement that was granted to Campus Recreation. The purpose of the enhancement was to upgrade an existing part time position to full time. This enhancement was one that was not included in the preliminary decision; it was also
one that received no discussion from students during the open hearing process. Campus Recreation was given the enhancement, which added $37,126 to the final incidental fee budget: this will reflect in a $3 increase to the fee paid by students each term in 20172018. Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu
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The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
The IFC Committee presents during ASWOU Senate meeting
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SUBMISSIONS THE WESTERN 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 WESTERN JOURNAL does not guarantee the publication of all letters or columns. THE WESTERN JOURNAL reserves the right to edit for punctuation, grammar, and spelling, but never for content. Please bring submissions to THE WESTERN JOURNAL at Terry House or email to journaleditor@ wou.edu. Submissions must be received by Monday at 5 p.m. to be considered for print. All opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do necessarily reflect those of THE WESTERN JOURNAL or Western Oregon University.
Date: March 3, 2017 Time: 3:15 a.m. Incident: Public Safety met with a student in Watson House requesting medical treatment due to an overdose.
Date: March 4, 2017 Time: 2:30 a.m. Incident: Public Safety took report of a possible marijuana violation in Landers Hall. Date: March 7, 2017 Time: 2:29 p.m. Incident: Public Safety responded to an individual that was having an asthma attack in the Old PE building.
Date: March 3, 2017 Time: 9:20 a.m. Incident: Public Safety responded to a potential LSD overdose in Heritage Hall. Date: March 3, 2017 Time: 11:15 p.m. Incident: Public Safety retrieved an abandoned bicycle at Hamersly Library. WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL
NEWS
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Photo courtesy of HUFFINGTON POST
The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Western’s distinguished women alumni
Nawwal Moustafa, creator of Dreamboat Productions
Putting the spotlight on notable women alumni for Women’s History Month 2017 By Jade Rayner | News Editor March has been observed as Women’s History Month since 1987, as designated by Congress through Public Law 100-9. Since then, the National Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art and other notable locations use March to “... join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history,” according to womenshistorymonth. gov. Western has had numerous alumni that have made a difference either as educators, politicians and artists among other professions. Actress and painter Ariana Richards is among Western’s distinguished alumni. Ariana Richards attended Western in 2006. Her career as an actress is expansive; one of her most famous roles being Lex Murphy in “Jurassic Park,” she has also played parts in “Tremors” and “Spaced Invaders” to name a few. She won the Young Actors Award for best young actress starring in a TV movie both in 1991 and 1992 for her parts in “Switched at Birth,” and “Locked Up: A Mother’s Rage.” The Internet Movie Database credits Richards as, “... one of the most accomplished young artists of her generation.” In addition to Ariana Richards career
as an actor, she is also recognized as an accomplished painter. She is a member of both the Portrait Society of America and the California Art Club. Artists that she credits for her inspiration include John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn and Mary Cassatt. She focuses on working in a more traditional style with oil paint as her primary medium. Richards has earned the Art of the West Award of Excellence at the Oil Painters of America Western Regional Competition in 2006; in 2013 she was named the official artist for the
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mentoring. Moustafa created and selfpublished a 54-page coloring book titled “Chin Up, Dreamboat!” in 2016. The production of her coloring book was completely crowdfunded on Kickstarter within five hours, according to chinupdreamboat.com. The coloring book gained recognition from Buzzfeed, The Daily Dot and Bustle. In an interview with metro.co.uk, Moustafa stated that, “I had this idea after I ended a relationship where we
... coloring in the images works as the perfect selftherapy to process all the crappy parts of a breakup – gay or otherwise
Children for Children OrganizationInterpretational Painting of Music. She has created work for multiple exhibitions, although her current focus is on painting specially commissioned pieces for individuals. Her work can be viewed online at galleryariana.com. Nawwal Moustafa, a recent graduate of Western, is the creator of Dreamboat Productions. Additionally, she works as a teacher at Elevate Oregon, a program aimed at building relationships with urban youth to promote education and leadership skills through year-round
rushed into some serious commitment … It was a typical, over-committed too soon relationship. So, I created this. As a tool for others, and a tool for myself.” She went on to explain that she chose a coloring book as an outlet to share her story because it’s interactive, and that “... coloring in the images works as the perfect self-therapy to process all the crappy parts of a breakup – gay or otherwise.” More information about “Chin Up, Dreamboat!” including how to purchase the book and other
