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The fire raging.
It was nearly 2 a.m. on Sunday, April 14 when Audry Baratto, a fourth-year film major, was getting ready for bed. “It was a normal night, all the lights were off, my cat was lying next to me and then I heard pounding on me and my neighbor’s door,” Baratto said. “I look through the peephole and see the guy that apparently lives below me, and he’s just pounding frantically on both of our doors, so I think ‘Okay, something’s going on.’ So I open the door, and he tells me the building’s on fire.” Baratto said that her fire alarm never went off, nor did anyone else’s to her knowledge.
That night, one of the Campus Village apartment buildings, located just north of CWU, caught fire. According to the incident report provided by the Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue, the fire was started accidentally when a cigar was disposed of into a planter on the second floor. A seemingly harmless action that turned into an emergency situation.
Search crews kicked in several doors in search of people unaware of the fire, finding two people asleep and completely oblivious. One person was sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation, but there were no fatalities or serious injuries involved with the fire. However, between property and content losses, there is an estimated loss of $500,000 in damages.
While emergency responders made a quick and effective response, Baratto doubts that tenants will be able to resume to normality any time soon. The apartment complex “is owned by PTLA Property Management, a property company that owns a lot of the off-campus apartments,” Baratto said.
Baratto is one of the residents whose unit was not affected by the fire and was able to enter her apartment the next day. However, the power to the apartment was off for about a day and a half. While for the most part this just meant extra blankets to keep warm during the night, it also meant that all of the food in Baratto’s fridge went bad, something not so easy to remedy on a college student’s budget.
“I honestly doubt that they’re gonna give us anything,” Baratto said. “They’ll probably just come up with some sad statement about people being displaced. They’re not going to give us money unless they need to. I think there were like five or six people that lost their homes. I’ve heard nothing from them. They’ll probably put out a statement, but it could be two months before we hear anything. Who knows?”
Baratto said that many in the complex are still missing pets that escaped the fire, and other residents are struggling to find housing.
A superior court judge refused to let an Edmonds man take back his guilty plea for his conviction for bringing methamphetamine into the Kittitas County Jail for another inmate, according to the Daily Record. John Matthew Lundy, 47, was sentenced to 55 and a half months in prison last year. He had been scheduled to go to trial in early September for second-degree introduction of contraband, but as the jury was being seated, Lundy changed his plea to guilty and jurors were sent home. During a hearing this week in Kittitas County Superior Court, Lundy served as his own attorney and asked Judge L. Candace Hooper to vacate his guilty plea. Lundy claimed possession of drugs was no longer illegal, so having meth in jail was the same as possessing candy.
The Ellensburg Police Department shared the results of its community survey at Monday’s city council meeting, according to the Daily Record. Overall, the 10 most concerning crimes were drug abuse; driving under the influence; child sexual predator/ internet safety; auto burglaries and theft; homeless- or transient-related problems; child abuse; school safety; domestic violence; residential burglary and theft; and sexual assault/rape.
A 37-year-old Ellensburg man was jailed after eluding Ellensburg police, allegedly speeding away from a traffic stop on his bike. The Daily Record reported that he ditched the bike and ran down the railroad tracks before being apprehended by police.
A central Indiana man, Timothy Florence, is claiming self-defense after police said he shot his neighbor who was mowing grass near his property line, according to KGET. Video shows the victim blowing the cut grass off his property as Florence blew it back toward him with the leaf blower. Florence also reportedly pointed the leaf blower at the victim, blowing air at him. When the victim then began mowing in Florence’s direction, Florence went behind the mower to the other side of the victim, drew a handgun from his holster, and shot the victim.
Columbia canceled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public Monday as some of the most prestigious U.S. universities sought to defuse campus tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas, according to the Associated Press. More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbia’s green were arrested last week.
Beloved ostrich dies at Kansas zoo after swallowing worker’s keys, according to The New York Times. Karen, a 5-year-old, was known for her playful antics, which included swimming in the enclosure’s pool, playing in the sprinkler and “dancing,” the zoo said Friday on social media. Attempts to save her were unsuccessful.
I’m back at design night this week after spending last Tuesday in Seattle attending the Seattle International Film Festival press night in anticipation of my coverage of SIFF next month. I am incredibly grateful for my fantastic team not only for keeping the boat afloat while I was gone with a great issue, and for their very sweet notes they left for me in their letter to the editor, but also for allowing me to depart for the most crucial night of our work week so that I could get one step closer to my dreams. They’re incredibly gracious, I would be nowhere without them.
I’m super excited for this week’s issue, as we are at long last making the leap to 16 pages, which is a goal of mine that I have had since I took this position at the end of the fall quarter. The last time that The Observer ran a 16-page issue was on April 12, 2023, back when I was still the sports editor just over a year ago. The front page story on that issue: “Central Washington Fire Training Academy opens doors for prospective firefighters,” which was written by the great Anna Fridell. A little ironic given our front page story this week, don’t ya think? Before that issue, the last 16-pager was on May 12, 2021. We’re printing the second 16-page issue of The Observer in the last 3 years. Pretty exciting. Absolutely all credit goes to our amazing editors, staff reporters and especially our capital-G GOATED designers Brandon and Z.
This week I am so proud of each and every story. It’s a news-heavy issue, leading off with our front-page story about the fire at Campus Village, of which my heart goes out to everyone affected. We also have a profile of one of the candidates for ASCWU president, which hopefully is the beginning of a series of profiles about the various candidates. We also have a great selection of scene stories this week, ranging from profiles on various artists and creatives around CWU who have been recognized for their work, to a highlight of the great Hot New Jam show from the weekend. And in sports, we have a profile on Jonathan Garza II, who just threw a got-damn no-hitter against Saint Martin’s. Pretty cool to be a Wildcat these days.
And there is so much more!! Please, I implore you to read each and every story in this week’s issue. There was so much love poured into every word, image and design.
