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Vol. 117 NO. 6 October 20 - October 27, 2020

CWU welcomes transfer students with National Transfer Student Week events Jayce Kadoun Staff Reporter

National Transfer Student Week will be held Oct. 19-23 and will include a number of events aimed at assisting transfer students with their transition to CWU. The transfer center responsible for the event is a new department that focuses on reaching out to transfer students from other schools to help in a number of ways. Nathan Rawson, a student ambassador for the transfer center, said the department has started to gain traction since its beginning in March. He said they’ve been organizing events and getting the word out to students that they’re up and running. “Forty percent of our students at [CWU] right now are transfer students so that’s a huge part of our student population that are needing assistance and trying to figure out what resources they need. I like to describe ourselves as a guide service,” Rawson said. Rawson said they will be collaborating with other departments and hosting 18 different events during National Transfer Student Week. “One of the [events] is we’re taking over the weekly trivia with the [Recreation] Center and we’re doing a theme of transition. We’re kind of trying to get students engaged and make transfer students feel where they’re welcome,” Rawson said.

Hunters prepare for a new look, season and gameplan with old roads closing Gabriel Strasbaugh Staff Reporter

“We are here to serve transfer students at any stage of the game whether they’re preparing to transfer, getting admitted and starting classes or whether they’re continuing, and we know that our best experts are people who have already walked a mile in these shoes,” McConnell said.

October marks the beginning of hunting season, a tradition that many Washington state residents partake in each year with the hopes of a successful harvest to provide sustenance and stories for a lifetime. Part of forest management over the past few years, more and more logging roads in Okanogan County and national forest have been closed for reasons hunters debate. Gary Schwarz has been hunting in the Methow valley for over 15 years and questions why Washington state forestry would tear up back roads in the high hills. “The big bucks,” Schwarz said. “They can’t have people running up there and blasting a big [mule deer]. But all it does is create problems if somehow a fire sparks and guess what? The fire crews can’t do a single thing if the road’s undrivable.” Summer’s end saw the west coast surrounded in flames. According to Sciencemag.com, Oregon, Washington and California have burned some 3 million hectares, marking the west coast’s worst fire season in at least 70 years.

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ELLENSBURG

Graphic by Bekah Blum

According to Rawson, the transfer center staff wants to meet up with transfer students before events to enter them as a group and make the students feel more comfortable. Transfer Center Director Megan McConnell said the main goal of National Transfer Student Week is to increase awareness of the important role transfer students play at CWU and to celebrate them.

Students continue to find ways to get out and explore Gabriel Strasbaugh Staff Reporter As the leaves begin to turn from green to its fall attire, more students are finding themselves strapping up their hiking boots in the pursuit of adventure. Outdoor Pursuits and Rentals (OPR) continues to provide students with the best equipment for their trips. From paddle boarding to hiking, students have multiple options to choose from to get out of the dorms outside for the day. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, OPR offered guided trips throughout the Kittitas Valley. Along with tours, OPR works hand-in-hand with the Recreation Center allowing students to partake in many different amenities including a 50-foot climbing rock wall. Restrictions have been taken into account according to Bradley Gasawski the head of OPR.

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News Scene News Opinion Sports Engagement

“We are required to follow the requirements put forth by not just the governor, but the university,” Gasawski said. “We were open for the summer and will continue to remain open and continue to follow the same best practices as the summer.” These practices are part of the university’s plan to ensure students remain safe and healthy. Part of these practices include a curbside pickup for equipment rented. Once finished there is also a procedure to return it in the same fashion. This will then allow for OPR employees to properly sanitize the equipment for another to use later. Reservations are an option for students to make sure they get exactly what they need. According to Gasawski, summer saw quite a lot of water rentals.

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Outdoor Pursuits and Rentals is open for curbside pick-up via reservation for students.

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Getting in the spirits

Attorney General election

COVID-19 and homecoming

ELECTION ELECTION

2020 2020

2 October 20, 2020

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News

Old Heat may be new Center for Cultural Innovation Ty McPhee Staff Reporter ASCWU has been in talks for three to four months about a possible plan to convert the Old Heat building into the new multicultural center starting fall 2021. The planned phases for the remodeling of Old Heat would span roughly a decade, with phase one being the 7,000 square foot south annex portion. The total cost for the project would be upwards of $4 million. Mickael Candelaria, ASCWU student body president said, “Obviously, we can’t just magically find $4 million for this building.” According to Candelaria, funding for the first phase of renovations will cost $1.85 million and would come directly from the students much like the SURC, and for future phases ASCWU will be looking for other means. These means of finishing the project may include the City of Ellensburg, state funding or state grants. Candelaria is the sixth student body president to try and get this building on campus. “It’s definitely been a need on our campus, especially with the racial and social unrest seen in the world today,” Candelaria said. The name for the center will also be changing. Instead of the Multicultural Center, it will be the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI).

Candelaria also said the project has progressed more than previous years, and he wants to hopefully reach out to students and see if this is something they want to commit to. The CCI would also be a place for members of the community and not just students. “If they still live in Ellensburg and want to find people with the same identity, this would be the space,” Candelaria said. The priority of the space would be for students who feel marginalized, but plans for collaboration with those in the community will also be included. Ellensburg councilmember Nancy Goodloe has been included in some of the meetings regarding Old Heat to ensure that there will be community engagement and to not restrict the use of the building to only CWU students. Vice President of Inclusivity and Diversity Kandi Cleary said students will be the ones to ultimately decide what will go into the phase one reconstruction of Old Heat. “Is it a done deal? I don’t think it’s a done deal yet,” Cleary said. Cleary said being in the middle of a budget crisis plays into how soon and whether this is a feasible option for students to push for and eventually have come to them. The planned start for the reconstruction will depend on funding, with the projected start date being fall 2021.