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available products can be found at chinupdreamboat.com. Another distinguished woman is Western’s College of Education’s Alumni of Special Note Kate Dickson. Since graduating from Western in 1977 with a master of science in education, Dickson has had an active career as an educator. Her work as vice president of education policy for the Oregon Chalkboard Project has led her to become head of an initiative to instill what’s learned through the Chalkboard Project to teacher preparation programs. Oregon’s Chalkboard Project is an initiative of Foundations of a Better Oregon. According to their website, the project’s mission is, “... to help create systemic transformation in the quality, accountability and stable funding of Oregon’s K-12 public schools.” Previous to her work on the Chalkboard Project, Kate Dickson has also been in the roles of Oregon deputy superintendent of public instruction, principal and teacher in the SalemKeizer school district. Reflecting on her education, Dickson noted that, “... my graduate work at Western was high quality and established a strong foundation for valuing intellectual rigor, critical thinking, and problem solving complex public education issues.” More information about her, and other distinguished alumni can be found at wou.edu/education/alumni. Contact the author at journalnews@ wou.edu
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CAMPUS LIFE
The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Wednesday, March 15 Squeeze the Stress Away 12-2 p.m. Werner University Center Eastern Side
CAMPUS BRIEFS
Thursday, March 16 Rogue One! Movie Night 6-9 p.m. Werner University Center Willamette Room
Thursday, March 16 Western Oregon Winds 7:30 p.m. Rice Auditorium Free with student ID $5 general admission
Friday, March 17 Trivia Fantastica! 7-8 p.m. Werner University Center Willamette Room
how to find the best birth control By Shaylie Pickrell Staff Writer On Thursday, March 9, Abby’s House hosted an event to inform students about birth control options. Although their guest, Jennifer King from a care provider at the student Health and Counseling Center, was sick, they still gave all the information they had collected from her, as well as wrote down
any unanswered questions that they will relay to her. Aislinn Addington, the director of Abby’s House, stated multiple times that, “We are not licensed health care professionals, but will provide the best information we can.” When discussing curiosities about birth control, Addington responded with, “If you’re interested in birth control on campus at the health center, there’s no fee to talk about options and the cost for the actual birth control is case by case depending on insurance.” Addington then went on to discuss the different types of
birth control that are available. The different types of birth control are labeled on a five to one star effectiveness scale when “used properly,” as Jessica Fontaine, a Abby’s House volunteer stated. The five star methods include: nexplanon the arm implant, skyla and mirena IUDs and sterilization for men and women. The three star methods include: the pill, the patch, the ring and depo-provera the shot. And finally, the one star methods include: fertility awareness, the diaphragm and condoms for men and women. The ones that are most likely
to be available at the health center are the pill, the implant, IUDs, the ring and condoms. Condoms are the only form of birth control that protect from STIs and are best used with other birth control methods. During the question and answer portion, they answered common concerns that most people have when thinking about sex or birth control. “It’s best to take the least amount of estrogen needed,” said Addington. She also explained the side effects of UTIs and yeast infections and that they, “... aren’t gender exclusive. You can also get a UTI if you have
a penis and they can also be transferred between partners.” In addition to the options on campus, Planned Parenthood in Salem is also a valuable resource. If one has any more in depth questions about birth control, contact the health center. If this causes stress and is uncomfortable, Abby’s House is willing to help make the phone call to schedule the appointment for whoever needs it. Contact the author at spickrell15@wou.edu
Infographic by ELISSA SORENSON
Abby’s House holds a birth control options and information event
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CAMPUS LIFE
The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Western’s Multicultural Student Union holds Women of Culture Dinner By Paige Scofield Campus Life Editor On International Women’s Day, the Multicultural Student Union held the event: Women of Culture Celebration Dinner, in the Werner University Center. The event was to, “... honor and acknowledge the diversity within women in different communities. The purpose of this event is to bring awareness to our campus by providing workshops, keynote speakers and a variety of interactive activities involving different issues and aspects that affect women. This event is inclusive to both men and women in
the pursuit of educating our campus on the importance of women’s rights within different traditions,” according to Western’s website. The event was coordinated by Shelby Brooks and Ivan Acosta, the Co-Secretary and Activities Director, respectively. Shelby Brooks, a sophomore Spanish middle/ high education major, was glad that they were able to put on this event because of the help they received from Student Engagement and the University Diversity Committee. “I think it’s important to raise
one of nine students who desegregated a high school in Little Rock, who dealt with endless brutalization. She discussed the horrifying things her mother saw as a 10 year old child, and she discussed her own hardships of having an abusive step father, dealing with her own anger and trying to never feel voiceless or scared again. She discussed feeling different, because her family never showed anger to how they were being treated. “I come from people who did not permit themselves the full utility of their bodies and