And shout-out my guy Damian Lillard for that performance on Sunday. Forever my GOAT.
The Tortured Journalists Department Chairman, Isaac
Russia’s military death toll in Ukraine has now passed the 50,000 mark, according to the BBC. The second consecutive year of the conflict finds the body count nearly 25% higher than the first. The term ‘meat grinder’ has been used to describe the way Moscow sends waves of soldiers forward relentlessly to try to wear down Ukrainian forces and expose their locations to Russian artillery.
Record levels of rainfall have brought cities in the United Arab Emirates and Oman to a standstill, with at least 19 people killed in Oman and flights being diverted from Dubai’s airport, according to The New York Times. A year’s worth of rain fell in a single day in some areas, with experts saying the extreme deluge was likely the result of a regular rainy weather system being supercharged by climate change.
Nigeria introduces a new vaccine protecting people against five strains of meningitis, according to the World Health Organization. The immunization campaign aims to reach one million people following a 50% jump in annual meningitis cases reported across Africa. The shot provides broader protection than the current vaccine used in much of Africa, which is only effective against the A strain.
WU has been facing backlash as staff and students of color have been sharing their stories of incidents with police on campus. Most notably, esteemed English professor Dr. Bobby Cummings was recently questioned by police on campus, sparking over 30 faculty and staff to create a group in response to these incidents occurring at CWU.
In 2011, she was awarded a Distinguished Professor Award, and in 2020 received the Bobby Cummings Lifetime Achievement Award, which was named after her. She is also attributed greatly for her role in establishing the Africana and Black Studies minor.
The Observer was told that Cummings expressed to several colleagues her thoughts about this incident. Her colleagues recounted that on April 1, Cummings was sitting outside of Samuelson Hall when she was stopped by officers after a staff member called campus police, believing she was a homeless person.
As Cummings is a professor who has been working at CWU for decades, she was surprised when the officers present asked her for her ID. Even though she asserted that she is a faculty member, campus police persisted in asking her for her ID until they realized she was telling the truth.
A week later, President Jim Wohlpart sent an email out to address this incident. His retelling of the event goes as follows: “The police were responding to a call from another employee and determined that no police involvement in the incident was necessary.”
In response to this event, Wohlpart mentioned actions that will be taken to resolve incidents on campus.
“I will be asking our Community Policing Task Force, which has staff, faculty, and student representation, to review what occurred and provide recommendations for how we can learn from this incident,” he added. “As a university, we will be placing a strong emphasis on bias training.”
Dr. Griff Tester, a CWU professor in the Department of Sociology and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, is a member of this newly founded group of faculty and staff aimed at creating a more equitable environment on campus.
“One of the things that we have been talking about is if Central is going to be a community of equity and belonging, it really needs to be a community of equity and belonging,” Tester added. “What we’ve seen this group doing is creating our own com-
Creating a community of equity and belonging comes through action, which is what this group of faculty staff plans to do.
Some of these plans include conducting a teach-in where faculty and staff of color can share their experiences and stories of discrimination.
The group believes it is important to take action to resolve injustice and part of this action is listening to the voices affected and recognizing the trauma people of color face on campus and around the world.
According to Tester, that’s what President Wohlpart’s email lacks.
ing or acting as if we [the institution] have this new vision and mission and everything is better now.”
While other staff and students of color have come out with similar stories to Cummings, those contacted about their experience have declined to comment, preferring to address their experiences on their own terms as incidents like these take time to process.
“You get these emails [such as President Wohlpart’s email] that don’t acknowledge the trauma, and how the trauma reverberates out into the community,” he said. “And there were no resources provided at the end of that email.”
Tester took a critical approach to the statements made in President Wohlpart’s email addressing the issue with Cummings.
“The trauma experienced because of racism is often overlooked or minimized,” Tester said. “Individuals and groups may respond to the trauma of racism by concealing experiences of abuse, developing deep distrust and skepticism towards believing in change or leadership, and concerns about being retraumatized due to fear of being blamed for their own experiences of discrimination.”
“Great, more bias training,” he said. “But what does that training look like? Whose voices get heard in that training? Whose voices are not heard in that training? What’s really the purpose of that training? How do we really get at the heart of what’s going on?”
Tester cited President Wohlpart’s account of the event as inaccurate.
“Well, police were involved,” Tester said. “How do you call an officer asking Dr. Cummings for her ID ‘no police involvement.’ It’s an officer involving with a member of the community. It’s police involvement,” he added. “That statement suggests to people who don’t have more knowledge about this event, that really the police weren’t involved when they were involved.”
Tester offers a different solution for CWU’s response moving forward. “Acknowledge the experiences that people are having on this campus instead of pretend-
War, war never changes.” This iconic line has stood as a staple of the “Fallout” series, emphasizing the grim future for humanity in a post-apocalyptic world after the effects of nuclear fallout. I can’t emphasize how much I love the “Fallout” games. Each video game has supplied me with hundreds of hours of entertainment. It’s just insane thinking about how “Fallout” was originally just this little top-down RPG (Role-playing game) for the PC (Personalized Computer) in the late 90s. Only for one little game to lead to five sequels, one spinoff game and now its own TV show. The “Fallout” universe is rich with so much lore and different characters to the point where it can be very overwhelming. The TV show follows three main characters: Lucy, Maximus and Cooper. Lucy is a vault dweller (“Vaults” in the “Fallout” Universe are bomb shelters that were made by the fictional company Vault-Tec) that goes to the surface for the first time. Cooper, or as he’s called “The Ghoul,” is a centuries-old bounty hunter that’s always looking for a score. And Maximus, a member of a military faction called the Brotherhood of Steel. Maximus becomes a squire who wants to prove himself as a loyal follower and to one day be granted the title of Knight.