Mitchell Roland/The Observer

While the plan isn’t finalized, ASCWU is working to build a new multicultural center. “I just want to emphasise that this isn’t set in stone, and that we are doing our due diligence and making sure that students are aware that this is something that the stu-

dent government board wants to accomplish,” Candelaria said. “But we won’t move further with this project if we don’t have a good majority of the students’ support.”

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Cait Dalton Email: Cait.Dalton@cwu.edu Central Washington University 400 East University Way Lind Hall 109 Ellensburg, WA 98926

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Cynthia Mitchell / cwuobserveradviser@gmail.com Editorial Policy: The Observer is a public forum for student expression, in which student editors make policy and content decisions. The mission of The Observer is two-fold: to serve Central Washington University as a newspaper and to provide training for students who are seeking a career in journalism. The Observer seeks to provide complete, accurate, dependable information to the campus and community; to provide a public forum for the free debate of issues, ideas and problems facing the community at large; and to be the best source of information, education and entertainment news. As a training program, The Observer is the practical application of the theories and principles of journalism. It teaches students to analyze and communicate information that is vital to the decision making of the community at large. It provides a forum for students to learn the ethics, values and skills needed to succeed in their chosen career. If you have questions or concerns, email us at cwuobserver@gmail.com.

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CWU police ensures student safety at night Star Diavolikis Staff Reporter CWU police are taking many measures in an effort to ensure student safety at night. This includes patrolling campus, offering a service that has police accompany a student to their destination and promoting a safety app called Rave Guardian. Rave Guardian is an app available on both the App Store and Google Play Store. This app allows the user to set up a “guardian angel,” designating a friend that will be able to track the student as they walk from one place to another. “If I don’t get [to my set destination], it’ll alert whoever my guardian angel is and let them know I wasn’t there,” Assistant Chief of Police Eric Twaites said. “Or if something else comes up and since I’m the one that sent out the request to follow me, I can cancel it as well.” To start the app, the student must sign up by using their phone number, getting a verification number and ensuring a school email is linked to the account.

The interface will display six options to choose from depending on what service is needed for the student at any time. The student will also be able to add emergency contacts and any vehicles used by said student onto their account. “[The app] also has many resources available, such as a resource list,” Police Chief Jason Berthon-Koch said. “We know a lot of our students come from outside of Ellensburg obviously, and they’re travelling through the winter months, so we wanted to provide a quick link for the students to be able to click on that and to see the road conditions are to wherever they’re traveling.” Campus police consistently patrol the grounds whether by foot, vehicle or bike if weather permits. Twaites said campus police patrol 24/7 and 365 days a year. The third service that campus police assist with is if a student feels unsafe at night, they can reCasey Rothgeb/The Observer quest a police officer to walk them Blue light telephones scattered around campus are one of the safety measures to protect students. to their destination. This is helpbody possibly following them to with a purpose,” Berthon-Koch ful in situations where a student their destination. said. “As people are coming to you, may not have anybody available to As police officers respond to make sure you acknowledge them check on them, or if there is somethese requests, they take precau- and look at them so that they undertions to follow new health and stand that you both see each other safety guidelines. and recognize what’s happening.” “For us, the only thing that has Distractions while walking can really changed is to maintain social include focusing on social media distancing of that six feet apart, and and having noise-cancelling headto wear a mask,” Berthon-Koch phones or earbuds in. These dissaid. “All of the officers are issued tractions can make a person vulmasks and respirators, gloves and nerable and increase their risk of antibacterial lotions and whatnot. getting attacked. The response and everything else “If somebody can just be headsis pretty much the same.” up, be aware of their surroundings A service available for students [and] be aware of what’s going on, who may not have a smartphone they can employ risk-reduction are the blue light telephones placed strategies and risk avoidance and throughout campus. avoid possibly being a victim of a According to the CWU web- crime,” Berthon-Koch said. “Just site, these blue light phones reach simply by being aware of your surout to KITTCOM, the designat- roundings.” ed 911 dispatch. Once the student As anybody walks, there is a reaches out, the CWU police, fire possibility of feeling like something services or medical services may be is wrong. Commonly known as a dispatched accordingly. gut feeling, Twaites says students According to Berthon-Koch, a should follow their gut feelings. potential upcoming precaution tak“If you see something that looks en by CWU will be installing camer- suspicious, trust your instincts and as around campus to ensure student call either 911 if you think it’s up to safety. At this time, there is no cer- that degree, or call our non-dispatch tain date set in place for when these number KITTCOM,” Twaites said. will be installed or available. “And if someone doesn’t feel safe or CWU police have advice for they think something’s strange, by students walking alone at night, as all means let us know. We’re here to well as walking alone at any point partner with all of our community of time. The biggest tip: always be to make sure we’re all safe.” aware of your surroundings. If you are in immediate danger or “You should always be aware witness a serious crime, call 911. For of your surroundings. You should other services, call campus police at always know where you’re going, 509-963-2959 or call 509-925-8534 what your direction is and walk during after hours and weekends.

