Vol. 17, Issue 2 (Oct. 5, 2016) by The Western Howl

THE WESTERN

OURNAL

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2016 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 2

INSIDE THIS ISSUE... All-gender bathrooms on campus Page 2

Tips for oncampus clown encounters Page 10

SpaceX plans to colonize Mars by 2024 Page 9

R I C H A R D W O O D C O C K E D U C AT I O N C E N T E R O P E N S

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CAMPUS LIFE

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5, 2016

THE JOURNAL 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361 Student Media Department TERRY HOUSE

Where you can write on walls Richard Woodcock Education Center ribbon cutting

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STEPHANIE BLAIR

journaleditor@wou.edu

MANAGING EDITOR ZOË STRICKLAND

journalmanaging@wou.edu

NEWS EDITOR TBD

journalnews@wou.edu

CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR PAIGE SCOFIELD

journalcampuslife@wou.edu

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ASHTON NEWTON journalentertainment@wou.edu

SPORTS EDITOR BURKE DE DOER

journalsports@wou.edu

PHOTO EDITOR KEITH MATHEW

journalphoto@wou.edu

DESIGNERS DARIEN CAMPO ELISSA SORENSON

journaldesigner@wou.edu

COPY EDITOR KRISTIN ECK

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ADVERTISING MANAGER BRIAN TESCH journaladvertising@wou.edu

WEB MANAGER GEANELL BERNARDO journalweb@wou.edu

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

SUBMISSIONS THE JOURNAL encourages readers to share their opinion through letters to the editor and guest columns. Submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name. Contact information will not be published unless requested. Unsigned submissions will not be printed and original copies will not be returned. Letters to the editor may be up to 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 500 words. THE JOURNAL does not guarantee the publication of all letters or columns. THE JOURNAL reserves the right to edit for punctuation, grammar, and spelling, but never for content. Please bring submissions to THE JOURNAL at Terry House or email to journaleditor@wou.edu. Submissions must be received by Wednesday at 5 p.m. to be considered for print. All opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do necessarily reflect those of THE JOURNAL or Western Oregon University.

By Paige Scofield | Campus Life Editor On Friday Sept. 23, the Richard Woodcock Education Center became open to the public. Construction for the building began last year and was completed before the 2016 school year started. Before the ribbon cutting, the crowd gathered around the building waiting for the speakers to present. Among those speakers was Oregon’s Governor, Kate Brown. When taking the podium, she endlessly complimented the university and all the steps that we’ve made to further our education curriculum. She spoke with true sincerity and graciously complimented Western again by stating, “Educators trained at Western will contribute to Oregon’s goal of building an education system that meets the needs of all students.” The last to speak, of course, was Rich- Photo by PAIGE SCOFIELD ard Woodcock. ribbon, officially opening the RichWestern News stated that during his time ard Woodcock Education Center to at Western (then called the Oregon College of the Western campus and public. Education), Dr. Woodcock served as an assisThe building itself is filled top to tant professor of psychology and the Reading bottom with technology. This inClinic director from 1957 to 1961. Dr. Woodcludes SMART Boards, avatar simcock strives to bring teachers and students toulations and live-streaming congether from all walks of life by using education nections with real classrooms in the as something that brings people together. surrounding areas. Not to mention, Once the speeches were complete, Gov. Kate you can write on the walls; many of Brown and Dr. Richard Woodcock cut the red the classrooms and study areas have

Freedom for the loo All-gender bathrooms

By Shaylie Pickrell | Freelancer On the Western campus there are a growing number of locations in which we have all-gender bathrooms. The Equity Committee of the Associated Students of Western Oregon University are working towards making the bathrooms more visible and more comfortable for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether they’re using the restroom to make sure their outfit looks good or to actually use the restroom, it’s important to have a safe place for people in any situation. They recently added 20 more locations and hope to soon have a list or map available online, as well as in the Werner University Center. All-gender bathrooms are family friendly, vary from single to multiple stalls and some

Above: Governor Kate Brown and Dr. Richard Woodcock cut the ribbon.

