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October 07, 2021
Vol. 120 NO. 2
Three protests in three weeks of classes
Young entrepreneurs create a space for themselves in the local restaurant scene
Campus saw protests concerning the LGBTQ community, reproductive rights and abortion
By Laynie Erickson Staff Reporter Two new restaurants opened in Kittitas County this summer. While the restaurants differ in both menu and atmosphere, they do share something unique in common. Both are owned and operated by entrepreneurs in their 20’s. Long-time Ellensburg roommates and friends Mackenzie Cohen, 27 years old, and Jillian Johnson, 28 years old started their own businesses with the goal of expanding the food industry in the community. Cohen opened Kittitas Cafe, a hometown coffee shop back in June. In early September, Johnson opened Julep, a southern kitchen and cocktail bar. Both young entrepreneurs live under the same roof in Ellensburg with their husbands. They started their careers in the food industry working at the Tav, before deciding to each use their skills and experience to expand Kittitas County’s restaurant options. While both agree their youth and energy have been an advantage in their entrepreneurial endeavors, they’ve faced their share of challenges. Mainly, finding financial backing. While many older, more established business owners may have easier access to the capital needed to open a restaurant, Cohen said she believes that experience in the industry was far more important.
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COMMUNITY RAISES AWARENESS FOR FENTANYL OVERDOSES Photo taken by Stephen Martin/The Observer, A memorial at the local skate park, located on 2nd Ave and N. Pearl, commemorates those who have passed from overdose.
By Stephen Martin Staff Reporter Members of the Ellensburg community gathered Friday outside of the courthouse to raise awareness for the six local residents who have died of fentanyl-related overdoses in the past year. The protest was attended by over a dozen community members, including the families of several of the victims. Rick Jackson, resident of Ellensburg since the 70s, organized the protest after going to several memorials for the victims. “I’ve watched all four memorials so far, and it broke my heart, and I don’t want to see this anymore,” Jackson said. “I’m a dad of two so I’m not gonna sit down, I’m out here doing something.” Jackson, who is homeless, personally knew many of the victims from time spent staying at the skate park.
“I’ve been staying there every night for the last four months. All the kids at the park know me,” Jackson said. “And I’ve seen everything going good and everything going down.” Jackson said he hoped the protest would raise awareness and prevent any further deaths. “Make bigger awareness. Put it out. Let everybody know,” Jackson said. “Just making awareness for everybody is all I’m doing. Just watching over the kids.” In a Daily Record article, Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Rich Elliott said typically CWU students comprise approximately 35 to 40% of overdose calls, which include alcohol poisoning and fentanyl-related overdoses. Pam Tuggle Miles, who works for Community Health of Central Washington, also attended the event. She said she believes the county needs to be more transparent with its handling of the crisis.
“Let us know, as a community, that the eyes are on this and that there are some things that are being done,” Miles said. “Who’s reaching out to the families? Is the school reaching out to kids and saying, ‘We have a mental health counselor, if you have a place that you need to go and talk, we have a place where you can come.’?” She also left out several pamphlets on the courthouse lawn containing information about health resources and wanted to make it clear that help is available to those who need it. “Here in our county, we have the Kittitas County Health Network,” Miles said. “And you can go on the website, there’s different groups, like Community Health of Central Washington, KVH, Comprehensive Health, and Merit Resources.” There is a memorial at the skatepark for the six who have died.
By Star Diavolikis, Stephen Martin News Editor & Staff Reporter This report involves details that could be upsetting for some viewers. Three different protests have occurred on the Ellensburg campus between Sept. 28 and Oct. 5, a couple of which created encounters among students and visitors. Keith Darrell and Anders Clark, two Christian men, visited CWU’s Ellensburg campus on Sept. 28 to share their message that students need to embrace God, and that LGBTQ lifestyles are an “unforgivable” sin. Darrell and Clark stood outside the SURC in the afternoon for several hours, yelling and speaking to students about Christianity’s importance to everyday life. While preaching, Darrell said he felt no remorse for those in the LGBTQ community. “If all of them [LGBTQ persons] killed themselves, I wouldn’t cry for them, I wouldn’t shed a tear,” Darrell said.
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A LOOK BEYOND
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October 07, 2021
Beyond Our Coverage: Local
National
Dr. Maria Roditeleva-Wibe, senior lecturer of music theory and history, passes this past week. Watch for our coverage next week. CWU filmmaker and film studies lecturer Asad Farooqui earned international praise from critics at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in June for his short film Mabrook according to CWU’s website. Watch for our coverage next week. Tech executive, Jeremy Gulban purchased 20 newspapers from Gannett last month. According to The Seattle Times, buying The Washington Post in 2013 brought Gulban success and the ability to help other papers thrive in this new technology-based world. The Steering Committee on CWU’s campus has created a survey for the campus community to help the committee strategize how best to help CWU as a community according to the CWU website.
World
As a new Supreme Court session begins, The Hill reports that key issues like abortion access, national security, gun control and religious access will be discussed. 100,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Pacific Ocean near Southern California. CNN reports that an anchor hooking onto a pipeline may have been the cause of the leakage. Principal injured in shooting at YES Prep Southwest Secondary. US News reports that Dexter Harold Kelsey has been charged with aggravated assault and deadly conduct in the shooting. Ex-Facebook product manager Frances Haugen spoke out about Facebook and the inner workings of the company. The New York Times reports that Haugen says that Facebook hides information and attempts to get people hooked on their product.
