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January 19, 2022
Vol. 121 NO. 2
Men’s rugby prepares for a challenging schedule By Evan Couch Staff Reporter
DINING SERVICES SUPERVISOR INVESTIGATED FOR ‘INAPPROPRIATE BOUNDARIES’ HR report details numerous student complaints, concludes retaliation likely occurred; supervisor still on job By Laynie Erickson Staff Reporter Among the many complaints about management and an “unhealthy” work environment at Dining Services (see The Observer’s Oct. 28 article, Understaffing at dining services causes problems), one situation involved an official investigation into a dining supervisor’s allegedly inappropriate behavior toward female students working directly under him. A series of complaints, made to Dining Services management in March 2021 and later as official complaints to CWU Human
Resources (HR) in April, included allegations of inappropriate comments and boundaries, creation of a disrespectful environment and retaliation against students who complained about him. The supervisor, Ryan Aspiri, who has denied the claims to HR, is still employed by Dining Services and oversees employees. The investigation through HR involved three official complaints and testimonies from seven student witnesses. The HR report also included an interview and response from Aspiri. The Observer was given a copy of the HR final report
dated June 4, 2021. The Observer also interviewed all three claimants, two other student witnesses interviewed in the investigation and HR Executive Director Staci Sleigh-Layman. The Observer reached out to the supervisor via email who refused to speak on the situation. His response said, “Honestly, I would not like to be interviewed about that. Everyone involved in that situation and I, are under strict orders from HR not to speak about it. I am sorry and wish you luck.”
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CWU men’s rugby is gearing up to start their first full season since 2020, where they are scheduled to face some tough opponents. Head coach Todd Thornley said he is looking forward to a full season. “It’s awesome,” Thornley said. “The reality is there’s a stretch in that schedule which is probably the toughest in the country in terms of the opposition we’re playing.” According to Thornley, this season will really challenge this team in terms of their rankings. “Four teams we have in that stretch of games are ranked ahead of us,” Thornley said. “We’re either going to go down or up.” According to goffrugbyreport. com, CWU ranked number seven for the final fall rankings in 2021. CWU is scheduled to play University of California Berkeley, Saint Mary’s College, United States Military Academy (Army) and Brigham Young University, all of which are ranked ahead of CWU in the nation’s top 10. “This is our most comprehensive, complete and competitive schedule,” Thornley said. The matchup against Army is one in particular Thornley said he thinks will be their toughest challenge. “Army is playing really good rugby,” Thornley said. “They’re probably, in my eyes, the number one team in the country.” The Wildcats will travel to West Point, New York to cap off the regular season as they play Army on their alumni day, March 26. “They’re already pretty passionate,” Thornley said. “Those games are already pretty intense and full on, but then you throw in a bunch of their alumni cheering them on and we’re on the road. I don’t think the challenge gets any higher.” Thornley said the team is up for the challenging schedule and it’s what’s pushing them to get better. “That’s exactly what our group wants and … what’s driv-
ing them along right now is thinking about that stretch of games,” Thornley said. Thornley’s expectations and hopes are understandably high for this season. “I want to win every game, that’s why we are doing this,” Thornley said. Thornley said as long as the team is constantly improving and working together, they will be in good shape regardless of the outcomes. He said he relies on his team captains to unite and support this team. “We’ve got a couple of really good captains who are totally on the ball and totally on the spot and have a really good pulse of the team,” Thornley said. Fifth year senior and team captain Ivan Pula said he is also looking forward to the challenges and experience these opponents present for him and his teammates. “Going up against opponents like these provide some valuable experience for these younger players,” Pula said. “It also provides some of our older players a chance to test their metal and see where their training has gotten them so far.” Pula said that games such as Army offer a good measuring stick for them as a team and for the program in general. Regardless of rankings however, Pula said they like to treat each opponent as if they are equal. “For us, whether ranked or unranked [team], every single game is important,” Pula said. “We take a look at each game as if they’re the best in the nation.” Pula said the team goal this year is to prepare the best that they can and focus on the little things and things they can control. “Our focus as a team is to focus on the small details,” Pula said. “Preparing the best that we can in order to walk into every single week knowing that we did as much as we could and did the best that we could, so we can go on the field and play without any regrets.” The Wildcats will travel to Seattle on Jan. 26 to play the Seattle Rugby Club and start the regular season.
A LOOK BEYOND
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January 19, 2022
More content continued online
University police keep their footing after winter snowstorm
Activities on campus create space for connection Take and make kits allow distancing
Photo by Gavin Johnson/The Observer.
