Vol. 131 NO. 8
May 29, 2025
By the students, for the students Update on Harvard and The Future of Higher Ed PAGE 4
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“THANK “THANK
SWEECY Day
takeover
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Reneé Rapp enters a new era
ASCWU PRESIDENT MALIK CANTU REFLECTS ON TWO YEARS OF SERVICE Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief
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s the school year comes to a close, so does Malik Cantu’s second, and final, term as the student body president at CWU. Having won two back-to-back elections, Cantu has officially served the maximum amount of time an elected student can at CWU, and following this past election will soon be replaced by incoming ASCWU President Hondo Acosta-Vega (see page 3). Cantu will graduate with a bachelors in theatre performance, and hopes to land a job at The University of Washington in the months to come. “I would love to work for their admissions team,” Cantu said. “A lot of my work with orientation and with student government, it blends together in some ways. So I’m hopefully going to do that while I start building my network in the theater and film community, and then slowly rely on that.” Cantu’s eventual goal is to get their masters after a few years of outside work. Reflecting on the highlights of their time at CWU, Cantu said, “I met some really great people and made a lot of really good memories. A lot of the events and everything, while they’re challenging, it’s definitely a bonding experience, going through all of those challenges together.” “It was really cool to be in meetings with administrators and advocating, and you’re doing all those different things. But it was really when we were all together, trying to figure out things
just like one collective body and throwing all of our different perspectives and things around, that was definitely the highlight. [It] was working with everyone,” Cantu said. But a presidency is not without its challenges, and Cantu credited the recent Services and Activities Committee’s (S&A) decisions, and the development of the Multicultural Centers (MCC) as a couple of the largest. “The S&A [was] definitely a huge challenge. But there was also the MCC from last year, that conversation was a really challenging one, especially because at the beginning of my first term last year, the conversations were really promising as far as getting around and building and different things like that. And then once the university told us that we wouldn’t be able to pursue that as an option, I feel like that was where a lot of the other challenges started … It was navigating this decade-long conversation, thinking that we were so close to getting everything that we’ve been working for, and then having to compromise for it.” Now, with their final term coming to an end, Cantu took the time to thank everyone who has supported them on their journey as ASCWU president for the past two years. “To everyone who supported me, thank you so much. ln the really challenging times, the voice of the students is what looms over all of our heads, we just really hope that we’re doing everything we can to make
sure people are feeling like we’re doing our jobs and like we’re actually making a difference and doing good work,” Cantu said. “There were people out there supporting me, and having trust, even in times where I made mistakes or missteps, people still had my back. I’m just so incredibly grateful for that, because that’s one of the biggest things that got me through was knowing that there are people who see that we’re trying, and that I’m trying, and that I’m just doing my best.” As for the incoming ASCWU board, Cantu shared some words of wisdom about how they can manage the coming year(s). “Give yourselves grace,” Cantu said. “Moving forward, it’s probably still going to be really challenging. Every year is going to have its different challenges. So I just really hope that the incoming board and the senators, and just all members of student government, I really hope that they can lean on each other, give each other grace, approach everything with curiosity and the intent to understand, try to see all different sides of things. And stay strong on your word, but be open, and do your best to collaborate and work as a team. Because that’s the best way to go about this work is everyone using everyone’s perspectives in order to make a decision and to move forward.”
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Q&A With Incoming ASCWU President Hondo Acosta-Vega Kyley Glenn Lead Reporter Q: How was the inauguration? A: It was a blast. I mean, it’s very sentimental, you know, getting to officially do the inauguration and in a way, say goodbye to some [graduates] … It was just an amazing event, just to have so many people there supporting us. And we have so many new faces joining us in ASCWU next year, or at least in new roles and new places. It’s just nice to see that we’re coming to the end of the year, but it’s also very bittersweet, because it means we’ll be saying goodbye to a lot of our predecessors here soon. Q: Have you been able to celebrate at all? A: Not really, not yet. I’ve just been doing back-to-back stuff. I haven’t had much of a chance yet, but I’m hoping to do that this upcoming weekend, just to get out of Ellensburg for a little bit. Q: As the newly elected president for ASCWU, Is there any training you will have to do to prepare for the role? A: Yeah, so I’ll be doing transition training with [outgoing] President [Malik] Cantu here soon, hopefully, so I can figure out what’s gonna be different from my current role. So it’ll be a learning experience, for sure, very different from what I’m used to.