whiteboard walls that allow you to use them as you please. Even if you don’t have a class in the Richard Woodcock Education Center, go take a look and see the wonders for yourself. Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu Cover photo by PAIGE SCOFIELD

locations even have showers available for use. These bathrooms are a way for those who identify outside the gender binary to feel safe and free from the pressures that can sometimes occur when having to use gender specific bathrooms. If you have any questions about the growing locations of these bathrooms around campus, or simply would like to learn more about gender equality, you can stop by the Stonewall Center or email the equity president, Max Norr, at aswouequity@wou.edu. The Equity Committee is working very hard to make information about these locations more accessible around campus. In the near future, there will be updated maps around campus identifying different bathroom types and their new locations. Contact the author at spickrell15@wou.edu

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CAMPUS LIFE

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5 , 2016

All hands on deck

Campus Public Safety officers reach out to the deaf community By Paige Scofield | Campus Life Editor Western’s Campus Public Safety Officers have always gone above and beyond when helping those who are in need. Whether that’s finding a stolen bike or escorting students home, they treat each task as equally important. Despite this, how could they strive to be better? How could they extend a hand of help to everyone and anyone who contacts them? Campus Public Safety Officers want to communicate with every student and faculty member to the best of their ability. As some may know, Western is well known for its American Sign Language program and is home to a community of deaf and partially deaf individuals. In the fall of 2015, Campus Public Safety Director Rebecca Chiles was contacted by College of Education faculty member, Brent Redpath, to do a presentation on Western’s Campus Public Safety for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Faculty. “In that gathering, we began to discuss ways

that deaf and partially deaf faculty, staff, students and Campus Public Safety could better communicate. An idea was brought to me by College of Education faculty, Kara Gouranis, that she had a couple of students who were willing to teach us at Public Safety some basic American Sign Language. Two students, Petra Schenfeld and Cassie Owens, began meeting with us in late fall 2015. They were patient and understanding with us and we have made some progress,” said Chiles. The officers involved in this training include: occupational environmental safety officer Allen Risen with 27 years on the force, officer Scott Tennant with five years, officer Trever Jackson with nine years, administrative office assistant Angela Barry with two years and Director Rebecca Chiles also with two years of experience. “Both officer Tennant and officer Jackson have used American Sign Language with students on a couple of different occasions since we began taking the classes,” Chiles added. Campus Public Safety also announced

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on Western’s website, www.wou.edu, that they have created a deaf and partially deaf text line. The Western website instructions states,“The user simply sends a text message to the specified number and the text will be answered by our Campus Public Safety staff. We encourage deaf and partially deaf faculty, staff and students to use this number for all communication with Campus Public Safety, such as, emergencies of any kind, door unlocks, report a crime or suspicious activities, etc. If you are part of the Deaf/Hard of hearing community and would like the phone number for this service, please feel free to contact the Office of Disability Services at ods@wou.edu or Public Safety at safety@wou.edu and we will do our best to answer any questions you may have.” Above all, Campus Public Safety is doing their best to make sure every student and faculty member at Western feels safe and heard. Contact the author at journalcampuslife@mail. wou.edu

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Wolves beat themselves

Photo by JOSHUA DAVIS

Football commits 10 penalties in loss

By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor Wolves football got trounced 2-31 at home on Oct. 1 at the hands of Azusa Pacific University. The Wolves had more yards, more first downs and a greater time of possession but couldn’t finish against a tough APU team. Penalties and missed opportunities stacked up to keep Western from threatening in the game. Quarterback Philip Fenumiai passed for 307 yards and rushed for another 72, emerging as the rushing leader of the game. He also took five sacks and threw two interceptions. The game began with a promising start. APU came into the game ranked and undefeated, but were held scoreless through the first quarter. Rushes by Fenumiai and running back Malik Braxton, as well as pass completions to

SPORTS

Paul Revis is brought down by an Azusa Pacific University defender

Keoni Piceno and Paul Revis, marched the Wolves down the field. In the opening drive, a 20-yard rush from Braxton and a 25-yard pass to Piceno were among the plays that put the Wolves into the red zone. However, penalties pushed the Wolves back. Holding and false start calls put the Wolves out of range for kicker Jacob Bannister, whose kick went wide of the goalposts. A forced fumble by linebacker Tafatolu Tafai, recovered by the Wolves on their own goalline, stopped APU’s first score threat and gave the ball back to the Wolves offense to start the second quarter. Three and outs ended the half for the Wolves while the defense held APU to 10 points. The game was still in hand as the Wolves received to start the second half. A false start penalty added five yards to Bannister’s kick attempt, which went wide left. WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

