Vol. 17, Issue 23 (April 26, 2017) by The Western Howl

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2017 VOLUME 17 ISSUE 23

Science not silence Page 3

NEWS

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

THE WESTERN JOURNAL

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

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF STEPHANIE BLAIR

journaleditor@wou.edu

MANAGING EDITOR ZOË STRICKLAND

With student loans comes great responsibility Western’s financial aid office provides resources for student borrowers

journalmanaging@wou.edu

NEWS EDITOR JADE RAYNER

journalnews@wou.edu

CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR PAIGE SCOFIELD

journalcampuslife@wou.edu

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ASHTON NEWTON journalentertainment@wou.edu

SPORTS EDITOR BURKE DE BOER

journalsports@wou.edu

PHOTO EDITOR PAUL F. DAVIS

journalphoto@wou.edu

DESIGNERS DARIEN CAMPO ELISSA SORENSON

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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

By Jade Rayner News Editor As spring term nears the halfway point, many students have begun to receive their financial aid packages for the 2017-2018 school year. However, it isn’t too late for those who still need to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or search for student loans. A financial aid package also brings with it a plethora of decisions that need to be made, most of which revolve around the decision to take out student loans or not, as well as how to manage them. Students that don’t already have loans, but may be looking to take one out in the future, have a number of options available to them. Romeo Lopez Gonzalez, one of Western’s two bilingual financial aid counselors, laid out what students need to know

when searching for student loans; anyone seeking loans for school need to know that they must be repaid, and that students should only borrow the amount they need. Lopez Gonzalez also says that, “it is important to understand the types of federal loans offered.” For those eligible to receive federal direct subsidized stafford loans, “the federal government pays your interest while you’re in school at least half-time and for some loans, during grace periods and periods of deferment. You must have ‘need’ to qualify for the subsidized loan,” he explains. The other type of federal loan is a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, which is made available “to students who do not qualify for ‘need’ based Federal Direct Subsidized Loans, or who are not eligible for the full Federal Direct Subsidized Loan amount. The amount of the loan cannot be more than the difference between the cost of attendance and any financial assistance you will receive from

the school and any outside source (including the subsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan). Interest accrues on the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan while you are in school and during the six-month grace period before repayment begins.” Additionally, students have options outside of federal loans. “Students considering a private loan should research private loan options carefully to see which loan is right for them. Although WOU does not recommend any particular lender, we have developed a worksheet with questions to consider when shopping for an alternative student loan,” added Lopez Gonzalez. The worksheet noted above can be found on Western’s financial aid website. Those who are already using loans to pay for college have both the opportunity and responsibility to keep track of what they owe and who their loans are being serviced by. The National Student Loan Data System is an online resource where students can track their federal loan information. Information on private educational loans will not show up on the NSLDS. Students will need to contact their private lender individually to access that information. In response to the Jan. 2017

STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER RHYS FINCH finchr@wou.edu 503-838-9697

SUBMISSIONS

Comic courtesy of FLORIDATODAY.COM

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.

lawsuits filed against Navient, the nation’s largest student loan servicer, USA Today presented suggestions for those already using student loans to assist with paying for college. First of all, students should know who their loan servicer is. “It’s not always the same company that lent you money in the first place,” stated Teddy Nykiel. “Since 2010, the U.S. Department of Education has been the direct lender for all federal student loans, but it contracts with private, thirdparty companies, including Navient, to handle loan servicing. Prior to 2010, private banks, including Sallie Mae, lent federally guaranteed student loans under the Federal Family Education Loan program.” Students who are unsure of who their federal loan servicer is can find out by logging into their account on the federal student aid website, the same site where the FAFSA can be filled out. Nykiel also recommends that borrowers keep track of their credit score for errors, and to be familiar with all of their loan repayment options. Western’s financial aid office, located in room 310 of the Administration Building, offers a variety of services. “We are available to meet with students to discuss financial aid packages, scholarship opportunities and how to pay for college,” explained Lopez Gonzalez. “We also help students navigate Federal Student Aid websites … we offer scholarship workshops, FAFSA filing events, and outreach to high schools. We do not recommend any particular private educational lender.” For more information got to www.wou.edu/finaid. Students can make appointments with financial aid counselors by logging onto their portal and going to the WCS tab. Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

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NEWS

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Science enthusiasts march through Corvallis on Earth Day

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

national march for science takes corvallis

Science lovers unite at the Corvallis March for Science

By Justin Oehler | Staff Writer On April 22, scientists, science enthusiasts and self-proclaimed nerds gathered all over the world to raise awareness of the attack on science. Even though it’s early spring with rain clouds in the sky, more people turned out than the organizers were expecting. According to one of the event organizers, Kelby Hahn, 500 to

