Lonestar Champions
Blithe Spirit’s debut
Mabuhay from FASA
Page 5
Page 6-7
Page 9
Vol. 132 NO. 8
November 20, 2025
By the students, for the students
TWO STUDENTS ALLEGE
SEXUAL ASSAULT BY ‘ASCWU STUDENT LEADER’
THE SAME DAY, AN ASCWU
POSITION IS VACATED
Spot that previously held a head shot of an ASCWU student leader before allegations of sexual assault. (Photo by Jackson Roberts)
Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief
T
wo students came forward with new allegations about sexual assault in a post shared on the Cats Against Assualt (CAA) Instagram page last Wednesday, following a string of posts starting in early October. Both students alleged in the post that the assault came from the same person, “an ASCWU (Associated Students of CWU) student leader.” The post, broken up between the two anonymous students, shared multiple allegations about situations in which the ASCWU student leader allegedly assaulted the two anonymous students, both on campus and off. “The first thing he did was kiss me without my consent in his office in student government when he stood up from his yoga ball,” one of the anonymous students alleged in the post. “Later in the day he kept trying to get me to make out with him. He slid his hand up my shirt without my permission and proceeded to touch my breasts,” the student further alleged, according to the CAA Instagram page. The anonymous student in the post then went on to allege a time in which she was alone in his car with him, and he forced her into performing sexual acts. The other anonymous student in the post shared a very similar story, alleging a time in which she was also alone in his car with him after he had allegedly offered to drop her off. “He asked me if I wanted to see ‘it,’ and after saying no, and that I wasn’t going to jerk him off, he insisted,” The second student claimed. “I was in a car, over a mile away from home, in the dark, with a man I hardly knew. I was scared that he would do something to me if I said no again.” The post and stories immediately made waves across campus, garnering over 900 likes on the original post and spurring a slew of posts on the anonymous social media platform Fizz, some of them discussing further allegations, naming the student and citing the position they occupied as ASCWU Director of Governmental Affairs. One anonymous student reached out to The Observer through direct message following the post, alleging separate actions by the ASCWU
student leader. “All last year, while he was working as an assistant [the accused] would make uncomfortable comments about women,” the student claimed. “This current year a former member of the ASCWU Senate is pregnant. He had asked her why she didn’t just drop out or get rid of it after overhearing her having a conversation regarding stress about classes, work and her baby.” “Normal people don’t say those kinds of things casually,” the student stated. “Students like that don’t belong in positions of power at Central, and I’m so proud of ASCWU and how they handled the situation.”
what to do with the DOGA position. During the meeting, the board voted 4-0-2 to elect Ryan Harman, former deputy DOGA, into the position for the remainder of fall quarter. Then, on Nov. 17, the ASCWU Senate confirmed Ryan Harman into the position, which he will now hold for the rest of the academic year. The Observer reached out to Lola Gallagher, director of student leadership, and Emilio Gonzalez, assistant director of student involvement, via email on Nov. 13 and again on Nov. 15 for comment, but neither have replied as of our print deadline, Nov. 18.
The ASCWU Director of Governmental Affairs
For students seeking alternative support, Callisto is “a nonprofit organization that uses technology to empower survivors of sexual violence.” It is free to any student with a university email, and can be used to find alternative resources, and connect with other students in similar situations. The link can be found on
The day after the CAA post went live, ASCWU President Hondo Acosta-Vega released a public statement on Instagram to address the situation, stating, “We have seen the post made by Cats Against Assault and are aware of the severe allegations that have been made against one of our directors. In any and all situations, I have always tried to stand by my word to be honest with the students we are charged with representing.” “These allegations have shaken ASCWU to its core, we are and have always been for and by the students, and we stand by all victims fully,” the post continued. “As your representatives, we will do everything in our power to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. This behavior will not now or ever be tolerated, and we will hold our own accountable, regardless of what position they hold.” Later that afternoon, ASCWU announced on Instagram that the position of the Director of Governmental Affairs (DOGA) had been vacated, and that a special meeting was to be held the following day to determine what to do with the position. No details about why the position was vacated were shared in the post, nor at the following meeting. The following day, Nov. 14, the ASCWU Board of Directors held the special meeting to determine
“This behavior will
not now or ever be tolerated, and
we will hold our own accountable, regardless of what
position they hold.” -ASCWU president Hondo AcostaVega’s statement
FURTHER COVERAGE
ON PAGES 3 & 4
Page 02
November 20, 2025
READ
ONLINE
OPINION SECTION
Who asked for ‘Now You See Me?”
‘67’- What does it even mean?
20 years of SMOSH!!