First CWU esports event of winter quarter leaves students ready for more
Photo courtesy of @cwuhappinessclub2021.
Photo by Ty McPhee/The Observer.
Beyond Our Coverage Local
National
Edmonds College announced they will remain virtual for winter quarter, offering remote services and classes according to a COVID-19 update from Jan. 6 posted on its website. Because CWU’s university sites must follow the host institution’s COVID-19 policies, classes offered at the Edmonds College site will remain online. Police rescued two people and a dog from a Bellevue home that slid off its foundation early Monday, according to The Seattle Times. A water main broke, however investigators said it remained unclear if the saturated hillside or the broken water main caused the house to shift. The National Weather Service issued a tsunami advisory for the West Coast including Washington, Oregon, California and Alaska on Saturday after an undersea volcano erupted near the Tonga islands, according to The Washington Post.
World
U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations surpassed last winter’s surge according to The New York Times. “The seven-day average of daily hospitalizations was 132,086, an increase of 83 percent from two weeks ago,” the article states. A winter storm swept across the East Coast leaving over 118,000 people without power according to The Washington Post. The storm sent snow and ice into southern areas including northern parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and both the Carolinas. University of Michigan has removed Mark Schlissel from his post as president of the university Saturday according to AP News. The university stated the removal was effective immediately and stated it was due to an alleged “inappropriate relationship with a university employee,” according to the article.
French courts found presidential candidate Éric Zemmour guilty of inciting racial hatred, fining him $11,400 Monday, according to The Washington Post. The article states that the “accusations against Zemmour centered around his description of unaccompanied child migrants as ‘thieves,’ ‘killers’ and ‘rapists’ during a debate on the CNew TV channel in September 2020.” Greece imposed a monthly fine of 100 euros for people 60 and older who fail to get vaccinated according to AP News. Government data shows 41.5% of the age group is fully vaccinated. The article states the fines would help fund state hospitals. Stories compiled by Addie Adkins
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January 19, 2022
SCENE
Honoring the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. By Katherine Camarata Senior Reporter On Jan. 17, people across the nation honored the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his prolific work in the Civil Rights movement. The day of remembrance falls on the third Monday in January every year. King Jr. was born on Jan. 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia. His father,
Martin Luther King Sr., became pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and his mother, Alberta Williams King, was the daughter of the former pastor and taught King Jr. about segregation and the Civil War. In 1944, King Jr. enrolled at Morehouse College when he was a mere 15 years old. He later enrolled at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity in 1951. King Jr. became a pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in 1954, and received a doctorate in systematic theology from Boston University in 1955. Later that year, the Montgomery bus boycott called Jim Crow laws into question when Claudette Colvin refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. The movement later famously made Rosa Parks the
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face of the boycott because Colvin was a minor. King Jr. was chosen to be the leader of the bus boycott, which led to his arrest and targeted attacks on his house. The boycott lasted 365 days until the Supreme Court case Browder vs. Gayle ruled that racial segregation on Montgomery buses was unconstituitonal. In 1963, King wrote an influential letter from his jail cell entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In his letter, he said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere … Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.” He proceeded to explain the purpose of peaceful protests. “Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a community that has consistently refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue,” King Jr. wrote. “It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored.” King Jr. organized multitudes of civil protests fighting for labor rights and the right to vote for Black people. These protests eventually led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his impact. In 1957, King Jr. and other civil rights activists formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to unite churches with Black attendees and organize nonviolent protests.
Throughout the ‘60s, the SCLC organized marches and sit-ins which often led protesters and King Jr. to be arrested. King Jr. was arrested 29 times simply because he stood up against racial inequality; he could not be stopped by dissenting authorities. On Aug. 28, 1963, King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, rallying those in the march to pursue racial justice by fighting peacefully. “We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline,” King Jr. said. “We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.” King Jr.’s words inspired an entire movement to continue working for this goal, despite the challenges they endured. “Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream,” King Jr. said. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” On April 4, 1968, King Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. King Jr.’s legacy lives on long after his passing as people celebrate his work this holiday.
