The Collegian
Updates | Service | Religion | Science | Outdoors | Feature | News | Food | Culture | Fashion | Creative Writing
October 11, 2018 | Vol. 103 | Issue 02
Generational Gaps: A look into the peculiarities of millennials and Generation Z Photo by Kyra GreyEyes and Garren Miler
Sports p.7
News p.10
Ask Regan p.15
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Editor’s Note
C
Hey y’all, I hope week three is treating you better than you expected. I’ve already slept through a class or two, despite my alarms and my all-too-eager bedtime of 10:45 p.m. It’s hard to start a productive day when it’s 8 a.m. and you already feel hours behind… I’m a senior and still don’t have it all figured out. Sometimes life just happens, despite all the alarms, melatonin, and early bedtimes. Take note freshmen: it doesn’t always get better, but you do learn to care less. I hope this week has been as great as it has been for The Collegian. During this week’s
issue, we bring to you many different topics ranging from light to heavy, from potatoes to politics. But the main topic of the issue has to do with generational differences that are present on campus, specifically millennials and Generation Z (if you don’t know which one you are, see the feature article #cliffhanger). Some people might focus on our many generational differences, even titling them as “divides.” I argue, however, that there are more similarities than differences, and if we all focus on that, I think our campus, our world, would be a better place.
of The Collegian, and may it positively impact the rest of your week. Focus on the positive, learn to let things go, and have some fun. After all, you know how it be.
Josephine Baird Editor-in-Chief
So Walla Walla U, please enjoy this issue
Week in Forecast Thurs 10/11 63°/40°
Fri 10/12 70°/40°
National Coming Out Day
ASWWU Outdoors Mountain Trip
Volleyball team plays Warner Pacific College (Home Game!)
Returned Student Missionary Retreat Begins Men’s Soccer at Warner Pacific College
Sat 10/13 63°/36°
Sun 10/14 64°/40°
I Love Yarn Day
National Dessert Day
ASWWU Barn Party 7-10 p.m. at the WEC
Engineering Senior Trip Begins Women’s Volleyball vs Multnomah University Soccer vs Multnomah University
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Collegian Staff Josephine Baird Editor-in-Chief Angelica Chan Assistant Editor Kyra GreyEyes Layout Editor Amelia Pekar Feature and News Editor Matthew Fennell Columnist Editor Geoffrey Lopes Head Copy Editor
Feature and News Writers Meaghan Ashton Rose Sperl Zachary White
Copy Editors
Jocelyn Griffin Ella Meeks Audrey Tampake
Designers Columnists Megan Spracklen Emily Ellis Alex Parkhurst Inez Aguirre Griffin Leek Niqolas Rudd Isaiah Taylor Nicolette Horning Gabriela Hutuleac Tobi Brown Regan Hinshaw
ACA/SM/Service Religion Science Student Culture Student Life Outdoors Sports Food Fashion Creative Writing Humor
Mon 10/15 67°/40°
Voting Results
McKenna Butler Garren Miler Hannah Thiel
Distributor
John Cotter
Office Manager
Mindy Robinson
District 1: Michael Pappas Devin Crowley
District 5: Brian Mugandi Carston Haffner
District 2: Jeffery Fennell Andrews Ferreira
District 6: Spencer Hart Andreea Hutuleac
District 3: no one
District 7: David Madrid Sarah Cabral
District 4: Sabrina Mapes Jacqueline Queja
Tues 10/16 68°/43°
Wed 10/17 70°/45°
National Grouch Day
Global Cat Day
National Pasta Day
Graduate Student Convocation
CommUnity Guest Speaker: George Perez
WWU Service Day 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (morning classes canceled)
Thurs 10/18 70°/47° National Chocolate Cupcake Day Cross Country meet in Dillon, Montana University Senate meets 3-5 p.m. ASWWU Jeopardy Night 8-9:30 p.m.
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Fifty Days in Fiji By Logan Seibold Rain falls steadily on the tin roof of the unfinished building I sit in. It’s a good sound and it reminds me of the elemental, adventurous aspect of life in Fiji. It means we’ll get extra rainwater in our big supply tanks and it makes the big room I’m in feel like a cozy cabin in the Northwest. Because of its shape and size, you and I might think of this building as a double-wide—a reference to that great architectural misfit, the mobile home. In America, I was never fond of mobile homes from a design standpoint—to me, they were duds. In Fiji, however, I’ve learned to be thankful for a place like this. It is one of the best houses on the island, and really quite promising. A carpenter will be visiting today to evaluate the building, then make a list of materials to order to finish it. With luck, three other student missionaries and I will be able to move into our new home by the end of the month. I’m excited to help the carpenter work on this space, see what it will become, and imagine it six months in the future, once the other volunteers and I have spent time in it and left our mark on it, and it on us. Not long ago, I was imagining what my own future as a student missionary in Fiji would be like. I remember having trouble reconciling my primary desire for adventure, learning, and personal growth with what I thought should be proper missionary motive: serving a community. I began hoping I would be able to leave some great mark on the community I felt called to serve, not realizing that it might turn out that the community would be poised to leave a mark on me and serve
Photos by Logan Seibold
me more than I could in return. I was in for a subversion of my service expectations that I couldn’t see at the time. That idea has started to germinate in various ways in the first 50 days here, primarily through the extraordinary kindness of the people of Fiji. On day one, it was the kindness of a taxi driver named Imroz who, among many other things, let me use his phone to contact my family on that difficult, lonely day. On day four, it was an energetic group of children who offered to show me a great spot for jumping in the ocean and seeing coral, fish, and sharks. On day 14, it was some of those kids helping me scrub the house so I could paint it. On day 19, it was a super kind friend taking me to experience a hot spring on the main island; day 32, the principal’s family feeding us every day for a week when our supplies ran low; day 35, the teachers’ husbands taking care of a waterline I ruptured while digging a hole; day 44, church members having us over for Sabbath dinner, which they insist on every week; and every day, seeing the happiness of the kids, or the color of a sunrise, or a hundred other blessings God might open our eyes to. I imagine God saying, “Don’t limit me—I have more in mind than you serving them, because this isn’t about you. Let me work. This may be difficult and awkward and humbling, and it might not follow your plan. Are you still willing?” In my time here so far, I have experienced a greater sense of blessing in the times I have responded “yes.” In that fact I have begun to reconcile my motive with God’s. Having an adventure is not my or any student missionary’s true purpose,
Photo by Logan Seibold but perhaps while my purpose was for adventure and service, God’s purpose was something more. Maybe my purpose was the means to an end that God used to get me here, but not the end itself. Or this: I knew how to send myself (by having the desire to go), but God knew why I should be sent—my willingness, and my own plans, in exchange for God’s much better plan. In my experience so far, willingness has been the key to adventure, learning, and self growth. How interesting it is that God gives us a key to our plans when we have a willingness to follow His, even if we have to ask for help. Back in the empty house, the rain has stopped and the carpenter has arrived. He’s sitting on two cinder blocks with a makeshift plank table in front of him, where he’s writing a list of materials we need to finish the house. He looks around slowly between jots of his pen and sips from a mug of Tang. All morning I also
looked around the house: laying out the kitchen in my mind here, planning a wall there, and in general preparing to give my design input for the space I felt entitled to—after all, I will be living here for six months. But the way the carpenter sits quietly and thoughtfully writing his plan out makes me pause. Although I’m still eager to help, I find myself reluctant to volunteer my input to the carpenter, who seems older and wiser than I expected. He knows what he’s doing. I remember that it’s his job to build, and my job to help. He thinks for a minute, evaluating, planning. He takes it in. Then pen goes to paper, and the carpenter makes his mark. To read more from Logan while he’s in Fiji, and to check out pictures of some of the things he talked about, check out his blog at: http://loganseibold.com/fiji/
