WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGIAN August 24, 2017 • OD Issue • Vol CXXX • willamettecollegian.com • (503) 370-6053 • IG: Willamette.collegian • Facebook: Willamette-Collegian
People flock to WU campus to view solar eclipse
CONNER WICKLAND
KELLEN BULGER NEWS EDITOR
“I’ve seen many, many eclipses over the years, and this was just perfect. The weather was amazing and it was a great setting here at Willamette to view it,” John Leibacher, the Vice-Chair of the Solar Physics division of the American
Fall Sports Preview DANI SAUNDERS STAFF WRITER
Hello Bearcats! Who’s ready for the 2017-2018 school year? I hope everyone is prepared to take this year by storm, because it is shaping up to be the best one yet. From cross country to football, to volleyball to soccer, no sports fan will be bored this school year.. The men’s and the women’s cross country teams are both predicted to do well in the 2017 season. Both teams have participated in the Northwest Conference championship over the last three years. The men’s team will be led by seniors Ricardo Castillo-Flores, Jack Kobylka and Patrick Loftus. “We have a great chance to defend our conference title and possibly win the regional championship as well. We have a great mix of returning runners and a great group of incoming runners,” Kobylka said. Each of these runners has contributed to the past three consecutive conference titles. The women’s team will be led by senior Hannah Swanson along with rising juniors Hazel Carr and Emily Evans. The first meet for both teams will be on Friday, Sept. 8 at Western Oregon University beginning at 5 p.m. If you can make it out, you should! FALL, 6
Astronomical Society, exclaimed shortly after the 2017 Solar Eclipse took place. For the first time in 38 years, the state of Oregon, and more specifically Willamette University (WU), experienced a total Solar Eclipse. In spite of the actual totality (where the moon completely obstructs the sun) only being an event
that is slightly under two minutes in length, the eclipse effectively had people out in absolute droves to the greater Salem area and specifically the WU campus. The university itself, welcomed nearly 2,000 visitors on the campus for the rare event on Monday morning. To put the already humongous number in context, Willamette’s 2016-17
undergraduate enrollment was at 1,997 students. As the myriad of protective glass wearing, eager faced visitors flooded the campus there was a seemingly equal amount of camera crews and publications that packed the areas surrounding the halls of Waller and Eaton as well. Organizations like the New York Times, CNN
International, The Weather Channel, National Public Radio (NPR), Public Broadcasting System (PBS), NASA Opportunities for Visionaries Academics (NOVA) and The Los Angeles Times all stepped foot on 900 State Street last monday morning as well. WILLAMETTE, 2
Dealing with social anxiety during OD MADELYN JONS LIFESTYLES EDITOR
Around this time last year, I remember the confusing mix of counting down the days until my first day at Willamette, while simultaneously being terrified of its arrival. I wanted to wish away summer so I could meet new people and those legendary college friends everyone talks about. However, I was worried and unsure about how my social anxiety would factor into my experience and if it would get in the way of what I wanted my Opening Days to look like. While my social anxiety did affect my Opening Days, as it went on I found some ways to cope with it. With social anxiety, it is easy to feel alone. However, Opening Days is such a unique experience that you can count on almost everyone being new to this kind of situation. Even the people who do not struggle with social anxiety are probably uncomfortable with the idea of going to place where they knew few people or none at all. All in all: your nervousness and uncomfortableness are normal. CONNER WICKLAND
NAVIGATING, 5
Opening Days can be one of the most hectic times of the year.
