The Observer, Spring 2023 - Issue 5

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DIVERSITY

Show up Speak Out student performers highlight strength of sexual assault survivors

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Coalition of student representatives asks for less police presence on campus

BSU, SUS, JSA, MEChA, Women in STEM and AUAP demand increased student resources

Morgana Carroll News Editor

A group of representatives from student organizations gathered as a coalition April 17 with members of the ASCWU Board of Directors in the SURC ballroom to discuss having more student voice and choice in the presence of campus police at campus events.

The meeting came after an open letter, signed by six organizations belonging to the coalition and outlining their mission statement and demands, was sent to the ASCWU.

The coalition included the Black Student Union (BSU), Student Union of Socialists (SUS), Japanese Student Association (JSA), Movimiento Estudiantil Chinana/o de Aztlán (MEChA), Women in STEM and Asia University American Program (AUAP), and MEChA and SUS faculty adviser Dr. Gilberto García. Members of the student senate were also in attendance.

The four-page-letter listed the coalition’s demands: that the University, Jim Wohlpart, and ASCWU force all police presence at campus events be passed through an ESC council vote and that a committee formed through ASCWU and the ESC council review the role of police on campus.

A copy of the letter is available on The Observer website.

According to SUS Treasurer Landis Hanson, concern first arose when there were two police-sponsored events organized in February, including a self defense class and a brunch event.

“We had a concern about police being present during a self-defense class during Black History Month in the wake of the death of Tyre Nichols,” Hanson said. “And having seen no method for students to object to that at all. We had planned a protest and announced our protest as SUS and BSU.”

Hanson said that after they voiced their concerns, the two events were canceled. After BSU Equity and Service Council Representative Genet Wubbie brought it up during an ASCWU lobby day in Olympia earlier this quarter, they had a phone call with ASCWU.

Hanson said they were not boycotting the events themselves, something the groups behind the coalition mentioned in their open letter as well, but were opposed to police attendance.

“It’s not because we don’t want students to learn self defense…it’s not because we don’t want students getting free food, our concern was that it was the police that were doing it,” Hanson said. “The only people that we can’t defend ourselves from and the people who, in our opinion, take

away from what could otherwise be used to feed students.”

According to Hanson, another event in was scheduled in March, Dare to Care, focused on providing resources to students who had been victims of sexual assault.

Wubbie said that she raised her concerns to the Wellness Center, who was hosting the event.

“We said that we felt uncomfortable with police coming to this specific Dare to Care event because of the history of police and their involvement in domestic violence, so I told them my concerns about

inviting or letting them table at the event,” Wubbie said.

On May 1, President Wohlpart released a statement on cwu.edu announcing that the university was coordinating a workgroup to reassess the role of the police on campus.

“Shared governance groups on campus will be nominating their representatives this week and that committee will then discuss how the work group will proceed,” Public Affairs Coordinating Writer David Leder said in an email to the Observer.

at only home

of the season

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Wildcat Pantry proposes new student fee to cover increasing student needs

this program.”

The Wildcat Pantry, located on the first floor of the James E. Brooks Library, offers free food to CWU students and has proposed a new student fee to help cover the pantry’s costs.

According to Wildcat Pantry Coordinator Jaeda Nelson, the pantry is spending about $1,000 a week on food. She said that they get about 500 visits to the pantry a month and distribute around 4,000 pounds of items quarterly.

“We don’t have any recurring or reliable form of funding,” Nelson said. “All of our funding is based off of donations. The only funding we do have is for our actual paid staff.”

If the Wildcat Pantry wanted to extend its service, Nelson said it would need a reliable source of income to make sure the pantry continues to exist.

“The reason why we wanted to propose a fee is that we expect to have different forms of funding coming in,” Nelson said. “Legislatively, hopefully, we are looking to have more campus funding to support more of our facility upgrades, but a lot of those things take a few years minimum.”

Junior computer science major and Wildcat Pantry Lead Andrea Guillen said students can vote for the possible Wildcat Pantry fee during the ASCWU elections. Guillen said students can pick between a $6 fee, a $10 fee or no fee at all.

“It’s a fee that’s automatically on your fees that you get quarterly, so there is no opt-out option,” Guillen said.

According to the Registered Student Organizations Council meeting minutes that took place on Feb. 27, a $6 fee will help cover “minimal operational costs,” and the $10 fee will help cover “further food assistance and essential services.”

Nelson said that this student fee initiative isn’t them saying they are relying on the students, but allowing them to participate in a food justice and access movement.

“We still have a lot of opportunities for funding,” Nelson said. “It’s just the student fee, it provides us to have the freedom and flexibility to continue to really amplify and honor

Nelson said she thinks having a food pantry on campus is important because it is a reliable source for students and doesn’t collect too much of their personal information, seeing as they only need their Connection card to access the pantry.

“It’s important that they have the resources to be able to support themselves to be able to live a really successful college experience,” Nelson said. “If we can set them up and position them to feel empowered by taking care of themselves, by being able to also promote sustainability and making sure food isn’t going to waste, I think that’s a good practice.”

Vice President of Financial Affairs Joel Klucking said the proposed Wildcat Pantry fee is an example of a voluntary fee, meaning the students are imposing a fee upon themselves for a need that isn’t currently being met.

“The students, through PUSH, started this food pantry, and it’s been very popular and very important part of campus and so they want to support it with an additional voluntary fee,” Klucking said.

To do this, Klucking said the pantry would first run it through student government, and the student government would decide whether the fee is a good idea or not. They would then put it on the ballot so the student body could vote on it.

“Ultimately, though, the trustees of the university get the final say,” Klucking said. “The students can propose a fee for themselves that the trustees could disagree with…I don’t think they’ve ever done it, [but] they get the final say.”

When it comes to deciding if a student fee should be imposed, Klucking said it is really just a judgment call.

“If there’s something incremental that needs to happen, we either have to take a cut or some other service has to go away,” Klucking said. “Or either the students would introduce a fee on themselves…or we would implement a new mandatory fee.”

According to Klucking, CWU’s student fees are higher than those of most other universities.

“We’re very conscious of the fact that we don’t want to go and raise fees unless we absolutely have to,” Klucking said.

Megan Rogers News Editor

MariaMendoza(left)andAnntonetteBrier(Right).

Photo courtesy of Jaeda Nelson

The letters sent to ASCWU

The Seattle Kraken are headed to round two of the Stanley Cup finals and will face the Dallas Stars. According to KOMO News, the Kraken beat the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Colorado Avalanche, with a 2-1 win on Sunday.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee has announced he will not be seeking a fourth term as governor. He is the second governor to serve three consecutive terms in Washington and he’s ‘ready to pass the torch’, according to CNN.

A Kittitas County Superior Court judge has ruled that the Kittitas County jail violated state law by forcing an inmate to pay for his medical care while in jail in 2016. According to The Yakima Herald, the jail made Robert Lambert sign papers for approximately $12,000 in medical debt that he owed.

Morgana Carroll Editora

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Chinchilla, Angela Gonzalez and Josephine

Scheopner

Un grupo de representantes de organizaciones estudiantiles y cuerpos legislativos se reunieron en el salón de baile del SURC y formaron una coalición con los miembros de la Junta Directiva de la ASCWU, para discutir cómo incrementar la voz y el voto estudiantil respecto de la presencia de la policía en eventos del campus universitario.

Esto sucedió después de que se

Beyond Our Coverage

The U.S. military is tracking an unidentified balloon flying over parts of Hawaii. According to NBC News, U.S. officials are unsure who the balloon belongs to and are tracking it as it moves toward Mexico.

The Writer’s Guild of America has voted unanimously to go on strike. According to The New York Times, the strike will halt over half of the ongoing production in Hollywood. The Writer’s Guild is waiting on seeing better benefits for producing streaming content, as many streamers only pay upfront and don’t pay royalties.

NASA’s Voyager 2 is set to run for another few years by postponing one of their instruments. According to Space.com, although the Voyager spacecraft runs on nuclear energy, the radioisotope thermoelectric generators are decaying over time and the voltage regulator protection had to be turned off to allow for more mission time.

A Russian train was derailed by an ‘explosive device’ detonating on the tracks. According to The Moscow Times, there were no casualties and the train was traveling near the Ukrainian border.

