CWU’s student section roars to life
Criticism and praise for this year’s Grammy winners
SURC bus stop displays CWU art
See Page 4
See Page 8
See Page 10
Vol. 127 NO. 6
February 15, 2024
By the students, for the students
INTERVIEW WITH UNIVERSITY
PRESIDENT RAISES ETHICAL QUESTIONS Isaac Hinson Editor-in-chief
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Isaac Dobmeier and Winnie Killingsworth Scene Editor, News Editor
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he Observer’s Editor-in-chief Isaac Hinson said that last Tuesday, Feb. 13, during an interview with CWU President Jim Wohlpart regarding the story about the new provost. Hinson was under the impression that President Wohlpart offered him an internship, which is needed for a bachelor’s degree in media & journalism. He has not yet met the internship qualification necessary for graduation. Hinson said that the opportunity was brought up by President Wohlpart and that he has not made a decision regarding pursuing it. Following this article, Hinson will no longer be working on articles that involve President Wohlpart. He believes that journalistic integrity and the journalistic integrity of The Observer are of the utmost importance. Hinson is worried that the exchange he had with President Wohlpart during the interview may put this integrity in question.
The Observer attempted to reach President Wohlpart through Associate Director of Strategic Communications and University Relations David Leder, who in turn was able to contact President Wohlpart through his boss, Chief of Staff and Interim Vice President for University Relations Andrew Morse. Morse’s response, as relayed by Leder in a phone call with The Observer, is that the internship conversation was theoretical in nature and simply a place to have a conversation later about opportunities on campus. He stressed that no internship or job offer was made. In a subsequent text message to News Editor Winnie Killingsworth, Leder said: “Please note that this part of today’s [Feb. 13] conversation was not relevant to the interview topic, which was CWU hiring a new provost. I would ask that you consider this fact when recounting what was said in the president’s office.”
n the morning of Feb. 12, CWU’s President Jim Wolphart sent out an email to students announcing that the search for a new provost had concluded, as he and his 11-member search committee had appointed Dr. Patrick Pease as the new provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. He will begin his tenure on Tuesday, April 16, just as the spring quarter is underway. He replaces Kurt Kirstein who has acted as interim provost since October 2023 after previous Provost Michelle DenBeste stepped down. As Provost, Pease will be responsible for overseeing the vision of the university and its values. He will also lead the university in its plan regarding academic curriculum, departments and programs. “When President Wohlpart called me, I was of course thrilled,” Pease said. “After my visit, I knew Central was the place I wanted to be … It will be a busy few weeks for me to transition to Washington, but I am eager to get to Ellensburg and continue getting to know everyone.” Pease most recently has acted as the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), where he served since 2017. Notably, Pease and Wolphart previously worked together at UNI, as Wolphart served as the school’s provost for six years.
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February 15, 2024
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BEYOND OUR C OVERAGE LOCAL
According to the Daily Record, the student involved in a confrontation in Barto Hall was facing earlier harassment charges. The student was first charged because he reportedly damaged another student’s car by repeatedly kicking it.
NATIONAL
22 Senate Republicans voted to aid Ukraine, going against Donald Trump. According to ABC News, these Republicans voted with Democrats to pass a $95 foreign aid package- mostly for Ukraine and Russia. US House Republicans won impeachment against Biden’s top border official. According to Reuters, the impeachment won by a narrow vote of 214-213, amidst claims of Biden’s top border official being to lax on border control.
An Ellensburg man is facing criminal charges after allegedly attempting to kick a nurse in the face, according to the Daily Record. He was taken into Kittitas Valley Healthcare Hospital on a mental health detainer and got into an argument with a nurse over the facility’s possession of his cell phone.
Biden and Trump are currently in a close and tight rematch in the elections. According to Rueters, the four day poll showed that former President Trump carried 37% of the support, while Biden carried 34%.
Facing three charges of delivery of a controlled substance, a Cle Elum man is expected to accept a plea deal according to the Daily Record.
GLOBAL
Whitehorse’s Derek Deuling helped secure Canada’s second gold medal in under a week at the under-23 Nordic World Ski Championship in Planica, Slovenia on Sunday according to CBC. Deuling was competing in the mixed relay event alongside Jasmine Drolet of Rossland, B.C., Mac Hollman of Thunder Bay, Ont., and Liliane Gagnon of Quebec City. For the first time in more than two decades, Mexico last year surpassed China as the leading source of goods imported by the United States according to AP News. The shift reflects the growing tensions between Washington and Beijing as well as U.S. efforts to import from countries that are friendlier and closer to home. Jamaica and the Bahamas push back against U.S. travel warnings, according to NPR. The countries are labeled unsafe for travelers, due to the amount of crimes, sexual assault, break-ins, etc. The U.S. State Department has issued a level 3 advisory, the most severe.