LETTER from JACKSON I have been dreading writing this for quite some time. It has been such a roller coaster of emotions as I count down the days I have left at CWU before I dive into the real world. As I reflect back on my time here at CWU, I have so much to be thankful for here at this beautiful publication. I’d like to start out by saying The Observer has shaped me into the person I am today. It has taught me so many valuable life skills that I will apply in my future career in the media field. This paper provides such a unique opportunity for students to have their voice heard here on campus. Seeing the outpour of support over my time here has been so heartwarming and I am happy to have had the opportunity to have an impact on this campus. The people here at The Observer have been an absolute blessing. I could not have asked for a more skilled, driven and overall fun group to be surrounded by. They all have such bright futures and I cannot wait to see where the world takes them. I will forever cherish the moments I’ve spent with them. From the moment I joined The Observer, I was welcomed with open arms by people that
instilled so much confidence in me to become the journalist I am now. Over my time here I hope I have done the same to the next era of journalists at CWU. I have immense confidence in the group we have following my departure at the end of this quarter. Brandon is one of the most talented journalists I have ever had the pleasure of working with and I hate that the dream duo’s run as Co-EIC’s is over but I know he will thrive without me. I have learned so much from him and it has been a pleasure working beside such a bright mind and seeing both of us grow as journalists and friends. Dr. Jennifer Green has been so helpful as well! I feel so lucky that I was able to learn from someone with so much experience in the journalism world. She has always been there by Brandon and I’s side to support us and I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to have her as a mentor. My only regret here at CWU, is that I did not get involved earlier than I already did. I spent my first two years here kind of doing my own thing but eventually found myself a home here at The Observer. I encourage everybody to put
Jackson expressing his love for The Observer. (Photo by Robin MacArthur)
themselves out there to find your people here at CWU. Find that community of people who constantly support you and push you to be better than the previous day like everyone here at The Observer has for me. Farewell O’, Jackson Roberts
Correction: Liz Burt was misquoted in the story “CWU Sustainability Forum Celebrates Their Gold-Star Rating During Fall Forum.” The reported quote in the story was, ”I have these signs that are here up on the surface, and then they would be up in other buildings around campus.” The actual quote was, “I have these signs that are up in the SURC, and they will soon be up in other buildings around campus.”
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.
Corrections? Complaints? Tips?
@CWUObserver
CWU Observer
Contact Us! @CWUObserver
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com
Page 03
November 20, 2025
CATS AGAINST THE TITLE IX
ASSAULT: EXPLAINED
THE PAST, PRESENT
AND FUTURE Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief
T
he latest post by the Cats Against Assault (CAA) Instagram page was only one of many in their history of advocating for Title IX policy changes and further student protections at CWU. Following their recent resurgence in activity, The Observer reached out to the anonymous creators of CAA to ask about their past, their future and what they hope comes next at Central. The following is a short Q&A with one of the two anonymous creators of the account. Q: Is there anything you’d like new students to know about the situation that they might not know since it’s been going on for years now? A: It’s important to look back at our history, how Cats Against Assault started, what we originally asked for, and compare that to what the university has actually done in response. While some progress has been made, there’s still a long way to go. It often feels like the university treated our list of demands like a checklist instead of an opportunity to change the culture. True change won’t come from checking boxes. It will come from transforming the environment and rethinking who is put into leadership positions, especially when those positions involve handling sensitive cases. Q: Following these new claims, how would you like to see CWU administration respond, and how do you think they actually will? A: Honestly, I think CWU administration is going to pretend we don’t exist for as long as they can, just like they did when we first started the account. It wasn’t until we made headlines in local news that they were forced to respond. Students basically had to pin them in a corner before they made any kind of statement. I also expect they’ll highlight the changes they made after our account first gained attention, but I’m interested in whether those promises were actually followed through on. We at Cats Against Assault are still gathering data on that ourselves. In general, I think CWU will try to deflect from any headlines suggesting that the university has kept employees with active sexual assault cases in positions of power. Instead, they’ll emphasize what they say they’ve done, not necessarily what they’ve truly changed. What we’d really like to see is accountability. Central should hold employees, especially those in leadership positions, accountable when there are active sexual assault or harassment cases. We’d like to see a process for temporary employee leave to keep students safe, and for Title IX cases, including stalking and harassment, to be taken seriously. We’ve received many reports in those areas, and they’re not being given the weight they deserve by the school. Q: What’s next for Cats Against Assault, and how can students participate? A: Cats Against Assault definitely has some plans up its sleeve. We’re not ready to give away all the details yet, but ultimately it will come down to student demand, what students want, and how they want to take action. We’re here to help them do that. Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add? A: When we started this account, we were 19/20 years olds, sitting in a living room, desperate for change and unsure what would come from it. We had no idea it would lead to opportunities in legislation, collaborations and such a strong community of support for survivors. I want survivors to know that they can make a difference. Outside of Cats Against Assault, all of us have gone on to be successful in our careers. It’s possible to go through something traumatic and still come out on the other side. What happened to me, and who I was when my mental health was suffering during my case, doesn’t define me. I still carry those experiences with me, but they’ve shaped how I see the world, my work, and how I show empathy to others.
