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Diversity
News
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Opinion
Events
April 06, 2022
Vol. 122 NO. 1
By the students, for the students
Alford-Montgomery residents relocated to new halls due to boiler failure Photo by Brevin Ross/The Observer, Alford-Mongomery will be closed for the foreseeable future as residents moved to new halls due to a boiler failure.
By Evan Couch News Editor Residents of Alford-Montgomery Hall (Al-Monty) started off the quarter by being told they need to pack up their belongings and move to another hall. A boiler failure causing heating issues is what made housing decide to have residents leave the building. Vice President of Public Affairs Kremiere Jackson provided information on the incident. According to Jackson, the facilities director was in contact with the housing department to let them know that one of the boilers used to heat the hall and water was experiencing a failure. The failure meant that students living in Al-Monty
would not have access to heat or hot water. Jackson said due to supply chain issues, they are unsure when the damaged boiler will be repaired. Until then, Al-Monty will remain closed. Jackson said their hope is to have it up and running by fall quarter for new incoming students. In the meantime, residents of Al-Monty will have to move to new resident halls. “We made the decision unfortunately right after spring break that we needed to move those students,” Jackson said. Jackson explained that as of Thursday, March 31, the decision was made to have students in Al-Monty move to new halls such as Sparks, Davies and
Quigley by Tuesday, April 5. Those three halls are where Al-Monty’s students will stay until the end of the quarter. “We felt like that was the best solution for the students so that they will not have more disruption,” Jackson said. In order to help ease the disruption at the start of the quarter, Jackson said they contacted faculty of affected students to allow for accommodations as they transition and move to their new living spaces. “If there are accommodations that need to be made academically, we have contacted them [faculty] as well so that they are aware,” Jackson said. According to Dawn Alford, the director of strategic commu-
nications & digital media, other ways the university offered resources included providing boxes and offering help during the relocation times. There are 70 total students that will be moving from Al-Monty, five of which are Resident Advisors for the building. First year student Ryan Gildersleeve explained what the experience has been like for him. “It was not a fun situation,” Gildersleeve said. “A lot of it was just confusion and anger.” Gildersleeve explained that leaving Al-Monty after building a strong community amongst the residents was weird. Gildersleeve said he moved into his new hall on Thursday,
March 30. According to Gildersleeve, it was a very clean transition between halls despite being last minute. “Moving was really good,” Gildersleevse said. “The RA’s did a good job of keeping doors open for people that were coming in, it was a really congested situation but everyone here handled it really well. It was a fairly easy moving process.” Despite the sudden change, Gildersleeve said he looks forward to what the change will bring as he finishes the year. “I’m definitely excited,” Gildersleeve said. “It kind of shakes things up and after the dust settles it’s exciting being in a whole new area, you’ve got so much more to explore and people to talk to.”
Budget projections reflect impending cuts
Impact of 2023 budget less severe than originally anticipated By Katherine Camarata Scene Editor The 2023 budget projections reflect decreases in Non-Tenured Track (NTT) faculty salary from previous years across all departments, with the Colleges of Education and Professional Studies,
Arts and Humanities and Business facing the greatest losses. In contrast with the initial budget projections that sparked concern (see “Fall enrollment projections spark concerns over NTT faculty job security”), the decreases have lessened over the past month.
The College of Education and Professional Studies went from a $1.4 million decrease to a $1.1 million decrease, the College of Arts and Humanities went from a $990,668 decrease to a $779,479 decrease, the College of the Sciences went from a $736,704 decrease to a $417,756 decrease and the
College of Business went from a $647,235 decrease to a $523,949 decrease.While the most recent budget projections show less loss than before, they still signify a decrease that will impact each college. According to Vice President of Financial Affairs Joel Klucking, the impact of the cuts will
vary greatly from department to department. He said departments that teach more general education courses were initially impacted, because the pandemic caused first year classes to be smaller over the last couple years.