All three characters are played exceptionally well. Ella Purnell as Lucy does a great job playing a young wide-eyed vault dweller that doesn’t fully grasp how the wasteland is an awful place. Walton Goggins provides a ton of fun acting choices that really add to his character Cooper. The series of “Fallout” takes a lot of inspiration from old Hollywood movies. From cheesy B-movies to classic westerns, “Fallout” as a whole is just a huge love letter to these types of movies and Cooper is the best personification of this by playing a bounty hunter cowboy.
The overall story is pretty interesting and I’m honestly shocked by how engaging each main character’s stories are. I was originally worried that Lucy’s story would just be a mix of the “Fallout 3” and “Fallout 4” main storylines, but my worries were quickly washed away as the main story continued to progress. Cooper’s story provided a surprising amount of world-building that I actually like a lot. Like the creation of the inspiration for Vault-Tec’s mascot Vault Boy’s iconic thumbs up. But my personal favorite character out of the three leads was Maximus. His story of self-discovery was surprisingly really moving, his torment of choosing either between his religion and
his friends was a good basis for his character and I’m really excited to see what they do next with him. The Ghoul always steals the show whenever he’s on screen. The whole cowboy getup is just so cool and really makes his character stand out.
The pacing of the show is a little all over the place at times. Some scenes would go on for way too long and sometimes characters would just be physically all over the place. Characters would be here but then they would move on and then another character would go to that same place and do something that the original characters did not. This really happens in the middle and just kinda took me out of the show for a little bit but not by much.
One thing that really was really cool was just how practical the overall aesthetic of the show was. I was half expecting a fair amount of the effects to be computer-generated imagery but the makeup and wardrobe department went way beyond what I had originally anticipated. You can actually feel the power armor whenever they’re on screen. Each movement and footstep gives the viewer a sense of how strong this armor is. I do wish that we got to see more creatures but I understand why they didn’t have that many creatures because that would require a lot more funding. Sadly this first season only
shows a very small sample of this insanely large world. But probably the worst thing about this show is the ending of this first season.
The final episode was just way too rushed and actually had me asking more questions than the ones I had before I even saw the last episode. The information given to the audience is just a little too messy for my liking and doesn’t really do anything except make people want to watch season two. Again I know this is the point but there are other first seasons of TV shows that get the point across in a more effective and satisfying way that both gives a good resolution to the current season’s story but also provides enough to make people want to know what will happen next.
Overall the “Fallout” show stands as a beautiful adaptation of a beloved video game franchise. While it has some jankiness to its story and pacing, it’s easily made up for by the stellar cast, special effects and pretty good writing. With that, the “Fallout” TV series gets four potatoes. Now I personally can’t wait for season two but I have one thing to say to the showrunners of the TV series Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner, you better have super mutants in the next season.
Astaple experiment of any self-respecting celebrity’s career is a failed go-around in the music industry’s carousel. Even Kim Kardashian, an icon of eclectic money-making pursuits, turned up short with her attempt at vocal fame after her 2011 single “Jam (Turn It Up)” missed the mark. A new challenger with experience in the music industry is hoping to join the sparse ranks of celebrity-turned-singer success stories.
Recently, everyone’s favorite “Dance Moms” star, bow-wearing and self-proclaimed inventor of “gay pop,” Jojo Siwa, has embarked on the world’s most forced and least requested rebrand. Siwa’s single “Karma” released on April 5, 2024, and opened the floodgates for internet feedback. The track, along with its music video, portrays Siwa in an edgy, rock-inspired outfit, a stark transition from her familiar children-focused branding. Everything from the track’s explicit language to the music video’s sexual content has captured the media’s attention.
Siwa spent the month prior to releasing “Karma” preparing au-
diences for her new image. “No one has made, in my generation, this extreme of a switch,” Siwa said. Her new aesthetic focuses more on colorful language than a colorful wardrobe and feels like a well-funded dress-up scheme as opposed to an attempt to share a genuine version of herself.
A significant wave of backlash towards Siwa developed after clips of musician Brit Smith’s original recording of the track resurfaced. Smith’s demo, titled “Karma’s a Bitch,” was recorded in 2012 but never officially released. Many fans have openly expressed their preference for Smith’s version over Siwa’s, accrediting their favor to Smith’s superior vocal ability.
Perhaps Siwa’s most pot-stirring moment in this journey was her now infamous comment on an interview with Billboard News. Siwa recalls a conversation with her record label where she explained that “I wanna start a new genre of music, and they [the label] said ‘What do you mean?’ Well, it’s called gay pop.” Siwa immediately followed this proclamation by comparing “Karma” to other songs from Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus that she felt belonged in the same category.
The internet speedily ran to spread the word that Siwa was crediting herself with creating the “gay pop” genre. Social media users worldwide have joined forces in a rarely-seen communal effort to call attention to the many artists and songs who have defined this genre for decades. George Michael, Freddy Mercury, Elton John and, of course, David Bowie paved the way for artists like Siwa. The current music landscape is filled with artists who continue this legacy, Siwa is far from an orphan of her trailblazers.
In the wake of criticism, Siwa has clarified her statement, explaining that she acknowledges the artists already dominating the genre. She further details; “I think I just want to make it more clear that gay pop is a genre.” Despite these clarifications, the damage has been done. Siwa’s attempted rebrand has sparked endless conversations and feedback, both positive and negative. For better or for worse, audiences can expect that “Karma” is only the tip of Siwa’s upcoming musical iceberg.
In rapid-fire style, I’d like to go over my top five movies of the year so far ahead of my attendance of the Seattle International Film Festival as press next month! It’s been an interesting year, but I’ve had a good time at the movies. There have been scares, thrills, kills and a whole lot more. But what is the best Hollywood has to offer so far?
Honorable mentions: “Lisa Frankenstein” and “Civil War”
Not many people saw this movie, it came and went in theaters pretty quick, but I was pleasantly delighted by it. “Snack Shack” stars newcomer Conor Sherry and “The Fabelmans” breakout star – and one of my favorite actors – Gabriel LaBelle as two hooligans living in Nebraska City in 1991 who find themselves running the snack shack at the local pool.