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May 29, 2025
BEYOND OUR COVERAGE LOCAL: “Intruder at CWU dormitory was armed with ‘big-ass knife,’ bottle of barbecue sauce” (via the Daily Record) “Fastest high schooler in Washington aims for college success” (via K5) “Ellensburg gives HopeSource $1.2M for new affordable housing project” (via the Daily Record)
NATIONAL: “FBI deputy director Dan Bongino says Biden-era investigations being reexamined” (via CBS) “A small Montana town grapples with the fallouts from federal worker cuts” (via NPR) “Memorial Day storms cause travel delays as millions prepare to head home” (via NBC News)
INTERNATIONAL: “Kremlin calls Trump ‘emotional’ after US president says Putin is ‘crazy’” (via BBC News) “Emmanuel Macron says video of wife pushing him shows them ‘joking around” (via the Guardian) “Deadly strikes hit Gaza as new aid group says it has begun distributing food” (via Washington Post)
LETTER from the EDITORS Salutations everyone, Brandon: Insert Hamilton quote here. This week I wrote a good bit, but had a lot of fun doing so. This is definitely one of our “calmer” issues of the quarter but it was honestly very refreshing to work on and edit. I’m very excited to see how Issue 9 turns out and I am apprehensively preparing for returning in the Fall as Co-Editor-In-Chief for what will be my third quarter in the role. I’ll touch on it more in next week’s letter from the editor, but this has been a quarter I will never forget, and I am super proud with how everything has gone on The Observer’s end of the deal. Jackson: I had a lot of fun this week as I stole my dads Nikon from home and took some fun photos at SWEECY Day. Such a great event that I am happy to see CWU put on following all the hard hitting news this quarter. It is crazy to think that the next issue is our last of the quarter… This quarter breezed by yet I will cherish the memories we have made these past few months with our amazing team. Issue 8 Recap ASCWU took the bulk of the news coverage in this week’s issue, as current President Cantu bids farewell to two years of service, and Acosta-Vega steps into the
very position Cantu is leaving. On top of that, we have another Harvard update story, as part of our continued coverage of this massive legal battle that will very likely determine the future of higher education. We’ve got a scene heavy issue for you guys this week. SWEECY Day coverage finds itself on center spread along with an interview with the headliners from the event Los Shadows. We also see a Q&A with Jesse Shortbull, a filmmaker from the Oglala Lakota Tribe. It doesn’t stop there, we also see coverage on a mock trial hosted by the award winning Mock Trial Club. Finally a Speculative Fiction workshop took place over zoom with award winning writer and editor Tara Campbell of the Barrelhouse. While we don’t see a sports story in this week’s issue, we do see one make its way online. CWU Track and Field had a few athletes move onto nationals taking place in Pueblo, Colo. Design and scene go hand in hand, and this week’s issue lives to prove that. With fun designs spread throughout the issue and a stunning center spread highlighting student pride at SWEECY Day we are jam packed with color and imagery from front to back. We are super proud of all of the designers this week, and we are excited to see what they bring to this upcoming final issue!
Two mysterious strangers who wandered into our office... (Photo by Z Morris)
Corrections:
Max Henyan’s name was misspelled in the March for your Rights story Multiple dates were not copied over in the Board of Trustees story, they have been updated online
STAFF Co-Editors-In-Chief
Lead Reporter/Sports Editor
Faculty Advisor / Editorial Consultant
Lead Reporter
Brandon Mattesich Jackson Roberts Jennifer Green
Parker Wood
Kyley Glenn
Staff Reporters
Ethan Kennedy Faith Henry Gonzalez Hudson Moore Devanee Lopez Mark Sterling Elijah Giampietro
Lead Graphic Designer Z Morris
Design Staff
Xaviar Jones Robin MacArthur Emma Muhlbauer Julia Snow Lizeth Valdes
Advertising Team Noah Hong Genevie Chhum
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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May 29, 2025
Q&A With Incoming ASCWU President
HONDO ACOSTA-VEGA CONTINUED FROM FRONT Q: Do you have to do meetings in the summer regarding anything happening at school? A: I mean, the board of directors can meet if they choose to, we still have to call a public meeting because it’s technically in quorum. Last year, some of us met on Zoom, so we recorded meetings from there. When we had to really meet during the summer, some of us came to the office. So it just depends. I know this year, a lot of us are staying in Ellensburg this year,
so we’ll be meeting with each other, meeting with our new advisor, meeting with our counterparts, just to figure out where the transition will be moving forward. But summer is gonna be really crucial for us. Also making sure our job postings go up, making sure we have new expectations in the office. Just figure out what kind of atmosphere we want to create, but finding ways that we can get student government back on the ground with our students. Q: How do you intend to make student government more boots on the ground? A: I would like to build a stronger connection with The Observer and Pulse and see if there’s a way that we can regularly update the student body and let them know, since Observer and PULSE have a history of being far more connected with the student body than we are. So I feel like us especially as we’ve been working really strongly together this year amidst all the budget cuts, really kind of coming together and finding ways to be more transparent. This is what this current
conversation looks like. These are when our meetings are and then really just trying to be more active on social media. Really just trying to find new ways to be more visible for students, to hear from the President more often, and just from ASCWU as a whole. That is actually one of the things I want to work on, and that’s not even just being more transparent in the decisions we make. It’s just being more transparent about the things that are coming out of our office. Including our committees. This includes our meetings, what decisions we’re making, what events we have coming out. That is really where a lot of our collaboration with our campus partners is going to come into play especially. So one thing I would like to do is work with our VP to advertise more of our committees. I’ve had a few people come up to me now and be like, ‘Hey, how do I join S&A for next year?’ So really trying to find ways we can be more transparent. And then trying to continue what we started this year with the Senate. We started doing University 101 class visits, and that seemed to work really well. So keeping that as well. This year, when I took office as Senate speaker, I reached out to counterparts and deans and that seemed to kind of work a little bit. So really, dipping our toes in the water. But I think the other half of that too is we’re gonna be working a lot more closely with clubs next year as well, so making sure we’re communicating with clubs actively as we can. It’s gonna take a lot of planning during the summer to find out what worked in the past and what didn’t. I’ve read the archives. And so I’m hoping to rebuild that relationship [with Pulse and The Observer], because we just need to come together and really just make sure the student body knows. This also includes working with RHA [Residence Hall Association] this year, and that’s one of my other goals, is to rebuild our connection with the RHA as well, because they work directly with students in the first years, and that really helps as well.