Facebook, Instagram and other platforms suffer several hours of being off-line. The Wall Street Journal reports Facebook officials claim this outage was due to networking issues. Uncovering wealth and tax evasion, the Pandora Papers include 12 million documents exposing some of the world’s richest according to BBC. 216,000 minors have been estimated to be sexually assaulted by the Catholic clergy in France according to a report that CNN examines. Allegedly 13 were killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan’s Daykundi province as reported by Amnesty. This happened after the former government surrendered.
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Continued from page 1 Darrell is known for hosting “street sermons” on college campuses across multiple states. According to The Arbiter, Boise State University’s student newspaper, Darrell was arrested earlier this month with the charge of “resisting or obstructing of officers” on the Boise State campus during one of these events. Darrell suggested that homosexuality is a choice, drawing a parallel to actions like owning slaves, being a Nazi during the Holocaust and being a pedophile. Darrell said students should be ashamed of themselves for not knowing better at a higher education level, and also said students were “obsessed with homosexuality.” Darrell was approached and declined to comment. Clark, a Ministry Intern with Memorial Bible Church of Yakima according to his Facebook profile, took over in talking when Darrell was finished. Clark had individual discussions
with students on the concept of Christianity being dogmatic, and told students he hopes they could all become one with Christianity. Clark’s words did not focus on verbally yelling at observers and attempted to engage in conversation. The crowd that formed around Darrell and Clark had next to no amount of students supporting them, rather, were protesting their presence. Students ran to purchase poster boards and markers for students to make posters on site, and argued and debated with the men. “It wasn’t an issue for me when I walked by the first time,” student Briley Mathany said. “[I] didn’t know it was homophobic.” Mathany was one of the students who got poster boards and encouraged others to make posters to hold up against them. Mathany said that Darrell preached “your sexuality is dehumanizing.” Mathany said she was so moved by this event, it made her come out as bisexual to her mother.
Photo taken by Stephen Martin/The Observer, Student emotions run high as “street sermon” preachers visit campus.
NEWS
Photo taken by Stephen Martin/The Observer,Darrell, with Bible in hand, preaches to student holding a sign that says, “I’m Queer And I [love] you”.
Taylor Roice participated in a conversation with Darrell, however after an abrupt end to the conversation, Darrell was seen walking away from Roice any time Roice approached him. When asked, Roice said the reasoning Darrell was avoiding him was because of the question he proposed. Roice said he explained to Darrell those in LGBTQ relationships do it “out of an act of love and compassion for another human,” and Darrell rebutted with, “Pedophiles could say the same.” Roice questioned Darrell if he didn’t understand the differ-
ence between two consenting adults and one adult and one child in a relationship. Roice said Darrell proceeded to quickly walk away without a word. Student Ronnie Burris witnessed a lot of the words said by Darrell when he started his “street-sermon”, including direct insults to students. “He called our student body president, Madeline Koval, a whore,” Burris said. “He called her a stupid bitch. He called so many other students on campus a whore.” CWU police officer Eric Twaites was one of the few officers monitoring the protest.
“It’s just a person expressing their freedom of speech, they’re allowed to do it through the Constitution and we embrace it and we allow people to do it,” Twaites said. “We just want to make sure that everyone is acting in a safe manner and that nobody gets hurt - they’re allowed to voice their opinions. That’s what we’re here to do, is keep the peace.” See page three for coverage on the anti-abortion protest and see pages 6-7 for coverage on the women’s reproductive march. This story has been updated since it ran online.
Anti-abortion protesters met with student resistance By Star Diavolikis, Stephen Martin News Editor & Staff Reporter A dozen members of anti-abortion groups Project Truth and Tiny Heartbeat Ministries visted campus on Tuesday, Oct. 5 to share their message of abortion being wrong. Their appearances were not related to the pro-choice march on Saturday. One of the activists, who identified himself as John, said Project Truth believes that “it’s wrong to kill an innocent child in the womb.” The group brought with them several signs with pictures of aborted fetuses, and distributed pamphlets which share information regarding abortion. On all pages, there are spreads showing different resources supporting the topic mentioned at the top of the page, including testaments from doctors, professors and authors of various news or information sources. In the back of the pamphlet, there are support hotlines for those who regret getting abortions as well as a pregnancy hotline. Nearly all members of both Tiny Heartbeat Ministries and Project Truth toted GoPros, and were described as a safety measure.
Project Truth and Tiny Heartbeat Ministries have traveled all over the western United States to spread their message, and Tiny Heartbeat Ministries was reported to be at the University of Washington’s Red Square on Oct. 4. John positively characterized the student body’s reaction to the activists, saying that, “They want to get into a dialogue. They want to know about [us],” John said. “They want to know why we’re out here, and we’re letting them know why we’re out here.” Robert Seemuth is part of Tiny Heartbeat Ministries, and has been active for 30 years. Seemuth explained Tiny Heartbeat Ministries has been travelling in order to have conversations with college students regarding abortions. “We go to where students are on the theory there’s more potential communication,” Seemuth said. “Just conversations all day long.” Seemuth said abortions are a major topic in conversations today, and that they should not be one-sided conversations. “This is life and death. If you’re a baby, it’s war,” Seemuth said. Seemuth said if a person disagrees, he would “love to have a discussion with them.” When asked, Seemuth said his reasoning for joining Tiny Heart-
Photo taken by Stephen Martin/The Observer, This protest was the third one on campus in a week.
beat Ministries is that he likes their mission statement. The “About Us” of Tiny Heartbeat Ministries states, “We are a Christian, anti-abortion nonprofit purposed to provide the educational arm of the pro-life movement in the Pacific Northwest by focusing our outreach efforts on the 3 C’s: Churches, Clinics, and Culture.” Part of the student body showed opposition to the group, playing music over their speeches and tearing up their pamphlets.