@CWUObserver
CWU Observer
PROCESS AT CWU:
Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief
T
he Director of Civil Rights Compliance and Title IX at CWU, John MacArthur, sat down with The Observer to share how Title IX cases are handled at CWU, and answer questions about the process following recent allegations and posts made by the Cats Against Assault Instagram page. Q&A edited for length and clarity. Q: Can you explain to me, and our readers, the general process for a Title IX case at Central? A: Let’s just say somebody was stalking you. So they notified me and then I’m going to do outreach to you. Say, ‘hey, Brandon, just wanted to let you know we were informed that this person was allegedly stalking you. We want to make sure that you’re okay.’ We’ll offer you supportive measures, resources, your reporting options, etc. You are not required to respond to it, and I make that very clear in our emails … If you do choose to respond, it is like, okay, can we meet and we just discuss the process? And so we would meet. Then we discuss, ‘you say that you’re stalked, here’s the supportive measures.’ Is it someone in your dorm? Do you want to move to another dorm? Do you need extensions in your classrooms? We have all these different supportive measures to support you, to go through these things. Then we talk about resolution options, I think of them as three doors and you choose your own adventure. We are very much complainant based. And so I really do what the complainant tells me to do, with the one exception of especially in domestic violence and dating violence cases where the complainant doesn’t want me to investigate, but if I hear that the person is like, threatening them, or if they’re a safety to them, it’s the only real time that I will go against the complainant’s wish. Resolution One: Documentation The first one [door] is documentation only. So let’s just say somebody called me a homophobic slur, and I’m very comfortable, I don’t give a crap, right? And so I’m just going to let my office know, ‘hey, this person said this homophobic slur. I’m okay. I don’t really need a thing. I just want you to know about it in case there’s a pattern, just to track things.’ Alternatively, let’s say this person sexually assaulted me or stalked me, and I don’t want to go through an investigation, but I want a no contact order and I want to move dorms. You’re saying that in order to resolve this complaint, you want a no contact order and you want a dorm room, and that’s that’s fine with us, if that’s what you feel like. Resolution Two: Informal Resolution Door number two is informal resolution. This is most common with roommate disputes, because under Washington State law, even if you’re two heterosexual males and you hit each other, it’s domestic violence. Sometimes that’s [door two is] like a mediation, and sometimes with domestic violence and dating violence, they don’t want to break up, so they’ll mediate. Similarly with students in a friend group that might have some drama or something. They don’t want to go through an investigation, but they want you to know something, so they’ll do an informal resolution. We are all trained mediators. I did a 40 hour certification in social justice mediation, so we are all able to do mediation. We don’t really get involved in what you two want, but both of you would have to agree to the outcome. Both of you have to agree to the outcomes. And then you would sign something, and then we’ll have a schedule … So we iron all that out, kind of a contract, and then if the person doesn’t do it, that’s a failure to comply.
CONTINUED
ON PAGE 4
@CWUObserver
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com
Page 04
November 20, 2025
THE TITLE IX PROCESS AT CWU: EXPLAINED CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Now once the informal resolution is signed, you can’t change your mind and say, ‘Well, actually, I wanted to investigate,’ because when you sign that contract you are resolving this complaint. Resolution Three: Formal Resolution/Investigation Door number three is a formal resolution … Mostly, we can’t do anything without a finding of responsibility following investigation. So we can’t suspend somebody or expel somebody or fire somebody ever, without a finding of responsibility in terms of civil rights laws and due process and everything, there has to be a finding of responsibility.