Breaking the Stigma: Bipolar Disorder By Katherine Camarata Senior Reporter Bipolar disorder is often misrepresented in media or everyday conversations, but it encompasses so much more than vague, dramatic stereotypes. CWU community members shared their experience to break down the stigma tied to openly talking about mental health. “It makes you really happy sometimes … you’re the life of the party,” CWU alumna Brittany Lewis said. “Then there are times when the world feels like it’s crushing you. It’s sometimes like a rollercoaster. Thankfully there’s a lot of in-between too. It’s not always one or the other.” Bipolar disorder is divided into different categories, according to the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual-5 (DSM-5). Bipolar 1 is categorized by alternating moods between depressive episodes and manic episodes which can last several months to years, while bipolar 2 includes hypomanic episodes instead of manic episodes, which have a shorter duration and are less severe. There are other forms of bipolar disorder such as cyclothymic disorder which is less severe overall or rapid-cycling bipolar disorder which involves switching between mania and depression many times within a week or day depending on the person. According to the DSM-5, the course of bipolar disorder is chronic, meaning the mood cycling tends to last a lifetime. Approximately 1% of the population has experienced the disor-
der in their lifetime. The cause of mood cycling varies from individual to individual, and everybody copes in their own way. “When I’m manic, my temperature tends to be higher. I tend to want to pace and move around,” Sarah K., a senior majoring in computer science, said. “My brain jumps from topic to topic faster than normal. Concentrating on things is either extremely difficult or very easy.” According to Lewis, her moods are often based on the weather. In the winter, she said she is more likely to experience depression, while in the summer she is more likely to experience mania. The difference between mania and depression is usually severe. Sarah K. described her experience as volatile and similar to being under the influence.
“It’s kind of like being drunk at a party versus being sad drunk by yourself,” Sarah K. said. “That feeling of elation you can have with drinking, that’s kind of like being manic. When you’re kind of by yourself and drinking and you don’t really want to be drinking, you’re kind of lonely, that’s more depressed. Sometimes I’ll be manic for twenty minutes, then really depressed for a half hour, then I’ll get manic again for five minutes, then depressed five minutes later. Days like that are just exhausting.” While the diagnosing process is helpful for many, some patients do not have the best experience after being diagnosed.
Full story online
Photo taken by Katherine Camarata/The Observer, CWU alumna Brittany Lewis
Dining services continued from page 1
COMPLAINTS In a complaint to HR, student employee #1* alleged inappropriate behavior regarding the supervisor’s verbal remarks. In their letter to HR, student employee #2 said, “I have heard from him firsthand about how many of the college [women] he stares at, as well as commenting on their features and body parts.” In their letter to HR, student employee #2 said Aspiri has “talked about wanting to be intimate with some of the females that work at Dining Services.”
In the HR report, a witness described Aspiri’s character as “caring and understanding. He is willing to do what you need.” According to the HR report, student employees #1 and #2 spoke to a manager in March about perceived special treatment for a female customer. The employees asked the manager for confidentiality to avoid trouble. According to the HR report, two other student employees approached the same manager with concerns about Aspiri’s behavior during a con-
versation about International Women’s Day. In his interview with HR, Aspiri “suggested” he should have stopped the conversation completely. In a written complaint to Dining Services on March 13, student employee #1 expressed concern about the supervisor for a second time. In a letter to HR, a third student, referenced as student employee #3, said they were approached by Aspiri. Student employee #3 said Aspiri was venting about the complaints against him, citing the claimants by name.
In an interview with The Observer, student employee #3 said, “[The supervisor] would not treat them nicely anymore or go out of his way to help them.” In interviews with HR, four other student dining employees voiced concerns about alleged retaliatory conduct. These included Aspiri “not talking” to employees and not “stocking shelves.” One student employee interviewed by HR said the supervisor “villainized” student employee #1 to other student employees.
INVESTIGATION According to the HR report, Assistant Director of Dining Services Denise Payton and General Manager of Student Union Dining Operations Wendy Robins held a meeting with the supervisor in question to go over concerns on March 15. On April 20, student employees #1, #2 and #3 filed offi-
cial complaints to HR, citing concerning behavior. In those official complaints to HR, student employees #1 and #2 both reported feeling retaliated against by Aspiri since his March 15 meeting with management. Sleigh-Layman interviewed the three claimants. She inter-
viewed other Dining Services staff members, including the lead who received the initial complaints, eight additional student employees and one former student employee. Four employees spoke to Sleigh-Layman about claims the supervisor commented on women’s bodies, specifically women’s breasts.
In Aspiri’s interview with HR, he denied making comments about the bodies of female employees or customers. He also denied wanting to be intimate with any female student employees. The supervisor acknowledged to HR he made “some mistakes interacting with student employees.”
OUTCOMES On June 4, HR issued a final report that said: “Based on information found in the investigation, it is more likely than not that Aspiri retaliated against [student employee #1 and #2] for information provided to [management] in March 2021.”
The report said the retaliation “was not overt; rather it was passive-aggressive behavior…” The HR report concluded that: “Based upon information gathered during the investigation it does not appear that conduct of a sexual nature created an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.”