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Unity, But at What Cost? By Emily Ellis In the days that followed the Great Disappointment, a handful of people gathered together to pray and reflect over the recent events, or rather lack of events. When Christ didn’t come on Oct. 22, 1844, there were a select few people who took it upon themselves to study the Bible even more and pray even harder for God’s revelation. From that time of deep prayer and using the Bible as their only source, they discovered truths that current Adventists hold as pillars of our church. They became convicted on the urgency of spreading the good news of Christ’s coming and the Sabbath. Rejected from their churches, they found solace in one another and the freedom to think and study the Bible for themselves. These early church leaders decided against making any sort of creed or statement of beliefs that were required to admit people into their church. They were even against the idea of an organized church, fearing that through organization, the church might become “Babylon.” To them, Babylon, or the Beast, was not just an institution, but something or someone that institutes itself between the church and the power of God. Now, 174 years after the Great Disappointment and the genesis of the Seventh-day Adventist church, we find a church that has grown from a small cluster of people to over 20 million members worldwide. 1 We find a church that was once so afraid of creating a statement of beliefs for fear it would be abused, that now has 28 fundamental beliefs. We find a church that once feared organization now has a General Conference, divisions, unions, and conferences with a plethora of positions interspersed within those structures. Adventism at its core has one of the most beautiful messages and missions: this church preaches of a loving God who does not permit His children to burn forever
Photo by Brandan Roberts
in hell, a God who urges rest and renewal, a God who is deeply acquainted with His children and promises a new Creation, and a God who freely loves. However, the church, like any organization out there, has had its bumps along the way. This is not surprising considering the church is made up of people, and people are not perfect. As Dr. Dodds noted during the Tuesday Colloquium, “The issue of unity has been a recurring theme for the past 2,000 years of Christian history. It is comforting, in a way, that what we are experiencing is not a problem unique to the SDA Church, or to this particular moment in time. At the same time, it is sobering to think that this play is not new. This script has been used before and the results are often not positive.” While the church has done everything in its power to not repeat the mistakes of past Christian churches, we find it slowly slipping into the trap of “unity.” This happened with Constantine in the 300s when he wanted everyone to worship on the same day. This happened with the Catholic church over and over again as they disciplined the heretics of the day. Thus unity, even though it sounds like a harmless ideal, almost always leads to a purge. On July 17, 2018, executives in the Adventist Church announced that they felt the need to take action against unions that are out of compliance with the SDA Church Manual. 2 So, in order to unify the church, they have come up with five compliance committees to review unions that have fallen out of line with church policy, specifically unions who have been so bold as to ordain women. These five committees will review matters of teaching creation and origin, policies regarding homosexuality, ordination, General Conference working policy, and distinctive fundamental beliefs. If they find that there are in fact unions that are not in compliance
with the policies set in place, they have instilled a three-step process to discipline those unions. There will first be a warning letter from the General Conference, and if actions continue then there will be a public reprimand at a future meeting. If this entity is still not in compliance then the leader will be removed from office. All of this is going to be voted on in the coming week during the Annual Council beginning on Sunday, Oct. 14 and ending Wednesday, Oct. 17. 3 What we are looking at here, as Prof. Frey put it during the Colloquium on Tuesday evening, is a denial of liberty of conscience. No longer can we have differing opinions yet still operate within the same structure, but rather each union, no matter what context they may be in, will be forced to comply to the mission of General Conference President Ted Wilson and his committee. How do we respond to such an act? As an Adventist and as a woman that believes she is called to be a pastor, I don’t know to react to this. Questions fill my mind: why can’t I be given the same opportunities in ministry as my fellow male colleagues? What happens if purges begin to take place? What is my role in all of this? Do I have a voice? This past week I have wrestled with how to write this article. More than that, how can I conclude this and give you, the reader, a realistic response? As I was pondering this, a thought came into my mind: God cannot be confined within a church. “Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’” 4 God cannot and will not be boxed into any church organization. We will not find God residing in any building, behind the name of any church denomination, or within a set of fundamental beliefs. Rather, God is found in the hearts of people. If God so desires, He can and will use the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is by His grace that this church even exists and is still running, but He is not contained or confined within the church. The Adventist church cannot limit me in my ability to spread the Gospel message, share the love of God with others, and give hope to people. I rest in the assurance
that it is not the Adventist church that has called me to be a minister of the gospel, but that my calling comes from a higher power. No man or institution can take that away. What role do you and I have in all of this? •
Realize that much of what could happen will not affect mission in the local church. In fact, there are many people who don’t know what is going on, might never find out, and may not be touched by the potential effects. However, even though this may not affect you directly, it will affect someone who you most likely know or love. Even if you don’t know anyone who it affects, as members of the Adventist church we should be concerned with justice for others, as Jesus demonstrated in His ministry.
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I urge you to contact North Pacific Union Conference President John Freedman and ask him for further details and clarification. Share your thoughts with him and let your voice be heard! Here is his email address: john.freedman@nw.npuc.org
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Earnestly pray for God to show you how you can do ministry in your local area. What is happening at the General Conference level cannot stop you from living out whatever God has called you to do. Be the change you wish to see at this school, at your local church, and in your community. We are the committee and we are the church.
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Pray for this church and Christianity as a whole that we will listen carefully to God and whatever He has to say to us. Maybe God is going to do something new—something He has never done before! But we need to sit and listen to whatever He has to say.
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Finally, surrender your feelings and emotions to God. Trust that He is ultimately in control.
1. https://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/story4262-adventist-church-membership-reaches-195-million 2. https://imsda.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/113G-Regard-for-and-Practice-of-General-Conference-Session-and-General-Conference-Executive-Committee-Actions. pdf 3. https://executivecommittee.adventist.org/schedule/ 4. John 4:21-24 ESV *Authors note: The history and content from this article was drawn from lectures in History of Adventism with Dr. Pedrito Maynard-Reid, as well as the Illuminate Colloquium hosted by Albert Handal, Dr. Gregg Dodds, Dr. Mathilde Frey, and Dr. Dave Thomas.