“We can’t suspend somebody
or expel somebody or fire somebody ever, without a finding
of responsibility in terms of civil rights laws and due process...” - John MacArthur, Title IX Director
There is an emergency removal for Title IX, but even then that is really, really restrictive. Basically it says the word ‘immediate threat,’ which means … it has to be written that ‘I’m going to kill you,’ or I’m going to do something. Or we know that they have guns, or some sort of immediate threat. We have to be aware of it. That is the only threshold that we are able to do any punitive measures under Title IX. And that’s very, very intentional on the Trump administration, who did this. So Title IX has very strict due process rights, the supportive measures have to be non-punitive. [For example] if this stalker was your next-door neighbor, I can’t move him, because that would be a punitive action, but I could move you, right? Because that’s your choice … Title IX forbids me to do anything that could be seen as punitive to either parties, including the respondent… Because if I suspend somebody for three to four months or however long, and then they’re found not responsible, then they just lost access to their education, they lost that … The goal is to support both parties while they go through this process and maintain survivor safety with respondent due process rights. That’s the hardest thing, navigating through that world, because I absolutely understand why people say things like that [someone should be removed during the duration of a case], but by law we can’t do that. So the third door is the formal investigation where the responsible is presumed not responsible, the respondent is presumed not responsible, until the investigation and the determining of responsibility. This [process] gives both parties an opportunity to present evidence, any witnesses give testimony, and it’s a very transparent process. Interior view of the SURC, including the banners for portraits of ASCWU leaders. (Photo by Jackson Roberts)
@CWUObserver
CWU Observer
Q: When you’re talking about the investigators, are those internal or are they brought in externally? A: We have… we had two civil rights investigators. One just resigned, but we are already hiring. We’re in the process of a search committee, so we have one full-time, and we’re hiring a second … If they are overwhelmed, we might do an external one. Or if there is a conflict of interest or something, we might do an external. But typically we do all of them in-house. Right now we’re doing some external because we’re short staffed, so to help with the burden, but for informal resolution mediations, we also do that in-house here too. Q: How hard is it to find responsibility in one of these cases? It feels like, depending on the allegations, it might be harder to find proof, even if it really did happen? A: Think of it as 50/50, plus a feather. If it is you and another person in a room, and that person said something happened, and you said something didn’t happen, and there’s no text messages, no other witnesses, that’s pretty much a wash of two people, right? It’s about 50/50 where both people are saying the same thing. Q: Students have said they want a leave of absence for the accused. And I know you said there can’t be anything punitive until the investigation concludes and responsibility is found. I’m wondering, though, do you ever see that being a possibility? A: There’s two things to add. The regulation says that for employees, paid at-home leave is not punitive, but you cannot do it if it’s a student employee … but again, that usually has to be past a threshold… So while it’s going through the investigation, if it goes to that point, [we ask] can this person work remotely? Can the other person work remotely? Can they be on separate schedules? … No contact orders are helpful as well. If they violate the no contact order, that’s a failure to comply. So that’s a separate process from this investigation, it helps protect them. It is an option for employees. One of the ways [of handling the investigation] could be paid at-home leave, but the other could be just working remotely, changing an office location or reporting to a different supervisor … there are a whole bunch of other things before just going straight to paid leave.
“The goal is to support both parties while they go through this process and maintain survivor safety with respondent
due process rights.” - John MacArthur
@CWUObserver
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com
Page 05
November 20, 2025
THE MIRACLE AT MONMOUTH
THE WILDCATS ARE LSC CHAMPS Parker Wood Sports Editor
T
he Central Washington Wildcats are invincible! The Wildcats went 9-0 in the Lone Star Conference (LSC) and won the entire conference thanks to the final four seconds in 24th ranked Western Oregon University’s home town of Monmouth, Ore. This is the first time the Wildcats have won the LSC since joining in 2022. With a 19-17 win, this is the second game where the Wildcats won by less than two touchdowns. After being down 14-0 at Halftime, the Wildcats mounted a comeback, bringing the game to 13-17 with the Wolves having the advantage as CWU got the ball with 1:47 left on the clock. The Wildcats brought heartache to the stadium as they converted on fourth down twice during the two minute drill. Thanks to Redshirt Senior Wide Receiver Logan Brady’s 25 receiving yards and Redshirt Junior Quarterback Kennedy McGill’s 24 rushing yards, the game came down to four seconds on the clock and the Wildcats standing on the opposing 13 yard line, needing a touchdown to win it. McGill took the snap and was forced out of the pocket to the right side of the field. As the clock hit zero, McGill found a
@CWUObserver Photo by Jackson Roberts
CWU Observer
wide open Brady in the endzone, striking a dagger into the hearts of the Wolves’ home crowd and scoring the touchdown they needed, making the score 19-17, willing the Wildcats to win the LSC. McGill had an up and down performance, passing for 157 yards and throwing for the game winning touchdown, rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown but also two interceptions and almost a game-ending fumble on the last drive before recovering it. Outside of McGill, the rushing attack was stumped, with the other three rushers (Redshirt Sophomore Runningback Ryder Bumgarner, Redshirt Junior Runningback Justice Taylor, and the aforementioned Brady) rushing for a total of 16 attempts for 56 yards. For pass catchers, the rock was passed around the locker room with wide receivers having six of the 16 receptions on the day. Bumgarner led the team in receiving yards, and tied with Brady and Junior Samaje Featherstone in receptions on the day with four. The defense was feasting on the Western Oregon’s offensive line, with four sacks, five tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hurries. Redshirt Sophomore Tyler
@CWUObserver
King continued his spree of leading the team in sacks for his third straight game for the ‘Cats. One of the highlights of the defense on the day, along with all season, is Redshirt Senior Defensive Back Chase Coalson. Coalson ended the day with ten tackles, seven of them solo along with half a sack. The stat line earned Coalson an LSC Defensive Player of the Week award. This is CWU’s fourth straight Player of the Week award and the Wildcat’s second Defensive Player of the Week award of the year. With the win in Monmouth, Wildcats are LSC Champions and will host National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Division II playoff games, the first time since Nov. 25, 2017. The 10-1 CWU’s first playoff game will be in Tomlinson Stadium against the 9-2 Western Colorado University’s Mountaineers, an opponent CWU is very familiar with, as they have been the Wildcat’s first playoff opponent for three years in a row, with a 1-1 record to show.