1,000 people were expected and that is what the permit was for, however, well over 2,000 adults, children and dogs turned out, surpassing even the wildest estimations of the organizers. Speakers such as Mayor Biff Traber and Benton County Commissioner Anne Schuster, called for the crowd to continue the support of science and real facts, not the “alternative facts” that have recently plagued our news. Mayor Traber said, “beliefs do not equal fact.” This sentiment was echoed throughout the march. He also called out deniers of science saying that, “you

cannot question scientific facts. They are facts for a reason.” Commissioner Schuster took a more personal route, telling her story of how she first fell in love with science in her dad’s greenhouse. She went on to say, “science has informed all that I do.” Attendees’ ages were fairly mixed: young children who could barely walk to older folks who used canes. However, there was a small amount of college-aged students there. Jocelyn Chavez, an anthropology major from Western attended. When asked why she chose to come to the

event, she explained that, “normally this would be a fun social event to mingle with other members of the science community; however with the actions of the current administration push against science and facts this has turned it to an important event to gain attention for the cause.” When push comes to shove scientists and science lovers alike come up with many interesting signs and slogans. A chant that elicited giggles of joy from marchers every time it was said was, “What do we want? Science! When

Continued on page 12

Time: 1:35 a.m. Date: April 17, 2017 Incident: Public Safety contacted an occupied vehicle in Lot J about an alcohol violation.

Time: 11:37 a.m. Date: April 13, 2017 Incident: Public Safety was contacted by a student concerned about their interactions with a professor in Bellamy Hall.

Time: 9:30 a.m. Date: April 17, 2017 Incident: Public Safety took a theft report of missing traffic signs on Stadium Drive and Knox Street.

Time: 9:36 p.m. Date: April 13, 2017 Incident: Public Safety helped with a medical assist outside Rice Auditorium.

Time: 10 p.m. Date: April 14, 2017 Incident: Public Safety attempted to contact an individual in Heritage Hall about a possible weapons policy violation.

Contact Public Safety

Emergency: 503-838-9000 Main Office: 503-838-8481 Email: safety@wou.edu

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SPORTS

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Fraternity boxing tournament that swept the ‘70s By Burke De Boer | Sports Editor

In the far-out year of 1975, a motley pack of punks set upon the Old PE Building to beat one another bloody. Hundreds of Western students, then called the Oregon College of Education students, came together to dig on the wild fist dishing and watch Tim Hundley reign supreme. This was the TKB Smoker: an annual boxing tournament, hosted in May or June of each year. A trip to the archives at Hamersly Library unpacked the details of this event that has long since disappeared from the campus. The host of these spring season rumbles was a fraternity, of sorts. They called themselves TKB and were neither affiliated with a national Greek organization nor sanctioned as a club by the university. In the 1962 intramural football tournament, their team was billed as Theta Kappa Beta. In the days of short haircuts and picket fences, there was still an attempt to be respectable.

TKB fighters won four of 15 bouts in the 1971 smoker

Photo courtesy of HAMERSLY LIBRARY ARCHIVES

The annual boxing matches became one of the biggest draws of the decade

the motown throwdown

But by the 1970s, after a decade of political protests and the advent of heavy metal, the era of renegades was upon the nation. When the campus newspaper covered the Smoker in 1971, they proudly went by the name they were truly known as: Tappa Kegga Beer. Tappa Kegga membership consisted primarily of players on the Wolves football team. Players such as the 1972 offensive captain and running back, Doug Trice. Trice’s 5,416-career all-purpose yards is a school record nobody’s come close to touching. And Terry Watkins, the defensive line captain. And Tim Hundley, who played at safety and linebacker as an AllAmerican. In addition to playing intercollegiate ball, TKB would organize a team for the intramural football tournament every year. In all the archived intramural coverage, TKB’s teams never lost.

The gridiron gang did not fare as well in the boxing ring though. The set up, advertised to entice any and all challengers, was that a TKB member would be matched up in weight class with any non-member. Hundley, Trice, Watkins: you, too, have a chance to flatten their noses. Every year, Tappa Kegga brawlers wound up on the losing side of the overall head-to-head records. In 1973, they won five of the 12 fights, which was a pretty good year. They could scrap together a few wins and Tim Hundley would lead the charge. He boasted five wins in a sixyear span, as he transitioned from a football player and began his coaching career as a graduate program assistant. One of Hundley’s most reliable defensive teammates was a player named Jack Flitcraft. From 1969 to 1973, Flitcraft was a Wolves icon. In his time, he set the school record for interceptions in a career. His record still stands at 21. For perspective, the career interceptions leader among the currently active roster is redshirt senior linebacker Tyler Johnson, who has four. Flitcraft also played baseball, leading the team in runs, hits and RBIs. He was known as an all-around athlete, affectionately called “Flit.” He was not a member of Tappa Kegga Beer. In June of 1971, Hundley drew Flit. Hundley had 10 pounds on his teammate, and was considered the favorite. The bout opened as expected, with Hundley landing heavy hits. But Flit was more formidable than expected. A quicker, fleet-footed fighter, Flitcraft showed the speed that would lead to his school interceptions record. When the final bell rang, it was Flit’s glove that was raised. By decision, the upset was complete. Mike Haglund, a campus reporter who was in attendance, described the aftermath; “Tim just smiled and gave his congrats to Jack and they left the ring together.” Tim Hundley fought for six years through annual matches with only one loss. And Jack Flitcraft would go down as the man who delivered it. By the end of the ‘70s, the event had grown to being, by the account of the 1978 newspapers, “the most popular campus activity of the year.” And, by this time, a new Tappa Kegga brother had risen from his ranks to lead his fraternity of fighters; Lee Reed, who in ‘78 was called “The Muhammad Ali of TKB,” strung together his own streak of smashing