LETTER from the EDITOR Hey CWU, Out the gate I wanna acknowledge what’s on the front page, which I assume you’ve read by now. I’d feel weird if I didn’t. My team and our faculty advisor deliberated long and hard about how to go about covering that and making sure we got it right. I am extremely proud of each and every one of them; Megan, Isaac and Winnie. They are some of the most talented people I have ever met and had the pleasure of working with, and I believe handled this with not only grace, but more importantly with integrity. I did not write a single word of that article, statement, whatever you’d like to call it, and was not in the room when any of the phone calls or communication with Leder, Morse and Wohlpart took place. Charis was not with us during Tuesday’s design night, but there is no doubt in my mind that she would’ve been just as thorough and competent as the rest of us, as she always is. I would also like to thank Francesco for being a steady voice for us in the room that night, providing us with invaluable advice and always guiding us in the direction of principle and honor. What would Woodward do? I have absolutely zero ill will towards President Wohlpart, and my experience with him on Tuesday morning was one of pleasure and hospitality, and while my interest is transparently, and selfishly, piqued by the opportunity, I feel that that exchange was mishandled and should’ve been done at another time. Outside of this, we have an amazing issue for you guys this week. I’m so proud of our staff and am thrilled at the idea of continuing to build upon what we’ve made here next quarter with them all. I hope you all had a lovely Valentine’s Day spent with the one you love. Or, alternatively, spent practicing self-love. If all goes according to plan, I will have spent it finishing building my LEGO Dune Ornithopter set, buying something to display it on and seeing “Madame Web” on opening night because if I can’t love Dakota Johnson at her worst, I don’t deserve her at her best. And as always, big ups to our designers Brandon and Z, who were presented with consistent changes to the design of this issue that night and showed up like LeBron in 2016.
(Photo by Megan Foster)
Until next week, Isaac
STAFF Editor-In-Chief Isaac Hinson
Copy Desk Lead / Opinion Editor Megan Foster
Faculty Adviser/ Editorial Consultant Francesco Somaini
Isaac Dobmeier
Scene Editor
Sports Editor
Brandon Davis
Junior Graphic Designer
Staff Reporters
Staff Reporters
Lead Graphic Designer
Z Morris
Lee Beck
Charis Jones
Raya Miron Jackson Roberts Devanee Lopez
News Editor
Winnie Killingsworth
Staff Reporters
Astor Powell-Pedersen Layla Taha
Editorial Policy: The Observer is a public forum for student expression, in which student editors make policy and content decisions. The mission of The Observer is two-fold: to serve Central Washington University as a newspaper and to provide training for students who are seeking a career in journalism. The Observer seeks to provide complete, accurate, dependable information to the campus and community; to provide a public forum for the free debate of issues, ideas and problems facing the community at large; and to be the best source of information, education and entertainment news. As a training program, The Observer is the practical application of the theories and principles of journalism. It teaches students to analyze and communicate information that is vital to the decision making of the community at large. It provides a forum for students to learn the ethics, values and skills needed to succeed in their chosen career. If you have questions or concerns, email us at cwuobserver@gmail.com.
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February 15, 2024
CWU finds new Provost in
Dr. Patrick Pease How it happened and his mission First things first for Pease is to become acclimated with the CWU community, which he already feels greatly embraced by. Wohlpart mentioned that part of Pease’s success at UNI was his connection to the school’s student body, and he hopes that that can be replicated at CWU. “I’ve been at my current university for a long time and I have strong relationships across campus, which are invaluable,” Pease said. “I’m very aware that I need to start building those same kinds of relationships at CWU, and it starts with getting out and listening to people. There are so many individuals and groups I’m looking forward to hearing from, and I plan to start making those connections right away.” Wohlpart says that Pease made his plans to build foundational connections with the student body and the community at large clear from the get-go, mentioning it in one of his interviews with him. One of CWU’s highest touted missions is diversity. Outside of Black Hall is a banner claiming CWU as the number one school for diversity in Washington State. Pease is notably a white man. “[Diversity] is such an essential piece of what we must be working on at Central and especially at the executive team,” Wohlpart said. “I made certain that that was front and center in the deliberations of the committee and of ELT [Executive Leadership Team]. Everybody was aware of that as they were formulating their recommendation analysis. What folks realized was we have to hire a provost who is ready to hit the ground running and do the job at the level that it needs to be done, and the consensus was that that was Patrick.” Wohlpart said that looking past this hire, he is still committed to creating pipelines where diverse faculty, staff and students have opportunities in leadership roles and have the ability for upward mobility in said roles. “That’s something we need to do in very proactive and intentional ways,” he said.
The search for a new provost was conducted in large part by the 11-person search committee. The search began with the refining and revising of the position description. “That [new] position description was shared with faculty leaders, staff leaders, student leaders, the executive leadership team so that everyone could have input into what we were looking for.” Wohlpart said. “That leads to a set of required qualifications and then preferred qualifications.” Among those required qualifications is a doctorate or terminal degree from a recognized regionally accredited institution, a history of teaching, scholarship and service qualifying the candidate for a tenured appointment at the rank of full professor in one of CWU’s academic departments, ten years of leadership and administrative experience in higher education, and more. Preferred qualifications include five years of executive leadership and administrative experience at the Dean of Associate Vice President level or higher, a record of leading collaborative and inclusive initiatives to meet workforce needs, demonstrated success in building a culture of data-informed decision-making, and demonstrated experience working across university divisions on projects that enhance student engagement and success. Pease has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in geology from Indiana State University, and he earned his doctorate of philosophy in geology from Texas A&M University. Wohlpart emphasized the importance of having someone in the chair who would not just echo his own sentiments and initiatives. “I thought if I’m going to be successful as a leader, as a provost I needed people who are going to offer me different perspectives, and have the courage to offer those different perspectives,” he said.