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com
Page 06
November 20, 2025
Central Theatre Ensemble presents ‘Blithe Spirit’
Page 07
November 20, 2025
Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief
(Photo courtesy of envato)
T
he Central Theatre Ensemble’s latest production, “Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward,” opens on Nov. 21, and for many of its cast and crew working on the show has been an experience unlike anything else they’ve done before. The production is a farce comedy that follows the story of Charles Condomine, a novelist who, after a backfired séance, is haunted by the ghost of his ex-wife and wrestling with the reality of his current one. Jada Madrid, a second year at Central who plays Elvira, Charles’s haunting ex-wife, talked about how new and exciting this production has been for her. “She [Elvira] is literally unlike any character I’ve played before, which has been such a fun challenge,” Madrid said. “She’s very sure of who she is, but also knows how to manipulate to get what she wants. That’s been really interesting to navigate, because in some people’s point of view, she is the villain of the story, but in her view, she’s not … that’s been really fun to play with and navigate with character relationships.” For Madrid, the role of Elvira is unique in the sense that it’s one of the first characters she’s ever played that isn’t similar to her. “This show taught me that I can play people that are not like myself, and I can still find myself within them without changing the core of who they are and who I am,” Madrid continued. “As scary as it sounds, you can play people that are not like you, and you can still find yourself within them, within them in a way that is helpful to your acting and to your building the character and the world around them. Playing her has been so fun, and I will remember her forever.” “Blithe Spirit” has also provided new challenges for the various design aspects of the production, as its use of full body makeup, costumes, wigs and reliance on props has made the production wholly unlike what many of its actors and designers have worked on in the past. “It’s the biggest production I’ve ever been a part of, the biggest role I’ve ever been a part of,” Ramiro Gomez, a fourth year student who plays Charles Condomine, said. “This is such a big prop heavy show, the most props I’ve ever had to deal with … [and the] costuming is so beautiful in this show. There’s just so much whimsical ‘magicness’ in this and I think you’re gonna love so many characters in this show. I’m excited for people to see how
funny it is and how witty it is, and to be like, ‘I want to watch it again and maybe catch some more of those quick quips,’ or comedy pieces that are said throughout.” Violet Morgan, the show’s props designer, also highlighted how different this production has been to work on because of its physicality, and what goes into designing props from this production’s period in time. “Pretty much I have to design every single prop in the show,” Morgan said. “For this show specifically, because it’s based in a real point in time, I spent a lot of time looking through historical archives to hopefully find images of things that actually existed. So a lot of my work is finding those things and then putting my own little touch on it, like a slightly different color, or just putting my initials somewhere on the prop real small, just because I like leaving little marks on everything I make,” Morgan continued. Finn Carmalt, a third year transfer student, wig makeup technician and wardrobe lead for the production echoed a similar sentiment about working “Blithe Spirit,” stating, “It’s been really refreshing and very exciting to get to do some things that made me fall in love with theater in the first place.” “One of my career goals is to end up touring with Broadway tours, and get into that in wardrobe specifically,” Carmalt continued. “It is something that I really enjoy, and it is very fulfilling for me…”
A production as big as “Blithe Spirit” isn’t just designed on the stage, but in the various lighting elements of the show as well. Allison Knaff, a fourth year at Central, worked as the lighting designer for this year’s production, pulling inspiration for the design from various films and aesthetics. “[While designing] I’m going for, kind of horror comedy, the classic movie, right? Also like ‘Ghostbusters,’ that ghosty green goo color. I’ve pulled a lot of that,” Knaff said. “I’ve just pulled a lot of the cheesy movie things you get from, like ‘Scary Movie,’ where it’s not scary at all, it’s just something funny, just to add to the comedy, and just pull out that cheesiness.” While Knaff has worked on numerous productions in the past, “Blithe Spirit” presented them with a unique opportunity to fully design the show’s lighting themself. “I’m just excited that it’s my first show that I fully designed by myself here,” Knaff said. “To see people watching something that’s entirely mine, and people will talk about it, it really excites me to be able to hear about that.” Knaff also touched on why they think people should attend the show, stating, “The show is so incredibly funny, and it’s a story that hasn’t been told a million times, so it’s super engaging and just all of a good laugh for everybody,” Knaff said. And as for Madrid and Gomez, they closed both their interviews with the same four words, “Come see Blithe Spirit!”