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victories. Gill Boardman, a campus newspaper staff writer, covered the ‘77 Smoker by saying, “The highlight of the evening had to be whether Lee Reed would put his opponent down in the first or second round.” Then, in 1979, it all came crashing down. Or, at least, the boxing ring did. Before a crowd of 900, the floor of the ring collapsed. It was repaired, and the bouts continued. Mark Smith, as a spokesman from the fraternity, later explained that they didn’t have the time to check the safety of the ring. But in the 1980 intramural football tournament, no TKB team competed. No mention of Tappa Kegga was found in the Reagan era papers. With no clue as to how it happened, the club disappeared. Perhaps the spirit of the ‘70s simply kept them bound to that happenin’ decade. So who exactly was the best TKB

By the 1970s, after a decade of political protests and the advent of heavy metal, the era of renegades was upon the nation boxer? As they were fraternity brothers, Hundley and Reed never duked it out. But if they had, the overlap would have landed right when one was a graduate student and the other fresh out of high school. Hundley may have been one tough dude during his tenure as a pugilist, but something worth noting is Reed’s accomplishments after the fall of the Smokers. The Wolves Taekwondo Club competed in Portland in 1980 and 1981, and Reed took the Northwest heavyweight black belt championship both times. Taekwondo and boxing are, admittedly, different beasts, but it’s no wonder that Reed was so accomplished in the ring. For as long as his time lasted, at least, then he was off to prove his mettle in other arenas. The ‘70s ended, so did the Smokers. And so did Tappa Kegga Beer. Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

SPORTS

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Baseball splits series with Concordia

GNAC Wolves face the conference’s bottom ranked team for a surprisingly even two days of competition. The first day of games saw Concordia clean house, as the Wolves lost 2-9 and 3-5 on April 21. They got back on track the second day, winning 5-1 and 6-0. Concordia opened up scoring early in the first game, putting up two runs in the first inning on the starting pitcher, Wolves stay number one in first-year student Connor McCord. McCord would give up a total of five conference after even-week runs before being pulled. But even after pitching changed, Concordia runs kept By Burke De Boer coming in. Sophomore Jacob Fricke, Sports Editor first-year student Justin Dolezal and A pair of doubleheaders over the senior Alex Emerson would all serve weekend saw the Wolves go 2-2 against time on the mound, giving up four more runs. Concordia. On offense, McCord was able to bat The matchup saw the top of the Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM

Starting pitcher Haley Fabian is on a four game win streak

wolves on the cusp

over the weekend. The Wolves traveled north for a long weekend, playing four games against Western Washington and two against Simon Fraser, beginning on April 21. The Wolves experienced a stop-andstart weekend, going 3-3, with each of their wins coming from complete games pitched by Fabian. “My catchers and I were able to find the batters’ strengths and weaknesses after their at bats and then adjust to it,” Fabian said. In the first day of double headers, the Wolves fell to the Western Washington Vikings 1-13 then beat them 6-1. Western Washington opened the game with immediate scoring. They would not relent, as they put up runs in every inning on first-year pitcher Chandler Bishop. Wolves stay number one in Game two was another story; Fabian locked the Vikings batters down, conference after even-week allowing only three hits and striking out six. By Burke De Boer The Wolves offense scored all six of Sports Editor their runs in the second inning. Sophomore pitcher Haley Fabian Seniors Kelsie Gardner and Hailee led Wolves softball to three victories Watilo each picked up an RBI while

Baseball Standings 1. Western Oregon 2. Central Washington 3. Northwest Nazarene 4. Montana State Billings 5. Saint Martin’s 6. Concordia

in the only two runs for the Wolves. The second game of the day was much closer, and went into extra innings to reach a decision. Senior Justin Spinner and first-year student Hunter Johnson scored runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. But two runs in the ninth secured the win for Concordia. The Wolves regrouped and swept Concordia on April 22. Junior Craig Grubbe pitched the first game, striking out seven on the way to the 5-1 victory. “Two losses in a day is pretty strong fuel for a team,” said senior Joey Crunkilton. “We took those losses to heart and were able to use it to our advantage.” Crunkilton had three runs over the

two games. He also hit in two RBIs, batting in McCord and junior Jacob Martinez with a fourth inning double in the 6-0 second game victory. Junior Nyles Nygaard helped lead the way in scoring, and batted in Crunkilton on a triple after Crunkilton’s fourth inning double. He also opened the scoring of the game with a solo home run. With eight games left to play, the Wolves remain on the top of the GNAC standings. Their remaining games all come against second-place Central Washington and third-place Northwest Nazarene.

they got on base, and were themselves batted in by a double from sophomore Cheyanne Rimer. In their second day of battle with the Vikings, the Wolves lost by a narrow 5-6 and won by a narrow 1-0. Western Oregon picked up the lead in the second inning of the first game, when senior Mercedes Green slugged a two-run home run. They held onto this lead until the bottom of the final inning. Senior Sammi Cadwallader hit the Vikings batter with a pitch with bases loaded. The floodgates were then opened, and Western Washington put up enough runs to snag the victory. Fabian pitched the second game for a shutout performance. Senior Emma Alfonso scored the only run of the day to lead the Wolves to the win. The Wolves went further north, to Burnaby, Canada, to face Simon Fraser. An error in game one’s first inning allowed Simon Fraser to score their first two runs, and they would hold onto this lead as the Wolves took the 0-4 loss.