their voices,” Christina said. “They didn’t shake their fists in your face, they shook the cage by being excellent.” Between the retelling of her past, Christina performed several of her spoken word poems that were about her traumas, her love, the mothers who have lost their sons at the hands of police and her daughter. Each of her raw, artistic performances received a ginormous round of applause by its end. Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu Poster displayed at MSU event
Photo by AMBER HOLLAND
Poetry tells of scars from the past
awareness about minorities and people who have suffered through things that we don’t always recognize,” said Brooks. “It’s important to acknowledge that different people have different backgrounds than you, and try to understand where they come from in order to have a well-rounded life. So everyone can function better together and that people can truly empathize on more than just a surface level.” The summit was filled with students waiting to eat dinner and listen to the keynote speaker Dominique Christina. Christina is an award-winning poet, author, educator and activist. She holds five national Poetry Slam titles in four years, including the 2012 and 2014 Women of the World Slam Champion and the 2011 National Poetry Slam Champion. She has also published several poetry collections throughout her career. Christina discussed the life of her aunt who was
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Events for non-traditional students Western has many nontraditional students on campus, but there are rarely events put on for them. The Student Activities Board wanted to change that, so they put on the event: Parent’s Night Out. This was an opportunity for non-traditional students of Western to be able to drop off their children at a free day care service that SAB provided in the Werner University Center. So, that parents could get a few hours for themselves to relax, do homework, hang out with friends, etc. Matthew Ciraulo, a sophomore history major, and director of SAB, felt like,“There hasn’t been a lot of events towards non-traditional students and especially those people who have children and who are going to school,” Ciraulo said. “And their role is Children colored pictures at the March 10 event so much that they’re balancing
By Jasmine Morrow Staff Writer
having a kid and going to school and doing well, so we felt bad as a SAB for not having programs for them, so this was one of our ideas to help them get through everything.” Although the event was only a few hours long, it’s was meant to be a time for parents to catch up on sleep, do homework, have fun in town with their friends, basically anything they want to do. Even though this was the first event like this, the Student Activities Board hopes to be able to put on more events like it, to give parents another break in the future. Only one young girl showed up to the event, but lucky for her, because she got the opportunity to play all the activities that were planned. She was able to do some coloring, played charades, listened to Disney songs, sang
and read books. The Student Activities Board hopes that parents tells their friends to get the word out for the next time there is an event like this on Western’s campus, so more children can show up and have fun, and more parents can take a break and have fun too. The Student Activities Board is always interested if students have any ideas or thoughts on future events, or want certain events to happen more often on campus. The SAB office is located downstairs in the Werner University Center. Make sure to check out flyers and posters around campus to see when SAB is putting on more exciting events hosted on Western’s campus. Contact the author jmorrow16@mail.wou.edu
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at
Photos by HALEY MORRIS
Western’s Student Activities Board holds a parent’s night out event
ENTERTAINMENT
spring into action
A guide of what to do over spring break
Spring is in bloom at Woodburn’s Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival
land to walk about with views of the mountains, this is an ideal place to visit to enjoy the start of spring. There is a $5 ticket cost to enter, but once inside there are a few different gardens to explore, food onsite from the Mt. Angel Sausage Company, a coffee cart and more. This may be just the way to kick off the spring season. Over 21 and want something fun to do? The Cider Rite of Spring is taking place in Portland on March 25. According to nwcider.com, Cider Rite of Spring is an event that celebrates
By Alyssa James Staff Writer Winter term is coming to a close which means that after next week, spring break will be here. Oregon may not be the ideal spring break destination spot for most; however, Oregon offers various excursions that students can enjoy. Beginning March 24, the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm is putting on their annual Tulip Fest. With 40 acres of
the “blossoming Northwest Cider industry” and is “an annual cider tasting event welcoming the return of Spring.” The event runs from 12 to 6 p.m. and costs $25 to attend. With entrance, attendees receive a complimentary glass and access to a total of 30 local cideries offering almost 100 different types of cider. For someone who doesn’t want to spend a bunch of money over the week-long break, taking a trip to one of the numerous hikes within Oregon may sound like the ultimate way to
Local musician shakes things up
Oregon based musician Isaac Turner brings fresh new ideas to the music industry
Isaac Turner discusses his music
Breaking into the music scene can be hard for new artists. With the rise of social media and trends, staying relevant in today’s entertainment industry is a difficult thing to do, but local musician Isaac Turner is combating that. Turner created a “Song of the Week” series, where over the course of one year, he writes, produces and creates a music video for an original song. Turner just wrapped up working on his week 10 song, “The Road.” I got a chance to sit down with Turner and learn all about his work and the exciting things he’s been working on. “Last year in December, I reflected that I’d done nothing the whole year.
