The Observer, Spring 2023 - Issue 3

DIVERSITY

We need to do something about the transgender genocide in the US

Pg. 3

SCENE

Having pets in college: CWU community members share stories

Pg. 5

Ellensburg High School students speak out against LGBTQIA+ bullying at board meeting

Austin Ohland wins GNAC player of the week

Pg. 7

EHS teacher claims unsatisfactory training

ing, when she ran there was a rumor that a group was running against her to “get the gays out.”

Museum of Culture and Environment panel teaches about dangers of Hanford

access to food and water are critical to the wellbeing of life around the site.

Slashed tires, “f-slurs” and harassment; this is only a portion of what Ellensburg High School (EHS) students reported experiencing from their peers at the board meeting on March 29.

EHS students Ashley Callan and Nina Gonzalez spoke at the meeting, and Callan gave an exclusive interview to The Observer about her experiences.

At the meeting, Gonzalez said they are frustrated with the administration, and said for all 11 years of their education, they have been bullied both physically and verbally. Gonzalez said it was only when a boy brought a knife to school and threatened them that their counselor did anything.

“I’m just as human as you,” Gonzalez said at the board meeting. “I deserve to express myself, but the more I do, the more I am reminded I do not belong here. My education has been taken from me and my passion for learning has been extinguished.”

Gonzalez said that despite all of this, they will still continue to speak and share their story to make up for all that has not been done.

“I’m still a kid,” Gonzalez said. “It will never be my responsibility to fix the problems you’ve made. It is not my job to cater to how you should believe a high school student should look and act. It is, however, your job to make sure every single student feels safe and respected in a building that is under your control.”

At the board meeting, Callan said when she ran for Associated Student Body Public Relations officer last year, she had no idea how bad the harassment and homophobia would be.

According to Callan in the meet-

“The entire election basically felt like a competition between my sexuality, rather than based off of actual qualification,” Callan said.

Callan stated the administration just swept it under the rug, and she would have to go to them to ask for protection. She said in the meeting that she would ask the administration if they could find the people who were slashing her tires and ripping down her campaign posters.

“They [administration] told me it was for the people who are hate crime-ing me to protect them, rather than let me know who was out against me in this school, a place where I have to be and I can’t even know who it is,” Callan said in the meeting.

According to Callan, the administration still is blocking articles from their school newspaper that talk about the events that happened to her.

Callan said she used to love to go to school, but now she will leave school as early as possible and sometimes tries to show up late in the mornings to avoid any of the administration.

“If not for me, but for all the other LGBTQIA+ students, please do something,” Callan said.

Callan’s interview with The Observer

Callan said that since the elections last year, homophobia is still evident at EHS.

“Occasionally people would say a slur, and anytime I would bring it up, nothing would actually happen,” Callan said.

Callan said that it is unsettling not knowing who these people are that are harassing her.

“I don’t know what my safety is like, because I don’t feel like the school is doing anything to protect me,” Callan said. “If they wanted to beat me up or something, I wouldn’t know and I couldn’t avoid them.”

According to Callan, the students at EHS had a walkout protest on April 14, and some students were joking and being homophobic about it.

“It was for the Day of Silence, it’s talking about how a lot of LGBTQ+ people are just silenced overall, [but] specifically for our school [it] is the administration,” Callan said. When the students walked out, Callan said some kids were making jokes about the situation and said that they were going to make a roster or registry of all the students at the Day of Silence.

Ellensburg High School teachers speak out

EHS teachers, Brittanie Wyler and Lorraine Barlow, spoke at the board meeting on March 29.

Barlow said during the time of the elections, teachers didn’t know what was going on and that it was frustrating to find out the students were receiving death threats.

“I understand the need for protection [by] not letting people know, but as Ashley said, the victims should not be the ones who are not protected,” Barlow said in the board meeting.

In the meeting, Wyler said it is frustrating that when a student comes to them with a serious matter, once the information is passed onto administrators, they are no longer allowed to know if anything has been resolved.

Continued on Pg. 3

CWU’s Museum of Culture and Environment (MCE) was packed more densely than steam in a smokestack as attendees filled the seats to learn about the nuclear history of the Hanford site.

The MCE hosted artist and author of “Hanford Reach: In the Atomic Field” Glenna Cole Allee, historian and educator Emily Washines, artist Roger Peet and anthropologist Mark Auslander on April 13 to share their expertise on the Hanford site, a former nuclear production site with a legacy of radioactive elements, according to CWU Museum Director Hope Amason.

The site is just 65 miles from Ellensburg, located in Benton County, Washington, and is a very controversial aspect to Washington’s history, according to Amason.

According to Washines, the planning for the cleanup within the Hanford site reaches all the way to the year 3033.

“There was a lot of contentiousness,” Allee said. “There were really different points of view, and it was hard to hold them all at once.”

The Hanford site was first utilized during WWII where uranium was processed into plutonium to create nuclear weapons. These weapons would be used in the atomic bombings of Nagasaki, Japan during WWII, while also leaving massive amounts of radioactive waste, according to Peet.

The plutonium gathered from the Hanford site contributed to the Trinity Device, the first nuclear weapon to explode on the planet, according to Peet.

“The thing that everyone had been working to, the desire to acquire this infinite source of destructive power in order to be able to deny it to other hostiles, to people that were perceived as enemies who were also presumed to be in pursuit of the same kind of power was suddenly unleashed in a manner that nobody really knew at the time,” Peet said.

Yakama Nation tribal member, Emily Washines, of Cree and Skokomish lineage, offered her insight to the Hanford site through her experience from Native perspectives. According to Washines, the resources within the site such as

“My responsibility is to speak for the resources,” Washines said. “We protect the resources for those not yet born.”

The Columbia River offers an abundance of resources to the community, yet the community aspect seems to be missing from the site’s large scale and technical plans, according to Washines.

Washines has early memories of how meals were prepared within her tribe while also relating to the Yakama creation story, beginning with water, then the salmon, deer, elk, roots, berries and completed with water, according to Washines.

“That positive chain of life, giving transition from water to salmon to health to deer back to [the] roots. All those things that Emily was characterizing would be undercut by nuclear radiation,” Auslander said.

Though Hanford is perceived to have a legacy of radioactive destruction and waste consisting of groundwater leaks and underground tanks, there is also beauty that has come out of the site, according to Amason.

“On one end, there’s this legacy of pollution, but there’s also this legacy of [a] great habitat for a lot of different animals and plants that might otherwise have been developed,” Amazon said.