One of the students who came out to protest was Megan, a junior majoring in elementary education. “I was informed on social media that these people were out here, and it’s something that I don’t stand for so I decided to come out and counter-protest,” Megan said. Megan attempted to disrupt the group by playing songs like “Rick N’ Morty” by Soulja Boy over a speaker, an act she justified by saying the group was not trying to have conversations in good faith.
“My argument with that is that you’re not going to change their opinions. They’re really out here to shame women, they’re not here to have an open conversation,” Megan said. “I thought that it would just be more empowering in a way, make it more fun and just generally dismantle the environment that they try to create on campus.” Many students believe the group should not have been permitted to speak on campus. Sierra Moore, a junior who is majoring in English with a minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality studies, said CWU’s lack of action towards the protesters, as well as their lack of a response to the preachers who were on campus last week, has her doubting CWU’s commitment to diversity and tolerance. “I understand that they have their First Amendment right, but … I don’t think Central should allow them to be here. Not only am I someone with a uterus, I am a part of the LGBTQIA community. So when I walk these streets now on campus, all I can think about is the fact that Central advertises like they want me here, but that’s not what I’m seeing when I’m here,” Moore said. “And it makes me feel really uncomfortable and unsafe, and really disappointed in the school I chose to go to.”
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Continued from page 1 “I think that sometimes older people with money open businesses, but don’t have any experience actually doing it and sometimes that doesn’t lead to much success,” Cohen said. “Having done the grunt work and doing it for so long, that’s helped us be able to serve people and put out quality food.” Johnson said she has been pleasantly surprised by the support they have received despite their youth. “I think people look at you the same way they look at somebody who is 50 and owns a business,” Johnson said. “They look at you with respect and excitement.” Both Cohen and Johnson agree that one of the biggest benefits of being a young restaurateur is the opportunity to be a part of the community. Johnson said, “The biggest benefit for me, is that I get to meet so many people. I get to work with other business owners in town, and get to learn so much.” Cohen also said she feels a strong loyalty and responsibility to the community. “I think we are the future for this town and want to make sure cool businesses are open and good jobs are provided,” Cohen said.
Photo courtesy of CWU athletics
Photos Courtesy of Jillian Johnson, Long-time friends and roommates Mackenzie Cohen (left) and Jillian Johnson (right) standing outside their Ellensburg restaurants.
In their years of experience in the food industry as employees, both women have learned skills they believe make them better business owners. This includes how to treat their young employees fairly, a skill Cohen attributes directly to the “girl bosses” they have worked for previously. “They were a huge inspiration for treating people
properly and showing appreciation,” Cohen said. Even though they are owners, both still spend a significant amount of time working directly with their customers. “What I enjoy the most is being able to be on the floor and just talking to people,” Johnson said. “I love meeting tables that have come in because they have heard
a good review and want to try it out.” Cohen said she agrees that connecting with customers is one of the most rewarding parts of the job, even though oftentimes customers are surprised to learn she is the owner. “I think some people think I’m someone that’s just working here,” Cohen said. “They assume that my
mom, who works here full time now, is the actual owner of the business.” Cohen said she doesn’t let that deter her and encourages others to chase after their dreams, no matter their age. “If anyone’s thinking of doing something like this, and they are worried about being young and unprepared, they can do it!” Cohen said.
October 07, 2021
Breaking the Stigma: Meet Fall
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Autism Spectrum Disorder Concert Series
Guest Performers:
Cigman Fraud
By Katherine Camarata Staff Reporter “Autism is not only how our brains operate, but it’s also our culture. It helps shape who we are and why we are the way we are,” said alumna Devin Beach, founder of a local community of autism activists B. Heard, B. Strong, B. Proud. As World Mental Health Day approaches on Oct. 10, this community seeks to break down the stigma of autism. Autism spectrum disorder is described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 as a neurodevelopmental disorder with “impairments in social communication” and “restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior.” “To say that I am autistic is an act of empowerment,” Beach said. Beach said her favorite aspect of being on the autistic spectrum is “the fellowship of the autistic community.” Beach said finding a sense of community helps autistic people see that they can be successful. People with varying degrees of autism are able to connect through the community, but face different challenges. “It helped me immensely to find out I was autistic,” Beach said. “It’s really key to develop those relationships and to find other people who are like you.” Beach said a diagnosis doesn’t always make things worse for the person, and that it can provide an outlet for connection. “Taking the disorder and saying ‘This is a horrible thing that you have, and we just want to treat this or somehow remove this part of you and have you act as neurotypical as possible,’ that’s not what it should be,” Beach said. “People should be accepted as they are, not some watered-down attempt to make them blend into society.” One challenge facing the community is unequal treatment of individuals who are high versus low-functioning, according to Beach. “If you are deemed low-functioning, your humanity is ignored. You are segregated in school,” Beach said. Beach said that to be high-functioning often involves telling others you need help with something and not being believed. “You could have a person who’s diagnosed as high-functioning in one part of their life, and diagnosed as
By Milenne Quinonez Staff Reporter A live band rocked the pit in the SURC to kick off the school year. Cigman Fraud is a band made up of five CWU students. The group has been playing since May, and played their first gig only a few weeks after forming. Andrew Parker is the lead singer and rhythm section, Jonathan Anderson is on bass, Shaun Howard is on guitar and Nate Goodman is on drums. According to Howard, Cigman Fraud is a playoff of Sigmund Freud, the Austrian neurologist. “One night we were sitting outside our house, I be-
Styx to get excited before a gig. “We’re hoping to get an EP, an album together and see where that goes,” Parker said. The Fall Concert Series, put on by CWU’s Campus Activities, is a series that includes all sorts of musicians. “Our music events were the most popular, so now that a lot of artists are back to travelling it just seems like a really good fall type event,” Robbi Goninan, Campus Activities Director, said. According to Goninan, the band performed last spring during student appreciation week. “It was really successful, but of course we had a limited number of students on campus in the spring, so it was just real-
Photos Courtesy of Devin Beach, CWU Devin Beach, CWU alum, carries passion to break the stigma of mental health disorders.