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Are the Effects of Social Media on Users Positive or Negative? By Alex Parkhurst Throughout my life, I have heard claims that the minds of young people are being altered by social media. Is this true? Growing up, my parents told me that spending too much time on social media would turn my brain to mush. My teachers, on the other hand, embraced certain aspects of social media; these teachers explained that social media could be used to improve the way that students were taught. Today, people—especially young people—are constantly bombarded by messages on Facebook, Twitter, news apps, Snapchat, and Google ads. The question isn’t if people are affected by social media, but rather how they are affected, whether positively or negatively. In “The IRL Fetish,” Nathan Jurgenson, a social media theorist, explains that digital information has infiltrated several facets of our lives, affecting the logic of our real offline lives. Social media not only takes time out of our day, but it also affects the logic of our logged-off lives. Jurgenson claims that social media is neither beneficial nor detrimental. He only claims that the brains of social media users are conditioned to think in terms of both physical and digital reality—once a person is exposed to social media, they think of reality in a new light. 1 Jurgenson explains that social media gets its inspiration from the physical world and enhances people’s experiences in the physical world. For example, users snap photos of physical objects and post these pictures to Instagram. The world of social media also affects the physical world. For example, one could create a LinkedIn account and acquire a real job. The Rev. Dr. Gregory C. Ellison II of
Candler School of Theology agrees with Jurgenson that people are affected by the use of social media, but Ellison offers evidence of how social media can have negative impacts on the user. Ellison’s research consisted of a compilation of studies on the effects of violent social media content on users. He connected the exposure of violent media (from video games, music, television, and social networking sites) to increased levels of aggression. Ellison referenced some extreme examples of when people were influenced by violent media: the Columbine and Virginia Tech shooters, the six Long Island teens who participated in a two-hour crime session by replicating a scene from GTA IV, a Georgia teen who killed his great-grandmother with his sword after his Xbox was taken away, and countless military personnel that were desensitized to killing via virtual combat simulations. In a study performed by Ellison, several males were exposed to violent movies and songs. When the movie or song reached a violent climax, the media was paused. The males responded to the sudden stop with instinctive violent behavior. While Ellison believes that violent aspects of social media can be harmful, he admits that the media can also be a beneficial platform for teens and adults to come together and communicate. 2
any other learned behavior, smartphone addiction can be modified to become more or less severe depending on the level of exposure. Social media addiction via smartphone differs from something like a cocaine addiction because, rather than directly affecting the body, social media addiction affects the psyche. Negative effects of smartphone overuse include decreased levels of sleep, health, concentration, and comprehension. Overuse may lead to depression, social withdrawal, and destruction of social relationships. Smartphone addicts tend to neglect work and study, separate themselves from friends and family, and remain attached to their smartphone while over-depending on it to communicate with others. One of the lead researchers also found that 40 percent of adolescents and adults use smartphones for more than four hours a day to make calls and send or receive text messages. Those individuals felt disturbed and upset when they could not reply to all calls and text messages directed to them. The researchers concluded that smartphone addicts tend to be completely upset when deprived of their smartphones for some time, regardless of the reason for this deprivation; switching off the smartphone results in worry, depression, anger, and an inability to sleep. 3
However, even when people use social media for beneficial purposes, there is always the threat of addiction. Researchers from King Saud University offer explanations as to why social media is highly addictive, and an explanation as to why users become addicted. Smartphone addiction is common with individuals who feel an urgent need to keep in touch with others at all times. This learned behavior is subject to the stimulus-response-reinforcement principle; thus, like
Supporting the results of the researchers from King Saud University, a study conducted by students at University of Mary Washington examined whether fear of missing out was a predictor of social media use and addiction college-aged students. Most of the subjects were college students ranging from freshmen to seniors, namely millennials and Generation Z. In a study consisting of 207 volunteers, extroversion, neuroticism, anxious attachment, and fear of missing out on
social media activities predicted whether volunteers would be addicted to social media. Extroversion can be characterized by being energized by social interactions, neuroticism generally refers to emotional instability and negativity, and anxious attachment refers to a person’s want of a close relationship accompanied by the fear of not being loved. Of these potential factors, fear of missing out on social media activities was by far the best predictor of social media addiction—users who have this fear are exponentially more likely to be addicted. 4 This addiction is generally a bad thing, especially for people who rely on social media for connection to people. After doing a bit of research, I am convinced that although social media has its perks, there are some potentially negative consequences that may occur. In the future I will ask myself why am I logging into Snapchat. Is it because I legitimately have something beneficial that I want to share or communicate to my friends, or is it because I am experiencing the fear of missing out?
1. Aljomaa, Al.Qudah, Albursan, Bakhiet, & Abduljabbar. (2016). Smartphone addiction among university students in the light of some variables. Telematics and Informatics, vol. 34, no. 4, 2017, pp. 34-56. 2. Ellison, Gregory. “Fantasy as Addition to Reality? An Exploration of Fantasy Aggression and Fantasy 3. Aggrace-Ion in Violent Media.” Pastoral Psychology, vol. 61, no. 4, 2012, pp. 513–530. 4. Jurgenson, Nathan. “The IRL Fetish.” The New Inquiry, 28 June 2012, https://thenewinquiry.com/the-irl-fetish/. Accessed. 7 Feb 2018.
Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder By Griffin Leek Brace yourselves, because winter is coming! Not only is this cold season a time to cuddle up with friends, drink hot cocoa, and watch festive movies together, but it’s also a time to make sure your mental health is in check—especially for those who grew up in dark and rainy areas. Yes, that’s right, I’m talking about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Now, what exactly is SAD? Well, it’s a type of depression that is related to changes in seasons, and it generally affects people from late fall to the end of winter. 1
This condition affects people due to the lack of sunlight during the winter months. You can treat this disorder with light therapy and by ingesting a vitamin D capsule daily. 2 There are also natural sunlight lamps you can buy online or at Walmart to get your daily dose of natural light during the dark days of winter. For college students, or anybody for that matter, it’s important not to treat this condition lightly—it’s not just “the winter blues.” SAD is a real condition that affects a lot of people worldwide. You don’t have to tough it out on your own during these months—
especially at Walla Walla University.
most importantly, our mental health!
If SAD is working against you especially hard this winter, please take advantage of WWU’S counseling service. It is 100 percent free and confidential, and many students are gaining valuable insight from their services. 3 Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, relationships, or situational needs, the counselors here are ready to make your concerns their priority. It’s also really nice to have someone to talk to who is on your side about literally anything. With this advice, let’s power through to spring by focusing on our goals, and
Take steps to ensure that your SAD symptoms are managed throughout the year by sunlight absorption, vitamin D consumption, and counseling with someone you trust.
1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20364651 2. Ibid. 3. https://www.wallawalla.edu/resources/student-support-services/counseling-and-testing-center/counseling-services/
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The Top 3 Storylines of the 2018-2019 NBA Season By Isaiah Taylor
going to do with Jimmy Butler?
Following a very eventful and entertaining summer, the NBA season officially begins on Oct. 16, and anticipation is building. From looming trades and pending free-agency to new alliances and power shifts, this season has developed quite a bit of momentum.
This first story is important because it needs to be solved right away. All-star guard Jimmy Butler has made it very clear that he does not want to be a part of the team. Butler will be a free agent next summer, but after some disagreements with his teammates he has lost respect for the franchise and requested, no, demanded a trade. Since demanding the trade, Butler has not reported to Timberwolves media day, training camp, or preseason games. After long negotiations, a deal to trade Butler to the Miami Heat fell apart and the Timberwolves are back at square one. Butler’s public demands have put the franchise in a powerless situation with no leverage. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out; hopefully soon.
The two-time defending champions, the Golden State Warriors, are favorites to win the championship, especially following their signing of all-star center DeMarcus Cousins; however, they face a lot of uncertainty surrounding players, rivalries, and potential contenders this season. Who are legitimate contenders for championships? Who will fill the power vacuum left by LeBron in the East? Is Kawhi Leonard more than just a product of the San Antonio system? Who will have a breakout year? What will happen to the free-agent class of 2019? Here I will list my top three storylines to follow during this NBA season. What are the Minnesota Timberwolves
How far can LeBron James lead the young Lakers? The story of the summer in the NBA revolved around LeBron’s decision to leave Cleveland again and sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. This move raised many
eyebrows, as LeBron has been known in the past to be very disapproving of young players, and the Lakers have a plethora of young talent. With some veteran additions like Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee, the Lakers have gained experience and mentorship. Now the only question is: how far will they go? While LeBron has played in eight straight NBA Finals, a big concern is that he has had the privilege of playing in the less-competitive Eastern Conference. In the West he will have to face established powerhouses like Golden State, Houston, and Oklahoma City just to reach Conference Finals. This Lakers team will be very entertaining, and it will be exciting to see where they end up come time for playoffs. Will Toronto’s big gamble pay off?
ously, Kawhi Leonard was clear about his distrust in the Spurs franchise, demanded a trade, and confirmed that he would only sign an extension with either of the LA teams—the Lakers or Clippers. Toronto took a gamble and traded away their allstar guard DeMar Derozan for Leonard. Toronto now has one year to prove to their fan base that this risk will result in championship contention, and they must prove to Kawhi Leonard that Toronto is a viable destination for him to blossom into a global star. With the East improving significantly, there are no guarantees for this team. The 2018-2019 NBA season will see many changes throughout the year, but it will be full of non-stop entertainment through the Finals.
