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October 28, 2021
Vol. 120 NO. 5
Understaffing at dining services causes problems:
Employees and students complain about long lines, reduced options, food quality and more By Libby Williams, Laynie Erickson Scene Editor & Staff Reporter If you’ve walked through the SURC Dining area since fall quarter began, you’ve probably heard rumblings of discontent about Dining Services. Students who rely on dining services for all of their meals say they’re tired of waiting in long lines and have noticed a decline in food quality since last year. Dining Service employees say they’re feeling overworked, overlooked and underappreciated. Dining Services is severely understaffed this quarter, with just a little over halfthestudentemployeesaswhatthey’ve had in previous years, around 250 versus the usual “400 plus,” according to Director of Dining Services Dean Masuccio. “We’re still in need of another probably 40 to 50 students that continue to fill in the gaps that we’ve experienced,” Masuccio said. The Observer spoke to four current and four former Dining Service employees and a dozen diners to get a sense of the problems and how they are being addressed. Longlinesandmobile ordering Understaffing has led to excessive wait times at most dining loca-
By Stephen Martin Staff Reporter Three of Ellensburg’s seven city council seats are up for election on Nov. 2. Two positions are between current council members and opposing candidates, whereas one is between two new candidates as the current council member is retiring. Photos taken by Danny Dang/The Observer, Lines in Central Marketplace can often be seen wrapping around the entrance.
tions. Mobile ordering, which was useful during the 2020-2021 school year with the reduced number of students living on campus, has backed up completion of in-person orders, according to employees. “The lines are also insanely long during most times of the day,” a student surveyed by The Observer said. An employee who has been working multiple dining stations at Central Marketplace for two years said, “We’re dealing with people that are in-person ordering food, but then we’re also having online peo-
ple. So trying to do all of it at once, it’s a lot busier compared to last year. There was mobile ordering, but because not many students were on campus, it wasn’t that busy. But being at full capacity, having students out there in the dining hall while trying to do online orders, we got a lot busier.” This employee, like others The Observer spoke with, asked to remain anonymous due to a concern about job security. Masuccio said that mobile ordering was introduced in the fall of
2020, and was fast tracked to campus during COVID-19 in order to, “come up with some remedies to help with expediting the service and just keeping congestion minimal in the dining hall and other locations, so that went well. But we realized that the mobile ordering solution that we had selected likely wasn’t the best long term fit. So therefore GrubHub was brought on and has helped with a lot of the same things that we brought on the previous version.”
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Brooks Library defaced with homphobic slurs and partisan political statements By Star Diavolikis News Editor Brooks Library staff discovered Sharpie grafitti throughout the library consisting of “partisan political statements and homophobic language,” according to the Dean of Libraries Rebecca Lubas. This writing was found in the back stairwell, in the elevator and in the maps room on Thursday night. The graffiti in the stairwell and elevator were found Thursday night, and upon further inspection, the graffiti in the map
Three positions open for City Council election
room was found early Friday. Both the police and custodial calls were made Friday morning. “It’s actually very frequently, unfortunately, that we deal with graffiti in the library,” Lubas said. “But the upsetting stuff about this was that, you know, it really was hate speech. After the fact that we had the incident this summer, with the rainbow flag, it’s particularly upsetting that this has happened more than once on our campus and in our community in a short space of time … [The library is] supposed to be a safe and wel-
coming space, and this type of language violated the very core of what we’re trying to do at the library, let alone at Central.” In efforts to recover from this event, Lubas said the library will be attempting to co-sponsor events with the Womens and Gender Studies group. A teachin will be held on a to be determined date in November, which includes informal lectures, readings and creative works all done by LGBTQ staff, students and faculty. The library will also be starting book giveaways every week
until the end of the quarter. The book giveaways will consist of LGBTQ titles, and for Halloween, the library will be giving away the graphic novel “Cemetery Boys,” and one of the main characters is transgender. “We’re hoping to co-sponsor some events that they’ll have to teach about the LGBTQ community and their contributions to the community,” Lubas said. “That’s one way that I think we can help, by providing support … We want people to be welcome and feel seen and feel valued.”