The movie isn’t revolutionary. It follows pretty traditional coming-ofage beats, you’ve seen these storylines and characters before, but each performance is so electric, and the energy the film creates is addictive. It’s a great time with friends, especially as we head into the summer.
4. ‘Love Lies Bleeding’
I absolutely loved Rose Glass’ debut film “Saint Maud,” so needless to say I was incredibly excited to see this, and I liked it a lot! It didn’t live up to my admittedly sky-high expectations, but it works incredibly well as a 90s genre-film throwback which not only features a movie star in Kristen Stewart, but also creates one in Katy O’Brian.
The ensemble featuring Stewart and O’Brian is buffed out with Ed Harris, Dave Franco, Jena Malone and more. Glass creates a tension that runs throughout the movie and feels like it could snap at any minute, and when it does, it’s so rewarding.
3. ‘Immaculate’
I have already expressed my love for “Immaculate” before in the paper, but any chance to praise it will be a chance I take.
I’m still shocked at how great this was, and specifically at how great Sydney Sweeney was.
The final scene is one for the ages, Sweeney’s performance solidifies her as one of our great screamqueens in a quite literal way. This would be my number two of the year, if not for the very similar…
2. ‘The First Omen’
Talk about nun-sploitation! “The First Omen” takes everything that “Immaculate” had brought back to the cinemas just weeks prior, and dials it up to 11. “The First Omen” looks and feels exactly like a true respects-paid modernization of the original classic. This movie is VILE, truly evil and so much fun. There are many homages throughout to horror classics, both old and new, there is one towards the end that is a reference to “Possession” that I adored.
Another movie that hangs over this movie like a cloud is – ironically – “Saint Maud.” If you take anything away from this piece, I guess it should be to watch “Saint Maud.” It’s like “Joker” for church camp kids, which might be the best sentence I’ve ever written.
1. ‘Dune: Part Two’
What else would it be? I won’t take too much of your time. But “Dune: Part Two” still rips. I’ve seen it four times to date, and given that I have just purchased it on Amazon, that count shall grow very quickly. Bring on “Dune: Messiah.”
Welcome to this week’s issue of Sound Bite! The biggest news of the week is the release of Taylor Swift’s latest album “THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY.” The release has been long awaited by fans, which makes the extra 15 songs included on the album an even bigger surprise. At this point, it’s hard to gather a general consensus on the album as reactions seem to be all over the place. Regardless, the album is on track to be the largest release of the year.
There have been a few major developments in the Kendrick and Drake beef. Recently Drake officially released his leaked diss “Push Ups” on streaming platforms. On top of this, he just released an extremely controversial follow-up freestyle on his Instagram entitled “Taylor Made Freestyle” in which he inexplicably uses AI to mimic both Tupac and Snoop Dogg to attack Kendrick. While the diss is more of a rush track to encourage Kendrick than anything else, the use of AI is the real controversy. People are debating whether or not it’s morally acceptable, or if it takes credibility from Drake as some people are labeling him a “Culture Vampire.”
Although J. Cole removed himself from the beef after publicly apologizing to Kendrick, it seems the rest of the community isn’t done with him. Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) recently released a remixed version of “Like That” by Future and Metro Boomin in which he levels even more at shots at Drake and J. Cole. Although his politics are extremely controversial there is still a diehard sect of rap culture that worships Ye and his music, so his coming out against Drake and J. Cole is a huge development in the drama. On top of this, Chris Brown just started his own beef against Quavo in an effort to seemingly revitalize his career. His diss is extremely personal, pointed and aggressive in a manner far more real than Drake and Kendrick’s surface-level battle. It very much promises violence if the two ever see each other, and levels extremely heavy accusations towards Quavo. In other news, it’s that time of year when artists start dropping singles with the hopes of becoming the ever-exclusive song of the summer. A front runner in the race for radio hit is “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter which is the latest single by the Disney star turned pop star. In other pop news, Dua Lipa has a new album coming out on May 3 which could be a strong competitor for the largest summer hit. Either way, it’s promising to be a great next few months for music.
This week I’m delivering a curated series of ethereal, sparkling, enigmatic spring songs for my ethereal, sparkling, enigmatic spring mood.
“Treehouse” - Marlon Dubois
This is what Gandalf would listen to if he was a 19-year-old white boy who really likes cloud rap.
“Let Me Go - Eeera Remix” - Eliproperr, Eera I’m floating. Eli and Eera send me skyward with their rave-adjacent ambient-adjacent production.
“Ef” - Chanel Beads
I got put on “Ef” a few days ago and have been bumping it ever since. Beautiful lyrics, beautiful vocal performance. This track was made for laying in the grass and basking in the sun.
On stage without a script, following the directions of the audience may be intimidating to you, but for them, this is no big deal. The Hot New Jam had their first show of the spring quarter on Saturday night, and started with a bang.
This club is CWU’s only improv team, composed of a group of comedians who make up scenes, characters and jokes on the spot, based on suggestions from the audience. The Hot New Jam has nine members: Annika Brimhall, Bailey Frasier, Cesar Trejo, Dylan Santini, Heidi Palko, Mercer Akeson, Sayli Keni, Shawn Mulligan and Z Morris.
This group goes up on a stage and has to improvise a scene based on the audience’s suggestions. “With improv, you’re making the discoveries about the characters at the same time that the audience is, you’re not doing your character analysis backstage before a show, you’re onstage learning what all these characters are doing and making stuff up on the fly,” Shawn Mulligan, senior musical theater major and president of The Hot New Jam, said.
The nature of improv doesn’t allow the team to prepare for their shows the same way as other comedians and actors. There is a lot of room for interpretation and creative expression, they can take an audience’s suggestion and take it in whichever direction they want.