Full story online
A LOOK BEYOND
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April 06, 2022
Letter from the Editor Hello! My name is Star Diavolikis, and I am the new Editor-in-Chief for The Observer for spring quarter. I have been on staff for five quarters, with this being my sixth. I am proud of the work we have created. The Observer has come a long way, and it is amazing to witness the evolution of student media. We have created connections with our sister publications, PULSE Magazine and Central News Watch, as well as creating connections with different people in the community. I have taken part in major stories such as reporting on a Dining Supervisor involved with serious allegations and wrote impactful opinion pieces revolving around culture and identity. My mission is to provide content that is interesting and includes all walks of life by delving into cultural and identity-based stories in our new section, “The Diversity Page.” As a young Indigenous and Greek woman, I believe representation matters. I hope our work will reflect that - that we become a newspaper everybody would like to pick up and read as it focuses on topics and concerns of every group of the population. Creating content for everybody to either connect to or observe can seem like a big quest, but I am ready to take the reins and get this started. Thank you for reading The Observer, and I hope SERVICE. you enjoy our hard work!
PURPOSE. OPPORTUNITY.
Scholarships. Leadership training. Over 100 career paths. Central Washington University
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The Observer Staff Editor-in-Chief Star Diavolikis News Editors Libby Williams
Copy Desk Chief Katlyn White Assistant Copy Editor Addie Adkins
Evan Couch
Scene Editor Katherine Camarata Sports Editor Jared Galanti Opinion Editor Katlyn White Orientation Editor Addie Adkins Online Editor Crystal Clausen Assistant Online Editor Emily LaFave
Copy Desk Staff Mary Miller
Staff Reporters
Faculty Adviser Jennifer Green
Jennifer.Green@cwu.edu
Megan Rogers Wayne Gray Milenne Quinonez Chase Beyer
Editorial Consultant Francesco Somaini
Jacqueline Hixxsen Isaac Hinson
Graphic Designers Sarah Stewart Blake Wells
Photographer Brevin Ross
Editorial Policy: The Observer is a public forum for student expression,
Joshua Kornfeld Elliott Watkins Morgana Carroll
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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April 06, 2022
THE
DIVERSITY
Sharing perspectives
DIVERSITY
PAGE Supporting awareness
Welcome to our new page! We are eager to introduce The Diversity Page to The Observer, a space where we honor and celebrate all variations of identity, race, ethnicity, orientation, gender and marginalized perspectives. Our goal here is to bring focus to communities who may be underrepresented. In a rural community such as Ellensburg, we recognize the importance of bringing visibility and awareness to matters of inequality and injustice. We hope to highlight the diversity present in this community and cast a net to welcome people of marginalized identities to CWU, to show them that their voices matter on this campus and at The Observer. We want to hear from anybody who wants to share about their experience with identity, so if you want to be a source or have a story idea, feel free to contact us at The Observer email: cwuobserver@gmail.com! Sincerely, Star Diavolikis and Katherine Camarata Editor-in-Chief and Scene Editor
DEC honors Trans Day of Visibility By Katherine Camarata Scene Editor The Progress Pride flag was draped over a table with a wheel sitting on top last Thursday, March 31 as representatives of Q*Fam shared resources, played games and gave out prizes to honor Transgender Day of Visibility. Q*Fam is an affinity program hosted by the Diversity and Equity Center (DEC) that hopes to unite the LGBTQ community on campus. According to resources provided by the DEC, Transgender Day of Visibility happens internationally to recognize “the resilience and
accomplishments of the transgender community.” The day was founded in 2009 by trans-activist Rachel Crandall to shed light on the discrimination the trans community faces at any given time. “[Q*Fam] works to create a space where LGBTQ+ can gather and support each other and have that regular connection,” said DEC Program Manager Justin Santoli, who managed the Q*Fam table. “We’ve done some art shows, we’ve done some game nights, when it was snowing we created snow people outside. We’ve got some fun stuff planned this quarter.” Also running the table with Santoli was sophomore in psychol-
ogy Jess Eavenson, who said the DEC was very welcoming to them. “I started coming to the DEC last year, and I really enjoy being in the space,” Eavenson said. “I felt like I could be myself. As a trans person, coming from a very rural area, this was the first place that I really had my pronouns respected and I felt really seen.” Eavenson said Q*Fam is important for CWU because it provides space for people that may not otherwise have a place to be open. “I feel like as a predominantly white, cis[gendered], hetero[sexual] society, we don’t really have a lot of spaces that are just for these marginalized identities, so having a space where people
can really shine and be themselves is very valuable, especially in a small town like Ellensburg,” Eavenson said. Santoli said civic engagement is a central focus of the DEC, and he is impressed at the efforts of CWU students. “In my experience as a professional, I have not seen students so engaged in their civic processes, whether it’s protesting for the administration to make change or utilizing student government or whenever there are acts of violence against our community, showing up and speaking out and trying to make sure that, for all the hate, there is ten times more positivity,” Santoli said.