um request into a one year request. I know that was something that we, even I, did not see coming, which I, in a way, I do appreciate, because it gives us a chance to be re-allocated. One thing is just trying to make sure that students fill the S&A Committee for one, and then make sure, you know, everyone is educated on the things that come out of S&A as well. We come out of S&A, so make sure that that committee is well known. And just trying to find ways to work with our campus partners. I know a few of our campus partners already have been open to helping us find alternative funding on campus for programs. A lot of us who are part of this year’s conversation will be in the conversation next year, really holding the university accountable to really help us find ways to fund these programs, because they’re vital to our campus, especially those in the arts. I saw “Once Upon a Mattress” right after the whole S&A [funding situation], and all I could think about was, this is why we need theater on our campus. It’s the same thing with PULSE and Observer, we need those student voices on our campus. Now more than ever, especially [with] everything happening at the federal level so it’s really going to be trying to find ways to, again, not making promises, but doing everything we can to find what we need to to keep these programs alive. And if that means we have to, we can, say, fill S&A next year and hope for the best for them. It’s just gonna be a lot of different conversations to see what avenues and options we have. But the budget primarily falls under S&A … It’s really just gonna be just trying to keep everyone updated on what’s going on. I think that’s where we can really try to be more honest and transparent with The Observer and PULSE so they can share with the student body, in addition to us sharing it to make sure everyone knows what’s going on. Q&A edited for length and clarity, see full Q&A online
Q: Do you have any plans for how you’re going to handle budget cuts? A: I’m obviously not going to give false information. I don’t want to do that. I know the Board of Trustees’ decision was to turn the quadrenni-
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May 29, 2025
U P DAT E
Harvard Is Fighting Hard, But Higher Education Is Still Changing, and It’s Changing Rapidly Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief
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ollowing their initial callout, and lawsuit, of the Trump administration’s illegal demands, Harvard University has been subject to extensive retaliation from the Trump administration, but they are not backing down. This legal battle is happening during a time where CWU has just officially changed its mission, vision and values statement to remove DEI wording, in response to demands made by the Trump administration. In the most recent development for Harvard, Trump moved to block Harvard from enrolling international students, but was blocked by a federal judge. Harvard, in a statement, claimed that they were being punished for not following “the government’s demands to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum, and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students.” The Harvard Crimson, a student publication at the University, published an article with the title “Come at me, bro,” in which one writer expressed their support as a student of the university for Harvard’s refusal to comply with the administration’s demands. In the satirical commentary/opinion piece Yona T. Sperling-Milner wrote, “In my Jewish name, you and your entourage have destroyed research on cancer and heart disease, threatened to essentially deport my friends, and tried to increase Harvard’s tax burden fifteen fold.
Stop it. Put that down. Let’s settle this like biological women: knock-down, TKO, cage match.” Satire aside, Harvard students have expressed explicit support since the beginning of this now long standing battle between Harvard and the Trump administration, hosting protests and giving interviews speaking out against Trump’s mandates on the campus. All of the turmoil at Harvard serves as a backdrop for the larger political discourse around higher education, which is currently taking place at the highest levels of the U.S. government. In an article published by Yahoo News entitled “Trump’s Attack On Harvard’s Foreign Students Will Haunt U.S. Higher Education For Years,” one writer states this about the impact this turmoil will have on higher education for the foreseeable future: “The recent attempt by Donald Trump to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students is far more than an isolated political stunt or an administrative overreach. It’s a siren call to the global academic and business community: America’s welcome mat may no longer be out.” Across the nation, international college students are finding their visas revoked. This far reaching wave of anti-immigration policy has even affected students at CWU, with two international students having had their own visas revoked. Eventually however, both students were able to get their visas reinstated, according to a release by CWU President Jim Wohlpart. One thing is for certain, higher education is changing, and it’s changing rapidly all across the US. Some, including those in power, are calling it “reform.” Others are calling it something else entirely, “destruction.”
Photo Edit by Lizeth Valdes.