“Sometimes there will be a joke or a TikTok format that’s really popular and you have to be really, in my opinion, up to date on that kind of stuff, so preparation in
that regard is a little bit difficult,” Mercer Akeson, a sophomore English education major and treasurer of The Hot New Jam, said. Improv requires participants to be ready for any suggestion, building scenes and characters off of the ideas from the viewers. “I relate it to more like Michael Scott from the office,” Akeson said. “Like, ‘I have a gun!,’ you just never know what’s gonna happen.”
The community around improv is very supportive and inclusive, drawing in people from different perspectives, cultures and backgrounds.
“Our community’s here support us,” Mulligan said. “We call them The Hot New Fans, the ones who come to the shows regularly and come to improv on Fridays. They’re always there to sort of boost us up, and to really build off of this sort of community thing that we have created.”
For an hour each week at their scheduled meetings, the group opens their practices to all CWU students. This is where they will review announcements and play improv
games together to put their skills to the test.
“I’d say it’s [improv is] always a useful skill,” Akeson said. “I’m an English education major and so I feel like being in front of the classroom, you’ll always have to think on the fly, and improv is applicable to a lot of things.”
This year, The Hot New Jam is celebrating their 10th anniversary as an established club at CWU. Admission is free for students and community members to attend their final shows of the quarter on May 4 and May 25.
Corinne Williamson is a CWU music education major student who has just made history by being the first CWU student to win the Undergraduate Solo National Trumpet Competition in Kingsville, Texas.
Williamson won in the Vincent Bach Undergraduate Solo Division with a reward prize of $3,000. The competition consists of nine total sections representing trumpet players in secondary and higher education around the nation.
Williamson cites her older sister as her biggest inspiration for starting music. “She was a flute player in middle school, and her best friend at the time was a trumpet player,” Williamson said. “And so they would come after school all the time. And I was getting ready to go into sixth grade and I was thinking if I wanted to be in a band or not. And my sister’s friend was like you should play the trumpet. And so she let me try out her trumpet and gave me a couple of lessons and I just fell in love with it.”
When Willamson was participating in the national championship, she was up against 70 other trumpet players. “We were competing against the best of the best,” Williamson said. She chose the song “Concerto” for trumpet and orchestra by William Lovelock.
Willamson describes this song as a pretty obscure piece of music that she had first learned about from John Harbaugh, her trumpet teacher. However, what really drew Williamson to this piece of music was the slow lyrical sections. She described the song as having “beautiful; melodic material that kind of almost sounds like a folk song.”
Williamson practiced the song every day for nine months up until April 11, when she played it at the competition. For further practice, she even played the song at her senior recital in November of last year, with the full amount of practice culminating at around eight months.
“Musicians are their own worst critics,” Williamson said. “It’s kind of tricky. I mean, I think because as a practicing musician, you hear yourself every day. And you never really hear the final product in the way that you want it to be. And it’s always perfect inside our heads, but it’s not always perfect outside of our head.”
This is Williamson’s senior year at CWU. She’s going into elementary musical education, where she will be teaching elementary students how to play different instruments. Williamson advised future music students to learn how to set musical goals for themselves so they can improve. Williamson stated that she can’t stress enough how important it is for musicians “to be humans before they are musicians, that way you can pour your heart into music.”
What are the traits of a strong leader? Every year elections are held to decide who the new ASCWU president will be. This person will play a role in giving students a voice when it comes to all legislative issues on CWU’s campus. The question is, what kinds of skills does it take to fill those shoes? Presidential Candidate Eli Alvarado discussed his thoughts on that matter and how he hopes to serve CWU students.
Alvarado is a music performance major who transferred to CWU during winter quarter this year. When asked what drew him to the position of ASCWU president, Alvarado stated that he felt leadership came naturally to him. “I feel like my truest self [and] I feel extremely confident,” Alvarado said. “I also love to coordinate. It’s almost like [visualizing] little boxes that I can rearrange in a way. I can see all the things I need to do to make something successful.”
Beyond that, there are a few key reasons why Alvarado feels that he could serve as a representative of the student body. “I believe students deserve a president that is not afraid to ask difficult questions and makes sure their constituents are heard,” Alvarado said.
He highlights the importance of actually taking action when it comes to issues that students face and not making empty promises just to please the masses. In regards to his priorities, Alvarado wants to make sure to “not only include accountability, and making sure we actually do what we are going to say, but workers rights… that’s something I want to push harder,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado has served in several leadership positions previously, including both the vice presidential and presidential positions of the community service club at his high school, which allowed him to participate and connect with others regarding how best to serve the student community. “I was also part of a network committee where me and other student leaders could network and talk about ways to better serve our constituents and just overall grow our leadership experiences,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado clarifies that there’s more to leadership than just naturalness and past experiences, which is a desire to help. “On a personal level, I really care about people,” he said. “Especially student workers. My parents are immigrants and so they started from literally zero to where they are now.”
Alvarado went on to say that a big goal of his is to fight against discrimination in campus workplaces, citing specifically racism, sexism and homophobia. “Our mission is that we have equity and belonging in every single one of our facets,” Alvarado said. To Alvarado, the best learning can only be done in a place in which every student feels a sense of belonging and comfortableness, and one of his plans to do that is by establishing a multicultural center.
“We’re soon going to be turning into a Hispanic serving institution, we need those spaces to facilitate our people who come from diverse backgrounds,” Alvarado said. “Making sure that’s a priority is important to me.” Outside of his focus on equity, workers’ rights and accountability,
Alvarado has other plans for CWU that he thinks will be of benefit to the student body. Chief among these plans is more direct communication, particularly between students and administration.
“I also want to create a president’s roundtable, maybe every month or every quarter, to make sure that the student leaders here at Central have a mic,” Alvarado said. “A time that they can go and say what they need to say to our board of directors and other student leaders to not only network but feel like they have support in their initiatives.”
