Issuu

Special Teams, Special Players

CWU’s Dia de los Muertos Celebration

The Seattle Mariners Storybook Season

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Page 6-7

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November 6, 2025

Vol. 132 NO. 6

By the students, for the students

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN’S EFFECTS

HIT CWU COMMUNITY

‘CATS AGAINST

ASSAULT’ ALLEGES

INSTANCES OF

SEXUAL ASSAULT

ON AND OFF CAMPUS:

“NOTHING HAS

CHANGED”

SNAP, EBT BENEFITS AND MORE AFFECTED

The U.S. Capitol building as seen from a nearby street. (Photo by Brandon Mattesich)

Lucas Pierron, Sydney Linville & Ethan Kennedy Staff Reporters & Scene Editor Disclaimer: At the time that this story is being sent to print on Nov. 4, the government shutdown is still in effect. The information in this story however, has been structured so that in the event of the shutdown ending before its distribution date, Nov. 6, the story’s information will still be relevant, as many of the effects of a prolonged shutdown remain even after it ends.

s of Tuesday evening, the government shutdown that started on Oct. 1 became the longest shutdown in US history. Its effects have hit communities across the nation, and its effects on the combined CWU/Ellensburg community are no different. Most directly, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for millions were delayed or canceled starting Nov. 1, and government grants have been paused for the duration of the shutdown, affecting colleges across Washington. Financial Impacts The financial impacts of a government shutdown are oftentimes the most immediate and the most long-lasting even after a shutdown ends. Students like Yariel Rodriguez, a freshman majoring in electrical engineering technology, rely on loans and Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, which have been strongly affected by the shutdown as access to these benefits has been lost due to lack of federal funding. Rodriguez stated that although VA benefits are well funded, they can’t pay the recipients of the benefits because of the shutdown. Because of the pause on his VA benefits, Rodriguez had to take out loans that he wouldn’t have before. “Every single military service worker, even if you’re a contractor, you’re affected,” Rodriguez said. “You’ll see people overseas … they can’t pay for the rent. So, right now, a lot of them are moving back to being on base and on base housing.” As an additional effect of a prolonged shutdown, The Small Business Administration has put a stop

to approving new loan applications. Federal programs such as Head Start, an early development health and education program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) have also been negatively impacted financially. Economics Professor Peter Gray gave insight on how the recent layoffs have affected, and will continue to harm not just the country, but local communities too. “I haven’t been directly affected, but I know people who are severely impacted,” Gray said. “For example, a friend in Wenatchee was running a small research lab that provided valuable information to the WA tree fruit industry. She was fired with no warning or notice, along with her staff, many of whom were student interns. If and when funding is restored, many of the best scientists and experts will be wary of re-entering this kind of public service work.” “The negative effects from funding cuts and layoffs, currently and from the reckless cuts by Elon Musk earlier in the year, tend to occur over longer time periods, and many of them are irreversible,” Gray said. “For example, abundant evidence shows that government-funded science R&D, cancer and infectious disease research, public health, food and other product safety, etc., have paid off at least five times the investment. A loss of those investments, and the dedicated experts who implement them, will take years to do its damage, and by then most people will not be able to make the connection.” EBT and SNAP According to Northwest Harvest Food Bank, of those who receive food benefits in Washington, about 1 million residents will no longer have access to their EBT and other financial benefits, like SNAP. Just under

CONTINUED ON

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Compilation of posts from CAA.

Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief n the past month, “Cats Against Assault” (CAA), the anonymous student advocacy group, publicly shared three new posts detailing claims of sexual assault on and off campus, their first such posts since 2022. “The common thread in these stories is that CWU’s HR and Title IX departments historically ignore and dismiss dangerous behavior reported by students,” CAA stated in the description of one of their posts. CAA’s Instagram page, originally founded in 2022, has publicized allegations dating back to 2021. A mission post from that year stated that they believed, “CWU’s Title IX Office has gained a reputation for disorganization, dismissal of federal regulations, and the revictimization of students who report sexual misconduct on campus. This is unacceptable and us cats are determined to create change.” In 2022, the group did create change. CAA organized a series of protests on campus and publicized multiple assault claims and reported Title IX violations. CAA also advocated for policy change statewide, having supported a proposed bill that protected victims of sexual assault from being pressured into signing a nondisclosure agreement. The group’s actions led to a review of CWU reporting and response policies/procedures and Title IX positions. Three years since the original allegations posted by CAA, the group has now returned with multiple new anonymous reports from students on and off campus detailing claims of instances where sexual assault was reported but action was not taken against the perpetrators. CAA went on to link one of the new testimonies to those of the past, stating, “A testimony we received in May 2025 regarding a university staff member is eerily similar to stories we have heard before. Nothing has changed.”

CONTINUED ON

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November 6, 2025

Read The Observer en Español online:

Jackie Cruz habla de la adversidad, de la indústria del espectáculo y sobre la belleza interior.