The Wolves regrouped for an 8-7 victory in the afternoon. Fabian had five strikeouts over the first five innings, while Green, Rimer and sophomore Jenna Kelly all hit home runs. The Wolves took an 8-0 lead going into the sixth, when the Clan came back resurgent. The Wolves defense was able to stop another comeback victory. With two outs, Simon Fraser hit a grand slam and followed it with a solo home run in the seventh to come within one. Gardner, playing at shortstop, then snared a grounder to end the game. “We need to come out and win every game we can,” Gardner said afterwards, looking ahead to this week’s fixtures. With six games left, the Wolves remain on the cusp of qualifying for the GNAC tournament, two games behind the number four team. It will be a gauntlet just to qualify, as their final six games are against the top two teams in the conference.

Conference 20-8 20-12 18-14 15-17 10-18 9-23 WOU.EDU/WESTERNJOURNAL

Overall 21-11 26-16 20-22 17-25 13-23 11-31

Contact the author at journalsports@ wou.edu

Photo courtesy of WOUWOLVES.COM

CAMPUS LIFE

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017 internationally recognized date for Holocaust Remembrance Day corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. It marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. In Hebrew, Holocaust Remembrance Day is called Yom Hashoah.” Volunteers planted different colored flags to represent different groups of people who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Each flag planted represented 500 lives that were lost.

understand the struggles of Holocaust survivors. “On May 2nd we will be showing a documentary of Alice Koppel Kern, a holocaust survivor, where she went back to locations in Europe that she was at during the holocaust. Her daughter, Debbi, will be joining us to also host a Q&A for us after the movie and give more details of her mother’s story,” said Wilkins. Holocaust Remembrance Day is an important event to have on campus so

It is a time to reflect on the holocaust and be sure we never forget

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

Hundreds of flags planted on Western’s campus in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day By Paige Scofield Campus Life Editor

Friday, April 28 Composers Workshop 2017 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Smith Music Hall 122

On April 24, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the office of Student Engagement coordinated 1620 volunteers who planted thousands of flags on Western’s campus to represent all of the lives that were tragically and painfully lost during Hitler’s reign. According to ushmm.org, “The

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

6,000 blue flags planted for Polish Catholics

CAMPUS BRIEFS

Saturday, April 29 24th Annual Pow Wow All day Werner University Center

that society never forgets the genocide and pain that millions of people dealt with during World War II. “It is a time to reflect on the holocaust and be sure we never forget,” concluded Wilkins.

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

Flags planted in honor of Holocaust Rememberance Day

A time to remember and reflect

8,534 yellow flags represented Jewish adults, 3,500 small yellow flags represented Jewish children, 1,000 brown flags represented Roma and Sinti, 30 pink flags represented homosexuals, six white flags represented Jehovah’s Witnesses, 550 orange flags represented mentally/ physically disabled persons, 6,600 red flags represented Soviet Prisoners of War, 6,000 blue flags represented Polish Catholics, 40 lime flags represented Spanish Republicans and 1,400 green flags represented Serbians. “I think the visual impact an event like this has really brings to home the enormity of the loss of life in a different way, and reminds us that as a society we can never let anything like this happen again,” said John Wilkins, leadership and inclusion coordinator for Student Engagement. Though the flags only stay up for one day, the office of Student Engagement has also planned an event in May for students to continue to learn and

Saturday, April 29 Western Softball vs. Saint Martin’s doubleheader Games at 12 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Softball field

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Tuesday, May 2 “Coming Out Monologues” Reception 5:30 p.m. Werner University Center, Pacific Room $15.00 for food, drinks and a show ticket

CAMPUS LIFE

Receiving a Bachelor of Science in psychology By Paige Scofield Campus Life Editor

Western offers a wide variety of degrees that students can major in, many of which students don’t know are offered, or know next to nothing about. This week, take a look at what receiving a Bachelor of Science in psychology entails, and the fields of work it can lead to. Jaremy Calderon is a junior at Western, who is currently in the process of receiving a degree in psychology. “End goal, career-wise, I want to work with the youth of the LGBTQ+ community, within a mental health setting,” said Calderon. “Whether that’s like a therapist or a counselor, I just want to make sure that queer youth feel very positive and good about their identity and where they fit in the world. Once I get established enough, I would like to open up an organization that does pro bono work with queer youth of color. Since people of color and queer people of color have barriers to mental health help.” When asked what his favorite thing about being a psychology major is, Calderon replied, “I like that I get knowledge about how the

human mind works. I feel like being a psych major has really improved my communication and being able to understand people. I feel like it utilizes the empathy and wanting to understand people and help people that I already have, and it’s giving me those skills so I can actually do it better and make an actual difference in people’s lives.” According to Western’s website, “The Psychology degree is designed to provide the student a broadly based program in behavioral science. The psychology major may be pursued as a component of a general liberal arts background, as preparation for a variety of service oriented occupations, or as a basis for graduate study in psychology and related fields.” In 2011, Western’s psychology department surveyed graduates from the psychology program between 2001-2010, to see the variety of jobs the alumni have acquired. “Former students were employed in a variety of occupational fields with diverse job titles including social worker, geriatric care manager,