APU piled on 14 points in a minute with a rushing touchdown and a pick six and began to pull away. The Wolves were then able to strike into the red zone before a sack, a tripping penalty and a false start lead to another long field goal try, this one missing from 42 yards. Defensive back Austin Spencer and lineman George Swartzlander split a tackle for a safety in the fourth quarter to get the Wolves’ only points. With the loss, the Wolves fall to 2-3 on the season. They host Simon Fraser for a chance to break .500 on Oct. 9. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

SPORTS Welcome to October

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Strong showing at Charles Bowles

Sports heat up as days turn cold

By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor Time’s relentless march now blows us into the cold days of autumn. Days that grow short as the nights grow cold. The leaves turn and the harvest comes in and frost thickens on fields laid bare. The fun of summer becomes as distant as the spring that preceded it. We are now in the best month of the year for sports. The story of the football season has begun to be told but every team still has a say in its destiny. Quarterbacks scramble like the black cats that dance along cemetery fences. Anything is still possible. Baseball now gets very serious. The playoffs are upon us, and the end of the month will crown the World Series champion. For one month, America watches its national pastime. For one

Men and women cross country teams finish in top ten

month, everyone cares about baseball. Basketball and hockey enter the time of fresh beginnings. Fans recite contradicting prophecies in every town and city across the country, saying “This is our year.” Ultimately, the year only belongs to one team. But for the NHL and the NBA, this month belongs to all. For rodeo fans, the PBR World Finals comes in November. Bull riders on the cusp fight to qualify for Vegas. The million-dollar, gold buckle payday is just beyond the wicked grin of the jack o’lantern. Wolves howl and bats screech. Witches cackle and farmers buck hay. Students study and the ghosts rattle chains. Welcome to October. Let’s play ball. Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor Western cross country ran well at the Charles Bowles Invitational hosted by Willamette University in Salem. The men’s team finished fifth in scoring and the women’s team finished ninth. Sophomore Dustin Nading finished in eighth place out of the 168 runners in the men’s race to help lead the team to its top five finish. Junior Kennedy Rufener came in sixteenth among the women, out of 189 runners. The invitational hosted schools across NCAA Divisions I, II and III. The men’s team finished top among Division II schools. Western Oregon hosts the next cross country meet on Oct. 7, in the second of the year’s two Ash Creek Invitationals. Wolves runner David Ribich won the first go-round, and both men’s and women’s team finished second overall. Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Volleyball goes down fighting

Hard times on the road Soccer falls twice

Wolfpack loses two close games in one week

By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor Soccer was dismantled twice on the road as Central Washington took a 1-4 advantage and Simon Fraser won 0-6. The two game journey north saw first-year midfielder Kaili Brundage score the first goal of her Western career, while first-year keeper Caitlin Kastelic saved a combined 26 shots. The Wolves were completely swarmed in their visit to CWU, having only three shots on goal and giving up a penalty that lead to CWU’s first goal. Playing Simon Fraser in Canada found some more space for the Wolves, who pressured the keeper with four shots on goal in the first nine minutes of the second half. By that time, Western was already trailing 0-4. The Wolves were left

By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor

unable to find the back of the net and unable to close the gap. Despite allowing 6 goals, Kastelic turned in the most noteworthy performance as she made 19 saves. The Wolves close out their long road trip this week, against St. Martin’s. Saturday, Oct. 9, Central Washington comes to Monmouth. Wolves soccer is currently undefeated at home. The match kicks off at noon. Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Wolves volleyball suffered two losses at home, including a nail-biting five sets against ranked Western Washington. The Thursday match was against Simon Fraser, who came into the game with an 11-2 record. Wolves quickly shocked the visitors and surged to a 25-14 set. Simon Fraser regrouped and won the next three sets. Each set was competitive, as the Wolfpack lost by margins of 22-25, 19-25, 19-25. Western Washington came into the game favored but Wolves put up a strong effort to force five sets. After losing a rough first set 13-25 the Wolves rallied. Momentum swung between sets, and within sets as well as the teams gained and lost leads on each other.