“No a los Reyes” desde Ellensburg hasta Washington D.C: surgen protestas en todo el mundo

LETTER from the EDITORS Bonjour, Brandon: I cannot lie Wildcats, this week has been a heavy one. Editing stories about food insecurity and writing about issues that have been pervasive on this campus for years reminded me of just how important student journalism is. There are weeks when the only news we have to cover is the events that go on, and there are weeks like this. I take pride in the work I do, as does the wonderful staff around me, but that pride does come with a feeling of deep responsibility. A responsibility to get stories right, to represent the facts fairly and to serve my community as best I can. All that said, I am beyond grateful to do what I do here, and I hope you all enjoy this week’s issue. Jackson: I hope everyone had a safe and fun halloweekend. It was a fun weekend for me. My girlfriend and some other friends made the trip to the ‘Burg for the weekend so it was great seeing some faces from back home. I am excited to get these last few weeks of my super senior year out of the way but it is hard not to count down the days until I have to unfortunately depart. The Observer has truly given me and others such a great opportunity and I am so thankful for the work we do here bringing you guys the news you need to and want to know.

Issue 6 Recap News this week covered two big events, one nationally and one locally. Of course we have our larger story this week about the government shutdown and its widespread effects across the Ellensburg/CWU community. We also saw the resurgence of the Cats Against Assault Instagram page in this issue, and with it a string of events campus wide. So we hope you find our reporting to be accurate and unbiased, as we put care into covering the news every week. One Scene story this week as we look at the events CWU hosted to celebrate Dia de los Muertos. Over 100 students attended the Dia de los Muertos dinner hosted by CWU Dining and students showed up to all of the events put on. In Sports, No. 8 ranked CWU Football took down No. 16 ranked Angelo State 38-21 with yet another player being named Lonestar Conference Player of the Week. That win moved the team up to No. 7 in the coaches polls. On a global plane, students speak on the Seattle Mariners best season ever since 2001 and a look into the future of the NBA with some of the stars of 2010s getting older. Design this week, in typical designer fashion (see what I did there), was once again stunning. From a clean front page layout to a jam

Brandon and Jackson, if you squint really hard. (Photo by Robin MacArthur)

packed variety of spreads and stories throughout our amazing design team has loaded this issue with style and information in a really clean and enjoyable balance I hope everyone can enjoy.

STAFF Co-Editors-In-Chief

Sports Editor

Brandon Mattesich Jackson Roberts

Parker Wood

Faculty Advisor / Editorial Consultant Jennifer Green

News Editor/Social Media Manager Kyley Glenn

Staff Reporters

Sydney Linville Tage Dayton Mulholland Dunlap Asia Long Lucas Pierron

Lead Graphic Designer Robin MacArthur

Junior Graphic Designers Rieley Iverson Hunter Rowlett Wisti

Scene Editor

Ethan Kennedy

Newsletter Colin Bentz

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

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November 6, 2025

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE “I do not feel safe here” The on-campus claims In a post shared on Oct. 23, CAA stated that they received a report in May from a student claiming they had reported a sexual assault and filed multiple Title IX reports only for the alleged “assaulter” to keep their position in dining. “I have filed two Title IX reports and a police report against my assaulter and he even admitted to forcing me into sexual acts in writing to Title IX and they have done absolutely nothing about it,” the anonymous student stated in the post. “I do not feel safe here and have been failed by Title IX.” The student in the post claimed that the assault was perpetrated by a “manager at the SURC,” and that at the time the report was submitted to CAA the manager had still retained their employment. After the original post hit 600 likes, CAA went on to share a variety of reported instances of assault from 2022, linking them back to the story shared on Oct. 23. In a later post, they added, “Without sharing every detail, we can say 10 people have contacted us solely regarding SA (sexual assault) and or harassment from SURC management or dining services.” The Observer reached out to CWU’s Associate Director of Strategic Communications, David Leder, who forwarded the email to John MacArthur, the Title IX coordinator at CWU, for comment. Leder responded with an email detailing links and information about Title IX policy at CWU, and stated, “It doesn’t sound like we will have any comment about this particular situation.”

Posts from Cats Against Assault’s Instagram page. (Photos courtesy of @catsagainstassault)