WILLAMETTE COLLEGIAN 2 AUGUST 24, 2017 NEWS
Willamette community convenes for cosmic event
CONNER WICKLAND
CONNER WICKLAND
CONNER WICKLAND
Students, news outlets and international astronomers alike flock to the North lawn of Willamette University to view the solar eclipse. CONTINUED from Page 1 Although the eclipse brought world renown scientists and journalists alike to the campus, the leadup to the eclipse was certainly filled with anxiety. Quite possibly the hardest hit with eclipse fervor were the smaller communities in rural Oregon, like Madras, Oregon. Over the course of Sunday afternoon more than 100,000 people descended upon this small city that has a population of 7,000 people. Traffic was at
a standstill for multiple hours in the small city and even the National Guard was called in to aid in the city dealing with the effects of Madras being directly located in the centerline of the eclipse path. Not just in tiny rural sects of Oregon were people feeling anxious in the build-up to the eclipse, but here on Willamette’s campus, many students were eager to view the phenomenon and cut out the rest. While the university was gearing up for the big event and partaking in a rental system with visitors for the eclipse
in nearby residence halls, a variety of on campus positions were arriving in order to begin their various trainings. Speakers had to be rearranged, instruction interrupted and room accommodated. In spite of the various interruptions and utter chaos the cosmic event created, the feeling around campus was that of a celebration. Second-year student Matthew Taylor detailed his feeling of shock directly after totality had occurred. “I do not have to be back at school for a number of days, but travelled
down early from Seattle to view the eclipse,” Taylor said. “I was unsure of how great it was going to be, but once totality happened and the glasses came off, I couldn’t help but be in utter awe of how spectacular it was. At that moment I understood why people had come from so far away for something that’s only a couple minutes long. Once in a lifetime type of experience.” The next total solar eclipse that will take place in the U.S. will be on April 8, 2024. To put that into per-
spective, seven years from now we’ll be in the midst of our second election since the last, a decade removed from the violent riots in Ferguson, and Willamette’s incoming class this year could be getting their master’s degree from the law school. In the words of ABC News Anchor Frank Reynolds on a now famous posteclipse broadcast in 1979, “May the shadow of the moon fall on a world at peace.” ktbulger@willamette.edu
Aftermath of wildfires in the Pacific Northwest MATTHEW TAYLOR CONTRIBUTOR
Soaring temperatures, intense dry spells and raging fires characterize summers in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, and this year was no expectation. Major fires burning across Oregon, Washington, Northern California, and British Columbia have prompted evacuations in towns all over the region and scorched well over a thousand of square miles of forest and grasslands. Coming off of the unusually mild 2016 fire season, authorities in Oregon have battled a series
of major fires, burning a total of 304,000 acres to date. Currently, the Whitewater fire in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, the Milli fire near Sisters, the Chetco Bar Fire on the southern coast, the Umpqua North Complex east of Roseburg and the Miller Complex on the Oregon-California border are of highest concern to authorities. Their size and proximity to communities such as Detroit, Sisters and Brookings makes them of particular concern. They are all being managed by type 1 incident management teams, the most advanced emergency response teams available.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Gianni Marabella | collegian-editor-in-chief@willamette.edu MANAGING EDITOR Caitlin Forbes | caforbes@willamette.edu PRODUCTION MANAGER Amarit Ubhi | akubhi@willamette.edu NEWS EDITOR Kellen Bulger | kpbulger@willamette.edu LIFESTYLES EDITOR Madelyn Jones | mjones@willamette.edu SPORTS EDITOR Eric Del Prado | edelprad@willamette.edu
Though Salem is normally not directly threatened by major fires, the smoke those fires cause can be of significant concern. “Serious, persistent smoke in the Willamette Valley is uncommon,” said Matthew Cullen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, “but it does happen, especially during active fire years.” This year was one of those years. Throughout the month of August, Oregon has dealt with unusually persistent poor air quality as a result of the many fires burning throughout the region. Most of the smoke has been a result of fires within the state, as proximity to
OPINIONS EDITOR William Gupton | wpgupton@willamette.edu LAYOUT EDITORS DJ Tobin Huitt • Aubryn Walters • Tatiana Amrein Sarah Peery AD MANAGER Avery Bento | apbento@willamette.edu BUSINESS MANAGER Yun Kim | ywkim@willamette.edu DISTRIBUTOR Annie Jolliff | aajolliff@willamette.edu
the source of smoke significantly impacts its severity, Cullen said. However, within the past month, the Willamette Valley has been blanketed by smoke from as far away as British Columbia, which is experiencing a record breaking season. Though the air quality has improved in recent weeks, it is likely it won’t remain that way. Winds are expected to start blowing from the east over the weekend, returning smoky conditions to the valley. Additional lightning strikes east of the Cascades within recent days can also create new fires, exacerbating poor air quality in the region.