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The Wolves faced five potential match points at the end of the fifth set before falling, 15-11. Alisha Bettinson had a double-double, with 20 kills and 16 digs. Christie Colasudro had 22 digs as well. Colasudro was also the defensive star of the Simon Fraser game, putting up 29 digs, one of four Wolves to get double digit digs in the game. Bettinson also put up 16 while Makenna Bahrens had 11 digs and Libbie Hoene 10. Volleyball goes on the road for the next two weeks but will be back on Oct. 20 to host St. Martin’s. The Wolves defeated St. Martin’s in their first matchup earlier this year. Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

ENTERTAINMENT

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Scare season returns

Haunted houses are opening up all around Oregon for October By Matthew Oldfield | Freelancer The fall season comes with pumpkin patches, rain and changing leaves. This is also the time for all the ghosts and ghouls of Halloween to begin showing up out of the shadows, creeping up on those who are unaware. That’s right, the season of Haunted Houses is back and ready to scare anyone daring enough to go inside. If you’re someone who enjoys going to creepy old houses, or walking along a dark trail, then maybe these sights are for you. For all you haunted house people, The Oregon School of the Deaf, in Salem, is hosting

The Nightmare Factory for the 29th year in a row. This year’s theme is the zombiefilled Infected Nightmare. The special haunted tour will be $10.00 from Oct. 7 to 8, however, the rest of the show dates will be $15.00 for general admission. If you’re looking for a really good scare, their $20.00 Pitch Black event will occur on the last two nights of the show, Nov. 4 and 5, will be a truly terrifying experience. Another haunted house that’s just a little farther north is Milburn’s Haunted Manor, located just outside of Hubbard, Oregon. Guests can face the imaginative

Photo courtesy of NIGHTMAREFACTORYSALEM. COM horrors of Milburn’s manor in either one of two parts: “The Manor”, “The Dark” or guests can dare to do both. General admission is only $10.00 for one part, or $15.00 for both. For those who wish to go, but feel this might be too frightening, you will be pleased to know that this

is more of a PG-13 type of haunted house. If you’re looking for something closer, with more of an R rating scare, look no farther than Corvallis’ own Haunting of the Majestic. The Majestic Theatre in Corvallis will transform for four nights only into a haunted house at the end of October. The 18 or older haunt is on Oct. 28 and 29 with a much more family oriented haunt on the 30 and 31. Prices will be hard to know until those dates come closer, but you can still check out the Majestic’s website for more details as the dates draw nearer. These are but three events happening on this side of Oregon. There are far more haunted houses around the area if you’re brave enough to find them. Contact the author at moldfield14@wou.edu

Bored? Fall TV has got you covered! New and renewed shows are set to premiere all through fall

By Alyssa James | Freelancer It just became fall and we all know what that means! New TV shows are starting up, old TV shows have been renewed for another season and it’s all done for our personal enjoyment. There is an extensive list of shows that have already premiered that are set to hit the TV scene within the upcoming months. Titles such as “Scream Queens” and “Pitch”, which premiered on Fox, “Luke Cage”, currently streaming on Netflix, and “Westworld” on HBO, are just a few to be named.

One show that recently premiered was “This Is Us”. Created by the writers and directors of “Crazy, Stupid, Love” comes a drama/ comedy show following an ensemble of unique people who share the same birthday. Starring Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, Sterling K. Brown, and more, this is a show you won’t want to miss. You can catch “This Is Us” at 10 p.m. on NBC. Another show that recently premiered was “Designated Survivor” on ABC. When an attack on the capitol takes

place, Tom Kirkman, played by Kiefer Sutherland, is sworn into presidency due to being the designated survivor during the State of the Union. Still in shock from all that has happened, Tom must dive into politics head-on and lead the country, take care of his family, and figure out who led the attack on American soil. “Designated Survivor” is on every Wednesday at 10 p.m.! Other new shows that are set to premiere include “Timeless”, which recently premiered on NBC, “Divorce”, premiering on HBO on Oct.

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9, and “American Housewife”, premiering on ABC Oct. 11. Returning shows are also something to look forward to. Some of these are “Arrow”, played on The CW starting on Oct. 5, “The Big Bang Theory”, played on CBS starting on Oct. 27, and “Vikings”, played on History starting on Nov. 30. Make sure to check out these shows premiering this fall during your study breaks! Contact the author ajames16@wou.edu.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Photo by JOSHUA DAVIS