Photo by JOSHUA DAVIS
By Ashton Newton Entertainment Editor
Photo courtesy of OREGONLIVE.COM
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The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
A whole year has gone by and I haven’t even finished my album, I was still recording it. I played a couple shows and did a few festivals, but that’s nothing. I did nothing to build a fan base” said Turner. With this, Turner recounted that it was time to make a change. “I came up with this idea to write, record and produce a song every single week. One, it’s going to force me to buckle down and handle it. It’d force me to stay in the studio writing and producing. The other thing is that you get better every time you do something. Every time I do one of these songs, the songwriting will get a little bit better, the production will get
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spend one’s time. A few options that may be worth looking into are Silver Falls State Park, Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge and Multnomah Falls. One thing to always remember is that when going on a hike, staying safe is the top priority. Whether hiking, enjoying cider or admiring tulips there, is something to enjoy for everyone during spring break. Contact the author at ajames16@wou. edu
a little bit better, the music videos will get a little bit better. That was the main part of it” Turner added. Shying away from the old standard of making music and staying relevant in today’s world of social media are both important for Turner and his music. “How do you stay relevant in today’s crazy social media? If you have an album that’s 12 songs, how do you keep that relevant all year? You can’t. By a new song every single week and the process of the song, I can stay relevant all week long” Turner said. Turner currently has three albums out. His latest, “Give You Love” released in January with 12 songs. The biggest inspiration for Turner’s current release system is the band Marion Hill, who released a song online and gained enough popularity that they had a record deal before their
Continued on page 12
ENTERTAINMENT
The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Western gets vocal
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Western’s very own a cappella event took place at the Smith Recital Hall on March 9. A cappella is singing without instrumentals. The experience had the performers doing their utmost in their talents, all the while still joking with the audience and themselves on stage. Top right: Members of 15 Miles West performing; Western’s a cappella is separated into Gospel,” “I Wish,” “Jealous,” “7 Bridges two groups. The male group is called Road,” “I Do” and an Usher medley. 15 Miles West. While the female group It then transitioned to Suspended is called Suspended. Their interactions performing a Chainsmokers medley, on stage and between themselves “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” a show how close they are, “We’re like a Rihanna medley, “Hide and Seek” and family” said one performer. a Colors medley. In the end they came In the event, many well known artists together to sing “Never Be Like You.” and songs were performed. In order of The only time that an individual their performances, the event started stood out was in a solo, other than with 15 Miles West performing “This is that, you could see and hear every
bottom left: Violet Trammel performing in concert
performer and their music. Trying to focus in on one specific tune or person is hard. Despite there being no musical instruments besides the performers themselves, it sounds exactly like each song, which is truly what a cappella is. Contact the author at bbiacan16@wou. edu
Photo courtesy of IMDB.COM
By Blayde Biacan Staff Writer
Photos by JADE RAYNER
Western’s a cappella groups hit the stage
Review: “Kong” Kong is king in this magnificent monster mash
The beautiful cinematography of “Kong : Skull Island”
By Ashton Newton Entertainment Editor “Sometimes the most dangerous things are the most beautiful,” says Tom Hiddleston’s “Kong: Skull Island” character, explorer James Conrad. A fitting quote for a movie of such monstrous proportions. It’s difficult to watch “Kong: Skull Island” without being constantly blown away by the beautiful South Pacific setting and the fantastic cinematography. Each scene of terror is followed by a scene of beauty. The wonder of the uncharted Skull Island is shown throughout, causing smile-inducing scenes of beauty around every corner, which helps to make “Kong: Skull Island” an excellent adventure film. Accompanied by music and outfits from it’s 1973 setting, “Kong: Skull Island” makes great use of the time
period, set up to feel like a Vietnam War film. The film makes great use of its cast. Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston and John Goodman all bring unique and compelling performances to the table. Working with an ensemble cast of well known actors can make for thin characters, but in “Kong,” everyone has their moment to shine. Even Kong himself is an incredibly done character. Both terrifying and sympathetic, Kong’s special effects help to make him realistic enough to feel like a real threat to the viewer, rather than an animated joke like some “King Kong” movies in the past. The film does fall into standard action movie tropes though. When the soldiers are focused on in the film, I found myself having heard the same dialogue and seen the same problems.