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National Transfer Student Week greets new students from across the country Continued from Page 1 Some of the physical and virtual events planned for the week include a Monday Movie Madness showing hosted by the transfer center, a transfer picnic, coffee chats and a virtual career fair. “On Monday morning, Provost DenBeste will be kicking us off with a town hall. That’s the only event that requires registration. Everything else is just a Zoom link or a Twitch link you can just log on,” McConnell said. McConnell also said the transfer center is doing an Instagram contest with all new transfer students. If the students post a photo of themselves and the stickers they were given in an interesting place, they have a chance to win a prize. The full list of events scheduled for National Transfer Student Week can be found on the transfer center’s website. Curtis Johannson, a transfer student from Grays Harbor College, said he wishes there were resources available and events like those being put on by the transfer center when he changed schools. “I was kind of lost when I first switched schools and felt like it

Abigail Duchow/The Observer

National Transfer Student Week is a way that CWU assists people that have transferred from other colleges feel at home in Ellensburg.

was all up to me to find information about stuff if I needed it. Other than my list of classes with the room numbers, I didn’t know much about campus or what was going on,” Johansson said.

Because he transferred in fall 2019, Johansson didn’t have access to the kind of help that new transfers have. He said transfer week will be a good way for students like him to get settled in.

“It’s pretty cool that they do [transfer week] because it can be pretty overwhelming jumping from one school to another without knowing anyone or knowing anything about the campus,” Johansson said.

Getting in the spirits of Halloween Graphic by Tiffany Tablang

Ryan Nakamura Staff Reporter

For students 21 and older, the answer to quarantine boredom is simple: drink! Instead of meeting friends at a bar, some chose to mix up a nice drink or two and video-chat with them. Megan Anderson, a sophomore accounting major, was eager to share her favorite drink to relax with. “I don’t drink much but I love Malibu, so when I found the Malibu Sunset? It was perfect.” Anderson said. The Malibu Sunset is a cocktail that boasts a refreshing tropical taste, an eye-catching look and an easy-tofollow recipe. So, what do you need to make this cocktail? First and foremost, you’ll need Malibu rum, the foundation of the drink. Then all you

need to pick up is some pineapple juice, sweet grenadine syrup and of course some ice. To make it you’ll need to do as follows: put three to four ice cubes in your glass of choice, pour two ounces of the rum and four ounces of the pineapple juice in, slowly pour one ounce of the grenadine down the side of the glass and enjoy your drink responsibly! For those who want to experience this drink but aren’t old enough yet, the mocktail is as simple as swapping out one ingredient. For the non-alcoholic version all you have to do is switch the rum out for coconut water, and voila: one summery drink, hold the buzz. For those who want to try a variety of cocktails but don’t want to break the bank buying the liquor, there are a number of recipes readily available on Kraken black rum’s website. On the simpler side is the “Ink Shot,” a twist on the well-known “Jell-O shot.” For this you’ll need a medium sized saucepan, one cup of Kraken, one cup of root beer and one (three-ounce) box of black cherry Jell-O. Begin by bringing the root beer to a boil in the saucepan, remove from heat adding Jell-O, stir until it’s completely dissolved, add Kraken stirring once more, pour everything into plas-

tic shot glasses and chill for two hours. With Halloween fast approaching it seems only appropriate to provide some drinks in the spirit of the season. First is a spooky mocktail for minors, the Ocean Blue Goblet. You’ll need Blue Raspberry syrup, sour mix and lemon lime soda. To make it you’ll mix three ounces of syrup, 9.5 ounces of sour mix and 9.5 ounces of the soda. Finish up with a garnish of gummy sharks and you’re all done. If you’re of legal drinking age and

feeling frightful, there’s the Jekyll and Gin, a creepy cocktail with a fun twist: it glows under a blacklight! To make this you’ll need gin, lemon juice, grenadine, ice, tonic water, and a cocktail shaker (all of which can be purchased at your local grocery store). Mix three ounces of gin, a half ounce of lemon juice and a teaspoon of grenadine in the cocktail shaker, pour it into a glasswith ice, then top with tonic water with an optional glow stick garnish!

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Scene

The Fall Cannabis Harvest at Mammoth Labs Photos by Casey Rothgeb

Text by Casey Rothgeb

Using a sawzall is much preferred to a hand saw as it makes cutting down the cannabis a breeze for the workers. It is just one more thing to help aid and speed up the process of harvesting the plant.

What is a harvest season without some laughing and joking throughout the day to keep things fun sitting around fans all day.

Cannabis can have an array of colors depending on the strain and stage of life. At the beginning you see bright greens mostly like any other new plant but when you come around to the maturity of the plant around harvest some develop dark purple leaves or other stay a vivid green or like this one here and its gradient of color moving from the middle of the plant out.

After the cannabis has been dried it can then be taken down and trimmed further to then get ready for jarring then eventually put out to shelves.

How do you move such large cannabis plants across a farm? The Gator here is the wheels around the farm to move equipment and plants throughout the long days.

Full, dense colas means today is the day for these plants to come down.

Another day has ended on the Farm. With everyone tired, hands sore but still having fun, itâ€™s time to head home for the night, rest up and get ready for another full day of harvesting tomorrow.

As the election nears, Candidates Written by Jessica Perez

“You need an attorney general who will stand up for you even against the president.” - Bob Ferguson, Attorney General

Bob Ferguson Hometown: Seattle, WA Alma Mater: UW(B.A.), NYU(J.D.) Offices held: King County Council, Attorney General of Washington Party: Democrat

ocal elections take place in November. Americans will not only be voting for the U.S. president, but for their local officials. One of the offices up for election is the office of the attorney general. Current Attorney General Bob Ferguson is running for reelection against opponent Matt Larkin. Being attorney general comes with many responsibilities. Some of those include: enforcing laws against anti-competitive business practices, proposing legislation to have enforceable and clear laws, prosecuting people at the request of the governor or prosecutor’s office and lobbying Congress for things they believe would benefit the state. The attorney general also represents Washington state in all trial courts when the case involves the state’s interest.