“Rogue One” merchandise hits shelves

Yearly Force Friday event brings lots of new merchandise

By Ashton Newton | Entertainment Editor this December. This year’s Force Friday took place on Sept. 30. Stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us had special displays set up featuring all the new merchandise. Toys R Us opened its doors at 12:01 a.m. for eager customers who couldn’t wait to get their hands on the new merchandise. I was one of those customers, standing in line for an hour before the opening with about 40 other people, a lot of whom brought lawn chairs and blankets and were there hours before me. Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Rey and a Scout Trooper were even there to take pictures and get people excited. When the doors opened people went crazy grabbing items and piling them high in their carts. Employees were handing out free t-shirts and posters as well. As for the new merchandise,

Disney released a large amount of action figures for the upcoming film, as well as updated figures from previous films, such as an updated version of Kylo Ren. Due to the limited quantity, people were especially interested in the Toys R Us exclusive six inch Hovertank Pilot. I had to fight for that one. Other items available included a replica Stormtrooper helmet, new Darth Vader masks, a Bluetooth speaker that looked like BB-8 and many new Funko Pop bobble heads. Not all of the new merchandise is from the upcoming film. The animated TV show “Star Wars: Rebels”, which just aired the premiere of its third season, received many new figures and bobble heads as well. Sphero’s remote controlled BB-8, which was released on Force Friday last year, received an upgraded wristwatch that allows users

to use hand motions to control BB-8 and essentially use the force. Lego also had a large amount of new sets for the upcoming film showcased. Five new sets are now out on Amazon and at other retailers, all brand new vehicles from “Rogue One”. Lego also released three new buildable figures. All the new merchandise is out now at Toys R Us, Target, Wal-Mart, F.Y.E and more. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” comes out on Dec. 16. Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou. edu

“Transformers” returns to theaters

Michael Bay’s “Transformers” franchise brings controversy in fifth installment By Blayde Biacan | Freelancer What you may not be expecting to hear about is the featuring of Winston Churchill’s old estate as Hitler’s Headquarters. Many people, especially veterans, are critical of Churchill’s estate being covered in swastika banners due to him being a World War II hero. In response, Michael Bay told BBC, “When you see the movie you’ll understand.” To back up his statement, he mentioned how the movie would depict Winston

Churchill as a big hero and that Churchill would not be “turning in his grave”. Another main hero that will be featured in the film is King Arthur, played by Liam Garrigan, who has played King Arthur before in ABC’s “Once Upon A Time”. King Arthur’s role in the movie is currently unknown, but King Arthur was featured in the “Transformers” animated series, where he teamed up with Autobots back in the Continued on page 12 WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Michael Bay is directing another, I repeat, another “Transformers” movie. “Transformers: The Last Knight” is the fifth installment in Michael Bay’s iconic franchise. If you aren’t aware of what Michael Bay specializes in, let me tell you that you can expect huge explosions and fantastic special effects. The “Transformers” films are especially known for their top of the line and innovative effects.

Photo by JOSHUA DAVIS

Disney is well aware of the massive fan base that Star Wars has. Hundreds of thousands of people from all ages adore the series and, subsequently, are fully prepared to throw their money at it. With last year’s reboot of the Star Wars franchise, Disney announced that a new Star Wars film would be released every year until 2020. One year will be a part of the trilogy; the next will be a standalone story. Disney has also started an annual tradition called Force Friday where all the upcoming film’s merchandise will be released. Force Friday of last September, prior to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, was a massive success. Fans flocked to stores all over the world to get their hands on toys, clothes and more for the new film. Disney is continuing the tradition for the newest film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” which releases

NEWS

The Western Journal Wednesday October 5, 2016

Your food may be getting cheaper

Largest food deflation in 70 years

By Brian Tesch | Advertising Manager Here’s some good news for consumers, the USDA’s Economic Research Service report marks August as the ninth consecutive month of food deflation. The total 9 month decrease in food prices averaging -6 percent overall. With August being the largest decline, a whopping -1.8 percent, this food deflation anomaly does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. What is causing such an unprecedented event? And why should we care? Looking into the past, food deflation has been fairly market reliant. More specifically, it’s generally caused by some sort of recession. In 2009, grocery stores ran more sales in the months following, resulting in a form of food deflation. This isn’t a mystery. There were financial hardships and consumers were buying less food. You can probably guess that the biggest food deflation in U.S. history was during the great depression. Again, that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Considering the past, the current deflation should be puzzling. While the answer is probably more complex than we can speculate, current deflation is most likely being caused by low oil prices. With low oil prices, transporting food just got cheaper, therefore stores are able to charge less. This makes this food deflation an-