Students enjoy themselves at Night of Noise

break the silence

Triangle Alliance ends The Day of Silence with the Night of Noise By Shaylie Pickrell Staff Writer

The annual, countrywide day of action called Day of Silence was held again on Western’s campus. The Day of Silence is a day of action to spread awareness about the effects of bullying and harassment that the LGBTQ+ community faces daily. Though the Day of Silence is important and meaningful, it’s just as important to break the silence and

create a Night of Noise. On April 21, Triangle Alliance held the Night of Noise event in the Mt. Jefferson Room in Valsetz. The event allowed the LGBTQ+ community to express and enjoy themselves. During the event, there were opportunities to win prizes through raffles and bingo games, as well as get to enjoy many snacks. There was an open mic portion of the event, where people could share their thoughts, poetry or personal stories to help express the importance of the event and the importance of selflove within the LGBTQ+ community. This year, Western alumni Nawwal Moustafa spoke at the event. Moustafa shared stories from when she was in college, about some of the struggles

she’s been through and the struggles she continues to go through. While giving her speech, Moustafa made many important points about being true to yourself and how hard coming out can be. “You don’t need anybody’s permission to do whatever the hell you want,” stated Moustafa. Being able to admit to yourself that you are who you are and being able to accept yourself is difficult enough without having to worry about what others think of you. When talking about the experience of coming out, she said, “You never come out once,” because each experience and interaction with a new or old friend is different and nerveracking. But she ended her speech on

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adolescent counselor, attorney, teacher, registered nurse and physician’s assistant,” states Western’s website. “When asked about further education, 38% of Alumni reported that they were in the process of or had completed further education, with the majority completing a Master’s degree. Receiving a degree in psychology prepared alumni to succeed in diverse graduate programs in social work, clinical/counseling, education, business, law, and medical fields.” Western’s psychology major is a degree that gives students the opportunity to explore the different fields they wish to pursue. When asked what he liked about the department, Calderon replied, “All of the psych teachers that I’ve had here have been amazing and great and thoughtful and they really care. My advisor Dr. Strapp is amazing, she’s always there for me, always willing to help. I can walk into her office and I know she’s going to be there for me.” Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

Psychology major, Jaremy Calderon

get to know a major

Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

a note of hope stating that,“Thriving happens when you can own every single piece of your story.” Night of Noise was a safe event that allowed those within the LGBTQ+ community to truly be themselves in a welcoming environment. Triangle Alliance holds many events on Western’s campus throughout the year. For more information on Triangle Alliance’s future events, check out their Facebook page: WOU Triangle Alliance, or visit them in the Stonewall Center downstairs in the Werner University Center. Contact the author at spickrell15@wou. edu

ENTERTAINMENT

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Artist spotlight: Patty MeLT Photos by PAUL F. DAVIS

Local rapper follows his passions at Western By Ashton Newton Entertainment Editor

For many students, music is a great hobby. Writing, playing and even listening to music is beneficial and rewarding. Western student Patrick Jaursch, sophomore psychology major, takes that one step further by pursuing music as a passion. “My music is very freeing. For me, I write music to get away from the stresses of life. Music is a way for me to relieve and get things off my head while I express myself through a creative outlet which allows me to make something that I can enjoy doing and other people can enjoy hearing,” said Jaursch.

Jaursch goes by the name Patty MeLT for all his music, a name he carefully chose. “I chose Patty MeLT as a name because I love music so much that I wanted to take the whole ‘rapper’ stereotype out of its box,” said Jaursch. “I’m Patty MeLT because it clicks in your head and makes you say ‘isn’t that a sandwich, that’s kind of weird.’ I just wanted to evoke an emotion that’s offputting.” Jaursch is actively writing and recording new music. In 2016, he released a 10-track album called “TIMBERLINE: A Comprehensive

Western student and musician Patrick Jaursch a.k.a. Patty MeLT

Journey” that featured rap, some folk and a skit. A new single, “T I D E S,” was released on April 10 and marks a shift in Patty MeLT’s music. “I’m moving onto bigger and better things, making music that actually comes from my heart. I’m not doing things because it’s what other people do, I’m on my own path now.” Patty MeLT’s next big project, which doesn’t have a release date yet, comes straight from the ideas that he begins to work with in “T I D E S.” He says the album “is about saving the world. It’s a story, an audiobook. It’s not actually an album, I can say

that much. While there’s music in it, more than anything I want to convey a message, so I’m trying to tell a story. I wrote a book and I’m having somebody, who if people listen to my music they’ll know who they are very well, narrate the album.” When he’s not making music, Jaursch enjoys hanging out with friends, writing poetry and doing anything creative. “I just like to be creative, I’m a very creative person. I’ll just draw, I’ll make music— anything that entertains me.” Western has helped Jaursch follow