Bob Ferguson ob Ferguson is the current attorney general in Washington state. He’s held the position for the past seven years, first taking office in 2013 after previous Attorney General Rob Mckenna. He was reelected in 2016. Ferguson has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Washington and a law degree from New York University.

According to the Washington State Voters’ Pamphlet, Ferguson began his law career as a law clerk for two federal judges in Spokane. He then moved back to Seattle and worked as an attorney advocating for taxpayers and businesses at Preston, Gates & Ellis. Ferguson began his career in politics when he was elected to serve on the King County City Council from 2003 to 2013. According to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General (WSAG), since Ferguson took office, he’s focused on eliminating consumer fraud, particularly against senior citizens. He’s also focused on keeping environmental protections in place that focus on clean air and water. Ferguson also lobbies for veteran’s rights and is in the process of helping clear the backlog of rape kits in Washington state. Ferguson said another priority he has is addressing the opioid epidemic in Washington state. “We have filed numerous lawsuits against large corporations who have violated the law and contributed to our opioid epidemic,” Ferguson said. A trial against three opioid distributors will be taking place in early 2021, according to Ferguson. He also filed suit against Johnson & Johnson this past January. This lawsuit asks the company to pay Washington state the

profits they have made by selling opioids here. The lawsuit also asks for monetary damages. If won, the damages recovered would be put towards addiction prevention and treatment programs. He said he added addressing the opioid epidemic as one of his focus areas because it has had a large impact within the state. “An average of two people die every day of an opioid overdose in Washington state,” Ferguson said. “The impacts are profound on families and on our society.” As Attorney General, Ferguson said he has a specific role he can play in the epidemic by going after corporations that profit off of opioid addiction. Ferguson has had several impactful lawsuits throughout his career as attorney general. According to WSAG, he filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry

into the United States,” and won. A judge blocked the executive order as it was written. Ferguson said he’s especially proud of the team he put together in his office. “Their track record of success really speaks for itself,” Ferguson said. Ferguson is running for reelection to continue the work he’s been doing for the last eight years. “To continue standing up for Washingtonians against powerful interests that don’t play by the rules,” Ferguson said. Ferguson added he’s increased the resources available for the attorney general’s office to do work for the state and that people in the state will be able to see that over the next four years. Ferguson said people should reelect him to the office because he will work for all residents of the state. He referenced the Dreamers lawsuit he filed against the Trump administration as something his opponent, Matt Larkin, wouldn’t have done.

for Attorney General Square off Designed by Bekah Blum

“I’m running on passion. Every day I wake up and I realize I’m running for my kids and for their kids.” - Matt Larkin

Matt Larkin Hometown: Seattle, WA Alma Mater: Westmont College(B.A.), Gonzaga(J.D.), George Washington University(LLM) Offices held: Never held elected office Party: Republican

“You need an attorney general who will stand up for you even against the president,” Ferguson said. Ferguson also accused Larkin of breaking the law while running for the office of attorney general. He claimed that Larkin has been attending crowded rallies without the use of a mask as mandated by the state. Ferguson also said Larkin exaggerated his experience as a prosecutor. Ferguson said he requested public records and found that Larkin was an intern at the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office while attending Gonzaga.

Matt Larkin ccording to the Spokesman-Review, Larkin, is a father of four children and owns a pipe manufacturing company based out of Everett. He is taking a leave of absence from his company to run for office.

Larkin said Ferguson seems distracted with his 80 lawsuits against Donald Trump and he would refocus the attorney general’s office on public safety if elected. “For the last eight years we’ve seen a rise in statistics that’s alarming,” Larkin said. “From homelessness, drug abuse, crime all these things are going up. As a father of four little kids that worries me.” Ferguson disagreed and said each one of those cases brought against the Trump administration affects Washington state. “He always leaves out one important statistic, which is the fact that we’ve won virtually every case we’ve brought against the Trump administration,” Ferguson said. “That’s not being distracted, that’s bringing good cases.” Thirty-six of those cases have been decided and Ferguson has won 35.

To crack down on crime specifically, Larkin wants to increase funding for law enforcement agencies so they can get training to better serve the community. A specific one Larkin mentioned was de-escalation training. Larkin added there’s a lot of ways these issues can be dealt with, but the first step is to acknowledge there’s a problem. “We don’t have that from Olympia right now, they don’t seem to think that it’s a problem,” Larkin said. Another way Larkin wants to control crime is by further enforcing drug laws by increasing prosecutions. He said many times these people are arrested for having drugs, but the charges are dropped. “It’s de facto legal,” Larkin said. “You can get away with seven to eight grams of heroin on you.” Larkin said he would support legislation that would give people the option to choose between attending a drug rehabilitation program or jail if they’re arrested for possessing drugs. Another of Larkin’s goals is making Washington state a more business-friendly state by lobbying for less restrictive business laws. “It’s a very unfriendly state to do business in,” Larkin said. “Any business owner in Washington state will tell you that.”