In an interview with The Observer, student employee #1 said they resigned from their position due to the way the situation was handled. Student employee #3 no longer works at Dining Services but asked to remain anonymous due to their proximity to Aspiri’s workstation.
It’s not clear from the HR report or an interview with Sleigh-Layman, who could not acknowledge nor discuss this specific case, if there were consequences for the behavior detailed in the report. Aspiri continues to be in his Dining Services position overseeing students.
EDITORIAL: HOW I GOT THE STORY… AND ENDED UP WITH MORE QUESTIONS Laynie Erickson Staff Reporter I get it, I’m no Bob Woodward. Middle school was when people started to notice it. Some of my teachers would remark about my “inquisitive nature,” but most of my friends just called me nosy. So when college came, this compulsion for asking questions and seeking out information could mean only one thing. I should major in journalism. So here we are, two and a half years later, and it’s been going pretty well. Thanks to CWU’s communications department, I’ve had some amazing opportunities. I’ve worked for the college radio station, written articles for our student magazine and even risked my life covering a cattle drive for our student television newscast. Cows are meaner than they look, FYI. So when it came time to work as a student reporter for The Observer, I felt prepared. I was assigned to the scene section, covering local events and lifestyle subjects. I wrote about restaurant openings and the dating scene here in Ellensburg. Then, in one of our pitch meetings where we discussed potential story ideas, several student reporters described complaints they had heard from employees of Dining Services detailing a difficult work environment. I knew no one at Dining Services, mostly ate off campus and had no preconceived judgment or bias. It was more than likely because of this and the objectivity it allowed that I was assigned this story. The news cycle moves fast and so do our deadlines, so that same day I began doing my research and trying to find dining employees to talk to. I got a few names from some of the student reporters who pitched the story, but all except one were not interested in talking
to me. So in desperation, I did the only thing I could think of: I headed down to the SURC and started talking to employees. I bet you thought this was all going to be a little more high-tech, didn’t you? Nope. Just me randomly approaching Dining Services employees trying not to seem creepy and getting a feel for what was going on and if there was even a story at all. I started to catch on that many of the employee complaints had to do with working conditions that were often a direct result of understaffing, an issue that was prevalent on campuses throughout the country due to the many challenges related to COVID-19. So my story started to take a direction. That story was almost complete and I was wrapping up a final interview with an ex-employee referred to me by my editor. Expecting to hear some of the same complaints I had heard from many of the employees regarding feeling overworked and underappreciated, I was completely unprepared for what came next. Witness #1, as they will be referred to, detailed a situation involving an official investigation into supervisor Ryan Aspiri’s allegedly inappropriate behavior toward female students working directly under him. Witness #1 added that three of their coworkers had filed an official complaint with HR regarding the supervisor. “We were told the solution was that he was getting transferred to a ghost kitchen which essentially [means] no students would be around,” they said. “That lasted for two weeks until he was back with the students.” Woah. I tried to stay professional and act like I heard information like this regularly. Inside, I was panicking. My deadline was tomorrow
and I was almost done with my understaffing story, what do I do with this? It felt far too important and something I didn’t feel fully qualified to be hearing and something I knew shouldn’t be rushed. Upon asking Witness #1 follow-up questions born out of a little bit of shock and a whole lot of human curiosity (i.e., nosiness, see paragraph 1), I learned more about the employee who filed the initial complaint that led to the investigation. Witness #1 offered to reach out to that former employee, who will be referred to as student employee #1, to see if they would be willing to talk to me. I scheduled a Zoom call with student employee #1 within minutes and learned about their specific experiences with the supervisor in question, which led them to file an official report that resulted in an investigation through CWU’s Human Resources Department. Student employee #1 said they ultimately quit their employment at Dining Services as a direct result of their experience with this supervisor, the subsequent investigation and retaliation they felt they experienced. They also forwarded me the final HR report and I learned that this same supervisor who was the subject of the investigation still worked at Dining Services. I was able to conduct interviews with all three accusers, two of the seven witnesses interviewed in the HR investigation and HR Executive Director Staci Sleigh-Layman, who oversaw the investigation and wrote the report. I also read through many pages of HR reports, policies and procedures and interview transcripts. I should now be full of answers, ready to report with the utmost confidence and blow the lid off of this story, right? Not even close.