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May 29, 2025
T O N T Y ! CWU’s Mock Trial Club L I Hosts Spring Trial GU Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief
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WU’s Mock Trial Club is an award winning competitive team of aspiring legal professionals, and this past Friday they hosted their annual “Spring Trial.” The trial follows the structure of a real court case, with a defense and a prosecution taking turns arguing their cases, cross examining witnesses and eventually facing the verdict of a jury of their peers. All aspects of the trial were student run except for the judge, who was an actual judge that volunteered to take on the yearly trial. This year’s case revolved around the murder of Avery Bancroft. In this fictional case, Bancroft died on a train in Australia, suffering cardiac arrest after consuming an excess of potassium from banana extract. Essentially, he was poisoned. The goal of the case was to determine if one Taylor Hopson would be found liable for the murder. And after hours of trial and a short period of deliberation, the answer would be provided by the jury: Not liable. Dana Culley, a sophomore double majoring in law & justice and psychology, will take over as president of the Mock Trial Club come the 20252026 school year. Culley explained the extensive prep that goes into one of these trials. “For our Spring Trial, we start prepping a little over a month in advance,” Culley said. “When it comes down to roles, there’s options of being an attorney, witness, or no preference.” “Once members have submitted their options, the coaches work together to compile a roster of which members would be on what team in what role. From there, teams work together to create a theme and theory for their case, witness calls and start to prep materials. We write all of our materials based on the list of affidavits (personal statements) and exhibits we receive from the American Mock Trial Association,” Culley said. “We’re not just teammates, but great friends as well.” Natalie Arthur, a freshman business marketing student, served on this year’s jury, and described their experience at the Spring Trial. “I’ve actually never done anything like it before,” Arthur said. “But I had attended one of the meetings about the mock trial. It was very fun, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I thought it was a great opportunity to get to know what it’s like in the real world if you ever got called for jury duty, just understanding the law.” Arthur also explained how she was able to learn about legal terminology and processes during the trial that she didn’t know before. “I picked up many of the terms that the lawyers and judge were using throughout the entire thing,” Arthur said. “Also during the deliberation at the end just hearing people who are actually part of the Mock Trial Club talking about the trial … just hearing the terminology helped me understand more about the law and what was going on.” Culley also participated in this trial, and it was their first time filling the attorney role. “Throughout the trial, we were silently cheering each other on and saying how proud we are and grateful to be on a team with each other through fist bumps or passing notes,” Culley said. Hayden Hobbick, a sophomore economics and mathematics student, attended the trial as a spectator, and described how the event made him feel. “[It was] enthralling,” Hobbick said. “As someone who has observed the Mock Trial team’s work throughout the past seasons, it’s amazing to see how much the members have evolved.” Hobbick also added that his biggest takeaway from the event was that “Taylor Hopson did not murder Avery Bancroft. Also, how intense cross examinations can be.” The Mock Trial club is always looking for new members, and according to Culley, they wouldn’t trade the experience the club has given them for the world. “The Mock Trial Club truly has some of the smartest, passionate and most hardworking people I’ve ever had the pleasure to not only work with but be a friend to,” Culley said. “You do not have to be a Law & Justice major to be a part of this club. This is a space to grow your public speaking, critical thinking and overall confidence in yourself and your work. We’re all here to support you unconditionally, anyone and everyone is welcome to join the Mock Trial Club.”
A courtroom sketch. (Photo courtesy of Brandon Mattesich)
Two jurors discuss the case. (Photo courtesy of Brandon Mattesich)
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Cross examination of the cases first witness. (Photo courtesy of Brandon Mattesich)
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Page 06
Free food, free m
SWEECY D
Jackson Roberts Co-Editor-In-Chief
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WU celebrated its students on May 22 for SWEECY Day. An array of lively students flooded the southside of campus for a plethora of food, games, friends and live music. “This is one of my favorite events as a whole,” 20252026 ASCWU President Hondo Acosta-Vega said. The activities started early in the day with a pair of on-campus service projects at the Butterfly Garden and the Wildcat Farm from 10 a.m. to noon. Following an hour intermission, it was time to move to the front of the SURC, where there was a dunk tank with ASCWU members inside, a tie dye station, yard games and other activities for the students to take part in from 1-3 p.m. Finally, it was time for the big event. Starting at 5 p.m., Star Anna made her way to the stage to perform for just short of an hour until the headliners Los Shadows began their performance. The food festival was punctuated by the sounds of live music and students laughing. The food festival gave students a break from a repetitive diet of campus consumption. Among the large variety of options were nachos, barbecue ribs, cheesecake, ice cream and sno cones. “We’ve been planning this since the late summer and all throughout the academic year with all of our campus partners. 88.1 brought the concert to life, dining brought the food and campus activities have been really helpful with ASCWU. We decided to do a collaboration of SWEECY Day from us along with student appreciation. We have an amazing event going on right now and it’s amazing to see all of us go through all the stress and tears from planning to now see it all coming to fruition beautifully.” Acosta-Vega spoke about how this allows himself and other students to briefly sit back and forget about some of the difficult news that has Students about to tie dye.