Photo by Katherine Camarata/The Observer, Jess Eavenson and Justin Santoli and the Q*Fam table
Santoli said the LGBTQ community on campus has made it clear that it will not tolerate acts of hate. Santoli said within 24 hours of the pride flag being stolen last June, students had put up signs of affirmation. According to Santoli, students often come to the DEC with ideas for protests about social justice issues and the DEC provides space to gather and materials to make signs. Santoli encouraged students to vote in the upcoming student elections and speak to their student government if they wish to advocate for LGBTQ rights. “Whatever their needs are, they have got to make their voice heard,” Santoli said. Santoli and Eavenson both mentioned Helen House as a resource, a local organization that supports LGBTQ people ages 13-24 in Ellensburg. They recommended students connect with Equality through Queers and Allies (EQuAl), a student run organization that provides a safe space for all identities, according to the CWU website. Event Coordinator for EQuAl Malik Cantu recommended students reach out to their community for support. “EQUaL can help you find people who are just like you and it can help you realize things about yourself,” Cantu said. “Some of our people we have on the board right now, they did not picture themselves as leaders and public speakers … and now they’re on the board and the committee and they’re doing all this incredible work. There are so many different opportunities.” EQuAl meets on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in Black Hall 202. and Q*Fam meets every other Thursday from 4-5 p.m. in Black Hall 105.
88.1 THE ‘BURG
WINS THREE AWARDS FROM
THE INTERCOLLEGIATE BROADCASTING SYSTEM By Evan Couch News Editor CWU’s 88.1 the ‘Burg was named Best College Radio Station in the Nation by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS). As part of the IBS’s 82nd annual conference which nominates and awards college and high school media outlets, 88.1 the ‘Burg took home multiple awards alongside Best College Radio Station. Other awards include Best Phone App for 88.1 the ‘Burg-Apple App and Most Creative/Innovative Show for Electropolis. 88.1 the ‘Burg was one of seven universities with 10,000 or more students up for the Best College Station award. According to CWU News, the award is won based on samples created by nominated radio stations and submitted to the IBS. The goal of the samples is to highlight and showcase everything the radio stations have to offer.
The sample sent by 88.1 the ‘Burg was enough to bring home the big prize. 88.1 the ‘Burg was also nominated for other awards such as Best Website, Best Sports Talk program, Best Underwriting Spot and Best Live Music Broadcast. This is not the first time that 88.1 the ‘Burg has won Best College Radio Station. CWU’s radio station won the award back in 2015 and has been nominated by the IBS every year since, making an appearance as a finalist last year. Founded in 1940, the IBS is a non-profit organization that has memberships with over 1,000 non-profit, education-affiliated radio stations and webcasters. Every year, IBS nominates numerous college and high school media outlets for various awards. Some awards include media outlets’ use of YouTube, blogs, websites and other media functions.