Diversity flag.
(Photo by Isaac Hinson)
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Barge Hall.
(Photo by Isaac Hinson)
CONTINUED
FROM FRONT PAGE Pease also referenced their sometimes opposing views as an asset rather than a detriment. According to Pease, he mentioned his differing personal and academic background during the interview process, which differs from Wohlpart. Wohlpart being the son of a professor and Pease being a first-generation graduate is one of their many differences. Wohlpart also grew up in larger populated areas, even spending time as a youth in Switzerland, while Pease grew up on a farm. “A great thing about President Wohlpart is his genuine curiosity and openness to alternative viewpoints,” Pease said. “There were certainly points in our past working relationship where we disagreed and that process allowed us to challenge each other to do our best and to do what is best for the students.” Wohlpart let the search committee take the wheel in the quest to find a new provost. He listened to and trusted their judgment when it came to hiring Pease. “If the entire search committee … had all said we should hire Patrick, would I have gone and hired somebody else? No,” Wohlpart said. “If folks had said that there’s two viable [candidates] then I would have asked more hard questions. What are the real strengths of this one? What do we need … There was a clear consensus.” Keeping a distance from the hiring process also allowed there to not be any bias in the hiring, since Wohlpart and Pease are previous colleagues from UNI. Both Pease and Wohlpart say they had a great relationship. “Being able to work with President Wohlpart again is an extra benefit to coming to CWU,” Pease said.
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“We had a great relationship at UNI in which I felt supported, respected, and free to operate in ways that worked for my leadership style.” “If everybody has recommended somebody else and I picked Patrick then I would say I had a pretty heavy thumb on it,” Wohlpart said. “But I did not weigh in on that. In fact, when we went around the room at ELT I asked everybody to make a final weigh-in. I did not say how I felt about any of that. So I stayed completely out of it knowing that yes, I did work with him.” Even though they already had a successful working relationship, Wohlpart doesn’t necessarily want it entirely replicated at CWU. He wants Pease to be able to take a more hands-on approach with the school, letting him handle off-campus activities, like fundraising. “We raise about $8 million a year in the foundation,” Wohlpart said. “UNI was raising over $40 million. Most of that for scholarships for students, programs for faculty … That’s where we get to provide all of that support for the academic programs and things like that. I haven’t had time to do that here as much. I hope to get to that place.” Pease says that the interview process was well organized and designed, and despite it being busy and fastpaced, everybody involved remained kind, welcoming and engaged. “I spent a lot of time before the interview learning about Central,” Pease said. “Once I was on campus everything exceeded my expectations. It was really fun to see everything in person and learn first-hand from the faculty, staff, and students I met.”
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Fueled by the Fans
February 15, 2024
Jackson Roberts Staff Reporter
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WU’s new and improved Nicholson Pavilion reopened to the public on Oct. 7. They did not stop there though as a brandnew student section was opened for students to establish new traditions and have access to giveaways. It has been an instrumental part in both the men’s and women’s basketball teams success as fans are packing the bleachers more and more. While at home, both Wildcat basketball teams have at least a 70% win rate on the season. The women’s team sits at 7-3 while the men’s team is 10-1. This is drastically different compared to their away records of 4-4 for the women and 2-5 for the men. This is a testament to how important it is to be playing in front of your home crowd and the effect it can have on the team. Senior forward and second leading scorer of the men’s team Samaad Hector talked about the difficulties of playing on the road compared to home. “We have to find our own energy,” he said. “We are all excited to be home because the fans really do bring us all that energy and we can just feed off them.” So far, the fans have brought their A-game to the section. They are showing up to games with posters, shirts with faces of some of the athletes, even some of the other CWU athletes from other sports have shown up to support. A few football players have shown up to the game shirtless with words drawn across their chest either praising CWU or making fun of the opposing team.
The fans have been electric in the time the student section has been added. Sophomore mechanical engineering major Nathan Nhye gave his opinion on the level of hype the student section has this season. “I think the vibes are really high right now, we have good energy that motivates the players and gives them morale to play better.” Nhye said. There are certain players who perform better in front of fans. They can get momentum going and once everyone in attendance is hyping them up, they tend to play with a different level of confidence. To both Hector and Nhye, senior guard Anjaylo Lloyd is that exact type of player. “I’ve never played with a player who it takes the crowd to get him going and once he’s going, he is unguardable, you cannot stop him,” Hector said. “If he checks into the game and you let him hit his first two shots, you’re going to have a rough time stopping him after that.” The student section may be loud, but it is not the only area of the court that is rocking during the games. CWU’s band attends the games as well and are sounding great and taunting the opposing teams. They have been seen with hypnotizing wheels while the other team shoots their free throws in an attempt to distract them. Sophomore drummer Andrew Byrd shared the reason for their gag of keeping newspapers with them to mess with the away team. “It became this joke with our director where when the opposing team is announced, we act like we’re too busy reading the newspaper,” Byrd said. He also spoke on the impact the band has on the game, “We definitely help set
the level as far as the energy of the game for sure. Us combined with the student section really brings some hype.” The student section could not be run without some other important people. Those being the members of the CWU cheer team. You will always catch them lined up in front of the student section hyping up the crowd and doing their stunts. Junior Livy Sander is a flier and is in her first year with the cheer team. Sander spoke on the effect of the student section on both the team and the fans. “It helps us be louder, which is great for our players and it distracts the other team,” Sander said. “And I think it makes other students who may be quieter feel like they can be a little louder too.” The distance between the fans and the cheerleaders is very different compared to football season and basketball games with the addition of the student section. Junior main base and captain of the cheer team Isabelle Zahnow is in her third year with the team and spoke on how different football and basketball games are with the fans so close. “Sometimes it can be a little chaotic because you turn around and they are right in your face compared to having a gate,” Zahnhow said. “But it is way better because you get way more crowd involvement. It is way more fun because they are much more involved with us than football.” There is not much time left in the season to get to the student section with only two home games left for the men’s team and three for the women. Next opportunity to be there will be Saturday Feb. 24 where your CWU women’s team will take on Northwest Nazarene at 1:15 p.m.