However his priorities also extend beyond political ventures, expressing a desire to make CWU a place where families can feel part of their students’ learning experience. “I also want to bring back family weekends,” Alvarado said.
He details that, as a Hispanic student, family is very important to him. He wants to ensure that there’s time for families to get to see their children and experience the institution where their education is taking place.
“I think that’s important because it would make Central feel like a family college,” Alvarado said. Other goals he would like to pursue are the opening of more gen-
der-neutral bathrooms around campus and supporting departments that may be negatively impacted by monetary issues, such as budget cuts.
Alvarado also acknowledges that music performance isn’t usually a major you see paired with student government, but he feels that there are some places where performance and leadership intersect with each other.
“When you’re in these positions of power, everything is kind of a performance,” Alvarado said. Clarifying that he doesn’t mean being a leader is performative, Alvarado highlighted that skills such as public speaking and debate have elements of performance to them. “That’s a lot of performing, that’s a lot of learning how to speak eloquently enough to convey a message,” Alvarado said.
He also added that building an image for oneself can be very performative, but that he feels he doesn’t need to build an artificial picture of himself to present to the student body. “I don’t have to work to create an image for myself because I feel other people see me as someone who will fight for them and will push for the things they want,” Alvarado said.
Seniors Gracen Bayer, and, Jakob Burnham and junior Dylan Hanson, are the CWU students and creatives behind two short films that were recently selected to be shown at the KINO Short Film Festival in Moscow, Idaho this weekend. (The writer of this piece has worked with all three of these filmmakers in the past, but not on any of the films discussed
to the film festival).
Bayer’s short film “Picnic”
and Hanson’s short film “In My
both selected. “Picnic” was
edited and shot entirely by Bayer,
ham and Hanson worked on “In
together under their
DARKROOM509.
“509, like the Ellensburg area
ham said. “Not everyone’s gonna
Dreams”], it’s just weird. That’s just
things, especially in DARKROOM.”
Dreams” is a horror short filmed
Magazine office in Lind Hall following two journalists investigating a lead about people claiming they’ve seen look-alikes
their small town.
Burnham and co. were implored by the film program to submit their short films to many local festivals. Seeing that submission to KINO was free, Burnham and Hanson thought why not? Burnham says that he was happy to submit “In My Dreams,” as it’s the short that he is the most proud of amongst his array of projects.
“Big inspirations were like that YouTube analog stuff, like backroom stuff, and ‘Skinamarink’ … We literally watched [‘Skinamarink’] while we were shot-listing,” Burnham said.
Hanson shared that Burnham was the one who pushed to make something in-line with analog horror, which was something that Hanson says he was previously unfamiliar
“I’m sometimes out of touch to be honest,
terms of what’s going on in popular and
rent media,” said Hanson. Hanson
had a feeling “In My Dreams”
from the first time they
“When we screened [“In My
our class … there was just a
when that short ended,” Hanson said.
felt that silence in the air … When we
lected for the festival, it was really
with film … You’re not making any
something and you’re working long
it, and then eventually you get some sort of recognition for it. It’s very rewarding and surprising in the best way possible.”
Bayer, who is in the nation’s capital right now as one of eight directors in the country chosen to participate in the Kennedy Center
College Theater Festival, made “Picnic” for her cinematography class in her sophomore year.
“Picnic” is a dialogue-less film that Bayer describes as “struggling with childhood expectations, and those expectations not becoming reality as you eventually grow up into an oblique adulthood.” Bayer grew up in Alabama, going to a river similar to the one the film is set at, and says that some of her inspiration for the film came from her struggle to adjust to her new life in Ellensburg.
“I made that film two years ago, which was a very different time in my life,” Bayer said. “I was still finding myself in college, but also in Ellensburg. I feel like Ellensburg reveals itself to you piece-by-piece, and one of those pieces for me was that river and I just kept going back to that river every time I needed to cry or I needed a moment to myself. It became a sort of sanctuary for me.”
A theme of interest for Bayer was the idea of sexualization, and specifically how she feels consumption is something she feels is both uniquely femme, and also something that has been polluted for her in adulthood. Towards the middle of the film, Bayer shoots her lead actress Sydney Renee eating raspberries off of her fingers, which is one of the more direct visualizations of her messages.
“I feel that consumption and fruit is very feminine,” Bayer said. “I think it’s an interesting discussion of how these child-like things and these child-like ways of consumption are sexualized. I remember as a kid putting those things on my fingers and eating like that, but I think now if I did that as an adult that can also be seen as sexy … being a child and so innocent and consuming, and then growing up and reflecting on all of that and wanting to do those things now, but knowing how they’d be perceived, it’s just a really interesting conversation to have.”
Living on a college campus can be an exciting and transformative experience for many students. It provides an opportunity to immerse oneself in a vibrant community, make lifelong friendships and engage in different social activities. However, not everyone has the same circumstances or preferences when it comes to their living arrangements during college.
When choosing not to live on a college campus, individuals may experience both advantages and disadvantages in terms of their social life and overall college experience.
Erin Vandecar, a freshman studying business administration, lives on campus. Vandecar said she didn’t actively participate in freshman events or dorm activities which made it harder for her to initially make friends, but she found that living on campus and attending in-person classes helped her.
“I’m glad I did in-person classes while staying on campus,” Vandecar said. “So that way I’m connected a lot better.” She emphasized that making genuine friendships was more challenging than she expected even though she was surrounded by people.
Frances Valverde, a first-year business student, who doesn’t live on campus also expressed that it has been challenging to make friends. For Valverde, simply attending classes and talking to her classmates hasn’t led to sustained relationships.
“I think from what I’ve seen, just being on campus 24/7 provides more opportunity [and] activities to do with friends,” Valverde said. “And you’re just around people more often, not in a classroom setting.”
Being around people outside of a classroom setting can help facilitate social connections. Valverde recognized that she could put more effort into staying on campus for longer periods, as she typically goes straight to class and then back home without spending additional time on campus.