Fuel shortages have pressured Cuba to cancel the International Workers’ Day parade, an event that normally brings together thousands of people. Cuba has been struggling with fuel shortages due to suppliers in other nations not delivering, according to NY Times.

envió una carta a la universidad, la cual fue firmada por cada una de las organizaciones que pertenecen a la coalición junto con su declaración de misión y sus peticiones a la universidad.

La coalición incluyó entre otras organizaciones, a las siguientes: Black Student Union (BSU), Student Union of Socialists (SUS), Japanese Student Association (JSA), Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán (MEChA), Women in STEM and Asia University American Program (AUAP).

También asistieron los miembros del senado estudiantil.

CWU Police car outside of Samuelson Hall.

De acuerdo con Landis Hanson, Tesorero de la SUS, este asunto comenzó con los dos eventos patrocinados por la policía en el mes de febrero, los que incluyeron la clase de defensa personal y un brunch.

“Nos preocupó que la policía estuviera presente durante una clase de defensa personal en el mes en que celebrábamos la historia de las personas de raza negra y el reciente acontecimiento de la muerte de Tyre Nichols, sin existir una opción para que los alumnos objetaran el evento”, dijo Hanson. “Nosotros planificamos una protesta que anuncia-

mos como un evento conjunto de SUS y BSU”.

Hanson manifestó que los eventos fueron cancelados después de que dieron a conocer su rechazo.

Después de que la representante del Consejo de Equidad y Servicio de la BSU trajo a colación el asunto durante el día en que la ASCWU ejerce presión en Olympia, este grupo recibió una llamada de seguimiento por parte de la ASCWU.

Hanson expresó que la intención no era boicotear los eventos en sí, sino que su oposición estaba relacionada con la presencia de la policía, como ya

Editorial Policy: The Observer is a public forum for student expression, in which student editors make policy and content decisions. The mission of The Observer is two-fold: to serve Central Washington University as a newspaper and to provide training for students who are seeking a career in journalism. The Observer seeks to provide complete, accurate, dependable information to the campus and community; to provide a public forum for the free debate of issues, ideas and problems facing the community at large; and to be the best source of information, education and entertainment news. As a training program, The Observer is the practical application of the theories and principles of journalism. It teaches students to analyze and communicate information that is vital to the decision making of the community at large. It provides a forum for students to learn the ethics, values and skills needed to succeed in their chosen career. If you have questions or concerns, email us at cwuobserver@gmail.com. Staff Faculty Adviser Jennifer Green Editorial Consultant Francesco Somaini Staff Reporters Anna Fridell Ryan Gildersleeve Tre’Jon Henderson Charis Jones Mykah Koke-Filimaua Hunter Rhea Beau Sansom Quincy Taylor Graphic Design Lead Glacie Kehoe-Padilla Orientation / Assistant Graphic Designer Brandon Davis Assistant Senior Editor Zileni Milupi Photo Editor Yohanes Goodell Copy Desk Lead / Opinion Editor Brittany Cinderella Online Editor Madison VanRavenhorst Assistant Copy Editor Kai Kyzar Sports Editor Isaac Hinson News Editors Morgana Carroll Megan Rogers Lead Editor Katherine Camarata May 3, 2023 Scene Editor MJ Rivera Assistant Online Editor Deacon Tuttle

“No es porque no quisiéramos que los estudiantes aprendieran defensa personal… ni por evitar que los alumnos comieran gratis; lo que nos preocupó fue que la policía lo patrocinara”, dijo Hanson. “Son las únicas personas de quienes no podemos defendernos y quienes, en nuestra opinión, nos quitan los recursos que de otra manera servirían para dar de comer a los alumnos”.

De acuerdo con Hanson, se había programado otro evento para marzo, llamado Dare to Care (Atrévase a apoyar), el cual estaba enfocado en proveer recursos para los estudiantes que han sido víctimas de agresión sexual.

Wubbie comentó que ella le expresó su preocupación al Centro de Bienestar, la entidad organizadora del evento.

“Les dijimos que nos sentíamos incómodos de que la policía participara específicamente en este evento de Dare to Care (Atrévase a apoyar), dada la historia que tiene la policía y su implicación en violencia doméstica. Por eso, yo les expresé mi preocupación de que se les invitara al evento o se les permitiera tener una mesa informativa en el evento”, dijo Wubbie.

Photo by Brittany Cinderella

Dave Hartless’ mission: Striving for change one student at a time

Hunter Rhea Staff Reporter

While some may know him as ‘Big Dave’ on 88.1 The ‘Burg or as a bouncer at Club 301, fourth-year political science major Dave Hartless has also become known for his work as the student liaison on the CWU Board of Trustees.

Hartless said his mission is to help and inspire others. He has been using his position on the Board of Trustees to push for change at CWU and hopes that he can provide a good experience for future students after he graduates.

“The mission of the Board of Trustees remains focused on becoming a model learning community of equity and belonging,” according to the CWU Board of Trustees website.

Making a difference for students

“I’ve learned better life lessons in a classroom than I have out of a textbook,” Hartless said. “I learned great life lessons through classrooms, because through college, you’re supposed to learn and make mistakes, making a classroom a source for learning life lessons.”

Hartless is an advocate for students’ meal security, and for not putting this cost on students to cover.

“Six dollars a month for something that should be free, we already have some of the highest student visas in the state and I have a serious issue with that,” Hartless said. “I don’t care that it’s only six dollars, I have an issue with charging students more money.”

Hartless additionally said he believes students should be put in a better position where they can acquire professional business clothes.

“I would like to see them create a stipend of some sort, to either reimburse or give

the students money to get business professional photos,” Hartless said. “I’ve been to Olympia and a lobby of trustees, I went there to get confirmed from the Higher Education Committee meetings and I’ve been in a lot of business clothes for that.”

Hartless said he believes students should have the opportunity to own professional clothing, because business clothes are an investment that is meant to last.

Hartless said the best impact he can make is by being a voice, and one of his messages is for people to be advocates for themselves.

Future at CWU

Hartless said he wishes to see inclusion for everybody, and to make students feel at home no matter what group they are a part of.

“Your voices are heard and your opinions matter, and no situation is too small,” Hartless said. “I want to see Central continue to grow that way.”

Hartless expressed his hopes for the future of student government at CWU.

“I want to see ASCWU actually do things for students, since they are elected by the students, and not just hold meetings. I can’t think of one thing they’ve done this year,” Hartless said. “I want to see ASCWU actually advocate for the students. I wish that CWU would have more of an engaged student body.”

Hartless recognized that students get what they put in at this school. Hartless said he is very grateful to be given the opportunity to help other people.

“My whole philosophy is, if I can help you, my job here is done,” Hartless said. “If I can inspire one person during my time in college… I did something good.”

Artículos

StudentboardmemberonBoardofTrustees,DavidHartless,alsoknownas‘BigDave’. Photo courtesy of CWU website

Air Force Band of the Golden West strikes a chord with CWU students

Mykah Koke-Filimaua Staff Reporter

The crisp notes of brass instruments, the thump of percussion and the soaring melodies of woodwinds filled the air as the Air Force Band of the Golden West performed at CWU.

The renowned ensemble, composed of active-duty airmen and women, showcased their musical prowess at the free concert on April 26 in McIntyre Hall while also marketing broader career choices for CWU students, according to jazz professor Keith Karns.

According to Karns, the partnership between the Air Force Band of the Golden West and the CWU music program is a fantastic opportunity for both the students and the community.

“One of my hopes is that from hearing the band…some of our students will become aware of broader career options in the future,” Karns said.

Karns also mentioned how critical these service jobs are for students who are pursuing a performance major.

“A huge segment of our student population in the music department are music majors, but we also train performance

majors…so these service jobs are vital jobs,” Karns said.

Professor and Lecturer of Jazz Norman Wallen talks about the relationship CWU has with the bands of the U.S. military and the number of recruitment opportunities for music and performance majors at CWU.

“These military bands love coming to Central because they know our students are very highly trained and extremely proficient,” Wallen said.“They recruit our students heavily.”

Wallen also mentioned the history between CWU and bands of the U.S. military that

laid the foundation for more musicians to have a chance at recruitment.

“They come to Central in part because many of our music graduates have played in these bands since the early 1950s,” Wallen said

First year music education major Toby Glick talked about why it’s important to have events like this.