Student section packed out.
(Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media)
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February 15, 2024
Page 07
Welcome Home
‘Cats
Two players dapping each other up. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson/Thompson Sports Media)
Raya Miron Staff Reporter n Feb. 7, 2024, CWU football hosted their signing day at Ellensburg Brewery. The room had soft lighting, the tables had CWU football helmets on them and as you walked in everyone grabbed a plate of food and some drinks. The team signed 28 athletes overall, 23 were incoming freshmen and five were transfers all from different cities and states. The group of recruited athletes were very diverse and all caome from different backgrounds, but one thing they all have in common is their passion for CWU football. Chris Fisk is the head football coach at CWU. Fisk has been the head coach for the past five years but joined the Wildcat football program in 2016 as the offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator. As a rookie head coach in 2019, Fisk guided the Wildcats to the program’s third straight Great Northwest Athletic Confer-
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Along with this day of recognizing athletes who are coming to CWU, the football program also recognized athletes who have continued their football career which they call “Pro-Cats.” First is Reilly Hennessy, he resigned with the Stuttgart Surg in the European League of Football. Patrick Rogers, he will be attending a Pro Day in hopes of playing in the National Football League. Adam Bighill, 2023 Canadian Football League Players’ Association All-Star plans to resign with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Lastly James Moore, he re-signed with the BC Lions for his second season in the Canadian Football League. “Every Wednesday we are doing community service projects as a
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team,” Fisk said. CWU is a university in a small town, but one thing the athletics department does is give back to its community in any way they can. It was announced that spring ball will be April 2 to May 4 and practices will be on Tuesday and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with practices also on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Also, there is going to be a kids camp this year on Friday, April 26 at 5 p.m. “We want guys that you guys would be proud of downtown,” Fisk said. This past 2023 season CWU football finished second in the Lone Star Conference with a record of 7-1. With the new talent coming in, who knows how the next season could go for the Wildcats, you will just have to wait and see.
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Post game talk fisk (Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson/Thompson Sports Media)
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ence championship, posting a 5-1 mark in league play and a 7-4 record overall. Ever since then, Fisk has been building his team up to be the best they can. “We have a really good group of winners coming to Central Washington University,” said Fisk. There are 15 first all team conference players coming to CWU. Six6 team most valuable players, four4 state champions and six6 conference players of the year. CWU out-recruited 13 athletes with other D2 offers and out-recruited five athletes with D1 offers. There are two parts to being a student athlete, one part is being an athlete, but the other part is being a student first. “The biggest thing to talk about is the 3.4 GPA for this group of guys coming in,” Fisk said.
