The Observer, Summer 2023- Orientation Issue

Page 4-5 A day in the life of President Wohlpart

Page 6-Meet your new ASCWU President

Page 7-Wildcat Pantry’s new student fee proposal

Page 8-9-Homecoming

Page 11-New buildings at CWU

Page 12-13-The women of CWU

Campus Cruise A Stroll About Town

Page 15-The Observer staff’s favorite spots

Page 16-Winterhop Brewfest

Page 16-Buskers in the ‘Burg

Page 17-What it’s like to be vegan in Ellensburg

Page 18-19- Remembering Shady Acres

Call to Action: Presence and Protests

Page 20-21-Title Wave: TItle IX and Cats Against Assault

Page 22-The Art of Protest

Page 22-Ukraine Panel

Page 23-Gun Violence

Page 23-Are students becoming desensitized to police brutality?

Page 25-CWU Votes

Page 25-Ellensburg Housing Shortage

Diversity: Culture and Community

Page 27-Black Music History

Page 28-Hispanic Heritage Month and Hispanic

Leadership Conference

Page 29-Accessibility on campus

Page 30-Breaking the Stigma

Page 31-Meet your Maintenance Worker

Letters from the Editors

Avast CWU, Morgana here! It’s been nothing short of an honor to have the privilege to put together this orientation issue for you all. My vision when writing this was to have it be a harmony of resources and stories that could benefit new students, while also putting together a portfolio of some of our best pieces from this past year as a publication. I hope you can agree that our best was put on display here, I’d love to hear from you what you think our best article this year was.

Connect with us on CWUObserver.com or email us some input if you have a response to our newspaper, CWUObserver@gmail.com. If you want to join our class as a journalist, copy editor, graphic designer, photographer, online manager or anything of the sort, please don’t hesitate to join us by reaching out to our email and registering for COM444 this fall.

Hope you’re staying cool this summer CWU,

I hope that no matter the season, your compass is pointed to the horizon.

Hoping for calm waters again,

Morgana Carroll Orientation

Editor

It’s been a riot to work with Morgana, Brandon, Jen and Gretchen on the orientation issue this spring, a compilation of our greatest hits throughout the year featuring the stories that showcase the best of our students as well as our student journalism. Morgana chose to name this issue The Stories that Shape Us, to center writing that showcases Ellensburg and shine a light on social justice movements in our community. The arts are such an important part of CWU, some of our most thriving departments, and we are grateful to feature music, dance and art gallery coverage in The Kiln section on pg. 42-43, as well as an arts zine section on pg. 44-45 with poetry and photography contributed by our editorial staff and a guest columnist. We hope you’ll find something you relate to in this issue, that you’ll share it with those around you or cut it up to create a vision board!

Take care of yourselves and stay hydrated,

Katherine Camarata Assistant Orientation Editor

Brittany Cinderella

Yohanes Goodell

Isaac Hinson

Jacqueline Hixxsen

Charis Jones

Mykah Koke-Filimaua

Kai Kyzar

Zileni Milupi

Hunter Rhea

Megan Rogers

Beau Sansom

Quincy Taylor

Andrew Ulstad

Jordyn Rossmeisl

Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Photo by Morgana Carroll

Page 32-Gender experience spread

Page 33-A ranking of the taco trucks in town

Page 34-Satire Spread: Bert and Ernie return to their alma mater and President Wohlpart’s new home

Opinions Sports: Go Cats!

Page 35-What sports are available on campus

Page 35-Meet Patrick Rogers, All Star Defensive Back

Page 36-Coach profiles

Page 37-CWU Athletes make Hall of Fame

Page 38:Meet The Roberts

Page 39-Local Talent

Page 39-Burgstock

Page 40:Orchesis

Music and Melody The Kiln

Page 42-SOIL, Seattle Art Collective

Page 43- Nuwave Gallery

Page 44-45-The first ever official Observer Art Zine

Page 46-Legacy Artists in Ellensburg

How do we publish The Observer, anyway?

Katherine Camarata Lead Editor

Step 2: Edit drafts.

After stories are assigned, buckle up because it's time for some brutal honesty. The Associated Press Style guidebook is our holy grail, and the Google suite is our wine. Copy and section editors leave comments on story drafts in Google Docs, letting reporters know what information they are missing and make format suggestions per AP Style rules (which change every year and seem behind the times, if you ask me, so we take some liberties.)

Step 4: Cry then laugh. Simple as that. It can be hectic trying to stay on top of reporters and their deadlines as well as my own deadlines, not to mention the occasional public apology for a typo made at 1 a.m.. No matter how much we obsess over editing during design night, some mistakes are bound to slip through. Crying is a healthy way to release the pressure of needing to be perfect, which is impossible. I don't always shed a tear for The Observer, but maybe I should more often.

Step 1: Pitch stories and find sources. One of the more social parts of class, where reporters have to share (out loud) ideas for what they want to write about. They receive story assignments from section editors and reach out to sources (professors, random students, mad scientists, it varies wildly). With a click of the send button, our staff is on its merry way to a full set of pages.

While some may say it's best not to see how the meatless sausage is made, we at The Observer believe it's your right to see beyond the curtain of secrecy into our behind-the-scenes process. In five simply reductive steps, I'll explain to you everything that goes into creating our weekly newspaper. Interested

Step 3: Design the flat plan. This is where the magic happens, if magic was made out of frustration. The lead editor draws up the flat plan every Friday, a mockup layout of the upcoming issue. Fitting the right sto ries on the right page is always a puzzle. I was known to burn through seven or more drafts for each flat plan, until I realized this is a job better left for graphite than ink. Erasers are the unsung hero of step three.

Step 5: Design Night, for final edits and laying out pages. Where it all comes together or falls apart. Our

President Wohlpart: A day in the life

Katherine Camarata and Yohanes Goodell

Lead Editor and Photo Editor

Students see him everywhere, answering for the university in every way, but we don't get to know the Jim behind President James A. Wohlpart through our time at school. Our team followed Jim around for a day to see what life is like through our president's eyes.

A peek inside Jim’s office and mind

According to cornhole connoisseur and tree-loving diplomat President Wohlpart, the most President Wohlpart thing about him is “the fact that I like to be called Jim.”

He said he doesn’t think in an hierarchical way so much as a systematic way.

“I recognize that the person who collects the trash is just as important as I am,” Wohlpart said. “I mean, imagine if none of our trash got collected. We wouldn’t be able to function. I want everybody to remember why we’re here, which is not because of some president who’s doing x, y or z, it’s because of the students, and we’re here to help the students, faculty and staff learn and grow and become the best person that they are.”

Upon entering Jim’s office, a round table featuring a basket of shells and stones aside some braided sweetgrass atop a snow-dyed cloth greets guests as an emblem of Jim’s connection to tradition and ceremony.

The Observer team followed Jim over to his meeting table; he mentioned the significance of the artifacts, which included “arrowheads and pieces of arrowhead that my father found and collected. He passed away three-ish years ago, so this is one of the things I took away from him. This cloth and the braided sweetgrass and this clam shell were given to me by a Native American elder in Minnesota when I went to her university to do some work with her. This was dyed in a traditional Native American fashion by burying it in the snow with dyes.”

The lofty bookshelves serve as another focal point of the room, one Jim said he is especially grateful for as a defining element of his office.

“The books here are all on leadership, higher education, which is what I do research on,” Wohlpart said.

Jim showed our team the collection of his own environmental philosophy writings and journals his work has been published in. He told a tale of how perseverance and belief allowed him to publish a book that took a decade to complete.

“I have always imagined what is possible on the horizon and worked really hard to get there,” Wohlpart said. “So the book ‘Walking in the Land of Many Gods’ took me ten years to write … I didn’t have to write a book for my job. It was something I did in the evenings, on the weekends, sometimes early in the morning, but it was something that was important to me. I dreamt about it.”

Wohlpart continued by explaining the thesis of the book: “We have been handed a way of thinking in the western world that is analytical, linear, hierarchical, dualistic, and there is another way of thinking in the world that is circular and cyclical and not hierarchical, not dualistic, that is more connected to what people might call intuition, that is actually more holistic and healthy, and we’ve been cut off from that way of thinking about the world in western society, because we have been handed this way of thinking about the world, objects, people as resources for our use … as opposed to something we are deeply entangled with, intertwined with and deeply interdependent on.”

Jim mentioned The Courage to Teach by Parker Palmer and The Heart of Higher Education by Parker Palmer and Arthur Zajonc as other impactful books in his collection.

“I want to remember always that we lead, teach and work not only with our mind, but also our hearts, and that’s what most of this [my writing] is for me,” Jim said.

Jim reflected on his decision to move to CWU two years ago, how “thrilled” he is with his decision and what he learned in the process.

“Being a president is different from being a vice president, it’s really important as the president to take the time to listen and make sure that you’re building a team environment where everybody is listening, reflecting and remembering what is our core,” Jim said.

Jim mentioned all the annual work that happens off campus as a lesser known aspect of his position and the impending fruits of his efforts.

“In the fall and early winter, I spent a lot of time meeting with legislators across the state in Olympia during session and advocating for the funding we need,” Jim said. “For instance, a couple pieces of funding we got, we got funded for wrap around services funding, housing insecurity, food insecurity, we got funding for teacher education, we got funding for a humanities social science complex and for the multicultural complex.”

A day in May with “Jimbo”

May 10 was a day like many others for Jim, aside from the fact that he was being stalked by two student journalists chasing a dream. A morning routine is a critical part of any leader’s day, and Jim’s daily dance helps him set the tone alongside the company of those he loves.

“This stuff matters a lot in terms of how you show up and how you present and how you maintain your energy,” Wohlpart said. “Sasha and I are up by 5:30 a.m. I'm in the gym by 6. I work out for an hour, then head back home at 7, grab a shower. We sit and drink tea together every morning, black tea. We have our places with our dogs. They're rescues, they are 11-12 ish years old.”

Jim lives in the University house with his wife Sasha and their terrier and beagle mix-breed dogs, Annie and Leo. They have a 32-year-old son Zach who has an 11-month-old daughter, and a 29-year-old daughter named Kat.

Jim, Sasha, Annie and Leo can be spotted walking along their regular route through campus on any given day.

“We leave the University house, we walk straight down north of Samuelson and south of Discovery Hall, that walkway that goes straight towards Black Hall, and then just north of Black Hall,” Wohlpart said. “There's a sidewalk that goes between Black Hall and the SURC and we go around the back side of the SURC … [Leo] loves to go through the residence halls and up around to the Ganges, and then we walk along the top of the Ganges and back over by Dean Hall, on the backside of Science and back.”

The Observer team traipsed along Jim’s tried and true beaten path with him, discussing what he loves most about CWU as he made his way to his favorite cherry red sitting chair. His answer was simple: “the students.”

While some may refer to him by a more presidential moniker, President Wohlpart is alternately known by a select group simply as “Jimbo,” a name he explained in an anecdote as The Observer team followed him along the bank of the Ganges.

“Towards the end of my first year, Serena, who was one of the RA’s who was an education major and did her student teaching, was sitting out on the lawn with another group of students,” Wohlpart said. “So we have the dogs, we're walking, I went over to them and we were chatting and I said, ‘do you know who I am?’ And she goes, ‘Yeah, you're Jimbo,’ and said, ‘do you want to know why we call you Jimbo? Because every time you send an email out, we all yell down the hallway, another email from Jimbo!’”

President Wohlpart in his office with reporter Katherine Camarata.

Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Jim’s habitual top picks

Jim explained that his favorite color fluctuates between blue and green, something reflected on his adventures with Sasha.

“When Sasha and I hike together and walk together, she’s an earth person, she looks down, she’s looking for rocks and minerals,” Wohlpart said. “I’m looking up, I look at the sky and trees. What’s awesome about living here in the Pacific Northwest is sometimes we see golden eagles, which is really cool.”

The Observer team had to stop and snag a photo of Jim connecting with the trees in a very sky-centric yet grounded fashion.

When they’re not wandering through the wilderness, Jim said he and Sasha enjoy streaming shows like “Ted Lasso,” “White Lotus” and “Wednesday.”

“Wednesday was just fantastic,” Wohlpart said. “There was something about that show, about how we grow in community, that just really stirred my imagination and one of the pieces that stirred my imagination the most was her playing the cello and playing it to a Rolling Stones song.”

In terms of music, Jim said they listen to a wide range of sounds in their household.

“We listen to all different kinds of music on Sunday morning,” Wohlpart said. “If we're making breakfast, we will listen to books. In the evening, if we're sitting by the fire, we will listen to Lord Huron or Mazzy Star.”

When Sasha and Jim are out on the town dining, one might spot them at a historic downtown Ellensburg location or carrying a loaded picnic basket.

“We love the Huntsman Tavern. Part of the reason that we love the Huntsman is because it has really good salads, we love to eat salads,” Jim said. “The other one is a picnic by a river. My mother, my sister, Sasha and I went up to the West Fork Teanaway, and there’s a fantastic place at the very end where you can pull very close to the river, and we pulled chairs out and set up a big picnic.”

Jim said in the Wohlpart picnic basket, one can typically find vegetables with hummus, cheese and crackers and a nice bottle of red or white wine, depending on the time and season.

Presidential affairs

President Wohlpart went about his day, attending an Executive Leadership meeting to discuss fundraising and the development of shared governance groups on campus. The meeting was followed by an Executive Leadership Team lunch, where the group shared smiles and a meal in Holmes Dining and got to know some of The Observer staff over important discussions about live Paul McCartney performances and videos of President Wohlpart showing affection to a tree for a photo op.

Andrew Morse, Chief of Staff and Interim Vice President for Public Affairs, reflected on his journey from Iowa to CWU to continue working with Jim.

“My journey working with President Wohlpart began in 2017 at the University of Northern Iowa when he served as Provost and I held a similar role to the one I have here,” Morse said. “Since the day I met him, Jim has been a hugely influential person in my life– someone who models collaborative, inclusive and equity-minded leadership. Someone who challenges me with deep care and unquestioned support. I am so proud to be part of the close-knit, hard-working and student-centered community we have here at Central.”

Morse mentioned the legislative work he completes with Jim as a key part of their partnership.

“My favorite memory with Jim is our grassroots work with educators across the United States to create a vision for the future of educator preparation,” Morse said. “That work began in 2019 and has now become a leading educator preparation reform bill, titled the EDUCATORS for America Act, in the United States Congress. The legislation offers a vision for equity-minded strategic investments to grow, diversify and retain our nation's educator workforce.”

The ELT strutted in style back across campus to Barge Hall after lunch, as President Wohlpart prepared for the Wildcat Pantry celebration and awards ceremony on his lawn later that evening.

“Being here at Central has given him an opportunity to really put into practice what he's been learning and studying and what he cares so deeply about,” Sasha said. “He has such a vision of what higher education can be for students and it's been exciting to see him be able to act on that vision here at Central.”

Sasha said her favorite moments at CWU include curling up by their fireplace to play gin rummy and attending some of the productions and athletic events on campus, particularly the Orchesis spring dance performance that happened recently.

“When we go out and we hike and we explore, it's good reflective time,” Sasha said. Yeah. “It's a good time for him to think about things and he bounces stuff off me, we have conversations about things.”

Sasha said the most cherished thing about Jim to her is how deeply invested he is in those around him.

“I love how much he cares,” Sasha said. “How much he cares for his family, how much he cares for his community, how much he cares for the students and his leadership team. He just carries in his heart a deep love for life and the work that he does.”

An awards ceremony commenced, during which Wildcat Pantry team members were honored for their dedication. Jim and Sasha presented Jaeda Nelson with some heartfelt words and an award for her hard work as the first person to ever fulfill the Wildcat Pantry Coordinator position as the sun began to set.

Jim left readers with some words of wisdom that he hoped more students would come to know: “Listen to their hearts, spend time with people who are good for them, spend time being curious and trust that a way will open in terms of their path. It’s a Quaker saying, way opens. If you get to a place in your life where you feel stuck or you feel uncertain about what the next steps are, if you can trust in something bigger and open yourself up to possibilities, then way will open.”

President Wohlpart, also known as Jimbo, loves spending time in nature.

Laughter rang across the lawn accented by 88.1 the ‘Burg spinning top 40s hits as students, staff and facul ty played cornhole and Connect Four at the celebration. Jim gleefully landed a bean bag in the center of the corn hole board as the festivities heightened. Sasha cheered on those playing lawn games and offered a glimpse into

President Wohlpart with his

Executive Leadership Team

after a lunch in the SURC.

Photo by Yohanes Goodell

President Wohlpart alongside his wife, Sasha Wohlpart.

Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Meet your new ASCWU president: Malik Cantú

Anna Fridell Staff Reporter

ASCWU President Elect Malik Cantú said he is looking forward to being a resource for students with a strong leadership team alongside him going into the 2023-2024 academic year.

“I am so incredibly excited to be working with this team,” Cantú said. “I think that there’s a really good range of experience with ASCWU itself. I think all of us are really passionate leaders.”

ASCWU is working to continue the development of the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) and aims to promote and uplift diverse culture on campus, according to Cantú.

“[CCI] is to serve diversity on campus, because we are one of the most diverse campuses in Washington, but we’re actually the only public university that does not have a multicultural center on campus,” Cantú said.

$8 million has been provided by the state legislature for academic seats in the new CCI building, according to Cantú.

“We recently went to lobby at the Capitol and we actually asked the legislature for $6 million and they ended up giving us $8 million, so that’s wonderful,” Cantú said. “We still have a lot more funding that we need to secure but that $8 million just for academic seats in the building is going to be a huge help,” Cantú said.

Senate Speaker Elect Charles Johnson described Cantú’s leadership style as inclusive and collaborative.

“Malik does a very good job of making sure that all the people he’s working with feel heard and understood and welcomed in the spaces that they’re sharing,” Johnson said.

ASCWU hopes to continue to be a resource for students and a means of communication between students and administration, according to Cantú.

“Students deserve to be heard on this campus,” Johnson said. “I plan to stick with that and just make sure that students are being put on the forefront of decisions being made on campus.”

Having a strong representation of diversity will benefit the incoming ASCWU board through shared perspectives, according to Cantú.

“People of color have unique [and] particular experiences walking through life,” Cantú said. “Having those shared experiences, every board member is going to be really crucial to having a really strong team and cohesive unit.

Elected Director of Facilities Gerardo Castillo said it is exciting to see diversity among the team with Hispanic/Latino representation on the board for next year.

“I think we are all on the same page in terms of wanting to make genuine connections and help out,” Castillo said. “The most exciting thing I’m looking forward to is bringing a little bit of life back to campus after being dismantled a little bit after the pandemic.”

The team is looking forward to combining their skill sets and being a voice for the student body, according to Cantú.

“We all have very similar goals, the biggest one being the CCI,” Cantú said. “I’m just super excited to blend all of our experiences together and all of their passion and work together.”

Budgeting for the future: CWU budget impacted by 20% drop in enrollment

CFO advises against bringing on more staff

Beau Sansom Staff Reporter

The Faculty Senate hosted a budget presentation to assess the financial state of CWU and solicit input on systemic solutions on May 10. Chief Financial Officer Joel Klucking led the presentation and reported CWU is experiencing a budget deficit due to a 20% drop in enrollment.

“The goal of [the] meeting was to talk about the current budget situation,” Klucking said. “Right now we are projecting a budget deficit and are trying to approach it in a different way, treating it like an adaptive challenge, which doesn’t lend itself to a top-down approach. We have to have solutions coming from the community to help us solve our problem.”

According to Klucking, this was the fourth in a series of presentations he has delivered to various CWU committees, including the President’s Budget Advisory Committee, the Executive Leadership Team, the United Faculty of Central Bargaining Team, the University Administrative Leadership Team and the Faculty Senate Budget Planning Committee. The presentation placed an emphasis on the decline in enrollment at CWU.