LAYNIE ERICKSON Laynie Erickson said she’s “busy all the time,” but that’s how she likes it. The senior media and journalism student is news director at the station, is one of the hosts of daily show “The Five,” and created and hosted a show-turnedpodcast “Looking for Love With Laynie” last spring. Erickson said she’s been interested in radio work since high school. “My junior year of high school, I was looking into finding a school to play volleyball for and I did a visit with Central. One of my assistant volleyball coaches at the time asked me my plans for school and what I wanted to major in. Originally I really wanted to do sports broadcasting,” Erickson said. “On my initial visit … I fell in love with the radio station. It seemed like a really cool opportunity.” She started at the station as a freshman in 2019 with a sports show, “Layin’ it Up.” When the pandemic started, she filled the role of social media coordinator.
“We decided that we’d make content through our website and draw [students] to seeing our sites, seeing our blogs, and making some more video content because a lot of people weren’t in Ellensburg to actually tune into the ‘Burg,” Erickson said. The pandemic led to Erickson’s video show, “Looking for Love with Laynie.” “I used to go on Zoom dates with boys from Central, and turn it into a three to five minute highlight of the most awkward moments, the funniest moments, the best moments,” Erickson said. The show was a hit across social media, so Erickson and two co-hosts turned it into a podcast, which she also edited. “Looking for Love with Laynie” was just one of the shows that helped 88.1 the ‘Burg bring home the IBS award. While the ceremony couldn’t be held in person, Erickson said she and the team were still overjoyed to win. “We weren’t all together, but we were all watching
at home,” she said. “After they announced that we had won, our group chat was definitely going off, and we were all super, super excited. It was cool because it was all of our work put together into one submission.” During her last quarter at Central and working for the ‘Burg, Erickson continues to serve as news director, and helps host the “Wildcat One-On-One,” where she interviews big names to the CWU community. “We had Governor Inslee a few weeks ago, we had Mayor Lillquist, we had President Wolphart,” Erickson said, “We’ve had professors and people on campus, students, some social media influencers.” Out of all her shows and involvement at the radio station, she said one thing will always be her favorite part. “‘Burg fam’ is seriously the best,” Erickson said. “There are some pretty cool people that work at the radio station … we all have super creative ideas.”
Photo courtesy of Laynie Erickson, Erickson has hosted multiple shows on KCWU, with one being very popular on social media.
YOUR MUSIC CENTRAL
By Libby Williams News Editor
DAVE HARTLESS If you sit in The Bistro on a weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., you’ll hear political science major Dave Hartless’s voice during his show, “Lunchtime Rewind.” “It’s music that I grew up with, it’s kind of what I know,” Hartless said. “It became a more natural fit than it would be for me to try to do a show with newbies.” During his show, Hartless discusses each song he chooses in depth. “Where it came from, who the artist is, was it a sample? Was it an original? What was going on during that time when the song came out? Did the culture have an influence on that song? Did the song have an influence on the culture? Things like that,” Hartless said. Hartless said he’s worked for the station for three years. The pandemic started just a few weeks after his training. He said being back in the station with everyone
feels completely different from working remotely. “This year is the first year we’re all in there all the time,” Hartless said. “So it really is almost like a whole new experience for me, even though I’m very familiar with the station.” Radio is just a part of Hartless’ busy schedule. He’s usually on campus from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. He said he’s not sure if radio is something he’ll pursue after college, but he’s loved having it be a part of his long days. “I wouldn’t call it hard … it’s not hard because I love what I do, I really mean that … I take it very seriously, but it doesn’t feel like work,” Hartless said. Besides his daily show, Hartless also works on the “Wildcat One-On-One,” and got to talk to Gov. Jay Inslee and Kim Schrier alongside Erickson. “When I interviewed Kim Schrier, I was kind
of awestruck,” Hartless said. “She’s a very charismatic, very outgoing woman and ridiculously smart … I was like a little kid in a candy store. Then there was Jay Inslee. He was very personal, very down to earth. It was a fun interview.” Both Erickson and Hartless recommend people volunteer at the radio who are interested. “Even if you think you don’t have a chance at radio, try it. It’s open to all majors,” Hartless said. “You don’t have to be a communications major or anything like that to do it. Just come try it, it’s a fun experience.” Erickson says there are opportunities to possibly create a show for the station, whether it is online-only or on the main station. “We have really cool trainers that train people even if they’re not planning on going on air and are just doing a podcast.”