Larkin has a Bachelor of Arts from Westmont College, a law degree from Gonzaga University and a Masters of Law from the George Washington School of Law. Larkin said his proudest accomplishment was working in the White House under President George W. Bush as a speechwriter and legal advisor. Acording to Ballotpedia, Larkin’s focus areas are combating homelessness, drug abuse and crime control. Larkin said people should vote for him because he’ll bring a new perspective to the office of attorney general, since he is not a career politician. If he is elected, Larkin said his biggest goal would be making Washington state a safer place to live. “I’m running on passion. Every day I wake up and I realize I’m running for my kids and for their kids,” Larkin said. According to Ballotpedia, during the primary election, Ferguson got 55.8% of the votes and Larkin got 23.7%. The last day to register to vote in Washington is Oct. 26, and Election Day is Nov. 3. Washingtonians have the option to vote by mail or to drop their ballots off at a local dropbox.

8 October 20, 2020

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Opinion

Indoor football is underrated game autograph sessions. Indoor football game tickets are also fairly affordable compared to the NFL. If a fan interferes, the fan interference penalty is simply replaying the down according to Columbus (GA) Lions majority owner Joshua Blair. Blair explained how each team has community involvement and that usually the better teams have a lot more involvement than the teams that are just getting started. Communities are very involved with their team and the team is very involved with their community. “When we have the halftime events, kids are all over the field. We’ve held I don’t know how many soccer games at halftime from local schools. We’ve also had flag football games held at halftime,” Blair said. One thing unique about attending an indoor football game is how close you are to the action. If you’re in the first couple rows, make sure to have your head on a swivel, especially if you have food or a beverage. When players crash into or over the boards, you could have a player in your lap and have your food or beverage spilled all over. One aspect the wall creates is if a player has control of the ball in the end zone and goes over the wall, it’s a touchdown.

When Portland had an AFL team I was able to get close to the action and see fast-paced, high scoring games. We were entertained with pre-game introductions with motorcycles and halftime events such as a youth rugby match. Compared to the outdoor game, a shorter field allows for fast-paced action and higher scoring. With how fast-paced games are, there has to be a running clock to keep games at a reasonable length. Teams can be behind by a small margin towards the end of the game, with as little time left as just around a minute or so, and come back to win. Blair explained how the pace of the game is really the thing that makes the sport special because you can score on every single play of the game, including the kick-off, since there are no punts. A good quarterback can throw from one end of the field to the other. A team could be on the one yard line and throw a touchdown in the end zone. You can even be on one end of the field as far down as the one yard line and kick a field goal. Players getting hit against the wall and sometimes falling into a fan or flipping over the wall in the end zone for a touchdown was always exciting.

Bouchy explained how despite the different rule changes between indoor and outdoor football, especially when it comes to the AFL, that it’s just a different style of football. “Anyone that says that arena football is just a minor league compared to the NFL have just never seen a game or have been to a game,” Bouchy said. In college football and the NFL, towards the end of the game, teams can just kneel and run the clock out. But with arena football, teams must gain at least a yard or the clock will stop, and if you don’t get a first down, you turn the ball over. Bouchy explains how that’s a huge critical moment when a team is trying to win the game in the final seconds. He’s seen teams lose that way a lot, including during the AFL days when the Orlando Predators and Jacksonville Sharks went head to head. During early spring and summer, he says other than indoor football the only other two sports going on are baseball and women’s basketball with WNBA having such a short lineup of teams. With the short lineup they have, their season isn’t super long, so this gives indoor football the ability to have more of a spotlight. The number one sport here in America he explained, is football and having it year-round is the biggest benefit to it. Indoor football is a sport where those going into sports journalism, broadcasting and other fields can get their start in the sports industry. It gives fans something to go do on a spring and summer night. It’s truly something that people should give a chance and watch.

used for upgrading stats and/or weapons that are lost upon death. The focal point of many Soulslike 2017 was a huge year for indie games, of games in the gaming community at large is which I am a major fan. decidedly the difficulty level. Many of these Games made without the backing of a games do not have a difficulty setting that large studio, often crowd-funded, developed can be changed, like would be expected in over several years, made with a tiny devel- other types of games. opment team or a mix of all three are often The difficulty the developer made the referred to as ‘indie games.’ game to be played at is the difficulty that the This in reference to their player will experience. Gamers who can independence from large beat certain games, or even certain pordevelopment studios and tions of particularly brutal games, are traditional selling points beseen as more skilled than those who can’t. cause of it. This, along with the influx of Souls2017 was also like elements into a huge year for a popular games, very specific type generated a disof game, called a course in the comSoulslike. munity at the time This is due about difficulty Graphics by Riel Hanson/The Observer to similarities in levels in gaming. playstyle to From Software’s Souls series, A popular argument in favor of them was the most recognizable of which is Dark that video games are special in that they are Souls. Soulslike games are unforgiving in a form of art that can be experienced, and difficulty and quick to withhold resources games that have high difficulty at their center that would make them easier. should be experienced in that way. PC Gamer defines a Soulslike as having Going into the settings and changing certain elements, including “exploration and the difficulty to easy or normal would skill-based combat, while also borrowing cer- be taking away from the experience the tain obvious elements from Dark Souls, rang- developer intended. ing [from] the checkpoint system through to If gamers weren’t skilled enough to the way XP is gained (and lost). What does progress in the game, then they couldn’t ‘skill-based’ mean? Well, it basically means experience the story as it was made to be you can’t button mash.” experienced. Nobody should make an artist Gamepedia lists elements of a Soulslike ‘water down’ their art. which include things such as high difficulty, In 2017, I was 17 years old. I had money risky combat with high level enemies, sparse to spend on the latest games and seemingly checkpoints and enemies dropping resources infinite time to sink into them. At that time,