“We’re getting ideas from the community,” Klucking said. “I think that’s the most important part, that people understand what the current real situation

is…this isn’t just an enrollment blip, this isn’t going to change next year, it’s going to take a long time to grow out of this.”

Klucking said he wanted to make it clear past “transactional” solutions to the budget issue were not effective in the long term. According to Klucking, the root of the problem is that CWU’s ratio of students to faculty is swinging in the direction of having too large a staff compared to the number of students as CWU has lost more students than they have employees.

According to Klucking, transactional solutions such as this year’s approach of trying to quell a $5.5 million budget deficit through cutting positions, salary and benefits will not be effective long-term. CWU is overstaffed for the level of student enrollment the university has fallen to.

“The key is that we have to adjust the operations of [CWU] to whatever level of enrollment that we have,” Klucking said. “If we can control ourselves and not overhire either faculty or non-faculty, then that means we might have some money to make some investments that will help promote the university and make us a better place.”

According to Klucking, the drop in enrollment is a problem, yet CWU shouldn’t necessarily hit a bad point, so long as they shift their approach to adapt with the changes as they come rather than continuing to operate in the current manner.

“I don’t think that there is a bad point, necessarily,” Klucking said. “The key is that we have to adjust the operations of the university to whatever level that we have. If we grow enrollment, great…if enrollment shrinks, that’s fine too, we just have to make sure we adjust as the university shrinks.”

According to Klucking, one approach to tackling the budget issue is to redeploy current staff to fill in vacant positions they are able to take on rather than hire an entirely new faculty member.

“[We’re] thinking about the cyclic nature of work,” Kluck-

of ourselves as an organism,” Klucking said. “All parts of the organism need to thrive for us to thrive, and I think that if we do that, we will be much better at serving our students and that is what we’re here for.”

The issue of declining enrollment in Washington is a state-wide problem, according to Klucking, not just a problem facing CWU. To combat this, focus is beginning to shift toward bringing in more out-ofstate students to CWU.

“The name of the game with enrollment starts with building a brand,” Klucking said. “We are doing a lot of outreach, it has

“There is a relationship between how many students we enroll and how many faculty we need to teach them,” Klucking said. “The university needs to respond appropriately to student enrollment. Although we anticipate a growing incoming class, there are larger classes moving through the system which could lead to a slightly smaller total student enrollment next year, and our faculty employment will likely follow suit.”

At the moment, there is no indication about which departments or areas of CWU will be most impacted by the current financial state of the university.

ing said. “[We’re] thinking institutionally about that instead of just [going] ‘that’s my person so I’m going to let someone be less busy during one period’, when [we] could redeploy them elsewhere.”

According to Klucking, suggestions have been made to re-evaluate the work that needs to be done to tackle the problem on a systematic and institutional level.

“I think it’s going to be good for everybody if we can think

been our emphasis really since 2016. We have invested considerably in our marketing and our enrollment management campaigns.”

College enrollment has been declining across all of Washington according to MyNorthwest. com and the Seattle Times. The Tri-Cities area Journal of Business indicates a 12% enrollment decline from fall 2019 to 2021 at EWU, while Western Front Online identified a decline of over 1,000 students at WWU since 2019.

“I cannot foresee how this will impact individual departments,” Klucking said. “My estimates are mostly at the university or college level. How much general education plays a large factor in how much each department will respond to enrollment, along with many other things.”

Malik Cantú. Photo courtesy of public relations

How much general education plays a large factor in how much each department will respond to enrollment,

- CWU Chief Financial Officer Joel Klucking

Wildcat Pantry proposes new student fee to cover increasing student needs

Megan Rogers News Editor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“We’re very conscious of the fact that we don’t want

Wildcat Pantry Volunteers.

Photo courtesy of Jaeda Nelson

The Wildcat Pantry is spending about $1,000 weekly on food.

Photo courtesy of Jaeda Neslon

Wellington’s Wildfire welcomes back alumni

Morgana Carroll Beau Sansom Scene Editor and Staff Reporter

The light of a single torch illuminated the night sky as it passed along from hand to hand of CWU alumni from as far back as the year 2000, before being used to light the stack of kindling in the firepit. The sound of applause overpowered the sound of the band playing CWU’s alma mater as the first sparks began to crackle.

Wellington’s Wildfire took place in the McIntyre Hall Lawn East on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. According to Director of Alumni & Constituent Relations Casey Ross, the event served as an opportunity for students and alumni to gather together.

“On top of academics, students have to have a social life to maintain that balance so they’re not so stressed,” ASCWU Director of Student Life and Facilities Briana Silva said. “That social aspect is important.”

While he doesn’t know the exact number of students who attended Wellington’s Wildfire, Ross described the attendance as “off the charts.” Silva estimated over 250 students attended the event.

“I’m enjoying it so far, there’s a lot of different kinds of people,” first year Deanté Barry said. “I see a lot of exchange students here, and it’s nice that they get to know the campus and the event.”

This year marked the first appearance of a new homecoming ritual, the passing of the torch, where a student from each graduating year since 2000 passed the torch on its way to the bonfire. Ross said he was the one to come up with this new ritual.

“I was looking for a way where we can connect the alumni and the students in ways that are meaningful for the alumni and are meaningful to the students,” Ross said.

Aronica said.

Ross said while there were only alumni from 2000 onward, in the future he would like to get a representative of every graduating class available.

Rodrigo Castaneda-Marin Jr., a third year in business administration, said it was nice to see that new students were finally getting to attend in person events of this size again.

“Hopefully it brings people closer together,” Castaneda-Marin said. “Now that COVID is sort of gone, they’re able to discover more of what campus has to offer and how it was before. This is my first time being here, I started in 2020, so we didn’t have as much opportunities.”

Ross said he wishes that Wellington’s Wildfire was around when he was a student.

“I’m an alum and graduated in 2002, and I don’t recall having Wellington’s Wildfire when I was a student here,” Ross said.

Tony Aronica, a returning alumni from 2007 who was on the ASCWU board when the event first started, said he was glad to see the Wildfire was still happening every year.

“When I was a student in 2005, we started Wellington’s Wildfire and it’s really endearing to see it continue,” Aronica said.

Silva said that in the past, Wellington’s Wildfire was hosted at Nicholson Pavilion, but due to construction, it was held in McIntyre Hall this year.

“We did think about Barto, but we didn’t want to burn any grass or trees,” Silva said. “So we thought of putting it in McIntyre, just because they have the strip and it’s still in the center of campus.”

Since Silva will only be in the position until June, she said she doesn’t know if the event will be moved back to Nicholson next year, but she said that Nicholson would probably be the best place for it.

Silva said she is hoping to hear feedback from stu dents on the changes to the event this year. Students are encouraged to email ASCWU with any feedback.

HOMECOMING

Alumni gathered around the Wellington wildfire.

Photo by

“When I was a student in 2005, we started Wellington’s Wildfire and it’s really endearing to see it continue”

CWU brings home the victory at Homecoming

Isaac Hinson

Jacqueline Hixssen

Sports Editors

As the sun set and the stadium lights burned, the CWU football team rushed onto Tomlinson Stadium to play Midwestern State University (MSU) in their annual Homecoming game last Saturday, Oct. 15.

CWU left the field with a 1710 win and now sits with a record of 4-2 on the year.

“It’s really exciting,” said junior defensive back Patrick Rogers. “Putting on a show for all the students, staff and faculty. It's a good way to bring everybody together here at Central.”

Stepping up to fill the shoes of starting quarterback Quincy Glasper, JJ Lemming threw 36 passes, completing 26 of them for 227 yards and two touchdowns, leading the way to the victory.

Lemming’s efforts earned him the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week award.

Junior wide reciever Tai-John Mizutani found himself on the other end of 10 of those passes, logging 85 yards and one touchdown.

Rogers talked about what it meant to have CWU students and alumni fill the stadium for the game.

“As a defense it gets us going,” said Rogers. “We feel like the students in the stadium are on our side. When the crowd gets rocking and super noisy it gives us an advantage for sure.”

Head Coach Chris Fisk said, “We played our first game without school being in session and our band being here and there’s an obvious, noticeable difference

in energy in the stadium.”

CWU played MSU October 2021 in a 30-20 victory. The Wildcats said they knew that beating them again would be a challenge.

“They’re coming back to get revenge,” said Rogers. “We just had that loss against Western Oregon, so it’s going to be a good test to see how we bounce back and get through adversity. We’re making sure that we’re playing until there's all zeros on the clock because anything can happen in four quarters.”

MSU’s home field resides in Texas. Traveling that distance can play a huge part in play, according to Fisk.

“It’s always difficult to travel from Texas to Washington, so

that’s obviously a challenge for them,” Fisk said. “I expect this game to be a dog fight … It’ll probably come down to the last quarter.”

Fisk nearly predicted the game, CWU and MSU were tied 10-10 going into the second half of the game. CWU secured one more touchdown in the third quarter racking the score to 17-10. The fourth quarter went scoreless.

Junior defensive back and current Observer reporter Jahleel Breland talked about how the team’s defensive unit prepared for MSU.

“We had forced like three or four turnovers the last time we played them,” Breland said. “That played a huge role in it. For this

FUMBLE! FUMBLE!

HOMECOMING

game we’re just going to try to do the same thing. Create turnovers, create big plays on defense and get the ball back to our offense. If everybody does their job I think we’ll be able to get the win.”

All in all, the homecoming game is just another game to players like Breland.

“There's not really anything special preparation wise. It’s just another game for us,” Breland said.

CWU will host two more games at Tomlinson Stadium, Oct. 29 versus Texas A&M Kingsville and Nov. 12 versus Texas Permian Basin that will close out the regular season for the Lone Star Conference.

Josiah Cochran forcing a fumble.

Photo by Jacob

INFRASTRUCTURE

CWU obtains funding for new North Education Complex (NEC) Campus says goodbye to Language and Literature Building and Farrell Hall

Morgana Carroll News Editor

In April the government’s office approved funds to be put towards the new North Academic Complex, which will replace the Language and Literature Building and Farrell Hall, the early design stages of the new Psychology Building and the pre design stages for the new Art Education Complex.

According to President Jim Wohlpart, the largest request that CWU made this year was for $103.7 million to build a North Education Complex. The North Academic Complex, also known as the Humanities and Social Science Complex, will replace the Language and Literature building and Farrell Hall.

According to Chief of Staff Andrew Morse, every two years CWU evaluates the needs of campus and the student body. The Capital Planning and Projects (CPP) and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) deliberate what changes and updates the campus needs. CPP is also responsible for sending the submission, with the approval of the ELT and the President.

Wohlpart said the reason that these buildings were chosen to be replaced was because of the structural state they are in.

“All these buildings are in pretty rough shape,” Wohlpart said. “To spend money trying to fix them would be throwing good money after bad. It just would not be a good choice.”

According to Wohlpart, these buildings have internal drain pipes that have begun to leak. The leaking has caused consistent water damage that has become expensive and tedious to repair.

Farrell Hall also doesn’t have a solid foundation and has sunk into the ground. The sinking has made the building crooked, causing some of the doors to not shut entirely.

Wohlpart said that the Language and Literature Building and Farrell Hall were built in the 1970s and therefore are not designed with energy efficiency in mind. The buildings are not currently complying with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) because they are made with brick and concrete interior walls. According to Wohlpart,

tearing these buildings down would reduce energy consumption by 30% and save the university $80 million in repairs.

Wohlpart said the reason he thought it was so important to make a new building for the humanities and social sciences is because of how vital the programs are to the student experience.

“These two buildings teach a lot of our general education, so they really teach a lot,” Wohlpart said. “Most of our students go through our Humanities and Social Sciences program.”

The North Education Complex will be built north of the Language and Literature building, where all the international flags currently are. According to Wohlpart, the plan is to build a new plaza for the flags connected to the North Education Complex, and to save as many of the trees in that area as possible.

Wohlpart said the demolition of the Language and Literature building and Farrell Hall will not begin until after the building is built, so students in the human-

ities and social science programs will still have a place to learn during construction.

Psychology and Art Education Complex plans

The second priority for CWU with the budget is the design for a new Psychology Building. The proposed budget has allocated $8.2 million into the design phase.

“We have a pretty good idea of what our Psychology Building will look like,” Wohlpart said. “We have a couple of potential sites.”

The two current options that Wohlpart mentioned are to either build the new building where the old one was before, or to put the new building where the Language and Literature building was.

Wohplart said that the primary reason for the replacement of the Psychology Building is to mitigate greenhouse gasses.

“What we really want to do is make sure that we’re reducing our carbon footprint in all of the buildings that we’re building,” Wohlpart said. “Some of the [old] buildings have a really bad carbon footprint.”

Another priority of CWU’s is to begin on the pre-design for the new Art Education Complex, which would replace Randall Hall and Michelson Hall. According to Wohlpart, the primary goal in the pre-design phase is figuring out where the building will go.

Wohlpart said the reason for a new art complex is due to poor accessibility.

“If you’re in Randall or Michaelson halls, if you want to go to the faculty offices you either have to go up a set of stairs or down a set of stairs,” Wohlpart said. “If you’re in a wheelchair or disabled in any kind of way, you’re not able to get to the faculty offices.”

CWU invests in geothermal heating and cooling

Morgana Carroll

News Editor

CWU has received funding from the state to invest in geothermal heating and cooling.

The Geo Eco Plant is a building that will utilize renewable geothermal energy to heat the new North Academic Complex (NAC) that will be located in the plaza with the nations’ flags.

The plant would go in the southwestern corner of the Dean Nicholson Pavilion lot, where there is currently a grassy patch.

According to Carlson, the plant is going to be designed as somewhere people can visit, and not just another utility building.

Carlson said the plant will have an interactive panel or tablet where people can learn about

geothermal power and what it can be used for.

Carlson said they are designing the Geo Eco Plant to be able to connect to and support other buildings in the future, such as the proposed Art Complex and new Psychology Building.

How geothermal heating plants work

According to Carlson, the plant will use an open loops system. This means, the water that gets taken out of the wells will never touch anything other than the pipes it interacts with.

The water comes up from an aquifer(an underground water and mineral deposit), which Carlson said will be around 900 feet below ground, running

through a pipe and then returning back into the ground.

“You’re either taking the heat that is in the water to heat a building, or you’re taking heat and putting it into what would be cooler water, and sending it back down,” Carlson said.

There will be two well locations; one will be under the Geo Eco Plant, and the other location has not been finalized yet. The current location they are considering is around the Wahle Apartments.

The environmental impact

According to Carlson, one benefit of the new Geo Eco Plant is that it uses renewable energy.

“That means we won’t be burning natural gas to heat or

cool [the NAC],” Carlson said. “There will be some electricity that runs the pumps, pulls the water up and pumps it back down, but there will be no natural gas burned.”

To ensure the NAC doesn’t go without heat, Carlson said the system will be connected to the Central Steam Plant, which is currently used to heat the campus, in case something goes wrong at the Geo Eco Plant. The Central Steam Plant burns natural gas to heat buildings.

According to Carlson, the current hope of the university is that as new buildings get built and old buildings get renovated, they will be utilizing geothermal heating instead of using fossil fuels.

“If there’s anything we can do to reduce our carbon emissions,

then that’s a step in the right direction,” Carlson said. “It is about the health of the community we live in.”

Carlson said that using geothermal instead of natural gas for most of the campus would be years, if not decades away.

To see prior reporting on the NAC go to: https://cwuobserver.com/24031/news/ ll-and-farrell-hall-to-possiblysee-new-construction-aftergov-inslees-proposed-budget/.

A rendered image of what the Geo Eco Plant might look like. Courtesy of Scott Carlson

The wins and woes of being a successful woman What is a ‘girlboss?’

Morgana Carroll News Editor

From Lois Lane of ‘Superman’ fame, to the First Lady of the Black Press Ethel Payne, to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, people love to see a woman winning. But, is this “girlboss culture” reflected in the real world?

Michele Denbeste is the provost and vice president for academic and student life at CWU. Despite having such an esteemed position, DenBeste said she doesn’t consider herself a leader, and concedes it is because of how society has made her think about women and leadership.

“I know that because of how we think of women … When I thought about leadership, I think I thought about men and leadership, and that wasn’t anyone’s fault,” DenBeste said. “It was just what I absorbed.”

The American Association of University Women explains that this is because of old stereotypes that still permeate.Men being in leadership positions for so long has caused traits that a leader typically has to now be viewed as masculine, and these traits are viewed less favorably in women.

The origins of the term ‘girlboss’

According to BBC, the term girlboss can be used to describe a woman who is making her way up the corporate ladder in a male dominated industry; this means literally any facet of the business world. According to Forbes women held 38% of entry level management positions in 2021.

The term girlboss was first used in the 2017 Netflix original series “Girlboss”, where Sophia Amoruso, the owner of an online clothing store, is writing her titular memoir about her experiences and women’s empowerment.

BBC also said that the media has typically depicted the “girlboss” as a cold woman who wants nothing more than to climb the corporate ladder to success. This can be traced back as far as the ‘80s, which BBC notes as the root of women breaking into business roles in the second wave of feminism; during this time, people used the term “pantsuit feminism” in the same manner we call it “girlbossing” today.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), in the 1920s women made up 20% of the workforce, and now women make up 47% of the workforce. DOL said that this number increased dramatically due to the increase in women in the workforce during WWII and first and second wave feminism in the 1970s and 1980s.

How would you define success?

DenBeste defined success as being able to spend each day working toward the things you want to accomplish.

“Professional success is being able to do the things that I really enjoy and being able to work with a good team and … being able to build a life around it in the kind of ways that one would like,” DenBeste said.

DenBeste said she feels as though the bar for womens’ success is higher than mens’.

“I think that women who are, to my mind, very successful have to do something to be successful,” DenBeste said. “How you have to invent something new and that is success, [not] to me, but to the world.”

Ruth Erdman is a senior lecturer in women’s gender and sexuality studies. Erdman said she thinks success is the ability to be one’s truest self.

“Success is being the person you feel you really are, the person you were meant to be, and fulfilling your individual potential to the best of your ability,” Erdman said.

What is a woman?

“For me, it’s just growing into who you want to be,” Denbest said. “And I think gender-wise anyone should be able to do that. Man or woman or using they pronouns. Deciding the gender you were born in isn’t the right one for you, that should all be a part of who we are.”

Denbeste said that sometimes society can make it hard to express oones femininity in the way they feel is right for them. She recounts a time in her childhood where this happened.

“It was hard for me to say when I was a girl,” DenBeste said. “I often strained against social convention. I was a child who loved to read… I always loved learning…None of those were seen by my family or friends as being girly, or I was constantly being told to read less books.”

Erdman’s definition of a woman is straightforward.

“A woman is anyone who identifies as a woman, who knows herself to be a woman, and who aspires to live her life as a woman,” Erdman said. “Anyone identifying and living as a woman is likely to experience the joys and trials of womanhood.”

Women in the professional world

According to Erdman, there is a double standard between men and women in the world of business.

“Very often in the professional world, a man with a natural aptitude for taking charge and moving things forward is a ‘leader,’ while a woman with the same traits is a ‘bitch,’” Erdman said.

Erdman said that transgendered women can experience this juxtaposition in real time.

“Transwomen experience this very directly,” Erdman said. “The respect and compliance they commanded while presenting to the world as ‘male’ evaporates when they transition and show themselves to the world as women. Their status and authority have suddenly been pulled out from under them.”

Erdman said the double standard and tendency for women to be seen as naturally lower in corporate rank has become more nuanced, but is definitely still present.

“The double standards are less blatant than they used to be,” Erdman said. “But they’re not gone. Now they’re likelier to take the form of missed promotions, microaggressions and unflattering portrayals in the media.”

DenBeste said that she thinks that due to a double standard in the workplace she has to approach situations differently.

“I feel like I can’t necessarily do those [tasks] in the same way as if I were a man,” DenBeste said. “Like coming into a room and demanding that X Y and Z happen. It’s not going to go over well.”