WEBMASTER Anna Neshyba | aneshyba@willamette.edu PHOTO EDITOR Conner Wickland | cewickland@willamette.edu SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Rebecca Ellecamp | rellecam@willamette.edu
Another risk to the valley lies in the brush fires that so often flare up along major roadways. As recently as Tuesday, August 22 a brush fire burning on both sides of I-5 in Centralia, Washington closed multiple lanes of the freeway and burned four homes. Fire season is far from over. It will persist through the early fall, until rain returns to the region. Before that happens, wildfires, smoke and brush fires will continue to rage across the Pacific Northwest.
mstaylor@willamette.edu
POLICY: The contents of this publication are the responsibility of the Collegian staff and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the Associated Students of Willamette University or Willamette University. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are the property of the writers and do not necessarily represent the Collegian, or its editors, as an entity.
WILLAMETTE COLLEGIAN 3 AUGUST 24, 2017 NEWS
Proposed partnership with Claremont School of Theology in its early stages GIANNI MARABELLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Over the summer, faculty and staff began talks regarding a possible partnership between Willamette and the Claremont School of Theology (CST). If the two were to merge, the CST would be Willamette’s third graduate school program, in addition to the College of Law and Atkinson School of Management. The University was reduced to three schools after the School of Education was closed down in 2014. The CST was first created in 1885 in San Fernando Valley as the Maclay College of Theology. Between 1900 and 1956, the school was housed on the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles, and finally moved to Claremont, California in 1957, where it has remained ever since. It is one of only thirteen official theological schools of The United Methodist Church. The hope is that a partnership would open up a myriad of possibilities for both organizations. “Embedding CST into Willamette has the potential of expanding academic programs at both institutions — including coursework for Willamette undergraduates, dual degree programs (similar to current offerings by the Atkinson Graduate School of Management and the College of Law) and even joint degree programs with Willamette’s current graduate schools,” Willamette President Stephen Thorsett said in a letter sent to the Willamette Community on July 6. In addition to the increased options opening up for graduate school students, it is believed that
KYLEY NISHIMURA
combining Willamette with the CST would add “curricular and co-curricular programs for undergraduate students,” according to the president’s website. It may also assist the CST financially, allowing it to “reduce overhead, more efficiently address the rising costs of higher education
and focus on student scholarship rather than maintaining an aging campus.” According to the Frequently Asked Questions page for the potential partnership on the Willamette website, the intent would be for the CST to provide its own staff independently, along with
its own financial resources. However, the possibility of Claremont relocating to Salem is also being discussed, and as such the space and staff would have to be discussed if the merge were to take place. Currently, the due diligence process is being undertaken to
assess the risks and rewards of a potential partnership for both groups. There is no set time frame for a decision to be made, and nothing will move forward until a merge is found to be a legally and financially sound idea for both Willamette and the CST. gjmarabella@willamette.edu
First years come together at the Eastside of campus ELIZABETH HYDE STAFF WRITER
For the 2016-17 academic year Willamette is piloting a new housing system where all first-year students are placed on the Eastside of campus. Instead of dispersing new Bearcats around various spots including the Westside of campus, the Cornerstone
area and Kaneko Commons, these living areas will be exclusively for sophomores, juniors and seniors. Scott Etherton, the Director of Housing and Community Life, anounced in an email last spring the changes for the upcoming academic year “…allow our community to develop stronger connections to campus orientation, programming ef-
forts and resources that support our incoming students.” While building a “stronger community” is certainly a phrase that is to be endorsed by parents, faculty and donors alike, much of the discussion on strategic housing assignments on a college campus can be correlated with an attempt to retain the incoming class.
In a study done in 2005 at Auburn University, the researchers looked to investigate whether location of housing had a significant impact on their first-year retention rates. The results of the study found that “…it is safe to conclude that living in on-campus housing has a positive impact on whether or not entering freshman return for the second year.”
This is just one of many similar studies that have been done by colleges and universities across the country, like one at Old Dominion University done in 2013 that also concluded that there was a statistically significant increase in retention rate amongst first-year students on the basis of what housing communities they were in. It is not clear whether or not an attempt to retain a higher number of first-year students at Willamette was the motive for creating an exclusive community on the Eastside of campus, but it is certain that this is a shift many colleges are making in recent years and would likely have some significant impact at Willamette. Along with the class specific communities being created on the WU campus, when talking to the Housing and Conferences staff, they made clear that this academic year there will be close to twenty students for every one Resident Advisor on campus for the first-year students. It was also reported that some halls may have multiple Resident Advisors as well. This is being done in the belief that if incoming students have peers in similar situations as themselves and access to a large amount of support in the form of increased Resident Advisor numbers, that the transition from high-school to college will be made easier than it may have been for previous Willamette students.