Photo courtesy of David Hartless, David “Big Dave” Hartless hosts 88.1’s show, “Lunchtime Rewind.”
OPINION SPORTS
Page 06
Edith and Ethel: Ask the Aunties By ‘Edith and Ethel’ Columnists
Dear Aunties, My body is here but my mind is still on spring break. How do I get back in the groove? Sincerely, – I Don’t Want To Do Work Edith: This is very relatable. As somebody who spent all of break sleeping and eating in bed, I get that. It’s so difficult waking up for 9 a.m. classes, since I wouldn’t be waking up until the afternoon - I’m privileged in the idea that I had no timely responsibilities over break. Ethel: I lived my best life during spring break and I just wanted more time to continue doing that. Going to school is the hardest job I’ve ever had in my entire life, and I used to be an overworked professional! So it’s been hard to transition back into school mode honestly. Edith: Being at your classes on time is a great start, since it’ll have your internal clock slowly resetting to the “responsible time” you should be on. If I chose to skip class, I know I wouldn’t get myself out of bed to do work or attend work. Having strict schedules and events you can’t skip will make me feel more responsible since I don’t want to awkwardly explain why I was gone from class. Ethel: Making sure to set up my work or desk space or my backpack when I have classes on campus helps me get in the mindset of “okay, this is what you need to do for tomorrow,” and allows me to just get up and get to work. Edith: I definitely think having stuff organized is the way to get things rolling as well. I have updated my planner, color-coded my planner and even have individual notebooks for each class rather than throwing the notes on random pages in Google Docs. I feel so proud of myself.
April 06, 2022
Opinion: Character arcs are better in books than they are in movies By Tapanga Krause Contributor Why is the character development in books always better than their movie counterparts? Is it the difference in storytelling styles? Or just the fact that the movies don’t have four hours to explore every single character’s story? Whatever the reason, the character development in books is significantly better. According to K.M Weiland, the difference in movie storytelling is a reason why the character development is lacking, and it plays into the way that modern novelists write their stories. “The movie industry has created a very specific type of storytelling,” Weiland said. “Fast paced, based on solid storytelling structure, and of course, emphasizing creative visuals. All of these trends have impacted modern written fiction.” The main issue with movies, according to Weiland, is the fact that entire subplots of the book get removed from the movie adaptation because there just isn’t enough time to fit it all in. As much as I love the visual adaptation of my favorite book, removing key parts of what makes a character upsets me in ways I can’t even begin to explain. According to Sashi Shekar, the character development in books is better because they al-
low readers to connect to the background and increase the imagination. Movie directors often disappoint readers because they have a different way of portraying things. According to Claire Socolow, the internal monologue of a character is one of the most important parts of the book because the character’s morals and beliefs help move the story along. This is very important to me, I like connecting with my characters and comparing my life to theirs. I think it enhances the entire experience. When I think about which character development failed to impress in a movie franchise, I automatically think of Ginny Weasley’s character development in the Harry Potter franchise. In the books she is a strong woman who stands up for the things that she believes in, but in the movies she is portrayed as a young girl who fangirls over Harry and is absolutely boy crazy. It drives me insane because they could’ve portrayed her so much better. Shekar said that the actors playing these characters often fail to impress because of their inability to perform the role. I don’t think that this is the case in terms of the Harry Potter franchise. However, I do think that this plays a factor in other movie adaptations.
Socolow said that an actor has to outwardly display the inner workings of their part through defining actions that set their distinguishing personalities apart. This can be difficult with more complex characters. Such as Ginny Weasley from Harry Potter. There are so many qualities that define this character. It had to have been difficult growing up with six older brothers. This can make it hard to connect with other women and difficult to define oneself as such.