Students tie dye their new SWEECY merch.
arisen this quarter. “I think everyone can attest that it’s been a really rough quarter for everybody with everything going on and all the different changes happening. Being able to take off my student government hat and just enjoy this event as a student is something I’m looking forward to.” Sophomore Abel Roduarte was very active at the dunk tank making sure to dunk Acosta-Vega, current ASCWU President Malik Cantu and current ASCWU Executive Vice President Nick Villa. “The dunk tank was so fun. I was able to get all the people I wanted to get for the most part and it was very cool seeing everyone come together and have a nice day,” Roduarte said. “The tie dye was super fun too. The staff were really helpful as well and this all just shows student appreciation.” SWEECY Day took many heads to put together. However, Acosta-Vega gave a special thanks to the person who he saw revive the full day event a few years ago. “SWEECY Day started with my predecessor Charles Johnson two years ago when he was senate speaker. He brought it back from the archives and so we kept it going. It’s really thanks to him that we brought this event back,” Acosta-Vega said. According to a 2016 article from The Observer, SWEECY Day was a tradition that emerged after World War II. “I just appreciate all of our campus partners for coming together. We had our butterfly garden service project and Wildcat farm service project in the morning, we had so much fun in the afternoon and now we have this great way to wrap up the day,” Acosta-Vega said. Grad students Danielle Hegarty and Natalie Hamill have seen this event happen at CWU in the past and noticed all the different food options at their disposal. “I feel like there’s a variety of different foods that they are offering compared to the past,” Hamill said.
“I second that because of course they have their standard burgers but they did bring back the chili chicken nachos which are fire. But I also have friends who are vegetarian and I even have food allergies myself, so it’s nice to see the variety of options. I really appreciate that,” Hegarty added. On a day where there was free food, free drinks, free music and other free items, sophomore Dylan Asio made sure to not miss his chance at something free. “Dude, it’s been so sick. I came here mainly for the [Monster Energy], I love free things, I’m obviously not going to say no to it,” Asio said. “I love the music too, it is super good and it really looks like everyone is having a good time.” Jayden Hades, a freshman helping out with crowd management had a message for those who chose to stay in during SWEECY Day. “This is the most important event of the quarter … If you’re in your dorm, get the fuck out!” “We have amazing vocalists and bands here for the concert, the food is always great. I just want to make sure that the students know we appreciate them. We even have a whole seating area which is really awesome. We have lawn games, amazing food and amazing people. It’s such a good way to wrap up the year as we go into the final two to three weeks,” Acosta-Vega said. Additional reporting contributed by Elijah Giampietro.
“This is the most important
event of the quarter... if you’re in your dorm,
get the fuck out!”
Campus dogs stun at SWEECY day.
Hundreds of students wait in line for food and prizes.
Page 07
music and free fun:
DAY 2025 With photos by Jackson Roberts
Los Shadows kicks off tour at CWU
A fresh strawberry shortcake being served.
Jackson Roberts Co-Editor-In-Chief
BBQ ribs about to be served. Campus workers man the free shaved ice machine.
Andy Saldana performing at SWEECY Day in front of Samuelson Hall.
Malik Cantu (above) and Hondo Acosta-Vega (below) after their turns in the dunk tank.
Pepe Gonzalez performing during SWEECY Day.
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ndie rock band Los Shadows from San Diego, Calif. paid a visit to CWU last Thursday to headline the SWEECY Day concert. The band consists of Andy Saldana, Pepe Gonzalez, Xavier Prieto and Mark Bullard. Their visit to CWU was a part of their “The Kontra Tour” which includes a stretch of Washington concerts. They started with performing at CWU, followed it up with a performance at Bearded Monkey Music and wrapped up their tour with a performance at the Funhouse in Seattle. Gonzalez talked about his first time in Washington and how beautiful the Pacific Northwest is. “It’s so cool, I dig it here, I am contemplating moving here. I say that about everywhere we go though.” The band used to be a part of a label until they eventually moved on to becoming independent. Los Shadows said that change has brought some benefits and some drawbacks. “I think the number one benefit is travel. I grew up knowing that music wasn’t going to pay the bills, like I never thought I’d be rich and famous off of music, but I always told myself it would be nice if I could go to places I never thought I would. So far we have done two national tours and have gone as far as Connecticut, New York and I even got sick in Arkansas last year,” Prieto said. “It is much harder for bands on the west coast because it’s so sparse. In order for us to drive up here it is 22 hours and then the same on the way back. So in order for us to drive here it is about a two week tour because that’s a lot of driving. In order to make up all that money, you’ve got to play shows along the way and sell merch along the way,” Prieto said. “For us to get two weeks off of work, we can maybe afford that like once a year … We eventually were just like, ‘what if we just book a flight and figure out how to go for a weekend?’ So we figured it out and now we’re here.” Gonzalez touched on the difficulty of balancing the band and his own life. “The hardest part sometimes is setting these goals and reaching them, but you know in personal life certain things happen and you’ve got to be with your family but you also have your professional obligations and ultimately you’ve got to revert back to this which is hard but it’s fun.” Los Shadows’ Washington debut was supposed to come much earlier than at SWEECY Day but due to the Covid pandemic, weather and other budgetary reasons, they had to cut their losses. “We’ve been trying to get back up here to the Pacific Northwest for like two or three years now … The furthest we have got to is Portland which was cool because we had not done that yet but we felt like we owed it to Seattle and Washington just because we missed out on coming here a couple times.”