other benefit for the U.S. economy brought to you by cheap oil. That’s good news for college students because it’s going to be easier to find good deals at your local supermarket. But be careful, this food deflation is not benefiting everyone… Food deflation, due to transportation costs, is actually becoming a huge problem for smaller grocery stores and food chains. Stores like Walmart that rely on transportation to move most of their food across their vast and complex distribution networks are now at a huge advantage. With the cost of transportation plummeting, stores like Walmart are able to charge less and less for their food and outsource more strategically across the country. While this is causing the national food deflation, the source of the downward pressure on pricing is not shared equally among grocery stores. This is a big problem because there is a huge difference between lowering your prices because you can, and lowering your prices because you have to. This market environment is creating huge headaches for local mom and pop stores competing in towns with larger retailers. Even large billion-dollar retail companies such as Kroger, Whole Foods and Sprouts are starting to see their margins decrease

Photo by KEITH MATHEW and their stock plummet due to this change in market environment. Meanwhile, giant retailers such as Walmart and Aldi are taking over with the help of discount oil. Even Lidl, a German supermarket giant, has started to build three massive distribution plants on the east coast with the plan of opening its first U.S. stores in 2018. Amazon, being Amazon, has started AmazonFresh and is now delivering fresh groceries to your door if you live in a large city; and no, you cannot get your scup and veggies delivered via drone. What does this mean? The longer food prices continue to decrease, the harder it will be in the future for a large local grocery store to compete with the new corporate market. Contact the author at btesch14@wou.edu

#Vote2016

Registering to vote made easy By Stephanie Blair | Editor-in-Chief After the first presidential debate on Sept. 26, the internet has exploded with various voter registration campaigns for National Voter Registration day. A company, called HelloVote, has created a chatbot service that allows people to register to vote through text message. On YouTube, “Register to Vote in 1:34” videos were created by the likes of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Conan O’Brien so the VoteIRL campaign could show how quick and easy registering is (an average time of one minute and 34 seconds, hence the titles). While on Twitter, hashtags such as #LoseYourVCard and #VoteHoney were smattered across dashboards to promote other campaigns, but all with the same message; 18-34 year-olds are being called to vote. According to the US Census Bureau, over the last three presidential elections 18-34 year-

Photo courtesy of SOS.OREGON.GOV olds have only made up an average 23.7 percent of the voting population while 45-64 year-olds have consistently been the largest voting demographic with an average of 38.5 percent. The last day to register to vote is Tuesday, Oct. 18. To register to vote, visit vote.gov and have your driver’s license or identification card ready. Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu.

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NEWS

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Exploring the final frontier

Photo courtesy of NASA.GOV

SpaceX CEO hopes to send people to Mars by 2024

By Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor In 2024, just 55 years after the moon landing, we could be setting foot on Mars. Despite it being a mere eight years into the future, Elon Musk, CEO of aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, is convinced that he will be able to send a rocket full of passengers to Mars. Traveling to Mars wouldn’t be an easy feat; the process would involve creating a vessel that is reusable, while also developing a way for the vessel to refuel while in orbit. On Sept. 27, Musk spoke at the 67th International Astronautical Conference in Guadalajara, Mexico about his longterm plans for eventually colonizing the fourth closest planet to the sun. In a video of his speech released by Bloomberg.com, Musk spoke about the logistics of how often we would be able to send new people to Mars, “The EarthMars rendezvous only occurs roughly

every 26 months”. If we can only send rockets to Mars every two years, how long would it take to fully colonize the planet? “If we say the minimum threshold for a self sustaining city on Mars…would be one million people... and you can only go every two years. If you have 100 people per ship, that’s 10,000 trips...From the point at which the first ship goes to Mars, it’s probably within 20 to 50 Mars rendezvous. It’s probably somewhere between 40 to 100 years to achieve a fully self-sustaining civilization on Mars”, Musk said in his speech. The idea of going to Mars could soon be a reality, but achieving self-sustaining life on Mars will still be a long-term work in progress. Despite how alluring the concept of colonizing a new planet is, SpaceX, as well as other privatized companies that are looking into creating spaceships, is hitting a major roadblock when it comes to making their plans a reality: proper funding. Receiving sufficient funding for space exploration has plagued both public and private space exploration organizations for years. According to WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Musk, part of curbing the funding issue is to try and find a way to allow for more than 100 people to be sent in a single rocketship. By finding a way to allow more passengers, he hopes to eventually decrease the amount that one has to pay to be sent to Mars from $10 billion, to a mere $200,000. Though SpaceX’s plans put them at the forefront of innovative space technology, they would not have made such significant strides without the work done by public aeronautical agencies, such as NASA, who have provided contracts and funding to SpaceX. NASA’s continuous efforts to further space exploration take form in the information gathered by Spirit and Opportunity, the two Mars rovers that were sent to explore the planet. The two rovers have provided information that has been integral in deciding if Mars would be a habitable planet; the Mars rovers have discovered water, as well as gathered information regarding the atmospheric make-up of the planet. Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