low-functioning in another part of their life, and that could be the same person,” Beach said. Beach said that “passing”, or masking, is what people on the spectrum do to hide any abnormal behavior. “Masking your autistic traits may sound nice on paper, but it takes so much effort to do that,” Beach said. ”It drains us of our energy.” Beach said the term “spoons” is used as a way to measure time, energy and resources. She said she can go to her community and, if needed, say, “I’m out of spoons. I’m stressed out and need a friend right now,” and those in the community who understand this terminology can reach out to her. Students can learn from the autistic community and use the term “spoons” to ask if people in their lives need help or space. Simple phrases like: “Do you have spoons to help me with this? or “I don’t have spoons right now” can allow us to check in with others and ourselves. “If we’re pushed to communicate and behave in a way that is completely foreign to us, that may result in things such as shutdowns or meltdowns,” Beach said. A shutdown may include avoiding eye contact or losing the ability to speak, while a meltdown is a result of sensory overload and may lead to outbursts, according to Beach.
“Shutdowns are more internal, meltdowns are more explosive,” Beach said. Lack of eye contact and aversion to hugs shouldn’t be seen as rejection, according to Beach. “Don’t yell at a person, don’t force eye contact and don’t touch them unless they specifically ask you to,” Beach said. “It doesn’t mean we’re stupid. It doesn’t mean we’re broken. It means that we live in a world that doesn’t know how to deal with us.” According to Beach, if someone is experiencing a shutdown or meltdown, the best thing to do is ask, “How can I help this person at this moment?” “That may be just sitting with them and saying ‘I love you. I’m here for you. If you need to talk, I’m good. If not, that’s cool too,’” Beach said. Beach said during this moment of vulnerability, you could try removing anything that may be overwhelming the senses, such as dimming the lights, or bringing them a book or a computer. Instead of viewing autism as an illness or something to fix, Beach said she encourages students to view autism simply as a different way of life. Beach said there are many different ways people can be allies to the autistic community. “Reflect on your own privilege,” Beach said, “and take accountability for that.”
Photos Courtesy of CWU Hype, From left to right, Shaun Howard, Nate Goodman, Andrew Parker and Jonathan Anderson.
lieve we were smoking a cigarette,” Howard said. “We were talking, and I think I was going on about one of my rants about psychology.” He said that one of the members of the band made a joke combining the word “cigarette” with “Sigmund,” which sparked the idea for the band’s name. During the show on Sept. 30, the band performed all original songs and one cover song. “There is some new stuff that we didn’t play at the last performance that we are playing tonight,” Howard said before the show. Parker said he gets his own inspiration from the rock band The Strokes, but that when the band gets together, the creativity is shared. He said they spend a lot of time working together to produce new songs. “A pretty common way that we end up making music is we get ideas down, I’ll record it and then Andrew has his quiet time by himself and just clicks a bunch of computer stuff, and then he has a song,” Howard said. Before performances, Parker and Howard said they listen to “Come Sail Away” by the
ly bringing the band back out to more students now that we are at full capacity,” Goninian said. Peter Fuller, a student at CWU majoring in music performance, attended the show. She said she knows Parker and Howard personally, and was excited to go out and support her friends. “I’ve actually listened to some of the recordings and songs that they’ve done tonight,” Fuller said. After the show, Fuller said her favorite song of the night was “Gently Knew You Sedan” which was a song she had never heard before. “I’ve heard one of the early recordings they did of ‘Troubled Eyes,’ and knowing the story behind it and seeing them doing it months and months again later is really cool,” Fuller said. The group can be found on their Instagram @cigmanfraud. Singer-songwriter Phillip-Michael Scales will be performing at the SURC pit before his debut LP releases with Dixie Frog Records Oct. 7th. In the following weeks, more artists with different musical styles will make an appearance as part of the fall concert series.