The health of those near the site in the 1940s were directly impacted by the radioactive waste, and the effects are still carrying into today, according to Washines.

“I have family members that don’t have thyroids, or are on thyroid medication,” Washines said.

The MCE previously held an event in 2013 showing the exhibit of Particles on the Wall: Art, Poetry and Science about Hanford, before moving on to WSU Tri-Cities Art Exhibition Center, Richland. Many of the artists struggled because of their connections to those who experienced the lasting effects of exposure to radiation, according to Amason.

“What we found was that a lot of the artists really struggled because, on one hand their family members have been exposed to radiation,” Amason said. “And in some cases, people had thyroid cancer and other sort of health concerns as a result.”

Anna Fridell Staff Reporter

WastefromtheHanfordnuclearreactorsiteinWashingtonwilltakeuntil3033to clean. Photo courtesy of Pexels

Megan Rogers News Editor

EllensburgHighSchool. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Local National Global Beyond Our Coverage

The Kiwanis Park covered area on Main St. in Ellensburg was vandalized between April 17-18 with graffiti saying “Fuck pigs” and expletives aimed at a particular individual. The Ellensburg Police Department is currently looking for the culprit, according to Captain Dan Hansberry in an interview with The Observer. Hansberry said around 12 other incidents of vandalism have occurred in Ellensburg recently, and he does not believe this incident is gang-related.

An $80,000 grant approved by the Washington Secretary of State Office will help improve the Kittitas County Elections center, increase accessibility and provide additional staff training to strengthen election security, according to The Daily Record.

The Washington State Spring Fair will be open at the Puyallup Fairgrounds from April 20-23 with new exhibits, according to mynorthwest.com. One of the new exhibits will showcase tropical animals in an immersive jungle experience.

Protests broke out in Kansas City over the shooting of Black 16-year-old Ralph Yarl on April 13, according to NPR; Yarl was shot after approaching the wrong address while trying to pick up his younger siblings. Yarl survived, and the shooter was identified as 85-year-old white man Andrew Lester, who was charged with felony assault in the first degree and one count of armed criminal action by the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office, according to ABC News.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that he won’t run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination due to struggles in preliminary polling among potential GOP primary voters, according to US News. This ends months of speculation on his potential candidacy and means he won’t be going up against his former boss, former President Donald Trump.

Leaders from the United States, Russia, China and other nations have urged a cease fire in Sudan. According to NBC News, the conflict between the Sudanese military and the Rapid Support Force (RSF) began on Saturday and has already led to 56 civilian deaths and 595 injuries amongst civilians and military.

Scientists have compiled over 3,000 photos taken of Mars to create a map. According to The New York Times, the planet atlas was created from images taken by the United Arab Emirates’ spacecraft named Hope. Cyber Transport Systems journeyman and Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira has been arrested on charges of leaking classified pentagon documents. According to BBC, these documents were leaked on Discord and included vital information about the war in Ukraine and other sensitive information about allies of the United States.

Meet your Maintenance Worker

Mark Walker

Hometown: Ellensburg, Washington

Maintenance Occupation: Utility Worker 2

Time Working at CWU: 43 years

Favorite memory on campus: Watching my two kids walk down the aisle at commencement, both my kids graduated from Central.

Favorite place/thing on campus: I really like the pendulum in Lind, in fact I wish they’d get it working again.

Staff

Lead Editor Katherine Camarata

Scene Editor MJ Rivera

News Editors Morgana Carroll

Megan Rogers

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Copy Desk Lead /

Opinion Editor

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Assistant Copy Editor Kai Kyzar

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Assistant Online Editor

Deacon Tuttle

Best piece of advice: Do your work to the best of your ability, and try to get along with everybody.

Graphic Design Lead

Glacie Kehoe-Padilla

Orientation / Assistant

Graphic Designer

Brandon Davis

Photo Editor Yohanes Goodell

Senior Reporter

Zileni Milupi

Staff Reporters

Anna Fridell

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Tre’Jon Henderson

Charis Jones

Mykah Koke-Filimaua

Hunter Rhea

Beau Sansom

Quincy Taylor

Faculty Advisor Jennifer Green Editorial Consultant

Francesco Somaini

Weirdest thing you’ve seen on the job:

We got called because of a terrible smell, and somebody had taken a turd and stuck it up on the lightbulb, and the light fixture just sat there and baked. That’s pretty weird, isn’t it?

Favorite part about working at a school: The people, my coworkers, this place has been pretty good to me. I had open heart surgery in ‘08, I had a stroke and I have diabetes, and this place has taken pretty good care of me insurance wise.

Looking forward to the most: This will be my 38th graduation ceremony at CWU this year. Two more commencement ceremonies … and then I’ll have 45 years in 2025 and I’m hoping to retire.

Three words to describe you: Helpful, I take pride in the quality of the work I do, friendly with everybody.

Most underappreciated thing about CWU: I don’t think that you [employees] are respected enough sometimes. If you do a good job, sometimes they won’t even tell you. How well the maintenance people take care of the campus.

What’s on your bucket list: I’d like to travel if I could do anything. I’d like to go to Italy [or] England. Can’t afford it.

Walker on the job in Jongeward Building.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

Column by Katherine Camarata

Opinion: We need to do something about the transgender genocide in the United States

a neurodivergent condition such as autism would have nothing to do with being transgender. Patients must also be shown over two dozen resources and documents before being able to give consent, a move that, according to AP, many psychologists are denouncing and likening to conversion therapy.

Continued from Pg. 1

“When I see the student who has been sexually harassing other students or who has been making transphobic comments back in the hall the very next day like nothing happened,it hurts me a little bit,” Wyler said in the meeting.

never got this training and administration said that they were working on it. The staff only received a letter from the school that they had to read and then sign.

“We got audited by OSPI because we weren’t doing what we were supposed to as far as supporting LGBTQIA+,” Barlow said.

Morgana Carroll Columnist

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Daily Wire

Host Micheal Knowles called for “the eradication of transgenderism” on March 6, as crowds of conservative supporters cheered in agreement.

CPAC is by no means a small event; the largest names in American conservatism make an appearance, from journalists to talk show hosts to politicians to presidential candidates. This is not a fringe group, this is the largest routine partisan rally in the nation, calling for the eradication of a group of people, spurred on by a prominent political figure.

There is an active genocide toward the transgender community in the U.S.