The Toronto Raptors have seen tremendous improvements over the past few seasons, but their success is always cut short because they have failed to get past LeBron in the playoffs. Now that LeBron is gone, Toronto is in a prime position to take the top spot in the East. Simultane-
So you want to get outside? By Niq Ruud
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Backpack in the Wallowa Mountains— classic destinations: Mirror Lake and Eagle Cap
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Climb at Smith Rock—fun sport route: Five Gallon Buckets
Nature is a wonderful thing. So wonderful, in fact, that it is estimated that 99.1 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by it.[1] Think about that for a second. That’s so much space; out of the planet’s 7.7 billion people, picture only 40 of us in every square mile, or the space of 16 WWU campuses (to be fair, that statistic also includes oceans, so lots more people would have to invest in a yacht). Nevertheless, that is a lot of space.
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Hike Mt. Hood—try the Hogsback route on the mountain’s south side
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Cycle the Lowden Loop—30 miles round-trip, with plenty of longer variations
Here in the Walla Walla Valley, we’ve got plenty for you to do and keep busy: you ,can work in the WEC, you can write in Rigby, and you can even sleep in Sittner. But if you fail to take advantage of the 99.1 percent of our planet not included in our campus buildings then, well, you’re just missing out. So, for those of you new and old to the Valley, here’s a list of things to do in the outdoors this fall quarter:
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Trail run at Bennington Lake—a great selection of trails built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
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Hammock at Fort Walla Walla—lots of cool trees
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Hike in the Blues—follow College Avenue north until it becomes Mill Creek Road, then turn right on Tiger Creek Road
“I was recently outside and I had this feeling to endeav myself, and so I endove. And I partook of that which nature hath provided.” - Associate Dean Jon Nickell
For the weekend endeavors:
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Surf the Oregon Coast—Lincoln Beach (don’t forget a wetsuit)
For afternoon adventures:
Now that you’ve got the old rat trap turning, get out there and do something, no excuses! And once you’ve done that cool thing, let me know at niqolas.ruud@wallawalla.edu so I have something to write about other than the cool things you could be doing. Have a story or something better from the out-of-doors you’ve just got to share? Hit up niqolas.ruud@wallawalla.edu and let’s chat. 1. Global Rural-Urban Mapping Project (GRUMP), v1. Accessed 30 Sept. 2018.
Tyler Humphries on the summit ridge of Mt. Hood, Oregon. Photos by Niqolas Ruud
Eric Juarez climbing “Five Gallon Buckets” in Smith Rock State Park, Oregon.
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By Meaghan Ashton Welcome to the third week of the quarter! The days are steadily treading along, the homework is gracefully piling on, and the routine of life is slowly settling. Congratulations, you’re in college and life is hectic. In the midst of all your stress, take a moment to remember all the things you have to look forward to, you know, besides graduation. I’m talking about the holiday season. I often regard Thanksgiving and Christmas break as a reward for working hard during the majority of fall quarter and encourage you to do the same, but I also encourage you to take some notes while on break. While on holiday, you will inevitably find yourself sitting at a family dinner table, perhaps next to you are your siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Have you ever noticed how different you can be from those around you? Differences can often be caused by generational gaps. The holiday table, where people come together to celebrate family, is also where generations tend to collide. Grandparents sit on one side where they debate with the older adults, the younger children argue with the older children, and the young adults bicker with the older adults. Here, you’ve found a melting pot of argumentation, designed to reflect on the different upbringings and outside influences of generations. Generations are a product of their environment, thriving on novelties, change, and modernization. Research in recent years has heavily considered the impact of millennials. I’m sure you have heard this term before, since millennials have been the talk of the town in studies on new workplace environments, cultural attitudes, and economic influence. Nowadays, however, there is a considerable amount of discussion about how to understand and reach the generation that comes after millennials, known as Generation Z (Gen Z). Studies on Gen Z are emerging in popular research due to their arrival into the higher education arena and their release into the workforce. These two cohorts of
A look into the peculiarities of millennials and Generation Z the world’s population are imperative to study because of their effect on the workplace, education, business, national policy, and social philosophy. It’s important to note that the comparison between all generations is a meaningful and worthwhile study as it relates to society as a whole; however, as it most closely relates to the people on this campus, I find it most relevant to compare millennials and Gen Z. As college students, these are our friends, our partners, and ourselves. Whether you identify with the characteristics of millennials or Gen Z, research institutions, such as Pew Research Center, have been working to set the record straight as to who belongs to which group, so you are not terribly confused. 1 With research, more structure has been granted to generational studies so we can all know who is who and how to appeal to them on an individual and cultural level. Those born roughly between 1997 and 2010 are in the Gen Z category, which has also been referred to as the “Selfie Generation,” “iGen,” “App Generation,” “TransGeneration,” and “Post-Millennials.” 2 3 As all these names may imply, details associated with this generation can be a bit fuzzy, so I’m here to clear the air and help you learn more about yourself and those around you. These are our peers just now reaching adulthood and braving the world! On the other hand, millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996, now reaching ages 22-37 years old. 4 Where millennials end and Gen Z begins is often debatable, but the 1996 cut-off is critical to the characteristics of both generations precisely because it reflects a generation that is old enough to understand 9/11, and also experienced the 2007-2009 recession. 5 In fact, this economic factor is the centerpiece between the two generations. For instance, the recession created a significantly slower start for millennials’ education and careers, which is estimated to impact American society for decades. 6
Now let’s look at the numerous attributes of millennials and Gen Z. They may be close neighbors with inherent similarities, but they differ in their individual characteristics. The important comparisons between these two generations are their technology, economic approach, social image and perspective, and personality. The major thing to note about both millennials and Gen Z is their native ability to navigate technology and the digital world. People in both groups grew up in the digital age; millennials are talented with digital tasks, while Gen Z is dependent on the digital world. 7 The influence of technology is significant in the lives of both millennials and Gen Z. Both take an interest in sharing their thoughts online, engaging in constructive knowledge universally, and doing things digitally. Older millennials are able to remember rotary phones and landlines, while newbie Gen Z is the first generation to be entirely raised in the era of smart technology. 8 While Gen Z may be connected every waking hour of the day, they prefer the short and sweet approach, gravitating towards quicker forms of communication and away from voicemail and the long blog posts millennials once commonly embraced. 9 10 This particular knack with technology makes younger people better multi-taskers, but it also can have a toll on their attention span. 11 Gen Zs hit their prime in the age of apps that allow them to receive and process information very quickly, but among instantaneous connection, they are less focused and can lose interest faster than millennials. 12 Technology can be a hefty distraction, but working on multiple digital documents at once—doing research on their phone, creating a file on their desktop, and taking notes on their tablet, while studying and video chatting on their laptop in front of the TV, allows them to efficiently switch from task to task. 13 Some might call this multi-multi-multi-tasking. It’s not news that today we’ve arrived at a new era smothered in tech savviness and
digital connection. Fret not, the generations at the forefront have a good hold on everything tech. Along with technological advancement and innovation, these two generations are also at the forefront of new businesses. Millennials grew up in an age where the internet became a new way to navigate life, while Gen Zs have a unique entrepreneurial spirit due to them being entirely immersed in a society that implements businesses such as Uber and Airbnb. These are easy and simple business ideas that allow younger groups of people to witness how they can use their own resources to make money in an innovative way. 14 In fact, nearly 75 percent of Gen Zs admit they would like to start their own business. 15 On top of this, Gen Z sees that there are alternative routes to making money, outside of the traditional route, which has lead to an increase in young people entering the workforce as early as 16 to 18 years old. 16 This illustrates the unique mindset of Gen Z that is set on taking every opportunity they can to get ahead. All of this leads to a difference in perspective on American social and political structures. Studies indicate that both millennials and Gen Z are big believers in individuality and independence, but Gen Z is specifically interested in acceptance, global connection, and diversity. Apart from millennials, Gen Zs are experiencing less religious identification, more race diversity, and more non-traditional households. 17 For example, young people today have a less-structured idea of sexual and gender identities, and Gen Zs and younger millennials experience different types of families, such as stay-at-home fathers and same-sex households. 18 This less-traditional approach to life is appealing to these generations and, having experienced such diversity growing up, they feel very positive about a future with similar attributes of diversification. This also causes them to have more progressive views politically, which may change the makeup of social perspectives in America. Imagine how all of this will reshape the
workplace—the rapid multi-tasking, interactive collaboration, and rapid communication. Their digital footprint is extensive, their entrepreneurial spirit is strong, and their personalities are open, busy, and creative. Younger generations want to share and be a part of a community, hoping to build institutions that value what they value: individuality, diversity, and efficiency. Some people may mistake millennials and Gen Zs to be self-absorbed due to their excessive internet appearances and time on social media, but their aim is more towards “we” then “me.” 19 Yes, they are heavily engaged with the internet, but them following various celebrities and friends arguably pushes them to seek individuality and something different from the crowd. So, welcome to campus Gen Z students! We are on to you. You’ll get along well with the millennial students. If you use your powers for good, you can make the world a better place! 1. http://mentalfloss.com/article/533632/new-guidelines-redefine-birth-years-millennials-gen-x-and-post-millennials. 2 https://www.josh.org/9-important-insights-generation-z/?mot=J79GNF&gclid=Cj0KCQ jw0dHdBRDEARIsAHjZYYChDTQ4pKkMOFGo4tjAn7mpW5EKI6hafV879X61zBQpOujOpZrl5ZEaAnbMEALw_wcB. 3. http://mentalfloss.com/article/533632/new-guidelines-redefine-birth-years-millennials-gen-x-and-post-millennials. 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid. 7. https://www.youvisit.com/insight/college/everything-youneed-to-know-about-generation-z/. 8. https://www.josh.org/9-important-insights-generation-z/?mot=J79GNF&gclid=Cj0KCQ jw0dHdBRDEARIsAHjZYYChDTQ4pKkMOFGo4tjAn7mpW5EKI6hafV879X61zBQpOujOpZrl5ZEaAnbMEALw_wcB. 9. Ibid. 10. https://www.youvisit.com/insight/college/everything-youneed-to-know-about-generation-z/. 11. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-beall/8-key-differences-between_b_12814200.html.