that argument made sense to me as I ground away at Soulslike after Soulslike, having those experiences as they were supposedly intended to be. In the past month, I’ve been spending my free time slowly playing through one of the bigger 2017 Soulslike indie games, Hollow Knight. In it, you platform through dangerous terrain and fight increasingly difficult bosses as a little bug with a nail for a sword. About two weeks ago, I realized that as I reached the bosses, I stopped both having fun and progressing in the game. I no longer have the free time to sink into grinding fights until I have the muscle memory to beat Soulslike difficulty bosses. Losing the same fight upwards of five, 10, 15 times is no longer an exciting challenge, it’s a drag. I couldn’t continue playing a game I’d been enjoying because I didn’t meet the ability level needed to. So, in my foolish optimism, I opened the settings menu to turn the difficulty down and found that I couldn’t.

It was at that moment I realized 17-yearold me had been wrong. Playing video games has never been about having the same experience as other players, shaped by artificial caps such as difficulty and supposedly specific enough that the developers would put these caps in place. Playing video games is about getting to experience stories we wouldn’t be able to fully share with each other in other formats. These difficulty caps don’t enhance that, they keep players who may not have enough time, or enough skill, or who have a disability or who just don’t enjoy difficult games from experiencing those stories too. Since 2017, I would say the amount of Soulslike games being the big titles of the year has gone down. Of course they’re still around, with titles like Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice being popular recent releases. But compared to what it was at its height, Soulslike gaming is dying, and I for one am ready to see what takes its place.

Derek Harper Columnist

Once the Super Bowl is over, people claim there’s no football until the NFL starts up again the following season. Yet so many people don’t understand that indoor football is real football, it’s just a different sized field with different rules. There are three main leagues when it comes to indoor football. The National Arena League (NAL) is a regional league in the eastern United States while Champions Indoor Football (CIF) is a smaller midwest based league. The Indoor Football League (IFL), of which the Spokane Shock are in, spans from Spokane to Worcester, Massachusetts where the Massachusetts Pirates are located. The IFL is the biggest league among the three with teams sprinkled throughout the nation. Caleb Bouchy, current Arizona State student with Cronkite Sports and Founder of Arizona Sports Box has family ties to the sport. His parents used to own the Orlando Predators while his uncle used to be a part owner of the Jacksonville Sharks. “I think that’s just a huge stereotype, that everyone thinks this is a rip-off of the NFL,” Bouchy said. When it comes to the indoor game, if a ball lands in the stands, you get to keep it. A lot of teams have interactive halftime activities such as youth sporting events on the field. Many teams allow fans to meet the players by having post-

I’m glad Soulslike gaming is dying Bailey Tomlinson Columnist

October 20, 2020

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Opinion

I know it’s discouraging out there, but it’s time to vote Addie Adkins Columnist I hate election season. I’ve hated it for a long time. Every four years, memories from past elections pop up on my Facebook and their sentiments reflect the ones I still carry today, the main theme being “Can’t we all just get along?” To which, the answer always seems to be a loud and resounding “No.” With the dawn of social media and the ability for individuals to throw their opinion out into the world publicly, it seems politics is one of the hot-button topics everyone has decided to talk about. Remember when that topic was taboo, discussed politely and quietly behind closed doors? Yeah, I miss those times too. Each year, the “right versus left” mindset gets stronger and more hateful. The names get progressively hideous, although inventive. I swear if I see one more post calling anyone a “Libtard,” “Snowflake,” “tRumper” or “republicRat” on my newsfeed, I’m going to deactivate my social media accounts until long after this nightmare is over. Rationally, I know that extremes on either side of any argument are always the loudest, and politics are no different. However, there seems to be a misunderstanding about party affiliation and political typology. According to LawInsider.com, political affiliation is the endorsement or feeling of belonging to a political party. In contrast, political typology aims to “categorize people based on the combination of political values they hold as a way of better understanding the complexities of the current political landscape,” according to Pew Research Center. There are nine different groups that Pew Research Center has composed, four of them that lean towards Republican, and four that lean towards Democrat, with one outlier that is not politically engaged. Generally, the middle groups share political beliefs that are usually considered more Democrat or more Republican. For example, Jane may consider her political affiliation Republican, but may be classified as a “Devout and Diverse,” which is a Democrat-leaning group with more conservative views. This is why everyone gets labeled “Democrat” or “Republican” based on a few assumptions. Alan Greenblatt, a senior staff writer for Governing.com, touched on this in his article “Moderates Are ‘Politically Homeless.’ Does Either Party Want Them” last year in which he interviewed Geoffrey Kabaservice, director of political studies at the Niskanen Center. Greenblatt wrote, “Support for the parties is now split not just on ideological lines but by all manner of demographic factors, such as race, gender, geography and church attendance. ‘If you’re in a rural or small-town area