(Photo by Layla Taha: taken at Mount of Olives in Jerusalem)
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Historical contextualization of both the past and present
Israel-Palestine conflict Layla Taha and Astor Powell-Pedersen Staff Reporters
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istory continues to be written in Palestine. With the growing topic of conversation surrounding the Israel-Palestine War, the history that led to today is integral to societal understanding of the topic. The year 1516 marks the beginning of Ottoman control over Palestine. This rule would last for over 400 years until the Ottoman Empire fell to the British Empire in 1918 at the Battle of Megiddo. This period would be known as the 400 years of peace. As mentioned by TRTWorld, under Ottoman control, harmony between Palestine’s multi-religious society (Muslims, Christians and Jews) was a result of the Ottomans’ attempt not to colonize the region. The Otto-
man system, while flawed in some respects, allowed for a degree of religious autonomy for religious minorities. Ottoman rule over Palestinian land provided Palestinians the autonomy to develop a distinct culture and historical memory for each village, town and city. British forces entered Palestine in 1917 and by 1918, the Ottoman rule over Palestine ended, according to the Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem. Then till 1920, the British Civil Administration was established in anticipation of the granting of a formal League of Nations Mandate to the United Kingdom, which was approved in July 1922. It came into effect in September 1923 and made Palestine a British Mandate. It is under these circumstances that a movement known as the Zionist movement would ramp up its efforts
(Photo Courtesy of Al Jazeera: Journalist killed in Gaza)
in Palestine. An Austro-Hungarian thinker known as Theodor Herzl was the founder of the political Zionist movement. As stated by Decolonize Palestine, the Zionist movement called for a Jewish nation-state in Palestine and to begin coordinating the settlement of Zionists there. The first Zionist Congress which took place in 1897, included over 200 delegates. It was the first to organize and marshal the colonization efforts in a centralized and effective way. Zionism is a settler-colonial movement aimed at establishing an ethno-state with a Jewish majority in Palestine. The Balfour Declaration, issued in 1917, is a statement from Zionist leaders in London for support of “the establishment in Palestine of a
national home for the Jewish people,” according to Britannica. The declaration was issued with hope of gathering Jewish opinion. This also sought to protect the approaches to the Suez Canal in Egypt through the settlement of Zionists in Palestine. In 1947, the United Nations (UN) proposed a partition of Palestine: part of Palestine would be Jewish and the other part would be Arab-Palestinian, with Jerusalem internationalized. According to the University of Michigan, this partition plan would allocate more land to the Jewish state than it did to the Arab-Palestinian state: 56% would go to the Jewish state and 43% of the land would be Arab-Palestinian. The Palestinians refuted this plan, as they were being asked to give up more than half of their land to a minority that had been inhabiting the area for 20 or fewer years at the time. Days after the adoption of the UN partition plan, fighting broke out between the Arab and Jewish residents of Palestine, starting what is now known as the Arab-Israeli War which lasted from 1947 to 1949. The Arab military forces were poorly organized, given the fact that they were receiving no support from foreign entities. On May 14, 1948, a date selected by the British for their mandate in Palestine to end, the Zionist forces hastened their efforts to seize more Palestinian land. It is on this day that Israel established itself on the ruins of what was once Palestinian land. This day is known as the Israeli day of independence in the Israeli state, but is known in Palestine, and the rest of the Arab world, as the Nakba (the Catastrophe). Over 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes, according to Palestine Remix. The villages and towns once inhabited by Palestinians would either be repopulated or destroyed by Jewish residents and be
Page 07 given Hebrew names. Today, only two areas in Palestine are considered Palestinian territories: the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. According to the Human Rights Watch, the system imposed by Israel in the West Bank is an apartheid system. In the West Bank, citizens are forced to go through dehumanizing military checkpoints that sometimes can take up to hours to get through. A report done by Amnesty International has found that there are 175 military checkpoints in the West Bank that have restricted the Palestinian’s right to freedom of movement. Palestinians living in the West Bank are at risk of having their homes, villages and cities stolen from them by Jewish settlers. The military occupation the West Bank is subjected to has left the Palestinian Authority (PA), operating with no legislature and an expired presidential mandate. The PA has partial jurisdiction over the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem. Palestinians living in East Jerusalem are directly governed by Israel, while only few of them hold Israeli citizenship. Gaza was under similar rule as the West Bank, until 2005 when the group known as Hamas came into power through a democratic election. It is important to note that Hamas only gained such prominence because they’re funded by Israel, as said by the Times of Israel. Since then, Israel has pulled its physical presence out of Gaza but still is in control of Gaza. Israel has built a blockade around Gaza that has heavily restricted the Gazan’s free movement, which is a violation of international law. Gaza is only 25 miles long and five miles wide but is home to over 2 million people. It is known to be one of the most densely packed areas in the world and the UN has deemed the area uninhabitable. All resources coming in and out of Gaza are controlled by Israel. As mentioned by Reuters, Israel counts the calories of the food coming into Gaza to make sure the Gazans avoid malnutrition, but only allows a minimum amount of food to enter. Gaza is known as the world’s largest open-air-prison, and all of the aforementioned conditions were prior to the ongoing genocide. Oct. 7, 2023, marks the starting point of the ongoing genocide, as labeled by the UN, and when the situation was catapulted into the public eye. According to Al Jazeera, the attacks started at about 6:30 a.m. with Hamas launching a reported 5,000 rockets into Israel, with at least one woman reported killed. Al Jazeera also reported that Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, said “We announce the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and we announce that the first strike, which targeted enemy positions, airports, and military fortifications, exceeded 5,000 missiles and shells.” Hamas militants then entered Israel through breaches in the retaining wall as well as by motorboat, and by at least one soldier flying over the walls via a powered parachute. It was reported by the Israeli government that Hamas