Page 08
May 29, 2025
Jesse Short Bull Talks Indigenous American History, Leonard Peltier And The Toll Telling a Story Can Take
A Still From “Free Leonard Peltier.” (Photo courtesy of SIFF)
Brandon Mattesich Co-Editor-In-Chief
Jesse Short Bull is a filmmaker from the Oglala Lakota Tribe in the state of South Dakota, who is currently touring his second feature film, “Free Leonard Peltier.” The film is showing at this year’s Seattle International FIlm Festival (SIFF), which The Observer was granted access to cover. The following is a Q&A with Short Bull, which was conducted over Zoom.
Q: Taking it back to childhood, is there a key moment that you think, this is where my passion for filmmaking began? Or was it something that developed over time? A: The big influence in my life has always been my grandparents, on both my mother’s side, who’s non native, and my father, who’s from Oglala and Sicangu Lakota tribes in South Dakota. And it was through my grandparents that my grandfather, on my mom’s side, had history books. And when I would go to his house, I would just become enthralled, he had a lot of American Indian history books, and that’s where I started to develop a curiosity for events of the past. And then my great grandmother, Katie Rubidoux Blue Thunder, she was an oral Lakota storyteller. And what I appreciated about it was the art of storytelling as a form of a learning device or medicine in a way that it was a gift and it had a very spiritual potency for trying to understand the world around you. And there was no money, it was just something that you gifted to people. [So] between those two, history and the art of storytelling through my grandmother, that’s where I got the desire and curiosity for stories, and saw that [Indigenous history] talked about … especially to the Great Plains, was how the West was lost when I was a kid. That’s what helped my understanding, my first introduction into American Indian history through film. Q: After the success of “Lakota Nation vs United States” was Leonard’s story always one that you wanted to tell? A: Growing up in South Dakota and growing up near the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, that’s where I first heard about it. I just
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Jesse Short Bull. (Photo courtesy of First Peoples Fund)
remember the people that I was around saying he’s innocent, he needs to be free. However, I would have never, even two years ago, never in a million years thought that my path would cross with Leonard’s story. Not that I wouldn’t have been interested in it. There’s so many things in life, and there’s so many challenges and I guess the way that I look at it, I’ve always been one for following my intuition and my Co-Director, his name is David France, knew a lot of the Leonard story through the news. Our paths crossed, and it was just right at the tail end of my work with Lakota Nation, and once I met David and consulted a lot of the producers on the film, almost all the producers, the native producers, I’ve had a relationship prior to working on Leonard’s film. So it was through their encouragement. Then I had to wait to see if this was where I was supposed to be. And it dawned on me quite early that I was on the right path. Once I felt that confidence, we went full steam ahead. Q: How do you balance telling stories with engaging in them? Where do you find the balance of just telling the story as an outsider, but also as someone who’s invested or engaged with it? A: It’s a little difficult, and it does take a toll. Part of the reason that Leonard came to South Dakota and came to Pine Ridge was because there was a lot of violence going on. The span of a few short years is infamously known as the reign of terror on Pine Ridge. And when I was younger, a lot of the aftermath of those events, I would come across through people that I would meet, or were affected by them, on both sides of the fence. There’s clearly two opposing forces that were at play in Pine Ridge at the time, and I grew up around people on
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both sides. The haunting part is, even in my close circle I have friends and family who lost loved ones in ways that were never justice was never achieved, and so it’s hard to find closure. And a lot of times, it seemed like there wasn’t a lot of healing. Don’t get me wrong, some people have really found ways to overcome that time, but there’s a lot of this history that is still very active. Those agents that are ingredients that culminated in that time of violence are still very active today, whether or not you know it, they’ve evolved. I think it’s paramount, and part of the reason that the timing of this seemed to be now for some odd reason, that we can revisit and talk about these things, whereas before, it was a taboo subject in some circles. So then in managing that, it’s a little hard … It’s hard to be exposed to, even if it’s a story of violence from a long time ago, and even if you think you can immerse yourself in that trauma, you just have to be careful with it. And that’s something that I learned, and that’s part of the tricky part of growing up here and knowing a lot of the people that were affected by these events. Follow our social media platforms for the full Q&A and story to come. Q&A edited for length and clarity.