NO CHOICE? PRO-CH
Women’s march for reproduct Written by Chuck Dickson “What do we want? CHOICE! When do we want it? NOW!” That was the sentiment echoed by several members of the community during a reproductive rights march to City Hall. On Oct. 2 at 11:00 a.m., over 30 members of the Ellensburg and CWU community gathered outside of Barge Hall to march to the City Hall property. This was done in an effort to bring to light the issues surrounding reproductive rights, abortion and the stance of states like Texas and Florida regarding these rights. Eponine Romo, organizer of the march, with a bullhorn in hand, led the crowd down University Way onto Main Street, then down 5th Avenue towards the grounds of City Hall. Romo said their passion and belief in women’s reproductive rights was the catalyst for organizing this event. “It’s important to me, as someone who lives in this
Photos by Stephen Martin country, who has rights that have been guaranteed Constitutional, it’s scary to see those being stripped away,” Romo said. “I think it’s important to know that if you are someone who doesn’t agree with abortions, I totally respect that. But Roe vs. Wade was not the beginning of women getting abortions; it was the beginning of women not dying from abortions. And I think if we lose that, it could be really dangerous.” As the march occurred, there were instances of solidarity and respect from passing cars, such as honking, shouting and cheering in support for the marchers. There was also a share of opposers. Drivers rolled down windows, booed or put their thumbs down. In spite of any negativity, the protesters continued on, marching and chanting. Students were also out in support for the march,
including second year students Amanda Jackson and Caitlyn Ness. “I think [these rights] are important because I am a woman myself, and I think having the right over my own body is important because I live in it every single day,” Ness said. Jackson also added, “Nobody should tell us what to do with our own bodies. It’s important to educate yourself about these issues.” As the march reached the courthouse, several speakers, including Romo and Sara Omrani, an activist in the community, shared their joy and pleasure at the turnout and support for the march and reproductive rights in general. A consensus among the speakers was advocating for people to vote in the upcoming elections, not just at the federal and state level, but at the local level as well.
HOICE!
tive rights
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Maintaining Mizuno’s Garden By Joseph Stanger Staff Reporter Students living on CWU’s campus have likely walked past or through the Japanese Garden, located just west of the SURC. This garden, which was dedicated to late CWU president Donald L. Garrity in 1995 for his commitment to international education, officially opened to the public in April 1992. The space was designed by renowned Japanese landscape architect Masayuki Mizuno, who 29 years later still visits twice annually to help make sure the garden is still healthy and providing a peaceful space where students and bypassers can experience nature on campus. “There were a series of years where he wasn’t under contract to maintain it,” said
and a little uncomfortable,” McNeillie said. “But it’s a rewarding place because it’s the one place on campus where we get to do landscaping as art as opposed to just keeping it safe and clean.” The rocks and plants found in the garden were specifically chosen by Mizuno, who personally directed their placement on site. The large granite rocks in the garden were trucked to the site from Maranokos in Preston, Washington and placed using a truck mounted crane. The garden is also lined with Austrian pine trees, which aren’t typically seen in Japanese gardens, but were selected due to unique climate and growing conditions. When the garden was originally built, plans were
Photo Courtesy of CWU, Construction on the garden started in winter of 1991.
Photo Courtesy of CWU, The Japanese Garden officially opened to the public in spring of 1992.
grounds supervisor Blair McNeillie. “In 2015 we invited him back and twice a year he comes back to help us do the pruning.” According to McNeillie, the times that Mizuno returns to the garden are the most intensive weeks out of the year. During his visits, he guides the grounds crews and gives them plans for improvements and modifications. All major changes made to the garden since its opening were decided by Mizuno. “It’s very intense and it’s usually during the middle of summer which is very hot
made for a teahouse to be constructed on a patch of gravel towards the western end. No teahouse was ever built, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of the question. Facilities Planning officer Doug Ryder, who served as project manager on the garden back in 1991, said they’re still discussing adding structures, but nature is the real focus of the garden. “It’s more about nature than it is about physical structures,” Ryder said. “There are some physical structures like benches that are very appropriate in a Japanese Garden, but it’s
Photo taken by Joseph Stanger/The Observer, The garden features paths to walk and places to sit and relax between classes.
very much in a controlled and intentional way.” The site also includes a sand and stone garden, which is made up of decomposed granite, a closed loop water feature and stone lanterns which were hand crafted from solid granite and donated to the garden from CWU’s sister community in Japan, Sanda City. “The origins of the garden go back to our international studies and programs,” Ryder said. “We’ve got a sister city and sister University relationship with Sanda City and Shimane University, and so we’ve got that relationship, and this is a physical representation of that.” At the request of Shimane University officials in 2019, a cherry tree was planted in the garden to celebrate the continued partnership between the two universities. International Partnerships Manager Rachel Gordon said the garden is a way to remain connected to CWU’s international partners “Beyond the beauty and tranquility that the Japanese Garden brings to the CWU campus, it also serves as a reminder of the value of being open to cultures different than our own,” Gordon said. “This fall, we welcome nearly 300 international students from 54 countries to the campus, centers and online programs. Like the garden, each of these students help bring a unique cultural experience to the campus and local communities.” Although the garden opened nearly 30 years ago, Ryder said the garden is actually quite young. “There are Japanese gardens that are hundreds
of years old,” Ryder said. “I look at it as very much a living organism. It’s a work in progress. It’s not something that you build and do minimal improvements. It’s something that requires a great deal of care over the years.” Ryder believes that students have been very respectful of the garden and said it provides a place where students can go to be calm and decompress. “It’s rather peaceful,” said Kyrsten Spry, a junior geology major. “It’s a good way to destress from class to be honest.”
Spry said she spends time in the garden at least once a week. Junior computer science major Corey Palmer, said it’s a much-needed space, especially with the recent influx of students coming to campus. “The SURC right now is a hustle and bustle, it’s crazy,” Palmer said. “So, it’s nice to have (the garden) whenever you need it.” There aren’t currently any plans for the garden’s 30th anniversary, but as long as students and faculty continue to utilize and care for the space, it’s serving its purpose.
Photo taken by Joseph Stanger/The Observer, A river-like water feature running through the garden adds to the peaceful atmosphere.