took 250 Israeli hostages back to Gaza with them. Blasts were heard in Gaza by 9:45 a.m., and 15 minutes later, an Israeli military spokesperson announced that the air force was carrying out attacks in Gaza. On Oct. 9, in response to the attacks, Israel declared a “total siege” on Gaza, cutting them off from food, water, fuel and medical supplies, according to the United Nations Human Rights. UN human rights experts report that as of Jan. 16, Gazans now make up 80% of all people facing catastrophic hunger and famine worldwide. As of Feb. 3, the death toll in Gaza has climbed to 27,238, with some 8,000 bodies estimated to be buried in the rubble by Palestinian authorities, according to EFE. Palestinian state news agency Wafa reported the massacres of 12 families within 24 hours, resulting in the deaths of 170 civilians and leaving at least 165 wounded. This contrasts with the 1,139 people killed in Israel since Oct. 7 according to Al Jazeera. “Even the dead are not spared by the war raging in the Gaza Strip,” said news outlet Al Jazeera, as more than 2,000 graves were destroyed within Gaza. This comes along with the accusation from Gaza officials that organs are being harvested from the bodies of dead Palestinians before their return, as mentioned by Ya Labinin. Reports from inside Gaza, including from the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, say that bodies returned through the Karam Abu Salem border crossing on Dec. 26 showed significant signs of organ removal. This has a historical precedent, as in November 2023, medical professionals examining returned bodies reported “evidence of organ theft, including missing cochleas and corneas as well as other vital organs like livers, kidneys, and hearts.” (Ya Labinin) It is unknown exactly how many Palestinians are currently imprisoned by the Israeli government. As of September 2023, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) held over 5,696 Palestinian prisoners–many of whom are children–according to B’tselem. In recent news on the genocide, Rafah, a city in Gaza that used to house 250,000 people, as reported by The Guardian, now holds an estimated one million Gazan refugees since its designation as a “safe zone.” On the night of Feb. 11, Israel was reported to have “unlawfully” sent in airstrikes to Rafah, killing over 95 civilians, 42 of those civilians being children. Regarding all four air strike attacks, Amnesty International found that none of the residential buildings hit in these attacks could be considered legitimate military objectives, nor could they find any of the people killed or injured in these attacks as legitimate military targets. Given this, there have been rising concerns that these strikes were direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects and must be investigated as war crimes. This is just one of the many brutal attacks committed by Israel on the civilian population of Gaza since
(Photo courtesy of @historicfalastin on Instagram:
Palestinian in 1933 revolting aginst British and Zionist colonialismm)
the beginning of the war on Oct. 7. While many in our community have expressed their solidarity with Palestine, this piece will help contextualize key information from both the past and the present in an effort to inform those who are still unaware. Since Oct. 7, 79 journalists have been killed. According to Al Jazeera, journalists are supposed to be protected under international law as they are civilians. As civilians, they are not supposed to be targeted, even when reporting in dangerous areas. Despite this, according to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), of the 79 killed, 72 were Palestinian, four were Israeli and three were Lebanese. In addition to the deaths, it’s reported that three journalists have gone missing, 21 have been arrested and 16 have been injured. “Journalists in Gaza face particularly high risks as they try to cover the conflict during the Israeli ground assault, including devastating Israeli airstrikes, disrupted communications, supply shortages and extensive power outages,” CPJ said. Due to the United States and the majority of the West’s silence on calling for a ceasefire, on Jan. 11, South Africa made its case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide. According to The Guardian, South Africa called for this on many bases, including the bombing of hospitals, the vast civilian casualties, and the language used by Israeli officials. Two examples of this include Netanyahu’s references to the story of King Saul and the Israelites being commanded to destroy all men, women, children and animals of the Amalekite people and Israel’s defense minister calling Gazans “Human animals.” On Jan. 26, the ICJ issued an emer-
gency ruling in regard to South Africa’s case against Israel. The court, located in The Hague, ordered Israel to follow six provisional measures. “Among these, the court ordered Israel to take all possible measures to prevent genocidal acts, to prevent and punish direct and public incitement to genocide, and to take immediate and effective steps to ensure the provision of basic services and humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza,” according Al Jazeera. As conditions in Palestine have grown more dire since the genocide, we’ve seen CWU students and the Ellensburg community alike display their solidarity with the Palestinian people through demonstrations, informational workshops, passing out of informational flyers, vigils for Gaza and documentary viewings. On Feb. 5, the Associated Students of CWU (ASCWU) student government passed a letter showing their support for Palestine.