At a National Rifle Association (NRA) rally on April 14, former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump, said that if elected he would have the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) begin an investigation into whether transgenderism is the cause of mass

shootings, and have them restrict prescription of hormone replacement therapy, alleging that transgenderism results in aggressive behavior.

This was formerly the most politically powerful man in the world, saying that if he is given that much power a second time, he would use it to restrict rights to a medical procedure, to restrict the rights of consenting adults in this country. These are human rights that should not be so easily alienated that one man, wanting to impress his fanatical mob, can wave his hand and have it done.

In Missouri, a new bill that would heavily restrict adult access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was introduced recently, according to AP News. Before starting HRT, participants must prove through testing that they have documented extreme gender dysphoria for a minimum of three years. They would also be screened for autism and “social media addiction,” and any psychiatric symptoms from mental health issues that would otherwise disqualify them from treatment.

This is an ableist action, as having

According to the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, there are ten stages of genocide: classification, symbolization, discrimination, dehumanization, organisation, polarisation, preparation, persecution, extermination and denial. The trans genocide is on step seven: preparation.

The steps that are taken toward eradication of a people never seem huge. It’s always something that is easily defensible by those who make the decision. They have deniability in smaller decisions that are made dangerous in the context of other decisions that in tandem are a disastrous precursor for minority groups.

Florida has made public drag illegal, particularly in the presence of children, according to NBC 6. Florida has also made sexual crimes against children punishable by death, and finally, they have now allowed the decision of a death sentence to be made with only an 8-4 vote instead of a unanimous decision. Alone the changes range from infuriating for the drag bill to mildly palatable for those who believe that sex offenders should be executed, but together, these ingredients make for a recipe that can only result in the systematic eradication of anyone who doesn’t conform to the gender ideology of the state.

The Observer contacted Wyler on April 15; she declined an interview, but in an email response said, “After the board meeting, I spoke with the building admin and my concerns have been addressed and resolved.”

Barlow’s interview with The Observer

Barlow is the advisor for EHS’s Gay Straight Alliance and said they are constantly having conversations about how students can bring attention to the difficulties they face.

“We have administrators who… they just don’t have that experience,” Barlow said. “They’re male, they don’t come at the situation from the viewpoint of the students who are LGBTQ+.”

According to Barlow, there is training that the staff is supposed to be receiving that is required by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and Washington State law, but the staff has not yet received this training.

“Administrators [and] staff are required to have a training to avoid bias, and training so that everybody understands what protected classes are, what discriminatory harassment looks like and what it is and how it’s addressed,” Barlow said.

According to Barlow, there are trainings about sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. Barlow said she asked why they

OSPI then sent a PowerPoint training that the staff was supposed to read through themselves and then check off a box that they completed, according to Barlow.

“I don’t feel like that’s a training,” Barlow said. “If people aren’t interested, they’re just not going to do it. Nothing is stopping anyone from just checking the box and saying, ‘Oh yeah, I did it.’”

Barlow said one of her frustrations is that she feels like the choices made in the school district are because of the Ellensburg community.

“The reasoning that was given [is], ‘well, the community thinks this way’ or ‘the community believes this and we don’t want to go against the community, we’ll lose FTA (full-time equivalent),’” Barlow said. “We’ll lose funding if people pull their kids out of school.”

Barlow said she doesn’t understand why the school district isn’t protecting the students.

“We’re not protecting the students who need protecting the most,” Barlow said. “We’re giving in to people who are already kind of in a privileged category, and I don’t understand that at the expense of students at all.”

Barlow said it is heartbreaking when she hears that students no longer want to come to school.

“Students in the LGBTQ+ community are already at a much higher risk of self-harm, of suicide, etc. and so we’re just increasing that potential,” Barlow said.

Transprideflagsliningapathway. Photo courtesy of Flickr

Flagscanbeseenwavingatmarchesandparades. Photo courtesy of Flickr

Welcome to the Attic: Brooks Library dedicates music room to CWU alum

Quincy Taylor Staff Reporter

“Generative, dynamic, purposeful and inviting” are words Dean of Libraries Sydney Thompson used to describe the intention of the newly-designed room, the Attic, on the Brooks Library fourth floor. The Attic opened on April 11 to the public and will be centered around music; the space is dedicated to Wilma Stellingwerf, who was a CWU graduate in 1948.

According to Thompson, Stellingwerf donated a gift to help pay for the rest of the renovation, so she was honored at the grand opening.

Thompson stated that the space was “previously a music library” that held music collections and listening equipment.

Thompson opened up about the idea of wanting to modernize the space and described how the room will feature a variety of music equipment; they intend to expand their collection, according to Thompson.

“We wanted to have a productivity space, so computers and keyboards… [a] performance space, and [we are] hoping to include recording booths, but that’s the piece we haven’t finished yet,” Thompson said.

Thompson explained that the room will be a relaxing space where students can come in and be group oriented or work alone, and she said the variety of furniture and desks will allow students to be comfortable and “be themselves.”

There were many faces present at the opening, including President James Wohlpart, the nieces of Wilma Stellingwerf, other faculty members from different departments, students and the workers who helped reconstruct the room.

After the event ended, Thompson and Admin Specialist Kim Hansen spoke about how it was an exciting time and it was very special for people working on the project.

“I thought it was great…It was nice to

see so many ‘non-library’ personnel in the space,” Hansen said.

Thompson echoed positive sentiments about the opening.

“I thought it was very special and well-attended,” Thompson said. “I really appreciated that the people from a variety of different departments came.”

According to Hansen, seeing the Stellingwerf family really made the night extra special. “I think it was just really heartwarming because when somebody gives such a large gift, it really is a legacy of this person who was so fondly thought of,” Hansen said.

Thompson said the attendance of the Stellingwerf family was “super meaningful and unexpected… to be able to put some names, some faces and stories to the person that was just so generous to us…and the whole gift was unexpected. So it was really, really special that they were able to come.”

Thompson mentioned her favorite parts of the event, including meeting the Stellingwerf family, the people from the libraries that worked hard to put the space together, the catering and the music performances by the students.

A small ensemble of CWU music students played classical music throughout the event.

“It was neat to see the people from the libraries that worked really hard putting on the event…and I also have to say I really like the music, and I was nervous because it was our first performance,” Thompson said.

When asked about what students can expect from the room moving forward, both Hansen and Thompson shared how there are multiple ways students may come in and either study or work with programming music.

“I think it’s a versatile space,” Hansen said. “I think we’re going to see some programming that is pretty exciting… but it also needs to be a great place to study because most importantly, that’s what this space is going to be used for.”