Photo taken by Joseph Stanger/The Observer,The garden was dedicated to late CWU president Donald L. Garrity.
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OPINION
Opinion: I need to graduate. Where are my classes, CWU? By Star Diavolikis Columnist Getting classes that meet your requirements to graduate should not be something to fight tooth and nail for. It should not be an issue whatsoever. I attempted to apply for as many classes as possible that meet my requirements this fall quarter, which caused hours of unnecessary stress. Out of more than fifteen classes I either can or need to take, with the exceptions of the student media, only two were available this quarter. I had to pass on taking one of them due to a scheduling conflict with another required course. How am I supposed to graduate on time when there are issues like this? I have had issues with being unable to find required classes in the past which I brushed off as organization issues during the pandemic, however, only a few classes
are available out of a long list after a year of potential planning time means something is really wrong. Issues after a year of this situation are unacceptable. A whole year could have been used to plan what classes can be offered so all students, especially communication majors like me, can graduate on time. There is already a great deal of stress for those about to graduate, myself included. We have to worry about our current job if we have one - I personally have two jobs because I also have bills to pay! We need to make sure our family is doing well throughout the pandemic, as well as take care of ourselves physically and mentally. We have to figure out an internship if we haven’t already, check if our financial aid is going smoothly at the beginning of each quarter and figure out how to even begin dealing with stu-
Photos Courtesy of CWU, Barge and Shaw-Smyser Hall.
dent loans. We also have to keep up in classes while also trying to enjoy our college experience, because CWU is supposed to be our “home away from home.” After all of that, we still need to make a plan for a career once we graduate and try to make con-
nections to achieve that goal. I’m sure there are more responsibilities than what I have mentioned. Some students have children, siblings or parents to take care of. Some have these families and need to work long hours before and after class to pay more bills
than the typical Netflix, Hulu and Disney+ subscriptions. Making sure my university even offers my required classes to graduate on time should not be something I need to have on my plate, nor should it be a concern anybody else has. It has taken a great toll on my mental health and has me up at night wondering if I will even be able to graduate when I deserve to. I’m doing everything right to succeed and graduate - I should not be held back because of the same people dictating whether I am successful or not. So, to the communications department and CWU in general, please get it together. I would like to graduate on time, and in order to do that, you need to provide the resources that you yourself have deemed essential. I can’t complete the requirements if the requirements are not even available.
Opinion: I’m thirty, I’m not dead
Stop calling millennials an older generation By Addie Adkins Columnist There was a recent TikTok video I saw that cut me to my core. In a video posted by @ jzez21, the creator reacts to a sound clip of someone saying, “To the older generation on TikTok, meaning, like, people born in the late 90’s.” I was born in 1990, so I’m sure you could imagine the shock I experienced when I heard this. If late 90’s is old, that must make me antique, and I just want to point out the audacity. So, my joints hurt for days if I sleep wrong. That doesn’t make me old. I just have bad joints. I might need a nap in the middle of the day, but so does my three-year-old. And honestly, I wish my 11-year-old would take one too. I may say things like “I’m getting too old for this,” but I don’t actually mean it. I might walk into a room and have to retrace my steps, because “what did I come in here for?” But I’ve always been like that, that’s not a new thing. My music, the good music, plays on a radio station that may have once played
Photo by José Antonio Morcillo Valenciano Courtesy of Flickr.com, Old woman waiting for the parade at the Bonfires of Saint John.
“top hits from the 80’s, 90’s and today.” Y2K was ten years ago, right? It’s not like I go around saying things like “that’s whack,”
or “cool beans.” I’m up to date on the slang terms. I think. I don’t take 10 prescription medications. Yet. I only have five, thank you very much.
I could probably, maybe, drink a 21-year-old under the table. I’d seriously regret it for the next three days, but I could do it.
I might be repeating my 30th birthday this year, but that’s only because the world decided to shut down and I want to go get day-drunk with my besties at the annual downtown fall wine walk wearing a tiara and a badge of honor that says “dirty thirty” on it. I don’t have to get eight hours of sleep in order to function properly the next day. Okay, that one’s a bald face lie, but who has time to get eight hours of sleep? So, I have to worry about missing a day of my skincare routine. I might have little patience for nonsensical situations. I might fall asleep watching TV or reading a book. But, I’m too young to run for presidency. I would still be a resident if I had gone to medical school straight out of high school like I had planned. I’ve still got two-thirds of my life to live. I won’t be able to retire for another 35 years. I’m not part of an older generation. The younger generation just hasn’t lived long enough to realize that yet. Well, shit. I might be old.
SPORTS
Page 10
October 07, 2021
Men’s volleyball and women’s lacrosse open with some changes By Leah Shepherd Staff Reporter After over a year of closures, club sports within CWU are back. Most of the clubs will be back to “normal” with the exception of a few details. Men’s club volleyball coach Isaiah Casem said one of their goals was to increase the number of participants to sign up. They have accomplished that with the number of participants having increased from previous years growing from 12 players pre-COVID to 27 this year. With having so many players they are hoping to split the club into two seperate teams, competitive and non-competitive. This is an attempt to hopefully get even more students to join. Due to the men’s volleyball being indoor for practice they are required to wear
Photo Courtesy of men’s volleyball, The number of men’s club volleyball players has grown since last year.
masks, along with having to split practices up between the players due to the larger number of participants this quarter. Casem said another goal this season is to develop all
the players that are in the club since some of them have little experience. “(We want to) make sure all the players reach their max potential, individually and as a team,’’ Casem said.