(Photos by Brandon Mattesich)
@CWUObserver
CWU Observer
@CWUObserver
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com
Page 08
November 20, 2025
What’s in store for students? Campus activities and what they have to offer Ethan Kennedy Scene Editor
C
WU events have always given students a chance to have fun and connect with their community. According to Campus Activities, there has recently been a spike in participation and engagement at events, and to match that pace, they’ve cooked up a special quarter for students. Friday night movies have been a staple event for years, however, the number of movies shown this quarter has dropped significantly compared to previous quarters. Only four movie nights were held, three less than spring quarter. The Campus Activities program manager, Grace Pearsons, provided information about the changes in planning and events. “We got a lot of feedback that people wanted more variety of events. We’re working on having different types of activities at movies and other events,” Pearsons said. “We’ve seen a huge uptick in engagement, attendance and involvement. For movie nights, we added a way for students to engage. Today, for example, we have a comic
contest, and a prize for the winner. So, we’ve seen almost double [attendees] at a lot of our events.” The Campus Activities team plans a year in advance, according to Pearsons, and makes sure to avoid dates that students would be gone for the holidays. In the near future, a special Regency themed ball will be hosted during the winter quarter. Students can expect live music, mocktails and a “Pearl of the season” where someone is picked as a winner. The last ‘Ball’ at Central was held in 2024, themed as a “Yule Ball.” Guests this year can partake in fancy and fun activities, reminiscent of the show Bridgerton, according to Pearsons. Through careful and extensive planning, the Campus Activities team has been able to, and will continue to host more elaborate and innovative events. Pearsons remarked how pleased she was with not just attendance, but the participants themselves as well. “We’ve been having a great time with students coming to events. This year of students is the friendliest I have ever seen. Everyone is so polite,
so excited and we’ve never been thanked more as a department than we have this year. It’s been pleasant and wonderful, so I would just like to thank the students of CWU for being such wonderful people,” Pearsons said.
From ‘Pretty Girl’ to ‘I Feel Everything’:
The SURC, from above. (Photo courtesy of CWU)
OPINION
MAGGIE LINDEMANN “I Kyley Glenn Columnist
Feel Everything” is a perfect title for Maggie Lindemann’s second album. She takes you through many different feelings throughout the 16 tracks in her second album. This album goes from heartache, struggling with feelings of belonging to dancing mindlessly in your room. There are sixteen songs with inspiration pulled from rock, pop and electronic. Two of them being “one of the ones’ and “mourning.” “I’m mourning someone who’s in the next room,” Lindemann sings in the third song on the album, “mourning”. This song highlights the struggles of being with someone who is slowly checking out of the relationship. They aren’t quite gone yet but they aren’t fully there anymore either. Nearing the end of the album, at track number 14, you get the song “one of the ones” which was released as a single prior to the album’s release. It is a more upbeat electronic song that could fall under the category of hyperpop. Lindemann finishes the album with track 16, “i feel everything’. A song focused on letting go of someone you don’t want to. Before there was “Paranoia’’ and ‘I Feel Everything’, there was the single “Pretty Girl” and “Moon & Stars” by SNOT ft. Maggie LIndemann. Most people have heard the songs, but not many went out of their way to look into Lindemann.
@CWUObserver
“Moon & Stars” is well known due to its time trending on TikTok during the earlier days of COVID. “Pretty Girl” took off due to Lindemann promoting it on Tumblr in 2016. Lindemann’s songs usually highlight her vocals or contain talk singing. The beat and balance of her voice to music being the carrier of her falling into a pop-rock/ alternative genre. Not featured in this album but frequently occurring is a collaboration that occurs regularly when Lindemann and her friend SIIICKBRAIN work together. SIIICKBRAIN usually performs screamo within these songs. Their song, “Gaslight” which is featured on Linedemann’s EP ‘Paranoia’ emphasizes this.
Maggie Lindemann promotional photo.