TheAtticopenedasastudyandmusicspaceforstudents. Photo by Quincy Taylor

Having pets in college: CWU community members share stories

MJ Rivera Scene Editor

Life as a college student can be busy, but for those who love animals, having a pet in college may be worth the extra responsibility.

Archie, a kitten just a few days old, was found left outside in the yard of junior elementary education major Emily Linden’s grandmother.

Linden took him in in the summer of 2022 and has spent every day with him since to help him grow up healthy.

When summer ended and she had to go back to CWU, Linden had to choose between taking Archie with her or leaving him with her grandma, who would not be able to provide him the care he needed as a kitten.

“I feel like I would just be abandoning him because of that,” Linden said. “We built that connection over the summer, so maybe I could talk to my doctor and see if an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is okay.”

Having grown up with pets and a knack for nurturing, Linden said that her driving reason for keeping Archie was the attachment she grew to him.

“I had that experience in the sum-

Linden was able to get Archie cer tified as an ESA so she could keep him in her dorm.

“I’m not against the rules,” Lin den said. “I’m fine with them. The process was easy, there were just papers to fill out.”

Linden said that there are pros and cons to having a pet on a college campus. She said she enjoys coming home to Archie and spending time with him, but she said she feels guilty when she has to leave for class and Archie has to stay behind.

She also pointed out that there are things like buying food and litter and taking Archie to the vet that take time and money.

Ashlin Dalton, a senior clinical physiology major, has two guinea pigs with her off-campus at CWU.

“I got one during COVID, I really just wanted a guinea pig,” Dalton said. “I had a really big feeling that I wanted to take the opportunity on, so I waited for a while and it took me a few months to find one.”

Dalton said that, despite being in college, she felt she could manage caring for a living being because she has always had pets throughout her life.

“Moving to college, I wanted to be able to have my own pet and one that I could be able to play with and

Even though responsibilities can be hard to manage when school work gets more difficult, Dalton said that having her guinea pigs ultimately makes her college experience

“Having a pet in college has allowed me to have an outlet of joy when I get home,” Dalton said. “Also, just an opportunity to take care of something, because I think a lot of the time we kind of get wrapped up in just how to care for ourselves.”

Peyton Brown, a senior family science major, has been living off-campus with a cat for over a

“It was the middle of winter quarter, and it’s kind of dark and gray and depressing out,” Brown said. “It was kind of sad when we came home and the house would be empty because roommates were busy with different schedules

Brown said she jokingly suggested to her roommates that they rescue a cat, but her roommate, then-senior journalism major and former Observer editor Libby

Williams, found a cat for sale on Craigslist.

“We had been taking care of a neighborhood cat for a while, just a stray, and then somebody gave him to a shelter, which was the right thing to do,” Williams said. “But Peyton was like, ‘we need another cat,’ … and she kept sending me Craigslist cats.”

Williams chose to adopt Frankie while still in college because of the bond that she and her roommates had built with the stray cat who was taken to the shelter.

“We had been taking care of the stray cat that wasn’t really ours, and we got really attached to him,” Williams said. “So, when he was gone, we definitely felt like something was missing.”

After they spent time searching for the perfect cat, Brown and Williams found Frankie, a tabby cat who needed a

new home.

“Having a little companion there eases a lot of that stress and makes us remember that we’re not alone,” Brown said.

According to Brown, the hardest part of having a pet in college was deciding which roommate would take the cat home over winter break.

“I don’t do a lot of the caretaking … I’ve experienced really only the positives and good parts of it,” Brown said. “I would say it’s nice having a little companion sitting next to me when I do homework, or coming home from winter quarter days and it’s just gray out, and knowing that [Frankie] would be in the house.”

Williams shared the sentiment and said it made her happy to remember that there was a cat in the apartment when she came home from a long day at school.

Senior business administration and entrepreneurship major Jordyn Fassett said that her cat, Ozzi, was a gift from her dad when she turned 10, and she brought Ozzi to Ellensburg so he could live out his senior years with her.

“I think animals and people belong together in a really wholesome way,” Fassett said.

The only drawback to having a pet in college is that there is not an option to leave for spontaneous plans without finding a pet sitter first, according to Fassett.

“It totally adds to the overall quality of life

for me,” Fassett said. “My friends all consider him their cat who they can come over and pet and play with anytime.”

Perspective of Ellensburg Pet Center owner

Daria Wheeler, the semi-retired owner of Ellensburg Pet Center, said that before she sells pets to anyone, she pays attention to how much knowledge they have about the animal, what types of questions they ask and what their residential circumstances are.

“We put the responsibility on the potential new owner,” Wheeler said. “We do things to try and make it difficult for them to return the animal; we have a return fee and we produce a lot of information during the sale itself.”

The pet store sells birds, hamsters, tarantulas and more, but Wheeler said that the most popular pets are fish and kittens.

“If [kittens] are available, then they are the number-one seller,” Wheeler said. “But that’s usually for anywhere from two hours to three days, as they go very quickly.”

Wheeler also strongly advises that students make the necessary arrangements with campus housing, as pets are not permitted in dorms unless they are a service animal or ESA, and even then, there are rules they have to follow.

“We really do try to find long-term homes for our animals and that’s the kind of pet store that we are and always have been,” Wheeler said. “I think a lot of the community appreciates us for that.”

Wheeler said she hopes to see more CWU students come in to see the variety of pets, and the famous 40-year-old parrot, Buddy.

Buddy was brought in when she was 1 year old about 39 years ago.

People from as far as Sweden have come to Ellensburg just to see Buddy at the Ellensburg Pet Center.

BuddyhangingupsidedownattheEllensburgPetCenter.

Photo courtesy of Daria Wheeler

EmilyLindenandhercat,Archie.

Photo courtesy of Emily Linden

Frankiethecat. Photo courtesy of Libby Williams

JordynFassettandhercat,Ozzi. Photo courtesy of Jordyn Fassett

Binxtheguineapig.

Photo courtesy of Ashlin Dalton

Meet an All-American Emma Herbert

Herbert came into college in 2019 where she spent her freshman year on the bench. With time and training, her debut in 2020 came with four games, 18 kills, hitting 0.256, two digs and posting 15 blocks for the Wildcats.

In the 2021 season, Herbert would start in 15-17 games, with 74 kills, three assists and 11 digs.