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Page 09
May 29, 2025
Speculative Fiction Workshop
Robots and The Future Faith Henry Gonzalez Staff Reporter
A
ward winning writer and editor at the Barrelhouse Tara Campbell held a speculative fiction workshop hosted on zoom on May 20. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from American University, MFA in creative writing. She has published a novel, two hybrid collections of poetry and prose, and two short story collections. Her most recent and sixth book, “City of Dancing Gargoyles,” was published in Fall of 2024. Speculative fiction is an umbrella term for a genre of fiction where the past, present and future have alternative routes and worlds. It speculates on what would happen if things were changed. It can also include many genres such as fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk and supernatural elements. For the first part of the workshop, Campbell discussed many authors such as the very first sci-fi novel, which is “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley. She discussed that many speculative fiction works are often associated with political changes and views at the time, especially when discussions started around famous author W.E.B. Dubois, an African American socialist and civil rights activist. Campell discussed his sci-fi short story known as, “The Comet,” which was released in 1920. Campbell also talked about the fantasy genre, which includes many famous books such as “Lord of the Rings”, “Game of Thrones,” and “Harry Potter.” At the end of the workshop, the attendees worked on an activity, writing what they could think of different “What if” scenarios. Many other participants shared their ideas such as, what if earth’s seasons were gone, which would leave nothing but the hot temperatures and weather. As the activity went on, another exercise
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was to come up with the pros and cons of the previous idea, and to come up with a solution for the cons. After the activity, the final discussion was about the exposure to soft robots. Which is about robots being made with soft and natural materials, such as fabric and rubber and the comparisons to rigid/normal robots and soft robots. The group found out that soft robots are a lot cheaper and are more flexible than rigid robots. Rigid robots are also more limited in their movements. After reading and learning about soft robots, everyone discussed the pros and cons, such as for the pros, that people seem to be more comfortable with soft robots, they’re more flexible than regular robots, and are cheaper. Discussions came up about soft robots being implemented into the healthcare/service care/ workers industry. But, everyone also talked about the cons, such as reducing human interaction and touch. And it might take a while for workers to get used to working with any type of robot.
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Page 10
SOUND BITE BEEF
JOEY BADA$$ VS
Brandon Mattesich Columnist
J
THE WORLD Photos courtesy of: Joey Bada$$’s Instagram
oey Bada$$ is a name that has graced the columns of Sound Bite a number of times before, and someone who I am always tuned in to whenever he makes new music. But recently, he decided to take on pretty much every West Coast rapper out there in what has to be one of the most interesting and large-scale rap beefs that I’ve had the pleasure of following. On January 1 Joey Bada$$ released his single “The Ruler’s Back,” in which he performed the bars that served as the catalyst for this entire beef. In the song he not only claimed that he is the best rapper to do it, but that there has been too much “West Coast dick lickin’,” a bar which many assumed to be in reference to Kendrick Lamar and his recent success following his own beef with Drake. Suffice to say, the West Coast went wild with this bar and rappers from all across the state responded. Notable respondents include Jason Martin, Daylyt, Ray Vaughn, AZ Chike, Reason and now YG and Shoreline Mafia. Personally, my focus right now is between Joey and Ray Vaughn, as they are both producing what I believe to be the strongest and most entertaining songs of this whole beef. To speak to them specifically, Joey recently was part of a RedBull freestyle in which he took shots at Ray, and within less than 24 hours Ray responded with what is arguably the best song of the whole beef. “Hoe Era” is directly focused on Joey Badass and it is brutal, tearing him apart piece by piece with some of the funniest and most lyrically dense bars I’ve heard from Ray throughout his entire career. A personal
favorite of mine from this song, “Conductor got you soundin’ like you in a jazz band, Why you goin’ after Dot? He think he Pac-Man.” Following the release of “Hoe Era,” Joey responded back to back with his own song “The Finals” which also features intense lyrical bars layered in metaphor and satire in a way that I can really appreciate, even though I’m a west coast ride or die. A key factor of this entire beef is that, so far, the main players have kept it entirely rap, which is something I really appreciate. A lyrical battle is fun to listen to, it keeps the game alive and it keeps the music fresh. Rap beefs have been around as long as rap has, and I’m loving this current era battle rap. Now the underlying question here is basically this, is this whole beef symbolic of a larger beef between the East and the West Coast, as Tupac and Biggie’s beef was all those years ago, or is this simply Joey claiming to be the greatest of all time and taking on anyone who stands in his way? To be honest, I don’t have an answer to that question, and I think it will drastically change depending on who you ask. Joey himself has said that it’s not about East v.s. West, but I think many of the West coast rappers would disagree. Regardless, this beef has been super fun t o follow and I highly suggest you check out some of the key songs that h a v e been released so far.
Photo courtesy of SIFF
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Page 11
RENEE RAPP RENEE RAPP RENEE RAPP
enters her new era with the release of
“ LEAVE ME ALONE” Kyley Glenn Columnist
F
ollowing the success of “Not my Fault” (featuring Megan Thee Stallion), Renee Rapp has officially started her new era of music. Her new single, “Leave me Alone” was released last week and has started to become a favorite of many fans. Rapp included many risky lines such as, “Line my lips just to match my nipples,” which has trended on the app TikTok. She then went on to say, “Sign a hunnid NDAs but I still say something.” This is speculated to be in reference to her habit of lacking in PR training. During the press tour for Mean Girls: The Musical, she tended to be unfiltered and leave many co-stars nervous that they would get in trouble for the things being said. Following that line, Rapp sings, “I took my sex life with me now the show ain’t fucking.” This is in reference to the singer leaving season three of The Sex
Lives of College Girls. Many fans have gone on to say the show hasn’t been nearly as good without Rapp. Unfortunately, the role was difficult for her as the character, Leighton Murray, was a college girl coming to terms with being lesbian and what that means for her. The singer was facing these personal topics in her real life with the acceptance of not identifying as bi and actually being lesbian. These lines as well as the overall vibe are very different from what Rapp is known for. Her debut album, “Snow Angel”, consists of sticking with her roots of belting. She had been on Broadway as Regina George in “Mean Girls: the Musical.” In high school she had actually won the Jimmy Award for “Best Performance by an Actress” as well as a May Blumey award. Her new album, Bite Me, is set to release August 1.