and you’re white, at this point you’re a Republican,’ says Kabaservice, ‘And if you’re in a city and you went to college, you’re a Democrat.’” While there are other assumptions that lead to being labeled, such as religious beliefs, stance on abortion or stance on climate change, this example serves as a simplified model that is fairly accurate. The current political climate is appalling and makes independent voters like me want to shut it all out and not vote. We are over here wondering if we will ever get sane, respectable and qualified candidates ever again. An article by John LaLoggia, a former research assistant for Pew Research Center, states “About a quarter of both Republican lean[ing independents] (24%) and Democratic lean[ing independents] (27%) view both parties unfavorably, as do 37% of those with no partisan leaning. By comparison, only about one-in-ten partisans view both parties negatively.” I’ll just say what a lot of people are thinking: both main presidential candidates suck this election cycle. They are old, rich men who live in a completely different world than the majority of Americans. They wouldn’t understand most of the hardships the majority of us face today, such as living paycheck to paycheck or having a mountain of debt. Because of my disappointment in the two mainstream presidential candidates and in an effort to be an informed voter, I decided to research all the presidential candidates. I ended up finding a 2020 Political quiz on isidewith.com. It is very thorough and after answering a few questions, it showed me which candidate my beliefs align with best. Its accuracy increases the more questions you answer. After finding my “best-fit” candidate, I started to wish there was equal representation for all the parties, not just the Democrat and Republican parties. There are four other presidential candidates running for office in the 2020 election. According to the Washington state voter’s pamphlet, they include: Jo Jorgensen, Libertarian party; Howie Hawkins, Green party; Gloria La Riva, Socialism and Liberation party; and Alyson Kennedy, Socialist Workers party. I highly recommend you read their bios and statements in the voter’s pamphlet. For those dismayed voters out there, I can assure you there is a candidate out there that you can believe in and get behind. It just might not be one who’s talked about. So, I challenge you to take the quiz found on isidewith.com to see which 2020 Presidential Candidate aligns best with your beliefs. Then, find the political typology quiz produced by the Pew Research Center to check out which group you land in. Most importantly, I urge you to register to vote by Oct. 26, read your voter’s pamphlet and vote by Nov. 3. Make your voice heard. Graphics by Riel Hanson/The Observer

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Sports

Homecoming 2020: virtual and socially distant edition RachelAnn Degnan Staff Reporter Once every fall, high schools and colleges across the nation unite their student body to celebrate sports teams and school spirit, but thanks to COVID-19, 2020’s homecoming celebrations were a lot quieter this year. Aviation sophomore Stephen Culbertson feels Homecoming is “a time for coming together and uniting as a community.” Last year, Culbertson and his friends joined most of the Ellensburg campus at the annual Homecoming football game. “The football game was a really cool experience,” Culbertson said. “I was just shocked at how everyone was so united and how many people had come together to celebrate being Wildcats.” Culbertson is hoping that perhaps next year there can be more formal events. “I would really love to see some dancing,” Culbertson said. “We do have a ballroom upstairs in the SURC, and it would be so much fun to meet [new people] at a line dance or something like that.” For computer science freshman Blake Nixon, high school Homecoming was a big deal. “I knew that college Homecoming was going to be different,” Nixon said. “But I was still excited to meet new people at events and to show my school spirit.” Aviation senior Jackson Collins has fond memories of the past Homecoming events he has attended. “I always was taken back by the rowdiness and spirit the Homecoming games created,” Collins said. “I wish I could have attended one more game, although I know I will return when I am an alumni.” Collins also enjoyed the Homecoming events that didn’t just involve sports. “My first year, a group of friends and I went to see the actor who played

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Virtual events took place during Homecoming along with other socailly distant experiences at the Student Union and Recreation Center. Ron Swanson on ‘Parks and Rec’ at the SURC,” Collins said. “It was a terrific experience and I wish we could do something like that again.” This year, students had to settle for virtual or socially distant experiences. Intramural Sports and Special Events Coordinator Shana Kessler and the Recreation Center worked to compensate for the missing Homecoming football game. “We have the flag football skills challenge which is an unofficial event that’s happening during Homecoming week,” Kessler said. “When we planned it, we

actually didn’t even think of the time matching up with homecoming. That was just a coincidence.” Students were welcomed to come and watch the skills challenge and were encouraged to cheer on their friends. “It isn’t the same as watching the game, but it looks like it will be a fun and safe alternative,” Culbertson said. The Recreation Center’s official Homecoming event was the virtual 5K or 10K. “Any person involved in the University is able to participate in this virtual run, walk, hike or jog and can earn prizes,” Kes-

sler said. “They can sign up through the Recreation portal, and then they join the CWU Recreation Club on Strava, which tracks their distance.” Kessler hopes the Homecoming events will do more than spark school spirit in the student body. “My goal and hope for these programs is to be able to allow [students] to do something active that is specifically designed to support [them] and their health and wellness and to socially connect with others who are doing the same activities,” Kessler said.

Hunters plan around closed roads Continued from Page 1 For hunters like Schwarz, this could drastically affect not just a single hunting season but many for years to come. With Washington preparing for its governor’s race, Republican nominee Loren Culp has provided his own thoughts on the way the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has handled forest and road management. “As Governor, I will measure WDFW’s performance by a simple set of questions: Are there fish in the water? Are there deer and elk on the land? Are sport hunters content? Are commercial fishermen content? If the answer to any of these four questions is ‘No,’ then WDFW isn’t doing its job,” Culp said. The past five seasons have seen a steady decline in deer harvested statewide, from 37,963 in 2015 to 27,187 in 2019. The decline draws concern for outdoorsmen like Dick Tallman, Ellens-

burg resident. For many decades, Tallman has spent every single year up in the high country in Winthrop, Washington during hunting season and often in the spring. “It’s the greatest place on the planet,” Tallman said. “Fresh air and times with loved ones out here with the animals is all a man could ask for.” Over time, Tallman, like Schwarz, has noticed a difference in the numbers of harvests. “I used to come up here and see hundreds of deer in the field during the bug rut. Now you’re lucky to see a legal buck in national forest and not snacking on an apple in a person’s yard in town,” Tallman said. Washington’s modern firearm season runs from Oct. 17-27. In 2019, 102,648 hunting licenses were bought according to the WDFW. With the rise in the number of road closures, numbers of harvests are set to change. Graphics by Riel Hanson/The Observer