Position 1 Position 1 is between current council member Nancy Lillquist and candidate Kip Storey. Lillquist has served on the Ellensburg City Council since 2001. She has a Bachelor’s degree in geology from CWU and a Master’s in water resource management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lillquist said she first decided to run for the city council because of what she felt was a natural extension of her previous involvement in public service. “I was a member of the League of Women Voters, and I was a member of Ellensburg City Library Board,” Lillquist said. “So I had kind of a natural affinity toward public policy kinds of issues, so it seemed like a good next step to become involved at a higher level in city government and public policy making.” She said one of her proudest achievements as a member of the city council has been changing the way that Ellensburg designs its neighborhoods. “One of the things I noticed early on was how we were building our neighborhoods and they weren’t connected, and the streets were wide, and it didn’t feel like the way the core of Ellenburg was,” Lillquist said. “And so through a long process of convening a group of stakeholders, and working through the issues, we now are building neighborhoods that connect.”
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A LOOK BEYOND
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October 28, 2021
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Beyond Our Coverage: Local
National
World
The first Ellensburg Night Market, a spin on a farmers market, will hold its first event on Nov. 10 at Gard Vintners, according to the Daily Record.
An FDA panel recommended the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 after the panel voted on the effectiveness, according to NPR.
Due to Washington’s new longterm insurance program, most workers will have 0.58% deducted from their paycheck starting in January to pay into the program, according to The Seattle Times.
Authorities investigated the prop gun shooting on the set of ‘Rust’ which killed Halyna Hutchins, the movie’s cinematographer, and wounded the director, Joel Souza, according to AP.
The Annual CWU Holiday Gift Project, which helps children in the community, will begin on Nov. 1, according to the CWU website.
A record-setting bomb cyclone that hit the West Coast last Sunday is now traveling eastward across the U.S. and is putting 30 million people at risk, according to AccuWeather.
Sudan’s government has been overthrown by the military and is now in a state of political crisis, according to CNN. President Biden and China Premier Li Keqiang will join an annual summit consisting of 18 Asian-Pacific countries in discussing issues like trade, human rights and democracy, according to AP. Iran has said that it will rejoin the talks of nuclear powers discussing the 2015 nuclear deal by the end of November, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The White House said that the climate change plan they are working on will be $500 billion to $555 billion, according to Politico.
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October 28, 2021
Council from page 1 If re-elected, one of the issues Lillquist intends to focus on is getting fast and reliable internet to the entire community. While the city currently maintains fiber optics for public entities like the hospital and school district, the council is looking for private companies who can provide internet to consumers. “We’re looking for those kinds of partnerships where we can build the main trunks of fiber optics,” Lillquist said, “and then partner with the other private carriers to provide this service to people’s homes or businesses.” More information about Nancy Lillquist can be found on her Facebook. Kip Storey was born in Ellensburg and joined the Navy after graduating from Ellensburg High School in 1984. Storey said he decided to run due to, “things going on in this town, future that I can see, just a lot of things.” He said that he was born and raised here and “would like to make [Ellensburg] more local.” Storey said he believes that the town has declined since he was a kid. He feels he had more to do as a child, and wants to bring more experiences for kids in the community because when he was a kid, he said everything seemed like it was better. This experience created Storey’s slogan of “Make Ellensburg Great Again.” Storey said that he did not intend any association with Donald Trump, and that he “just thought [the slogan] was funny.”
Another concern of Storey is the influx of new residents raising taxes and housing prices, saying that his house has almost tripled in value over the past 20 years. One policy that Storey has proposed in response to this is a regressive tax structure where newer residents have to pay more than older residents for a certain time. “Part of the reason we’re going to have more taxes is because we need more infrastructure. We need more sewage, we need more lighting, we need more city employees,” Storey said. “To cover part of that, I think for a while that the other new people coming in should kick a little more than the people that have been here forever.” Storey also mentioned that he is in support of the police, believing that the police are underfunded and thanks police daily for doing the job. Position 2 Position 2 candidates are current council member Nancy Goodloe and Joshua Thompson. Nancy Goodloe has served on the Ellensburg City Council since 2017, and originally ran for office because she was asked to, which sparked her interest. “I was approached by a woman who represented a group of people who were interested in seeing me running for City Council, so it was at their urging,” Goodloe said. “I had always kind of thought I might like to run for an elected office, but I just never had acted on that. And when I was encouraged to do that, I decided I would.”