Hunter Rhea Staff Reporter

Emma Daoud-Herbert, the junior middle blocker from Woodinville High School, is a multi-award winning player, most recognizable title being named an All-American volleyball player. As a role model and a dominant player, the Wildcat’s actions speak louder on the court.

High School Career

Herbert spent her teenage years playing for Academy Sports Center at Wahba Washington Volleyball Academy. Finding more success in her club team compared to Woodinville High School, the French-Canadian continued to make an impact on her team. Grinding through the club season as a middle blocker and a right-side hitter, the young

Herbert would find success in her club team 18-Adidas, Washington Volleyball Academy. Coming into college, she ended her high school career with an All-League Honorable Mention for the 2017-2018 season. Continuing to be a leader on the court, she helped coach at the Washington Volleyball Academy.

College Career

Most memorable stats would have Herbert conducting 13 solo blocks and 62 block assists while becoming the GNAC Defensive Player of the Week for October 11-17, 2021, alongside her accomplishment for the GNAC All-Academic team. Herberts’ breakout season would land her on the All-American list. Starting 28 matches

Motivation

Herbert attributes her success to hard work and dedication; through the off-season and pre-season, the coaching staff around her would inspire and push Herbert beyond her limits to continue to chase personal accomplishments and eventually break her own season high and GNAC records.

“For me, just getting in the gym every day and proving something to myself that I could achieve whatever I could do at the highest level possible,” Herbert said, “So

me versus myself, every day.”

Contributing her team to her success, the support system Herbert has is something she said she would do anything for. Herbert believes her averages and statistics will improve moving toward the following seasons.

“Working a lot on drills and practice, Coach Mario Andaya constantly pushing me to be better, jump higher, reach higher, swing harder and never being satisfied with what I had,” Herbert said.

Grad School Aspirations

Herbert is majoring in psychology and will be continuing her higher education at CWU. Recently accepted into the master’s program for Public Health, Herbert still has two years of eligibility through the NCAA.

and 107 sets, Herbert would go on and lead all of NCAA Division II with 106 blocks.

Herbert went on to lead the GNAC hitting percentage while being 13th in Division II. Season-high blocks against Seattle Pacific on Sept. 24 and her best performance in the NCAA West Regional game against Western

Washington University with 16 points on Nov. 17. Landing the win with the Wildcats in the NCAA West Regional Tournament, her performance would earn her the title of All-American in NCAA DII Second Team.

Surgery

After the Wildcats 2022-23 season, Herbert decided it was time to get shoulder surgery once she found out her labrum was torn throughout the current season. She got her shoulder operated on in Jan. 2023. The middle blocker does not see this time off the court as a setback, and working alongside her physical therapist she is persistent to get better.

“I was really proud of the year

I had and I know it’s just the start,” Herbert said. ”In terms of recovery from surgery, I’m getting there month by month, but I have the support of my team who I would do anything for. They’ve been there for me the whole time alongside Coach Mario Andaya, Coach Leeanna Shymanski along with Coach Lauren Herseth, they’ve been helping me since day one.”

Accomplishments

Honorable mention for AVCA All-American

AVCA All-West Region First Team

D2CCA All-West Region First Team

NCAA Division II West Region All-Tournament Team

GNAC ALL-Conference First Team Honors

GNAC Defensive Player of the Week two times in Aug. 29-Sept. 4 and Oct. 24-Oct. 30 2022 GNAC All-Academic team.

Daoud-Herbertinaction

Photo by Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media

Daoud-Herbertwithherteammates.

Photo by Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media

Austin Ohland wins GNAC player of the week honors: All you need to know about the CWU Baseball veteran

Ryan Gildersleeve Staff Reporter

Austin Ohland has been a consistent slugger for the CWU baseball team for the past four years, and after earning Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) player of the week honors last week, Ohland is building momentum on his way to the end of the season.

Ohland won the GNAC player of the week honors after a weekend where he batted .471 and tallied seven runs for the Wildcats. His contributions would aid the Wildcat baseball team as they swept Montana State Billings (MSUB) over the April 1 weekend and improved upon a less than favorable record, then sitting at 14-22.

If you’ve followed CWU baseball at all in the last four years, chances are you’ve seen Ohland’s name a time or two. He has hit for a career batting average of .305 as well as adding 17 home runs and 110 hits.

CWU baseball Head Coach Desi Storey was enthusiastic when speaking on Ohland’s path with the team, and spec ified Ohland’s consistent con tributions as impressive.

“Austin’s so mature, he’s been in the middle of our lineup since he was a

steadying piece, and you don’t necessarily expect that from a guy coming in as a freshman, but he’s always been in the 3-4-5 spot,” Storey said.

Ohland is no stranger to success in baseball, being named All-Conference at Lafayette High School his senior year before joining the CWU baseball team in 2020. Since joining the team, Ohland has continued down his path of success, having impactful seasons each year of his tenure and adding individual awards as well, including GNAC Freshman of the Year in 2020.

Not only has Ohland contributed to the team on the field, but according to Coach Storey, his leadership off the field has also been significant.

“I think he does a great job leading by example, his work ethic regardless of what’s going on has been fantastic,” Storey said, “Guys respect what he’s done…but I think the fact is he’s pretty even-keeled and regardless of what’s going on the guys can look at him and go, ‘you know, Ohland’s just going about his business, we need to do that too.’”

Ohland emphasized the importance of leadership in his day-to-day life, and specifically in his sport.

“I want to be remembered as a strong leader,” Ohland said. “That’s what I’m going to school for and that’s something that I really enjoy is leading people and help -

thing, whether it be a baseball game and a win, or it’s a school project or business project. That’s how I want to be remembered, as a good leader.”

Wildcat baseball will play their next games over April 21-22, when they host the Nighthawks of Northwest Nazarene University in a four game series. With the end of the season in sight, Ohland spoke of his aspirations for himself and his team.

“I think the year we went to the GNAC championships would definitely have to be one of the top days for me, it was really awesome getting to see all the seniors experience that,” Ohland said. “I’m hoping we can do it for the guys this year as well.”

“I want to be remembered as a strong leader, that’s what I’m going to school for and that’s something that I really enjoy ...whether it be a baseball game and a win, or it’s a school project or business project.”

- Austin Ohland

Ohlandrunningonthefield.

Photo by Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media

Ohland standingat base.

Photo by Jacob Thompson/ Thompson Sports Media

Bobby Wagner’s homecoming: A closer look at Seattle’s legendary linebacker

Charis Jones Staff Reporter

The Seattle Seahawks have resigned linebacker Bobby Wagner to a one-year contract worth $5.5 million, bringing back one of the NFL’s most respected defensive players for the 2023 season.