“Do better next time” - The off-campus claim Following the first two posts, CAA took to Instagram yet again on Nov. 2, this time to share a claim about an instance of reported sexual assault that allegedly took place off campus at the CWU chapter of Chi Alpha Ministries. In the post, a student alleged in detail that a member of the ministry had forcibly sexually assaulted them after coercing them to drink in a social situation. “I stopped going to church because of his actions,” the post read. “When I brought it up to him, he apologized for letting god down. At one point, he said that ‘the devil made him do it’ … A couple weeks later, I ended up hearing that his bible study leader told him to ‘do better next time.’” The post went on to assert, citing XA and the Lions Den, “Chi Alpha Ministries (XA), under the Assemblies of God, has been at the center of the largest spiritual and sexual abuse scandal in modern campus ministry history.” On the last slide of the same post, CAA encouraged students to “support friends and family who have or are currently experiencing sexual harassment or misconduct,” and for students who have experienced assault, and are willing to, to share their stories with them. The Observer reached out to Chi Alpha Ministries’ CWU chapter for comment over their social media channels. As of press time (Nov. 4), the group has not responded. Cats Against Assault - A legacy Since the CAA page was created in 2022, it has had lasting impacts. In 2022 a series of protests took place on campus decrying the accusations and the CWU administration’s response. These actions contributed to the creation of a working group to make recommendations regarding gender-based violence prevention, and a new Title IX position at CWU. Starting in 2023, the group also advocated for the passage of SB 5355, a bill which advocates for “prohibit(ing) universities from requesting, pressuring, or proposing a survivor of sexual misconduct to sign a disclosure agreement relating to the alleged sexual misconduct of another student or employee of the institution,” according to the CAA Instagram page.

CAA announcing their return to posting.

(Photos courtesy of @catsagainstassault)

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November 6, 2025

GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN’S EFFECTS

HIT CWU COMMUNITY:

SNAP, EBT BENEFITS, FOOD PANTRIES

AND MORE AFFECTED CONTINUED FROM

FRONT PAGE

Just under $40 million is normally dispersed amongst Washington residents who have SNAP. All residents with food benefits will either receive reduced payment or be left with no money for food. Because of the sudden drop in food benefits, food banks across the country are preparing to help. Washington Governor Robert Ferguson has issued an additional $2.2 million per week to food banks across the state. Jaimelynn McAfee, a 21 year-old Ellensburg resident, has utilized SNAP benefits since she was 17 years-old and has witnessed firsthand the effect the shutdown has had on other residents who rely on SNAP benefits and the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) system through her job as a cashier. “I’m definitely more worried for single moms, disabled people, elderly people that use it, just more for the people that really would take that struggle,” McAfee said. “I will print out a receipt for them. It will say that they have an available amount of money to use, and yet the card will still decline them. And some people have already started experiencing either trouble with their card, their cards straight up declining, available funds being shown, but not being able to use it.” McAfee went on to state that she herself has had to set aside more money for food and bills and less for other needs, putting a strain on her financial situation. Gray provided statistics regarding the negative effects of halting EBT disbursement, “More than half of SNAP-receiving households have children, and 40% of recipients are children. Most of the remaining recipients are elderly or disabled. One of the most important benefits of SNAP is that it leads to healthier eating, higher productivity, better pregnancy and birth outcomes, and lower healthcare costs for everyone.” The Wildcat Pantry While federal food programs have been impacted and are struggling to provide assistance to those on the programs, local organizations in the Ellensburg community have been continuing to take a stand fighting against food insecurity. At CWU, the Wildcat Pantry offers students no-cost access to their centralized “pantry” of food, essential clothing, hygiene and household products.

Wildcat Pantry during its grand opening. (Photos courtesy of CWU)

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Charles Johnson, the Wildcat Pantry coordinator, talked about the complexities of food insecurity, and how the role of the pantry has changed this since its creation in 2022. “(The Washington Student Achievement Council) (WSAC) has been able to tell us that about 43% of our students will face food insecurity at some point at Central; food insecurity being seen many different ways. There’s short term, long term, momentary … our first year as an official program, 2022 to 2023, we served about three-thousand [visits] over the course of the year. Last year we served about ten-thousand visits,” Johnson said. “85% [of those visits] are recurring … from our first year as a program, we have grown about 236%.” With the Wildcat pantry serving so many students a year, its consistent growth and success highlights the community’s embrace of food assistance programs. When asked about correlations between the threats to governmentrun food assistance and the Wildcat Pantry, Johnson highlighted the latest changes they have seen to the Pantry’s usage. “Just this month alone, we have had about 1,200 visits within the pantry, which is much higher than we have seen in the past for a singular month. Usually, that’s numbers we’re doing over the course of two and a half months, maybe a quarter,” Johnson said. “We’ve seen how the government shutdown and the risk of losing out on SNAP benefits, and with the tariffs … students are a lot more aware of their financial situation, and the rising cost of food.” Kelly Boozer, the basic needs resource coordinator at the pantry, works alongside Johnson to help accommodate the student population going through hardship. According to Boozer, the number of students reliant on SNAP benefits on CWU has been on the rise. “Looking at the numbers, it does look like it has obviously gone up … We’ve already given out about $15,000 out of emergency funding, and that’s only including the grant I manage, SSEH (Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness),” Boozer said. “I can definitely say that there’s a monetary difference discrepancy.” Charles Johnson also talked about the Pantry’s next steps in case the demand for food assistance picks up even further. “All we can do is prepare. We’re going to be operating the same way we have been before, making sure we’re here and accessible for students during the hours they expect us to be, and we’re going to be ordering more food in so we can account for how much food is going out ourselves.” If you or anyone you know is in need of further assistance during this lapse in SNAP and EBT funding, you can reach out to local services such as: APOYO (Allied People Offering Year-Round Outreach) and FISH food bank.