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NEWS
Disability Services screens ‘Crip Camp’ for Disability History Month By Joseph Stanger Staff Reporter The Center for Disease Control estimates that one in four people in the US live with a disability, but due to a lack of historical awareness and lingering stigmas, addressing the topic can prove difficult. In an effort to spread awareness and engage in discussion, CWU’s Disability Services screened the Netflix original documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” last Thursday night. The screening coincided with Washington state’s Disability History Month, which occurs every October. “We wanted to help educate students about some disability history and also encourage them to find pride in their identity as students with disabilities,” Wendy Holden, director of disability services said. “And maybe inspire them to advocate for accessibility on campus.” The film follows individuals from Camp Jened, a small summer camp down the road from Woodstock which ran from 1951 to 1977 that provided the experience of summer camp to teens and young adults with disabilities. The bond that formed among the campers eventually led them to become activists in the disability rights movement, where they conducted multiple sit-ins to push for the signing of the 504 regulations, including a 25-day sit-in inside of San Francisco’s HEW building. The sit-in is still considered the longest in a federal building to date. “This was one of the first major civil rights legislations that impacted people with disabilities,” Holden said. “I think the way that they mobilized, the way that they worked together is an amazing example of communities supporting each other.” Holden said she thinks it
Photos Courtesy of Steve Honigsbaum/Netflix.
can be difficult to spread awareness of disability history due to the stigma around disability, even though, according to the CDC, one in four people in the US live with a disability. “Disability is a population that anyone can join at any time,” Holden said. “I think people don’t recognize it as an aspect of diversity. I think they see it as a tragedy or something to be pitied or feared.” After the screening, attendees formed a circle to discuss the film, what impacted them and what work still needs to be done in the fight for accessibility. James Thomas, a graduate student in the literature and teaching program, said that the end goal for people with disabilities is more than just awareness. “It’s not acknowledging or finding ways to accommodate,” Thomas said. “But it’s finding ways for people to pursue self-actualization for themselves.” The group also discussed some of the outdated buildings on campus that aren’t as easily accessible for students with certain disabilities and some of the difficulties students with disabilities have faced getting the same opportunities to work or learn as students without disabilities. “We can acknowledge that yeah, the laws are great, but they don’t work all the time,” Jennifer Dudley, Disability Services’ access specialist, said. “Even now, 31 years after the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was passed … there’s still a lot to do.” Holden encourages anyone who wants to help advocate for students with disabilities in the CWU community to sign up for Accessibility Belonging Learning and Equality (ABLE), an organization on campus that’s currently inactive but looking for signups.
Dining from page 1
REDUCED OPTIONS AND HOURS Many dining options have been temporarily closed, and certain operation hours have changed. El Gato, a popular Mexican food option in the SURC, has been closed since the beginning of the quarter. Once open 24-hours a day, The Bistro now closes every day at 3 p.m. and remains closed through the weekend. North Cafe opened for a few days and once again shut its doors.
Several people surveyed by The Observer said they were disappointed by the changes. Masuccio said the closures are caused by understaffing. “Some of the mitigation strategies that we’ve introduced to kind of compensate for the lack of staff is reducing operations and focusing on the more centralized locations such as the SURC,” Masuccio said. “We continue to focus on
Photos Courtesy of Lizzie Main and taken by Casey Rothgeb /The Observer.
existing operations rather than opening more.” “I know that our students would like to see more available but then it puts a strain on our staff. So it’s that double-edged sword that we’re trying to navigate towards.” A full-time cook on the staff at Dining Services, who also asked to remain anonymous, said they agree with the closures.
“Take a step back. It’s quality over quantity,” they said. “Instead of stretching us thin, where you’re having one cook try to open three stations, and have it run legitimately with quality food, we need to take the time to train and properly do each station. I’m not saying close everyone down, but we need to close a few. Less is more, that’s what I like to say.”
“We continue to focus on existing operations rather than opening more.”
Dean Masuccio
Director of Dining Services
FOOD QUALITY AND SERVICE CWU students who utilize Dining have commented on issues of food quality. “I used to get pizza and Lion’s Rock more often,” said junior psychology major Lizzie Main. “I stopped eating the pizza because it started to make me feel sick. I stopped eating at Lion’s Rock because I got served a raw burger. The outside was brown, but the inside was completely soft and pink.”
Main said she understands and empathizes that dining is “really understaffed and very busy especially around peak mealtimes,” but she’s worried about people getting sick. She said she got a refund, but still felt unwell, since she didn’t realize it was raw until after a few bites. Main said her roommate also had an unpleasant experience with a meal.
“The next week, my roommate ordered a Caesar salad at the Fresh Bar,” Main said. “About halfway through the salad, she nudged me and pointed at a moth that was in her salad. The top half of a moth with its black beady eyes staring at us! She got a refund after that as well, but she still grimaces when she thinks about it.” One student interviewed at the SURC pointed out a
lack of consistency. “The portion sizes change every single day, especially in the Central Marketplace, less so in Holmes,” they said. “Holmes is like standard and a little bit more mediocre, versus the Central Marketplace is like a roulette wheel you never know what you’re gonna get. Flavors change, I feel like the Lion’s Rock is probably like the most consistent one.”