While the specific facts, timelines and interview quotes can be read in the accompanying story, I can honestly say I have more questions now than when I started working on this story. Some of this is due to the fact that while claimants and witnesses were very transparent and specific in their interviews, I was unable to get the same type of clarity from HR and management. To be fair, management directed me to HR and HR was unable to speak about this case specifically and could only speak about the general investigation process. I was told via email by Sleigh-Layman before the interview, “I’m happy to discuss the general investigation process, but I can’t talk about specifics in any case. I can’t even tell you if I know of a case.” As I’ve clarified already, I’m no expert. I’m a student reporter with a lot of questions that I haven’t been able to adequately answer despite my best efforts to be thorough. Over the course of three months, I interviewed five student employees, HR and met with the Student Press Law Center. Without the ability for HR to comment on the specific investigation, I am left with more questions than when I began writing this story. But I do know they are good questions that have a right to be asked.* While I certainly don’t mean to vilify anyone at CWU -whether that be Dining Services management, HR or even the supervisor who was investigated – I do believe this is a situation that needs to be re-examined. Because while I will go back to my comfort zone of writing about dating, nightlife and restaurants, a zone where I am comfortable and feel safe, there are some who don’t have that luxury in their workplace and are still wanting answers.
As a journalist, especially a new one, I want to be transparent with both my readers and my sources and not only report what I have learned over the course of my interviews and research, but also report what I don’t know - and why.
MAIN QUESTIONS RAISED OVER THE COURSE OF OUR REPORTING: Why didn’t this behavior rise to the level of sexual harassment?
The supervisor in this HR investigation allegedly made sexual comments to several coworkers that left them feeling uncomfortable. The CWU policy states that sexual harassment is defined as creating an “intimidating, hostile or offensive” environment. According to the HR investigation, two student employees and two separate student witnesses all detailed specific conversations they had with the supervisor regarding women’s breasts. Why was the supervisor’s word taken against four other people’s on this topic? After interviewing student employees, witnesses and the executive director of HR, I still ask what behavior would rise to the level of “direct sexual behavior” if not talking about wanting to be intimate and describing women’s breasts to multiple people?
Are punishments for certain behaviors standard policy, or are they decided on a case-by-case basis?
The claimants alleged that they were retaliated against by the supervisor once he found out they had reported him. The HR report details multiple reports of retaliation towards the claimants, including that the supervisor allegedly no longer fulfilled some of the duties of his job and that he bad-mouthed some of the claimants to other employees. The report said the supervisor, “talked directly about the complaint with student employees,” the same evening he was informed about it. The HR report concluded the supervisor was found “more likely than not” guilty of retaliation, however he was not subject to the full range of applicable sanctions.
Should students filing complaints to HR about a supervisor be allowed to remain anonymous?
In two different instances, claimants said they were upset that they were identified to the supervisor, thus allowing retaliation to take place. Check cwuobserver.com for extended explanations to these questions.
*Editor’s Note: To protect the identities of the claimants and witnesses, The Observer did not use their names or genders. This editorial does not reflect the entire reporting process for length and readability reasons.
OPINION SPORTS
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Edith and Ethel: Ask the Aunties By ‘Edith and Ethel’ Columnists
January 19, 2022
Opinion: The Weeknd is the most talented artist of the decade
Dear Aunties, “What do I do to get revenge on a cheating ex-boyfriend?” – Scorned and Furious Edith: I am obsessed with this question, I am so ready. The best recommendation I have would be to make him regret leaving! You don’t need to change yourself at all, but if he lurks your socials, just make sure to post how successful you are and how you’re thriving in a casual way. Don’t aim the posts at him! Ethel: Well, it looks like you got step one out of the way, which was “Dump his ass.” Good job! Now, the second step is to seduce him. Then you can do one of two things. Right when he is ready to cheat on his new person with you, you can reject him, or sleep with him and dump his ass again. Either one is satisfying. Edith: I’m not sure if going back would be the move, Ethel. It makes him think he has a chance or that he has a hold on them. I love the energy, though. Ethel: Chaotic evil aside, honestly the best thing to do is move on and leave it in the past. I’m not saying forgive, or forget, but walk away from it. I have a hard time forgiving. You could say I hold a grudge. Edith: If I had a dime for every time I get angry remembering that I let my ex ruin me, my social life and removed school from my priorities… I could pay off my tuition. But I still don’t act on it, because he doesn’t deserve my time or attention. Ethel: One thing that bothers cheaters the most is when their actions don’t affect you. Because that means they don’t and can’t control you. And that makes you powerful beyond belief. Edith: As much as being petty sounds great, it may be best to keep to yourself. Maybe do a lil’ petty post throwing him a pity party for losing you, but besides that, focus on you. Ethel: So Scorned and Furious, do you the best way you can. The ball is in your court. It’s up to you whether you throw it in his face or keep the ball so he can’t play with you anymore.