Page 08
February 15, 2024
My autopsy of the Grammys sure album that I’d been craving a sequel for, might be more deserving of recognition in the category. Unfortunately, the industry, and subsequently Taylor Swift, took home the big prize of the evening. ‘Midnights” has some bops, (‘Karma” and “Bejeweled” are still stuck in my head and on rotation!) but this album is largely unmemorable compared to the rest of Taylor’s nearly pristine body of work that she’s been curating for nearly two decades now. It was hard to listen to some of the rehashed topics and sounds that Taylor hasn’t touched since the late 2010s, especially coming directly after the refreshing and brilliant twin releases of ‘Folklore’ and “Evermore.” Regarding the Song of the Year category, I’m more forgiving of Billie Eilish taking home the gold with her “What Was I Made For?” It’s an excellent song, especially in the context of “Barbie,” where it’s a staple of the soundtrack. “A&W” still edges it out in my opinion, albeit by a smaller margin. Another big loser of the show was Travis Scott, whose “UTOPIA’’ was snubbed in favor of Killer
Isaac Dobmeier Columnist
D
o people still care about the Grammys? If you’re a member of this dwindling minority, enjoy some thoughts on this year’s award show from someone whose music taste sadly isn’t Grammy-nominated. Let’s focus first on some of the bigger categories that actually matter to viewers. To address the (or one of) elephant(s) in the room, Lana Del Rey was utterly robbed of an Album of the Year award. “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” is undoubtedly her best album, featuring the most emotional depth and luxurious melodies of her iconic career. “A&W” is one of my favorite songs of the year, and to be candid, solely clears the rest of the competition in this Album of the Year category. Lana’s been putting out some great work for a real long time now and I thought this was the year she would finally earn her flowers. Even Olivia Rodrigo, whose “GUTS” really grew on me and served as a super fulfilling follow-up to “Sour” from a couple years back, a guilty-plea-
Mike’s “MICHAEL.” This isn’t nearly as egregious to me as it might be for others, largely in part due to Travis Scott’s general meaninglessness in the lyrics on “UTOPIA.” Don’t get me wrong, the album was really good and I’m so glad that Trav took this project in such a vastly different direction than his previous work, but bars like; “I like a bi girl on a bi-cycle,” really don’t do “UTOPIA’’ any favors in the award department (even if the song it comes from is my favorite on the album). I see a lot of people comparing the situation to Cardi B’s 2018 win over Travis Scott’s “ASTROWORLD,” but I think the bad faith towards that snub is much more justified. “Rodeo” subjectively remains the best of his albums, and if I were to campaign for any Travis album to get the respect it deserves, it’d be that. “UTOPIA,” while a nice listen, is nothing to go on a tirade over. I was so pleasantly surprised to see Paramore with “This Is Why” win out in their categories, Best Rock Song and Best Alternative Music Performance. “This Is Why” was one of my favorite albums of 2023, and honestly, it’s one of the band’s
strongest projects. Almost 20 years later, Paramore continues to make pop-punk-adjacent bangers, and bar some slight stylistic changes, “This Is Why” (both the song and the album!) are absolutely no exception. Some very deserved pieces of merchandise for the bands’ collection. To wrap it up with some other quick thoughts, I was sad to see Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar not take home the win for Best Rap Performance with “The Hillbillies.” The song is criminally underrated in my opinion, and just exudes fun while simultaneously showcasing the cousins’ lyrical prowess as they trade verses. Good for Miley Cyrus for taking home her first Grammy wins with “Flowers” in the Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance categories! It seems like more of a legacy win, but it’s long overdue and well-deserved for Miley. Also, she looked great. On a less related note, if you’re an anti-Grammy reader, listen to Nettspend, Joeyy and Xaviersobased, all artists with life-changing catalogs that are surely safe from ever taking home a win.
Killer Mike mid-acceptance speech.
Photos Courtesy of Recording Acedemy
Taylor Swift accepts her Grammys.
Miley Cyrus performing.
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Miley Cyrus celebrates her win.
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Page 09
February 15, 2024
OPINION SECTION
Letter to The Observer
Dear The Obser ver,
Over the past ye ar I h of your care. I fon ave come to know you. I have li ved, learned an dly reminisce on d grown under the time I’ve spe laughs. I once k the umbrella nt with you; the new a life withou memories, the m t you in it, but th I have come to fi oments and the at day has sure nd my place wit ly passed. hin the large CW Within your emb U halls, that pla race, I have sett ce is with you, T led into my shoe dreams and asp he Observer. s, I have found irations. a c om fortable place w With you, I have ithin my made so many fr iends; with whom moments that I w I’ve shared so m ill look back on any precious mom in the unmarked lifetime; inspira ents, days ahead. I h tion, admiration ave been given th and never failin I will forever be e gift of a g fun in the form grateful for this of my peers. time we’ve had to of the newsroom gether. I have gr . I feel in place own to feel com here, I feel as th my nice and com fort in the walls ou g h I belong. In the fy chair, surrou back, by the lar nded by the ded faces before me, ge window, in icated, hardwor I feel at home. king and indescr I feel pride in th ibably wonderfu e things I have cr l eated, joy in the for this place I a people I have com m not ready to le e to know and lov ave. This place a heart, and a par e and sadness n d these people wil t of my heart wil l always be held l forever be their The Observer, y dear to my s to keep. ou will forever b e a part of me, a part I am imm easurably prou d of. Love,
Megan Foster
(Photo courtesy of Pexels.com)
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Page 10
February 15, 2024
CWU Graphic Design Student’s Art Featured on City Bus Stop Lee Beck Staff Reporter
J
unior Graphic Design student Amy Walker’s art has been immortalized on the Central Transit bus stop near the SURC. Walker entered their piece back in December 2022 after seeing a newsletter from the CWU Art + Design department calling for submissions. They sent their piece and an artist’s statement to Art + Design professor Gregg Schlanger, who then sent it to City Transportation. Walker was made aware that their submission was selected in March 2023, and on Jan. 29, 2024 the piece was ultimately displayed. After reading the call for submissions, Walker felt this piece should represent both CWU, as well as the whole of Ellensburg. The piece features native wildflowers of Kittitas Valley, as well as hands extending to them, individually meant to represent Ellensburg and CWU. “The point of the piece is an expression of community, which is something that I feel stronger here,” Walker said. They felt this piece was also a call to CWU students to reach out to the community and environment around campus. Simultaneously, Walker thought deeply about the ecological upsides of public transit, and how the art on the stop should also reflect that.