Two years after his last album, Kendrick Lamar returns better than ever with his latest release: “DAMN.”. He brings a fresh take on his career by making an album that sounds much more modern than any other album he has made to date. Despite how original this album is compared to his earlier work, Lamar still highlights and brings out his highly thematic lyrics and his unmatched flow, for which he is best known. While his lyrics are second to none, his ability to perform them is better than ever. The first song released from this album was “HUMBLE.” which became an instant hit, with his high-powered rapping skills combined with a rags-toriches storyline. It’s the perfect song to use as the frontline for the album. After listening to this album a few times, some songs seem to shine more than the rest. It comes to no surprise Photo courtesy of KENDRICKLAMAR.COM that “LOYALTY. FEAT. RIHANNA.” is one of the best on the album. Lamar With his thematic lyrics and masterful flow, Kendrick brings Rihanna into the song and lets Lamar drops fire with his latest album her show off her best qualities and mixes it with his best, this created an By Kevan Maloney | Staff Writer instant hit.

“DAMN.” is Lamar’s fourth studio album, featuring 14 songs. Unlike his previous albums, “DAMN.” has no skits.This album came out of left field for those who weren’t paying attention. It took a little over two weeks from the release of the frontline single to the release of the full album. Compared to rest of his albums, “DAMN.” is almost as imaginative as “To Pimp a Butterfly,” while sounding nothing it by abandoning the styles of his previous works. “DAMN.”, follows the tropes of early and modern rap, as opposed to the jazz inspired album “To Pimp a Butterfly.” “DAMN.” takes on a more violent tone as he verbally duels with several artists and public figures, making for some of his hardest hitting songs on this album. This album isn’t the best Lamar has made, yet it is still one of the best albums on the market. It’s an amazing and imaginative album, though it’s missing the same quality in the middle of the album, which would have made it extraordinary.

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Continued on page 12

Contact the author at kmaloney15@ wou.edu

ENTERTAINMENT

Illustration by ELISSA SORENSON

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Netflix’s new show leaves something to be desired By Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor Knowing virtually nothing about the aim for the series, besides that it was based off of a bestselling memoir by fashion connoisseur Sophia Amoruso, I was excited when Netflix announced that they would be making a show aptly named after the memoir of the same title. “Girlboss” was overall enthralling, and I’ll most likely watch it again. However, I mistakenly went into “Girlboss” thinking that it would pack the same female empowerment punch that the memoir did; that it would be a

show that would make me want to sit down and get stuff done. At the beginning of every episode, it reminds you that, though the show is based off of a memoir, it’s still a “loose retelling of real events.” Readers of the book should take this warning to heart. My main complaint about the series is that “Girlboss,” to put it bluntly, is a show built for 20-somethings. The main character Sophia, played by Britt Robertson, is snappy and a bit too immature to find endearing. She’s abrasive and a bit entitled, and has a

problem with taking any criticism or accepting that she needs help from others- even though she clearly does. On one hand, these attitudes make her more realistic but not presenting her as an idealized go-getter. On the other hand, it plays into her own inability to connect with the characters around her. Sophia’s narcissism leads to the lack of sustained secondary relationships between Sophia and the other people in her life, which make it difficult to connect with her on a deeper level. The cast of secondary characters is gold. RuPaul as Lionel, Sophia’s firecracker neighbor, and Mobias, a vintage shop-owner played by Jim Rash, were my personal favorite members of the cast. They were vibrant and acted almost as older siblings to Sophia. Sophia’s best friend Annie, played by Ellie Reed provided a breath of fresh air in contrast to Sophia’s tendency to be standoffish. The main love interest in the show, Shane, played by Johnny Simmons, occupied space as a doormat for Sophia’s problems. These characters are all delightful in that they did a good job of being harmless, but they’re all too busy coming to Sophia’s aid to actually get their own sufficiently developed storylines. I cared more about them than I cared about the person who the series is devoted to. Their storylines have the potential to be more interesting than Sophia’s. The plot was strong enough to maintain my interest, but I don’t expect

the show to gain many accolades. There were certain threads that could have ended up either making or breaking the integrity of the show’s heroine, and I found it fulfilling to see how the writers dealt with balancing out everything that Sophia has to deal with. However, the timing of the show needed a lot of work; they packed two years in a mere 13 episodes, and were inconsistent with how each year was represented. The show takes place between 2006 and 2008, but had references to media and events that occurred after the time period that’s shown. It was difficult to look past those minute details and focus on the storyline at hand. One of the highlights for me was the soundtrack. The music accompanying “Girlboss” was beautifully chosen; the tracks complement the scenes that they accompany while also being kick-butt anthems suited for a heroine like Sophia Marlowe. The soundtrack is somewhat nineties and extremely empowering. “Girlboss” was good, but that’s all it was. If you’re looking for something that will make you want to rally, I’d skip this and go read the book. If you’re looking to kill a few hours and get your mind off of things, “Girlboss” may be the show for you. “Girlboss” is enjoyable, but I’m not about to shout my love for it from the rooftops. Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Celebration of galactic proportions The 2017 Star Wars Celebration wraps up in Orlando