“I believe bringing in high-level musicians that are at the highest level like those guys is very important for young musicians to see and listen to,” Glick said. “It’s also a good recruiting tactic.”

Sophomore trombone per -

formance major Ian Middelburg described his familiarity with military music.

“I’ve played in bands my whole life, so I have been exposed to it a good amount,” Middelburg said.

Another sophomore vocal performance major Lexi James shared her thoughts on the importance of events like this.

“I think it exposes the public to different things that the military does because I don’t think many people know the military does music,” James said. “Also, it gives the military a chance to do outreach and get people interested.”

Stepping up to the plate: CWU Softball wins 7-6 after 12 innings

KarsynDeckercheeringasoftballhit.

JillianHampsonboostingteammorale.

AshleeLavercheeringafterastrikeout.

JanelleGarywalkingwithfamily.

MyiahSeatonpreparingtoswing.

WoodwindandBrassplayerswithleadsinger. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Photos by Yohanes Goodell

Girl power at Girls Night Out: Highlighting women-owned businesses and togetherness

MJ Rivera and Zileni Milupi Scene Editor and Senior Reporter

A warm breeze blew through the downtown streets of Ellensburg as local businesses filled with people participating in the girls night out event. The event took place on April 27 from 5 to 9 p.m. in downtown Ellensburg.

Free snacks and drinks were on display at the EDA as participants trickled in to collect bingo cards and maps of participating businesses. The first 40 people to check in received $10 vouchers they could use at any of the businesses.

Watercolor portraits and a selfie spot were few of the many services offered at Nuwave Gallery for the event.

Participants who walked into Mariposa Medical Aesthetics were welcomed by a variety of snacks on a charcuterie board accompanied with live music by Seattle musician and CWU alumni Bryce Van Parys. Other participating businesses included Julep’s Southern Bar and Kitchen, Yarn Folk and The Mule.

The origin of Girls Night Out

Katie Holm, marketing director of the Ellensburg Downtown Association (EDA), said the Girl’s Night Out event is an opportunity for CWU students and Ellensburg community members to come together and support each other.

Girls Night Out has been an annual event for the last nine years, and serves primarily to provide a space for women to have fun and socialize, allowing them to have a sense of community and to promote local businesses, according

to Holm. Holm said the event also helps break down “the barrier between town and gown.”

“Girls Night Out provides an opportunity for young women to connect and form friendships outside of the college environment, which can be very insular,” Holm said. “This can be especially valuable for those who may feel isolated or lonely on campus. As a former CWU student, I wish I would have attended while I was in school. It wasn’t until I moved to Ellensburg years later did I learn how incredible this town and community is.”

A majority of the businesses that participated in the event are women-owned, and Holm said this is a great thing for Ellensburg to be known for.

“There’s an importance to empower and lift up all of us,” Holm said. “And having the opportunity to showcase and promote all of our local female business owners just feels like the right thing to do.”

Originally this year, the spring Girl’s Night Out was not on the calendar until Megan West, the owner of Claim Clothing, expressed the importance of this event and advocated that the EDA put it on again. West brought up that the event helps drive business during the transition from winter into spring, according to Holm.

West opened Claim Clothing in Ellensburg nine years ago, and she said there are a lot of women-owned businesses in Ellensburg, according to West.

“Store by store downtown, it is an overwhelming amount of women-owned businesses, which is super cool,” West said. “I just think that we’re natural empaths and nur-

turers. I think that we have a drive, and we are wonderful at multitasking, and I think that’s why you see a lot of women-owned businesses.”

West acknowledged that Ellensburg is a small town and that she believes CWU students might typically travel to go shopping, but that Girls Night Out provides an opportunity for all to see what downtown Ellensburg has to offer.

Before the event took place, Holm emphasized the importance of having a night to destress and have fun.

“We all need a night off every once in a while, especially college students. We hope that Girls Night Out will be a joyful event and a much needed break from the demands of academic life,” Holm said.

Participant perspectives

D&M Coffee Manager Deanna Bangs explained the preparation process that went into the cafe’s participation in the event.

“We’re right in the heart of downtown Ellensburg so we love to participate in all of the events that Ellensburg Downtown Association puts on,” Bangs said. “Girls Night Out is just one of the many events they do.”

Bangs, who has worked for D&M for seven years, explained that the cafe has participated in Girls Night Out each year since its conception. The cafe offers discounts and samples for customers to try at the event every year.

The cafe provided free samples of chocolate decadence which are chocolate tarts the bakers make at the cafe.

Apart from the usual Girls Night Out offerings, this is the cafe’s first

year offering a drink special. The drink was a pink passion lotus topped with coconut milk and was only offered during the event, although Bangs added that it might be part of the menu in the future if it receives demand.

“I hope that they [customers] may find some new favorites, some new goods and services that they wouldn’t ordinarily be exposed to,” Bangs said.

Crystal Whitaker, owner of Devine Wellness and Relaxation, another participating business, spoke about the importance of women-owned businesses in Ellensburg.

“We offer a lot of outside the box thinking,” Whitaker said. “We offer bulk, we offer sustainable goods and not saying that guys wouldn’t but you know, just trying to be more mindful and embrace that feminine Mother Earth energy. And I think women-owned businesses really tried to do that.”

Whitaker also highlighted a few of the activities planned for customers during the event. Purchases worth $25 would earn customers a spin at a wheel of prizes. The prizes included a couple’s massage, chakra balancing, a semi-permanent jewelry giveaway and tarot reading.

Hildi Youngblood, the owner of Evolve Clothing and Jewelry, said that she has been traveling back and forth from India to provide Evolve’s wares for nearly seven years.

“I work with the tailors that make our clothing and our housewares, and the silversmiths that make our jewelry,” Youngblood said. “So, I have a hand in creating the designs for all of that, which makes us a little bit unique.”

It is also important to highlight

women-owned businesses because of the hurdles that women have to overcome, according to Youngblood.

Youngblood said that while it can be hard to get off campus sometimes, it is worth it to go downtown and see what local businesses have to offer.

CWU students share their experiences

Freshman aviation major Kylie Copeland and junior entrepreneurship and digital marketing major Hannah Roswell hit the town to enjoy Girls Night Out together.

“I’m so excited because this is my first year here,” Roswell said. “So, [I’m looking forward to] just exploring all the town and being able to explore the clothing shops.”

Copeland explained that seeing women-owned businesses is inspiring to her.

“It’s really important to highlight women-owned businesses because for such a long time, a woman owning a business was not very accepted by the community,” Copeland said. “And it wasn’t a very common thing to find. With more and more women owning their own businesses, I feel like it really motivates younger generations to get there too.”

Roswell shared that she is going to be following in the footsteps of women business-owners.

“I’m actually an entrepreneur,” Roswell said. “I’m actually opening a business within the summertime. It was so inspiring to me to know that other women are opening their businesses and being able to promote Girls Night Out.”

KatieHolm(L)andBrendaDeVore(R)atEDAmeetingpoint. Photo by MJ Rivera

KylieCopeland(L)andHannahRoswell(R)posingtogetherdowntown. Photo by MJ Rivera

HildiYoungblood,ownerofEvolve. Photo by MJ Rivera

Support and Doctor panelists and community members weigh the role of medication in addiction treatment

Representative Tom Dent sheds light on stigma surrounding mental illness

MJ Rivera and Zileni Milupi

Scene Editor and Senior Reporter

Friendly chatter, free food and educational discussions created a welcoming atmosphere as attendees walked in the Hal Holmes Community Center for the Doctors Talk Addiction seminar on April 28.

Hosted by Merit Resources, the seminar was the second part of the “Let’s Talk Addiction” series first launched in September, Recovery Month, in 2020.

Melissa Denner, CWU alum, licensed mental health counselor at Merit Resources and organizer of the event, said that her passion for addiction recovery treatment is what inspired her to pitch this event to her boss and help put it on.

“It’s not just [about] the medical illness or disease,” Denner said. “It’s understanding the person with the addiction and understanding the experience of living in active addiction, and the process of experiencing finding a way out into active remission. It’s much more than an illness because it’s attached to people that we love.”

Panelists included Clinical Pharmacist Dr. Nancy Hecox, PharmD, who specializes in chemical dependency, Executive Medical Director of the Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP) and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Washington School of Medicine Dr. Chris Bundy and Board-certified family medicine specialist Dr. Greg Rehmann M.D.