DenBeste said that she has to approach work situations slowly and relationally instead of “guns blazing,” but in the end she prefers to do things that way anyway.

Dean of Graduate Studies Yoshiko Takahashi recounted a time where a student of hers had to make a hard decision that to her felt like a double standard.

“She said that getting a Ph.D. meant that she had to give up having a family,” Takahashi said. “It was hard to convince her that she does not need to sacrifice her personal life to pursue a Ph.D. But at the same time, I wonder how many male students would think that way.”

Takahashi said that she feels women often have to accomplish more and take on a heavier workload to be recognized professionally.

“I feel that women, especially women of color, have the pressure of invisible barriers that are often not recognized in the workplace,” Takahashi said. “For example, women of color in higher education often take on more service work, such as joining committees and mentoring students and junior faculty with the same ethnicity.”

The language of nature: Maya Jewell Zeller’s roots extend through her words

Jordyn Rossmeisl Staff Reporter

While some may imagine writers as a stereotypical, antisocial person who holes themself up in their home to work on their manuscripts, this hasn’t always been the case for published author and professor of creative writing, Maya Jewell Zeller, who said she is no stranger to nature.

Professor Zeller grew up in the northwest and said she spent a lot of her time outdoors, closely observing the world around her.

“I think what I do professionally and personally is pay very, very close attention to the world around me,” Zeller said. “In the very beginning of my life, I did not have access to traditional education and I lived with a family that was somewhat non-traditional, and I would say pseudo-transient.”

Growing up, she lived in many different places including trailers, barns, rentals and makeshift homes.

“I didn’t have access to a lot of capital pursuits, but I had access to the natural world,” Zeller said. “I tended to spend a lot of time in the fields by the rivers and in barns, and so I lived a life that was very rich in sensory observation.”

According to Zeller, the natural world was her “first library,” and eventually, through access to the public library, she discovered books that offered her the same connections through language.

“When I started reading poetry, I became excited by the possibilities of language,” Zeller said. “I found that language gave me the ability to express some of those sensory observations and feelings that made me feel alive.”

From a young age, Zeller knew she wanted to work with language, but she also wanted to work with other

people who wanted to read and write. That passion led her to teaching.

Known as “Maya” by her students and friends, Professor Zeller strives to create a safe environment for students to share their writing. Some of Zeller’s students say they feel fortunate to be in her class.

One of Zeller’s students, Monica Monk, said, “Writing teachers or mentors like Maya only come around once or twice in a lifetime if we’re lucky … I’ve written more poems in the last six months than I have over my whole lifetime and have developed confidence in my writing, thanks to Maya’s innovative assignments and the rich learning environment in her classes.”

In addition to being an accomplished author and CWU professor, Zeller is a poet, an editor, a nature enthusiast and a mother. Students and colleagues who know her described her as “brilliant,” “thoughtful,” “unfailingly positive,” “encouraging,” and “an amazing teacher.”

Ruthi Erdman, senior lecturer, English.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

Jaeda Nelson builds a legacy as CWU’s first wildcat pantry coordinator

Zileni Milupi Assistant Scene Editor

Inspirational, self-driven, inclusive and a change maker are a few of the words those who work closely with Wildcat Pantry Coordinator Jaeda Nelson used to describe her. As the first person to ever hold the position since June 2022, Nelson has established connections with donors and partners and has largely contributed to the overall growth of the pantry in a short period.

President Wohlpart created the position last year when Nelson and her fellow PUSH (Presidents United to Solve Hunger) club members approached him with the need for a professional staff to oversee the administrative aspects of the pantry as it continued to grow. According to Nelson, she was among the candidates and was selected for the position by her peers.

“Being a first-generation student, it was important that I was able to provide some kind of experience for other students that have similar experiences as me to feel like when they come to campus, they're taken care of and that people recognize them and they see them,” Nelson said. Wohlpart explained the importance of the pantry and how he acknowledged the need for the position.

“This is an imperative for the university and an imperative for me as President to make sure we are providing all of the support for students that they need,” Wohlpart said. “Especially so that they can focus on their learning experience and not have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.”

According to Nelson, she initially didn’t expect to get the position herself, but saw the need for someone to ensure the sustainability of the pantry.

“It wasn't something that maybe I expected,” Nelson said. “I think that's been a nice thing that I've kind of just been leaning into work that makes me feel good and makes me feel like I can contribute to something bigger than myself.”

PUSH club and pantry background

According to their website, PUSH (Presidents United to Solve Hunger) is a collection of universities from around the world that have the collective mission to end hunger and poverty, both locally and globally. CWU launched its chapter in 2015 to help combat food insecurity on campus.

Nelson explained that while most universities’ PUSH chapters tend to be led by faculty and full-time staff, CWU’s chapter was completely student-led since its conception. According to CWU’s PUSH club website, the Wildcat Pantry initially started out as a student-led initiative through the club.

Prior to having a space for the pantry in Brooks Library, the PUSH club would provide free food for students using boxes and shelves throughout campus through neighborhood donations from what Nelson called a ‘walk and knock.’ Nelson joined the club during her second year at CWU in 2018 and became President of the club during her senior year.

Life in motion: Gabrielle

McNeillie dances over seas of delight

Katherine Camarata Lead Editor

From studying ballet in the Rochester, New York area to performing professionally on Carnival Cruise lines to teaching as a dance professor at CWU, Gabrielle McNeillie’s lively spirit has touched audiences all across the globe.

McNeillie’s dance career started at the young age of five, as dance runs in her lineage.

“I was lucky enough to have my aunt as my very first dance teacher,” McNeillie said. “She owned a dance studio, so I danced with her as a student until high school, and then I joined a pre-professional school for ballet called the Rochester City Ballet.”

McNeillie said she learned from all different types of teachers, French and Russian teachers as well as those who taught American styles of ballet, modern and jazz dance.

McNeillie was living in New York at the time of the September 11 terrorist attacks, which she later learned played an instrumental role in landing her nearly-decade long stint as a performer for Carnival Cruise lines.

“I found out many years later that they actually tried to get all the dancers they had hired out of New York when [9/11] happened … which I thought was really kind and it made me realize how lucky I was to work for that company,” McNeillie said.

According to McNeillie, dancing on the cruise ships was contracted work that lasted 10-11 months at a time, and she worked with Carnival for almost eight years.

She said getting accustomed to the jargon of a ship was an unforeseen aspect of living at sea.

“Looking back, one of the unexpected elements of ship life is the camaraderie and relationships you create while there,” McNeillie said. “I feel so lucky to have met and worked with people from all over the world.”

McNeillie recounted many adventures and misadventures of working on a cruise ship. She told one story about forgetting her dance steps to a dance she knew “backwards and forwards” and sharing a laugh with her dance captain.

“When you’re doing a show over and over and over again for eight, nine,10 months, you maybe start thinking about other things besides the dance you’re doing in the moment, and so this comes with consequences,” McNeillie said. “I completely forgot what I was doing. I was like a statue and my dance captain at the time was right behind me … I could hear his laugh behind me and … had to turn around and look and see what everyone was doing, so I could catch up, and he just had the biggest goofiest grin on his face because it's not something I did regularly.”t

Maya Jewell Zeller, associate professor, English.

Photo by Dean Davis, for Pictures of Poets.

Jaeda Nelson, Wildcat Pantry Coordinator.

Photo by Yohanes Goodell

Gabrielle McNeillie, assistant dance professor

Photo courtesy of Gabrielle McNeillie.

Favorite places in Ellensburg

Domino’s pizza, I go there every night for pizza. It’s nearby campus, the food’s hot and ready when we get there. Always get the two liters when you get soda, because it’s cheaper per liter.

My favorite destination in Ellensburg is probably the Red Horse Diner. It used to be a gas station and was converted into a restaurant covered in old signs. Everything on the menu is named after a car, so you can add to the feel of being at an old-fashioned gas station. A cool feature when you arrive at the station is that the original gas prices from when it was still being used are stuck on the gas pump.

I remember a girl asking me out on a date, and she

While I do enjoy the quiet and small-town life Ellens- burg has to offer, my favorite place would have to be the Snoqualmie Pass, because it means I’m going home and get to see my dog.

My favorite place is the trail that goes along E 18th Ave. It’s a fun route to take your dog for a walk, ride your bike along, or go boarding on. It takes you by the obstacle course used by the ROTC and takes you all into North Alder Street Park.

Corkboard.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

- Brandon Davis

- Hunter Rhea

- Megan Rogers

- Brittany Cinderella

- Charis Jones

Not only do they have amazing food, it was also where my partner and I went on our first date. We ordered their salmon salad and it was SO GOOD!!

Ringer North! It’s a perfect place to go wading or swimming in the Yakima River with your dogs, it’s relatively lesser known and secluded, a nice little nook of Ellensburg on the way out of town, but watch out for mosquitoes! They’ll eat you alive.

MyfavoriteplaceintownisCentralCityComicShop, a small local business that sells comics, games, figures and generally any nerd thing you could possibly want. It’s a very welcoming environment and I love stopping in to see what new comics they have in stock.

Young T & Tea is a good-vibes Vietnamese/Thai restaurant owned by CWU alum Emmie Nguyen and chef Kien Tran that serves amazing cuisine and fun beverages, including boba tea. Their boba tea drinks range from fruity to sweet, hot to cold, and iced to slushy. The menu is expansive and the banh mi with pork is one of my favorite sandwiches ever. I go for the ambiance set by LED lights, wall art, a fish tank, and So. Many. plants.

Where will you go?

- Katherine Camarata

- Kai Kyzar

- MJ Rivera

- Morgana Carroll

Showcasing local eats, brews, musicians and businesses at Winterhop Brewfest

Omar Benitez Senior Reporter

Locals and travelers alike gathered in the streets of downtown Ellensburg for a taste of local brews at this year’s edition of the Winterhop Brewfest on Feb. 25.

2023 marked the 19th edition of the festival, and this year’s festival had 26 breweries with brews on tap spread over 11 different venues across downtown. Venues were all located conveniently within a three block radius from each other.

According to Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce Director of Tourism & Events Matt Anderson, the goal of the multi-venue set up is to get people to check out local businesses.

“The festival is important for the downtown businesses because it gets people into these local businesses that they otherwise might not go to,” Anderson said. “It’s also important for the breweries and entertainers because they get some exposure, so it’s good for everyone.”

The full list of venues included Kelleher Motors, The Toy Stable, Gallery-One, Evolve, Gard Vintners, Claim Clothing, Flirt, The Recycle Shop, the Hotel Windrow, Enchantment Brewery and the Ellensburg Downtown Association.

All 26 participating breweries are from Washington, and many came from all over the state, including breweries from Yakima, Spokane, Tacoma, Walla Walla, Moses Lake, Pulman and other cities.

Some of the participating breweries included Ellensburg’s own Enchantment Brewery, Iron Horse Brewery, Whipsaw Brewery, Ellensburg Brewing Co and Wheel Line Cider, as well as Cle Elum’s Mule & Elk Brewing Co. and Dru Bru. Breweries from all around Washington were also included, like Ten Pin Brewing, Burwood Brewing and Icicle Brewing among many more. Each venue varied in the number of breweries they hosted, some having just one brewery, while others had up to five.

Many of these breweries are long time participants of Brewfest, like Whipsaw Brewing, Wandering Hop Brewery and

Buskers take on the ‘Burg with colorful shows

Jacqueline Hixssen Sports Editor

Icicle Brewing. For others such as Doghaus Brewing, Hellbent Brewing and Lumberbeard Brewing, this year was their first time attending the festival.

“This is our first time here, and it’s been great,” said Lumberbeard Brewery Sales Representative Conner Desmond. “I just love the camaraderie of an event like this. We’re at a local business, we’re drinking beer from a local small craft brewery, we’ve got a local band playing, and everyone’s just out and enjoying their weekend.”

Many of the brewers said it’s all about being able to share what they make with others.

Whipsaw Brewing manager and CWU graduate Karley Bentler said, “We’ve had a lot of people come up to us and say ‘we love whipsaw, we love your beer,’ so it’s just awesome to be able to share our beer with everyone.”

This festival not only showcases local breweries, but it also showcases local musicians. Each venue featured live music performances, with a total of 11 local artists and bands.

One of the performers is a Cle Elum local and CWU graduate Justin Rui, who also performed at last year’s Winterhop Brewfest.

“It’s been awesome, man, I came out here to be able to perform for everyone … It’s been a great experience,” Rui said.

Other performers at this year’s Brewfest included Birdie Fenn Cent, Micah J and Chance Richardson, with many more.

The event’s headquarters, located in Unity Park on Pearl St., had two food vendors: Big Dogs Grill selling gourmet hotdogs and The Corn Dog Company selling homemade corn dogs.

This year also marked the first time Brewfest was fully indoors since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Anderson.

Tickets for the event sold for $45 which included a commemorative Ellensburg Rodeo taster glass. Some tickets were also sold for $60, and included everything the $45 ticket offered, plus early access and a bag filled with Winterhop Brewfest merchan-

Children laughed and ran around the streets, the Saturday farmer’s market in full swing while unique talents filled downtown Ellensburg during the Buskers in the ‘Burg festival on Sept. 24.

The 12 performers included magicians, violinists, tarot card readers, bands and more. They ranged from children to adults. The two featured performers were local circus-comedy artist Hillia and Big Rich, a traveling magician with a magic rap performance.

Buskers in the ‘Burg is put on by the Ellensburg Downtown Association (EDA) with help from the Blue Bear Puppet Lab. Giant puppets depicting humans and animals with oversized heads in comical poses paraded through the bustling town.

According to the EDA’s Community Engagement Specialist, Teresa Chanes, the event was originally founded by Lee Honeycutt with hopes to “showcase local artists.”

Chanes said, “Ellensburg has a huge arts community that people don’t really realize … so it was a way for us to allow people to show and display their talent.”

The artists are found primarily through social media. According to Chanes, the EDA posts on their social media accounts prior to the event with a sign up sheet which can fill fast due to the amount of talent in the valley.

As Ellensburg is typically quiet, Tyler Feddema, a Seattle student who frequently visits his friends going to CWU, said, “You just normally don’t see this type of stuff in Ellensburg, it’s been a cool thing to walk through.”

To find more information on future Ellensburg events, or to get more information about next year’s Buskers in the ‘Burg festival, readers can visit the Ellensburg Downtown Association website.

The Davidson Building downtown Ellensburg.

Photo by Brandon Davis

TwinSpin Circus busking on Pearl St.

Photo composite by Brandon Davis

Enchantment Brewing on N Main St served as a Brewfest venue.

Photo by Omar Benitez

How to eat Vegan in Ellensburg

MJ Rivera Staff Reporter

Veganism is a lifestyle that omits consumption or use of any animal product. People may choose to be vegan because of the health, environmental and financial benefits.

The “Veganuary” website offers vegan breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes from around the globe, including Mexican, French, Turkish and Chinese food, and even holiday recipes for Christmas and Easter. The site also features an ‘Eating Guides’ page including vegan menu options from fast food restaurants, many of which have locations in Ellensburg.

Local vegan options

Vegan items have found their way to many local eateries doing their part to support vegan diets. Julep, a new locally-sourced spot on Main Street, offers vegan chili, fried dill pickles, fried tofu bites, cauliflower bites, an autumnal vegan salad, a tofu po’boy sandwich, a fried cauliflower sandwich and other vegan sides. Another restaurant that caters to vegans is The Early Bird Café, located on Main Street. The café offers dishes such as the “vegan bowl,” which includes house potatoes, scrambled tofu, a roasted veggie medley, sweet potatoes, avocado, salsa and green onions.

Jeannie Bayles, The Early Bird owner, began her culinary career on the west side of Washington where she managed restaurants

for several years. When she found the location in Ellensburg, she said she knew she wanted to turn it into a café that served great food everyone can enjoy.

When asked why she felt it was important to include vegan options, Bayles said,“in the Pacific Northwest, people are much healthier and food-conscious. We like to be able to offer something that can appeal to everybody. We have a wide demographic of customers, and so we just want to make sure that we are including all eating types.”

Bayles also mentioned that they can substitute the meat in any dish with roasted veggies, because they make everything from scratch and can modify 99% of menu items to be vegan/ vegetarian.

Other popular dishes among vegans and non-vegans at the café include avocado toast made vegan and the cinnamon brown rice porridge made with coconut milk, maple syrup, cinnamon and fresh berries.

Ellensburg offers yet another restaurant that supports vegan diets: The Lunchbox Café, located across the Safeway parking lot on Ruby Street. Owner Margo Cordner began her Ellensburg career at the Yellow Church Cafe for 10 years as a kitchen manager.

According to Cordner, she wanted to create a space where anyone could feel comfortable when dining. Their menu features a vegan deli sandwich with hummus, cucumber and toma-

to, as well as an organic curry tofu salad, a romaine wrap, the “cranberry craze” salad, the simple spinach salad and four sides made entirely vegan and gluten-free. The Lunchbox also features gluten-free, vegan cookies year-round, with a GF vegan soup offering every day and smoothies.

“I want everyone to have something to eat,” Cordner said. “There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of that around, so we want to make sure you’re taken care of.”

Some of Cordner’s favorite items on her menu are the sandwiches, including the curry tofu sandwich and the pickled beet reuben. She said the soups are also excellent, especially at this time of year, and a sweet vegan treat they offer is their raspberry oat bar.

On-campus vegan options

Vegans on the CWU campus can also get their fill of diet-friendly foods. CWU Dining Services Executive Chef Joe Ritchie said, ”There have been student requests in the past [for vegan options]. I came here four years ago and that was one of the first things that was mentioned … It’s a work in progress, but it’s something that we’ve made a lot of progress on in the last couple of years.”

Ritchie said not many students had mentioned it to him before,

but that it is a movement that is gaining traction. In his experience, “vegan students tend to be very proactive. They’re very health-conscious, and they know what they want.”

According to Ritchie, his favorite vegan option on campus is the ‘spicy miso ramen’ found in Holmes Dining Room, served during lunch between 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“It’s been fun because I’ve cooked every possible vegan dish I could think of in the last couple of years,” Ritchie said. “Some of those items are gradually going to start making it on the menus downstairs.”

Perspectives of CWU community

Emily Dart, CWU student and vegan said, “I didn’t really want to eat animals and science documentaries made me learn more about how we’re not really meant to process red meat in our bodies.”

According to Dart, one of the challenges she faces in making healthy, non-meat choices in Ellensburg is that a lot of restaurants don’t have many vegan options.

She said that Beyond’s plantbased burgers are a great way to satiate meat cravings during the beginning of trying a vegan diet. After being vegan and vegetarian, Dart said eating meat and dairy now would make her feel sick.

“It’s fun to see what you can create with just vegetables, and it’s easier now than it was for people in the past,” Dart said. “There’s a lot of changing in that way, but there’s still a lot of social challenges. If you’re out with friends at a restaurant, you need to be able to stand your ground. There’s this social talent of being comfortable explaining why you’re eating a diet that you know people might not understand.”

Former CWU student and vegan Aeryn Kauffman said she used to make fun of her vegan friends before she learned how the lifestyle can benefit her health and the world.

After watching the documentary “What The Health,” Kauffman conducted her own research journey to discover the truths and myths of American agriculture and veganism.

“There’s a lot that people don’t know,” Kauffman said. “Everybody might think it’s lame to care about animals or think that vegans are so extreme … there’s been a push in recent decades to move the focus away from animals’ suffering, but I want people to know that it’s okay to care.”

According to Kauffman, anyone wanting to try a vegan diet would benefit from dedicating three months of time to adjust.

Kauffman said restaurants she knows of with vegan-friendly options in Ellensburg include Taco Del Mar, the Fresh Bar on campus, Ellensburg Pasta Company and any establishment that provides dairy alternatives for their milk beverages.