By Ashton Newton Entertainment Editor Each year, fans from around the world gather to celebrate “Star Wars.” This year’s celebration took place from April 13-16 in Orlando, Florida and brought in huge crowds celebrating the 40th anniversary of “Star Wars.” Fans gathered together to watch panels with “Star Wars” actors, writers and directors. During the many panels, new content was revealed, tributes were given and actors shared their opinions and favorite moments. The most talked about moment of the Star Wars Celebration was the trailer reveal for “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.” Following the trailer reveal, stars Mark Hamill, Daisy

Ridley and John Boyega took to the surrounding the film. While Johnson didn’t reveal much about the film, he did tell the audience that “things are going to get dire.” Also during the Star Wars Celebration, Disney announced a new line of toys accompanied by new animated shorts called “Forces of Destiny.” Launching later this year, “Forces of Destiny” will consist of 16 original shorts focusing on six of the most influential female “Star Wars” characters. Both Daisy Ridley and Felicity Jones will reprise their roles as Rey and Jyn Erso. The shorts and toys will release this summer. Fans dressed up in costumes from all eras of “Star Wars.” One of the most viral videos from the celebration showed fans in cosplay reenacting

the end scene of “Rogue One” in the middle of the convention center. In one of the most heart wrenching parts of the celebration, Mark Hamill took to the stage to give a tribute to the late Carrie Fisher. “Here’s a panel I was hoping wouldn’t happen for another 30 years,” said Hamill. By the end of the emotional panel, there were few dry eyes in the audience. Hamill’s tribute wasn’t the only one. A tribute video was shown during the panel, as well as tributes from George Lucas and others who had worked with her throughout the years. Finally, the panel ended with John Williams performing Leia’s theme. During the celebration, it was announced that season four of the animated show ”Star Wars: Rebels”

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would be the last. A new trailer was revealed and present fans were even surprised with the first episode of the season. The Star Wars Celebration is taking a year off next year, but Disney told fans to keep their ears peeled for more fun announcements this summer. In the meantime, the trailer for “The Last Jedi” is out now and fans are taking to the Internet to speculate and get excited. “Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi” comes out on Dec. 15. Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Icons courtesy of STARWARS.COM

HUMOR

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Do you think there’s extraterrestrial life out there looking up at the stars and wondering if we exist? We’re like two star-crossed lovers, yearning unfruitfully into the cold void.

April is a weird month; don’t be worried if you start to feel like a fish out of water.

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GEMINI 5/21-6/20 SAGITTARIUS 11/22-12/21

The stars have something incredible in store for you, Scorpio. You won’t believe what happens next!

PISCES 2/19-3/30

You can never have enough yellow legal pads, Capricorn. Stock up this week, just in case something happens to them.

If you haven’t figured out where you’re living next year yet, Leo, now is the time to panic.

SCORPIO 10/23-11/21

Quit carbo-loading, Libra. You have to balance your diet better.

VIRGO 8/23-9/22

TAURUS 4/20-5/20

If you must order a unicorn frappuccino this week, Taurus, at least do it knowing that you have fallen prey to one of the greatest marketing schemes ever.

LEO 7/23-8/22

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but this 18 credit term is breaking much more than just your bones.

AQUARIUS 1/20-2/18

CAPRICORN 12/22-1/19

LIBRA 9/23-10/22

CANCER 6/21-7/22

ARIES 3/21-4/19

Compiled by Western Journal Staff

This isn’t a horoscope, just hard facts: the stars have been talking a lot trash about you lately. Don’t tell them I told you.

Logically, you should be walking on sunshine,Virgo. The stars are saying you’ll be singing in the rain a bit longer.

Go get those school supplies you’ve been putting off, Sagittarius. It’s week four, come on, you’ve got this.

The cool thing about being a fish is that you will never be aware of your impending doom.

EDITORIAL

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

By Rex Fuller | President of Western Oregon University The April 12 edition of the Western Journal included an article responding to an email I sent to faculty and staff about our next budget. I’d like to take this opportunity to provide students with some context and background. First and most importantly, I want our objective to be clear that at Western

I invite all of our students to get involved in the fight against tuition increases

Oregon University we aim to provide a transformative education for our students at an affordable price. As we work to achieve that goal, increasing tuition is always our last resort. That brings me to my recent letter to Western’s faculty and staff. In it, I explained our current budget situation and the likelihood that the Legislature will not be able to provide the funding for the recommended budget all seven universities presented to the Higher Education Coordinating Committee in 2016. We are considering three areas in which to make up financial shortfalls: cutting budgets, tapping one-time reserve funds and raising tuition. Next week, my guest column will share more about these areas, this week my aim is to provide students with additional information about why we have a shortfall. Some background, the Higher

Education Coordinating Committee is responsible for distributing state funds to higher education. It is a complex funding system, so I’ll just paint a broad picture. Today, the state provides slightly over 22 percent while tuition accounts for nearly 70 percent. To put that shift in context, consider this: in 2007, Oregon’s seven public universities received about $692 million from the Legislature. Ten years down the road, the 2017 number as proposed is $667 million. So Oregon universities are receiving millions less in support from the state at the same time that we are serving more students and legislators have imposed mandated expenditures. Ultimately, the way in which Oregon financially supports its public universities has changed significantly in the past decade, and money is much harder to come by. In 2016, Oregon ranked 37th nationwide in terms of financial support for public higher education, up from 45th in 2015.