CONNER WICKLAND Various members of the Willamette community help incoming Bearcats move in to their new residences.
eghyde@willamette.edu
WILLAMETTE COLLEGIAN 4 AUGUST 24, 2017 LIFESTYLES
Salem life without a car GIANNI MARABELLA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Salem is deceptively large. Despite the small-town vibe and the relatively central location of the Willamette dorms, a closer look reveals that the average student could be prone to feel somewhat isolated from a lot of the city. This is especially pertinent for those without cars, with motor vehicles being a commodity that many of us were unable to bring with us to college. The bike shop offers a convenient way for students to get around town quickly, and a lot of the people here are open to car-pooling. However, most of us will have those days when we are stuck on campus and don’t have any way of traveling more than a few miles. In spite of all this, the world past Winter street isn’t so barren even if you only have your feet to take you places. There are plenty of ways to fulfill the needs and wants of a college student that are within walking distance. ENTERTAINMENT The Cinebarre You’ll probably end up here anyway since it’s the closest movie theater, but the Cinebarre really is an interesting experience in and of itself. Instead of theater style seating, the Cinebarre has rows of tables and a waiter comes by every once in a while to take your order and serve your food. The meals themselves are nothing fancy, but the novelty of being served food while a movie is playing is difficult to get over. Book Bin Even with the stacks and stacks of books you’ll have to pick up every semester, a lot of Willamette students still like to find time to read for personal pleasure. The Book Bin is a modest book store with a standard, but adequately varied stock. There is a somewhat elusive cat that patrols the place some days, and the people who work there are always friendly. They also have a variety of events they set up over the course of the year like reading challenges and the occasional open mic, so it can keep you busy if the stress of college life just isn’t enough for you. FOOD Ike Box The Bistro is great, but they don’t serve the delicious mango smoothie that the Ike Box has. Aside from the traditional cafe requirements, the Ike Box has a large board
TOBIN HUITT
room upstairs that you can reserve for meetings, and live performances on the stage downstairs. Gov Cup Another coffee shop that’s big among Willamette students, the Governor’s Cup Coffee Roasters, serves as both a great place to get some work done at some hours, and at others acts as a visually and audibly fascinating outlet for relaxation. Kitchen The Kitchen on Court Street has some tasty tacos, but its biggest draw is the fact that it’s open 24/7. While many of us have resorted to calling a pizza up from Dominos at 2:00a.m.,
the Kitchen is a place that stays lively no matter where the sun is. Whether you want some takeout in the middle of the night or if you’re just not ready for the night to end, chances are you’ll end up at the Kitchen on Court street plenty.
public all day. Despite being just a block away from campus, the grounds feel significantly removed from Urban Salem, and I’ve never known them to be overly crowded. If you need a walk in the park, a visit here might be what you’re looking for.
RELAXATION
Riverfront Park There is plenty of field space around Salem, but none of it is quite like the Riverfront Park. Its 23 acres are perfect for getting away and watching the comforting flow of the Willamette River. It’s also a good place for a picnic or to read, and plenty of events end up going on down there.
Historic Deepwood Estate A somewhat well kept secret for many is the Historic Deepwood Estate, which is actually immediately south of our campus. The house itself acts as a museum, and it holds its fair share of community events. The part the average student may be interested in is the garden and grounds, which are open to the
gjmarabella@willamette.edu
Let’s avoid busy-ness becoming ‘business as usual’ SARA FULLERTON STAFF WRITER
Whether you’re dreading that “Creating in the Arts” MOI or trying to figure out how to fill every semester with photography and painting classes, you have a creativity that is worth your attention. Earlier education seems to streamline students into either “creative minds” and “math brains.” This devalues creative exploration for its own sake and presumes that creativity exists only outside of regular life, reserved for galleries and studios. Without creativity, Einstein would never have wondered what it would feel like to zoom through the atmosphere on a beam of light. It doesn’t seem like the most productive musing, does it? However, it was this curiosity, that led to his understanding of special relativity, which underpins our current ideas about physics.