After being drafted in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Wagner exclusively played for the Seahawks until joining the L.A. Rams in 2022. Though he spent a season away, his reputation was forged during his time in Seattle through many accomplishments, including making eight Pro Bowls, being named All-Pro First Teamer six times, and winning a Super Bowl ring in 2013. He even earned the distinction of being selected as Pro Football Focus’s top rated linebacker in the NFL last season.

“Is he the same player that he was when he was in Seattle? Probably not,” host of The Benchwarmers on 88.1 The ‘Burg Cash Brown said. “But he’s still going to be a very big boost to the linebacking core, especially just with what he can pass down to the younger guys.”

er salary elsewhere. In comparison to other NFL linebackers of similar age and pedigree, Wagner’s contract of a guaranteed $5.5 million may be considered relatively modest. For instance, C.J. Mosley from the New York Jets is guaranteed $51 million, Demario Davis from the New Orleans Saints with $18 million, and Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys with $17 million, according to Spotrac, the largest online sports team and player contract resource on the internet.

Although Richard Sherman, Wager’s former teammate, claimed that the offer Wagner received was a “lowball offer,” AP News reported that his decision to come back was greatly influenced by his desire to remain in Seattle, which could ultimately prove to be a notable advantage for the Seahawks’ defense.

Brown spoke on the importance of Wagner’s reinstatement to the Seahawks, and how much he means to the city of Seattle.

“He’s a veteran guy who knows the system pretty well, he obviously has a lot of ties to the city, and it’s especially [important because] we don’t really have any linebacker depth

backers,” Brown said. “So it’s going to be interesting to see what we do with that, but [Wagner’s return] was definitely necessary because as I said earlier, we really don’t have much depth outside of him.”

While the Seahawks were able to sign Devin Bush in the offseason, they lost both Cody Barton and Tanner Muse as they have signed elsewhere for the 2023 season. Not only this but Seattle’s starting middle linebacker Jordyn Brooks will be out for a substantial chunk of the upcoming season after tearing his ACL late in the 2022 season, so it is safe to say that Wagner’s services could be of use to the Seahawks.

While some may speculate that Wagner’s 12th season in the NFL could be his last given that he will turn 33 this summer, AP News has reported on his statement expressing his want to retire as a member of the Seahawks and continue playing beyond the duration of his one-year contract.

“If he does decide to hang up the cleats after this year, I won’t be surprised at all,” Brown said. “Could he play another year somewhere else? Maybe, but I think that he probably

plays a very physical position.”

Brown said that he anticipates Wagner’s exceptional on field abilities to be the main factor contributing to his legacy in Seattle once he eventually decides to retire.

“He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” Brown said. “He’s been to so many Pro Bowls, and he holds a lot of accolades at the linebacker position. He’s one of the greatest linebackers of all time and I think really more than anything, what he can leave behind is being able to be an elite linebacker throughout his entire career.”

In terms of what fans and followers should be expecting out of Wagner for the upcoming season, Brown advises against assuming that he will perform in the same way as he did during his previous years with the Seahawks.

“Obviously Seahawks fans know Wagner as being the greatest Seahawks linebacker of all time, but is he still gonna play at that level? Probably not,” Brown said. “ Really how he affects our younger guys on the team is going to be the biggest thing to keep an eye out for.”

Isaac Hinson Sports Editor

Jarred “Barry Bonds” Kelenic is the man. He’s the king of Seattle. Kelenic has not slowed down since spring training, and is playing at an all-star level. Luis Castillo also looks like an early contender for a Cy Young award, he’s been absolutely lights out. Other than that, the Mariners are still trying to find their stride.

Thankfully, the NBA Playoffs are here, and they have been amazing. As of the writing of this, the Sacramento Kings are up 2-0 on the reigning champion Golden State Warriors, which I don’t think anyone besides Kings diehards thought would be the case. Sacramento is one of the few places in the NBA where home-court advantage truly matters. The fans are the loudest in the league, and arguably the most passionate as well. Which is why they’re going to war with Draymond Green for Domantas Sabonis, who Green stomped on during their game on Monday. Green yelled many expletives at the Sacramento faithful booing him. It was quite fun to watch.

Elsewhere in the NBA, the Knicks and Cavaliers series has been good fun. Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson have all shown up to play, but Garland has gone nuclear. He’s in another world right now. The Lakers handled business in game one against the Grizzlies. Nothing out of the ordinary there. The Heat took game one from the Bucks, with both Tyler Herro and Giannis Antentokoumnpo sustaining injuries that will keep them out for extended time, so that series could get really interesting really fast if Milwaukee doesn’t win game two.

CWU’s women’s rugby team fools in 7’s Gold

Tre’Jon Henderson Staff Reporter

The CWU women’s rugby team participated in the Fool’s Gold 7’s tournament hosted by Boise State. The Wildcats dominated as they went 4-0 overall.

The Wildcats first defeated the Montana State A team by a 46-0 score. They then defeated the Boise State A Team by a 42-0 score.

CWU took down Colorado State 36-12 after a narrow three-point lead at the half. The Wildcats ended the day with a 39-0 victory over the Boise State A Team once more. Head Coach Matthew Ramirez gave credit to Boise State’s hospitality and thought his team played well.

“Boise State put on a fantastic tournament and were incredible hosts,’’ Ramirez said. “It was a great first hit out for the squad as we got

to learn a lot about ourselves as a 7’s team and apply what we’ve been drilling on all week in tough conditions.’’

Junior fullback Sammy Stern had herself a spectacular weekend as she found the edge multiple times for scores. Stern said it was nice for the team to get some serious reps in together.

“It’s the first 7’s tournament our team has been to in almost a year,” Stern said. “So it was nice to just get to play with the girls again and it was the perfect tournament to sort of shake off the rust from the past year.’’

MA Sorensen Award Nominee

Tessa Hann spoke on what it felt like to be nominated for the award.

The MA Sorensen Award is awarded to the top women’s collegiate rugby player of the season.

“I feel very honored to be nominated for the Sorenson award.”

Hann said. “There are so many amazing women who were also nominated, and being up there with them feels good. It also allows me to set a higher standard for myself as we progress through the offseason.”

Junior Kai Brandt spoke on the team’s desire to re-define themselves as a team moving forward.