Shekar said something that I feel helps further drive home the idea that books are better. Movies bring the imagery and visuals of a book to life, but it can often be hard to connect to the world. Books allow us to become part of the world. I have imagined many times being part of the world that my favorite books present me with. They allow us to escape from our world for just a little while. So, the next time you have a choice to read the book or watch the movie. I suggest reading the book.
Opinion: Reading is fun Katlyn White Columnist Reading is the most underrated pleasure of life. You can gain so much from reading books in your free time. You
can travel, fight, cry and learn to love all from the comfort of your bedroom. Pro: You might be using your time better. Reading can transport you to a new world. When you are hav-
Ethel: I love everything about that, and I’m 1000% here for that organization energy. Speaking of energy, make sure you are getting good sleep because consistent energy levels will help with focus and motivation, which Don’t Want To, would be what you’re aiming for. We hope this helps!
Write in!
submit your questions to cwuobserver@gmail.com (all questions will remain anonymous)
Photo by Katlyn White/The Observer
Photo by Katlyn White/The Observer
ing a bad day, picking up a book is so much healthier than pulling your hair out in a corner of your dark bedroom. Con: You may waste a lot of time. Once I start reading, sometimes I cannot stop. I will sit there for hours engaged in fights and romance. Pro: You may become a lot smarter. Reading as a kid has been proven to increase the activation of certain brain regions, according to Comfy Living. Also, Reading at least 20 minutes a day exposes you to 2 million words versus the 282,000 words reading only five minutes a day will bring. Con: You probably won’t go to bed early. I lose out on so much sleep because I read right before bed. I am way too intrigued to just close the book when I finish a cliffhanger chapter. The temptation of “just one more chapter” is too much. Pro: You may gain pretty objects for your house.
Books come in all shapes and sizes. Some are super decorative and make you look smart while also being great decorations for your house. Con: You may lose a lot of money. I do not buy books often, maybe once or twice a month, but when I do, I drop at least $100, easy. My bank account will be looking great, and then three of my favorite authors sign books for Barnes and Noble or release new books, and I am suddenly broke again. Pro: You may have something to talk about. I can always break the silence of awkward interactions by talking about a book I recently read or am in the middle of reading. Con: You may bore people when talking about books. The person you had in class two quarters ago probably does not care about the book you just started the night prior, but the urge to talk about an exciting new read is too strong to subdue. Reading is a wonderful thing as long as the pros and cons are weighed.
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April 06, 2022
SPORTS
Softball travels for Tournament of Champions, wins three of five games By Jared Galanti Sports Editor Over the weekend CWU softball finished the 19th annual Tournament of Champions with a 3-2 record. The tournament was held in Turlock, California hosted by Stanislaus State University. On Friday, April 1, the tournament started with a 2-1 win
over San Francisco State University (SFSU). Senior pitcher Rhaney Harris (7-7) pitched all seven innings holding SFSU to one run on five hits and striking out three. The Wildcat’s offense had 10 hits and multiple chances to score, but were unable to capitalize until the bottom of the seventh. After two straight fly-
Photo courtesy of Jacob Thompson/Thompson Sports. Senior Rhaney Harris (Pictured above) tossed three complete games for CWU softball during the Tournament of Champions over the weekend. CWU won all three of those games.