Maybe creativity to you is doodling in your journal. Maybe it’s the flare that only you can bring to sorting the office supplies at work. Maybe it’s your flawless delivery when you’re roasting a friend. Maybe it’s preparing a beautiful meal. All of that stuff matters even though it “doesn’t matter,” and it’s up to you to learn why it matters to you, at no pace in particular. It could just be because it makes you happy. Your first days in Salem are aglow with new experiences and people, maybe dimmed a shade or two by lack of sleep. Another ingredient they are likely lacking is unfilled time. Too often we boast about overloading ourselves and view uneventful time or full nights of sleep as problems to be remedied. Whether you’re new to campus or reorienting yourself, consider the value that lives in the discomfort of having nothing to do even as others
seem purposeful. A major element that is lost when we approach our bodies as mere vessels to get from one event to the next is attention to our independent‑maybe futile, maybe indulgent‑thoughts, and the places they urge us to explore. When I first got to Willamette, the itchy feeling of uselessness was one I knew well and diligently avoided. I didn’t enter into my studies with much of a trajectory, and every, “So, what do you plan to do after you graduate?” enforced the idea that I’d better figure it out quick. Pooling loads of energy into tasks whether or not they felt fulfilling aided my daunting uncertainty. The time investment itself seemed to imply that what I was doing was meaningful. If I was willing to sacrifice sleep and outside interests for something, it registered as pretty important, and that idea soothed me. I stopped prioritizing things like my unim-
pressive guitar playing, and writing little notes to loved ones about nothing in particular. When I did tried picking them up again, I got impatient when creativity didn’t spark immediately. Your creative time could start with something as simple as resisting the temptation to fill silence in transition times. I’m quick to turn on a podcast or my favorite playlist when I have a moment. It rarely occurs to me that this blind impulse to fill space may perpetuate a general mindlessness, so that my ears have limited capacity for all the words of wisdom that “On Being’s” guest speakers have to offer. To help create the space to step outside your usual mindset, there are regular mindfulness meditation gatherings at the Cone Chapel. Outdoor Program trips make escaping to beautiful places more possible for those without transportation or gear.
If the idea of schlepping your pack up a peak in the Oregon rain doesn’t thrill you, you have other options. Yoga is something I’ve found has the consistent ability to pull me out of my present worries. In addition to the free classes offered on campus through Yoga Club, Yoga + Beer is a cool way to get into the Salem community. It is open to yogis under 21 at most venues, free or by donation, inclusive of all levels, and always has mats to spare. Salem is also alive with community gardens that need volunteer contribution to thrive. Perhaps just the walk across campus between classes has the capacity to stir your most familiar thought patterns, and show you something new.
sfullert@willamette.edu
WILLAMETTE COLLEGIAN 5 AUGUST 24, 2017 LIFESTYLES
The perfect willamette student DORIAN GRAYSON STAFF WRITER
Who is a Willamette student? If you believe the stereotype, a Willamette student takes the maximum 4.75 credits each semester, is the leader of multiple clubs on campus and volunteers on the weekends for a combination animal shelter and clean water initiative. In order to make time for this, that student eats one meal a day in the form of a super nutritious pill and sleeps 6 hours a day across 3 different increments. All jokes aside, it’s astounding how much many Willamette students feel pressured to do. From classes to clubs to meals to bed, it doesn’t seem that the ‘typical’
Willamette student ever stops moving or has any limit to their ambitions. The ‘typical’ Willamette student is not, however, the actual average Willamette student. The average Willamette student makes mistakes, has hobbies that don’t involve clubs and spends time hanging out with their friends. They procrastinate on homework, worry about assignments before them and spend too much time on Tumblr. Of course, this isn’t every Willamette students experience, because it can’t be. One of the appeals of Willamette University is the diverse student body and the variety of things to do on and around campus. Yet, every stu-
dent feels the same pressure to overload their schedule and push themselves too hard. It’s part of the Willamette ethos that results in our students suffering from a higher rate of mental illness than average for universities. That’s why it is important to counteract this by taking some of the pressure off of yourself. Pay attention to what your body and mind are asking of you and make sure to give them both proper care. Keep in contact with your professors and let them know when you’re having to work through problems and they will often help you in times of mental health trouble. If you find that your answer to “How are you?” is always “I’m
busy” or “I’m tired,” consider whether that’s true or if you’re saying it because that’s what is expected or valued within the community. If you’re spending more time talking about the workload than actually studying, try to change that. But it isn’t just important to combat these attitudes within yourself, but also to do so in the community. These attitudes are pervasive within Willamette culture precisely because the student body perpetuates them. If you hear your friends bragging about how busy they are, suggest solutions rather than commiserating. Offer to help them with their work or set up a time to study together. Constructive studying and work
does more to help than normalizing overworking oneself. At Willamette it is easy to get swept up into a self-image problem, especially when you see all of the intelligent, hardworking students around you. But it important to understand that everyone else is also having those same feelings of inadequacy and inability to keep up, even those you look up to. So give your peers you look up to a pat on the back, but don’t forget to give yourself one too. You are good enough.