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12. Ibid. 13. Ibid. 14. https://www.josh. org/9-important-insights-generation-z/?mot=J79GNF&gclid=Cj0KCQ jw0dHdBRDEARIsAHjZYYChDTQ4pKkMOFGo4tjAn7mpW5EKI6hafV879X61zBQpOujOpZrl5ZEaAnbMEALw_wcB. 15. Ibid. 16. https://www. huffingtonpost.com/ george-beall/8-key-differences-between_b_12814200. html. 17. https://www.josh. org/9-important-insights-generation-z/?mot=J79GNF&gclid=Cj0KCQ jw0dHdBRDEARIsAHjZYYChDTQ4pKkMOFGo4tjAn7mpW5EKI6hafV879X61zBQpOujOpZrl5ZEaAnbMEALw_wcB. 18. Ibid. 19. https://www.youvisit.com/ insight/college/everythingyou-need-to-know-aboutgeneration-z/.
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Senate Votes to Confirm Kavanaugh By Rose Sperl Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court in the closest Senate vote since 1881: 50-48. His confirmation cements the conservative majority in the Court that President Trump has been pushing since his election. Protesters interrupted the final vote several times in support of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. “I do not consent, where’s my representation,” one protester yelled. 1 President Trump tweeted his support and excitement of his nominee’s confirmation on Friday. This final vote came after a long month of political debate regarding the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. Dr. Ford accused him of sexually assaulting her 36 years ago while they were attending high school. Although the accusation was originally shared in a confidential letter to her representative, the news quickly spread, contrary to Dr. Ford’s wishes. Due to the timing and the politically-charged nature of the allegation, many Republican senators have rejected Ford’s claim, labeling it a political scheme. However, during her testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she said these last few weeks have been “the hardest of her life.” 2 Two weeks ago, both Ford and Kavanaugh gave emotional and convincing
Photo by Getty Images.
testimonies in front of the committee, further confusing the situation. Despite the resistance from Republican senators, an FBI investigation was ordered in hopes of gaining more information about what transpired in the ’80s. The FBI was given one week to investigate the claims so as to not further delay the Senate’s vote. However, the FBI probe concluded days before its deadline, and Democrats question the legitimacy and thoroughness of the investigation. “The documents delivered by the FBI suggest this investigation was controlled and directed by the White House,” the Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said. 3 Senator Dianne Feinstein said, “The most notable part of this report is what’s not in it,” in reference to those the FBI did not interview. 4 The glossing over of the allegations causes many to question the progress of the country’s awareness and concern about sexual assault. Before the confirmation, President Trump publicly mocked Dr. Ford at a rally in Mississippi while the crowd laughed and cheered. Sexual assault survivors and supporters have been active, angered by the lack of respect toward Ford. A similar allegation came out against a Supreme Court Justice in 1991 by Professor Anita Hill. Hill’s accusation was disregarded, and the accused, Clarence
Photo by BBC.
Thomas, continues to serve as a Supreme Court Justice today. This repetition of history has many wondering how this country’s treatment of sexual assault survivors
has not progressed in the last 20 years. Since the allegations, the U.S. has been heavily divided politically. Some historians are comparing the state of the country to that of the time before the Civil War. Political strategists say that this confirmation will only fuel the Democratic fire and pushes voters of both parties to show up for the midterm elections in November. 5 If after the election Congress swings in favor of the Democrats, many expect Kavanaugh’s confirmation to be re-evaluated, as well as Trump’s presidency. 1. http://time.com/5417844/i-do-not-consent-kavanaughs-confirmation-vote-was-interrupted-multiple-times-by-screaming-protesters/ 2. https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/blasey-ford-apartfrom-the-assault-past-weeks-have-been-the-hardest-of-my-life 3. https://www.cNDbsnews.com/live-news/kavanaugh-fbi-investigation-report-senate-review-today-2018-10-04-live-updates/ 4. https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/kavanaugh-fbi-investigation-oct-18/h_1acbdcdb7e3aabd08bdb96c6d756c7bd 5. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/10/07/ brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-analysis/1557826002/
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From Anita Hill to Christine Blasey Ford: Sexual Misconduct and the Supreme Court By Zachary White “In 1991, the Senate Judiciary Committee had an opportunity to demonstrate its appreciation for both the seriousness of sexual harassment claims and the need for public confidence in the character of a nominee to the Supreme Court. It failed on both counts.” These are the words of attorney and academic Professor Anita Hill in her Sept. 18, 2018 New York Times opinion piece, “How to Get the Kavanaugh Hearings Right.” 1 In 1991, Hill testified to a pattern of workplace sexual harassment carried out by her former boss, Clarence Thomas, who was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court by then-president George H. W. Bush. Despite her testimony, Thomas was sworn into the court on Oct. 26, 1991. With 26 years on the court, he is the longest-serving sitting Supreme Court Justice. Now Thomas is joined by another Supreme Court Justice accused of sexual misconduct. Brett Kavanaugh, a Trump nominee, was sworn into the court last
weekend on Oct. 6, 2018. The Senate confirmation hearings for Kavanaugh have dominated news cycles for weeks now. Instead of Hill, the testimony of another woman, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, has been dismissed. Ford, a research psychologist at Stanford University, alleges that Kavanaugh tried to rape her while they were both attending high school in Bethesda, Maryland. The Senate vote to confirm Kavanaugh, 50-48, took rigid party lines (with the exception of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia), and is one of the closest Supreme Court confirmation votes in the history of the Supreme Court. 2 While it might seem like a great deal of time and cultural advancement has passed since Hill’s testimony, the similarity of the outcomes of these two confirmations may cause us to reconsider. In fact, three senators who sat on the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991 for Clarence Thomas’s confirmation remain sitting on the committee today. This means that Republican Chuck Grassley, Republican Orrin Hatch, and Democrat Patrick Leahy sat on the
Photo by New York Times
committee for the confirmations of both Thomas and Kavanaugh. 3 While Ford, as of this week, is receiving death threats and is waiting to safely return to her home in California, Hill also faced tremendous hatred for her decision to speak out. [4] During the hearing, Hill was bizarrely asked to repeatedly recount her accusations against Thomas. Even after passing a lie detector test, senators hurled accusations of mental instability at Hill. Wyoming Republican Senator Alan K. Simpson asserted, for example, that it was much more likely that Hill was suffering from “a delusion disorder” and thus passing the test, than that she was telling the truth. 4 In Hill’s chilling September opinion piece for the New York Times, she urged the Senate to not make the same mistakes it made in 1991. She broke down her advice into compelling points. Among her suggestions were creating “a neutral investigative body with experience in sexual misconduct cases,” and giving investigations ample time and not rushing the proceedings. The Senate heeded neither of these basic requests.