She mentioned that going to the gym with friends is one of the activities she enjoys on campus, as well as a good way to meet new people. Valverde also highlighted the motivation she gets from studying at the library with someone, as it helps her stay accountable and focused on her schoolwork. These activities have played a significant role in her efforts to build and maintain friendships at CWU.
Vandecar accredits the diversity at CWU for providing many opportunities to meet people. She shared that she had recently found her core group of friends back home, which furthered her troubles in finding genuine friends at CWU. While it was easy for Vandecar to socialize in her classes, it was difficult for her to find people to hang out with outside of class time. This made staying at CWU more challenging for Vandecar, as it often led to her spending time alone in her dorm room.
Vandecar mentioned the convenience of having everything within walking distance; such as medical facilities, food options, gyms and even a food pantry. This accessibility made it easy for her to get what she needed.
appreciates having her own space, including a bedroom and a bathroom.
Living off-campus, just a short distance away, provides convenience, personal space and avoids parking issues but she feels it hinders her social connections.
One downside for Vandecar was being away from her friends and family, and having to adapt to a new life but she has taken it as a learning experience. “Another pro could be just gaining that independence,” she said.
Vandecar also mentioned that the social scene at CWU was not very active in terms of events, which could be seen as a con for those seeking more social opportunities.
Valverde lives just five minutes away from campus. She mentioned the convenience of being close to campus and not having to worry about parking issues or potential damage to her car. Additionally, she
Charis Jones & Isaac Hinson
Sports Editor, Editor-in-chiefn a closely contested series last weekend against their rivals, the Western Washington University (WWU) Vikings, the CWU softball team battled through every inning and ended with a hard-fought split over the four games, snapping the Viking’s 17-game win-streak. Despite the even outcome, the Wildcats emerged from the showdown with valuable lessons learned and a strong sense of determination for the upcoming Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament next week.
“Beating the 11-ranked team in the country twice when no one was picking us to win any games in the series gave us confidence moving forward into senior night this weekend … and [to] finish the job and secure a spot in the GNAC Tournament,” Reese Schimmel, a junior/catcher infielder said.
CWU softball’s head coach Joe DiPietro said that the Vikings’ winning streak wasn’t necessarily on the mind of the Wildcats, as they were more concerned with playoff positioning
tently] because we’re going against obviously one of the best teams in the country.”
WWU currently stands with an overall record of 34-5 and a GNAC record of 14-3, whereas CWU’s season has shown a broader range of outcomes. However, despite the numerical differences the Wildcats have proven themselves as formidable contenders as exemplified by their victories in the first and third games of the series, with scores of 3-2 and 2-1.
“We knew that WWU was a good team all around and we were going to have to play our best game in all aspects in order to win,” Schimmel said. “We talked a lot about going into the series with confidence and having fun playing the game at a level we know we are capable of.”
Facing some of the best hitters in the nation, CWU’s pitching staff managed to hold the Vikings to minimal runs, showcasing their composure under pressure.
“I think Ashley Laver pitched really well this weekend,” DiPietro said. “She’s a fifth-
The next time the Wildcats take the mound will be for their final series of the regular season as they’ll conclude with a double-header on April 27 for senior night, where DiPietro said they will be honoring nine seniors. DiPietro highlighted the leadership shown by the seniors on the team.
“They’ve been great leaders with some of our younger players,” DiPietro said. “When they lead they’re not telling people what to do, they’re helping them, there’s a big difference. When your peers are telling you what to do, it usually doesn’t go over well. Our girls haven’t done that, they haven’t let that creep in.”
With the GNAC Tournament only a week away, the CWU softball team has been buckling down and honing their skills both on and off the field. Whether it’s fine-tuning their techniques during practice or conditioning their mentalities, the Wildcats are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of success.
“First and foremost, our main goal this season has been making it to and winning the
April 6 was a big day for CWU baseball; junior starting pitcher Jonathan Garza ll mowed through Saint Martin University’s lineup not allowing one batter to record a hit in seven innings of work. This game ultimately resulted in an 11-0 win for the Cats and gave head coach Desi Storey an eventful way to earn career win 700.
Garza is out of Othello, Washington and stands at six feet tall and 185 pounds. He leads the team in strikeouts as well as total innings pitched. Garza was primarily used as a relief pitcher last season but has worked his way towards being one of the most dangerous arms out of the starting pitchers.
“I mean, everybody is chasing the no hitter during the defense and all but when I was pitching, I was just trying
to finish the game,” Garza said. “I just wanted us to get that W so it was a big sigh of relief at the end.”
In his previous matchup vs. Saint Martin’s University, it was not the greatest outing from Garza, where in 2.2 innings he allowed seven hits, four earned runs, two walks and didn’t record a single strikeout before being pulled. But he completely flipped the script in his next matchup with them. The following game came around and he pitched the full seven innings and had six strikeouts.
“Last time I had been a little injured and they kind of hit me around a little bit,” Garza said. “So I knew coming into this game I needed to be on my A-game to give us the best shot at win-
to kind of dominate that game and show them that I am good enough to play against them.”
Family is something that has given Garza motivation throughout his career. Like any baseball dad his father is always in his ear letting him know what he could improve on while also continuing to be his biggest fan.
“My dad has always been my biggest supporter and my biggest critic,” Garza said. “So when I’m having great games, he’s the guy who will tell me first and when I am having a not so great game. He is the one who let me know of it for sure.”
Junior catcher Travis Helm is someone who is very familiar with Garza’s pitching as he has spent time in the
about how Garza is always asking for feedback on how his pitches look and looking for the slightest adjustments he can make to be better.
“Seeing Garza finish the no-hitter was a very surreal moment,” Helm said. “All the guys were filled with happiness for him. Every baseball player dreams of being a part of one and Garza gave us all that opportunity.”