outs to begin the inning junior outfielder Allie Theissen was able to reach on an error by SFSU second baseman. Freshman utility player Riana Abeshima came in to pinch run for Theissen and was able to make it to third on a double hit by sophomore utility player Brooke Jordan. Senior outfielder Keegan Wise came into pinch run and both her and Abeshmia came in to score the tying and winning runs on a two run single by junior catcher Alyssa Benthagen. Following the walk-off, CWU wasn’t able to ride the momentum in the second game on friday, losing 1-0 to Biola University. Senior pitcher Isabel Womack (5-5) pitched all six innings giving up just one run on three hits while striking out four. However, Biola University pitching held CWU to five hits while striking out eight. The Wildcats had a chance in the second with a two out double by sophomore infielder Makenna King, but sophomore outfielder Jillian Hampson struck out to end the threat. CWU had another chance in the fifth when with two outs a single and a walk put runners on first and second. However, Theissen fouled out to the left
fielder to end the inning. Biola scored their run in the bottom of the fifth when after two singles put runners on first and third, a fielder’s choice RBI allowed the go ahead run to score. On day two of the tournament, the Wildcats once again won one and lost one. In the first game they were able to beat Azusa Pacific University (APU) 4-2. Harris once again pitched the entire game giving up six hits and two runs while walking one and striking out two. She got a little help from her bats this time around. In the third inning, freshman outfielder Karsyn Decker started the inning with a single to left field. She then stole second and after a walk by junior infielder Harlee Carpenter advanced to third on a bunt single by Theissen. After a fielder’s choice that had Decker thrown out at home and a foul out that couldn’t advance the runners, a wild pitch allowed Carpenter to score the first run of the game. CWU scored again in the fourth. After two straight groundouts, sophomore infielder Taylor Kai hit a single. After Decker was safe because of an error that put runners on first and second, Carpenter hit them both home to give CWU a 3-0 lead.
It remained that way until the seventh when after two straight groundouts, Thiessen hit a double. Sophomore utility player Brooke Jordan reached on an error which allowed Theissen to score and give CWU a 4-0 lead going to the bottom of the seventh. Harris, who had been cruising throughout the game, struggled in the seventh giving up two runs and had the winning run at the plate. Harris collected herself and got the last two hitters to line out and strikeout respectively to preserve the 4-2 win. The Wildcats went on to lose 7-5 to Dominican University (DU) to end the second day of the tournament. CWU took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a two run single by junior infielder Myiah Seaton. DU tied it in the third due to a throwing error by Womack that allowed two runs to score. DU would then grab a 4-2 lead in the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. The Wildcats cut into the lead in the bottom of the fifth. After two straight outs Theissen doubled and scored on a double by Jordan to cut the lead to 4-3.
Full story online
EVENTS
Page 08
April 06, 2022
Wildcat Words: What is your favorite part about springtime?
Jason G. So. Social Services
“The changing weather, I always like when it warms up and I’m able to go to the park and go to the beach or to the lake and really just go hiking and spend more time outside.”
Mason S.
Mackenna T. Jr. Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising
“I like the warm weather, I’m from the west side so it’s ... really rainy and cold over there so I like having the sun out and being able to walk around in a t-shirt.”
“The beautiful sunshine makes my day.”
Kela E.
Lillian P.
Jr. Film
QA
So. Health Education
Fr. Aviation
“I guess the weather, probably.”
“I definitely like the change in the plants, like the flowers, like how it is more vibrant and the trees get their leaves back instead of just being barebones. Also, the warmer weather.”
weekly events
&
V O L H A I SA K AVA
7
11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Crafting Compassion: Making Bags out of Recycled Shirts @ SURC Pit (100C)
8
10-11 p.m. Improv Night HotEmbroidery New Jam @WorkSURC 5The - 7 p.m. Theater 210by the Senators for shop hosted Sustainability & College of the Sciences @ SURC Corridor
THURS
speaks on the Russia/Ukraine war