Photo by ABC News
“In 1991, the phrase ‘they just don’t get it’ became a popular way of describing senators’ reaction to sexual violence,” Hill writes. “With years of hindsight, mounds
of evidence of the prevalence and harm that sexual violence causes individuals and our institutions, as well as a Senate with more women than ever, ‘not getting it’ isn’t an option for our elected representatives. In 2018, our senators must get it right.” 5 1. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/18/opinion/anita-hill-brett-kavanaugh-clarence-thomas.html 2. https://www.vox.com/2018/10/6/17942468/brett-kavanaugh-confirmation-partisan 3. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/us/politics/anita-hill-testimony-clarence-thomas.html 4. https://people.com/politics/christine-blasey-ford-cant-gohome-death-threats-lawyer/ 5. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/20/us/politics/anita-hill-testimony-clarence-thomas.htmlzw
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Tasting Notes: A Smashing Good Time By Nicolette Horning People light up when they talk about potatoes—it’s a known phenomenon. Mention the word “potato” and watch listeners’ eyes brighten with intrigue and delight. You’ll see the faces of those near you slowly turn your way, and their voices will quiet to whispers, hoping to catch a few of your golden words. Imagine the possibilities of potatoes in daily life. Conversation on a first date spud-dering to a stop? Talk about potatoes. Unsure of what to bring to game night? Potatoes. Need to cheer someone up? Potatoes. They’re the ultimate comfort food since most everyone likes them in at least one of their forms. In fact, were we to catalogue potato dishes, it would look something like the following: potato chips, baked potatoes, twice-baked potatoes, potato casserole, potato patties, roasted potatoes, potato bread, potato skins, scalloped potatoes, tater tots, home fries, hash browns, potato soup, French fries, mashed potatoes, and, finally, smashed potatoes.
Although the first 15 dishes previously mentioned likely constitute 85 percent of your daily caloric intake, the last item on the list may have caught you off guard. Well, tuck in your napkin and starch your engine because you’re in for a wild ride. Smashed potatoes are a hybrid of the Thanksgiving classic (mashed potatoes) and the home favorite (roasted potatoes). They are crisp and delish, yet you still get the same pleasure of smashing the potatoes as you do when creating mashed potatoes, while maintaining the inner tenderness of the potato.
Seasoned Potatoes. Photo by Nicolette Horning.
RECIPE Utensils: •
Medium-sized pot to boil the potatoes
•
Cookie sheet
•
Smashing device of choice
Ingredients: •
8-10 potatoes (A note on choosing potatoes: Both Yukon gold potatoes and red potatoes work well. Golds are my favorite type. The ideal potato size for smashed potatoes is somewhere between a golf ball and a tennis ball. Too big, and the smashing will be out of control—too small and the skin to inner-potato ratio won’t be as good.)
•
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
Seasoning combinations of choice—here are three: 1.
Spicy Chipotle • 1 tablespoon chipotle seasoning • 1 “flick of the bottle” of Cholula sauce per potato • Salt to taste
2.
Lemon Garlic Oregano
• 2 lemons (a squeeze on top of each potato) • 3-4 cloves minced garlic • 2 teaspoons dried oregano (be sure to grind it between your palms as you sprinkle it onto your potatoes) • Salt and pepper to taste 3.
Yellow Curry
• 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder • 1 teaspoon Chili flakes (optional) • Salt to taste
Process: Turn on your favorite music. Wash your potatoes and put them into a medium-sized pot. Put enough water in the pot so that your potatoes are covered, and put them on the stove on medium/high heat. Be sure to add a bit of salt to the water. Cover your pot so that the heat does not escape. Boil your potatoes until you can poke a knife through them (about 15 minutes). They shouldn’t fall apart on you, but you should not be met with too much resistance. While your potatoes are boiling, search for an object with which you can smash the potatoes. For some, this may be a calculus textbook. Other smashing items of choice may include but are not limited to the following: a hammer, a strong fork, a potato masher (you can do better), the bottom of a sturdy glass, the bottom of a small pot, a rock, or the palm of a brave friend. Once your potatoes are finished boiling, preheat your oven to 450° F, and grab your cookie sheet. Roll up your sleeves—this is the fun part. Coat the bottom of your smashing device with a nice slick layer of olive oil, and maybe do a few arm warm-ups. Spread your potatoes out on the cookie sheet. Now is the time. Smash those ‘taters—nice and flat-like. Let all of your pentup stress and frustration out on the potatoes. Some potatoes may require a slower press to flatten properly. Post smash, each potato should be about 1/4 of an inch thick and look a bit like a patty. Drizzle on your olive oil, and add your seasoning combination of choice. Bake the patties for about 20-30 minutes. They should be a nice golden-brown upon removal. For those of us pasty Walla Walla folk, this shade is the one you always strive for in the summer but never quite achieve. Congrats, you’ve achieved it. The potatoes are a delicious stand-alone, but feel free to experiment with toppings. Guacamole would be unforgettable with the chipotle potatoes (in fact, think haystacks but replace the chips with these potatoes), and sour cream or Greek yogurt would complement the other combinations beautifully. Enjoy!
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Fashion On a Budget By Gabriela Hutuleac Looking chic does not have to make a dent in your bank account if you shop at the right places. Being a fashionable college student can be a challenge with the budget students set aside for clothes. Thanks to high-street heroes like Zara, H&M, Forever 21, and other stores, you can get a designer look for a fraction of the price. You might be thinking you do not want to look cheap, and I get it—I am all for the quality-over-quantity movement. However, there are some great designer dupes I have found that look like the real deal. From Gucci to Cartier, here are five pieces that will add classy touches to your wardrobe and save you tons of money for that college budget!
Mini Bag. Chloé.
First off is the Gucci belt, which is around $350 and quite the statement piece. It is often sold out at the original stores, but fortunately Urban Outfitters has bargain belts. The black and gold accessory is not only a budget bargain, but will also help you nail every Instagram post. And the best part? It comes in an array of colors and finishes–including black and red. The dupe is found at urbanoutfitters.com. Next is a Cartier ring—the love ring to be specific—which is Cartier’s best seller and stands at $1,650. My friend Hailey showed me models of the ring easily found on Amazon, along with many other models of Cartier jewelry. The dupe is around $10. Although it may not be the best quality, it is great to add a little jewelry to complement your outfits!
In the past few years, Chloé bags have also been a big hit. The mini bag has a sleek shape and is the perfect size for when you don’t need to carry much. If you don’t have $1,250 to splurge on one, get the same look with Lulu’s version of the bag. The dupe is around $37 and is available in different colors. If you’re looking for something more subtle, Chanel is known for its classic and iconic quilted black bag. You can copy this look with a dupe from ASOS made of faux leather with a chunky shoulder chain and clasp. The bag is not only elegant and timeless, but also edgy and a little moto. It stands around $37 on ASOS.com.
es. These basic sandals can be worn with many different outfits, and are a perfect, simple designer statement. The dupes are $75 and can be found on shopbop.com. With these five designer dupe statement pieces, you can put together an outfit and add a bit of trendiness to your fall fashion. These pieces are perfect for October, but can also be worn throughout the year. Consider mixing warm colors for this fall to add some spunk to your wardrobe, or spicing up an old outfit by adding a new piece. Finding good dupes can save you lots of money in college and keep you updated with the latest trends!