HUMOR

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5, 2016 Cancer 6/21-7/22 This week something will happen in your life, Cancer. Sadly, I can’t tell you what. I’ve promised the stars.

Gemini 5/21-6/20 This is a great week to watch musicals. Let the songs of “Hamilton” narrate your life, Gemini.

Leo 7/23-8/22 It’s only the second week of school, but I can feel that you’re stressed. To curb your anxiety, get a group of friends together and watch “Titanic”.

Taurus 4/20-5/20 I have a haunting suspicion that you’ll be getting mail from financial aid this week.

Aries 3/21-4/19 This week is looking grim, Aries. For some unknown reason, all of your meal plan points are about to disappear. The stars are showing me piles and piles of ramen in your future.

THIS WEEK

Virgo 8/23-9/22 Do yourself a favor, Virgo. Go to Google and search for images of a ‘blobfish’. You’ll thank me.

in completely made up horoscopes

Libra 9/23-10/22 Celebrate! If you have a birthday this week, you will soon be the proud owner of a Razor scooter.

Scorpio 10/23-11/21 I’ve heard that Scorpio’s are obsessive, but I’m here to tell you that the world is wrong. Checking your phone every 10 seconds to see if someone has texted you is definitely not.

Pisces 2/19-3/20 This is your week, Pisces. You will finally be able to fit your hand into that Pringles can.

Aquarius 1/20-2/18 Just remember, Aquarius, there are plenty of fish in the sea.

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21 In 30 years, you will be the heartthrob of the PTA.

Capricorn 12/22-1/19 The stars don’t have to tell me that you’re dreading Christmas, Capricorn. This week I’m encouraging you to embrace the peppermint.

Compiled by Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor

Campus clown survival tips By Ashton Newton | Entertainment Editor Campus clowns are nothing to be afraid of. Here are some tips to help you get through the epidemic: 1. Clowns are more afraid of you than you are of them. 2. There’s a small chance that the clowns are friendly and just want to entertain you. 3. Clowns usually have big shoes, so you can run faster than them. 4. Clowns can smell fear so just try to smile and sing, “Let it Go” if you see one. 5. If you see a clown exit a vehicle, just remember that there could be an infinite amount of clowns remaining in the vehicle and plan your route accordingly. 6. A clown’s true weakness is sadness, playing “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan while showing pictures of sad puppies should scare the clown off. 7. If it comes down to self-defense, a pie in the face will do more damage than any weapon could do. 8. Clowns only follow people because they want to cheer them up, so when running from a clown, laugh maniacally. 9. If there are clown sightings in your area, avoid walking through forests alone at night. 10. Hostility toward clowns creates hostile clowns. Follow the tips above so hopefully one day we can have peace between the clowns and us. Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

EDITORIAL

A new kind of sit-in

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Colin Kaepernick sparks political controversy

By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of CNN.COM The NFL preseason ended and games are now serious. The trial-and-error month is forgotten. Except for one moment. Colin Kaepernick remained seated during the national anthem. I didn’t think much of it at the time, figuring he needed as much sitting practice as he could get. The San Francisco 49ers are a mediocre-to-bad team with Blaine Gabbert their mediocre-to-bad quarterback. This left Colin to fight practice team wanderer, Christian Ponder, for the backup’s seat on the bench.

Ponder had a good preseason too. I figured Kaepernick wouldn’t throw a pass this year and I haven’t changed my mind. However, his protest will be intrinsic to the sports annals of 2016. We’ve had a hot summer, folks. Philando Castile was killed by police while trying to show his license and registration. Alton Sterling was pinned to the ground and shot for selling CDs. Terence Crutcher was shot while holding his hands in the air. Protests spread, often turning violent. Five police officers were killed in Dallas. And the Democratic Party nominated a member of the old guard, whose 1990s party ramped up the War on Drugs. This escalation disproportionately affected blacks who, today, make up 40 percent of the American prison population despite being 13 percent of the general population, according to the U.S. census.