“Kong: Skull Island” doesn’t do much to set itself apart from every other action film. The plot is also weak. Two hours of “get from point A to point B with monsters” gets redundant and annoying after a while and would be a total bust without the accompaniment of great performances and excellent visuals.
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With a great cast and beautiful cinematography, “Kong: Skull Island” is one of the best “King Kong” films ever made. Although brought down by action movie tropes and a weak plot, “Kong” is still a great, beautiful movie that definitely deserves a watch.
Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu
+ Great cast
- Weak plot
SPORTS
March Madness returns
Brackets selected for NCAA Division I tournament By Burke De Boer Sports Editor We are now in the ides of March, and madness once again descends upon us; referring of course to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. The most hyped bracket of each year released its 2017 edition on March 12, the result of a madcap Selection Sunday. The top seeds in each region were Villanova in the east, Kansas in the midwest, Gonzaga in the west and North Carolina in the south. Duke’s spot as number two in the east could set this bracket up for a Duke-North Carolina final. In a highlight of the east region, Wisconsin fans were left baffled at how their Badgers were deemed an eight seed. On the other side of the
Photo courtesy of SBNATION.COM
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The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
bracket, Minnesota was crowned a five seed, despite not playing in the Big Ten championship. Wisconsin’s trip to the Big Ten championship and ranking second in the conference didn’t seem to help their rank in this tournament. Even Maryland scored a higher seeding, despite bombing out in the Big Ten’s quarterfinals. Wisconsin’s spot as an eight seed puts them against ninth-seeded Virginia Tech. This is going to be a game to watch, despite all the salt of Badgers fans for their team being underseeded. Josh Parcell reported an interesting stat on Twitter, in that Wisconsin is 307th in the nation when it comes to defending three pointers. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, ranks ninth in the country in three point offense. The midwest region looks almost like a Big Twelve tournament, as three of the conference’s schools were all seeded together. Top seeded Kansas is the natural favorite for the region, but with Iowa State and Oklahoma State both in contention, some conference rivalry is certainly possible. Iowa State shouldn’t overlook their matchup against Nevada though. March Madness is always full of upsets, and the twelfth seeded Wolfpack just won the Mountain West championship.