“Within the school of Central Washington, our goal is to be the biggest club. The experience with the guys, the teammates, all the team camaraderie and just getting a chance to really make a name and statement not only themselves but for Central Washington University and for the organization.” Men’s volleyball isn’t the only club that is starting back up this quarter. Women’s lacrosse is also having to change a bit due to COVID-19. The women’s lacrosse team is able to practice outside with no masks. They are requiring participants to have proof of vaccination following campus policy, and complete daily health checks. This is due to the fact they will be traveling more and staying in hotels together. Sydney Copstead, vice president of the women’s la-
crosse team said the ability to compete is something the team is looking forward to. “Getting to actually compete I think that’s something that’s really exciting because it’s been so long,” Copstead said. When asked why you should join a club sport, Copstead said not only do you meet people you share an interest with, but it is also a great way to stay active. “[I like to play] because you stay active [and] healthy and you get to have fun ... you get to travel and be with a team and in a team environment,” Copstead said. ”Don’t be scared to start a new sport because I never played lacrosse until I started here [at CWU]. I found my best friends through lacrosse … people I will be hanging out with the rest of my life.”
Looking through the eyes of cheer and marching band on game day By Jamie Bass Staff Reporter Game day is an event enjoyed campus wide by students, alumni and faculty but a lot of work goes into making it a successful production beyond the competing athletes. CWU cheer and marching band play a huge role in the production of game day and have a unique perspective to offer. Sophomore cheerleader Gracie Glover said her favorite part of gameday is the roar from the student section.
“My favorite part of game day is interacting with the crowd and watching everybody get excited for the game,” Glover said. “I feel like the better the student section is, the more excited we are and the better the team does.” A lot of work goes into preparing for game day performances for CWU cheerleading. Glover said practices are many hours of work going into the performances we see at games. “We run, and we practice our cheers and stunts a lot,” Glover said.
Another key piece of making game days run the way they do is marching band. Junior snare drum player Nathan Sauther said game days are a time where they can show off what they have been working on. “The games are always a lot of fun,” Sauther said .“We put in a lot of work to get the show together so the game day is kind of a fun day where we get to relax and show what we’ve been putting together.” According to Sauther, not every halftime show is the
exact same, and we should be expecting new material on the way. “The cool thing is that we’re not doing the same shows,” Sauther said. “We’re gonna learn a new halftime show for the next game, and another one for the one after that. It will be something new which is something to look forward to. It will be good no doubt because our director really knows what he’s doing.” All of this new material requires many hours of practice and rehearsal to perfect
and prepare for what is seen on the field on game days. CWU cheer will be performing at halftime for the upcoming homecoming game on Oct. 23rd. This year the cheer will have a presence at football games as well as men and women’s basketball games. There are many collaborating efforts to make game days the experience it is. All of the hard work from both CWU cheer and marching band will be showcased at upcoming home games, so come out and show support.
Photo Courtesy of Amelia Pontnak , CWU cheer will not only be performing at football games this school year. They will be cheering during both the men’s and women’s basketball season.
Page 11
October 07, 2021
Photo Courtesy of Thompsom Sports, Redshirt-freshman Quincy Glasper threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns.
SPORTS
Photo Courtesy of @cwu_football,#44 Donte Hamilton caught three interceptions in the fourth quarter .
Wildcat defense dominates as they beat #11 Midwestern State By Andrew Prouse Staff Reporter
Photo taken by Andrew Prouse/The Observer, The Wildcats forced six total turnovers.
CWU football turned in a 30-20 win, dealing #11 Midwestern State their first loss of the season. After a 14-9 loss to Angelo State Sept. 25, the Wildcats looked for a bounce back win. Midwestern State started the game with an 11 play drive, but the Wildcat defense held them to a field goal. The Wildcats responded with a deep touchdown pass from redshirt freshman Quincy Glasper to redshirt sophomore Darius Morrison for 65 yards. CWU and MSU traded scores and MSU held a 17-14 lead at the half. Freshman safety Tanner Volk intercepted the ball at the CWU five yard line at the end of the half to keep the score where it was. After halftime, the CWU defense forced four turnovers. Late in the game it became a defensive struggle on both sides and CWU holding on to a 27-20 lead, Wildcats kicker Patrick Hegarty came up clutch. With 2:21 left in the game, Hegarty drilled a 50 yard field goal to increase the Wildcats lead to 10. Linebacker Donte Hamilton had nine tackles, one tack-
le for loss, one QB hit and three interceptions. In total the Wildcats forced six turnovers in a major upset versus an 11th ranked opponent. The defense was the driving force behind the win, but the offense did a great job as well. Glasper threw for 245 yards and two touchdowns, adding 61 yards rushing and one rushing touchdown. Glasper achieved all of this in his first career college start. Head coach Christopher Fisk posted on CWU’s football Twitter and had this to say about his team’s performance. “I thought we were the more physical team tonight,” Fisk stated. “We are barely scratching the surface of what we can do.” Glasper and Hamilton posted on CWU’s football Twitter stating they were both excited after the win. “This whole week I just felt like they guys were really locked in,” Glasper stated. “We proved that we are one of the best teams in the nation,” Hamilton stated. The Wildcats (3-2 1-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) will head over to Monmouth, Oregon next week to take on the Western Oregon Wolves (2-3 1-0 GNAC).
Photo Courtesy of @cwu_football, #10 Jojo Hillel catches a 26 yard touchdown.
Statistics Courtesy of CWU Athletics.