Lastly is a pair of Hermes sandals. The Hermes sandals cost $680, but thankfully are a common style to find in many plac-
Bargain Gucci Belt. Urban Outfitters.
Bargain Hermes Sandals.
Bargain Love Ring.
Warm Color Outfit.
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The Upside-Down Man By Tobi Brown Steve is a usual fellow—the kind of usual fellow that you see walking down the street looking at his feet. The kind that pushes up his glasses every 10 minutes. The kind that thinks greeting someone is socializing. He works an office job from nine to five. He’s a diligent worker, though I’m not sure what he does—something to do with spreadsheets. It’s entirely uninteresting. Steve’s life is routine. He wakes up, takes a shower, gets dressed, eats a bagel and has his coffee, brushes his teeth, then drives to work. After three and a half hours of typing, he has lunch. During lunch, he carefully unwraps his packed turkey sandwich and stares at the ceiling while he eats. The ceiling has a water stain from a storm a few years ago that Steve can just barely make a face out of. This is the extent of his imagination. His fare is always finished before his lunch hour ends, so he has to busy himself. Most of his time is spent considering what to do next. He usually wonders if he should fetch some water from the cooler, or if that would be strange since he brought his own water bottle. He considers going to the vending machine and getting a dessert, but he is currently watching his weight. He wonders if he should just start working again, but by that time his hour has actually ended and he has to anyways. Then he starts typing. It was the weekend, but Steve’s boss called him in to work and Steve gladly accepted, thinking that if he did this he would be one step closer to promotion. What he didn’t realize is that his boss, Tom, knew Steve didn’t do anything on the weekends. Tom called Steve in because he was the least threatening of his workers. Tom could make Steve work 24/7 and Steve would never call HR or complain—and he would never ask for a raise or overtime. The only other person working that weekend was Farah, the receptionist. They weren’t friends, and they didn’t talk to each other. Steve had spoken to her once, at a Christmas party. He had asked how she was and she had responded, “I’m fine.” There had been tension between them ever since. Today, 12:30 came along quicker than Steve expected, and through his peripheral vision, he saw Farah head to the break room. Steve stayed in his cubicle and took out his turkey sandwich and vinegar chips. He had vinegar chips today because he thought he deserved a little treat. The office was completely silent— Steve had it all to himself. He pushed up his glasses and began eating. His hand reached into his crinkly chip bag as he leaned back in his chair. It felt so good to not have to worry about the loud crunching noises annoying anyone. Steve was ecstatic to look at the familiar face on the ceiling, and so he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. But when he
looked up, the face was gone. Instead of the face he had affectionately named Lonny, he saw a rusted copper one beaming at him. Bright circular eyes blinked curiously, scanning Steve from head to toe. The overwhelming social anxiety of seeing a new face on the ceiling overcame him, and he plopped right out of his chair and onto the floor. He was so shocked that he almost didn’t notice that his spectacles had fallen off. “H-hello...” he greeted shakily, not wanting to be impolite. “Wh-who are you?” “What? That’s all you have to say, then?” A hard accent resonated from the metal mouth. “Just a simple greeting: ‘Who are you?’ You really are so infuriating.” Steve picked up his glasses lying beside him and pressed them onto his nose. After his eyes focused, it didn’t take long for Steve to realize that this copper face was connected to a body. Long arms gesticulated along with the creature’s words. Her feet were seemingly rusted to the ceiling. “Are you... upside-down?” Steve’s eyes widened. “No, I’m not upside-down, you are!” “That’s impossible, because, you see, I’m upside-right.” Steve pushed up his spectacles. “I’ve been upside-right all my life.” “That’s a matter of perspective.” The golden statuette looked certain. “But to answer your question from before, I’m Courage. I can’t believe you’ve forgotten me already!” “Courage? That’s a strange name... I don’t think I would have forgotten...” A sudden rush of anxiety poured over Steve’s body. “I just realized, I must go.” He leapt up and started hastily throwing things from his desk into his briefcase. “I-I left my stove on this morning and I—” Steve wondered if he’d need his stapler, but decided against it since he was in a hurry. He snapped the case shut and walked briskly towards the other end of the office. “What do you think you’re doing?” Courage chased after him from the ceiling. “I haven’t even asked you to do anything yet. Why are you running away from me?” “I simply must go.” Steve’s sweaty palms slipped around the silver handle to the stairway. “M-my fish—” Steve broke into a sprint when the door swung open. He ran from the office building down a spiral staircase and headed toward the parking lot. “You think you can just run away from me?” Courage began running alongside him on the walls of the tall stairway to get closer to him. “I’m not so easily brushed off.”
Steve reached the end of the staircase and barreled into the lobby. Words escaped him as he took the handle of the glass front door to the building structure and pulled it open. Steve hurried to get outside, but slowed down once he reached it. There was only sky; there were no walls or ceilings, and there was no Courage. Steve whipped around and looked into the glass lobby. Courage had disappeared. “Good, she’s gone away.” Steve breathed a sigh of relief, but too soon. Standing on two fluffy clouds was the upside-down Courage. “Ack!” Steve jumped at the sight of her and promptly fell down. “You just are falling for me, aren’t you?” Courage cackled. “Well, I have to say, I’m not interested.” She closed one eye as if examining Steve. “Steve, take my hand.” She reached out her long, golden arm towards him. “I’ll help you up.” “I don’t need any help.” Steve flinched as her arm got closer to his face. He wanted to run, but he was frozen in place. He did not want, under any circumstance, to take this stranger’s hand. Every inch of his body was paralyzed with fear. There was no way he would even be able to stand up and look this woman in the eye. But something came over him. A surge of hope pulsed through his veins. For the first time in Steve’s boring, unadventurous life, he impulsively stuck out his hand and closed his eyes. He felt the cold fingertips of Courage electrifying his fingers and he squeezed his eyes tighter. His heart was pounding. Why he would do something so unusual was unknown, but on a whim, Steve let himself be pulled upside-down. To be continued…
Illustration by Tobi Brown.
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Ask Regan Hi, and welcome to Ask Regan, Walla Walla University’s premiere advice column! Every week I’ll answer your submitted questions by trying (and sometimes failing) to give the best advice I can. You know what makes this even better? It’s totally anonymous! Got a roommate who’s driving you crazy? A special someone you’re not sure how to approach? A giant lake monster that won’t seem to leave you alone every time you go for a swim? Well, you’ve found the right place! Submit your questions and check back here every week to see what marvelous advice I have supplied for you. DISCLAIMER: I am not a licensed medical professional. Please consult Hugh Laurie or another actor who has played a doctor on TV for advice on “that weird rash.”
Regan, most of my friends are studying abroad this year, which leaves me sad and without my squad. Do you have any advice on how to make new friends, even when you’re not a freshman? Sincerely,
spend some time together in a recreational setting sometime? Perhaps we could see a film, play some foosball, or maybe even overpay for frozen yogurt—do any of these options interest you? Or even worse, you could ask someone to hang out and be met with the dreaded, “Let’s get coffee sometime! I’ll text you!” that both of you know is an empty promise that neither of you will hold to. That is, of course, until the next time you bump into each other and apologize for not following through on plans, just to make the same empty promises again. Ah, the vicious cycle of adulthood! In the end, the best way to make friends is to make yourself available and follow through. I know more than anyone that the high of cancelling plans after you’ve made them is beyond tempting, but in order to form lasting friendships, you kind of have to leave your room every once in a while. I know, I know, it’s just too unrealistic—but what other option do we have? (If there’s another option can someone please, please tell me?)