The Wildcat Pantry being restocked. (Photos courtesy of CWU)

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November 6, 2025

SPECIAL TEAMS CONTINUE TO SECURE

SUCCESS FOR CWU David Weber making an essential kick against Texas A&M - Kingsville. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Herde)

Junior Punter Wyatt Redding.

Parker Wood Sports Editor

he special teams side of CWU Football has been an essential part in the team’s success. Of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) football accolades awarded to CWU, two of the four have been awarded to special teams. Not only has CWU been awarded LSC Special Teams Player of the Week awards, but they have also earned a D2Football. com National Special Teams Player of the Week through the 2025 season. Thanks to the efforts of Special Teams Coordinator Jared Gallatin, CWU has become the most explosive team when it comes to returning kicks, leading the LSC in average. According to Coach Gallatin, the success comes down to the players. “It’s about the guys trust in what we’re trying to accomplish, being coachable, and just going out and trying to execute the game plan to the best of their ability,” Gallatin said. “It’s really about the players and how hard they work, and all their hard work coming to fruition for them.” Gallatin reflected on his meeting with Head Coach Chris Fisk when he arrived at CWU prior to last season. “Fisk showed me that we were going to take special teams serious, we would get our players to buy into it, and then

(Photo courtesy of Alistair Hennessey)

it was on us to put them in situations to be successful. We told our guys that if you trust what we’re telling you, and we trust the game plan, you’re able to execute it, you’re gonna have a lot of success,” Gallatin said. “I can’t say enough about those guys just willing to go put in the work week in and week out.” CWU has the most points scored and have allowed the least amount of points in the LSC, not in a small part due to the game position battle the special teams lead the charge in. “That’s what special teams is, right? We talk a lot about momentum, capturing field position, so that the offense and defense can have success,” Gallatin said. “You’re able to accomplish that, it makes the starting quarterback’s job easier, it makes the (middle) linebacker’s job easier… It definitely helps set up those scenarios and ultimately have more success in those phases.” Gallatin went on to speak about how teams tend to overlook the special teams side of the ball, and how the coaching staff at CWU continue to find ways to use special teams to give them the advantage in matchups. Throughout the year, two LSC Special Teams Player of the Week awards have been given to CWU players. On Sept. 29, Sophomore Running Back

Beau Phillips won his LSC award and a D2Football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week Award for his three kick returns for 237 yards and two touchdowns (one of the returns going for 100 yards). Most recently, on Oct. 27, Junior Wide Receiver Samaje Featherstone won the award for a kick return going 85 yards and a touchdown. In the LSC, CWU currently holds first place in average kick return yards (ten more yards than second place Angelo State University) and kick return touchdowns. Not only that, Phillips has the highest average kick return yards, Redshirt Freshman Defensive Back Mika Roberson has the highest average punt return yards, Junior Kicker David Weber has the second highest field goal percentage (minimum three attempts), and Redshirt Junior Kicker Wyatt Redding is tied for most punts inside the 20 yard line. On Saturday, Nov. 1, CWU held senior night at Tomlinson Stadium against 16th ranked Angelo State University (ASU). During this ranked matchup, CWU continued to dominate on special teams with Roberson averaging 19 yards per punt return while ASU’s Donny Bishop only averaged close to nine.

Kicker Weber went on to achieve 100% of his extra point attempts along with a fourth quarter 31 yard field goal to make the Wildcat’s lead insurmountable. CWU went on to win 38-21 at home, and Weber efforts were awarded with a LSC Special Teams Player of the Week award on Nov. 3, making him the third Wildcat to do so this season. Weber currently stands first in the LSC in extra points and extra point percentage, tied first in field goals made, and is second in total points scored, only behind Junior teammate Quarterback Kennedy McGill. Coach Gallatin and the football team prepare for their final two games of the season, both on the road. On Nov. 8, the team faces Sul Rose State University at 6 p.m. in Alpine, Texas who are looking for their first win of the season. The Wildcats end their regular season on Nov. 15 at 1:05 p.m. against the Western Oregon University Wolves at their home turf of Monmouth, Ore.. The Wolves hold the second place spot in the LSC while the Wildcats hold first place, currently making the matchup center stage to decide the conference.