“I was put in a stand by myself for five hours a day, multiple days a week. And if the manager wasn’t around … I wasn’t allowed to go to the bathroom. I missed my breaks multiple times.” Sierra Moore Former employee
MANAGEMENT Dining Service employees voiced concerns about lack of communication and transparency from management. They discussed issues with scheduling, breaks, lack of training and feeling underappreciated. “It was very clear that the expectation was that we were to be robots,” said Sierra Moore, a former employee of two years, starting in winter of 2020. “We weren’t allowed to talk to each other in the stand … if you were lucky enough to be set with another person and were laughing or just having a conversation, even if there were no customers around, you would be told to be quiet.”
Moore said that due to understaffing and rushes, breaks were sometimes disregarded. “I was put in a stand by myself for five hours a day, multiple days a week. And if the manager wasn’t around … I wasn’t allowed to go to the bathroom. I missed my breaks multiple times.” Moore added, “Staff members aren’t allowed to drink water on shift ... There were days where I would be scheduled for two hours, which is one of their most common shifts, and ended up staying for closer to 12.” She said she brought up these concerns with her manager, who responded by saying
there wasn’t anything that could be done since they were shortstaffed. She tried to go to higher-up management and said she felt the issue was “blown under the rug.” “Eventually, they just cut my hours because I was making a little bit of a fuss,” claimed Moore. “Everyone who had the same kind of concerns were treated as though we weren’t being loyal to dining, and that we were complaining too much.” Masuccio responded to various complaints regarding mistreatment. “You can’t be drinking and eating behind a counter, right? I don’t think our guests would
appreciate that. So they are to leave the counter to have a drink. You know there’s water stations or beverage stations, they do get three free beverages during their shift as well.” “I’m not saying those claims weren’t expressed,” he said, adding, “but I believe and I would expect that all staff are able to get a drink of water when they’re thirsty.” Masuccio said employees are free to buy food on their breaks, and that breaks are absolutely necessary. “Not being allowed to take a break, that’s not acceptable,” he said. “So I would say I have not heard of that.”
“Fall of 2021 will go down in the record books as the most difficult.” Dean Masuccio Director of Dining Services
NEW HIRES AND TRAINING “A lot of our team members are new, which in turn are training new students that are new,” Masuccio said. “So it’s a trickle-down effect … Those are some of the challenges that we continue to push through and try to navigate through this quarter and beyond. I don’t see a complete resolution in the next month or beyond.” “We keep pushing forward with strategies to help mitigate a lot of the challenges that we experience, but I do recognize that it’s been felt by staff and others.” Freshman diner Megan Stanley said, “Hopefully they end up hiring more people to ease the workload, because I have some friends who work in dining right now … and there are not enough people. That’s because of COVID-19 last year, we got less
students on campus and therefore less students want to work.” Jenna Flores, a former employee who quit after two years, said, “It’s the fact that they’re so understaffed that nobody wants to work there. People will quit on their first day, because of how they’re treated.” The full-time cook said, “Right now, they’re struggling to keep people in here, so they’re just kind of throwing them in … Most of the students have never had training … they haven’t even held a knife, so that scares me.” The full-time cook said that while hourly staff (mostly made up of students) are dwindling in numbers, many higher up positions are being added, many of whom also lack experience. “I think it’s top heavy,” they said. “They’re hiring people with
no experience … there’s a supervisor that just started [with] no kitchen experience. Zero. How can you supervise a kitchen when you don’t even know how a kitchen is run?” Fox Alford, who has been working for Dining since spring quarter of 2021, said he feels his work is being overlooked. “The place could have caught on fire and management wouldn’t notice,” Alford said. Alford said he is frustrated over the lack of communication from upper-management, especially when it comes to scheduling. “They’ll put you where they want you, unless you actively complain and have the seniority enough to threaten to quit,” Alford said. “They seem to make promises a lot and not keep them, especially when it comes to our schedules.”