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submit your questions to cwuobserver@gmail.com (all questions will remain anonymous)
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By Evan Couch Columnist With the recent release of “Dawn FM,” The Weeknd has been on the mind and in the ears of music buffs and fans like myself. The Toronto native and music icon has once again captured listeners with his diverse and cinematic sounds woven into his newest synth psychedelic driven project. The unique and cinematic experience that Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) brings to his music is something many are just now experiencing for the first time. However, the “Starboy” has been doing it for nearly a decade. The Weeknd is currently the best artist and has been for a while now. He has been dominating the charts, creating iconic characters, making hit after hit and constantly changing and innovating his sound. His broken records, five Grammys, and chart-topping hits speak for themselves. He is currently the second most listened to artist in the world according to spotify.com. The Weeknd has had
three of his major albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200 Album chart according to cheetsheet.com. “Beauty Behind The Madness,” “Starboy’’ and “After Hours” all found themselves in the top spot while changing sounds and style with each album. The Weeknd does numbers when he releases music, plain and simple. His hit song “Blinding Lights” was crowned the greatest Billboard Hot 100 song of all time in Nov. 2021, after charting for 90 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. This astonishing record smashed the previous one held by the 1960’s hit “The Twist” by the Chubby Checkers. The Weeknd did it in just two years. With how streaming works nowadays, it’s a lot easier for an artist to get more plays and reach bigger audiences. It’s an impressive achievement nonetheless and one that I doubt we will see change for a long while. Records aside, The Weeknd’s unique ability to blend upbeat yet dark and dramatic music with cinematic visuals and characters
is what makes him truly unique and stand out from the rest of the artists from the last decade. With the release of each album, The Weeknd completely commits to a whole new look and character, dedicating his social media, music videos and live performances to fit the same narrative and tell his often dark and twisted stories. The release of his tracks “Heartless” and “Blinding Lights” in 2019 dawned his iconic red suit character that fans followed from start to finish throughout the “After Hours” era. Pulling inspiration from director Martin Scorsese films such as “Casino” and the appropriately-titled film “After Hours,” The Weeknd created his own cinematic universe that was choreographed to the album. “After Hours” truly felt like a cinematic journey that brought listeners and viewers along as The Weeknd wandered through the bright and starry Vegas night lights, all while still facing his darkest inner demons. The story being told as the red suit character through nu-
merous music videos and live performances came to a glorious conclusion as The Weeknd took center stage in the 2021 Super Bowl. No other artist has the vision and the level of production to pull off something quite like this. The Weeknd was able to tell a continuous, fluid story as if it was a TV show and the finale was the Super Bowl. That is hands down a oneof-a-kind era of music. His ability to change his sound with every album shows the depth and the diversity he has in his production. Despite having often provocative and suggestive lyrics and meanings in his songs, he still pulls in listeners from every age group and I am willing to bet most people have bopped or sang along to many of his songs. The Weeknd’s reign over the music industry is here to stay. With “Dawn FM” just coming out, his appearances on live shows, award ceremonies and radio play will be front and center once again as he creates a new era of dark yet cinematically stunning music.
Opinion: You should try eating an orange peel By Jake Hassebrock Columnist With most fruits, there is a portion of the plant that we tend to avoid such as orange peels, apple cores and strawberry stems. What many people don’t realize is these seemingly useless parts of food have some value, and not just for composting in your garden. I first ate an orange peel on a dare. I have never been picky about my food, but I still was expecting a nasty taste. The
taste, while being far more bitter than the rest of the fruit, was more than bearable and the texture didn’t feel out of the ordinary. What most people may not realize is that peels and skins of many fruits and vegetables are both edible and more nutritious than the “flesh” of the fruit which we typically eat. According to WebMD. com, the peel of an orange has almost twice the vitamin C as the rest of the fruit. Kiwifruit skin has more antioxidants
and flavonoids than the green inside. Watermelon rinds contain an amino acid that can reduce pain from sore muscles. These tough parts of fruits and veggies can be difficult for our stomachs to digest, but a little bit of kitchen creativity can help. Watermelon rinds can be stir-fried, for example, and orange peels can be shredded to add flavor to a salad or bowl of ice cream. You might even already be enjoying the most nutritional outer layers of some foods.