Organizing the event Merit Resources is a local drug treatment and rehabilitation center that provides outpatient drug and alcohol treatment services in Ellensburg, Yakima, Sunnyside, Wapato, Toppenish, Pasco and Kennewick, according to meritresources.org.

Denner explained that the feedback and attendance for the first part of the series was positive enough to create a second part of the series featuring a panel of medical professionals.

“This idea of having a series so that we could bring together professionals who have frequent contact with people with substance use disorder or work directly with people with substance use disorder and include community members and fam -

ily and friends, as well as people in recovery with lived experience,” Denner said.

Denner hopes the event brings relationships and connections in the community. She also mentioned how important it is for CWU students to be part of community discussions.

“I often think of Central when I’m doing things within the community, because students are here and some students at my last event came and they were one of the people who gave me the most positive feedback,” Denner said.

“Ihopethatwehaveincreasinglybettertreatments forthevarietyofdifferentsubstancesthatcankill people.”

- Dr. Chris Bundy

Pre-seminar

Vicki Strickland, drug court case manager at Merit, had been helping with preparations for the seminar for the past couple of months.

“I would say the importance of the event is to educate the community about addiction,” Strickland said.

Treatment director of Merit Pedro Lopez explained that one of Merit’s main goals of the event was to spread public awareness in regards to medication for opioid use disorder.

“What I wish to learn more is medications for opioid use disorder, medication assisted treatment, and really be able to see how we can bridge in medication treatment, a different type of cognitive behavioral therapy and how these two work together to get to the truth,” Lopez said Medications and addiction

Denner asked the three panelists a series of questions that they took turns answering, and she took breaks between questions to give the audience a chance to ask their own questions.

Bundy spoke on the magnitude of the addiction issue that America faces and the role that medication plays in solving this issue.

“Medications are certainly a critical part to get you to dance, but they’re definitely not a part

of an overall comprehensive approach to addiction,” Bundy said. “We don’t have an opioid epidemic in this country, we have an addiction epidemic in this country. Alcohol kills more people than opiods every year. Nicotine kills a quarter of magnitude more people than alcohol every year. But we’re really focused on opioids right now and we really need to look at the larger picture of addiction.”

Bundy said that addiction treatment from medicine has not been tested to its full capacity- there need to be more long-term data from longer studies.

“I hope that we have increasingly better treatments for the variety of different substances that can kill people,” Bundy said. “And that we stop thinking in terms of, ‘there’ll be a medication that will fix this,’ we need to do other things in addition to medication.”

Rehmann and Hecox felt similarly about the role of medication in addiction recovery; however, Hecox spoke more on abstinence from all medications as an end goal, while Rehmann leaned more towards catering to the goals of each individual.

“I love what [Hecox] said is that the final goal is abstinence- and it may not be for everyone,” Rehmann said. “I’m not the arbiter of somebody else’s recovery…Do you have a goal, is it a goal of abstinence?”

Hecox and the other doctors agreed that every addict’s recovery plan is their own and should not be compared to anyone else’s.

“Just because my frame of reference about what recovery is, doesn’t mean that has to be your frame of reference,” Hecox said. “Just because it’s just the way I did it or worked for me, it may not work for you.”

“It’snotjust[about]the medicalillnessordisease.It’s understandingthepersonwith theaddictionandunderstanding theexperienceoflivinginactive addiction.”

such as a strong support system, that can help alongside medications.

“Never underestimate the value of the milieu of peers in terms of enhancing motivation and getting people over the next hurdle,” Bundy said.

In order to prevent cases of addiction in the future, Bundy said there needs to be a new way to approach the topic in education.

“There’s a whole field of early education, of drug education, in schools,” Bundy said. “Lots of things haven’t worked, like the ‘just say no’ generation. So, I think in terms of how you bring this to young people in schools is super important.”

Rehmann explained that one of the common misconceptions about drug use has to do with fentanyl. Rehmann and Bundy added that fentanyl addiction is mainly caused by illegal production and distribution.

“It really goes back to the [fact that] fentanyl is being produced illicitly and not by the corporations,” Rehmann said.

“In China actually, and then shipping in the US through Mexico,” Bundy said. “It’s actually a lot cheaper to make fentanyl in our lab in China than it is to grow opium in the opium poppy fields of Afghanistan…there’s definitely a market reason why fentanyl is what we see now in the illicit drug supply.”

According to Bundy, ever since cannabis legalization, the illicit cannabis drug supply has actually increased in the U.S. rather than decreased.

“Beware of the temptation to oversimplify,” Bundy said. “I’ve just really learned the hard way that it’s rarely a simple story. There’s rarely a simple answer. Things are complex, and [we need to] treat complex problems with complex solutions.”

Washington state representative Tom Dent spoke after the doctor’s talk about his connection to substance use.

“There’s a lot of stigma around mental health,” Dent said. “In particular, around addiction recovery, alcoholism, substance abuse, whatever the current term is. And it’s something that we can, everybody in this room, could work and change. Because there doesn’t have to be.”

Cause and prevention

Bundy highlighted other important factors in recovery,

- Melissa Denner

and Solidarity

Show up Speak Out student performers highlight survivors and sexual assault awareness

Katherine Camarata

Lead Editor

Silence overtook a dozen audience members as theater department students shared the chilling tales of CWU sexual assault survivors on stage in the SURC Ballroom on April 27 with painful emotion in their voices to celebrate the annual Show Up Speak Out event.

“I hope that people who attend get the sense that they are not alone, that their experiences matter, that CWU is a community that supports them, that sees them, that feels with them,” Health Promotion Coordinator for Violence Prevention and Response at the Wellness Center Katie Parks said. “[I hope] that folks who may not be as familiar with these issues, that they walk away with a better understanding of what our survivors have experienced, but also how they everyday show up in their lives and continue with a healing process that oftentimes nobody else sees.”

Last year’s event featured an open mic for survivors to share stories, but Parks said they changed this format to honor the “capacity of the audience members” because they received feedback that last year’s event was triggering for some people.

“This year, we decided to receive submissions from CWU survivors sharing their stories anonymously, and then we’re having some student performers read those stories during the events, as well as some other curated content, all around the themes of healing and resilience and growth,” Parks said.

Show Up Speak Out was the second part to the Dare to Care awareness-raising event held earlier in April by the Wellness Center, among other campus and community organizations like Aspen Victim Advocacy Services.

“I think Dare to Care was a great success, because it brought together student groups as well as campus groups and community partners, all of which came together to show their solidarity and support for survivors of interpersonal violence or sexual assault,”

Secretary Senior of the Wellness Center Arryn Welty said.

Welty said she felt Show Up Speak Out was a great event to wrap up sexual assault awareness month, be-

cause it highlights “the more vulnerable side of survivor stories and the bravery it takes to share these stories.”

Welty read two pieces on stage, one through the eyes of a male who experienced relationship abuse from Sonya Renee Taylor’s website and the other, a passionate reading of the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou.

Victim Advocate for Aspen, Kelly Boozer, was present to offer support at the event and said her job entails helping assault victims get back on their feet after facing trauma, which may include attending court hearings, helping them find a job or file a protection order against their abuser. Boozer emphasized the importance of events like Show Up Speak Out as preventative measures.

“A lot of what we do in this society is more tertiary and not primary, and so prevention needs to be primary,” Boozer said. “These [events] are super important to get the word out and to get education out about how prevalent this is in our community, and especially on campus, because it’s a rough go out there.”

While assault situations can be rough, Boozer said the situations students face are “not like Law and Order.”

“It is real, raw people and real, raw issues that are happening,” Boozer said. “So I just hope people come away with more knowledge and more awareness with those that they interact with as well.”

Boozer said this topic may make some people uncomfortable because it can strike a nerve, and people would rather these issues be “out of sight, out of mind,” however she said this is not a long-term solution.

“You have to bring this to the forefront in order for us to heal that nerve, because otherwise it’s just going to keep happening,” Boozer said. “People always want to say, ‘I want to be like the person I was before this happened.’ But that person wasn’t able to survive. That’s why you’re the new person, you’re going forward with this trauma, and you’re part of a group that nobody wants to be a part of, but it’s such a tender, loving group because we all have that shared trauma.”