The Lunchbox Cafe.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

Remembering Shady Acres:

The once ‘peaceful,’ affordable community to be covered by Kittitas County Event Center expansion

Nearly half of residents evicted were children

A historic fight for Shady Acres: a battle spanning half a decade

Rows of abandoned trailers with colorful yet lifeless children’s toys scattered across the yards sit vacant where a community once thrived in the Shady Brook Mobile Park Home, also known as Shady Acres, on University Way across from Dairy Queen in Ellensburg.

“Sometimes I still wake up and I ask myself, where am I? I’m not in my trailer,” former Shady Acres resident of nearly two decades who was evicted from her home, Margarita Huitron, said. “It felt like they threw a bucket of cold water on us. It hurts us a lot.”

Shady Acres was a mobile home community of primarily immigrant families that held 34 homes, 24 owned and 10 rented, according to a census taken by the Shady Acres Homeowners Association (SAHA) in 2016, provided by former Shady Acres resident and daughter of Margarita, Guadalupe Huitron. 66 adults and 59 children resided there at the time of the acquisition, nearly an even split between minors and adults.

The lot was subject to a polarizing legal battle in 2019 between SAHA and Kittitas County, Corp. after the county announced they were hoping to purchase the Shady Acres lot as part of the expansion detailed in their 2016 “Kittitas Valley Event Center Master Plan.”

The county’s plan prompted protests, County Commissioner and community meetings, petitions and a visit from Gov. Jay Inslee in 2016. It also led to a court case between SAHA and Kittitas County, in which the judge ruled in favor of Kittitas County.

The Observer spoke to former Shady Acres residents who were evicted, including Guadalupe and her parents, Carlos and Margarita, as well as former resident Ron McClelland. The Observer also spoke with CWU faculty involved in the battle for Shady Acres, including former Museum of Culture and Environment (MCE) Director Mark Auslander, current MCE Director Hope Amason and NW Expressive Arts Response founder and former CWU lecturer Nan Doolittle.

The 2016 “Kittitas Valley Event Center Master Plan” stated: “The County has made an offer on [Shady Acres] and is currently conducting due diligence on the condition of the site and the assistance that would be necessary and appropriate to relocate the low-income tenants.” Sources expressed concern that this intention was not fully actualized.

“I don’t think there was a complete understanding of how it would be to be from a different country, from a different culture, and have created this incredible neighborhood,” Doolittle said.

According to Carlos and Margarita, former owner of the property Jerrold “Jerry” Barton had claimed that he would give multiple years of advance notice if residents were to be evicted, and the Huitrons did not feel this expectation was honored.

“Jerry did not give any notice when he sold the property, so Shady Acres found out when the Ellensburg Daily Record ran a story [in 2016],” Guadalupe said.

Auslander was moved to action after the first Daily Record article broke the story that the park was to be sold in April 2016, so he sent an email to over 100 community members and organized a meeting at the Methodist Church in Ellensburg in April.

At this meeting, Guadalupe connected with Auslander, Amason, Doolittle and other community members. These meetings eventually led to the forming of SAHA and the filing of a court case with help from the Northwest Justice Project. In 2018, Kittitas County was removing and demolishing mobile homes that were vacant while many residents still lived in the park, which prompted lawyers at the Northwest Justice Project to speak out in opposition of this.

On Feb. 14, 2019, a trial took place in which the Northwest Justice Project alleged that Kittitas County violated the Fair Housing Act in the acquisition of Shady Acres.

According to an article published by The Daily Record on March 16, 2019, Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson ultimately dismissed the case.

According to Auslander, the judge ruled in agreement with Kittitas County’s general counsel, claiming that there was no immediate harm done to the Shady Acres community since the lot had not yet been evacuated, despite testimonies presented claiming that property care in the community was declining as residents worried their investments would

never pay off, also disregarding the potential mental turmoil caused as a result of the impending evictions.

“Of course, this was ludicrous,” Auslander said of the ruling. “These families were living under threat of imminent eviction. It wasn’t just a question of individually housing people, but the fact that it was a mutually self-sustaining, nurturing community that was being misrepresented … as a drug-filled den of criminality.”

Auslander claimed that help from the Northwest Justice Project allowed residents five years before their eviction was finalized; their final move out date was in Aug. 2022, and the closure of the park happened in Dec. 2022.

A general contractor evaluated the homes of Shady Acres at the request of the Plaintiff and estimated that “the cost of moving many of the mobile homes at Shady Acres exceeds the fair market value of the homes, often by more than double.”

The Kittitas County Board of Commissioners announced plans to offer $6,000 compensation to evicted Shady Acres residents, less than half of what it would cost to relocate one of these homes.

According to Guadalupe, her parents received the $6,000 payment from the county, and it is her understanding that other residents also received the money, however she expressed confusion about how the county arrived at this figure.

“Shady Acres residents were also encouraged to apply for funding from the Department of Commerce through the Manufactured/Mobile Home Relocation Assistance Program,” Guadalupe said. “This program gave residents additional assistance based on the size of their homes. However, I do know that not all residents were able to receive this assistance because they did not meet income guidelines, meaning their income was above the threshold they set.”

A silent vigil and tree-planting ceremony was held in June 2016 to honor the Shady Acres community after the decision to sell the lot became public. Prayers were tied to a scarlet oak tree that was planted by residents and community members, according to The Daily Record. According to Doolittle, conversations are currently in progress with the county about moving the scarlet oak tree to a city park in remembrance of Shady Acres, before the lot is demolished.

The chronological cause for Shady Acres

Children and families of Shady Acres gathered on their community bridge on Memorial Day.

Photo by Rob Fraser

Shady Acres community gardening outdoors in the park.

Photo by Rob Fraser

Children’s toys lay abandoned in the Shady Acres lot.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

Katherine Camarata Lead Editor

Guadalupe Huitron-Lilly and her father Carlos embrace during a protest at the courthouse in 2016.

Photo by Rob Fraser

What some community members referred to as an “eye-sore,” according to Guadalupe, was seen as a safe and beloved home by many families who dwelled there until they vacated.

“I lived very happy there,” Margarita said. “We never had problems or issues with the police, no issues with the children, the parents or the adults.”

Guadalupe’s father, Carlos, mentioned with burden in his voice the significance of a stable and affordable housing option like Shady Acres.

“This was a place that charged rent cheaper,” Carlos said. “I realize that they bought the land to make their parties bigger, I understand that, but the owner who sold Shady Acres didn’t think about the impact on the community, and that was the only place that was affordable.”

Guadalupe spoke highly of the children who lived in the neighborhood and left a lasting impression on her.

“I have been thinking a lot about the children of Shady Acres,” Guadalupe said. “When I used to look at them, I would see myself and my brothers. I still do. I see all the possibilities that could be their lives.”

Ron McClellan was a resident of the park on and off since 1994 and had only positive remarks about his former home.

“It just became a home with neighbors who help, and that was one thing I really liked about it, because you got to meet your neighbors and it seems like everybody there was helpful,” McClellan said. “Everybody was happy.”

McClellan recalled the “horrible” experience of being notified in 2016 that they would need to evacuate Shady Acres.

“It’s really shocking,” McClellan said. “What are we going to do now? Because even though my trailer was an older mobile home, you know, it needed work. But still, it was a home.”

McClellan reported facing financial insecurity and burden as a result of his eviction.

“I am on a fixed income,” McClellan said. “So it’s been very difficult now, when everything is sky high on prices. I’m paying almost $1,000 a month here and I’m in a studio apartment, not even a one bedroom … I don’t know how I’m going to be able to make it if it keeps going up. I’ve been

accepted for a house from Habitat for Humanity, so that was a big relief for me. But again, we’re still stuck at the same problems, the cost of everything keeps going up.”

Carlos said the shift has been “drastic” since their home was sold and residents were evicted.

“We had to come to Yakima,” Carlos said. “We lived at Shady Acres for about 20 years. It’s a very peaceful town. Sometimes I would go to the store and people would say ‘hello,’ not only within Shady Acres, but within Ellensburg. I go out now here, and nobody says hello to me.”

Guadalupe expressed the importance of ownership within her community.

“Whether it’s a mansion or whether it’s a trailer, the sense of ownership should not be diminished by it being one or the other in the sense of meaning that it has for the purchaser,” Guadalupe said.

Shady Acres was widely populated by immigrant farm workers and their children, according to Guadalupe.

“What is this telling us about the perception of the LatinX community in Kittitas County?” Guadalupe said.

“Especially people like my father who came as a young man to work the lands in Ellensburg and then brought us to live here. He was the oldest male in his family, so he didn’t get to go to school to learn to read and write. Today, this same man has three children who together have earned three bachelor’s and two master’s degrees. My father did his best to provide us a safe home, just like all of the other parents at Shady Acres.”

Guadalupe continued: “Ellensburg in many ways is nice and welcoming, but in other ways there’s an undercurrent of inequality and racism that showed up with the commentary made about the purchase to justify the purchase.

‘The fairgrounds are historical, they’re cultural,’ but at the cost of another community that has a culture.”

Auslander, Amason and Guadalupe all mentioned that the county’s plans for the lot have fluctuated over time and lack clarity, and all reported that community members proposed using the Shady Acres space to house “swine” or other livestock for 4-H instead of being used for RV parking.

The Observer reached out to the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners for comment but did not receive a response prior to the time of publication.

According to current Director of the MCE Hope Amason, the city of Ellensburg commissioned an external firm to do a housing survey of Ellensburg in 2017 and the results showed 0% occupancy rate in Ellensburg, so Amason and her colleagues were very aware of the threat looming over Shady Acres residents when they faced eviction.

The MCE hosted an exhibit featuring Mexican folk art in 2016, and one section of the exhibit served as a space for those impacted by the Shady Acres acquisition to create shrines and other crafts.

Amason, with the help of some of her Museum Studies students and Doolittle, offered childcare to Shady Acres residents during their community meetings. Photographer Rob Fraser documented the Shady Acres community through photos, some pictured here, for a collection titled “Faces of Shady Acres.”

The Huitron family expressed gratitude for the help of community members in the fight for their homes.

“Thankfully, there were university professors that came together to help us get more time because they only wanted to give us a year,” Margarita said. “He [Auslander] helped to bring in the lawyers to help us get the permission to stay for five years.”

Auslander said that despite the loss of the Shady Acres lot, the experience brought out the power and goodness in their community.

“There was the most amazing transformation in the Shady Acres community,” Auslander said. “They came together, they knew themselves as a community, as a voice. A truly beautiful, life-giving, dynamic community was destroyed and scattered. I think of some of the remarkable young people, especially young women, who were

tweens at that age, but who really became quite active in retrospect to vote, and so I’m trying to look for a few silver linings.”

Amason mentioned the significance of remembering Shady Acres and its place in Ellensburg.

“I’m here to support the community and to advocate for the community … and to use whatever resources I have to make sure that people know about Shady Acres,” Amason said. “Even though people had to move out, this is an important history now in Ellensburg, that this community existed and that they were important, that they cared about each other and that they are a part of who we are as a city.”

Doolittle emphasized that this is not just a community of white people, and efforts to be inclusive of all families here are necessary.

“Other people live here, they love here, they work here,” Doolittle said. “We need to hear their voices, and sometimes they don’t speak English. We need to remember that, so if we do send out questionnaires, we need to make sure the people they’re reaching can actually read and respond.”

Guadalupe said she hopes Kittitas County will continue working with Doolittle to relocate the memorial tree, and that leaders will find a way to address the lack of affordable housing in this area.

“What happened with Shady Acres is shameful and will forever taint the history of the fair and rodeo,” Guadalupe said. “There is absolutely no justification for removing individuals from their homes to provide additional parking for people that may not even be from Kittitas County … A recognition from county leaders that what they did was wrong would also be nice, but I don’t have high hopes for that.”

Mobile homes at the Shady Acres park stand vacant, awaiting demolition.

Photo by Rob Fraser

Community members protested the eviction of Shady Acres residents.

Photo by Rob Fraser

Title Wave

‘Cats Against Assault’ claims lack of accountability in Title IX cases on campus: Campus protests call for change

Katherine Camarata

Lead Editor

A new Instagram account titled Cats Against Assault made waves and garnered over 1,400 followers since their first post on Oct. 20, 2022, which introduced the group as “students advocating for CWU to enforce Title IX Laws and hold predators accountable.”

The Cats Against Assault page posts details about certain Title IX cases at CWU that the creators claim were mishandled or did not reach fair resolution, and some posts have mentioned the Ryan Aspiri Dining Services misconduct case previously covered by The Observer (See “Dining services supervisor investigated for ‘inappropriate boundaries’”).

The page shared a list of demands the creators of the account have emailed to President James Wohlpart and VP of Financial Affairs Joel Klucking, who they claim have not fulfilled these demands for better conditions in the handling of Title IX cases – despite having promised to do so in June 2022, according to a petition shared on their Linktree and their posts.

At the time of reporting, 211 people had signed the petition and over 30 people had submitted their own Title IX stories to the Cats Against Assault team. The Observer conducted exclusive interviews with two of the creators of the account.

Their demands included: “A free and accessible general counsel/attorney” for Title IX victims, the “rights, options and risks” of victims in Title IX cases provided in writing at initial meetings with coordinators, a strictly-followed timeline that meets federal requirements of being handled within 90 days, more training for Title IX employees, for the burden of no contact orders to fall on perpetrators instead of victims and for temporary suspension from work for Title IX perpetrators until their cases are resolved.

Implications of Title IX

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states that, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

The CWU website states: “Central Washington University is committed to providing a learning, working and living environment that promotes per

CWU Chief of Staff and Interim Vice President of Public Affairs Andrew Morse gave a statement to The Observer: “Central Washington University is committed to the safety and success of our students. We also take complaints of gender-based violence— or any other forms of harassment, violence, and discrimination—seriously, and are following established university policy to investigate allegations in accordance with federal law and regulation.”

“We are always working with our shared governance groups, including student leaders, to improve our policy and practice on a continuous basis. This includes the formation of a task force to evaluate best practices on gender-based violence prevention that will further elevate equity-mindedness in our structures and systems on campus.”

Exclusive interviews with creators of Cats Against Assault

To protect the identities of our sources, we will refer to them as Source # 1 and Source # 2. Source # 1 said she is a female student at CWU and Source # 2 said she is a female senior attending CWU. The sources chose to remain anonymous because they said they feared retaliation from CWU administration for speaking out about this topic.

Source # 2 gave general details about their own Title IX case, in which the source claimed a former professor at CWU touched a “private area” on their body on multiple occasions, as well as made inappropriate comments toward them.

Source # 2 said the professor left the university in the middle of the investigation, which she said meant that a violation of the no contact order placed between the two parties would no longer be punishable by the university. Source # 2 said they were not informed of the professor leaving until months after it happened.

Source # 1 said in their experience, “Reporting sexual misconduct in the current system is designed to make students fail. No matter how many questions you ask, no matter if you have an attorney, it doesn’t matter how much evidence you have, the chances that your perpetrator will be held accountable is slim to none, even if they’re a professor. That was a hard pill to swallow.”

“[Creating Cats Against Assault] was not necessarily something that I wanted to do, it was something that needed to be done,” Source # 1 said. “I started taking note of every policy Central was routinely breaking, every aspect of the reporting process that was retraumatizing people, federal laws that they were

After taking note of these allegedly breached policies and the shared experience with others around her, Source # 1 said she wrote an email to President Wohplart that was shared on the Cats Against Assault page with their list of demands for reform. She said this was met with promises to make these changes happen, but after waiting five months, she did not see these changes happening.

Source # 1 said President Wohlpart’s reply was that close to none of the demands had been met. The university is understood to have posted a Title IX job listing in September 2022 searching for an on-campus person to do intake, but according to Source # 1, none of the other promised de-

mands had been met.

“So many of the changes that we’re asking for don’t cost money,” Source # 1 said. “There was really no excuse for not having it done, for having five months and not having it done.”

Source # 2 claimed that this lack of response was the final straw before creating the Instagram account.

“I personally was in my own Title IX case all of last year,” Source # 2 said. “I had to watch some friends go through the Title IX process and have very similar experiences to myself, and I think the tipping point was finally getting to a point where we had confirmation from the President [Wohlpart] that he was going to be working on changes in the Title IX department, and then hearing rumors that more staff was getting involved with student Title IX cases and then having us reach back out to him for a progress update, getting an extremely vague response and no timeline indicating that he is planning on implementing those things that he promised us.”

The sources both said it was “heartbreaking” to hear stories of so many other students going through this situation, yet they found empowerment through unity.

“As a victim, it’s easy to fall into defeat and feeling like it’s your fault, and it’s really emotional to see how many people have gone through the same thing as you,” Source # 2 said. “On the other hand, it’s also rewarding because you’re kind of bringing that group together and we all can relate to each other, so it’s a powerful thing.”

Community outreach and involvement

On the Cats Against Assault page, there are links to a petition people can sign supporting their demands for reform, as well as an anonymous form people can fill out detailing their own Title IX experiences.

“The Title IX department does a good job of making you feel like your situation is an isolated experience,” Source # 2 said. “Once we started this Instagram, all these people were like, ‘okay, I did go through this, and they should not have done that and it is against the law,’ and everyone is realizing what they did was wrong, and it’s been really cool to see people be inspired by the Instagram to now go and fight for themselves again.”

Source # 2 commented that what CWU administration presents on the surface has felt like a “slap in the face” compared to the lack of action behind it.

“I’ve seen the president go and make speeches in front of crowds saying how he’s going to keep the campus a safe place … and then behind the scenes, it’s a completely different story,” Source # 2 said. “We’re reaching out, we’re exasperating all of our resources to make sure we can create a safe place on campus and they’re ignoring us.”

Cats Against Assault has expanded beyond the CWU campus into the greater Ellensburg community, where they handed out over 250 fliers at the Kittitas County Farmers Market in October 2022.

“We actually ran into a couple people at the farmers market that had been through their own cases, and they didn’t tell us at the time but they reached out to us on the Instagram afterwards and they were like, ‘we just got this flier, thank you so much for starting this page,’” Source # 2 said.

“[Creating Cats Against Assault] was not necessarily something that I wanted to do, it was something that needed to be done.”

- Source #1

Protesters walking for what they believe.

Photo by Yohanes Goodell

“Learning Commons organized protest against Title IX violations on Nov. 1”

“President Wohlpart responds to Title IX protests”

“Title Wave: Learning Commons tutors detail allegations against supervisor”

Q & A with Director of Civil Rights Compliance Thomas Pederson

Q & A with Director of Human Resources Staci Sleigh-Layman

The art of protest in Iran

“The expression of revolution and the display of the oppressed”

Morgana Carroll Scene Editor

Protests aren’t always done through the usual means of marches and cheers, according to Professor of History of Art and Architecture at the University of Massachusetts, Dr. Pamela Karmi. Art has been used as a form of protest in Iran since before the ‘80s.

According to Karmi, protest art used to be more underground and subtle, often taking place in remote areas where the morality police aren’t likely to intrude but now with recent events that have happened in Iran, Karmi describes recent protest pieces as “in your face.”

The Museum of Culture and Environment hosted a webinar on Nov. 19 where they invited experts on the Iranian region to speak about the country’s civil unrest. Both of the protests that have sparked up since Mahsa Jina Amini’s death in custody and the displays of struggle that were happening before the Morality Police’s arrest of Amini and her death in their custody.

“[Protest] art is so important because in the last 43 years, Iranians have not had the opportunity to form opponent political parties to the central government,” Karmi said in an interview with the observer. “Since we haven’t had these opponent political groups, people have had to express their grievances, their opinions that are often against the central regime, in different forms, in the form of literature, in the form of art and in the form of theatrical performances.”

Karmi said one of the reasons that protest art has been so prevalent in Iran recently is because of the power of social media.

“It’s particularly powerful because of social media,” Karmi said. “People don’t have time [to] read hundreds of texts written by journalists on social media; but they do have time to glance over an image, and a powerful image is worth 1,000 words.”