FoodNetwork.com also states that apple, cucumber and peach skins all contain more nutrients than the main body of their respective fruits. If you do try eating a fruit or veggie peel and think the taste is bearable, or maybe even kind of good, then you’ll have a highly nutritious party trick at your disposal. Eating fruit peels may seem strange and you may find that you don’t like the taste, but considering the potential benefits, it’s worth a shot.
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January 19, 2022
SPORTS
CWU women’s basketball finds new recruits Ashley Schow
With COVID-19 still being a concern throughout the world, colleges have had to get creative with their recruiting. For some colleges this could be a concern, but it seems that CWU hasn’t been hindered because of it. Over the last couple of months, CWU women’s basketball has quietly had a sneaky good recruiting class. Head coach Randi Richardson-Thornley said last year’s recruiting cycle was a little bit back to the status quo in terms of finding talent. “This last year was more normal because we were able to get out, we were at a point where in the summer tournaments were happening and coaches were able to travel,” Richardson-Thornley said. “So we were able to see all these players play in person, which was great.”
Richardson-Thornely said that while the number of recruits has stayed consistent with years past, the talent pool they looked through grew this year. This is due to bigger Division I schools having players stay at their programs because they have an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19. “It actually probably opened up our pool for more recruits in terms of the talent pool, because what ended up happening is at the division one schools a lot of those seniors decided to take that additional year [of eligibility],” Richardson-Thornely said. “Which means those scholarships weren’t being opened up at the division one level, which therefore meant division one schools were signing less players this last year.” CWU has signed three players to scholarships to join the women’s basketball team. Here is a breakdown of each given by coach Richardson-Thornely.
“She’s a 6-foot-2-inch forward out of Tenino High School. She is very skilled, she has perimeter skills, she has the ability to play with her back to the basket, she can shoot the three. She is gonna fit in very, very well into our system and I’m very excited about her. She is very competitive, a great student, great teammate and a great leader.”
Asher Cai
By Jared Galanti Sports Editor
“She is a 5-foot-9-inch scoring guard out of Colfax, Washington. She has an elite ability to shoot the ball from behind the arch. She has great handles and great change of pace with the ball in her hands. Has the ability to create her own shot. She is super talented. She is a gym rat. She is always going to her high school or the park to get some shots up. So she loves the game. Really excited about her having that guard with that ability to score the basketball, and having the size to defend and rebound on the defensive side.”
Riley Johnson
Head coach talks about future of CWU women’s basketball
“She is a 5-foot-9-inch guard and comes from a great program at Cashmere High School. She has a very elite knowledge of the game and the ability to understand. She is a very smart player. She can really shoot it, a great defender because of her ability to think through the game. She has CWU ties as well; her mom and dad both attended CWU. She’s excited to come in and carry on the family tradition of Wildcats.” Photos Courtesy of CWU Athletics.
Athletes use off-season to prepare Baseball ready for first full schedule in two years
By Jake Hassebrock Staff Reporter It can be hard for athletes to find motivation when there aren’t weekly games to look forward to, but CWU athletes are still preparing for their next chance to take the field. The last game of the season for the women’s soccer team was months ago and the next one is months away. However, there is still work to be done for the players even without a coach to lead them. “Right now, it’s literally just us,” said freshman forward Stacia Conely. Conely said that between players who transferred to other schools, graduating seniors and players in COVID-19 quarantine, there are often only a small number of players that can make it to training sessions. According to Conely, this can affect the atmosphere during off-season practice. “The intensity is difficult to work with … when it comes to the actual ball training with no coach and not enough girls,” Conely said. Despite the challenges, the team is finding ways to enjoy the winter off-season. During
this time the team focuses on lifting heavier weights with less repetitions, a type of workout that is preferred by many players according to Conely. “Everyone loves the heavy weight, everyone loves getting strong and so the intensity in the weight room is awesome, super fun, great atmosphere,” Conely said. “It’s a big family we kind of have going on.” CWU’s baseball team is preparing for their regular season in the spring. This means a lot of work for players like junior infielder Trevor Tripoli. “I’m at the field for at least seven hours a day,” Tripoli said. With the baseball team returning to a full schedule of games for the first time in two seasons, the players are making use of the time before the season. “The off-season is just as important, it’s just as much of a grind as it is in-season,” Tripoli said. “Each and every one of us is doing our own part.” Tripoli said there are upsides to not having upcoming games, but that the team is ready for the upcoming season. “Traveling in the in-season takes a toll on your
Photo by Jake Hassebrock/The Observer, The first home game on the baseball schedule is slated for Feb. 26 vs. Western Oregon.
body,” Tripoli said. “[But] this team is very hungry for what’s coming up for this season.” Both athletes focused on growing mentally being an athlete during the off-season.