“The focus for us is to maintain ourselves as a multi-threat 7’s team,” Brandt said. “In the past we’ve been known as very physically dominant, and we want to not only keep that, but expand on it with our skills.”

16

Seattle city skyline.

Photo Courtesy of Pexels

Keia Mae Sagapolu dodging and weaving.

Photo by Jacob Thompson

Twitter’s impact on the entertainment industry is a force to be reckoned with

Zileni Milupi Columnist

The rise of social media has seen a drastic change in the way we consume entertainment. Over the past decade, we’ve seen a surge in the number of social media platforms. We went from Myspace and Tumblr to Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

As someone who is often on social media, I was quite surprised by just how much of an impact random Twitter users can have on entire corporations.

Twitter, specifically, is notorious for being one of the most toxic social media platforms. According to Forbes magazine, a 2022 survey showed that Twitter topped the list of most toxic apps.

The amount of influence that Twitter possesses is undeniable to say the least. An interesting part of the platform is its power

to change the concepts of movies, tv shows and other forms of entertainment through negative comments.

There have been several incidents of movie studios or companies having to rework scripts or designs due to the backlash from fans on Twitter.

Admittedly, these are companies with exploitative tendencies that make millions off of the general public and with that, negative feedback from the public is warranted. Of course reworking a whole script and changing character designs means wasted labor and more money and resources to spend, something these companies can likely afford.

One of the most infamous incidents that come to mind is when Twitter users criticized the character designs from the 2019 live action movie, “Sonic the Hedgehog” after the trailer was

released. According to USA Today, the criticism was so bad that the movie’s director, Jeff Fowler, assured fans on Twitter that the designs would be changed.

Paramount Pictures, the film’s distributor, quickly made changes to Sonic’s design after the backlash, demonstrating the power that Twitter can have on entertainment companies.

Another incident involving script changes due to Twitter reactions is the cancellation of the CW Television Network’s live action reboot of “The Powerpuff Girls”.

After the script got leaked in the middle of production, fans and non-fans alike were quick to share their thoughts on Twitter. The CW network began the pro cess of reworking the script due to the negativity from fans, but eventually the reboot was can celed entirely.

Generational interests: self care as a 20-year-old college student

Knitting, crocheting, brisk walks and hanging out with my cats are my favorite pastimes for when I’m stressed about an assignment, trying to fall asleep or listening to a virtual lecture.

“Self-care” is something I discounted and thought was a silly trend on social media. My middle school self used bath bombs and face masks because that’s what people on my snapchat were doing. Beyond that, I didn’t think twice about taking care of myself in that way.

Now, I spend every night surrounded by activities that bring me joy and fill my soul. I’ve actually found the most happiness and calm in so-called “old lady” hobbies. Getting off of technology and focusing on the movement of my knitting needles or crochet hooks gives my brain a break from the constant barrage of information and distractions.

In my humble, not at all expert opinion, hobbies most commonly enjoyed by older generations are the best form of self care. Don’t get me wrong, I ab-

solutely still do college things. I completely enjoy watching TV shows, playing Nintendo Switch games and going to parties with my friends.

I’m not at all suggesting that you should abandon all the things you enjoy to knit, golf or play chess. What I will happily encourage is taking a break and “unplugging” from the internet and technology. But if not, that’s okay, I could never have taken my own advice even a couple years ago.

Besides, I consistently run into the fact that old school hobbies are HARD! Learning to knit and crochet has been a beast. Luckily, walks are pretty self explanatory, but I’ve had to pick up a lot of new skills on this journey.

My dad raised me playing cribbage and chess every Sunday, so maybe that’s where this all comes from. Even in spite of that, I still found it a little embarrassing when I got started. I didn’t want

people to think I was boring for preferring a night in bed with my cat and some knitting needles. Now, when a week goes by that I didn’t get to spend a night working on a sweater or taking a long walk (or even building a lego set), I feel exhausted and burnt out. I know my way isn’t right for everyone, but I do have to wonder if maybe past genera tions had it right. I never feel better than when I’ve had my dedicated time to be alone and focused on something that isn’t hardwired to distract me and keep my brain constantly running. It just so happens that the activities that allow me to disconnect are more commonly associated with the generations that came before me.

I personally believe one of the reasons Twitter users have such power is due to the nature of the engagement and interactions between the general public and public figures.

Unlike other social media platforms, Twitter allows fans to directly engage in conversations with others and have a wider reach. This enables negative opinions to gain a lot of attention and create discourse about different topics.

It’s strange to think that opinions on a social media platform can have a massive affect on our perception of celebrities, tv shows, movies and social issues. Whether you are an avid social media user or have no interest in social media at all, the influence of Twitter and social media in general is not to be overlooked.

Madison VanRavenhorst Columnist

Online Editor Madison VanRavenhorst knitting.

Photo by Annie Gatlin

Belonging in the ‘Burg discussion encourages progressive conversations among diverse groups in Ellensburg

Zileni Milupi and Yohanes Goodell Senior Reporter and Photo Editor

Friendly chatter and the scent of brewed coffee wafted across the Hal Holmes Community Center during the Belonging in the Burg: Building Bridges discussion on April 8. The Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Commission of Ellensburg hosted the event at the Hal Holmes Community Center located in the Ellensburg public library.

The Belonging in the ‘Burg conversation was first held last year with the main goal of creating a welcoming community among residents in Ellensburg who questioned their sense of belonging in the city.

Interim Executive Director of Yakima District & Kittitas Counties Carolyn Thurston explained the need in Ellensburg for these types of conversations.

“I think there’s often a pretty homogenous group of people who want to connect people and communities, and in order for it to be more effective, we have to reach out and become more accessible to people who might not look like us,” Thurston said.

Planning process

According to Public Information Officer for the city of Ellensburg Nicole Klauss, the city’s DEI Commision was looking for a way to engage the community and connect a diverse group of residents for meaningful conversations.

“The commission thought it would be a great event to bring to Ellensburg as we try to start increasing inclusivity and start making people feel more welcome,” Klauss said.

After coming up with the Belonging in the Burg event last year, members of the DEI Committee and city council worked together to come up with the direction of the discussion. “We wanted to bring people together to talk about topics they may agree or not agree on,” City Council member Nancy Goodloe said.

Goodloe explained that the world cafe model was used for the discussion. According to Klauss, the world cafe model is a commonly used small group discussion model that has facilitators and people talk about specific

questions in groups to encourage more intimate conversations.

Using the model, participants of the event were divided into different groups and given four questions to discuss for 10 minutes with a facilitator.