Still Here
Still Here, First off, don’t let the fact that you’re not a freshman stop you from putting yourself out there and meeting new people. As they say in romantic comedies starring actors over the age of 40, it’s never too late! I know from personal experience that losing your core group of friends after carefully curating them over the years can be hard, but think of it as a challenge—a fun game you can play similar to Pokémon Go (which I have never played and don’t really understand, but will nonetheless use as a “hip” and “relatable” example anyway. Collect ‘em all!). The hardest part of making friends is the act of putting yourself out there. In my opinion, going after a potential friendship (or any relationship, really) is one of the most difficult things you can do. What a weird and foreign thing it is to make friends! Like, hello there, would you like to
So, maybe there’s someone in class you joke around with once in a while, or someone who sits near you in CommUnity you’ve always wondered about. Maybe there’s another student in your department that hates having to get colloquium credit just as much as you do. My biggest advice on making friends is to find commonality, operate on context, and take your relationships step by step. Before you know it, you’ll have a couple more people to add to the group chat. What’s there to lose? I’m rooting for you, Still Here, and remember: I don’t know how to give advice!
Got a question you’re itching to have answered? Apply some ointment first, and then visit rebrand.ly/askregan to ask for advice!
Service Day What do lawns, free food, and CommUnity credit have to do with each other? It turns out there is a whole day that Walla Walla University sets aside for these three things. That day is Service Day, and this year it will be on Wednesday, Oct. 17. If you want to find out how these can fit into one day, keep reading! Service Day happens every year and is a day that WWU, Whitman, and Walla Walla Community College students coordinate to give back to the communities that have hosted them for so many years. There are many projects to choose from, including lawn maintenance, tree trimming, painting, tech support, and trail maintenance. There are no high-level skills required, just a willingness to help. Each project group meets outside of the CTC Bowl at 8 a.m. for worship and a free breakfast. Students then separate and head to their areas at 8:45 a.m. and work until 12 p.m. From 12 p.m. until 12:45 p.m. there will be a free lunch provided for all volunteers. All university classes will be canceled during this time to encourage as many students and staff as possible to participate. Students benefit from this event in multiple ways. There is free food for not one, but two meals, as well as CommUnity credit. As someone who has participated in this event several times, I can attest to the
mutual connection participants feel as they gather in the morning and work together. One of the student coordinators of this event, Ansel Weber, had this to say about the community’s response to this annual event: “All the projects I have heard of have given the school positive feedback. Many of the projects happen years in a row because of the good work that our volunteers do.” 1 The community has benefitted from these events and are now prepared to finish projects that only a group of energetic college students could accomplish. If you want to be one of those volunteers doing good work locally, please sign up at the link posted below or attend the event next Wednesday, as last minute sign-ups will be running until 9:15 a.m. at the CTC Bowl. Hope to see you all there! Sign-ups link: wallawalla.edu/serviceday Service Day TL;DR CTC Bowl Wednesday, Oct. 17 8 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Wear clothes to work in and please sign up ahead of time for your chosen project. Meals and CommUnity credit provided.
1. Weber, A. (2018, Oct. 6). Email interview.
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Embarrassing Stories From My Youth:
“List ‘em Off” By: Regan Hinshaw To sum up the week I’ve had, I’ve been racking my brain for embarrassing moments from my younger years, I thought I’d share a portion of a recent text conversation between my mother and I. After not being able to think of another story to tell (perhaps because there are just too many), I took to begging my friends and family for any information they might have about me that I may have forgotten or intentionally blocked out. To give you an idea of how many story possibilities there are, here was my mom’s initial response: Me: Do you have any embarrassing stories about me from when I was younger? Mom: Like, funny embarrassing or barfing-in-public embarrassing? Clearly, there’s no shortage of stories I could tell here. In fact, there are so many that they have to be separated into their own categories! Maybe that’s why I’ve had so much difficulty narrowing it down. Because of this, I’ve decided to do a little rapid-fire round in hopes that I can get some of the most embarrassing stories out of the way. Prepare yourselves! • My babysitter once asked me if I had changed the roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, to which I replied that I couldn’t because there wasn’t any left. This was a lie, as there was a full pack of Charmin under the sink. Up to my ears in guilt for this devastating and life-altering lie, I proceeded to go home and cry to my mother. Days later, I put a handwritten two-page letter to said babysitter in the mail, apologizing for my lie and begging for
forgiveness. 15 years later, she still has the letter. • Until the age of 10, I fully believed that “lactose intolerant” was actually “blacktoast intolerant,” which I often used in conversation with adults because I thought using the word “intolerant” made me seem smart. News flash, little me: it didn’t! And the adults weren’t laughing because they were in awe of your intelligence. One thing you were right about, though: literally everyone should be black-toast intolerant—don’t eat burnt bread, y’all. • Keeping with the brand of wanting to appear smart, I used to sit by the front windows of my childhood home, trying to appear transfixed by my parent’s hard copy encyclopedias in hopes that passers-by would stop and tell me (through the windows, I guess?) how smart I was. Again, this made more sense in my head. • At age eight, I was unaware that just because you sang in the shower away from prying ears didn’t mean that no one could hear you. I learned this the hard way after a particularly dramatic 10-minute performance of Britney Spear’s “Toxic” in the shower at my grandparents’ house that resulted in an hour-long sit-down chat with my grandmother about my musical tastes. • I once got in trouble with the mother of some kids I was babysitting for not doing my job and spending more time on “that horse website” than with her kids. That’s exactly what it sounds like—and yes, I really was that kid.
Missed Connections
at WWU
• On a trip to Lincoln City when I was 10, I slipped and fell into the ocean during an evening walk on the beach. Nothing particularly embarrassing about this, I’m just still traumatized by and scared of large bodies of water. • Finally, I once won a contest at my elementary school for something I can’t remember. When my win was announced during an assembly, I stood to accept the award of a free Casting Crowns CD. Thinking I was supposed to give a speech, I reached for the microphone the principal was holding— only for him to pull it away and point me back to my seat. I still have the speech I would have given memorized, but I’m not bitter.
In the end, I don’t think I should have asked people for embarrassing stories about me. Any moment now, I could be minding my own business and get a text from my mom about a particularly rough pediatrician visit when I was seven, or one from my brother about me puking before class in the first grade. Nowhere is safe now, but it’s the risk I take to make y’all feel better about your own experiences. After all, I’m just here to remind you that it could’ve been worse—you could have been me.
Verbatim “I’m down with giraffes.” - Professor Joel Libby “Since class isn’t complete without a picture of a duck,here’s a picture of a duck.” - Professor Tom Ekkens “So, have any of you ever played around with an Oxford dictionary?” - Professor Susan Gardner Have you overheard a blissfully out-of-context quote from the WWU Faculty this week? Email askregan@gmail.com to be featured in next week’s Verbatim!
Ran into you in the crosswalk on College Ave. yesterday. Literally. Wanted to say sorry, but it was noon and there were 20 people between us before I could. Hope you got to class on time. Signed, Walk Sign is On. I complimented your outfit in class without realizing you had your headphones in, and by the time I did it was too late and you were taking them out to ask me what I said. Just wanted to let you know that I didn’t actually need to know what homework was due, I just thought your aesthetic was on point. Signed, Why Do I Try.
Hey dude, I saw you in the cafeteria. You had on a pair of sick frames. They were round with some sort of brown marble-y ear pieces. I’m done with contacts and was wondering what brand your glasses were, but I didn’t want to give up my place in line to ask. I promise I’ll pick a different color. Signed, Contacts Guy Who Wants to Contact That Guy.
If you have a missed connection you’d like to submit, visit rebrand.ly/wwuconnections to be featured in next week’s issue!