NATIONWIDE ISSUE Central is not alone in these struggles. According to an article last week from Inside Higher Ed, “Institutions across the U.S. face a shortage of dining hall workers.” “And these shortages are not unique to higher education,” the article continued. “Businesses across the country are desperate for employees. But because universities serve largely captive
populations whose families often pay a lot for their residential experience, they are especially invested in finding ways to staff their housing and dining services.” Freshman diner Iris Keck said, “Honestly, CWU is handling the whole COVID stuff really gracefully, and I think that is very admirable for how big it is ... I think this
The full-time cook agreed that more transparency and appreciation from management would be helpful. “It’s just broken promises. I don’t want to be lied to or told what they think we want to hear,” they said. “Listen, if we’re short-staffed, you just tell me. ‘Hey, we’re super short-staffed, I get that you’re working really hard,’ you know, being noticed a little bit. I think we’re just trying to compete with egos.” Masuccio said, “There might be situations where staff is unhappy. I completely recognize that, and we’re trying to get in front of that as much as we can to get past this hump.” “Fall of 2021 will go down in the record books as the most difficult,” said Masuccio.
place is definitely an oasis for COVID safe operations, and I think other places should follow suit.” Masuccio said, “Overall, I think that we are doing everything we can in our power to get in front of some of the challenges that have been described.” “The grace factor needs to come into play because the en-
tire industry is short-staffed,” Masuccio continued. “The entire industry is struggling with the same topics that we’re talking about. It’s not isolated to CWU. It’s not isolated to CWU Dining.t’s not isolated to Ellensburg. This is a national problem.” “We’re trying to do everything we can to correct the gaps that we currently continue to experience,” Masuccio said.
Additional reporting by Milenne Quinonez, Staff Reporter
OPINION
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Edith and Ethel: Ask the Aunties By ‘Edith and Ethel’ Columnists
Dear Aunties, “How do I register for classes?” Sincerely, Cookie Monster Edith: I struggle with this. Too much. To the point it is unhealthy. BUT, I do have advice I can give even though I rarely follow it myself. Ethel: What do you mean, “hOw dO i rEgIsTeR fOr cLaSsEs?” How did you register for fall quarter??? Do the same thing you did then. I don’t understand the problem. Edith: On a serious note, I would balance out required classes with their difficulty levels. I look up what classes are available for my requirements and can be taken that quarter, then I look up professor reviews and compare workloads. Ain’t no way I’m going to take three difficult classes at once. Ethel: Ooo good point Edith. Also, just hop on the student dashboard and check your appointment time and add classes to your shopping cart. Set a reminder and when it goes off, go in and finish enrollment. Edith: I missed out on more classes than I should’ve due to not registering until a week before classes started. I’m just too busy being a bad bitch. Ethel: Good lord Edith. You’re never going to graduate at this rate. Edith: See, even though I’m a full time Boss Babe, I also care about my classes and actually graduating. I have spent too much time on this Earth in these classrooms to not have that fancy piece of paper. Ethel: Well, you might want to set a timer for your enrollment appointment this round then Edith. Pull it together. Edith: Maybe. Probably not. So anyways, in short, my advice is to just balance class workloads and to be responsible about when you register, like Ethel said. Taking three work-heavy classes, paired with work or family, could give you enough stress to put you in the hospital like my back pain puts me in the hospital weekly. Ethel: So, Cookie Monster, bottom line is to just make sure to get it done.
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October 28, 2021
Local family of ducks start GoFundMe to pay for migration By Katherine Camarata Columnist Beloved residents of the irrigation canal that runs through the CWU campus, the Webber family, floated many ideas around before deciding that a GoFundMe would be the perfect way to finance their migration this winter. After Mallard Webber, father of twelve, lost his marbles at the bottom of the canal last spring, the family spent all of their hard-earned bills on essential oils to help him get through the healing process. Multiple Ellensburg residents confirmed that Webber was seen exiting Better Life Natural Foods last Sunday with wings full of essential oil bottles, trying to hide the secrets hiding behind those feathers. According to Mallard, overdue beak payments were racking up. The family could barely keep their heads above water. With the perilous frosts of winter rapidly approaching, they waddled toward disaster faster than Emilia Webber, mother of twelve, could say so much as, “Quack!”
Photos taken by Katherine Camarata/The Observer, Friends of the Webber’s visit to ensure the family is keeping up spirits in spite of their financial downpour.