An example of Iranian protest art going viral was the song “Baraye” by Shervin Hajipour. According to Karmi, “Baraye” became the unofficial protest song of Iran, Hajipour was arrested just days after posting the song.

“Sheravin posted “Baraye,” which means ‘for the sake of’ or ‘because,’ recorded in his room and posted on Instagram for his followers and was shared more than 40 million times on social media platforms in just two days,” Karmi said.

According to Karmi, another protest display that spread rapidly over social media was the “Red Fountain in Tehran.” An anonymous artist dyed the water in multiple historic fountains red including the fountains in Daneshjoo Park, near the city theater, and in front of the Artists’ Forum.

“An anonymous artist made Tehran in Blood, dying fountains in important cultural centers red,” Karmi said. Karmi said the one piece of artwork that had to make her look twice in case she wasn’t seeing things right was the tampon flowers on security cameras.

“A bunch of anonymous women went into the Tehran metro stations and they covered the surveillance cameras with [Feminine Hygiene Products],” Karmi said. “The way that they have placed these tampons over the security cameras makes them look like little flowers in the ceiling.”

Karmi said she couldn’t tell that it was connected to Iranian protest art at first when she saw it on social media. She said that this is an example of how protest art can sometimes be mistaken for general art pieces.

“The first time I saw the picture I said, ‘Okay who’s doing these flowers on the ceiling? It’s kind of boring, I’m sorry,’” Karmi said. “Then I noticed that they were [feminine hygiene products] and they are actually real works of resistance against surveillance and against the morality police.”

Voices of Ukraine: stories in times of unrest

Andrew Ulstad Staff Reporter

Vladislav Bulgar went to bed somewhere around 1-2 a.m. the morning of Feb. 24 in his hometown of Odessa, Ukraine. He awoke to his grandmother barging into his room with tears in her eyes. He remembers that she simply said, “Vlad. They come. It’s war now.”

Bulgar had stayed out late on the night of Feb. 23. He said he spent the night and early hours of the morning skating with his friends in Odessa, the third most populous city in Ukraine.

His story is not a unique one in war torn Ukraine. Vasilisa Gorislavets, a film director from Kyiv, said she saw Feb. 23 as just another night on set.

Dr. Volha Isakava, a Russian language professor and chair of the department of world languages and culture at CWU, works with Ukrainian refugees in central Washington. She said that although most people in the west believe the war started with the invasion on Feb. 24, Ukrainian people have suffered under the thumb of Russia for centuries.

Isakava said the history of Ukraine is complexly intertwined with Russia.

“Ukraine has been a colony and has been suppressed by Russia for centuries,” Isakava said. “It has always had emancipatory colonial struggles.”

This history has created a sense of rebellion in the former soviet state. Bulgar describes fighting with cops as a right of passage among Ukrainian teenagers.

When Russia launched their full scale invasion, Bulgar said this sense of harmless rebellion took on another meaning, one of fortitude and resilience.

As those who could fight prepared to, an even larger population prepared to flee. According to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 7.2 million people have been granted refugee status as a result of Russia’s invasion.

A fleeing artist

Gorislavets worked in film production in Ukraine. On Feb. 23, she had been working on set late and got to bed around 4 a.m. on the day of the invasion.

She awoke to the text from CWU Russian language student Muir Hamilton, with whom she had formed a bond while Hamilton was studying abroad in Kyiv, Ukraine. According to Gorislavets, the text read simply, “The war has begun. You need to leave Ukraine.”

What followed was days of moving in packed trains and buses, trying to get from Ukraine to Poland and eventually out of Eastern Europe. Gorislavets said the environment at the Ukrainian train station was tense on that first day.

“Nobody is really, at that point, thinking with their head because … there is a real threat of death,” Gorislavets said.

The first leg of her trip, a train ride from Kyiv to the Polish border, would normally have taken around 10 hours. Gorislavets said that it took closer to 16 hours because the train would frequently stop and turn off all lights to avoid being targeted by airstrikes.

On that train towards Poland, she said she witnessed a moment common to many refugee families: saying goodbye. Gorislavets said she saw a family of five huddled together, the father staring out the window.

“At one point [the father] said ‘Dear, I cannot go any further. I am a man and … I must defend the country’ and he left the train and went to the front,” Gorislavets said.

Gorislavets said the Ukrainians fighting this war are regular people; friends, brothers and waiters who answered the call. She said she fears for the mental wellbeing of those returning from the front after witnessing so much death firsthand.

Her older brother is one of those fighting on the front lines. The last time she saw him Gorislavets said, “I have known this person a very long time, so I can see the psychological effects [of fighting].”

Skating by in a war

Bulgar described himself as a pretty average Ukrainian teenager. When his country was invaded by Russia, Bulgar said he stayed for around 5 months.

Bulgar, an avid skateboarder, was given a medical exemption from military service due to past skating injuries to his leg. Meaning, even though he was 18, he would not be allowed to join the defense of his home country.

On the day of the invasion, Bulgar said he was set to begin an internship with a restaurant. He took a bus into the city to learn that his employment would be put on hold due to the war. Rather than simply turning and heading home, Bulgar decided to visit the city park and listen to music.

Over his rock music, he heard his first explosion of the war.

“I [ran] to the bus station, and I see no buses…I see flying anti-aircraft rocket flying in the center of the city,” Bulgar said.

These kinds of strikes became commonplace in Bulgar’s life over the next few weeks. During his speech he recalled one incident where he saw the flash of a bomb through his closed eyelids in bed. After waiting a moment to hear the explosion, he got up and looked off his balcony.

“I see suddenly a missile flying across my house…maybe 100 and a half meters [away],” Bulgar said. The missile then hit a gas station down the street, he said this was the moment he knew that he had to leave Ukraine.

His mother agreed Bulgar needed to leave. After contacting a beneficiary in Seattle, she sold her cosmetology tools, her car and even her business to raise enough money to get Bulgar out. Bulgar said his mother sacrificed all this for him to escape from Ukraine and study at CWU.

A central connection

Both Bulgar and Gorislavets are now among the student body of CWU. According to Isakava, they are not the only Ukrainian refugees to come to the Central Washington area. This war, although thousands of miles away, has rippled out to affect our community and others like it all over the globe. There have been over 12 million cross-border movements in the eight months since the invasion, according to the UNHCR. Bulgar and Gorislavets’ stories serve as reminders that there are real lives behind each of those statistics.

Many nonprofit organizations have created dedicated programs for the Ukrainian people. Global Giving, World Vision and Heart to Heart International all have funds set up for civilian aid. The national website of Ukraine has resources for donating directly to the military, rebuilding efforts or medical aid at war.ukraine. ua. Web resources such as charitynavigator.org have been set up to vet the authenticity of nonprofits.

As Iranians saw her face, they rubbed their own faces to the ground

Poll finds CWU students have become desensitized to police brutality

Morgana Carroll News Editor

A poll of 85 students taken on campus last week by The Observer showed that the majority of CWU students believe they have become desensitized to seeing news about police brutality. 63 out of 85, or 74.12%, of students polled said they feel they have become desensitized.

Some students said they feel this is the result of social media and how they have more accessibility to the news of police brutality.

“We’re so used to hearing about mass death that death doesn’t mean much anymore,” Quinn King, an undeclared first year, said.

Lecturer in Law and Justice Todd Mildon said that he thinks the reason for desensitization is how accessible information is on social media.

“It could be a feedback loop,” Mildon said. “People become desensitized to violence and they become more likely to commit violence because it has less of an emotional consequence.”

Some students said that despite police brutality becoming almost routine at this point, they still are not desensitized and their reactions are as strong as ever.

“I have a lot of empathy, so everytime this happens again, I get really upset,” Senior Elementary Education Major Lee Schwartz said. “I just want it to finally stop.”

The poll also revealed that of the 44 people who said they had heard about what happened to Tyre Nichols, 33 of them had found out about it through social media. Four had found out through mainstream news, and seven had found out through other means.

63 of the polled students said they think that society has become complacent to police brutality, while 22 of the polled students don’t think that society has become complacent.

Some of the students who answered ‘no’ said that while they feel like a large part of society has become complacent, there are still people who protest and make demonstrations after instances of police brutality.

Aiden [Collins] Schoch, a third year in law and justice, said that he feels like society has become complacent because of how helpless people feel to make lasting change.

“I think a lot of people feel powerless,” Schoch said. “As important as individual

action can be, a lot of people feel like it isn’t enough.”

Mildon said that it is important for society not to get desensitized to police violence. He said the consequence of becoming desensitized is a tolerance of immoral acts, as was historically the case when many Americans were desensitized to slavery and segregation.

“One of the ways that we ensure that violence does not become more common is for all of us to be more outraged by it than we are when we become desensitized,” Mildon said. “In order to protect our own society, we have to remain vulnerable to the emotional impact of violence around us.”

If you have been a victim or have experienced trauma related to gun violence, the CWU Student Counseling Center and WildcatCARE365 can offer resources and support.

Gun violence in America: CWU students share experiences

Assistant News Editor

According to the Mass Shooting Tracker, as of Feb. 6 there have been 69 mass shootings in 2023. These shootings resulted in the death of 116 and the wounding of 262 people. A mass shooting was defined as, “an incident of violence in which four or more people are shot.”

Washington has been affected by one mass shooting in 2023, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker. The shooting in Yakima took place on Jan. 24. According to ABC News, Jarid Haddock went into a Circle K and killed three people, later killing himself.

According to a poll collected in April 2021 by Pew Research, 53% of Americans believe gun laws should be more strict, 32% believe the laws are “about right,” and 14% believe the laws should be less strict.

Student’s perspective on gun violence Ian Moffet, a senior public relations major, was a victim of gun violence in April 2021.

“I got shot … in the face … someone was trying to murder me,” Moffet said. “Someone I knew. There [was] mental illness involved with schizophrenia.”

Dede Moreno, a junior graphic design major, said she experienced gun violence in her own life when she was shot in 2020.

“We were just having a get-together at my cousin’s house, and one of our friends had pulled out a gun and drinking was involved too,” Moreno said. “He was just kind of showing us how to load the clip.”

Moreno said the friend cocked the gun back and unloaded the clip, then pulled back the trigger, thinking that it was empty.

“I just happened to be in the line of sight,” Moreno said. “It [the bullet] went right through my arm. It was a really intense moment that happened in my life, but for the most part, I’m okay.”

Moreno said when she sees a mass shooting on the news, she isn’t surprised.

“With the gun laws that we have, they’re pretty less restricting,” Moreno said. “It’s so easy to access guns wherever you go.”

Moffet said he is sad that Americans tend to be numb to mass shootings.

“I was in [the] UK this summer and I was talking to some Scottish guy about it and he was like, ‘we can’t even imagine any sort of gun violence,’” Moffet said. “Just to get to a point where we’re surprised again. Obviously [I] don’t want any of it to happen, but can we skip to a point where we’re surprised?”

Moreno said she believes gun laws should be stricter, and if someone chooses to own a gun, they should go through a training course and find a firearm that fits them personally.

“With the situation I went through, I feel like if he had known better safety precautions and when to and when not to bring out guns, especially if alcohol is involved,” Moreno said. “It should be common sense not to do that, but obviously a lot of people don’t understand safety with guns.”

Moffet said there should be stricter sentences for gun violence and the U.S. should have federal Red Flag Laws.

According to lawdistrict.com, “A red flag law allows police officers, doctors, family members, or even co-workers to petition a state court to take away an individual’s firearms for up to a year if they believe that person is a danger to themself or others.”

CWU’s response to gun violence

In 2019, there was a threat of an active shooter on CWU’s Ellensburg campus. According to Assistant Chief of the CWU police department Eric Twaites, the threat turned out to be false and was due to miscommunication through many channels.

“With all the training that we had, we responded appropriately and quickly realized that there was no actual active shooter on campus, which was a blessing,” Twaites said. “As unfortunate as the event was, that still once again showed that … we haven’t had any violence with guns on campus.”

Twaites said in the almost 23 years he has worked for the CWU police department, he hasn’t seen any trends in gun violence on campus.

“We were incredibly blessed [because] we have not had any gun violence on campus,” Twaites said. “We have a very good community. We’re a very safe community … I think it’s due to a lot of the community outreach and partnerships that we have with our students, staff and faculty.”

To help students avoid gun violence in their own lives, Twaites said people who are in an environment where they don’t feel safe or think something is odd, report it.

“If you’re ever in question of something, call 911 and then we can go and respond and figure out what the situation is. Just always be aware of your surroundings,” Twaites said.

Twaites said it is also important for gun owners to understand their firearms and treat them as if they are always loaded.

“There’s probably more accidental discharges when individuals are cleaning their firearms,” Twaites said. “When they’re in your house, make sure they’re locked and that’s by law … they’re not toys.”

If someone is not used to their firearm, Twaites recommended attending a firearm training class.

Twaites said CWU has a lot of programs and educational pieces to teach students, faculty and staff how to properly handle firearms.

“We [have] a women’s self-defense class called R.A.D through the PE department,” Twaites said. “We just talk about how to properly handle your guns [and] how to store them if you have them.”

CWU has also created an educational safety video on what to do in the case of an active shooter on campus, which can be found on the CWU website.

Police Officer prepared to enforce.

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Megan Rogers

CWU students contribute to surge in youth voting

Morgana Carroll Scene Editor

Political analysts across various TV networks and their claims of an imminent “red tsunami,” plagued the airwaves months prior to the 2022 midterm elections. A “red tsunami” is when the Republican party gets a large increase in votes.

The results of election day subverted those expectations, and those same analysts said this was largely due to the demographic of 18-29 aged voters.

27% of voters between the ages of 18-29 showed up to vote this year, according to NPR, making it the second largest midterm turnout for that demographic. The highest was 26% in 2018. Out of a poll of 100 CWU students, 63 said that they had voted.

As youth voter turnout has increased, CWU student voter turnout has also increased.

ASCWU Director of Governmental Affairs Joseph Burke said that more CWU students have been voting recently.

“In the last few years absolutely we’ve seen an upward trend of students coming in to register to vote and to vote,” Burke said.

The students who voted were asked what they thought the most important issue this election season was.

33 of the 63 student voters polled said abortion and reproductive rights were the most important thing on the ballot.

The second most important issue according to polled student voters was economic issues. 13 of the polled students thought that economic topics such as inflation and gas prices were the most important issues, with the most common reason for this being the universal affects the economy has on people.

“Gas prices rising is an issue because we live in a country with very little public transportation,” second year public relations student Brian Valencia said. “If you want to go anywhere outside of town, you need to use a car to do so and that means buying gas.”

Students being unsure of the most important political issue to them was the third most common answer with five answers. A number of students said they didn’t know a lot that was on the ballot until they were in the process of voting, and four students said that after voting they still weren’t entirely sure what they had just voted on.

Of the 63 students polled, 45 said they felt that the electoral process had little to no fraud. Six said they believed there was widespread corruption in the electoral process, and 12 said they were unsure. 47 of the polled students felt that mail-in voting had little to no fraud. 12 out of 63 said that mail-in voting leads to voter fraud and three said they are unsure.

Students who didn’t vote often said that the reason they didn’t vote was because they didn’t know how.

“I registered to vote, but I didn’t know what I was supposed to do to actually vote,” freshman computer science student Monalisa Tauanuu said. “It just feels like the resources that tell you how isn’t very accessible.”

Third year biomedical science student Dylan Arrendono said the reason he didn’t vote was because he didn’t feel his vote mattered.

“I just feel like my vote wouldn’t matter either way,” Arrendono said. “It just isn’t impactful.”

City of Ellensburg hopes to combat rising rent prices and housing shortage

Omar Benitez Staff Reporter

The City of Ellensburg is currently facing an ongoing housing crisis according to Community Development Director Jamey Ayling. The city has enacted a housing action plan aimed to combat the shortage. This includes plans to increase production of housing.

The housing action plan currently underway in the city was put together by the Ellensburg Affordable Housing Commission.

According to Ayling, the City of Ellensburg needs to produce about 281 housing units annually until 2037 to properly deal with the growth the city has experienced and the shortage, representing a 162% production increase over current annual net product of 107 units per year.

With the current undersupply of housing units, that means that rent has increased throughout the city, further reducing the number of affordable housing units available.

According to the City of Ellensburg, about a third of the households in Ellensburg are cost burdened, meaning that the amount of rent paid exceeds over 30 percent of the household’s income.

The housing action plan hopes to address the situation by building more affordable units, with about 57 units planned.

According to Ayling, they still need more if they really want to make a difference.

“It’s not enough,” Alying said. “We're probably only hitting 5% maybe right now, and I think that needs to increase.”

Ayling said he is hopeful the housing plan will be able to address these issues, but he said he knows right now there are certain obstacles getting in the way of the plan getting done.

“Time is the biggest obstacle, there's just a lot of pressure for development” Ayling said.

Ayling said that even if Ellensburg can manage to increase its production of housing, things are going to take time until the city fully completes the housing plan.

“There's probably a five year minimum to look at catching up, and that's just catching up,” Ayling said.

Housing action plans have become much more common now since the Biden administration has aided with helping small growing cities across the country, according to Whitehouse.gov.

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CWU’s first-ever Black history and culture musical event celebrates

Zileni Milupi

Assistant Scene Editor

Drill step, thought-provoking poetry and soaring operatic vocals were a few of the many highlights of CWU’s first ever Black history and culture musical celebration, held in McIntyre Recital Hall on May 1.

Under the leadership of Associate Professor of Saxophone Dr. Kendra Wheeler, students of the saxophone studio organized the event in collaboration with other disciplines in the department as a post celebration of Black history month, traditionally celebrated in February.

“Black people everywhere are Black every day, all day of the year, but history and culture can always be celebrated and can always be appreciated,” Wheeler said. “It’s great that we have that history month, but when we’re talking about a rich history and culture of people and peoples, it is important that they are recognized more than just one time a year.”

Thunderous applause and ringing cheers were abundant at the recital hall after each performer demonstrated the artistic beauty of Black culture through music and poetry.

The performers showcased the works of prominent Black artists such as Maya Angelou and opera composer William Grant Still.

Wheeler explained that she wanted as much variety in the genre and style of performances as possible to embody Black influence in classical music.

“When we think about [Black] history and culture and music in particular, we might naturally gravitate towards jazz, which is an African diasporic art form and it’s so important to the history and culture of America as a whole,” Wheeler said. “But from the beginning of classical music in the US, we’ve also had a really strong Black operatic presence as well. So we’ve been involved in classical music for a long time, not only as opera singers, but as composers, violin players and string players.”

Black Student Union (BSU) representatives Clinical Psychology first year Shadaē Ingram and Biology Biomedical first year Tiesha Randle and student Heaven Pollard, performed their modern take on the traditional dance form called hamboning. Hamboning is a rhythmic dance that involves hitting or slapping different areas of the body, including the chest, arms and legs.

The dance form, which has evolved into drill step, originated from slavery, during which drums and other musical instruments were taken from Black people, leaving them to craft alternative ways to create messages through rhythm.

Ingram also performed a poem she wrote herself called “Assault and Battery: Damnation” in which she details the violence and injustices that Black people face on a daily basis.

Ingram used what she called “uncomfortable words” to elicit graphic imagery of death that illustrates the unfortunate reality of Black people in America.

“I use words like ‘decapitated’ and phrases like ‘ripping my fingers off, only two drops of blood fill in,’” Ingram said. “The way I wrote it was to spark that feeling of, ‘Oh this doesn’t feel nice,’ because it’s not nice. As Black people today, we have to live through that not niceness, just to find a little crumb of niceness. So I write it with disturbing words, because I want people to be disturbed and to think about it two or three weeks later.”

Wheeler said she hoped the audience would enjoy their experience at the event.

“I hope they leave feeling inspired and motivated and energetic,” Wheeler said. “And also perhaps feel they might have learned something new, either about a new composer or work or just gained maybe even a deeper appreciation for Black History and Culture.”