Theme and concept

According to Goodloe, last year’s theme was belonging and what that looked like to different people. She explained that the purpose of this year’s theme, ‘building bridges’, was to have an extension of that conversation.

“We had questions around the idea of what it means to belong and how you feel and what does it take to belong,” Goodloe said. “This time around, we were talking about building bridges through relationships.”

Thurston further elaborated on the metaphorical concept of building bridges and why that was an important theme for this year’s event. She explained that one of the primary goals was to have people consciously think about

the bridges that exist within the community and build conversations around that.

Thurston stressed that the purpose of the event was not to try to solve problems or fix issues of inclusivity in the community, but instead to create a safe space for these conversations. She explained that this year’s event was to encourage people to talk about their experiences in Ellensburg.

“College students may not feel very connected to the community or to downtown or certain organizations within the town,” Thurston said. “For example, there’s this big divide between the university and the school district. And so you might be talking about the desire to see bridges between the school district and the university, and how that might happen.”

Discussion

Each participant had a talking stick during the discussion to symbolize their turn to speak. After 10 minutes, participants would move to a different table with a different facilitator leading the discussion.

One key feature of the event was the use of live translators for the Spanish speaking members of the community. Attendees who preferred to listen to the discussion in Spanish were given headphones that would allow them to listen to live interpretations.

Goodloe explained that this il-

lustrated the importance of inclusivity within the community.

The event in fall of 2022 saw an attendance of between 65 and 70 people, according to Goodloe. This year’s attendance consisted of about 45 to 50 people, which Goodloe said is more than she expected considering this year’s event took place during Easter weekend.

Reactions and hopes for the future

“We talk a lot about divisions between people, and not a lot of people [are] doing things about it,” Former CWU Communication Professor Paul Backman said. “This is an event that tries to build bridges between different groups, different cultures and different ethnicities.”

“Hopefully, people leave and have learned something new that they can take into their everyday lives,” Klauss said.

“I think sitting around a table where you have people from the Hispanic community, people from the Black community and people from other groups talk about how they feel and how they know they belong is important,” Goodloe said. “So when something happens in the community, we are stronger because we have that understanding and knowledge and acceptance of other people.”

Attendeestalkingatdiscussiontable7. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

PresidentWohlpartattheBelongingintheBurgdiscussion.

Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Attendeestalkingatdiscussiontable4. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

CarolynThurston&NicoleKlaus’s. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Grad Kick-Off

By Yohanes Goodell and Beau Sansom Photo Editor and Staff Reporter

With spring quarter at CWU nearly halfway over and commencement in June fast approaching, CWU ran the grad kick-off event from April 11 - 12, where students were able to acquire everything they need for commencement and graduation.

“The thing I’ll miss most are the friendships I’ve created here with the amazing staff and students that I’ve become really close to.”

- Manny Valencia, studying accounting

“Put yourself out there because you never know what’ll happen.”

- Kian Abdlakhani, studying accounting

“[My favorite part of] living in the dorms freshman year… living by all your friends.”

- Gillian Woods, studying professional piloting

GradCapandGown. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

WorkersmilingwithSenior. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Gradgettingphototaken. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Wildcat Words:

Yohanes Goodell

Cats or dogs? Why pick that option?

“Cats, because they are significantly less messy compared to dogs when you’re raising them. ”

“Dogs, because you can take them out a bit more by going on walks, hikes and playing fetch with them. ”

“Dogs, because they’re genuine ly more friendly so you can play with them compared to cats, as they’ll usually hide and you never know where they are. ”

“Dogs, as they promote exercise by being an outside pet, plus opening the door and seeing a dog jump on you is always going to be the best part of your day.”

Phillip Siguenza is a senior at CWU pursuing a degree in Geology and is the current president of the Geology Club.

Phillip Siguenza

How did you get involved with the Geology club?

Being a student enrolled in CWU’s Geology Department, I have always been aware of the Geology Club. I established great relationships among my fellow peers who were active in the club and was recommended to be the president of the Geology Club. I gladly took the offer and have been absolutely loving my responsibilities as the SY22-23 Geology Club President.

What’s your favorite rock?

My favorite rock is called an eclogite. It is a very unique type of metamorphic rock where it’s formed under high heat and pressure (lower part of the earth’s crust and upper part of the mantle). It is commonly made up of omphacite and garnet. It is also known as the Christmas rock!

How has your experience in the military helped with your leadership role for the Geology club?

When I was in the military, I was a petty officer second class in charge of an aircraft maintenance division of 50+ people. Having this experience helped me know how to communicate, lead, advise and connect with people to work/achieve a certain goal. Whether it be fixing billions of dollar equipment or giving back to the community by cleaning parks, you can’t do it alone. It also taught me promptness.

What inspired the club to adopt and clean up Mercer Creek?

The Geology Club’s top goal is to give back to the community in any way shape or form. We were brainstorming ideas on what we could do that not only gives back to the community but also helps the environment. We were lucky enough to have a representative from Mid-Columbia Fisheries to reach out to us with an awesome

opportunity. In which we jumped on immediately.

Will you be pursuing Geology after graduating at CWU?

Yes! I have already applied to some Geotech firms and also to a scientific vessel named the JOIDES Resolution as a technician. I am hopeful that I can go back to the JOIDES Resolution not as a visitor, but as a working geologist!

What has been your favorite memory from being in the Geology club?

I would like to change this to my favorite memory of being in the Geology Department. My most cherished memories would be the time I was in the middle of Oregon last summer for senior field. I was surrounded by great people that went and are currently going through the geology program and I’ll never forget the great times we had out there. Gonna miss all my geology peeps that I met along the way. Hope to see y’all in the next chapter.

What is a book that you can’t stop recommending to people?

I always recommend The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**** by Mark Manson. However, if you can’t put that in the article, then Power by Robert Greene is another great one.

“While

11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Plants to Plates: Earth Day at the Greenhouse and Museum in Dean Hall Lobby

National Slay a Dragon Day

and the Wasp: Quantumania in SURC Theatre 210 (Students Only, Bring ID)

6 - 7 p.m. - Viola Quintet Recital with Guest Artist Leslie Straka in McIntyre Hall 175 (Recital Hall)

7 - 8 p.m. - Late Night Leadership in SURC Pit

Nathan Nhye Fr. Graphic Design

Malia Harrison

Sr. Professional & Creative Writing

Mason Raab Soph. Event Management

Michael Jones Soph. Middle-level Mathematics Education