The family’s last hope was to reach out to the community. According to Mallard, he waddled over the banks and across the sidewalk until he approached the entrance of the Brooks Library. He hid behind the automatic door-opener until he watched a pair of size 13 Duck Martens approach the door. Mallard said, “I waddled faster than ever while hiding behind the pair of shoes,
bobbing and weaving under the student’s legs to avoid being stomped on. It was life or death.” Mallard carefully made his way to a vacant Mac desktop and used his sharp talons to create a GoFundMe page for the migration expenses. An anonymous source from the Brooks Library staff said, “I didn’t know what that duck was doing in the building. I thought some theatre
kid brought it in to let life imitate art. Did it get water on the computer?!” The source bolted to the computer lab to check on the computer, neglecting to finish the interview. The CWU Committee Supporting Ducks and Duck Families (CWUCSDDF) threw a last-minute fundraiser to do their part. All proceeds were donated to the GoFundMe. Some event-goers were almost too pleased. Emilia Webber, mother of twelve, said, “Mallard should give in to his essential oil problem more often so we can make this a yearly event.” The event was sponsored by Aflac car insurance and Ben Affleck in a trucker hat. Since its creation last Monday, the GoFundMe has generated enough traffic to make the Webber family think twice about crossing Wildcat Way. CWU students are encouraged to donate even just one bill to the Webber family this holiday season. Let’s come together to support our two-legged neighbors and show Ellensburg what makes CWU great.
Opinion: How the ‘Netflix and chill’ generation has ruined dating By Laynie Erickson Columnist It has been said that modern day dating is like trying to find the least damaged piece of clothing at a thrift shop that doesn’t smell. Putting it simply, dating is tough. Nearly half of the adults in the U.S. say that dating has gotten harder over the last 10 years, according to Pew Research Center. While there are many reasons that could explain why people perceive dating has gotten progressively more difficult, perhaps the most obvious explanation is that traditional dating is just not as common as it once was. Thus, less people going out on dates makes the dating pool that much smaller and the chances of finding that perfect sweater at your local Goodwill, that much tougher. Nowadays, taking someone out on a proper date is oftentimes replaced with the far more casual “hang out.”
It is because of this that the “Netflix and chill” generation has ruined the art of dating. So what’s the difference between dating and hanging out you may ask? Well, that’s the issue. It’s hard to know for sure, which leads to mixed signals, increased anxiety and misunderstandings. So dating, an activity that is already fraught with fear and vulnerability, becomes even more so. Unlike previous generations when it could be assumed being asked out on a date was a sign of genuine interest (after all someone is going through a lot of effort and sometimes expense to spend time with you) the hangout has no such guarantees. In fact, oftentimes it doesn’t even require the one who initiated the get together to get off the couch. As someone who considers herself a serial dater, I am not immune to the pitfalls of the hangout no matter how hard I have tried. Having a
date spend a lot of money is not a prerequisite for a good date night, but wanting him to show a little bit of effort is. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of times I have been asked to coffee or to dinner by someone who says they want to get to know me better, only to have him call me the day of pulling the good ‘ole bait and switch. Whether the excuse is the hard, tiring week he’s had or how he cleaned his room and he’s really excited to show me the results of all his hard work (because he is apparently the only man in Ellensburg with a clean room?), the question that follows is always the same. “So do you mind if we just skip going out and just hang out here and watch a movie or something?” Yes. Yes I do mind. I have probably already spent hours of preparation between planning makeup, hair and outfit choices. Or, maybe even days
if you count the zit cream I have applied religiously and the prayers I have said nightly in hopes the goiter in the middle of my forehead goes down in time for the big night. But, while all that is frustrating, it is the “or something” that I find particularly offensive. Nothing screams “I want to get to know you better” more than silently watching a movie in a dark room together “or something.” Any way you slice it, neither of these activities require a whole lot of talking. So while the term “Netflix and chill” is used by my generation as a seemingly charming way to describe a specific kind of date, there is no bigger turn off for a first date. Make a plan, take us out, and show some effort gentlemen. Because at the thrift store there is a big difference between second hand and vintage and I will choose vintage every single time.