Students in solidarity

The event featured an intermission in between performances where students colored together on a large piece of paper and created black out poetry.

Malik Cantú, a second year theater performance major, expressed the importance of art when processing emotions.

“There’s just so much connection that there can be to art and I feel

like finding that healing and finding those ways to see yourself in someone else’s story, but not feel like you are being broadcast into a capacity that you can’t handle, is something really important,” Cantú said. “It’s just a really nice way to have that self reflection.”

Genevieve Anderson, a senior in the theater department, expressed gratitude for events where students can have authentic conversations on campus.

“These things happen, and for me as a survivor, the societal narrative is you shouldn’t talk about what happened because we want to pretend like it didn’t,” Anderson said. “We don’t live in an ideal world where you just go to school and you succeed and that’s it. So I really appreciate that the Wellness Center in Central Washington has fought to provide us a space for stories to get told, because they deserve to get told.”

Sarah Smith, an apparel, textiles and merchandising major, said she centered her clothing line she

Resources

Aspen 24/7 crisis line: 509-925-9384

designed this year around her past trauma.

“As someone who doesn’t have access to the right counseling, [this event] is great to have because people don’t know where to go and sometimes just taking the first step is a nice way to get some comfort from what’s going on,” Smith said. “Working on my line for the show which is about my experience of what happened to me, it’s nice to be able to walk away from that, because it’s a lot of putting yourself back into what happened.”

Parks emphasized the significance of students leaning on their community for support.

“These experiences are challenging, they are traumatizing,” Parks said. “They should not happen, and for those who are struggling, that is normal. They are not alone in that struggle. I would just encourage them to reach out to their support system, and also to the professional resources that are available, both on campus in our community and nationally.”

Wellness Center in SURC 256: (509) 963- 3213

Student Medical and Counseling Services: (509) 963-1881

Suicide prevention text crisis line: 741-741

WildcatCare365 service: Available through TimelyCare app

SeamusSmithperformed

PhotobyYohanesGooodell

LtoR:MalikCantu,SarahSmith,GenevieveAnderson,OleneTogiailuacoloring togetherduringtheShowUpSpeakOutintermission. Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Why hitting the gym might be the best thing you can do for your GPA

Charis Jones Columnist

As a student in college, I find myself always looking for ways to help improve my academic performance. I ended up trying everything from flashcards to study groups, but it wasn’t until I started incorporating regular exercise into my routine that I started to notice a real difference. Suddenly, I was able to focus better in class, retain information more effectively and even sleep better at night. Intrigued by these benefits, I decided to do some research into the relationship between exercise and academic performance, and what I found was truly fascinating.

Dr. John J. Ratey, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, delves into the correlation between exercise and the brain in his book. He puts forth compelling evidence that “aerobic exercise physically remodels the brain for peak performance on all fronts,” according to Award-Winning Teacher, Nancy Barile.

Ratey emphasizes that exercise has a positive effect on learning specifically, functioning at three distinct levels:

“First, it optimizes your mindset to improve alertness, attention, and motivation; second, it prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another, which is the cellular basis for logging in new information; and third, it spurs the development of new nerve cells from stem cells in the hippocampus,.” Ratey said. In essence, exercise not only prepares the brain for learning but also simplifies the process of retaining that information.

In addition to improving one’s learning capabilities, Ratey’s research also highlights how exercise can have a significant impact on common mental health issues/ learning disabilities that students face, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Each of these factors can negatively affect academic performance, making it crucial to address them.

For example, physical exercise can be a potent tool for controlling the emotional and physical sensations of stress as well as mitigating the adverse effects of chronic stress. It also can help

Why restaurants

Quincy Taylor

There are many restaurants all over the city of Ellensburg, many of which close around 9-9:30 p.m., and to some this may be an issue. It can be very frustrating knowing that after 9 p.m., I won’t be able to go to a restaurant to grab a bite to eat. Whether it is carryout or dine-in, all of the main restaurants are closed by night time, except for fast food restaurants and bars.

It is disappointing to know that if I want to go out with friends or if I have a family relative in town, I can’t go sit down and enjoy quality time with them at certain hours.

Now, I am not the only one who may feel this way about restaurants closing early, but I can say that there needs to be a change to this real soon.

Nothing is wrong with staying open an extra hour or two, because it is not like there’s that much going on in Ellensburg and as a student, I know that for sure, unless you go to the bar or find something to do on campus.

increase social activity and boost confidence, enabling students to establish and maintain social connections.

Physical activity has also been found to positively affect depressive symptoms, thanks to the endorphins produced in the brain during aerobic activity which contribute to a general feeling of well-being. It also stimulates the release of dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter that enhances mood and promotes better focus and attention. Even a modest amount of exercise, just 30 minutes a few days out of the week, could significantly improve the

tional classroom setting, making school a challenging environment for them. Nevertheless, according to Ratey’s research, structured exercise, such as martial arts, ballet, skateboarding, or gymnastics, could be some of the most effective treatment strategies for managing symptoms of ADHD. This is because such activities provide opportunities to enhance physical coordination, mental focus, and self-regulation skills.

Overall, the evidence is clear: regular exercise can be a game-changer for students looking to improve their aca-

combat common mental health issues that can negatively affect academic success. From reducing stress and anxiety to boosting mood and focus, the benefits of physical activity extend far beyond the gym. So if you’re a student looking to boost your GPA and overall well-being, consider hitting the gym and making exercise a regular part of your routine. Your brain - and your grades - will thank you.

for longer hours

Back in December of 2022, my dad flew out to come visit and spend time with me, and when it was time to get dinner, we had nowhere to go at all. The only place that was open past 9 p.m. was The Tav, and you couldn’t even go into The Tav unless you were 21 and had proof of being 21, and me being under the age of 21, I couldn’t get in.

According to my dad, it sucked knowing everying was closed besides fast food because he wanted to sit down with his son and have a good meal.

The same issue happened when my mom and grandma came out to visit a couple months ago. As I said before, I can’t speak for ev eryone, but I do know that there are students who are not a fan of restaurants that close early. Espe cially when it is the weekend, and like most students who stay out late, they want to sit down some where to get food and enjoy their time in Ellensburg.

There are great places in town that serve great food and can at tract more of a crowd in the lat er part of the day. Not everyone wants to order Dominos or go to Wendy’s or Taco Bell late in the evening if they could just go to sit-down restaurants like The Porch, Ellensburg Pasta Co., The Palace Cafe and The Pearl Bar and Grill.

Not all restaurants can be open until midnight, but I am suggest ing that staying open ‘til 10:3011 p.m. is not a bad idea. Other restaurants that I’ve been to near other universities are open late,

know that when it gets late, espe-

Columnist

should stay open

Dumbells. Photo courtesy of Pexels.com.

Fish

Photo by Brittany Cinderella

Sí, la comida mexicana es saludable

Jennifer Arceo-Rosas Guest Columnist

Un informe de las Naciones

Unidas confirmó que, “el 70% de los adultos mexicanos tiene sobrepeso.” Pero, esto pasa por la comida rápida que tiene mucha grasa, las bebidas con azúcar, y la cantidad de comida que te comes.

La comida mexicana es saludable porque tiene todos los nutrientes que una persona necesita, pero todo depende en cómo te comes tu comida. Si comes con bebidas que tienen mucha azúcar o si agarras comida rápida, entonces es probablemente que puedes empezar a engordar. La gente se está poniendo más obeso por estas tres razones.

La comida mexicana tiene muchos nutritivos

Mucha gente piensa que la comida mexicana engorda, pero eso no es cierto. La comida mexicana tiene todos los nutrientes que son necesarios. Un platillo mexicano puede tener frijoles, maíz, vegetales y muchos más nutrientes. Por ejemplo:

Albóndigas: Este platillo es hecho con carne hecho en bolas y es agregado a una sopa.

(Fuente: Sabores de mi Huerto por Citlalli Barberis)

Ingredientes:

100 g de pollo o pavo picada finamente

¼ cebolla picada finamente

1 diente de ajo picado

1 cucharada de perejil picado

2 cucharadas de ghee

½ litro de caldo de pollo

1/8 de cebolla finamente picada

1 diente de ajo

1 zanahoria cortada en rodajas

1 taza de espinaca

1 calabaza

1 cucharada de ghee

La Receta:

1.Agarra un sartén y cocina a fuego medio las 2 cucharadas de ghee, cebolla y ajo por 5 minutos.