CWU Observer
(Photo courtesy of SWIXXZ Audio)
@CWUObserver
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com
Page 09
November 20, 2025
FASA WELCOMES NEW STUDENTS AT THEIR MABUHAY EVENT
Mulholland Dunlap Staff Reporter
M
according to Maglalatik Dancer and Electrical Engineering Student Emanuel Chavez. According to Subli Dancer and Third-Year Hospitality, Tourism and Event Management Student Aaron Rufsigul, Subli “is a dance
abuhay is a Tagalog word that means “welcome” in its literal sense, according to Filipino American Student Association (FASA) Vice President Sharlene Pioquinto. FASA partnered with CWU Dining to host Mabuhay, an event designed to invite and welcome students of all identities and cultures to join their club. Additionally, the organization sees Mabuhay as a way to connect with the relatively small number of Filipinos around Ellensburg. “Everyone’s invited to FASA. We don’t care what your background is, and we just want to make sure that everybody here feels welcomed and included, and I think they’ll get that sense of community at FASA,” Pioquinto said. The party began with a dinner full of traditional Filipino food on Thursday, Nov. 14, from 5 to 8 p.m. It concluded with an entertainment portion from 8 to 9 p.m. The entire event occurred in the Holmes Dining Room of the SURC.
All event participants line dancing together. (Photo by Kody Ngowkred)
The featured menu at Mabuhay included vegetable lumpia, chicken skewers, barbecue pork skewers, white rice, kwek kwek, arroz caldo, turon and orange tang. Kwek kwek was a “fried quail egg skewer,” Campus Sous Chef and SURC Executive Chef Dayna Oyarzo said. “It was neat to see the fresh quail eggs come in, and then we hardboiled them, and then we did a really fun bread coating, and then we deep-fried them, and they turned out nice and rich.” Additionally, Oyarzo enjoyed making the turon because, “not a lot of people get the opportunity to work with fresh jackfruit, and so we were able to bring that in, and had some good learning experience with all the other cooks in the building, and they were excited to process a fresh jackfruit.” Jackfruit is a spiky fruit native to Southeast Asia, according to Dining Services Assistant Director Dustin Atkinson. He estimated that a jackfruit can be about the size of two or three footballs. Oyarzo added that it has a cantaloupe-like flavor. FASA President Jaden Joy Rosabia submitted all the recipes and worked with the chefs to decide, “which ones we can actually take so we don’t overextend the team, and there are enough food offerings for everybody to enjoy the event,” according to Atkinson.
WHAT IS FASA?
DINNER WITH DINING
where we have clickers and we click around.” Rufsigul added that Tinikling is “where we have bamboo sticks, and we click them together, and we dance in and out.” Filipino Games and Sari Sari Store Prizes Additionally, the event participants played three traditional games. The first game was the “eat the Oreo off your face game,” which is also a popular Minute to Win It challenge, according to Rufsigul. The second was Gimme, Gimme, in which FASA Board Member Isabella Furuc stood on the stage and said, “Gimme, gimme, a wallet.” Then, the event attendees had to race to give Furuc a wallet. The entertainment concluded with an agile game called “Head, Shoulder, Knees and Cup,” in which the emcee “calls out the body part, but once they say ‘cup,’ you have to grab the cup before the other person does,” Rufsigul explained. According to Tinikling Dancer and Accounting Student Grace Rogers, the participants who won any of the three games went to the Sari Sari store. There, they used a prize voucher to buy a traditional Filipino snack. According to the aforementioned FASA Vice-President Pioquinto, FASA is an organization that supports Filipino Americans
and their allies at CWU. The aforementioned FASA president, Rosabia, added that her organization means much more to the community than just being a student club. “We definitely take pride in having such a strong community,” Rosabia said. “It’s a really big second family, especially for people who are out of state. I know that, especially this year, there’s a lot of out-of-state students. Personally, I’m an out-of-state student myself, and a lot of people come up to college not really having a sense of community. And we’re happy that FASA is a place they’ll go to find that sense of community.”
REACTIONS TO MABUHAY EVENT
According to the FASA board, many participants gave positive feedback about the Filipino food that they ate at Mabuhay. Rosabia counted 287 total attendees. Law and Justice Student Sarafi Purcell appreciated how FASA’s welcome celebration “involves everyone.” “I like how open they are,” Purcell said. “It’s very nice. I like the environment here.”