Walker knew this piece mimicked their own personal art in a number of ways, one being their inspiration from the Baroque era of art. “That’s when they started experimenting with diagonal compositions,” Walker said. “And that just means there’s a lot more drama and motion, movement in the piece.” Walker utilized this aspect of Baroque art through the position of the hands. It feels almost as if they’re reaching for the flowers in the center of the piece. The hands themselves also play a big role in the composition of this piece. “I love drawing the figure,” Walker said. The hands in this piece are representative of what Walker enjoys working with in their own art, that being the human form. Walker also mentions their appreciation of colorful art, and mentions the significance of color in the design for the bus stop. “This piece utilizes the CWU official crimson, and the rest of the colors are built around that.” Walker is, in their own words, “elated” to be featured on this bus stop. They feel CWU has done so much for them in the way of connection with faculty and friends, as well as in their own personal discovery. “I found that being at Central, I have been able to express my interests and my identity more than where I was at before,” Walker said.
They transferred to CWU from Brigham Young University. Because of this outlook on CWU, Walker is overjoyed to have something that is theirs be permanent at a school they feel has done so much for them. To Walker, a queer student from a primarily rural area, CWU is both “nostalgic, and new.” The rural aspects of Ellensburg remind them of home, but the inclusivity and diversity of the campus made them feel like they could be who they are. “Being on this campus where there’s a lot of signs and stuff that boast about being one of the most inclusive campuses in the nation and all these little organizations and stuff just makes me feel safer.”
(Photo courtesy of Betsy Dunbar)
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February 15, 2024
Page 11
Cativities To be loved by you Megan Foster
I didn’t know love Until I was loved by you I knew of fairytales and movies But reality was merely a broken reflection I didn’t know those things could be real Until I was shown by you I now know the difference between reality and fairytales But with you everything feels like fiction
Last Weeks Crossword Key: 1. Archer 2. Interdisciplinary Studies 3. TNT 4. New news 5. Tru Kolors 6. Buenos Aires 7. James Taylor 8. Catching Kelce 9. Tay 10. Chairman 11. Chevelle 12. Lucky You @CWUObserver
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Page 12
February 15, 2024
Wildcat Words Who did you spend Valentine’s Day with?
Jasmine Montgomery
Nicholas Klein
Jr. Law and Justice
“Myself.”
“My boyfriend, Anthony.”
Fr. Cyber Security
“Alone technically, but I’m celebrating with my boyfriend this weekend.”
Entrepreneur Extraordinaire Jalen Taylor is a junior at CWU. Taylor came to Ellensburg in 2021 to further his education and pursue a degree in entrepreneurship. Taylor balances the work of a full time student and a full time employee. He aims to graduate next year with the ultimate goal of making his mother proud.
Q&A compiled by Megan Foster (Photo courtesy of Jalen Taylor)
A &A Q Q&
Kiko Gomez
Yamili Vargas
Sr. Math
Mariana Bravo
Fr. Music Education
Fr. Business Administration
“My mom and sister.”
“My delusions.”
Weekly Events Noon to 1 p.m. - Lions Rock Visiting Writers: Juliet Patterson, Craft Talk Brooks Library 4 to 5 p.m. - Rafael Soldi and Victor Yanez-Lazcano Exhibit: Artist Talk SURC Theatre, Room 210
15
THURS
16
Do a Grouch a Favor Day
FRI
8 to 11 p.m. - Yule Ball - SURC Ballroom
17 SAT
Jalen Taylor
18
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. - LEAD Outdoors Lazy F Camp
What made you decide to come to CWU? “To make my mother proud.” What is your favorite memory from your time spent at CWU? “My favorite memory was going to a basketball game here, and seeing how lively the game was.” What sparked your interest in the field of entrepreneurship? “[The fact] that I want to be in control of my schedule and my doings in the field I want to partake in.” If you were to start your own business, what would that business be? “It will be a consultant firm.” How do you personally manage your school, your work and your personal life? “I have a list that I keep my updated assignments on, and I create false due dates so I can turn them in earlier. With work I am a caregiver, so being at client homes I can do my homework. My personal life is very minimal right now as I choose to stay focused on school and work.” What is your dream job? “My dream job is being a Business Transformational Consultant Agent with the reasoning that I always want to be able to give a helping hand on business matters.”
SUN
6 to 11 p.m. - Monday Movie Madness: “Moonlight” - SURC Theatre
19 MON
2 to 4 p.m. - Managing Stress and Academics with Crafts - Learning Commons 4 to 5 p.m. - Tips for Interviewing Career Services 1 to 2:30 p.m. - How to SOURCE SURC Ballroom 6 to 7 p.m. - Esports: Just Dance SURC Pit 6 to 8 p.m. - RSO Officer Training SURC 201
20 TUES
21 WED
Where do you see yourself in ten years? “I see myself [being] wealthy in the field I am partaking in with having non-profits, boys and girls clubs, property and much valuable resources to [my] life.” Who is your personal hero? “My mother, when she had me, she lost her hearing. Seeing her wake up to be reminded of the curse, but have the will to keep going was very inspiring for me.” What are the top three things on your bucket list? “I want to go to Germany to drive on the racetrack [called] Nürburgring, open a car museum [and] travel to more than three countries.” If you could have dinner with any person, who would you choose? “Rich Paul, because he is the mastermind of Klutch Sports and the consultant agent for Lebron James.”
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