It’s Nevada’s first trip to the big dance since 2007, but they have some tricks for their first round matchup. Guard Hallice Cooke played for Iowa State just last year before transferring to Nevada, bringing their scouts and coaches an inside view of Iowa State’s operations. One stat that will help Nevada regardless of insider info is the fact that Iowa State is one of the worst teams in the nation at rebounding, ranked 295th. All around they’re a smaller team filled with good shooters but lack the power of the Wolfpack. Nevada big men Jordan Caroline and Cameron Oliver have a combined rebound average of 17.9. The south region is perhaps the most wide open of the four, as top seed North Carolina has underperformed on the road this year. Tenth seeded Wichita State is also considered to have gotten the Wisconsin treatment. The Missouri Valley champions were largely pegged for around a six seed, but somehow fell to double digits. Make no mistake, they have the potential to go far in this bracket. They are one of only ten teams in the nation to be ranked in the top 25 for efficiency on both defense and offense. The three-peated SEC kings
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Kentucky come into the south region with a number two seed. In 2014, Kentucky and Wichita State played one of the instant classics of March Madness history, and the selection committee is likely chomping at the bit for a rematch. Making a notable appearance in the west region is Northwestern, who have received a tournament bid for the first time in school history. Northwestern are the only Power Five school to have never played a tournament game, a legacy that comes to an end when they face Vanderbilt in Salt Lake City. The Wildcats were sure to make the tournament after beating Michigan on March 1, the result of a full-court Hail Mary pass from Nate Taphorn to Derek Pardon in the dying seconds of the game. Pardon put the lobbed ball through the basket as time expired in one of the incredible highlights of the regular season. March Madness is a time for stories, and this year’s selections prove to have many. No one has ever gotten the bracket challenge right, at least those placed by online bets. So pick your favorite teams and spite all your rivals. We’re all going to be wrong. Have fun. Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu
SPORTS
Distance medley relay sets national record Wolves runners take AllAmerican honors at championships By Burke De Boer Sports Editor Western Oregon runners won a national championship and set a national record at the Division II Indoor National Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. The men’s distance medley relay team had a photo finish victory, beating
Adams State across the finish line by .001 second. The team, composed of juniors David Ribich, AJ Holmberg and Josh Dempsey and sophomore Dustin Nading, set another school record in a record-setting indoor track season for the Wolves. Their final time of 9:40.144 set the new benchmark for NCAA Division II. The championship final came after a Thursday qualifier that saw Western Oregon advance in all five competitions. The team then went five for five again, earning All-American marks across the board. Ribich and Nading both ran the men’s mile qualifier, coming in first and ninth, respectively. They went on to both garner points for Western Oregon on title day. Ribich had a third place finish with a time of 4:06.72. Nading finished right behind Ribich with a time of 4:06.85 for fourth place. Josh Dempsey qualified for the 800 meter race with a second place finish on Thursday. He completed the Saturday race in 1:51.20 to claim sixth place. The four finishes brought the Western Oregon men’s team 24 points,
bringing them to a tie for sixth place with Azusa Pacific. Two Western Oregon women were competing in Birmingham, as junior Suzanne Van De Grift and sophomore Olivia Woods both ran the 800 meter. Woods previously claimed the school record in the 800 meter at the Seattle Pacific Final Qualifier on Feb. 25. Van De Grift then set the new record in the preliminary with a time of 2:09.63. The championship race saw Van De Grift extend her school record with a fifth place finishing time of 2:09.10. Olivia Woods finished sixth place with a personal best 2:09.26. With only two runners competing, the women’s team recorded seven points to finish in 29th place. The championship weekend concludes the 2017 indoor track season. Western Oregon track and field now sets its sights on the outdoor track season, which opened on March 4. Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu
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Photo courtesyy of WOU TRACK AND FIELD TWITTER
The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Winning weekend for baseball in Portland Trip to Concordia sees Wolves win all three games
Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM
The distance medly relay team helped the men’s team to a ninth place finish
By Burke De Boer Sports Editor Wolves baseball busted out the brooms in a series sweep of Concordia, extending their conference record to 6-0 to start the season. Western Oregon’s trip to Portland saw them win the first game 6-3, then pull off both halves of a double header 2-1 and 9-2. The wins helped Western Oregon baseball climb back into the National Collegiate Baseball Writers west region poll, now ranked at number eight. The winning pitchers were first year student Connor McCord, junior Craig Grubbe and senior Trey Smith. First
Wolves baseball advances to 7-3 overall
year student Kade Mechals and junior Cam Walker both picked up saves for their late inning efforts. The first game saw the Wolves go into the eighth inning trailing 2-3. Nine Western runners had been left stranded throughout the first seven innings. Starting pitcher Brady Miller had been pulled and McCord brought on in relief. Since McCord took the mound at the end of the fourth inning, Concordia was held to their three points. McCord had surrendered no hits and struck out two. But the Wolves offense would need to close on scoring opportunities if the defensive performance was to garner anything. The eighth inning opened with first year outfielder Torreahno Sweet, who
only two hits and gave up no runs in his six innings pitched. The final game of the series was the most explosive for the Wolves as they put up nine runs on Concordia. Sophomore catcher Justin Wakem scored two runs and batted in a third. Junior third baseman Nyles Nygaard had three RBIs on the day. “Once the game starts, it’s all about picking up your teammates and focusing on the little things to achieve our common goal,” Nygaard said. “Our coach emphasizes a term, ‘This pitch.’ If we focus on the pitch at hand, we will win every game because we are taking care of what’s present. We aren’t looking ahead at the what-ifs and we aren’t looking back.” The six game win streak to open conference play sees Western Oregon on top of the GNAC standings and the only undefeated team in conference. The Wolves are in Monmouth this week, hosting Corban on March 15 and Central Washington on March 18 and 19.