Special guest performer Jadrian Tarver

The event featured a special guest performance from Associate Professor of Vocal Performance at Gonzaga University Jadrian Tarver.

Wheeler had reached out to Tarver, who is also her friend and former doctoral classmate at Michigan State University, as he had recently done a similar event at Gonzaga University. Travar explained that he was excited to participate in CWU’s event as he always looks for opportunities to perform music of underrepresented composers of color, specifically Black composers.

Travar performed three songs by different composers with only one half hour rehearsal session before the event. Tarver performed “Sul Margine’’ by Joseph Boulogne Chevalier de Saint-Georges, “Prayer” composed by H. Leslie Adams and written by Langston Hughes and “Witness” by Hall Johnson.

Tarver gave his thoughts on the event being CWU’s first Black history celebration.

“I think that representation matters,” Tarver said. “And when you have faculty members and staff members of color, that is important. We live in an era and a time where non-people of color, specifically white people, may feel uncomfortable putting those things [cultural celebrations] on because of things such as cultural appropriation, lack of knowledge in those specific areas. It’s an opportunity for students of color and non-students of color to come together and work together and celebrate the bedrock of American music, which is Black music.”

Tarver further explained how white people can partake and help organize cultural celebrations with care and respect, without appropriating or being offensive. Tarver explained that people not part of the culture being celebrated should establish a connection with people within that community.

“I like to look at it like this, the same way that you’re prepared to play any European composers, specifically like Mozart and Bach and Beethoven, that same interest in researching which you will put into performing, that same thing should happen when performing music by composers of color,” Tarver said. “You need to have the same level of education, the same level of research and the same level of interest.”

Tarver also gave his thoughts on Dr. Wheeler being the first Black Assistant Professor of Saxophone at CWU and stated that he is also the first Black Assistant Professor of vocal performance at Gonzaga University.

“There’s a lot of institutional and cultural racism that is taking place in the Pacific Northwest in certain towns and certain cities where Black people weren’t even allowed to have a career,” Tarver said. “I like to think of it even myself at Gonzaga. I will be the first Black assistant professor of voice here…… I think that academic institutions are making the move in order to diversify these spaces because they understand that it is important, especially for recruitment.”

Tarver said if the opportunity presented itself, he would love to return to CWU and perform or even give a lecture on Black music. Tarver overall expressed that his first performance at CWU was a great experience.

“I will say that it was extremely welcoming,” Tarver said. “The students were helpful, kind and hospitable across the board.”

CWU hired its first-ever Black band direc tor, T André Feagin, in 2020, meaning he and Wheeler are the music department’s only two Black professors. In a January 2022 inter view with The Observer, Feagin mentioned he might be some of his students’ “first Black teacher.”

Feagin talked about the department con fronting the eurocentricity of the music curric ulum and said he hoped to “help the university in its mission of creating a welcoming environment for students of underrepresented and other di verse populations.”

PhotosbyYohanesGoodell

“the bedrock of American music”

HappensJerryFussellreciting“SomethingStrange totheBodyWhenanAfroisborn”byLaurenMicheleJackson.

Shadaē Ingram thanking the crowd after her heartfelt poem “Assault and Battery: Damnation”

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CWU takes pride in Hispanic Leadership Conference attendees

Mykah Koke-Filimaua Staff Reporter

After recently attending the Hispanic Leadership Conference in Chicago, Illinois, a few of CWU’s Hispanic students returned with new knowledge and are prepared to take the next step by putting what they’ve learned into action, not only in the present at CWU, but carrying into their future.

Miguel Gomez

Miguel Gomez, a junior in accounting, said he was eager to attend and learn from industry leaders and peers.

Gomez said he learned a lot from attending workshops, however some of the most important learning points came from listening to executives and networking with them.

“Many learning points were taken, but some of the most important were from networking with the professionals, colleagues, etc.,” Gomez said.

Gomez also talked about being resourceful and facing peril to accomplish his vision of being the best he can be for his community.

“Exploring opportunities and taking risks translates to having confidence and fighting for your dreams,” Gomez said. “We have started to speak and join clubs like MEChA, LatinX and other clubs about our experience at USHLI… every organization has mentioned that they would like to have a multicultrual center.”

Alexa Silva

First year Economics major, Alexa Silva, talked about what she gained from attending the conference to become an efficient figurehead for her community.

“I gathered practical knowledge on how to become a more adequate advocate for the Hispanic community by implementing effective networking strategies and communication skills,” Silva said.

Silva shared one of her most important takeaways from the conference was being a competent leader focused on inclusion.

“One of the most significant takeaways for me was the importance of endorsing and nurturing diversity and inclusivity in leadership positions,” Silva said.

Additionally, Silva discussed the skills she’s learned at the conference in order to enhance her leadership abilities.

“This involves establishing stronger connections with individuals who share similar goals and aspirations and creating a supportive campus environment that celebrates diversity,” Silva said.

Silva said she has plans to use what she learned in her future after CWU.

“As for my future pursuits, I aspire to leverage the knowledge and insights I gained to become an effective advocate and leader for the Hispanic community

Melissa Lopez-Barbosa

Melissa Lopez-Barbosa is a junior double majoring in Information Technology and Administrative Management, specializing in cybersecurity. Lopez-Barbosa mentioned the importance of having different grade levels attend the conference.

“Having students of different grade levels attend was significant because we could speak with each other and form connections…no matter the grade level, we were there to celebrate our Latino progress and know that there is still much we must and can do for our community,” Lopez-Barbosa said.

Lopez-Barbosa said she learned about accomplishments of the Hispanic community and that one of the most important takeaways for her was a quote that came from Ernie G. at the conference: “Have the courage to be you. It enables others to be themselves and we all have something unique to share.”

Lopez-Barbosa said she is ecstatic to be more involved around campus and Kittitas County to help the local community develop advocates for the Hispanic community for the years to come.

“Now I will be more involved with our local Computer Science/STEM Kittitas County School District Advisory Board to help our local community advance and develop our future leaders,” Lopez-Barbosa said.

Lopez-Barbosa discussed representing her community and how she plans on doing that through her education.

“After I graduate with my bachelor’s degree, I’m going to pursue my master’s,” Lopez-Barbosa said. “I want to represent my community…I strive to become a Mexican American leader in cybersecurity.”

Luis Reyes

Luis Reyes was another senior majoring in Business Administration that was selected to attend the Hispanic Leadership Conference. Reyes is also ASCWU’s president and talked about what he heard from many of the keynote speakers that impacted him.

“Many speakers spoke about the importance of student leadership and how important it is to be passionate about the work you do…now I try to be more passionate about a lot of the leadership work I do as the ASCWU president”, Reyes said.

According to Reyes, his plan for putting his learning points into action is centered around leadership and passion.

“One of my biggest focuses upon returning to CWU was to elevate the roles of my peers and in a sense mentor them to be the next generation of leaders after I graduate”, Reyes said.

Reyes mentioned how he plans to help lead others to be great leaders and their success so far.

“Simply by providing them with opportunities to lead and showcase their strengths, many of them have developed as individuals and have risen up to

Hispanic Heritage Month

Morgana Carroll

News Editor

“It’s not a month to eat tacos or wear sombreros or promote Spanish-speaking tv shows,” world languages professor Andrea Herrera-Dulcet said. “It is a month to frame and discuss narratives and Hispanic heritage in the U.S. and its contribution.”

Hispanic Heritage Month spans from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and includes the dates of multiple Latin American independence days and holidays. It started as Hispanic Heritage Week under Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, and would be expanded to a month by Ronald Reagan in 1988.

Christina Torres García, a world languages professor, said she thinks it’s not enough to have a week or a month.

“Unfortunately we still have a week or a month,” García said. “We haven’t been incorporated into American history for our day to day.”

García said the reason heritage month is so important is because it’s a reminder of the contribu-

tion of the Hispanic community, especially when Hispanic representation is so low in the media and politics.

Herrera-Dulcet said the reason it’s so important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month is because it’s an opportunity to create spaces for Hispanic voices that otherwise go unheard.

“Brown stories, brown experiences, brown voices do not have the same media exposure as white voices do,” Herrera-Dulcet said. “It’s important to remember that, especially those upholding those white spaces need to observe and make room for these other voices.”

Citlali Gonzalez-Arroyo, the co-chair for Movimiento Estudiantil Chinana/o de Aztlan (MECHA) a Latinx organization that focuses on political issues, said that for her Hispanic Heritage Month is about family.

“My people, my parents are the reason why I’m here. They’re my heritage. They are my history,” Gonzalez-Arroyo said.

Herrera-Dulcet said she would like to see Hispanic Heritage

Month move away from being centered around performance and festivities, and be more about sharing experiences.

“I received an email recently from one of the public schools here in Ellensburg asking if, for Hispanic Heritage Month, we could send some students who could dance folkloric dances or play some mariachi music,” Herrera-Dulcet said. “I would like to see Hispanic Heritage Month moving away from that more like, ‘Hey, we would like to know if you could host some talks on Latinidad, or workshops on Latinx in the U.S. educational system.’”

García also thinks that Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to talk about issues that Hispanic communities are facing. One of the biggest issues García thinks needs to be discussed is immigration reform.

“I really want immigration reform to be done and over with. I want undocumented students to have a path for citizenship,” García said.

A discussion that Herrera-Dulcet said she thinks needs to be brought up more is the term Hispanic and what goes under that umbrella term. Herrera-Dulcet said that the Hispanic umbrella is broad.

“Even though this is called the Hispanic Heritage Month we really don’t have a chance to talk about all the colors, and all of the flavors, and all of the minutiae that exists in what we call the Hispanic heritage movement,” Herrera-Dulcet said. “Pointing out what makes us closer but also what makes us different, right?

It’s not the same being born in Spain, or in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Miami, or in Arizona. It’s completely different stories.”

Herrera-Dulcet said that when people think of Hispanic communities they’re usually thinking of Mexico, or some other central and south American countries, but the community includes more than that. She gives the example of such Afrolatinas being an underrepresented community. Another example he gives is a region in Mexico that has a large

amount of people with Chinese heritage.

According to Herrera-Dulcet, CWU is on the path to becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution. According to the Department of Education in order to be a Hispanic-Serving Institution it has to have at least 25% of their full time students be Hispanic. Being a Hispanic-Serving Institution would give CWU access to more funding and resources to be put toward assisting their Hispanic

Miguel Gomez.

Photo courtesy of Miguel Gomez

Alexa Silva.

Photo courtesy of Alexa Silva

Melissa Lopez-Barbosa.

Photo courtesy of Melissa Lopez-Barbosa

Luis Reyes.

Photo courtesy of Luis Reyes

Frozen walkways affect accessibility on campus

Morgana Carroll News Editor

Every October, Disability Services reach out to students who have registered that they have a disability that affects their mobility. They compile the information given by students in order to prioritize the walkways that disabled students use when it is time for snow removal.

“Snow and ice make it more difficult for everyone to safely navigate campus,” Student Disability Services Manager Wendy Holden said. “For students with disabilities that impact mobility, the problem can be exacerbated.”

Some students have voiced concerns saying that the ice and snow still make traveling during the winter months difficult.

“[The pathways are] historically awful unless it’s one of the areas with heated pipes underneath,” senior in Physics and Theater Studies Christine Anderson said. “When I lived on North Campus there were many times that I slipped and fell, especially in the residence hall parking lots and their connected walkways.”

Facilities Director Sunny Bloxham said that they keep a close eye on the weather forecast and show up the night before to plow and sand, usually between 2-4 a.m. For unexpected freezing temperatures, Bloxham says that they work closely with public safety and adapt their plans as needed.

“The facilities team has been very responsive in working with Disability Services when problems are identified,” Holden said. “Snow removal is a massive undertaking and I have always appreciated the team's willingness to quickly respond to any accessibility concerns.”

Anderson said that it often felt that the inclined sections that connected sidewalks to other walkways weren’t as thoroughly salted as they should have been and were usually more icy when other parts of the sidewalk weren’t frozen at all.

“Getting to Samuelson from any of the parking lots has been really interesting since I have 9 a.m. class and it hasn’t warmed up enough most days to have melted yet,” Anderson said. “Because I walk with a cane I often find it sliding out under me, even with the sand they put down.”

“It isn't always possible to clear every path on campus but the main walkways and paths to each building are cleared. Priority is given to clearing accessible routes which means the ramp into a building might be cleared before the stairs are,” Holden said.

Illustartion by Makayla Zayic

Breaking the Stigma: Introduction

Katherine Camarata

Lead Editor

My first story as a fresh, new staff reporter in fall of 2021 was the first installation of the Breaking the Stigma series about Autism Spectrum Disorder, with the goal to highlight the lived experiences of people with disorders, as opposed to strictly focusing on expert opinions. Since then, I have written 8 additional installations of the column featuring voices of people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to Borderline Personality Disorder to Bipolar Disorder and many others in between. This year, we featured the perspectives of those with Substance Use Disorder, Sleep Disorders and Eating Disorders. Scan the QR codes to find the full articles online and leave a comment if you relate or learn something!

Substance Use Disorders

Katherine Camarata

Lead Editor

Substance Use Disorders (SUD) exist everywhere and can often go untreated, affecting 20.4 million people in the U.S. in the past year, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Overdose has impacted Ellensburg, with 6 people passing away from overdose in the first 9 months of 2021, according to Kittitas Valley Healthcare’s 2022 report.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5, when recurring use of alcohol or drugs causes health concerns, disabilities or lack of function in daily life, it constitutes a substance use disorder.

The diagnosis is “based on evidence of impaired control, social impairment, risky use and pharmacological criteria.”

The recovery community in Ellensburg includes a variety of groups that collaborate to help residents and employees alike find hope through substance use, such as Merit Resource Services, the Kittitas County Recovery Community Organization (KCRCO) and on-campus resources through the Wellness Center or Student Counseling Services.

Breaking the Stigma

Sleep Conditions

Katherine Camarata

Lead Editor

Sleep is necessary to maintain physical and mental wellness yet many humans experience sleep impairment, with 28% of the U.S. population reporting excessive sleepy feelings throughout the day according to “Abnormal Psychology” by Barlow et al.

These conditions include a range of disorders from insomnia to hypersomnia, narcolepsy to sleep apnea and sleep paralysis. The Observer interviewed two CWU community members to feature their experiences with sleep paralysis hallucinations and idiopathic hypersomnia in the hopes of supporting those who also experience these symptoms and spreading awareness.

Eating Disorders

Katherine Camarata Lead Editor

Having an eating disorder may look like starving yourself or overeating, or it may be entirely invisible, occurring in the mind more than the body. CWU students shared their experiences living with eating disorders and Senior Lecturer and Dietitian Emily Shaw offered her professional perspective on the presence of eating disorders at CWU.

Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa characterized by extreme food restriction, bulimia characterized by purging, binge eating disorder characterized by excessive overeating and body dysmorphia characterized by a distorted sense of one’s own body image among others, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-5.

Gillian Madden; Photo by Yohanes Goodell; Design by Brandon Davis

Meet your maintence workers

Biggest changes at CWU over the years: A drop in student enrollment, there’s always a big turnover and a lot of new buildings have been built since I’ve been here.

Favorite memories on campus: Probably our potlucks, our get-togethers, our Christmas gatherings and holiday gatherings. Everybody gets together and we can all talk. I’m in this building [Bouillon] for eight hours, so I don’t get to talk to other custodians until we’re all together.

Favorite feature of campus: The Japanese garden. I think it’s so pretty, my grandkids love it. And the greenhouse, I like when they open it on Fridays. They have plants that you can buy, they’re by donation. My first time there years ago, I got my daughter like six of the plants and I put them in this pot. The plants were really little, but now it’s just this huge, beautiful plant. They’re all different, one’s a spider plant that hung, and the ones in the back were tall.

What do you wish more students knew: How to clean up after themselves, and how to be more polite. I’m always saying good morning, and they don’t say anything.

If you were granted three wishes, what would they be:

I would win the big lottery. I would buy my son a house, give money to my daughter and pay off my house, and then I would probably buy a house or condo in Hawaii. I would retire, buy a new car and live a happy, healthy life.

Biggest challenges you’ve overcome in life: Having my kids and grandkids was a challenge, but I loved it. My husband is a big kid and he’s a challenge. Another challenge is making my garden bigger and better every year. Last year I had 26 tomato plants, pumpkins, watermelon, squash, zucchini, snap peas, all your onions (white, yellow, red), radishes, bell peppers, you name it. I bring some and put them on a table downstairs, so when they walk in [to Bouillon], I have a basket and it’s just full of fresh produce, and then our building enjoys it.

Sherry Watt Years at Cwu: 15

Hometown: Phoenix, AZ

Weirdest thing you’ve seen while on the job: Students have put poop in a bag and stuck it in the microwave and it exploded. That was the weirdest. I saw some deer in front of the L and L building by the flags once.

Favorite memory on campus: When I was a kid, my dad and my brother and I would ride our bicycles around campus and we would dumpster dive. We would jump in the garbage cans to find cans to recycle, and I remember when they used to have the fountain going over by Shaw Smyser and McConnell.

Favorite place or thing on campus: One of my favorite spots is just this big field in front of Dean Hall, this bridge right over here. Sometimes I’ll go over there in the evening and just sit on the bridge, and in the evening at certain times of year, you can see the bats flying under. You see a couple bats just flying along the water catching bugs.

Favorite way to spend a day off: Hiking in the woods with my dog or making music with my band, the Ellensburg Blusers. My dog is an English silver lab. She’s my soulmate.

Best piece of advice: I tell this to my friends all the time. Three rules to life: one, stay hydrated. Two, have fun. Three, refer back to rule number one, because you’re probably not drinking enough water.

Hometown:Ellensburg, WA

Favorite part of the job: The connections that I make with all the people here.

Favorite part of campus: The SURC, because it has everything

Least favorite part of campus: The kids not cleaning up after themselves

Favorite memory while working at CWU: The people I’ve met here

Favorite extracurricular activity: Softball and golf

Weirdest thing you’ve seen at CWU: Shower poops. My boss warned me about this when training, and the next day, I saw it for the first time.

Three words to describe you: Smart, funny, humble

Best piece of advice: Enjoy life.

Best pieces of advice: Stay open-minded. Have more trust in people. Go out there and just do it.

Weirdest thing you’ve seen on the job: In high school, we played this game called fugitive, where the seniors are chasing the underclassmen and you have a destination point at night time, and you have to get from here to there without the seniors catching you. I remember my friend and I were sneaking along through the campus to get there, and we were just hunkered down in the shadows in the field over here, and the bridge was out of commission and there was a fence up, and we just see this wall of freshman hit the fence and try to climb over and escape these seniors.

Least favorite place on campus: Davies Hall, because that’s where we’ve had the most sewage explosions. Kind of traumatizing memories there a little bit.

What do you wish more students knew: The music building gets super busy and it gets trashed real quick, and I wish some of the students were more aware to pick up after themselves. It’s super helpful. I get it, though.

What’s on your bucket list: I really want to hike Mt. Stuart, because I go hiking all the time and I always see it, so it would be really cool to see the view from that vantage point.

If you could have one wish, what would it be: Less hate in the world.

What would you say to your younger self: Don’t spend your inheritance. I would have invested in Apple.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be: Prime rib

PersonalGary’s motto: Thank god it didn’t smell.

Gary Robertson Years at Cwu: 3

Hometown:Anaheim, CA

Jared Nicolai Years at Cwu: 1.5

Columns by Katherine Camarata

BSERVED

The gay agenda: when the closet comes crashing down

Katherine Camarata Columnist

Love manifests differently for everybody, but for those of us raised in heteronormative environments, where homosexuality was an oft unwanted deviation from the norm, heterosexuality can seem like the default option.

This is referred to as “compulsory heterosexuality,” the feeling that you must be straight because everybody is straight, and so you search for evidence of straightness simply because this is how the majority of people express love.