“I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH

ABOUT THOSE GUYS JUST

WILLING TO GO PUT IN THE WORK WEEK IN

AND WEEK OUT.” - Jared Gallatin, Special Teams Coordinater

Samaje Featherstone against Texas A&M - Kingsville. (Photo courtesy of Nathan Herde)

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Mulholland Dunlap Staff Reporter

THE IMPORTANCE OF CELEBRATING DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS

he Day of the Dead, also known as Día de los Muertos, is a multi-day Latin American celebration that allows people to remember their friends and family members who have passed away. It also allows people of all identities to recognize and appreciate Latin culture. To honor Día de los Muertos, LSO and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicane de Aztlán (MEChA) partnered with the Multicultural Center (MCC) and the James E. Brooks Library to host a four-day festival. Business Major and Mariachi del Centro Band Member Eddie Martinez shared how important immigrant culture is to him, and to the CWU community in general. “Immigrants are beautiful, and they make this country better,” Martinez said. Music Education Major and Mariachi del Central Band Member Luca Castillejo shared why they see these celebrations being so important, stating, “Every culture that you come across, whether it’s Mexican culture, or it’s from the other side of the Atlantic or across the Pacific, all cultures are beautiful and all deserve to be celebrated. If you see them where you live, I wouldn’t shun it. I wouldn’t turn my nose away. I would try to learn and grow from them.” MEChA Treasurer Luis Mogollan felt that the holiday is “important to celebrate because in modern times, we have really lost that connection between the afterlife and life. A lot of us see the afterlife as something that we ignore.”

KICKOFF MEETING The CWU Dia de los Muertos fiesta started with a kickoff meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 5 p.m. MEChA Alto Pacifico Representative Ximena Rodriguez said that this first phase of the event focused on “creating the miracles, which are a large part of the whole celebration, whether it’s putting them on the tombs, on the gravestones or on your ofrenda.” “We have paper marigolds being made. We have some sugar skulls being made as well. And then we have some cantarito painting,” Rodriguez said. “As well as some cross-painting going on. We have the face painters.” In LSO and MEChA’s kickoff presentation, Social Media Coordinator Adamary Martinez-Soltero stated that the holiday is not solely about mourning the loss of family members. Instead, she realized that “it’s a joyful celebration of life that remembers loved ones through music, food and colorful traditions.”

PARTNERSHIP WITH DINING The Partnership with Dining on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 5 p.m. was the second stage of the event. It consisted of a dinner full of Latin-American food. According to MCC Graduate Assistant Rose Montano, at least 100 people participated in the dinner. “It’s lovely to see people who are of Latino descent here that’s celebrating their culture, but also those who aren’t of Latino descent, seeing them here and learning more about the culture,” Montano said. “One of my favorite parts is to see so many families are here too, not just students.” SURC Executive Chef Dayna Oyarzo let her employees know about the event several weeks in advance because she knew that it would take some time and effort to prepare for such an occasion. “The prep that we did just in labor, our pupusas took about 14 hours of labor to create the pupusas, and then we had another 18 hours of labor to make the guadalajara and tamales,” Oyarzo said. Oyarzo especially loved helping her student employees make the pupusas because “they really are kind of nostalgic. I make pupusas once a year at Christmas with my family, so it’s a fun activity to sit around in the kitchen,

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Ico n co urt es y of Un sp las h

Photos by Fabi Vargas

curred at the kickoff also happened at the main event, with one exception: instead of making sugar skulls, participants painted them. The James E. Brooks Library provided the supplies and taught participants how to create paper marigolds. Starting at 8 p.m., the dancing and crafts went on until the university closed the SURC for the night. Several students said that they loved everything about the Dia de los Muertos events. For example, Secondary Education and English Literature Student Diana Ramirez said that the celebration “really makes me feel close to home, given that I’m also from Mexico. It’s very homey here. I think it’s beautiful. I’m so glad that people got together to do this.” Likewise, Calib Lennon, a student with an undecided major, said, “The music is really good. It makes me want to dance. I feel like all the face paint is really cool as well. Everything here is just super awesome.”

OFRENDA MAKING WORKSHOP

gathering as a family and making these.” While the participants ate dinner, the Mariachi Band played a few traditional festivity songs. Then, the Folklorico dancers, part of the LSO, performed a few pieces. “I think the [mariachi] band performed their role as exposing people to the familiar sounds in Mexico, and also providing that little taste of home to people out there who may find it familiar,” Castillejo said. “The dances we did … were from Velacruz,” Elementary Education Major and LSO Folklorico Dancer Liz Ayonsoto said. “I unfortunately had lost my grandmother a few months back, and I felt like embracing her culture made me even closer to her than she was in her life, as she suffered from dementia.”