dgrayson@willamette.edu
Navigating Opening Days with social anxiety CONTINUED from Page 1
It is important to remind yourself of these facts to humanize the people around you. Even the new students that you see that seem to be finding their place with ease could be struggling with feelings of uncertainty and anxiety. Even if it seems like everyone has found their people besides you: that is not true. People make new friends and switch groups all the time. It may be a process to find the right friends. If you are having a hard time finding your place, in many cases you just haven’t found the people for you yet. While that is difficult, it’s normal. Many other people will be thinking the same thing, even if it may not seem obvious. Opening Days is the perfect time to be socially brave, which can be incredibly difficult for people with anxiety. One way I started to work around my anxiety was by mustering up enough social bravery to say hello while passing someone I had previous interactions with. Saying hello only takes a second, so it only requires a second of bravery. It is also helpful to find someone who feels similarly about Opening Days. Conversations with new people and throwing yourself into new experiences can be much easier with another person that you are slightly more comfortable with. It is also helpful to have someone to relate to, a more solid reminder that you are not alone. Remember that you can also take time to yourself. There can be pressure on students during Opening Days to fill all of their free time with more social interactions, but if you need time to recharge or just be away from it all, take that time! It is important to keep taking care of yourself. Your Opening Days leaders are there to support you. You can tell them if you’re having problems with anxiety and they can brainstorm ways to make Opening Days work for you, or point you to other resources on campus. There is no need to be nervous about bothering them because their job is to make your transition and next couple days as fulfilling and fun as possible.
CONNER WICKLAND
CONNER WICKLAND
mgjones@willamette.edu
Top: A community member signals for assistance to help move a first-year into Matthews Hall located on the Eastside of campus. Bottom: A lane of State St. was closed to assist the first-years with moving in.
WILLAMETTE COLLEGIAN 6 AUGUST 24, 2017 SPORTS
CARRIE FOX STAFF WRITER
It’s that time of the year again, with fall athletes returning to school early to start fitness tests, double days and preparing for their upcoming season. It’s an exciting time for athletes as they get to bond with their new teammates, and also a memorable time for players heading into their final seasons as Bearcats. Senior forward Marley Duncan from Pukalani, Hawaii, who just returned from a semester abroad in Ireland, is looking forward to a fun and successful soccer season. “I have bittersweet feelings about this last season as a senior but it feels really good to be back on campus with some of my absolute favorite people at Willamette,” Duncan said. “Our team has a lot of talented and hardworking players as well as great leaders this year, so we have high hopes for this season.” Since coming to college, Duncan’s overall experience as a Bearcat soccer player and student-athlete have been very influential in shaping her Willamette experience. “The teammates I have had during my time here at Willamette really embodied the value of community because of how welcoming and supportive they are. Even when I was a freshman soccer player, the seniors would always stop and talk to me between classes, which really made Willamette feel like home.” As a student-athlete, Duncan, like many others, has had to find the time to balance a
full class load while being at home and on the road during the season, “I have a lot of respect for my teammates and fellow bearcat athletes,” Duncan said, “People don’t always realize how difficult it is to be a student-athlete with balancing practices, games and workouts, all while trying to stay on top of school work. My teammates and all athletes at this school deserve a serious pat on the back for what they do every day on the field and in the classroom.” With the season already underway, Duncan retains a positive outlook on her remaining time as a Bearcat. “I’m really excited to see some beautiful goals and plays from my teammates,” Duncan said. “Being able to celebrate everyone’s achievements is always a great feeling because each and every player puts in so much time on and off the field that seeing the final product of their hard work is such a great feeling. I’m also excited to laugh with all of my teammates on our many bus rides, practices and games.” Marley and the women’s soccer team are looking to kick off their season at home on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 1 p.m. Don’t forget to come out and support your fellow Bearcats at their many home games this season!