had batted in one of the Wolves’ earlier runs, getting on base with a single. Junior Jay Leverett then slugged a home run over left field to take the lead. The runs continued to pour in and McCord shut down Concordia, picking up a total of six strikeouts in his four and one-third innings. “It felt great to help my team win this week,” Sweet said, after getting his first at bats of the season. “We worked hard at practice and the results showed.” The Wolves never trailed throughout the Sunday double header as they Contact the author at journalsports@ powered their way to the sweep. wou.edu The first game of the day was a defensive match, as the Wolves won 2-1. Craig Grubbe struck out five, allowed
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HUMOR
The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
This week in completely made up horoscopes Compiled by Western Journal Staff Aries 3/21-4/19
Taurus 4/20-5/20
Time to start spamming social media about how hard your one online final is going to be.
Renew your Amazon Prime membership, Taurus. Otherwise you’ll be looking at overdraft fees and will have no one to blame except yourself.
Gemini 5/21-6/20
Cancer 6/21-7/22
It’s dead week. I don’t think you need me to tell you it’s not going to be fun.
Leo 7/23-8/22
Virgo 8/23-9/22
Cool it with the calzones, Leo. Just eat pizza like an American.
The stars know what you’re thinking, Virgo, but quitting school to escape finals will only be a temporary relief. Keep on fighting that good fight.
Libra 9/23-10/22
Scorpio 10/23-11/21
Come on, Libra. Converse with dresses is for 13-year-olds. Highheeled Converse on the other hand...
You discover you have a new talent this week. Congratulations! But the heat in your veins suggests this is more than a simple parlor trick.
Sagittarius 11/22-12/21
Capricorn 12/22-1/19
The week is only half over but you’ll pull through, Sagittarius. All you have to do is get some sleep and marathon that TV show you’ve been putting off.
If you watch too many sad shows on Netflix this week, chances are you’ll be wrist-deep in a pint of ice cream by finals.
Aquarius 1/20-2/18
Pisces 2/19-3/20
Take some time off over break and hit the waves. The water will help relieve your stress.
Start the upcoming term fresh; move around your furniture and soak up the febreze-laced clouds of spring. Illustrations by ELISSA SORENSON
WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL
EDITORIAL
The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
In defense of Lego
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By Ashton Newton Entertainment Editor When I was little, building Lego with my dad was one of my favorite things to do. We’d dump our giant buckets of Lego onto the living room floor and, in my little mind, enter a whole different world of magic and creativity. As I look back, the beauty of those experiences with my dad wasn’t about how I felt, it’s how I remember the proud look he gave me when I built a building, or the excitement on his face when he showed me something he built. I grew up building Lego, both alone and with my dad. Unlike some people, I never stopped. My Lego bucket still occasionally gets dumped out on the living room floor and I can’t remember a Christmas where there wasn’t at least one set on my list. Lego may be in the toy aisle, but it’s far from a toy.