DÍA CELEBRATION: THE MAIN EVENT The third stage, which the MCC staff intended to be the highlight of the festival, involved dancing around the Holmes Dining Room while Los Faraones del Norte played traditional Mexican music. Additionally, the same festive art activities that oc-

After the night of celebration, LSO, MEChA, and MCC hosted an ofrenda-making workshop on Friday, Oct. 31, at 12 p.m.. LSO President Isamar Sotelo-Ramirez and other members of LSO taught students about the ofrenda, an altar with offerings for the dead when they come to visit you during Dia de los Muertos. Sotelo-Ramirez and LSO set up the event to help teach students about how different cultures celebrate Dia de los Muertos. “We wanted to incorporate a lot of other countries that maybe people never heard of or thought celebrated Dia de los Muertos,” Sotelo-Ramirez said. “Just to let them know Mexico isn’t the only place that celebrates it.” For MEChA, the Dia de los Muertos events are about providing a safe space for students. “Central has a high percentage of Latino Students, and from my personal experience … being first generation, being far from home, the homesickness can get to you,” the aforementioned MEChA Treasurer Mogollan said. “No matter who it is, (MEChA) wants to provide cultural events that are relevant to these communities so they feel at home when they might not be too close to home.” Contributions by Parker Wood

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November 6, 2025

The NBA’s Next Generation Has Started Opinion Piece

Tage Dayton Columnist

he National Basketball Association (NBA) season has started with some of the most electrifying games to start out the season, with the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder having double overtime games in both of their first two games. Not only that, but there have already been a total of five games that have gone to overtime in the first two weeks of the season showing that the NBA has an even spread of talent between teams lining up this season to be a very exciting one. Other than just the games being exciting to begin the season, the young stars of the NBA are showing out, with players drafted as recently as two years ago being listed on the NBA’s team of the week with the same player being labeled

as player of the week. The stars of 2000’s/2010’s are becoming old and beginning to retire more rapidly as time moves forward with LeBron James teasing at his own retirement this offseason. This brings up the topic of what is the next generation of stars that are going to amaze the NBA and how the old stars that made up a 20 year generation are about to leave. To look for new talent to take over as faces of the NBA, you don’t have to look too far into the NBA to find amazing talent and personality in players. Anthony Edwards is definitely one of those players where not only their talent on the court has brought them fame, but also their personality off the court. When asked about the new stars of the NBA, Ethan Brooks said, “You have to look at Tyrese Haliburton, he’s so clutch and he is the face of the Pacers.” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award,comes with controversy due to his play style and being nicknamed a “foul merchant” by opposing fan bases, but there is no denying the star power he holds in the NBA and could also point to him as being the future of the NBA. Even when asked about Gi lgeous-A lexander, Dacari Simmons, a Sports Management major at CWU, had this to say “Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the next generation of the NBA … he knows how to get

the foul calls he’s just a goat (greatest of all time).” Another young star to watch this season is Victor Wembanyama, who at just 23 years old is 7 ‘4 and definitely a front runner to win the MVP award this year, as he is on a hot streak to begin the season. He has started the year averaging 30 points and 14 rebounds per game, these amazing stats along with the star power he brings to the San Antonio Spurs organization. No matter what way you see it you can tell that the stars that we grew up watching are on their way out of the NBA. Many players that were MVP award winners in the 2010’s are now older and are only a few years out from retirement. Players like James Harden, Stephen Curry, Russel Westbrook, and Kevin Durant (while all still solid players on their respective teams) are all over the age of 35 and are well on their way to being inducted into the hall of fame.

While they leave behind the NBA for retirement, they open the door for the younger stars to run the NBA. While I do think that it will be weird for a while once these players retire, I also think that it’s very exciting to have a new generation coming to take over. The NBA has also been very intense and competitive over the past six years with no repeat champions over those six years. The NBA season has a long year ahead of itself and it’s all interesting from the star power on the court to the teams with the goal of winning a title. There’s also the mid season cup tournament to look forward to, with high competition in the NBA right now it’s very interesting to see who is going to win on any given night. The NBA is at an all time high with all the talent, even teams throughout the league and all the personality throughout the league for fans to connect to players which makes the NBA the thing to watch this year.

Milwaukee Bucks home stadium Fiserv Forum. (Photo courtesy of Envato & Unsplash)

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Page 09

November 6, 2025

Seattle’s Storybook Season: Mariners fall one game short of first ever World Series Jackson Roberts Co-Editor-In-Chief

he 2025 Seattle Mariners season is one Seattle fans will hold closely to their hearts. From making it as far as they have ever been in the playoffs, the emergence of superstar Catcher Cal Raleigh and records being shattered, the Mariners gave fans tons to be excited about for the upcoming 2026 season. Seattle’s season came to an end after they found themselves in a game seven win or go home matchup in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the Toronto Blue Jays where they had the 3-1 lead late in the game, before Blue Jays Outfielder George Springer hit a three run home run making the score 3-4. With a shot to make their first ever World Series, the Mariners were not able to get anything going with their bats the rest of the game, leaving themselves and their fans distraught. With that ALCS game 7 loss, Seattle remains the only Major League Baseball team to never appear in a World Series. Hudson Moore, the host of 88.1 The ‘Burg’s sports talk show ,“Lets Talk Moore,” while feeling the disappointment of the heartbreaking ending, had plenty of positives to take away from the season. “One word I would say to remember the season is memorable. 24 years is how long it has been since we were in the ALCS, and we made it back and made it farther than we have ever