2. Después, en un recipiente mezcla la carne de pollo o pavo, el perejil, la cebolla cocinada, y puedes echar sal y pimienta a tu gusto.

3. Luego, haz la mezcla en bolitas con tus manos.

4. En el sartén con el ghee restante, cocina todas las albóndigas por 3 minutos y luego resérvalo.

5. En una olla agrega una cucharada de ghee y cocina la cebolla y ajo por 5 minutos a fuego medio y después echa la zanahoria cortada a la olla.

6. Agrega el caldo de pollo a la olla y espera a que hierva.

7. Pon la calabaza a cocinar y agrega las albóndigas también, cocínalas por 3 minutos más.

8. Quita la calabaza y las albóndigas del fuego y agrega la espinaca.

9. Échale más sal y pimienta, a tu gusto.

10. Sirve el caldo con las albóndigas y todos los ingredientes juntos.

11. ¡Listo!

El sobrepeso no es culpa de los platillos mexicanos, pero es culpa de cómo te los comes

La comida mexicana no es mala, lo que sí es malo es la cantidad que te comes, con que te lo comes, y como te lo comes. El problema del sobrepeso es porque a veces la gente come más de lo que se debe de comer y eso puede causar sobrepeso.

También, es muy común que las personas se coman su platillo mexicano con bebidas que tienen mucho azúcar como Coca-Cola, Jarritos, y más. Está bien poder beber una bebida cuando comas, pero hay más opciones saludables como agua natural o un poco de agua con sabor. Por ejemplo, Jamaica, tamarindo, y horchata, pero solo un poquito. Sí puedes beber soda, pero es mejor tomar solo un poco o que no lo tomes para nada.

Otro factor del riesgo de engordar es la comida rápida. Esto es algo que es más nuevo y es una gran parte de porque la gente está subiendo de peso. Restaurantes como Taco Bell y Chipotle son bien populares y venden comida mexicana pero no es tan saludable como la comida mexicana original.

Los tiempos de comida mexicana ha cambiado mucho y va a seguir cambiando, pero los platillos originales no tienen la culpa de que la gente engorde. Los platillos mexicanos tienen todo lo necesario y es saludable, pero todo depende en cómo las personas deciden comerse la comida mexicana.

Para estar saludable mientras comas un platillo mexicano debes de comer la cantidad de comida que necesitas comer, no tomar bebidas que tienen mucha azúcar y haz tu comida en casa no compres comida rápida que ni es comida mexicana original.

Sí, la comida Mexicana puede ser saludable

Mucha gente cree que la comida Mexicana no es saludable y pues por supuesto hay platos que no son tan saludables pero cuando la gente come con moderación y cuando la gente busca los platos más saludables, la comida Mexicana puede ser considerada saludable.

De acuerdo con un artículo del Gobierno de México, la comida mexicana es una de las más completas y variadas del mundo. Cada uno de los estados cuenta con gran cantidad de frutas, verduras, legumbres y semillas de bajo costo que pueden consumirse todos los días. Muchos de los platillos Mexicanos ya contienen alimentos de todos los grupos.

Es importante que la gente se asegure si falta agregar alguno o si necesitas disminuir el consumo de ciertos comestibles para llevar una alimentación equilibrada. Si quieres comer la comida tradicional de México, pero además obtener nutrientes evita los platillos con un alto contenido de grasas saturadas y azúcares refinados, y opta por aquellos que tengan vegetales frescos y proteínas magras.

Otras comidas Mexicanas saludables son el guacamole, la ensalada de nopales, los chiles en nogada, el caldo tlalpeño, el caldo de camarón y los camarones al mojo de ajo. Todos esos platillos son ricos en proteínas, vitaminas, minerales y fibra. Además, son sabrosos y la mayoría muy fáciles de preparar.

Como mencioné, la ensalada de nopales es un platillo muy saludable y fácil de preparar. Según el Diccionario enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana, la ensalada de nopales es muy común en la Ciudad de México y estados circunvecinos, y se suele acompañar con tacos, o como guarnición de cualquier carne asada. La ensalada de nopales es rica en vitamina C, fibra, potasio y aminoácidos.

Aquí los ingredientes que vas a necesitar: nopales, cebolla, tomate, queso panela, cilantro, orégano seco, sal, jugo de limón, vinagre.

Ahora con algunos ejemplos podemos comprobar que la comida mexicana sí es saludable y tiene un gran potencial para ser parte de una dieta sana y equilibrada, como con cualquier tipo de comida.

¿Entonces, la comida Mexicana es saludable? Como en la mayoría, depende de dos cosas, la selección y las porciones: muchos platillos mexicanos tienen un alto contenido calórico, pero también hay muchos otros que son muy nutritivos. La clave como en todo es buscar el balance.

Aquí la receta para preparar la ensalada de nopales:

1. Lava y corta los nopales en rectángulos pequeños.

2. Luego, colócalos en un recipiente con agua y sal por media hora.

3. Después, enjuaga los nopales en agua y cocínalos en una olla con agua, sal y un poco de vinagre.

4. Retira los nopales del fuego cuando estén tiernos.

5. Pica la cebolla, tomate, queso panela y cilantro para mezclarlo al gusto.

6. Para un mejor sabor, puedes poner un poco de jugo de limón con sal y pimienta.

* Erica Delgado is a student in Andrea Herrera-Dulcet’s Spanish 263 course.

Ensalada. Photo courtesy of Pexels.com.

* Jennifer Arceo-Rosas is a student in Andrea Herrera-Dulcet’s Spanish 263 course.

Recipe card.

Photo by Brandon Davis

DeSantis battles Disney: an update on the feud

Beau Sansom Staff Reporter

Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis has been involved in an ongoing feud with Disney these last few months and the latest development has seen the house of mouse launch a lawsuit against DeSantis this week.

According to NBC, the lawsuit is in retaliation for DeSantis’ move to put Disney in their place after the company’s public denouncement of House bill 1557 (termed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by critics due to the restrictions placed on discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in schools).

“The government action was patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional,” Disney officials said in an April 26 interview with NBC. “This is as clear a case of retaliation as this Court is ever likely to see.”

According to NBC, the lawsuit follows a move by DeSantis to strip Disney of its unusual self-governance it has had since 1967 in the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a district in Florida in which Disney handles all legislative decisions, including the funding of police and fire departments.

According to Assistant Professor of Economics Dr. David Zuckerman, removing this special zone could have a negative impact on Florida’s economy.

“The consensus is that [the removal of Disney’s control of the district] would cost taxpayers in the surrounding counties quite a lot,” Zuckerman said. “I’m not sure I’d be able to assign a value to it, but I certainly think they’d be bearing a big cost and that’s the immediate impact, I think there would be longer running impacts as well.”

DeSantis’ office suggested in a comment to NBC that the feud had more to do with the special tax breaks and policies in Reedy Creek

Mt. Stuart Elementary robotics team is on their way to compete at the World Championship

rather than Disney’s political opinions.

“We are unaware of any legal right that a company has to operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state,” DeSantis’ Communications Director Taryn Fenske said to NBC. “This lawsuit is yet another unfortunate example of their hope to undermine the will of the Florida voters and operate outside the bounds of the law.”

According to Emeritus Professor of Law and Justice at CWU, Dr. Charles Reasons, the decision to seize power over Reedy Creek rather than dissolve it is a financial one. Rather than completely remove the Reedy Creek Improvement District, DeSantis decided to remove Disney’s oversight committee from power and replace it with his own, hand-picked committee to oversee Reedy Creek.

“[DeSantis and his board] want to control Reedy Creek,” Reasons said. “When they went to try and shut it down, they realized they needed Disney’s funding.”

According to CNN, in an effort to outmaneuver DeSantis and his board, Disney signed in multiple agreements with the previous board, allowing Disney to maintain most of its current control in central Florida for the next 30 years.

“The Executive Office of the Governor is aware of Disney’s lastditch efforts to execute contracts just before ratifying the new law that transfers rights and authorities from the former Reedy Creek Improvement District to Disney,” Fenske said in a Mar. 30 interview with CNN. “An initial review suggests these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law.”