Photos courtesy of Renee Rapp’s Instagram
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Page 12
May 29, 2025
WILDCAT WORDS What did you do to celebrate Memorial Day?
Bay Gregory Soph. Aviation
“No tradition, I drove around looked at flags and thanked veterans”
Sky Smith
Malia Tewey
Fr. English
Fr. Paramedicine
“BBQ with my family”
“Spending time with family, went to the aquarium and grilled for the first time”
Allison Smith
Austin Hardebeck
Soph. Psychology
Soph. Film
“Camping”
“Took time to walk around and value those who gave their lives”
WEEKLY EVENTS 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band Concert | McIntyre Music Building
29 THURS
Divined by Z Morris Aries (March 21 - April 19): I get the sense that your goals are not being supported. This reminds me of a time my dreams weren’t supported. I once dreamed of letting 52 squawking geese loose in the SURC, but I was told it was a “safety hazard”. Chumps. Tip of the day: follow your heart. Taurus (April 20 - May 20): People will see your great aura this week. That’s right, you’re purely radiant. People notice when you’re around, and make the most peculiar faces. This is because of your aura, and not the lack of showers I foresee this week. Tip of the day: water washes off the aura. Gemini (May 21 - June 20): I bet you’re feeling a little irritable right now. There’s something off but you don’t know what’s off. If only you could see what’s off around you, and perhaps find a way for it to be on… then you could see what’s off. Tip of the day: turn on the light. Cancer (June 21 - July 22): You’re going to feel the heat this week. You’ll start to lash out if you don’t get a sweet treat every day this week. THERE’S ICE CREAM CALLING YOUR NAME ACROSS THE STREET! If you don’t get a sweet treat you’ll go wild. Tip of the day: don’t count me out. Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22): Take credit for something you didn’t do this week for fun. Like… this horoscope for example! Congratulations to all Leo’s that divided the horoscope this week. It definitely took some jobs off my plate. Tip of the day: Relish in your victories. Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sep. 22): Learn how to compromise Virgo. It’s important to consider other people’s needs. For instance, next time you want food from CWU dining, you have to pay money. Yes I know that going over the counter has world but, its not sustainable. Tip of the day: be flexible. Libra (Sep. 23 - Oct. 22): You want to be the center of attention so badly that you are forgetting who’s attention you’re really after. Sure you can put your best foot forward, but I know where you want to shine the best. Go get it kid! Tip of the day: Cause chaos, see Jim Wolphart. Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21): OO SCORPIO! That outfit you have on is so good! Your body is tea, you are glowing and looking so good. Please, give the people a twirl. Strut the runway, werk your stuff. Tip of the day: Make sure you tell every other sign that you look better than them. Z Said so. Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21): You are so supportive but you’re not getting that reciprocation. I think it’s about time that you put yourself first. You’re putting all this time and effort into doing your homework, now your teacher has to grade them! Tip of the day: No grading = no homework.
2 p.m. to 5 p.m. - CPR & First Aid Class | Check Online 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. - One Book One County: Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest | Wildcat Farms 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. - Sunset SUP | Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park 11 a.m. - Wild Wild Pride (Parade)
4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. - Carmina Burana | McIntyre Music Building
30 FRI
31 SAT
1
SUN
2
5:30 p.m. - Intro to Screen Printing Workshop | The Ink
MON
3
National Egg Day
TUES 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. - Ladies’ Lifting Hour | Rec Center Weight Room Pride Week Drag Show, 5 p.m. - Amateur Drag Show 8 p.m.- Professional Drag show
4
WED
Events compiled by Brandon Mattesich. Graphic courtesy of Adobe Stock.
Capricorn (Dec. 22 - Jan.19): Be proud this week Capricorn. It’s a special week because you were voted the most congenital sign this week. Here at the Observer, we all voted on who was serving up kindness and smiles, and it was you cutie! Tip of the day: now’s a great time for a revenge arc. Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb.18): You may be called upon to host an event at your house soon. Best thing to do is plan. It would make your guests feel at home if all the furniture was nailed to the ceiling, and your cooking appliances were all rotated to face towards the walls. It’s all the rage. Tip of the day: Watch HGTV. Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20): Stay humble this week Pisces, even if the public can’t get enough of you! The fans don’t understand how hard it is to be the best person ever, and neither do the police. So while everyone is going to be at your door, stay humble. Tip of the day: stay off the news too.
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