gone,” Moore said. “Cal Raleigh won the home run derby which was the first Mariners player to do so since 1999 with Ken Griffey Jr. [Cal] will win the MVP, he had the single greatest season of all time by a catcher breaking Mickey Mantle’s record, Griffey’s record and Salavador Perez’s record for most home runs in a season by a catcher.” “Mariners fans, stay hopeful. This is not going to be the same situation where we have to wait another 24 years, I guarantee it. I would not be surprised if we make it back next year. If we play our cards right, we will be back in the ALCS next year,” Moore said. As the season is wrapped up with The Los Angeles Dodgers winning back to back World Series trophies, it is now award season. Cal Raleigh has his eyes set on the MVP as he has been named a finalist alongside reigning American League MVP in New York Yankee Outfielder Aaron Judge and Cleveland Guardian Third Baseman Jose Ramirez. The last time the M’s made it to the ALCS was in their historic 2001 season where they broke the record for most wins in a regular season with a record of 116-46. That team was led by Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez, and Brett Boone. Also on the team was Dan Wilson, who is now the manager for the Mariners and just completed his first season back with the team

earning American League Manager of the Year honors. Martinez had also come back to the team to serve as the team’s hitting coach. Obviously the league looked a lot different back then, but so has the world since that point. Not only were the majority of students here at CWU not born yet, but the first IPhone had yet to be released, FaceBook was not created yet, the first Shrek movie had just been released and some of the most popular artists at that time included Alicia Keys, Jennifer Lopez and Janet Jackson. Freshman aviation major Kevin Jimenez noted that it was fun to even see the Mariners start to play competitive baseball after so long. “It was a different experience. I am not going to lie. To see a team that has always been mediocre at best make it through the postseason, winning games and being as close as they were is just something we haven’t seen from the Mariners in forever.” While the season is over, the offseason has just begun. The Mariners have big decisions to make regarding bringing back in-season trade acquisitions in starting Third Baseman Eugenio Suarez and starting First Baseman Josh Naylor among other decisions to be made as well. With a winning culture formulating in Seattle, they have the fans behind them rallying in excitement.

Seattle Mariners home field T-Mobile Park. (Photo courtesy Zoshua Colah)

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Page 10

SOUND

November 6, 2025

BITE 31

VOL.

THIS WEEK IN MUSIC Brandon Mattesich Columnist

elcome back to Sound Bite! This week’s shorter issue is about one man and one man only, La Reezy. Now those of you who know me outside of my reviews know I’ve been saying this for quite some time now, but I felt it’s finally time to get it out on the page so that I can hit the I knew him before he was the goat thing once he gets as big as I know he will. La Reezy is from New Orleans, and at the ripe age of 20 he is steadily growing to become a game changer in the rap industry. “Welcome to La Reezyana Vol 1.” is by far the standout in his catalog for me. This 8 track album has some of the cleanest flows that I’ve heard in a long time, and each bar took me on a journey and left me wanting more. So I did listen to more, and I was equally impressed. Most notably, his latest EP “LAREEZYANA SHAKEDOWN” is a super fun project which promises and delivers on the energy displayed in its title. While “HARDHEAD” is an easy favorite for me, you can’t sleep on “CATCH THE GROOVE” like so

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many already have. I like when an artist isn’t afraid to release music, and La Reezy has got that message loud and clear. To give further credit to the steady rise of his career, La Reezy is on tour right now with Little Simz and he is delivering. It’s been really fun watching him build up that stage presence that you have to earn as an artist, and now I can finally see him catching that energy that he didn’t quite have a grasp on in his early career. So what’s the moral of the story? If you’ve been sleeping on La Reezy, don’t. He’s got shoutouts from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, James Gunn (no, not a bit) and more. His songs are fun and his flows are inventive and exciting. His energy is unmatched and he is just getting started. So when I say lock in on La Reezy before he becomes the next big thing, I mean it, and I’m willing to bet the Sound Bite legacy on it. That said, J.I.D’s “God Does Like Ugly” was also a great listen and a fun showcase of his far reaching range as an artist. This late into a career like J.I.D’s it’s easy for an artist to become stagnant from the

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fans perspective, or at least feel boxed into a certain style of music, but J.I.D had a point to prove when he released this album and I do believe he proved it with style. Of course last but certainly not least I have to talk about Westside Gunn’s “HEEL’S HAVE EYES 2” which was just a super fun album to listen to. Gunn has been killing it for a few years now, and I still think he is one of the most underrated artists of the current era of hip-hop. “Mandela” and “Prick” were two tracks that stood out the most to me from this project and I overall am just very excited for the future of Gunn’s career as he continues to carve out his own niche in the world of hip-hop.

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La Reezy backstage.