The question remains, is this a blip or will the legislature maintain their investment? I invite all of our students to get involved in the fight against tuition increases. If you are an Oregon resident, please contact your legislative representative to voice your concerns. Joining our voices can make a difference for Oregon higher education because together we succeed. Contact the author at president@wou. edu

Photo courtesy of WOU.EDU

Office of the President guest column

The unspoken ramifications of being on social media Engaging online is essential, but it also can be unhealthy

apparent that possibly employers want you to disclose your social media handles. But what are the ramifications of social media becoming more integrated into both personal and By Zoë Strickland professional culture? Managing Editor It’s becoming more essential to have As a college student who’s almost and update social media accounts, constantly looking at new jobs and but for some people, the time spent updating her resume, it’s become more on social media can be damaging to mental health. Humans always want to put their best foot forward; and it’s easy to do that from the privacy of a computer screen. Social media platforms, particularly Facebook, have just become personal museums of careful curation. There’s hardly a day where I can go without someone in my family asking me if I saw what ‘so and so’ posted on their profile. Taking time to make sure that an online presence is a perfect and impressive representation of who someone is can be stressful to both the people posting and the people reading the posts. The curation of social media presents a false sense of positivity within the lives of people, while also resulting in an atmosphere where one person is more likely to compare their Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

life to the lives of the people around them. In the NPR “Hidden Brain” podcast episode “Schadenfacebook”, a similar idea is discussed. “As you watch the seemingly idyllic lives of your friends on social media, you may find a voice pointing out that your vacations are dull by contrast . . . that your relationships seem to be painted in grey, while everyone else’s seem to be in technicolor” said “Hidden Brain” host Shankar Vedantam. In a 2015 study done by Ottawa Public Health, researchers found that teenagers who spent more than two hours on social media reported having decreased mental health compared to teenagers who spent less time engaged in social media. Social media is exhausting; with a blinking light in the corner of a phone, people get sucked into reactions and posts and comments. Being constantly alert and ready for social interactioneven when engaging over the internettakes a mental toll. The brain needs time to rest. As someone who recently took major social media websites off of her phone, I can speak to the fact that life

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becomes significantly less stressful when disengaging with social media websites; even if that means taking an app off of a phone and only going on social media when sitting at a computer. There’s less of an impulse to check in and see what everyone is doing. Because this impulse slowly starts to go away, it harbors an environment wherein people are less aware of their friend’s curated events, and their less likely to occupy their brain space with worrying about what other people are doing. People tend to either drift closer to the social media sphere or pull themselves almost completely out of it; the first of which demands significant amounts of brain space, and the latter of which is routinely looked down upon. The world is becoming a place where people are forced to either engage with every fiber of their being, or not engage at all- it just depends on how much of their own mental space they’re willing to give up. Contact the author at zstrickland14@ wou.edu

The Western Journal Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Student Media is hiring for The Western Journal. Apply on Orgsync!

TAIL-END Available positions: Advertising Manager Copy Editor Designers Entertainment Editor Lifestyle Editor Managing Editor News Editor Online Media Manager Photo Editor Sports Editor

Patty MeLT Continued from page 8 his passions of music with their music program and services on campus. “Western does a great job of being sure that students have access to resources. For example, our music program has studios on campus and drum labs that are both useful, and students who are music majors and minors have access to them. Western has been great at accompanying me with a studio that I can work with,” said Jaursch. To anyone else wanting to follow their passions in music or any other field, Jaursch made sure to point out that it’s important to do what’ll make you happy. “Follow your dreams, follow your passions. Do what makes you happy in life more than anything,” expressed Jaursch. Patty MeLT’s music is available for streaming right now on Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

March for Science

Continued from page 3

do we want it? After peer review!” This helped to enforce the lightheartedness of the march all in all. Another sign displayed a more comic side of one the marchers describing his idea for the next presidential candidate: “Darwin 2020: Gradual change we can believe in.” Others were more pointed towards President Donald Trump. One artist made a painting of a large Trump-head breathing fire onto a sad, lone

polar bear atop a small floating iceberg. One attendee even called to, “make America think again.” The March for Science was coordinated with the help of the City of Corvallis and the Corvallis Police Department. The event was entirely peaceful; no arrests and no property damage occurred. Contact the author at joehler12@wou.edu

Photos by PAUL F. DAVIS

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou. edu

Follow us online @theWOUJournal and use #WOUnow to stay updated on what’s happening around campus! Photo by PAUL F. DAVIS

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