However, these numbers are swaying in the opposite direction, with 7.1% of Americans identifying as homosexual in 2022 according to a Gallup poll, a number that has over doubled

since 2012 when it was 3.5%. Despite this shift, heterosexuality is still what the majority of the world is formed to accommodate.

30 countries in the world allow same sex marriage along with some areas of Mexico, while it remains prohibited in all other areas, according to Pew Research. Don’t even get me started on polyamory, a lifestyle of having more than one romantic partner at a time. Polyamorous rights are still not recognized in America, where people are only allowed to legally marry one person at a time, even if they have multiple life partners.

What does living in a world engineered for straightness entail?

It means seeing limited representation of queer couples in happy relationships in the mainstream

media, especially in previous decades. It means feeling you have to hide your identity from your family members, who may be religious and condemn you to hell for your love.

It means fearing for your safety and ability to work peacefully if you are outed involuntarily at an inopportune time. It may even mean you attempt to conform to straightness by entering into a relationship with a “beard,” somebody of the opposite gender who fulfills a role that gives the appearance of being straight to avoid the persecution that may come from being out of the closet.

There are many reasons to remain closeted, compulsory heterosexuality being one of the foremost barriers. The first person you need to come out to

Anyone can be a woman

Morgana Carroll Columnist

I am a woman. Femininity isn’t written in law, it isn’t written in biology, it isn’t written in the stars. It’s a code we write ourselves and adhere to personally. It’s something that’s different for everyone. It’s an outfit, it’s a mask, it’s a style and everyone’s femininity is unique in the way that they wear it.

The distinction between sex and gender is worth drawing attention to when deliberating womanhood. The World Health Organization states that: “Sex refers to the biological and physiological characteristics that define men and women. Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.”

Anyone can be a woman, just by the simple act of being a woman. All it takes to be a woman is to be a woman, and doing that just requires introspection and realization. One just needs to evaluate their own feelings, their experiences, the composition of their identity, and realize who they are.

To try and police who is a woman, who can be a woman and who has the right to be a woman is nothing short of authoritarian gatekeeping. What benefit does it bring anyone to enforce a patriarchal system that defines gender? What does harassing me, saying that what I’m doing isn’t real femininity but a performance mockery of femininity, on social media achieve?

What confuses me about when other women try to gatekeep my womanhood, is why they would even spend their energy on such an endeavor. You’ve let a patriarchal society turn us against each other, rather than try to connect to each other personally and share our experiences as women. We’re being pit against each other intentionally.

This policing of womanhood has grown to such drastic proportions that cisgendered women are being hurt by transphobic rhetoric. This argumentative gatekeeping of who gets to be a woman is what prevented Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi, two cisgendered Namibian teenagers, from getting to compete in the Olympics.

Two cisgendered women were deemed too masculine to be al-

lowed to compete, based on an arbitrary system that measures arbitrary levels of hormones. The rhetoric is harming more than transwomen at this point.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, with Caster Semenya having her Olympic title taken away from her because she tested to have high testosterone levels as an intersex person, meaning she has anatomy of both males and females. Despite being intersex she didn’t know that she was intersex until the test came back because she was born and raised as a girl, having no visible male anatomy.

Societal standards of womanhood and femininity are so rooted in western, white standards that they also intersect into racism. These standards are based off of anglo-saxon ideals, much like a lot of other societal standards, going into racist and colorist territory.

Having such strict, uniform definitions of womanhood is harmful to transgendered and cisgendered women, and only aims to further a patriarchal society’s agenda.

is yourself, because it takes so many people years if not decades to admit this proudly, if they ever even get to that point. I know for myself, I didn’t admit I was attracted to all genders until I was 25, but I had many experiences with same sex partners prior to that point of recognition.

If you feel attracted to members of the same sex, if you have experimented with members of the same sex, if you are surrounded by queer folk or even if you simply aren’t sure and are tired of assuming you are straight, it may be worth looking into some queer historical figures or content creators (Kat Blaque and the Chosen Family podcast are some of my favorites), or paying a visit to the Diversity and Equity Center or Helen House to connect with like-minded individuals.

Don’t rule out the idea of being homosexual, bisexual, pansexual or even asexual simply because it seems like every man and woman is pairing up and giving each other chocolate and flowers this Valentine’s Day. You are allowed to love people of the same gender, you are allowed to be outwardly gay, even if others don’t always approve, including family and close friends. You are allowed to detach from gender entirely, or be trans and gay at the same time.

You may lose some people after coming out, but you will gain your sense of identity and independence instead of conforming

What is your definition of woman? Femininity is not written in the stars.

A painting of a rainbow.

Photo courstesy of Pexels

Photos courtesy of Pexels and NegativeSpace.com Edit by Morgana Carroll

We found the best taco trucks so you wouldn’t have to Let’s ‘taco-bout’ it!

There are many opportunities to grab a quick bite to eat in Ellensburg, and taco trucks can be found around the corner of most major streets in town. Observer columnists Hunter Rhea and Quincy Taylor decided to find their favorite street tacos in town. The online Google review ratings are listed, followed by reporter feedback and ratings based on Rhea’s and Taylor’s analysis of the cuisine. The reporter’s ratings were a combination of looking at prices for two street tacos and their overall satisfaction.

Los Chilangos

The first location that Rhea and Taylor set off to was the Los Chilangos food truck located at 310 S Main St. which features an indoor seating area. The official online review has Los Chilangos sitting at 4.5 out of 5 stars. With two tacos costing $6.45, Taylor gave them a rating of 4.5/5, and Rhea gave his final review of 4/5. The tacos felt dry and didn’t pack much of a flavor punch, but the sauce is what made the tacos stay above 3 stars.

El Loco

Next up, the pair voyaged to El Loco at 204 S. Main St. The taco truck is most recognizable by the LED lights. Located by Warrior’s Quick Stop, the business is offi-

cially rated 4.5 stars online, but the two wanted to see what the hype was all about. With two tacos sitting at an even $6, the reporters were amazed at how juicy the tacos were. Rhea gave the taco stand 4.6/5 stars while Taylor gave them 4/5. The flavors really popped out, which really made El Loco stand out from its competitors.

Fidelinas

The third taco truck for review was Fidelinas, located on 119 W 5th Ave #103, which also offers indoor seating. The indoor space was large and so were their tacos. The online review had the restaurant sitting at 4.6 stars out of 5. For $7.59 for two tacos, the ratings individually rested below expectation. Rhea gave the tacos a 3.7/5 due to the lack of flavor and the price. Taylor tried their quesadillas and gave them a 5/5 star rating.

Tacos Chalito

Fourth on the list of easy bites is Tacos Chalito (location 2), located at 601 W. University Way. Online reviews gave the taco stand 4.8 stars out of 5, so Taylor and Rhea had to see if it lived up to its reputation. For two tacos sitting at only $6, the tacos exceeded both Taylor’s and Rheas’ expectations. Both reporters gave Tacos Chalito 5/5 stars. The most memorable part about this place was not only the price, but how the carne tacos really exploded with flavors with no sauce needed.

Genesis Churro y Tamales

The last taco stand the two visited was none other than Genesis Churros y Tamales, located across from CWU at 700 E. University Way and N. Walnut St. Two tacos cost $11, but these tacos were above average, not only in price but in size as well. With the flavors really coming out of the shell and the meat being high-quality, there’s a reason why this taco stand has a rating of 4.3 online. Taylor gave Genesis a 5/5 star rating, while Rhea gave it 4.5/5 stars. Rhea would have given it a 5-star rating if the price was closer to six or even seven dollars.

Honorable Mention: Tacos Califas

We saved room for one more. An honorable mention that holds near and dear to Rhea’s heart is Tacos Califas. This stand is unconventional, because the stand owner opens at select times when he posts on Instagram. This might be an odd approach, but his tacos never miss. With an online review of 4.9 stars, Rhea gives his business 5/5 stars. His hours might be unconventional but when he sets up, business is always flowing in. Heavily recommend this taco stand for late nights out on the town.

Rhea and Taylor rate their favorite taco stands:

Photo courtesy of Pexels

Hunter Rhea and Quincy Taylor Columnists

Tacos Califas

Fidelinas

Tacos Chalito

Los Chilangos El Loco

Genisis Churros y Tamales

Hunter (left) and Quincy (right)

Photo by Yohanes Goodell

President Wohlpart’s second home to be constructed underneath Bouillon Hall

Mysterious fenced off holes mark start of new era

Katherine Camarata Satirist

What most believed to be a simple and usual construction site with holes left uncovered behind cyclone fences was actually something far more progressive and unexpected: the future location of President Jim Wohlpart’s new home.

Wohlpart said he wanted to “take one for the team” costwise with enrollment still on a decline and decided that instead of building a second home in the Maldives, he would relocate it to a concrete nest being built under Bouillon Hall.

“I couldn’t think of a better location than under a building named after soup broth ingredients,” Wohlpart exclaimed. “What could be more comforting than soup?”

Bert and Ernie celebrate their 50th anniversary

Morgana Carroll Satirist

Streamers lined the SURC as a banner with the words “Happy Anniversary Bert and Ernie!” scribbled on it was hung from the ceiling to celebrate CWU alumni Bert and husband Ernie’s 50 years of marriage together.

Bert graduated with a degree in bird watching in 1965 and would meet the then boy next door Ernie at his new Sesame Street apartment after leaving his hometown of Ellensburg. Bert proposed four years later at the Stonewall Riots.

The event was put together with the help of the alumni board and Bert’s old friend Jim Wohlpart. They tried their best to keep it a surprise, but according to Wohlpart, it’s hard to get a couple on a plane right before their anniversary date without raising a few eyebrows.

“Bert’s always been a nervous flier,” Wohlpart said. “He was asking a hundred questions as we boarded the plane.”

Over 500,000 people were at the party, nearly meeting the capacity for the SURC.

All eyes were on the dancefloor as Big Bird and Wellington discoed into the night.

“I never expected such a cool cat to be willing to boogie with me,” Big Bird said.

The party went late into the night, causing many to complain about the noise. When police officers arrived in response, rather than breaking the party up they joined in, diving onto the dancefloor to do the worm with Slimey.

The happy couple were seen laughing and enjoying themselves throughout the entire night.

“I can’t believe that this many people came out to celebrate with us,” Bert said. “To have so many good friends, it’s even better than oatmeal.”

Around halfway through the party, Ernie finally managed to pull Bert onto the dancefloor for a slow dance to “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You” by Elvis Presley.

“He has two left feet and no sense of rhythm,” Ernie said. “But there’s no one I’d rather dance with.”

The student body couldn’t agree more as they gear up for a caution-tape-cutting ceremony on April 32, where Wohlpart will be spoon-feeding his constituents ice cream and reading to them while dressed up as Wellington.

At the event, the CWU cheer squad will be carefully placing Wohlpart at the top of their pyramid before he does a somersault tumble into his freshly-renovated second home for the first time!

“I’m proud of our community for the bottom-up approach we just took to this cheer formation,” Wohlpart said while doing a snap after a crisply-landed back handspring in rehearsal.

Wohlpart said he hopes to expand his new home to include a web of tunnels underneath the school for him to travel through so he can make surprise appearances in classrooms.

“Can you imagine?” Wohlpart asked. “You’re in the middle of your COM 444 class, you’re relaxed, you think you’re having a normal day, then BAM! Here comes Wohlpart wearing a curly wig and mardi gras beads, talking about relations versus transactions. Wouldn’t that be something to write home about?”

Wohlpart said the tunnels will have wifi access, air conditioning and “enough space to work out your woes on a leisurely stroll.”

According to Wohlpart, his new “smart den” and subsequent tunnels will feature state-ofthe-art technology supported by various departments on campus. The underground dwelling will receive silver STARS in sustainability by 2025 at this rate.

Dining services has a direct tube running from the Bistro kitchen through the sidewalk and into a mouthpiece nozzle that Wohlpart can access for

food at any time, according to shoulders, knees and toes of dining, Mary Nate.

The Computer Science department in Samuelson is taking this a step further by developing a microchip that will allow Wohlpart to ingest food psychically at any time; this project is set to finish in 2025.

“The technology is advancing, and CWU is no exception,” Wohlpart explained. “We are working closely with our student governance groups to determine how best to roll out this technology to students as faculty comes to understand its twists and turns.”

Wohlpart said he hopes students will visit him in his second home, even if they have to wear headlamps and other miners gear.

“You can get a cool miner’s hat with a lamp built in and Wwellington’s outline stitched all over it at the Wildcat Shop, how can you resist?” Wohlpart said.

After construction is complete, the Recreational Center in the SURC will offer free rock-climbing workshops for those interested in learning how to visit the depths of Wohlpart’s den.

President Wohlpart’s second home is set to finish construction in 2025.

Photo composite by Morgana Carroll

Bert and Ernie in front of the SURC. Photo composite by Morgana Carroll

Intramurals and clubs at CWU

Isaac Hinson Sports Editor

Many students at CWU spend their time outside of the classroom competing for the sports teams. According to cwu.edu, more than 30 percent of the student body participates in intramural sports, with approximately 500 students involved in the 23 clubs.

The intramural program at CWU offers a variety of different sports. Notably, there are individual leagues for basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, flag football, softball, and outdoor and indoor soccer. As long as you have a CWU recreation membership, you’re good to go.

There are four different leagues offered. One traditional women’s league, which is offered to students who identify as women or non-binary, a co-rec league for both men and women, and then two men’s leagues. The Grey league is a more laid-back and recreational league, with all teams who meet the sportsmanship requirements making the league playoffs. But, if ball is life, then the Crimson league might be more your style. The

Crimson league is aimed for people looking for a more competitive nature to their sports, with only the top 50% of teams making the league playoffs.

In addition to the sports like basketball and volleyball, more casual sports like pickleball, tennis, wiffleball and badminton are also offered throughout the year.

Alternatively, CWU does also offer club sports. Club sports are centered more around competition, with most teams participating in exhibitions and tournaments in inter-collegiate levels. So joining the baseball club might see you playing against Washington State University’s (WSU) baseball club.

Frequent opponents of club teams are University of Washington (UW), WSU, Eastern Washington University (EWU) and Western Washington University. While intramurals only require the CWU recreation membership, some clubs do have membership fees, and since most practices are held inside the recreation center, that adds additional fees.

The criteria to join varies between each club. Some clubs require previous experience, while others are welcome to

newcomers. Practice times also vary, for example the baseball club meets every Tuesday and Thursday for practice, while tennis meets Mondays and Wednesdays. Clubs can also be created at any time, so if you don’t see a club available for a sport you want to play, you can always create one yourself. All you need to do to get started according to cwu.edu is complete the recognition process through student involvement. Afterwards you’ll meet with the coordinator of sports clubs to see your club come to fruition.

One key difference between club sports and intramural sports is that there is a barrier for current varsity athletes to play intramurals. According to cwu.edu, varsity athletes must be one year removed from their sport before joining an intramural, so members of the varsity basketball team must wait one year until they were last rostered for the team to join intramurals. But, varsity athletes may join clubs at any point.

Trevor Tripoli hitting the ball.

Photo by Jacob Thompson,Thompson Sports Media

Daoud-Herbert in action.

Photo by Jacob Thompson, Thompson Sports Media

Daoud-Herbert in action.

Photo by Jacob Thompson, Thompson Sports Media

Camron McNeil pushing the pace.

Photo Courtesy of Jacob Thompson.

Aseal Aburto cheering.

Photo by Jacob Thompson, Thompson Sports Photos

CWU football team celebrating.

Photo by Jacob Thompson,Thompson Sports Media

Patrick Rogers Stacking up the Accolades

Charis Jones Staff Reporter

CWU football defensive back Patrick Rogers has already been named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-American First Team Defense, but decided to take it a step further and claim the title of honorable mention selection to the 2022 Don Hansen National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) division two All-American Team, as well.

“I feel blessed,” Rogers said. “If you’ve watched me and watched my journey from the time I got here, I’ve been through a lot of adversity and challenges … This is a true testament of perseverance and what people may say as ‘stayed down for the come up.’”

According to Rogers, he joined CWU’s team in 2017 where he sustained his first labrum tear during practice. He then came back with high hopes for the following season in 2018 but redshirted after suffering a larger-scale labrum tear during the second game of the season.

“At this time, it had been two years since I’d played football … I found myself continuing to question if football is worth all this pain and stress. I’d contemplate quitting all the time but I wanted to

prove to myself I’m as good as I say I am,” Rogers said. “I felt there was unfinished business so I continued to believe in my journey and process of going through adversity and it had ultimately brought me success.”

He was able to bounce back in 2019 and appeared in 10 out of 11 games that season, then the pandemic hit and he made an appearance during CWU’s only game of the 2020 season.

Rogers credits CWU’s Football Head Coach Chris Fisk for his belief in him regardless of the injuries he sustained.

“I just want to give a shoutout to all of the coaches, especially coach Fisk for always believing in me and giving me an opportunity to play,” Rogers said. “He could’ve easily let me go when I was younger and getting injured, but it challenged me to step up to the plate and focus more on my body and staying healthy so that I can be able to hit the field.”

Rogers also made sure to credit former CWU linebacker Donte Hamilton as someone he goes to for accountability.

“He knows what it looks like to be great,” Rogers said.

Rogers was able to come back after 2020 by starting in all 11 games and being named First-Team All-GNAC in the 2021 season.

“There’s going to be ups and downs but you’ve just got to wait for your time to come,” Rogers said. “It’s the repetitive tasks. We’ll practice four days out of the week and only have one game … so it takes a lot of dedication and patience to continue to practice every day and [compete] in the games.”

CWU’s Defensive Coordinator Nate Johnson also vouches for Rogers’ dedication to the game.

“I would describe [Roger’s] mindset as determined and focused,” Johnson said. “He wants to be the best player possible … he’s relentless. We put him in a lot of one-on-one roles where there’s a lot of pressure on him and he responds consistently. He doesn’t get beat off and when he does, he bounces right back.”

Rogers also said that he gives a lot of props to CWU’s practice squad players for helping get him to where he is today.

“Without them I wouldn’t get the certain looks, the route running or the blocks,” Rogers said. “Having them give full effort every practice allows me to work on my skills and my technique.”

While Rogers is an asset to the team through his position as a player, Johnson also mentions his importance from a leadership standpoint as well.

“The younger classmen look up to him and respect his work ethic,” Johnson said. “He’s moved us forward in terms of leading by example … he’s enabled the guys around him by showing what it is that hard work can get you.”

Johnson also said it’s worth noting other aspects of Rogers that deserve highlighting as well.

“He has tremendous character,” Johnson said. “He does everything he can for the people around him and he’s just a good person, on top of being an exceptional football player.”

Ellensburg High School students sign to continue athletic career at CWU

Jacqueline Hixssen Sports Editor

Two Ellensburg High School (EHS) students signed their National Letters of Intent (NLI) on Nov. 10 to continue their education and athletic careers in Ellensburg at CWU: Rylee Leishman and Joshua Boast

Leishman, senior at EHS and CWU women’s basketball commit, said, “It’s just something that I have prayed about … [CWU] is where I want to go.”

Leishman plays guard for EHS and assisted the team to a state championship in March.

Another CWU commit, Boast, signed to continue his running career on CWU’s track and field team.

Boast is a versatile track athlete, participating in multiple events including the 110m high hurdles, triple jump, long jump and the 4x100; this spring season Boast also expects to run the 300m hurdles.

“I initially started in seventh grade … From there I kind of just excelled,” Boast said.

These athletes have been representing Ellensburg the last four years through EHS, now they get to identify under the town’s only university.

“I have built relationships with people of the community, where being able to play in front of them for another four years is truly amazing,” Leishman said.

According to Leishman and Boast, they both expected to go to college outside of Ellensburg, but when opportunities arose, they could not deny them.

“I’ve always wanted to go out of town and see other places … but Central was automatically on my list,” Boast said.

Leishman said, “In the beginning I was like, ‘No, I want to go out of state or at least out of my hometown.’ I wanted something new.”