DeSantis’ hand-picked board is now moving to work with consultants to investigate Disney’s past deals and practices on this

front. Despite DeSantis’ and Fenske’s questioning of the legality of this move by Disney, the company stands by their actions in the wake of the board takeover with a statement made to CNN.

“All agreements signed between Disney and the District were appropriate, and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law,” Disney officials said in an interview with CNN.

With tensions continuing to mount between DeSantis and Disney, it is uncertain which side will ultimately have the pendulum fully swing in their favor. Yet, according to Dr. Reasons, Disney has ground to stand on in their case against DeSantis.

“It’s obviously political retribution,” Reasons said. “DeSantis is unswerving in his attempts to punish Disney… he’s taken on more than he can chew.”

According to Bloomberg Law, Disney has assembled a renowned legal team for the coming courtroom battle against DeSantis. According to Zuckerman, Disney will likely not have much trouble assembling a strong legal team.

“I’m no legal scholar, but I think Disney can probably hire the best and brightest,” Zuckerman said. “I think actually the person that filed the suit for them, [Donald Trump] had used back in 2016 for defending Trump University, some high-profile guy from LA.”

The high-profile lawyer in question is Daniel Petrocelli, who according to Bloomberg Law and ClickOrlando, has worked on many high profile cases, including the Trump University case mentioned above, as well as representing the family of Ronald Goldman in the civil suit against OJ Simpson in 1997.

Anna Fridell Staff Reporter

The Mount Stuart Elementary robotics team is on their way to Dallas, TX for the VEX Robotics World Championships from April 25 to May 4.

In preparation for the championships, the two competing teams from Mount Stuart Elementary, including ‘The Muddy Ducks’ and ‘The Wolfpack,’ held their final practice on April 26 before the competition.

“I try not to make the world championships any bigger than it is for the kids, I don’t want them to feel anxious or get nervous about competing on the world stage,”Physical Education Teacher and Coach of the robotics club Jason Eng said. “All we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks since state championships is just continuing to work on our engineering.”

After making appearances in the World Championship in Dallas last year and winning the design award at the state championships, the teams are well prepared and know what it takes to win according to Eng.

“It was really motivating for them to know that, hey, this is what we did last year, and were successful this year,” Eng said. “They’re still motivated, they wanted to win, they wanted to continue to work on a great notebook. So it was more not that I didn’t want to help them, they didn’t need the help, they were just on autopilot.”

Wolfpack team member Emery Klyve is thrilled about going to the world championships for a second time with the Wolfpack team, according to Emery Klyve.

“I’m excited to meet a bunch of new teams and just hang out with my team and see how the program goes,” Kylve said.

The engineering notebook is a key factor in winning events at the world championship, according to Emery Klyve. The notebook consists of progress checks made throughout each month to see changes, new ideas and results of successes and failures.

“When you do go to tournaments and you submit your notebook, there’s different awards that the notebook is weighted heavily on and there’s rubrics too,” Eng said.

These awards include the Excellence Award regarding the content within the players’ notebooks and an interview portion, with results of the competition being weighted in there, according to Eng.

“[The robot] can do almost everything,” Klyve said.

A range of skill sets creates the best team dynamic, according to Emery Klyve.

“Aspen is working on the notebook, Madi’s fixing the robot and I’m working on updating the code and it’s just really cool to have us all doing a thing,” Klyve said. “I think it’s working quite well for our team.”

One of the teams heading to the world championships, The Wolfpack, consisting of three girls, Aspen Moore, Madison Bryant and Emery Klyve, earned their spot based on their engineering notebook, according to Eng.

As an advisor and coach of the group, there is a lot of validation that comes with leading a winning squad, according to Eng.

“I just want them to be successful from September to the end of the season,” Eng said. “I think that’s on me as a mentor, coach [and] teacher at their school to help them be successful and set them up for success.”

The groups heading to the world championship are excited to engage with teams from across the world while performing in front of a large crowd of around 3,000 people, according to Klyve.

“I’m excited to meet the teams from all over the world,” Klyve said.

It is a proud feeling to see the kids competing at such a high level, according to Emery Klyve’s father, Dominic Klyve.

“It’s so remarkable dealing with it as a parent to see her do this and having her go through it a second time but reaching a new sort of level,” Dominic Klyve said.

Klyve said that being a part of the robotics club and seeing successes and failures gives the kids a whole new level of confidence.

“To watch these fourth, fifth and sixth grade girls walk up to middle school boys who are twice their height and say, ‘here’s what we can do,’” Dominic Klyve said. “The confidence that comes with that, and the confidence that comes from being able to be successful again and again, I think is so great.”

Eng said their favorite part about coaching the program goes beyond wins and losses.

“It gives me an extra two hours a week to just get to know the kids, kids from different grade levels, and just get outside the traditional classroom and see them get in and put in that hard work,” Eng said.

A major difficulty with the trip involves funding without support directly from the school. The program has a GoFundMe page to support the teams, according to Klyve.

“For years, I’ve been a little grumpy that the town can’t fully fund an elementary robotics team that goes to the world championships,” Dominic Klyve said.

WaltDisneyWorldCastleinOrlando,Florida.

Photo by Brittany Cinderella

CWU track & field delivers strong performance and commemorates seniors at only home meet of the season

Charis Jones & Tre’jon Henderson Staff Reporters

The CWU track team delivered a notable performance at their only home meet of the season held on Saturday, April 22, at the CWU Recreation Sports Complex. The team won 11 events and achieved more than 30 personal records (PRs). This meet allowed the team to demonstrate their talent in front of a home crowd as well as honor the contributions of 17 outgoing seniors in the program.

Throughout the meet, the Wildcats showcased their strength in various events. Senior thrower Brenna Board surpassed her previous PR of 42.51 meters in the hammer throw by 1.11 meters.

“It felt so good,” Board said. “It was a throw that felt easy and natural, and I didn’t have to think throughout the throw.”

Recovering from a sprained ankle, senior jumper Tre Silva also had positive feelings about his first performance back since his injury.

“I was in a bit different situation since it was my first meet back in a few weeks since I sprained my ankle,” Silva said. But I felt close to 100% and did way better than I anticipated!”

Overall, the team performed “superiorly well,” throughout the meet according to Silva. He praised athletes such as “Erica Cabanos

[who] got a lifetime best in the long jump and a season-best in the triple jump,” along with “Christopher Hines who jumped 23ft in the long jump. It was such a sight to see,” Silva said.

The team’s success was a testament to their hard work and commitment throughout the season, as well as the support of their coaches and fellow teammates, according to graduate student thrower Angus Beaton.

“Being an NCAA athlete takes dedication, discipline, and commitment,” Beaton said. “My coaches and fellow athletes have taught me a tremendous amount including independence, work ethics, and perseverance. The athletes and coaches have helped me develop and grow as an athlete and as a person.”

CWU was also able to pay tribute to its senior members during this eventful meet. “It was surreal to acknowledge that I’ve been in this program for four years, they flew by,” Board said.

Beaton, who has been on the team for six years, described the experience as “Bittersweet.”

“It has been an honor and privilege to be a member of the CWU Track and Field team from undergraduate to graduate school,” Beaton said.

Up next, a portion of the team will be heading to the Oregon State High Performance Meet from Fri-

day, April 28, to Saturday, April 29, while the others will make their way to the Ralph Vernacchia meet hosted by Western Washington University (WWU) on Saturday, April 29.

However, the Wildcats also have their eyes set on the upcoming Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) tournament and how they will begin to prepare for it.

“GNAC has a lot higher stakes, so I make sure to keep positive and just prepare the best I can at practice,”

Sports Spectated

Board said. “I like to know where to set my goals, and imagining reaching them is usually all that goes through my head.”

The GNAC Outdoor Combined Events Championships will take place Monday, May 1 to Tuesday, May 2 at Bohner Track in Nampa, Idaho while The GNAC Outdoor Championships won’t be until Friday, May 12 to Saturday, May 13 at McArthur Field in Monmouth, Oregon.

CWU football hosts annual kid’s camp and kicks off with their spring game

Quincy Taylor and Ryan Gildersleeve Staff Reporters

CWU football hosted their annual kids camp on April 29 at Tomlinson Stadium. The camp ran from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the campers brought excitement and energy on a Saturday morning.

Head Coach Chris Fisk and Assistant Coach John Picha both spoke about what their goals were going into the camp and how they can leave a lasting impact on the kids who attend the camp.