“[It’s important to] make sure our mental health is good so when we come, we can be there for each other as a team,” Conely said. Tripoli similarly stated that his focus going into
the spring is on the mental aspect of baseball. “I think just being where my feet are,” Tripoli said. “I think that’s going to be the biggest thing for me to grow as a player.”
EVENTS
Page 08
January 19, 2022
Wildcat Words: What was the last thing you watched?
Trentyn George
Taran McAlister
Lance Laurea
Cinthia Rizo
Makayla Martin
Fr. History/Social Studies Edu.
Jr. Educational Technology
Jr. Accounting
Fr. Electronics Engineering
Jr. Environmental Studies
“Avengers: Infinity War, I’m making a tier list of the movies.”
“Spiderman, the first one with Tobey Maguire.”
“Jubilee, the YouTube Channel.”
“Arrested Development.”
“You, the Netflix show.”
QA &
with MAUREEN RUST
Meet Maureen Rust, CWU’s Student Engagement and Community Outreach Librarian who, along with the Central Washington University Libraries Access Services, has recently been awarded with the 2021 Outstanding Service Award by the Washington Library Association. Rust aims to encourage cultural conversation and community dialogue within both CWU and Ellensburg. Q: What drew you to your career as a Student Engagement and Community Outreach Librarian? A: I grew up in Ellensburg and moved away years ago, returning regularly to visit friends and family, until I relocated permanently in 2014. I started my CWU career as a reference and instruction librarian and applied for the SECO position when it was posted in 2015. Before returning to Ellensburg, I was a school librarian at a 6-12 grade secondary school in Connecticut. I enjoy working with students of all ages and was attracted to the position for its direct relationship with both students and campus student success partners. Having grown up in Ellensburg, I also knew of the strong community networks that are supportive of service and literacy efforts. Q: What inspired the idea of hosting Cultural Conversations at the CWU library? A: I was advisor for the campus Rotaract club from 2016-2019. Rotaract is a service organization. The club president at the time, a CWU student, attended a leadership conference in Seattle and came back very enthusiastic about the Cultural Conversation program initiated by the City of Bellevue. We saw it as a good fit for our campus and community. These quarterly programs provide opportunities to bring folks together to make new friends, to learn about other cultures and to understand the experience of immigrating to the Ellensburg community. Q: How can CWU better connect with the Ellensburg community? A: CWU currently does a good job of connecting with the community, bringing students and businesses together with activities like Bite of the ‘Burg and service projects such as the fall and spring downtown beautification and the Yakima River clean-up. The Cultural Conversations program is a joint effort between CWU Libraries, Office for International Studies and Programs, and the Ellensburg Public Library. Continuing to develop these types of collaborative programs can only help to bring the campus and community closer. Q: Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to? A: I’m terrible at narrowing down my favorite places to visit - they can vary so greatly, each with its own unique experiences. Just before COVID hit I bought a 1997 13’ Scamp trailer and have been enjoying exploring the Pacific Northwest with my doodle, Ziggy, visiting parts of Oregon and Washington I have either never been to, or haven’t visited in years. We live in an amazingly beautiful and varied state. Q: What is your favorite movie? A: So many to choose from! For comedy it’s “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” For serious films, it’s a toss-up between “Reds” and “The Constant Gardener.” And for something in-between it’s “In Bruges.”
weekly events 19 WED
20 THURS
21
5-9:45 p.m. Suncadia Ice Skating with OPR @ Cle Elum, WA 8-10 p.m. Geek Out, Game Out @ SURC 137A, 137B, Pit (100C) 10-11 p.m. Improv Night The Hot New Jam @ 12-1 p.m. International Cafe SURC Theater 210 @ SURC 137A & 137B 5-9 p.m. CWU FASA Mabuhay 2022 @ SURC Ballroom 215A
5-8 p.m. Akwaaba Night @ SURC Ballroom
FRI
22 23 24 SAT
4-6 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. WesternPickle OregonDay @ NicholNational son Pavilion 7-9 p.m. Make and Take String Art Kits @ SURC Tables
National Pie Day
SUN
MON
25 TUES
11 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Red Cross Blood Drive @ SURC Ballroom 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. Monday Movie Madness: Dune @ SURC Theater 210 7-8 p.m. Composition Studio Recital @Men’s McIntyre 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. BasHall 174 ketball vs. Simon Fraser @ Nicholson Pavilion 8 p.m. Game Night ft. Jackbox
Photo courtesy of CWU Wildcat Words - Dylan Hanson. Q&A - Stephanie Davison
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