EVENTS
Page 12
October 07, 2021
Wildcat Words: How do you feel about returning to in-person classes?
H u n te D a n z r
Jas
m i n e C o tt a m
Jes
s ic a D a n k b er
g
W i ll i
a m K o u rk
os
Ha n
na h Weather
by
So., Business Administration
Sr., Communications
So., Film
So., Undeclared
Sr., Elementary Education
“I like being able to meet people again. I like the community feel.”
“I feel great. I’m an extrovert. There’s no awkwardness like I experienced on Zoom.”
“I enjoy it because last year was lonely. It’s nice to see people.”
“I’m excited to do in-person learning again because I do better.”
“I’m very excited that classes are back in person, and I feel like a lot of other students are excited as well. A lot of us learn better in person, as opposed to online. ”
Q&A
Dr. John Vasquez
weekly events 07
10am - 3pm Career fair
Meet Central Washington University’s new Associate Dean of Access and Equity, John Vasquez. Vasquez has a bachelor’s degree in Organization Studies, a master’s of Health Services Administration (MHSA) in Public Health & Policy, as well as a doctoral degree in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education from Michigan State University (MSU). He hopes to bring a bilingual high school-to-college pipeline program called Exito Educativo to Central, which he previously aided in developing at MSU. Q: What got you interested in the field of Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education? A: Dr. Timmit Gebru said it best: “They wanted to have my presence, but not me exactly. They wanted to have the idea of me being at Google, but not the reality of me being at Google.” I believe there is an exhaustion that comes with having discussions around diversity, equity and inclusion, especially for Black, Indigenous and other minoritized student populations. I consider it a part of my job (regardless of my title or position) as a highly educated cisgender male, who can sometimes pass for white, to engage in discussions around DEI. Q: If you were to give CWU students one piece of advice, what would it be? A: As you go through your experience at CWU, try to figure out (and understand) what you are passionate about AND what your purpose is! I like to tell students, “My passion is working with students; my purpose is equity in higher education.” Understanding what I’m passionate about and my purpose, has allowed me to really stay engaged with my work, and especially with students after all these years. I’ve got lots of colleagues that moved on to higher positions and many ask me why I have not. For me, it’s because I like working with students and understanding this passion has allowed me to make the “the right” decisions when thinking about what I want to do with my career and to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies? A: My family loves the outdoors, so I go trail running a lot with my partner and we go on lots of hikes and walks with our dog, Seger. We are excited to try out all the awesome trails available in Ellensburg. I’ve also been trying my hand at restoring old furniture for our home. For example, I’ve had an old desk I got at CWU Surplus I’ve been working on the past couple of weeks. It needs some sanding and a new coat of paint. But let’s be honest, I’ve been so busy with the start of the semester, it may be a while before I get it done! Q: What is your favorite movie? A: This is a tough one! I love sci-fi movies, especially those from the 1980’s when I was a kid. Aliens, the 1986 movie with Sigourney Weaver is my all-time favorite. However, there’s a ton more: Dune, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, the Last Starfighter, Critters, Enemy Mine, The Thing, The Fly, Krull! Look, I’m not saying I’m old, but let’s face it, in the 1980’s there were only like three channels on television, you had to position your wire hanger that you used for clothes on our television to get reception just right or else you got static. It was such a hassle it was easier (and cheaper) to go out to the movies (the drive-in specifically) to watch movies! Q: What is your favorite book? A: Also, another hard one! On the personal, fun side, I like anthologies and/or collected stories, especially scary/ horror stories. Night Shift from Stephen King was one of my favorites. I remember as a 10-year-old trying to read it and having nightmares for a full week afterwards. It didn’t help that I also liked watching scary movies, so as a child I don’t think I got more than four hours of sleep a night. On the professional/inspirational side I like Gloria Anzaldua’s Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. There’s a quote in the book that really speaks to me: “Nosotros los Chicanos straddle the borderlands. On one side of us, we are constantly exposed to the Spanish of the Mexicans, on the other side we hear the Anglos’ incessant clamoring so that we forget our language.” Anzaldúa uses the term borderlands to refer to “la mezcla,” the geographical area along the border that is neither fully Mexico nor the U.S. She also uses the term to describe people, those of us who have become a part of both worlds, Mexican-Americans, and who’s both cultural expectations we abide by. As a practitioner turned scholar, I am now also part of a new mezcla, a group of scholar-practitioners, former student activists who are now administrators and faculty members, trying to break down barriers, in the hopes of creating massive change in the higher education system. In many ways, I feel like I’m straddling borders trying to make change while trying not to forget where I come from.
THURS
08
@ SURC 201, 202, 301, ballroom 4-5pm Yellow Rose Project Lecture @ SURC theater 210 7-9pm Soccer vs. Western Oregon University @ Tomlinson Stadium
World Octopus Day
FRI
09 SAT
10 11 12 13
2-4pm Soccer vs. St. Martins University @Tomlinson Stadium 7-10pm Paint Social ft. Artist Lindsey Rebecca @ Student Union and Recreation Center Ballroom Rm 215B, Student Union and Recreation Center Ballroom Rm 215C World Mental Health Day
SUN
MON
TUES
7p.m. & 9:30p.m.
Monday Movie Madness: A Quiet Place II @ SURC Theater 210
7pm Women in Business
Trivia Night @ Shaw-Smyser 115
5:30-10pm Game Night ft.
Jackbox @ Student Union and Recreation Center Pit (100C)
WED
Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. Find the full interview at cwuobserver.com in the Scene section.
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