“I think the goal is to have fun and gain a little connection to the football players. I think it’s a good opportunity for the community to come out, see and talk to our players,” said Picha. “It’s really our duty to grow the game…I want these kids to come out here and have a great time,” said Fisk.

According to Picha, besides having fun, he mentions that he wants the kids to come in and get a good experience of playing football by the drills and activities that they do during the camp.

“We have a circuit where they get to catch balls, kick balls, throw balls, tackle … and we think the

players love teaching it. We’re not looking to teach them the X’s and O’s of football because we only have them there for a short time,” Picha said.

Junior safety Tanner Volk said he was excited to be a part of the camp and spoke on the importance of hosting a football camp in the first place.

“It’s good to see the kids in our community, they’re the future of not only football, but the country,” Volk said. “We make sure these kids are coming out here, having fun and getting well-developed by guys like us who have made it to the next level.”

According to Fisk, the CWU football players had an opportunity to make an impact on the kids during the camp, but also to help around and take action in setting up the camp as well. He mades sure that the players bring enthusiasm and passion to the camp.

“We got a lot of different jobs. [They] help with registration… we’ve got a group of guys over there cooking pizza for the pizza party, and then we’ve got a group of guys that run all the drills,” said Fisk. “I think the main thing that we talked to our guys about in terms of their participation in

camp is enthusiasm. Lots of high fives and lots of encouragement.”

The camp focuses on giving the community’s children a place to learn from athletes that have climbed their way to the next level in sports. For the players on the team, this time of year and the camp itself are an enjoyable experience.

“We’re just having fun really. When we put on camps like this we just really enjoy the moments, and at the same time helping them learn,” Volk said. “They’re super young kids and they have a lot to learn, so putting them in the right direction as far as life goes and building character is the biggest thing.’’

This time of year holds events other than the kids camp and spring game, as spring training as a whole can bring a variety of new situations. Spring training is often a period where new players are making their way to the team and building connections.

“As a team, I think getting to know each other’s tendencies and every year you start from ground zero. You got new players at different positions and you’ve got the same players at new positions,” Volk said. “Getting back to learn-

By: Isaac Hinson

What an amazing time to be a Seattle sports fan. The Kraken just beat the reigning champion Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the NHL playoffs as a wild card team. It’s very fun to watch history in the making. The Mariners are still struggling as a team, but Jarred Kelenic has begun to receive national attention for his extraordinary effort this season, which is quite cool. And the Seattle Seahawks just walked out of the NFL draft with the top WR and CB prospects. Life is good.

The Kraken are the story of the week in my opinion. They’re the only team in the PNW actively playing for something of worth, and man have they shown up. The first round series vs the Avalanche was some of the most electric sports I’ve watched in years. It fully invigorated an interest in hockey for me, as I’ve watched as much as I can over the last week or so. The product is just so much better than the NBA, despite my love for that league. The commentators are better, the analysts are way smarter and provide valuable information. There are minimal commercials, and play is rarely interrupted. It’s a sports fan’s dream and I wish I had caught on sooner.

On the other hand, we’re a mere two weeks away from the NBA draft lottery. A day that fills me with dread and hope. If things pan out for the Blazers and they get the number one pick it will be the summer of Isaac, and I will be living my best life knowing Victor Wembanyama will be in a Blazers jersey for the foreseeable future. I don’t like to think about the other option. So we won’t.

ing each other’s tendencies and figuring out how we work well together… you wanna know each other on and off the field and it’ll help develop chemistry on the field.”

As the team gears up for the Spring game, Coach Fisk knows that this group is still finding their footing and they are working to reach their goal of winning the Lone Star Conference.

“I think we’re in a development stage,” Fisk said. “We are replacing realistically both defensive lines and offensive lines…and utilize our fall camp for development as well.”

According to Fisk, although he seeks the development of the young guys, Fisk stated that he wants to see the continued growth from his returning players and have them exceed a high level.

“We really want to see some really good execution in the passing game,” Fisk said. “We want to see our secondary continuing to do what they have done last year and into this year, and just see those guys executed at a high level and put themselves in a good spot to hit the summer to continue to grow.”

The spring game takes place Saturday, May 6 at Tomlinson Stadium, and kickoff begins at noon.

April 26

Win 7-5

BaseballvsLewisand Clark

April 30

Loss 2-6

SoftballvsSaint Martin’s

April 30

Loss 2-6

SoftballvsSaint Martin’s

BrennaBoardandHeadCoachKevinAdkisson.

Photo by Jacob Thompson / Thompson Sports Media

Wildcat Words:

What’s your favorite outside activity on a sunny day?

“I like to dance, do coloring books, or complete word searches. I also like to take naps outside too.”

Q&A Q&A

Katrina Willard is the founder of a local animal refuge called “Animal Angels Refuge.” Her organization assists animals of all kinds including pigs, horses and dogs.

Katrina Willard

How long have you been fostering and rehabilitating animals?

I have been fostering and rehabilitating animals since I was a child. At a very young age I would be doctoring up injured strays all the way down to frogs and mice that had been caught by the cat. I have had birds, a raccoon, horses, piggies, dogs, cats, hamsters, mice, rats, snakes, an emu calf and others. I would help friends and family as well with their own beloved pets. My love for animals far exceeds most normal people’s expectations. I love animals is an understatement. They bring me peace and joy in the darkest days as well as the best of days.

What inspired you to open Animal Angels Refuge?

What inspired me to open Animal Angels Refuge is that I’ve seen so many animals in desperate need and so many people neglecting and abusing them. This has become more apparent now that we have had to deal with COVID. A lot more people were stranded at home not wanting to be out in the community so they went out and bought or adopted pets thinking that this could take up some of their time and give them some companionship. Rescues and shelters are overflowing with these animals now and it’s very heart wrenching. My love for animals made me make a choice to make a difference in the lives of animals’ welfare as well as education to the community.

What have you learned from your experience working with the animals at the refuge?

The things I have learned from working here at the refuge and with the animals is that no two are alike; they all have their own personalities as well as needs. I have learned that it is very hard work but very rewarding as well.

What has been your favorite type of animal to work with?

I would say no preference. I love all living things the same. They all have feelings, they all have personalities, they all feel pain, they all feel sadness and they all demonstrate love. The more a person interacts with an animal the smarter they become and the more personable they become.

What would you say your favorite part of working at a refuge is?

My favorite part of working at the refuge is to see the transformation of the animals that come in. Some of them come in injured, abandoned, neglected and abused. They come in malnourished, beaten or seniors that no one has time for because they need extra care. The best part about the role I play here is all the successes, adop tions and smiles. Yes, the animals do smile with an overabundance of unconditional love and care.

What is a book that you’d recommend to someone?

My favorite book and one that everyone should read is “Funny Farm” by Lori Zaleski. My son nicknamed my rescue the ‘Funny Farm’ because I don’t discriminate or turn away any animal in need.

“Probably just relax in the sun, like either in a chair or a hammock.”

10 a.m. - 2 p.m. - ASCWU General Election 2023-24 in SURC Pit

2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - ASCWU Public Meeting in SURC 235 (ASCWU Room)

7 - 9 p.m. - Geek Out Game Out in SURC 137A/B/Pit

Cinco De Mayo

12 p.m. - 5/6 12 p.m - RHA

See-Saw-A-Thon outside Wellington Event Center

4:30 - 9:30 p.m. - CWU Athletics Hall of Fame 2023 in SURC Ballroom

National Lemonade Day

7:30 p.m. - Monday Movie Madness: “Monsters University” in SURC Theater (Students Only, Bring ID)

5:30 - 7 p.m. - Backpacks to Briefcases in Samuelson 105

National Clean Your Room Day

SAT

SUN

MON 10 WED

TUES

Gemechu Fr. Undecided

“I like sitting out in the sun when I’m in between classes or I go to the greenhouse when it’s open.”

Ashley Cartledge Jr. English Language Arts

“I love to bring my indoor cat outside. She’s terrified, but it’s good for her to meet people and we like to hang out in the sun.”

Q&A compiled by Kai Kyzar

Gabriel Mirador Fr. Aviation

Marissa Jones Fr. Primate Behavior & Ecology

Zuleyma Negrete Fr. Dance

Oscar the Observant. Design by Brittany Cinderella