(Photo courtesy of@lareezymusic on Instagram)

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November 6, 2025

PASTA WORD SEARCH Pasta Word Search

BM Y D T F E G A O L QQND O RM K O V C S N Z F I D V L W I K Z R E L A P O C G AM I T GM T T I MB V G C X R B N I A X S E QOD U A D C G X G E T GW L M Z I A C T C H O U Z O O L L G AWC U A A A I I Y NG Y I P F C A R U T P S N A I GDN A V D A X Z L I P E R Z E K I T T T H R U J C N I Z J Q HWU Y E G G O N J E I E H Y R H A E Y L MU NOH E B B J T R A V I O L I M I D P J L O A L X H N V O E MW B Q B Z TM J R A G I R T P C B X Tagliatelle

Tortellini

Cavatappi

Bucatini

Macaroni

Gnocchi

Ravioli

Rigatoni

Linguine

Bowtie

Easy Puzzle #1

Gnocchi

Tortellini

Ravioli

Cavatappi

Rigatoni

Bucatini

Linguine

Macaroni

Bowtie

SUDOKU

5 4 1 8

Tagliatelle

6 9 7 2

Fill in the puzzle so that every row across, every column down and every 3 by 3 box contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Build your own custom worksheet at education.com/worksheet-generator

7 5

8 4 6

1 3

4 1 6 2 7

6 5 8

Fill in the puzzle so that every row across, every column down and every 9 by 9 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

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Page 12

November 6, 2025

babies WILDCAT WORDS ZOmbie edition*

Spider-Baby Mari

(she can crawl)

Malintzin Ramgs Sanches

What do you want to be when you grow up?

John Carpenter

Gut-Bustin’ Gloria

Artist: Daraleen Garduno

Artist: Madison Mageary

Artist: Valentina Guttierez-Bedoy

Artist: Hendrik Barlow

Artist: Robin MacArthur

“A seamstress.”

“A marathon runner.”

“A model skeleton in a lab.”

“A film director.”

“Alive.”

*Answers were made up by The Observer staff.

WEEKLY EVENTS 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. - Women’s History Month, Asian Studies Panel | Black 105 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. - CWU Libraries presents Silent Book Club | The Attic

THURS

11 a.m. to 12 p.m. - First Friday: Strategic Leadership & Decision Making | Shaw 115 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. - Research Smartz: AI in Life and School | Zoom

Designed by Z Morris Divined by Ethan Kennedy Aries (March 21 - April 19): Like an old tree, wise and connected with nature. You may be a little hollow. Just make sure to strengthen your inner core. Your pasta: Bucatini. Taurus (April 20 - May 20): Grab the largest scissors you can find and take a bow! It’s time to cut the ribbon and be open to the new you. Your pasta: Tagliatelle. Gemini (May 21 - June 20): Soft and gooey in the middle, and on the outside. I bet you like soup. Olive Garden has the best chicken and gnocchi soup. Your pasta: Gnocchi.

10 a.m. to 12 p.m. - LEAD Indoor Escape Room Experience | Black Hall 136 & Escape the Maddess Yakima 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. - Hot New Jam | SURC Theatre

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sep. 22): Buying things is your passion. No matter what it is you buy, you just like having stuff. The more stuff you have, the happier you are. Gosh now I’m stuffed. Your pasta: Ravioli. Libra (Sep. 23 - Oct. 22): If you like it, put a ring on it. Nothing belongs to you until you claim it for yourself. Wrap yourself around the idea of ruling the world, because it’s coming your way. Your pasta: Tortellini. Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): Grab your best suit and tie and hit the town. Actually, you know what, ditch the tie. You know what you need? Your pasta: Bowtie. Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): Like to cook? Well please stop; it’s really not working. Invest in acquiring a trained rat. Your pasta: Linguine.

7 FRI

SAT

World Adoption Day

SUN

Cancer (June 21 - July 22): You must stay strong and rigid. Don’t let anyone get you down and stay standing. No matter what, you won’t let the negativity get to you. Your pasta: Rigatoni. Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22): You must be flexible day to day. Honestly, cool it on the jokes; not everyone understands you when you spend five minutes explaining the punchline. Just stick to cheesy puns. Your pasta: Macaroni.

3 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. - Ethical Use of genAI: A Student Workshop | Samuelson 126

10 MON

Veterans Day

TUES

6 p.m. to 7 p.m. - Late Night Leadership | SURC Pit

12 WED

Events compiled by Jackson Roberts.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan.19): Please don’t freak out, it’s okay I promise! Just breathe and eat some pasta. Just don’t think about it too much, or you might spiral. Did someone say spiral? Your pasta: Cavatappi. Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb.18): Gosh, you’re too nice. I bet you’re the type who would help an old lady across the street. What a sweetheart you are. Your pasta: Angel hair. Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20): You’re the type to take time in your craft. Everything you own is either handmade or homemade. One could say you are even... hand-rolled. Your pasta: Pici.

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