CHRIS SOBATO
cfox@willamette.edu
Senior Marley Duncan and women’s soccer looks to start their season on a high note.
Fall Sports 101: preview of WU athletics CONTINUED from page 1 The football team has been training all summer for this upcoming season, and we can’t wait to cheer them on. Last season they went 3-7 with wins against Cal Lutheran, Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark. The team will be led by seniors Ryan Knowlton, Jordan Fickas, Kevin Martz and Mikael Ruffin, to name a few. Fickas and Martz are predicted to be a couple of the team’s top scorers, while defenders like Ruffin are predicted to stand out. The first home game for football will be the only night game of the season, taking place on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. Let’s pack the stadium for the team! Who doesn’t love watching football under the lights? Regular football games are mid-afternoon so people can also make the volleyball games, which usually take place in the evening. The volleyball team will be led by senior Emma Liband. Liband has a record of 254 kills in her career at Willamette and was ranked third in NCAA Division III in 2015 for having 1.55 blocks per set. Liband is a middle hitter for the Bearcats and will be a force to be reckoned with this season. Younger players to look out for this season are sophomores Kunani Tuttle and Lauren Stiles. “As a young team no one knows what to expect from us but I know we have strong players,” Tuttle said. The first home match for the volleyball team will be against Multnomah at 6 p.m. Pack the gym and support these ladies! Last, but certainly not least, we have the men’s and women’s soc-
cer teams! The men had 8 wins last season against teams like Whitman, George Fox and Pacific, and are striving for more this season. Seniors Alan Hernandez, Quinn Mello-Bastida, Quinn Nottage and Liam Main will be leading the team. They will have their first home game on the first day of
school; after classes and dinner you could watch them take on Evergreen St. at 7 p.m. The women’s team had a record of 10-3-8. The team will be led by seniors Marley Duncan, Kelsey Walker and Emmy Manset. Manset was one of the team’s top scorers last season, and will be sure not
to disappoint this season. Junior Amanda Fong has a positive outlook for the season. “Our team has meshed really well so far on and off the field. We have a lot of talented players and I can’t wait to see what we can do,” Fong said. The women will have their first home game Saturday, Aug. 26, at
1p.m. Take a break from unpacking and watch the women’s soccer team take down Evergreen St. Let’s make this year amazing and cheer on all our fall sports teams. dsaunders@willamette.edu
CONNER WICKLAND
Senior Quarterback Ryan Knowlton looks to pass against Pacific Lutheran last season.
WILLAMETTE COLLEGIAN 7 AUGUST 24, 2017 SPORTS
All you need to know about IMs KATIE PIERSON CONTRIBUTOR
Do you like to play sports? Are you interested in learning new activities? Do you want to stay active in a fun way? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should take a look at Willamette Intramurals (IM)! Intramurals are recreational sport activities put on by Willamette Campus Recreation. It is open to all students (undergraduates, MBA and Law students),
faculty and staff. At Intramurals, we hire students to run the program, train referees and engage with participants. We constantly strive to create a welcoming environment where people can stay active, engage with peers, be competitive and learn a new sport. Currently we offer 8 different sports including badminton, grass volleyball and indoor soccer. Each league lasts 4-5 weeks and ends with playoffs, where the team who wins receives the coveted Intramural Championship
t-shirt! Participants get to choose their schedule, in addition to deciding if they want to play competitively, recreationally, in a coed league or in a gender specific league. There are other ways to be involved in Intramurals besides participating in a sport. You can cheer on your friends at their games, hang out with IM staff or apply to be an Intramural Referee. We hire referees for outdoor soccer, flag football and 5v5 basketball. You don’t need any experience being a
referee, or even playing the sport, because we train everyone before we hire them. If you want to be active and have a great time hanging out with your friends and our staff, grab a group of your peers or maybe your professor, and sign up to play Intramurals. If you want to become a referee or join the IM staff, pick up an IM application in Montag. Follow us on Facebook (@WillametteIM), Instagram (@WillametteIntramurals) and Twitter (@WU_Intramurals) for more up-
dates during the semester, and for a chance to see your picture featured on our social media. If you have any questions contact us at im-supervisors@willamette.edu or stop by Campus Recreation in Montag!