Head coach Desi Storey mentioned how Garza’s competitiveness stands out to him as well as being able to show his maturity. Storey also praised how great of arm strength Garza has and his breaking ball to compliment it.
“He has worked hard at getting better and his maturity is showing,” Storey said. “He did a great job controlling his emotions during the game and after he was extremely excited. He wanted it.”
“Everybody is chasing the no hitter during the defense but when I was pitching, I was just trying to finish the game.”
-
2. THE STATE CAPITAL.
6. FAMOUS SEATTLE LANDMARK KNOWN FOR ITS 360 DEGREE VIEWS.
7. __ NORTH WEST
8. THE STATE FLOWER.
9. A POPULAR COFFEE CHAIN THAT WAS BORN IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
10. THE STATE FRUIT
2. THE STATE CAPITAL.
6. FAMOUS SEATTLE LANDMARK KNOWN FOR ITS 360 DEGREE VIEWS.
7. __ NORTH WEST 8. THE STATE FLOWER.
9. A POPULAR COFFEE CHAIN THAT WAS BORN IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
10. THE STATE FRUIT
Down
1. ALSO KNOWN AS THE __ STATE.
3. THE STATE BASEBALL TEAM.
4. THE STATE FOOTBALL TEAM.
5. THE STATE WATERFALL.
Crossword Key from Issue 2
I started as a seed
Megan Foster
I was planted And watered And fed by the sun
So I sprouted slowly
2. THE STATE CAPITAL.
I sprouted from the ground
2. THE STATE CAPITAL.
Where my limbs were small and frail
6. FAMOUS SEATTLE LANDMARK KNOWN FOR ITS 360 DEGREE VIEWS.
6. FAMOUS SEATTLE LANDMARK KNOWN FOR ITS 360 DEGREE VIEWS.
Before I reached up toward the sun
7. __ NORTH WEST
7. __ NORTH WEST
8. THE STATE FLOWER.
8. THE STATE FLOWER.
I reached for fuel And for love
And with hopes to grow
1. ALSO KNOWN AS THE __ STATE.
THE STATE BASEBALL TEAM.
1. ALSO KNOWN AS THE __ STATE.
THE STATE BASEBALL TEAM.
THE STATE FOOTBALL TEAM.
THE STATE FOOTBALL TEAM.
THE STATE WATERFALL.
THE STATE WATERFALL.
9. A POPULAR COFFEE CHAIN THAT WAS BORN IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. 10. THE STATE FRUIT.
9. A POPULAR COFFEE CHAIN THAT WAS BORN IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
THE STATE FRUIT
So I grew petals
And I changed colors
And I stood proud and tall
But before I knew it My petals started to fade
And then I felt them fall
But I know that soon
I’ll be a seed
A seed
That will be planted again
Lexie McCoy is a junior at CWU majoring in environmental science with a specialization in policy. McCoy grew up in California before moving to the west side of Washington state when she was 10. She is the treasurer for the environmental club and works at the Wildcat Farm as the community garden coordinator.
Why did you decide to come to CWU?
“Financially, it was one of two options, and my other option was WSU; and I didn’t like that it wasn’t flat cause I like riding my bike everywhere. So I counted the amount of bikes at each school, and I chose the one with more [and] this campus is just flatter.”
How did you get into your position in the environmental club?
“So I’m the treasurer for the environmental club, and I first got into it because I was doing a sustainability project through an introduction to sustainability class last year. And so I made a ton of sustainability connections, and I kind of got involved in the environmental club, and then they had a graduating member and so I ran for their position that wasn’t being filled.”
Can you tell me about your job at Wildcat Farm?
“[S]o I help out at the farm with farm duties, and then I also help with recruitment for our Community Garden. [The] Community Garden is where people can check out plots, to garden their own food here, and it’s completely free. Everything’s free, the tools [and] the seeds. So, I’m trying to get up like student involvement with that, and I like how it really goes well with sustainability; because that’s my major, and that’s what my club is and working on sustainable agriculture seems like a really nice way to just make everything come together.”
How would someone get involved with the Wildcat Farm if they wanted to?
“So to have a plot at the community garden, or just, if you want to just volunteer, you can just email wildcatfarm@cwu.edu and then we will email back with all the information that the person wanted.”
Going forward, what is one sustainable practice that you would like to see implemented further at CWU?
“I mean I haven’t educated myself a ton on the subject, but I do know that right now people are working on Central’s fossil fuel divestment. So, I would like to see that move forward. The farm is working on getting a bigger compost site, and so I’m really excited to see that implemented. [Then] we can compost more of our food here on campus.”
How do you measure success?
“That’s a really hard question. I feel like I measure success through growth. As long as you’re making progress, that’s all that really matters.”
Noon to 1 p.m. - Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series: Roy Scranton - Brooks Library 2nd Floor Commons
to 6: 30 p.m. - Provost Lecture Series: Dominic Kylve - on Zoom
to 7: 30 p.m. - - Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series: Roy Scranton - Health Sciences Room 102
to 8: 30 p.m. - Open Mic Night: Holmes Dining Room
Noon to 1: 30 p.m. - Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series: Climate Panel - Ellensburg Public Library
5 to 6 p.m. - S&A Committee Meeting: on Zoom
2 p.m. and 7 p.m. - CWU Dance Academy presents “The Sleeping Beauty”Morgan Performing Arts Center
2 p.m. - CWU Dance Academy presents “The Sleeping Beauty” - Morgan Performing Arts Center
3 to 4: 30 p.m. - CWU Piano Extravaganza: Dr. Wayne S. - Hertz Concert Hall
5 to 7 p.m. - Slime Bar De-Stress: Brooks Library 152
6 to 9 p.m. - Monday Movie Madness: “Wonka”SURC Theatre
3 to 4:30 p.m. - FB Virtual Career Event - on Zoom
4 to 5 p.m. - Career Fair Prep: Samuelson 128
Noon to 2 p.m. - Second Harvest Mobile Pantry: McIntyre Music Building