October 20, 2020 11

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Sports

The seventh annual Wildcat alumni challenge is underway Sean Bassette Staff Reporter The seventh annual Wildcat alumni challenge began on Oct. 1 and will run through Dec. 1 to raise money for the athletics program. “The purpose of it is to engage our former student athletes and get them in a position to give back to our sports programs,” Associate Athletic Director for Development Troy Nealey said. Nealey described the challenge as an annual mini fundraising campaign and a competition between all sports. The first $25 of each donation goes to the Wildcat Athletic Fund. Anything above that amount can go to a specific athletic program of the donor’s choice. According to Wildcatsports.com, there is an award that adds a $5,000 bonus for the team with the highest percentage of former student athletes giving back, a $2,500 bonus for the team with the highest number of student athletes giving back and a $2,500 bonus for the team that raises the most amount of money. This year’s challenge is different from the previous years. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic there is added importance placed on this year’s challenge. “State funding was cut this year because of COVID-19, so that trickles down to everywhere across campus and athletics is no different,” Nealey said. According to Nealey, athletics is also losing money since there are no fall sports happening. The format in which alumni are contacted has also changed. Traditionally, current student athletes would get together and call former student athletes, but this year they’re using texting, according to Nealey. Director of Athletics Dennis Francois said athletics is more focused on the number of donors giving back rather than the amount of money raised.

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Inside of Nicholson Pavilion where alumni’s donations help fund the athletic programs, staff and events ran around the community. “We want to grow that base. We want to grow the number of former student athletes giving back and supporting their alma mater,” Francois said. According to Francois, when he was first hired, only 1.7% of student athletes were giving back. Within a couple of years, that number grew up to 8-9% and continues to grow.

Additionally, Francois believes it is important for alumni to give back. He thinks the experience former student athletes had was partially due to the donations of alumni before them, so it’s important to give back to the student athletes of today so they have an equally as good, if not better, experience. The same message was echoed by head softball coach Alison Mitchell.

“I think there is a lot that the game gives to athletes. I think it’s really important that at least there is a connection and you do what you can to support your university in whatever you’re able to,” Mitchell said. The goal set for this year’s Wildcat alumni challenge is set for 500 donors and $75,000.

OPR offers a variety of equipment for student use Continued from Page 1 Reservations are an option for students to make sure they get exactly what they need. “We are required to follow the requirements put forth by not just the governor, but the university,” Gasawski said. “We were open for the summer and will continue to remain open and continue to follow the same best practices as the summer.” Some students prefer cold weather for outdoor activities. Third year public relations major Noah Wooster said the

cold air is perfect right after the Ellensburg summers. “I personally like cooler air more just because my house doesn’t have A/C, so during this time in fall I like to get out as much as I can,” Wooster said. Wooster said hiking is a perfect activity to zone out from the stress of classes. “I have been to lake Cle Elum and I love to put in some headphones and listen to music,” Wooster said. As the months go on, the weather may bring more opportunities such as skiing at Snoqualmie or some places locally. OPR will remain open year-round and welcomes students to walk in with safety continuing to be accounted for.

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12 October 20, 2020

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Engagement

Events

Oct. 21-28

Weds. Oct. 21 - 6:30-11 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween* - The Simp-

sons: Treehouse of Horror-thon 7-9 p.m. Trivia Wednesday - Transfer Center - “Transitions” Virtual Location for Online Events

CWU Observer staff holiday movie picks halloween edition Rating System:

Thurs. Oct. 22 - 10 a.m. -2 p.m. Virtual Fall Career, Internship, and Grad School Fair Virtual Location for Online Events 2:35 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - The Mummy (1999) 5:45 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - The Mummy Returns Fri. Oct. 23 - 8:30 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - Sleepy Hollow (1999) Sat. Oct. 24 - 11 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - Ghostbusters (2016) Sun. Oct. 25 - 9:20 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - Hocus Pocus Mon. Oct. 26 - 7 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - Hotel Transylvania 2 8-10 p.m. Monday Movie Madness: CLCE presents Despicable Me Virtual Location for Online Events 9 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Abby Duchow Scene Editor The House that Jack Built “I’d describe it as gory and disturbing, and it gets a bit weird near the end. It’s one of my favorite horror movies and is perfect for Halloween.”

Aeryn Kauffman Copy Desk Chief/Opinion Editor The Conjuring

“Real fookin’ spooky.”

Tues. Oct. 27 - 8 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - Hocus Pocus Weds. Oct. 28 - 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Blood Drive Off Campus Events 6:30 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - Disney and Pix- ar’s Monsters, Inc. 7-9:30 p.m. Geek Out, Game Out Student Union and Recreation Center Rm 135,

140, 137A, 137B

8:30 p.m. 31 Nights of Halloween - Disney and Pix- ar’s Monsters University

*Freeform.com

Bailey Tomlinson News Editor Killer Nerd (1991) “This movie is the embodiment of bad, campy horror. It’s a spectacle to behold, but in a really disappointing way.”

Rey Green Sports Editor Nightmare on Elm Street “I personally don’t like scary movies, don’t judge me, but they literally scar me. The movie wasn’t bad, it just scared the hell out of me.”

Comic by Tiffany Tablang