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October 28, 2021
SPORTS
Women’s sports at CWU are lacking staff members By Leah Shepherd Staff Reporter Being a student athlete can be hard on anyone. Being a student athlete without the proper tools to succeed can be even harder. Junior Sydney Remsberg who plays for the women’s volleyball team has experience in what it is like to be a woman in college athletics. Remsberg points out a difference between men’s and women’s athletics at CWU is the amount of staff each team
gets. While every men’s team at CWU gets an assistant coach and a General Assistant (GA), the women’s team doesn’t have that luxury. “The volleyball team is actually the only women’s sport team that has an assistant coach, the rest all have GA’s,” Remsberg said. This has already come back to hurt one of CWU’s sports programs this year. Earlier this year the women’s soccer coach of 20 years, Michael Farrand, resigned. If this was a men’s team an assistant coach would
then step up and take the reins. However, the women’s soccer team doesn’t have any assistant coaches, just the one GA, Emmy Koflanovich, who was thrust into the head coaching role. Remsberg said that having an assistant coach on staff would have made the season a little more stable than it is. “[Emmy Koflanovich is] young and doesn’t really know how to coach an entire women’s soccer team,” Remsberg said. “[She] has to deal with all the travel, roster and NCAA stuff … if they had an assistant coach
there it would have been a much easier transition.” Remsberg said that while the overarching support for women’s athletics is there, some issues still remain. Remsberg mentioned last year’s incident during last year’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament showed how there can still be bias toward women’s sports. The incident she is referring to is during last year’s NCAA March Madness tournament. The women’s teams were given less accommodations than the men were. The men’s team were
given a full workout area along with better food, recreation areas and gifts that the women’s team did not receive until a social media post went viral outlining the differences. Remsberg said while supporting your favorite sport is still good, supporting all women athletes regardless of the sport they play can show equal appreciation to men’s sports. “Volleyball kind of gets a bigger crowd than some other sports … so going to other sports [would help the women’s teams],” Remsburg said.
Wildcats deliver homecoming win, secure fourth straight GNAC championship
Photos taken by Stephen Martin/The Observer, The Wildcats secured their 4th straight GNAC title on Saturday to close out Homecoming weekend.
By Andrew Prouse Staff Reporter The Wildcats closed out homecoming week with a 53-21 win over Western Oregon University (WOU) Wolves. With the win, CWU secured their fourth straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) football championship. WOU got the ball to start the game. They went on a six play drive that resulted in a quick touchdown. The Wolves had an early 7-0 lead. While the CWU offense struggled on their first drive, which ended in a punt, the defense stepped up and helped out. Freshman safety Tanner Volk intercepted a Western Oregon pass at the goal line ending the drive and shifting the momentum back in CWU’s favor. CWU then went on a 14-play-drive which ended in a 39-yard field goal by redshirt
junior kicker Patrick Hegarty. The score looked to remain at 7-3 in favor of WOU going into halftime. However, CWU had other plans. With 38 seconds left in the second quarter, redshirt freshman quarterback Quincy Glasper threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore receiver Darius Morrision. Graduate student tight end Isaac Crichton rushed for a successful 2-point conversion, to extend the CWU lead to 11-7 at half-time. CWU started the third quarter with the football, which resulted in a 12-playdrive that ended in a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Glasper extending the lead to 18-7. After a stop on defense the CWU offense got the ball back with 7:15 left in the third quarter. Redshirt sophomore quarterback JJ Lemming subbed into the
game, replacing Glasper, who got banged up on the previous CWU drive. The diagnosis of Glasper’s injury is not yet known. Lemming led the offense on a seven play drive and redshirt freshman running back Tyler Flanagan scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown, pushing the lead to 25-7 in favor of CWU. CWU went on to score 28 points in the fourth quarter. The scoring started with a drive that ended in a trick play. Redshirt sophomore receiver Tai-John Mizutani caught a short pass behind the line of scrimmage then threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior receiver Tony Archie. This scoring play extended the Wildcats lead 32-7. CWU and WOU punted on the next three combined drives. Graduate student defensive lineman Christian Pen-
ny came up with a big sack on third down to force the third straight punt possession. The Wildcats got the ball on the Wolves40 yard line. Lemming nearly got sacked but escaped a WOU rush. Lemming then threw a 40-yard pass to Morrison who found himself in the endzone for the second time in the game. This extended the lead to 39-7. WOU did not give up and scored a touchdown with less than eight minutes left in the game after a six play drive to cut the lead to 39-14. However, the Wildcats were not done scoring. On the next offensive drive, Lemming threw the ball to graduate student receiver JoJo Hillel for a 5-yard score. That was Lemming’s second touchdown pass of the game and extended the lead to 46-14. Each team would score a touchdown on their next
drives and the game ended with a final score of 53-21. In a post game video interview on CWU’s football twitter, head coach Christopher Fisk commented on how the team performed. “Maybe [the game] wasn’t going our way in the first half,” Fisk said. “We had a little rust coming off the bye week.” Fisk said the players themselves seemed to be able to make adjustments at halftime. “For multiple weeks in a row I haven’t had to say anything at half time,” Fisk said. “We’ve got great leadership, great seniors. Great guys doing a great job. And so to watch our players take charge of it and go out and do what we did in the second half was impressive. I’m very proud.” The Wildcats (5-2 3-0 GNAC) will host Lincoln University (1-5) on Oct. 30.