Participants posing with their Filipino dinners. (Photo by Kody Ngowkred)
FILIPINO DANCES
The entertainment portion included three types of Filipino dances – Maglalatik, Subli and Tinikling. Maglalatik is “where we wear coconuts and bang the coconuts together on our bodies,”
@CWUObserver
CWU Observer
Group photo of everyone who stayed for the entertainment portion of Mabuhay (Photo by Kody Ngowkred)
@CWUObserver
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com
Page 10
November 20, 2025
GREEK GOD WORD SEARCH
ADVERTISEMENT
Hephaestus Athena Poseidon
Dionysus
Apollo
Hestia
Aphrodite
Zeus
Demeter
Hera
SUDOKU Fill in the puzzle so that every row across, every column down and every 3 by 3 box contain the numbers 1 to 9.
Illustrated by Rieley Iverson
@CWUObserver
CWU Observer
@CWUObserver
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com
Page 11
November 20, 2025
WILDCAT WORDS
What was your highlight of fall quarter?
Nickoli Ruff
Julissa Ramos
Fr. Food Science and Nutrition
Fr. Biomedical Science
Fr. Physics
Jr. Law and Justice
Sr. Safety and Health Management
“Joining the rugby club.”
“Being in choir.”
“Consistently meeting new people.”
“Getting to know the people in my building at events.”
“Performing for Day of the Dead with the Mariachi band.”
Lela Gabriel
Jeannette Hamilton
Daniel Cedeño
WEEKLY EVENTS 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Friendsgiving | Sue Lombard Dining Room
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - CWU Symphonic Band and Concert Band Concert | Hertz Concert Hall 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. - S&A Committee Meeting | SURC 201 7 p.m. - CWU Basketball Home Opener vs Chico State | Nicholson Arena
Designed by Z Morris Divined by Ethan Kennedy Aries (March 21 - April 19): I mean, come on, it’s your star sign for crying out loud... kinda. Prepare for battle and sharpen your swords. Your Greek God: Ares Taurus (April 20 - May 20): I bet everyone gets your name wrong. Don’t worry, I’ve been there. Just make sure that you clarify your name if you ever get famous. Your Greek God: Heracles Gemini (May 21 - June 20): With one note from your instrument, you can heal the most gruesome wounds. Whether your instrument is that of sound, or that of warmth, your passion is what fuels the flame. Your Greek God: Apollo Cancer (June 21 - July 22): Well gee just go look in a mirror if you’re THAT obsessed with yourself. Not everyone is going to be turning their heads your way when you walk in a room. Cool it on the ego… just joking, you know we love you Cancer. Your Greek God: Aphrodite Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22): Board your chariot and ride to the sky till morning. Your energy lights up any room you walk in. It’s actually really bright, I think I’m blind. Your Greek God: Helios Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sep. 22): Tinkering is your passion, whether it’s robotics, welding or crafting weapons for the gods! Just make sure you charge extra on weekends. Your Greek God: Hephaestus Libra (Sep. 23 - Oct. 22): Gosh, how electrifying, it’s not every day you get to be the top dog. Just don’t let the power get to your head- too late. Your Greek God: Zeus Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): Misunderstood as always, Scorpio. Everyone thinks you’re this tough, brooding castle when in actuality, you just want to relax with your friends. You’re also a cat person. Your Greek God: Hades Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): How many years have you been hunting? No really, it’s gotta be in your blood at this point. Either way, you smell like wood, moss and sweat. Your Greek God: Artemis
THURS
21 FRI
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - LEAD Indoor Escape Room Experience | Black Hall 136
1 p.m. - CWU Football Home Playoff Game vs Western Colorado | Tomlinson Stadium
7 p.m. - CWU Basketball vs Walla Walla | Nicholson Arena 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. - CWU Wind Ensemble Concert | Hertz Concert Hall
22 SAT
23 SUN
24
National Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day
MON
International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women
National Cake Day
20
25 TUES
26 WED
Events compiled by Jackson Roberts.
Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan.19): Jeez, you’re fast. Where are you off to huh? You’re the type of person who is always moving; do you happen to have ADHD? Your Greek God: Hermes
🎶
🎶
Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb.18): Unda da sea- Unda da sea That’s right, take a trip to the beach, lake or nearest pond. Forget sandcastles, let’s make a sea castle! Your Greek God: Poseidon Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20): You give Aries a run for their money. Speaking of money, I would pay good money to see a fight between you two. You’re head strong, wise and I bet you’re also an overthinker. Your Greek God: Athena
@CWUObserver
CWU Observer
@CWUObserver
Maggie the magnifying glass.
cwuobserver@gmail.com
Submit a letter to the editor or a guest column on our website!
cwuobserver.com cwuobserver.com
ppgwni.org 866-904-7721
Trusted Care. Powerful Impact. Choosing Planned Parenthood means more than getting care—it’s a stand for reproductive rights, health equity, and access for all. Book an appointment for birth control, STI testing, cancer screenings, and more.