kpierson@willamette.edu
CONNER WICKLAND
CONNER WICKLAND
Basketball is only one of the several intramural activities offered at Willamette University, including badminton, indoor soccer and grass volleyball.
AARON ODA STAFF WRITER
I hope the summer treated our bearcats well wherever they may have been, and that you were all able to keep up with the world of sports. As we prepare for an exciting year in sports, here is what happened while we were away.
LLWS If you don’t watch the Little League World Series on ESPN, you should. The tournament involves 11-13 year old kids from across the United States (and even the World) as they compete in their own World Series tournament. The team from North Carolina representing the Southeast region threw a combined perfect game to open
the tournament, then followed that with a combined no hitter 2 days later. To do this in Little League,and at the World Series no less, is truly remarkable.
MLB As the Major League Baseball boys head into the all important final month of the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the talk to the town. They are being compared to their basketball counterparts in the Bay Area, the Golden State Warriors, for dominating regular season. With a record of 52-10 since June 7, they are currently on pace for about 116 wins, which would tie the 2001 Seattle Mariners for the Major League record. Another cool stat from the summer is Aaron Judge, frontrunner for the American League Rookie of
the Year, set the Major League record by striking out in 37 consecutive games, but does not lead the league in strikeouts. Judge stands at 6 feet and 7 inches tall and weighs 280 pounds, and he is best known for his home run power displayed in this year’s home run derby, where he hit some balls over 500 feet.
NBA The summer’s National Basketball Association (NBA) offseason has been just as exciting as the season. The Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals, beating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in their third straight finals meetup. Parody is obviously strong in the NBA. The big thing in the world of basketball is the super team, a trend started by the juggernaut, Gold-
en State. We have seen multiple time all-star Paul George join Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City,which can hopefully teach Kevin Durant a lesson in how to win with the extremely talented Westbrook. Perennial allstar Chris Paul joins forces with James Harden in Houston to see if they can beat the boys from the Bay. After losing in the finals, disgruntled all star Kyrie Irving is demanding out of Cleveland to find either his own super team to play on or build one where he can be the franchise player.
NFL As the Fall approaches, we turn our tv sets to the National Football League. The offseason for the NFL is highlighted by 40 year old Tom Brady, who won this year’s Super Bowl in a dramatic
fashion. For a player to be performing at such a high caliber at the age of 40 is remarkable and unprecedented. Brady’s season should be watched and appreciated, because he probably does not have many left, especially at this level of play. An expected rising star of the league could be Tennessee Titans quarterback and University of Oregon alum Marcus Mariota. Coming off of a 9-7 season where they almost made the playoffs, the Titans quarterback looks to build off success with a team that seems to have the potential to be playoff contenders. Until next week, K DEN!
aoda@willamette.edu
WILLAMETTE COLLEGIAN 8 AUGUST 24, 2017
Humans of Willamette
What would you tell your first-year self when arriving at Willamette? Callum Johnston
LaShae Smith
I would tell myself to not forget the reason I came to university, which is to learn as much as I can and to prepare for my adult life.
I would tell myself to get involved and do everything that I wanted to, and not be like ‘Oh I shouldn’t do things because I need to get settled’. I would try and do it all and see what didn’t work.
Junior
Sophomore
Katherine Kelley
Caden Crowston
If I could give some advice to my first year self it would be to be happy with who you are and to be excited to be here and excited with change. Also to not worry about what other people think because they really don’t care. And get involved and excited because there are so many things happening on campus.
I enrolled in a class that wasn’t necessary in my major and it was too hard for me. Challenge yourself for sure but don’t take something that you don’t think you’ll need just because you want to challenge yourself. Take a schedule that you feel comfortable with; you don’t need to do everything (immediately).
Sophomore
Senior