EVENTS
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October 28, 2021
Wildcat Words: If you could change one thing about CWU, what would it be?
M ak
a yla Z a yi c
Lui
s M c N ar y - B rit
o
Za n
d e r Th o m p s o
n
Jr. Art
Alumni, Aviation
Jr. Computer Science
“ I wish there were more food options in the cafeteria. Maybe sandwiches? ”
“More parking.”
“The SURC food. And maybe how overwhelming the first year can be. Advising wasn’t very helpful in explaining general education classes and what courses were needed. ”
Tu e s
d a y K ra ft
D a v yn C o x
Fr. Biology
Sr. Business w/ specialization in finance
“The food for sure! The staffing is also an issue in the SURC.”
“I would give the buildings a numbering system, and have a better database for the library. “
Q& A
weekly events 28
7-9 p.m. Soccer Vs. Simon
with James Donaldson
THURS
Meet James Donaldson, former Seattle SuperSonic who has recently moved to Ellensburg and plans to get involved with the community. He has joined the Rotary Club of Ellensburg of Rotary District 5060, and has met with Linda Schactler, chief of staff in the office of the president at CWU and the board vice chair of the Ellensburg Business Development Authority. Q: What drew you to Ellensburg? A: I’ve always enjoyed the smaller town atmospheres of college towns. Ellensburg reminds me a lot of Pullman, where I went to school and graduated from Washington State University. In a smaller city, especially where there is a university, so many aspects of what goes on in the city revolves around the university. It’s a great feeling, and also it offers tremendous potential with the students who are going to school there. Also, at this point of my working career and my life, I was looking for a change of pace and a better quality of life, and Ellensburg offers that. Q: What changes would you like to see here in town? A: It’s exciting to see the changes that are coming to Ellensburg in the near future. Of course, change isn’t for everyone, and often it is difficult to adapt to, but I think the changes that are projected for Ellensburg will be very good in making Ellensburg more of a “destination place,” then just a stop for gas or a quick snack off of I-90. One of the changes I have heard about is the Amazon fulfillment center that will be coming to Ellensburg most likely in 2022, and will create about 1,500 jobs. That alone will add to the economic vitality of Ellensburg. Another large development is scheduled to get underway in the early part of 2022, which will consist of residential homes, a commercial district and a recreational area. I’m looking forward to being part of all this, and all aspects of economic development in Ellensburg. Q: If you could give students who are struggling with mental health a piece of advice, what would it be? A: My best advice that I give to students who are struggling with mental health, is to please not choose to struggle alone. Make sure you reach out to your medical professionals, and schedule a counseling/therapy session with a behavior health counselor. Also, be sure to have two or three close, intimate friends who truly care about you, and you can reach out to them any time day or night. Everyone is going through very difficult times right now, and we have to be sure to be there for each other. But if you are the one struggling with mental health issues, people cannot tell that you’re struggling just by looking at you from the outside, so it’s up to you to reach out for help and it will be there for you. Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies/activities? A: I guess I would say some of my favorite hobbies are playing a round of golf with my friends, traveling, especially internationally, reading and writing books, enjoying coffee shops and restaurants with friends wherever I am. Q: What are some of your favorite books? A: Some of my all-time favorite books are “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz, “Date or Soulmate” by Neil Clark Warren, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey just to name a few. I like books that make me think and then prompt me to action.
29 FRI
30 SAT
31 01 02 03 SUN
MON
Fraser University @ Tomlinson Stadium 8-9 p.m. Fall Concert Series: SungBeats @ SURC Pit (100C) 9-11:30 p.m. Hocus Pocus Movie Night @ SURC Theater 210 7-9 p.m. Men’s Basketball Vs. Lincoln University @ Nicholson Pavilion 10 p.m. The Rocky Horror Picture Show @ McConnell Auditorium 12-2 p.m. Soccer Vs. Western Washington University @ Tomlinson Stadium 6-9 p.m. Varsity Football Vs. Lincoln University @ Tomlinson Stadium 9 p.m. Haunting at Central @ SURC
1-3 p.m. & 5-8 p.m. 29th Annual Boo Central @ SURC East Patio
1:30 p.m. ASCWU Public Meeting @ SURC Pit (100C) 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. Monday Movie Madness @ SURC Theater 210 7-10 p.m. Smash Bros - Intramural Championships @ SURC Theater 210
TUES
National Stress Awareness Day
WED
Wildcat Words and Q&A reported by Stephanie Davison
@CWUObserver
CWU Observer
@CWUObserver
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com