Meet Volha Isakava, an associate professor of Russian and coordinator of the Russian Studies program. She teaches courses on Russian language and culture as well as courses on popular culture and globalization, centering her research on cinema, culture and globalization in post-Soviet East Slavic countries such as Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. You may have seen and/or heard from her in recent events and talks regarding the Russian/Ukraine war. Here are some of her thoughts and questions regarding the war. Q: What have been your thoughts surrounding the rising conflict in Russia/Ukraine? A: This is an unprecedented, unprovoked military aggression by the Russian Federation. This war has created a humanitarian catastrophe for Ukraine and Ukrainian people on the scale that has not happened in Europe since 1945: cities are being bombed and razed to the ground; refugee crisis is mounting (currently over 4.2 million Ukrainians have been displaced); we are looking at medication, food and water crises and massive civilian casualties. Ukrainian people need our support. This war has major implications for the post-WWII world order, security in Europe, negotiations around non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and the relationship between Russia and the United States. We now find ourselves in a renewed Cold War confrontation. Q: What should students be aware of in light of the war? A: This might sound like the war is in a far away place, but it will have major consequences for the U.S., their European allies and the world, well into the future. The outcomes of the war will determine many things going forward that our students should know about. Here are some questions that we should all be concerned about and to which there are no definitive answers, since history is unfolding right now before our eyes: • How will the new Cold War play out? • If Ukrainian sovereignty can be so brazenly violated, if Ukrainian cities can be bombed and civilians targeted, what message does it send to other authoritarian regimes? • Will there be more re-drawings of borders based on military power and self-interest, regardless of international law or the U.N? • What does this war portend for nuclear armament? • What will happen to Ukrainian people if Ukraine is occupied by Russia? • If there is a new Iron Curtain, what does it mean for security in Europe, what does it mean for dissidents inside Russia and Belarus? Q: What are some general resources and good sources of information if some would like to research further on the history of the Russian/Ukraine relationship? A: Take a class with the Department of World Languages and Cultures or History on the subject! World Languages and Cultures will offer WLC 184 on Post-Soviet Conflicts and Russia’s Neo-Imperialism in Fall 2022. In Winter 2023 we have a General Education course RUSS 200: Censorship and Resistance - the course will address not just Russia but post-Soviet space. History department is offering a course HIS 475 Stalin and Stalinism this Spring 2022, and will offer more Russian history courses that will be pertinent to the events unfolding today next year. Students should contact Roxanne Easley for more specific information. Students should also look at reputable information sources, specifically European ones as they usually have more nuanced and detailed information. Q: How do you think this conflict will affect Russian and Ukrainian culture? A: Ukrainian and Russian people have a lot of shared cultural heritage, and very much like Canadians and Americans, shared family histories on both sides of the border. This war is catastrophic to those ties; families are being torn apart and any kind of semblance of neighborly relations will not be possible, perhaps, ever, or at least while Putin is in power. The two countries severed diplomatic relations. It will take generations to get over this senseless bloodshed unleashed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Q: If you could speak to Russian and Ukrainian leaders, what would you say? A: I would not. These leaders are not in equivalent positions. President Putin is an autocrat and an aggressor, who is almost entirely single-handedly responsible for unleashing the war on Ukrainian people. President Zelensky is defending Ukraine from an unprovoked military invasion that aims to erase the very existence of the nation of Ukraine, and Ukrainians as sovereign people. Ukrainian army, territory, GDP, you name it, dwarves in comparison to Russia’s military juggernaut. And yet Ukrainians have showcased unbelievable acts of courage, resilience and determination to stop this invasion that is costing women, children and men of Ukraine their lives. We should support Ukrainian people and demand that Russia stops the war.
FRI
9
SAT
10
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wildcat Preview Day @ SURC 7 - 10 p.m. Spring Opera Orpheus in the Underworld @ McConnell Hall 2 p.m. Ukranian War Info Panel @ SURC Theater 210 National Pickle Day
2 - 3:30 p.m. Lesley O’Donel, Guest Flutist @ McIntyre Hall 174
SUN
11
4 - 5 p.m. ASCWU Student Senate Meeting @ SURC 137 A&B 6 - 8 p.m. ASCWU Candidate Debate @ SURC Pit (100C)
12
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Grad Kickoff @ SURC Ballroom 8 - 10 p.m. Game Night ft. Jackbox @ SURC Pit (100C)
MON
TUES
13 WED
7-8 p.m. Composition Studio Recital @ McIntyre Hall 174 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Grad Kickoff @ SURC Ballroom 3 - 4:30 p.m. Sustainability Cafe @ SURC 137A&B
Q&A has been edited for length. Find the full interview at cwuobserver.com Photos courtesy of Vohla Isakava Wildcat Words - Brevin Ross. Q&A - Addie Adkins
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