Kaepernick has brought all this summer heat into the football stadium, using his platform to bring attention to a people he feels this country has left behind. For largely the same reasons that Johnny Cash wore black, Colin Kaepernick now sits. Other players have followed suit, raising fists and kneeling. But football is a conservative institution. Sports generally teach conservative principles from a child’s first youth league. Across the country, kids are brought up from peewee sports to blue collar work or military service. It is in this spirit that the military has been evoked to condemn players sitting. The flag is very personal to a lot of people who have known or served alongside men and women who died protecting what the American flag represents.

Continued on back page

Too much pumpkin spice

Flavoring everything pumpkin spice seems to the the trend this year By Ashton Newton | Entertanment Editor

It’s fall. Classes are back, the leaves are changing color, and everybody is drinking pumpkin spice flavored coffee drinks. I’ll be honest, I live for this season and I have my fair share of pumpkin spice lattes, but this year pumpkin spice is out of control. It seems like everyone is trying to hop on the pumpkin spice train. I’ve seen pumpkin spice flavored Oreos, yogurt, cereal and even Hershey’s kisses. In my opinion, the majority of the pumpkin spice flavored food out there right now isn’t good. It just doesn’t capture the same feeling that a

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It’s time to draw the line between enjoying pumpkin spice and overdoing it.

pumpkin spice latte gives me. The whole idea around pumpkin spice has been escalating over the past couple years. Starbucks has grown more aware of its popularity, other coffee places have tried copying it, but this year is too crazy. Enough is enough. It’s time to draw the line between enjoying pumpkin spice and overdoing it. I love pumpkin spice; it’s the highlight of my fall. It gets me through early morning classes, warms me up on cold autumn walks, but I want to keep it at that. If pumpkin spice is overdone, I fear that it’ll lose its magic. It won’t be special anymore. Even in WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

the fall season, you have to have moderation. Going to the grocery store and seeing pumpkin spice everything ruins that. The only thing to do is to just ignore these products, focus on what pumpkin spice has been for me in the past, and not let the name get overdone and ruined. I don’t need to breathe pumpkin spice to enjoy fall. I need to be strong, resist the temptation of things like pumpkin spice Ghirardelli chocolate squares and stay true to what pumpkin spice really is: the best fall drink flavoring out there. Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

TAIL-END

The Western Journal Wednesday, October 5, 2016

NFL protests Continued from page 11

It represents a country founded on the ideals of freedom. Which especially includes the freedom to critique. It is only through free democratic discussion that a country can grow. As anyone who’s played a sport knows, it is only through critique that you improve. Whether or not you agree with his method, and whether or not you think America is already the greatest country in the world, the fact is America can still be better. The gulf between government and black communities it’s supposed to represent is one more problem that’s going mainstream. In the hot summer of 2016, it seemed unlikely that Colin Kaepernick as a quarterback would ever be discussed by any sports panel. And then the hot sum-

Photo courtesy of ABCNEWS.GO.COM mer went pro. Would Ray Lewis and Shannon Sharpe have discussed life in African-American communities on Fox Sports 1 without Kaepernick’s controversy? Certainly not. But now that discussion has come to America’s conservative institution. Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

Mark Wahlberg is returning Continued from page 7 “Transformers” animated series, where he teamed up with Autobots back in the Middle Ages. Mark Wahlberg is returning to star in “The Last Knight”, alongside Peter Cullen returning as the voice of Optimus Prime and newcomer Isabela Moner. The film will also feature new Autobots and new Decepticons, as well as the official debut of the miniature

Photo courtesy of IMDB.COM Dinobots. The larger Dinobots made their debut in 2014’s “Age of Extinction”. With confirmation that the film will feature King Arthur, Nazis and dinosaurs, who wouldn’t want to wonder what Michael Bay has in store for us with the plot of the movie. “Transformers: The Last Knight” is coming to theaters on July 23, 2017. Contact the author at bbiacan16@wou.edu

WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

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For largely the same reasons that Johnny Cash wore black, Colin Kaepernick now sits.