First off, Lego promotes creativity in an adult world that looks down upon it. Some people like to write, some like to make music and some like to build. Creating things out of Lego that are incredible is a lot like drawing a really nice picture. It’s therapeutic to be creative, and creativity is what Lego is all about. Having small models of things you love is another great reason to build Lego. As a “Star Wars” fan, having an X-Wing on my shelf is really cool. Lego partners with lots of movies like “Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter” and “The Avengers”. Whether or not you like building them, collecting Lego is almost as exciting. Whether it’s with kids, siblings or friends, building Lego can also be a social experience. Some of my best memories with family or childhood friends are building Lego together and comparing what we built. Watching my little brother get older and start
Let my people go
Bomb threats to Jewish cemeteries and community centers continue By Zoë Strickland Managing Editor I want to preface this by saying that I identify as being culturally Jewish rather than religiously Jewish. I was raised in an interfaith household; my mom is Jewish and my dad isn’t religious, though his family somewhat is. That being said, I’ve always been closer to my Jewish roots than my
Christian ones. I know the beliefs, prayers, history, holidays. Growing up I didn’t go to Hebrew school, but I went to synagogue on Fridays and celebrated the high holy days. I have Jewish family members who moved here as a way of escaping Hitler’s regime. I’m proud of my heritage and I’m proud of what we’ve survived. So when I see that there have been over 150 bomb threats to Jewish community centers and repeated
The Mittleman Jewish Community Center, which received a bomb threat on March 6
Photo courtesy of MITTLEMAN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER FACEBOOK
Photo by PAUL DAVIS
Lego is not just a toy for kids, it’s a hobby for adults, too
building his own sets has been an incredible experience as well. Lego is expensive, but you don’t need a lot of money to get creative. With places like eBay and Craigslist, finding piles of cheap Lego is totally possible. Plus, the new video game “Lego Worlds” just came out. The game lets players build anything they want virtually with endless possibilities.
With sites like Reddit, Lego fans from all over the world can come together and share their creations. Whether an adult, a college student or a kid, Lego is an incredible hobby for anyone who likes to be creative.
instances of vandalism to Jewish cemeteries, I get angry. I get angry that this has been happening for months, and that the president waited until Feb. 28 to address it. I get angry that the religion I was raised with, one that promoted nothing but kindness and acceptance, is now being targeted because people are somehow still stuck in the 1930s. It’s sickening. All of this has been done before: the threats, the vandalism. During the Nazi regime they would set up days that were fully devoted to toppling down Jewish headstones. We’ve seen this before, we have a general idea of what it leads to, but there isn’t an active effort being made to combat the threats that are being made. Having one speech that denounces acts of hate is great, but it doesn’t prevent anything. According to CNN, the bomb threats have been happening in waves “On Jan. 9, 15 Jewish centers and schools received bomb threats. Since then, the threats have occurred in waves, with a series of threats on Jan. 18, Jan. 31, Feb. 20,” reported an article from March 1. These threats are premeditated, they’re clearly being timed and put out in a specific way. The police caught one of the people who was making the threats directed at
New York community centers, and he was perpetrating the threats as a way of setting up his ex-girlfriend because he was mad at her. Bomb threats against any place, religion or organization aren’t justified. They aren’t a ploy to use to get back at someone you’re mad at. It’s a form of targeted, misplaced retaliation. This past weekend was Purim, a Jewish holiday that’s meant to celebrate the resistance against an ancient Persian king’s plan to annihilate the Jews. During Purim, there was another wave of threats towards Jewish community centers. According to the PewResearchCenter, Jews make up 1.9 percent of the United States. The bomb threats not only target a specific group of people, but they also threaten the safety of a minority community in the United States. Regardless of the community, religious or not, we should all be concerned when any group within the country is threatened. So far, in the United States and Canada, there has been a combined total of 154 threats to the Jewish community. We’re nearly three months into 2017 and 72 years past the end of WWII; why is this still going on?
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Contact the author at anewton15@ wou.edu
Contact the author at zstrickland14@ wou.edu
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TAIL-END
The Western Journal Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Photo courtesy of JOSHUA DAVIS
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Isaac Turner Continued from page 6
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Todd Norton’s day starts out on a bad note when he wakes up in an alley having been mugged the night before. Though his fresh concussion prevents Todd (Burke De Boer) from remembering who cold-cocked him, he is not deterred — and now armed with a list of every person he’s ever pissed off, Todd blows his way through the Pacific Northwest University campus in a desperate search to identify the perpetrator.
INQUIRERS WEEKEND April 20-22, 2017
first tour. He said Marion Hill, “... and their story is what changed my idea, so they’re a huge inspiration on me, their story more than their music. Sound wise, I’d say Chet Faker. I love his vibe.” Another inspiration for Turner is the state of Oregon, where he’s spent his whole life. “The rivers, the woods, nature. I incorporate that into
so many of my videos. I think a huge part of my acoustic thing comes from that folky Oregon natural kinda thing,” added Turner. Isaac Turner’s music is available on both iTunes and Spotify, as well as on his youtube channel “isaacturnermusic,” where his weekly music videos can be found. Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu
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