According to Leishman, it wasn’t until she traveled out of state for a basketball tournament that she realized she wanted to stay in Ellensburg and attend CWU.

“I was in Ohio for a basketball tournament with my mom and just all of a sudden I was like ‘I can’t leave, I can’t imagine not having my family at every game,’” Leishman said.

Boast, being a triathlete in track and field, football and basketball, said he didn’t expect to continue running throughout college until the end of his junior season.

“I didn’t see myself running track until last year because I went to state last year for the first time so I was like, ‘Dang I gotta start looking for places to run for,’” Boast said.

Boast and Leishman will be graduating from EHS this upcoming spring. Leishman prepares to enter CWU’s elementary education program, while Boast’s choice is a toss up between sports medicine and aviation.

The CWU Football team at practice.

Photo by Jacob Thompson, Thompson Sports Media

Patrick Rogers getting congratualated.

Photo by Jacob Thompson

Meet three CWU football coaches

Isaac Hinson Sports Editor

Grant Torgerson

Torgerson has been a fundamental piece to the puzzle that is the Wildcats coaching staff for the past five years. Starting as a graduate assistant coach for the defensive line, Torgerson paved a path to becoming the defensive line coach and now the defensive coordinator.

“I think anytime you get a promotion, you kind of go from a role where you’re just a part of the plan to going to make the plan,” Torgerson said. “Anytime you get to be a coordinator or get a chance to make a jump from a coordinator to a head coach, there’s a little bit more on your plate.”

After being a part of the coaching staff for half a decade, Torgerson says it feels rewarding to be given this position, and credits his relationship with Fisk which has been just as storied.

Torgerson was a player at Southern Oregon University while Fisk was the offensive line coach.

Torgerson said he has made a life in Ellensburg, and is happy to stick around.

“To come here as a graduate assistant and work the whole way up is probably a little bit uncommon in our profession from the standpoint of just being at one place long enough for that to happen,” Torgerson said. “I love Ellensburg, this is where I met my fian

ce, we’re getting married this summer, I love this athletic department. Everything that Central Washington is doing, there’s a reason people want to be a part of it.”

Torgerson said he’s been adjusting to his new position smoothly. He’s excited for the larger responsibility that comes with being defensive coordinator.

“I feel like I’ve been acclimating pretty well,” Torgerson said. “It’s exciting to step back and be a part of the bigger picture. You’re not just dealing with your position group. As a defensive line coach I was looking after 13 guys, and now we have 40-some-odd guys on our side of the ball … It’s been a fun challenge.”

With Torgerson receiving a promotion, that left an opening for newcomer Basham to step into as the new defensive line coordinator. Torgerson credits what Basham has done for the program already.

“We’re 10 practices into this thing and he’s been doing a great job,” Torgerson said. “Coach Bash[am] has been a great addition to our program and has done an amazing job with those guys in terms of getting them to play hard … I’ve enjoyed getting to know all of the new coaches on our defensive staff and on our staff as a whole.”

New Special Teams Coordinator/ Safeties Coach Ronnie Scott joins CWU from Kansas where he spent the previous football season coaching the Highland Community College (HCC) Scotties. Under Scott, HCC led the National Junior College Athletic Association in pass break-ups. They also were second in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference in blocked punts, as well as first in starting drive distance.

Before his time at HCC, Scott also coached at Division One program Alabama State University (ASU) as a Defensive Graduate Assistant Coach. Before finding his calling in coaching, Scott played at ASU for two years as a starter and captain in 2016 and 2017. He wound up being named Magic City Classic MVP as well as being awarded a spot on First Team All-SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) in 2017.

Those accolades earned him a spot playing professionally in the Arena Football League for the Baltimore Brigade, and later the Tampa Bay Tornados of the American Arena League where he led the team in interceptions and led the defense in touchdowns.

“When you play arena football, it’s not much like 11-on-11,” Scott said.

“The field is smaller, there’s less players on it. The game seems to move a lot faster. But that taught me the idea of adaptation, how fast the adaptation has to happen. I’ve taken that into work as a coach. You get four years to get better as a player. So how fast can you get better? How fast can I figure out what it takes to teach these guys to get better from one day to the next.”

Scott says building relationships with his players is his key to both him finding success as a coach, and the players

“X’s and O’s is pretty easy, the game is pretty easy for the players,” Scott said.

important that is in the big scheme of things is something that’s really going to help me here.”

This is part of a mentality Scott preaches called “exponential growth” that he wants to see from his players. To achieve that, he says he puts in the extra work off the field and in the offseason.

“Exponential growth is what I call it,” Scott said. “We have to be able to grow exponentially, not linearly. [To do that] you build the relationships, you spend the extra time not on the football field picking their brains, learning what they like and what their strengths and weaknesses are. And then from there as a coach, it’s my job to apply whatever information I’ve been given from those guys and put it into those couple hours we have everyday of practice.”

Scott joined the coaching staff on March 31, and in that short time he says he has already grown to love the team, attributing their attitude and their excitement to play.

“I love it here so far,” Scott said. “The energy is great from the guys. That’s the hardest thing, you can’t fake energy … Really excited to be able to coach some of these guys. I can tell right away they’re willing to get better. I think once you have good energy and a willingness to want to learn, everything else will take care of itself. The sky’s the limit.”

While everything is running smoothly for Scott on the football side of things, there has been one fairly drastic change for him: Ellensburg weather.

“It’s a long way from the south,” Scott said. “In Tampa right now it’s 95 degrees, high humidity, not much wind or cold weather. So I’m definitely figuring out how to layer up, what a base layer is. I’m learning, I’m not sure what you guys call it, I call it Dippin’

Ronnie Scott

Grant Torgerson on the sideline.

Photo by Jacob Thompson, Thompson Sports Media

Ronnie Scott at centerfield.

Photo by Jacob Thompson, Thompson Sports Media

James Basham with the team.

Photo by Jacob Thompson, Thompson Sports Media

Basham took over defensive line duties from Torgerson. Basham said that he and Torgerson already have rapport and have been working together closely.

“Very fortunate that Coach Torg[erson] is still on staff,” Basham said. “I look at that as a blessing for me. Being able to go to the guy who has had this group for the past couple of years, has been a great benefit to me. Because I can easily ask, ‘Hey, how did you coach this drill? How did you guys coach this?’ The minute I accepted the job he called me and told me congrats … He’s been a great friend and a great colleague.”

Basham joins CWU from Lone Star Conference rival Western New Mexico University (WNMU). The Mustangs saw a jump from 1-10 in 2021, their first season with Basham on the staff, to 6-5 in 2022. The 2022 season marked the Mustang’s first winning record in 30 years.

“We needed to build a new culture [at WNMU] because the culture that was there just wasn’t it,” Basham said. “We dug deep into the transfer portal… That was really our big tool [recruiting], being at a school like Western New Mexico, there’s not really shiny toys to be able to sell as a recruiter so we really had to sell ourselves as coaches. I hope that me being able to recruit and build relationships, that’s something I want to bring over here too.”

Basham prides himself on his ability to make genuine connections with his players. He insists that building lasting relationships is the key to both on-field and off-field success.

“I don’t like to bullshit them, I like to shoot it straight,” Basham said. “I think a lot of kids nowadays appreciate that more than you just jumping around the actual truth. All these kids go through their own ups and downs and different types of things that happen in their world, you need to be able to hear them and understand them. And once a kid knows he can trust you, they’ll run through a wall for you.”

Basham’s path to coaching was not traditional. He played his freshman year at Warren High School in Downey, California before quitting to focus on playing baseball. He says baseball was always his true sport.

Basham returned to football his senior year as a promise to his late aunt.

“I ended up going back to football my senior year for multiple reasons,” Basham said. “One of them was just wanting to get into better shape for baseball. The other one was a request from my aunt who had passed away from breast cancer. When she was going through her chemo battles she told me before she passed ‘James, I really wish that you would reconsider playing football.’”

Basham was hesitant at first, but ultimately returned as he thought about it further. Once he came back, he started honoring her on the field.

“At the time I was like ‘That’s not really what I want to do Auntie, I’m a baseball guy’,” Basham said. “When she passed, I kind of reconsidered it. I went back for her and I wrote her name on my tape on my wrist and on my cleats before every game.”

When Basham began his return to football during spring training of his junior year, tragedy struck again as one of his former teammates became paralyzed in an accident.

“He was actually my cousin’s boyfriend,” Basham said. “He was at the beach and he had an accident where he actually ended up becoming paralyzed.

I remember going to visit him before practice one day in the hospital and he told me ‘Hey man, play hard for me because I can’t do it anymore.’ … There’s a lot of people that aren’t fortunate enough to be able to play, people have accidents all the time. They always ask us ‘What is your why?’ My why was for him and for my aunt as well.”

Basham went on to play defensive line for Warren High School and won Rookie of the Year, despite the team not recording a single win.

During his time at WNMU, Basham coached against CWU twice. Both bouts resulted in wins for CWU, but WNMU’s defensive line shined in both contests, recording seven sacks across both games while CWU recorded none.

From the other side of the field, Basham could tell that there was football cul-

ture at CWU, both from the players on the field and the fans in the stands.

“I was able to come up here in September when we played in week two,” Basham said. “Seeing the fans, you could tell that there was a culture here and there was support as well … I always do my research and see the history, and see that they’ve [CWU] been successful for a number of years. It wasn’t just a fluke of them being successful one year, they’ve strung together consecutive years of being successful and that’s something I want to be a part of.”

Basham has already begun to acclimate himself inside the Wildcats locker room and likes what he’s seen from the team already.

“From the first practice that I attended I could just tell that there was a culture that was built from day one,” Basham said. “The boys buy in. They do all the little corny chants that other programs kids might be like ‘I don’t want to do that clap or chant’ but here the boys buy into all that, which I love. I love the energy that they bring, I haven’t heard a single player complain about anything we’ve done in practice. That’s a refreshing feeling as a coach.”

To learn more about breast cancer and how you can help both locally and nationally, visit gretchenwellerfoundation. com and cancer.org.

CWU Athletics declares 2023 Hall of Fame inductees

Charis Jones Staff Reporter

CWU athletics has announced its 40th Hall of Fame class, featuring three individuals and a team. The inductees are Adam Bighill for football, Carolyn Mires for volleyball, Kristen Willis for women’s basketball and the 1989 Wildcat Football Team.

The induction ceremony and Wildcat Gala is scheduled to take place in the SURC Ballroom on Saturday, May 6. The event will begin with a social, silent auction and hosted bar at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and the program at 6 p.m. In addition to the induction ceremonies, the event will include a live auction and other philanthropic opportunities to raise funds for student-athlete scholarships.

Each of the inductees has made significant contributions to CWU athletics, and the honor pays tribute to their achievements.

“It is exciting to announce another outstanding class for the CWU Athletics Hall of Fame,” Director of Athletics, Dr. Dennis Francois said, according to wildcatsports.com. “Each of the individual inductees and the 1989 Football Team has left their mark on CWU athletics, and it’s truly an honor for us to recognize them for their accomplishments.”

Here is a brief overview of the

inductees:

Adam Bighill (football), Montesano, Washington. (2007-2010):

Bighill played linebacker for the Wildcat football team from 2007 through 2010, and graduated from CWU in 2011. He earned numerous accolades during his time with the Central Washington football team, including GNAC co-Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-GNAC, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First Team All-American, and D2Football.com Second Team All-American in 2010, as well as several other honors throughout his tenure, according to Wildcat Sports.

Throughout his Wildcat career, Bighill recorded 314 tackles, 46 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and seven interceptions. He currently holds the second spot in Wildcat history for tackles for loss, and fourth in total tackles and assisted tackles for an individual career. Bighill currently represents the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL), where he has played since 2018, after playing for the BC Lions from 2011 to 2016, and spending the 2017 season as a member of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.

Bighill has had a successful professional career, winning the Grey Cup Championship in 2011, 2019 and 2021, being named the CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2015 and 2018, and being a CFL All-Star in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018. In the CFL, Bighill has started in 150 out of the 164 games he has played and has accumulated 797 tackles, 45 sacks, 15 interceptions, three defensive touchdowns and 14 forced fumbles.

Carolyn Mires (volleyball), Walla Walla, Washington. (1999-2002):

In the years spanning from 1999 to 2002, Mires played as an outside hitter for the Wildcat volleyball team. She received Second Team All-GNAC honors in 2001 and 2002 and was named to the GNAC All-Academic Team in those same years, along with being chosen as a PacWest All-Academic Selection in 2000. Mires’ outstanding performance during her time with the Wildcats earned her a place on the CWU 2000s all-decade volleyball team, which featured fellow hall of famers Kate Reome-Ridnour and LeAnne McGahuey.

Presently, Mires holds the record for most kills in CWU volleyball team history, with a total of 1,265 kills, ranking 17th all-time in GNAC history, according to Wildcat Sports.

She also holds the GNAC record for most kills in a three-set match with 21 kills. Mires’ name appears in third place for all-time CWU top 10 in kills per set with 3.55, attack attempts with 3,388, and service aces with 123.

Additionally, she ranks 10th in service aces per set with 0.35, and third in points per set with 4.13, and a total of 1,472 points earned. Mires set a program record with 395 kills in the 2002 season, which is currently the sixth-highest total of all time. In the 2000 season, her 3.91 kills per set were the second-best in program history and now rank eighth, according to Wildcat Sports.

Kristen Willis (women’s basketball) Kennewick, Washington. (1997-2001):

Kristen Willis was a guard for the CWU women’s basketball team from 1997-2001. During her time with the team, she earned several awards and recognitions, including Team Best Defense Award in two out of her four seasons, Honorable Mention All-PNAC in 1998, Team MVP in 1999, First Team All-PacWest in 2000, Honorable Mention Little Northwest Team in 2000, Honorable Mention All-GNAC in 2001, and was one of three team captains for the 1999-2000 season.

Currently, Willis holds the record for free throws made in a single season with 133 during the 1999-2000 season and her career record steals with 265. She also holds top-10 spots in single-season re cords for free throws made, free throws attempted, steals, and steals average.

In career top-10s, Willis is second in free-throws made, third in free-throws attempted, second in assists, fourth in as sists average, second in steals average, and seventh in games started with 97.

1989 Wildcat Football Team:

The 1989 Wildcat football team had a remarkable season under the leadership of Head Coach Mike Dunbar and captain Scott Didder. They finished the season with a 10-1-1 overall record and went undefeated in the Columbia Football Association with a 5-0-1 record. The team made their way into the NAIA National Tournament and won their first two games against Lewis and Clark (Oregon) and Dickinson State (North Dakota) by large margins of 51-0 and 49-7, respectively.

However, the Wildcats fell short in the semifinals against Westminster (Pennsylvania) with a score of 21-10 in Puyallup, Washington. Westminster would go on to win the championship against Wisconsin-La Crosse with a score of 5130.

The 1989 Wildcat football team had several standout players, including All-American Pat Patterson and All-Academic Scholar Athletes Alan Kesti and Eric Granberg. In addition, four current

Trophies. Photo Courtesy of Pexels

James Basham

The Roberts: a whole

‘sum greater than its parts’

Band featuring CWU faculty still going strong decades deep

Katherine Camarata Lead Editor

From Santa Fe to Roslyn, from one band to the next, four men sharing one name have come together over four decades to fill ears with sonic delight and get people moving to the rhythms of their sound. The band reaches across genres, ranging from rock, country, funk, blues to reggae.

Jovial audience members enjoyed beverages and bar grub at The Brick in Roslyn on Feb. 19, the oldest saloon in Washington, as they eagerly waited for The Roberts’ set to start. Two tables in the middle of the dance floor parted to make way for red and blue beams of light pouring over the stage as the band’s hands met their instruments and took the crowd on a journey.

The Roberts band primarily features associate professor of ITAM Dr. Robert Trumpy on vocals and bass, ITAM professor Dr. Robert Lupton on drums, Rob Witte on guitar and vocals and Bob Van Lone on lead guitar and vocals. Even when one of the Bobs isn’t available, the continuity remains: they have a fifth Robert, Robert Frazier, who occasionally fills in. Playing professionally doesn’t feel like just any job when the group cares so much about each other, according to Witte.

“The Roberts are pretty tight in terms of friendship,” Witte said. “We’ve known each other for 40 years, and we came together because we’re musicians, and we’ve been through hell and back. We’ve always played together, even if we’ve lived in different places, so it’s cool now that we’re living in the same town.”

Witte continued: “The better you know the people you’re playing with, the more you can anticipate what’s going to happen and make it emerge as a sum greater than its parts.”

Trumpy aligned with this exact sentiment, although in an entirely separate interview, and said, “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. It’s just a whole lot of fun. We laugh a lot.”

Though they’ve played in other states and countries, The Roberts said upper Kittitas County is one of their favorite locations for gigs; they said the Feb. 19 show was one for the ages.

“When we get into a groove like that, where we can all hear each other, we all feed off of each other a lot better,” Van Lone said. “The whole last set was a highlight for me.”

Witte concurred, saying: “My favorite is The Brick. They have a professional engineer, the pay is nice and the crowd. Every time we’ve played there, they’ve just been fantastic, and it creates a feedback loop when you have

a good audience. They’re dancing, they’re into the music, it pumps us up.”

The Roberts played an original track called “Rose-Colored Dawn,” which was written by Witte about the love of his life in winter of 1992.

“It was love at first sight,” Witte said. “I became a complete idiot. I wanted to spend Christmas with her and she went back to Wisconsin … We weren’t going to spend Christmas together, so I thought, ‘you know what I’m going to do, I’m going to write a song and record it and get it to her.’”

The love may have been infectious, as the audience cheered after each song and various women would pull others out of their seats and onto the dance floor. The feelings alive in the concert air served as more than just a roaring time.

Trumpy and Lupton explained how nonverbal communication plays an integral role when performing.

“On stage, playing in front of a live crowd, a part of you instinctively knows what everybody else is doing,” Lupton said. “You feel that energy and that creative side, and I get goosebumps just talking about it. You have the set list, you have everything you need to follow and then you take off. Those are those nights where you come home and you can’t sleep because you had so much creative fun.”

Read more about The Roberts online

The Roberts performed in one of their favorite venues, The Brick Saloon in Roslyn, on Feb. 19.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

Old Skool’s shows: music takes the ‘Burg

Photo spread by Katherine Camarata

Cobrahawk

Cigman Fraud

The Sleepers

Burgstock shines a light on up and coming talent Performers and attendees reflect on experiences

Katherine Camarata

Lead Editor

Dozens of parked cars lined N. Alder Street as the electric sound of local bands and the illumination of rainbow stage lights permeated the night air on Oct. 1 during a free community event titled Burgstock.

The event included a culmination of several blossoming music acts and music department students who came together to create an immersive experience for the town.

Acts included the following groups: MelancholyRX, Plantfood, House of Ash, Tinted Red, Fluke Brothers and Cigman Fraud.

Event planning was spearheaded by Ellensburg High School (EHS) and running start students Corgan Smith and Elian Calderon who make up the group Fluke Brothers, a rock duo. The pair said having live music in the park was their focus.

“We just wanted to invite tons of people, especially with college coming into town,” Calderon said. “We wanted to get some exposure.”

According to Smith, the sense of community that was built through the event was a highlight.

“We enjoyed getting to know all the bands,” Smith said.

While Fluke Brothers are only brothers in concept, Plantfood is a local duo made up of Gus and Milo Crane, two brothers and EHS students who had an experimental, improvisational approach to their set.

“It was fun to really let loose, especially because we couldn’t see the audience,” Gus said. “I didn’t feel as much pressure.”

Milo said their performance was an emotional release that allowed them to express their feelings.

“The connection with the audience was almost stronger, because people were just moving and vibing,” Milo said. “I could see glow sticks going on and I thought that was really exhilarating.”

According to Andrew Parker, Cigman Fraud frontman and senior in the Theatre Department, this was the most intimacy he had ever felt with an audience. He said a lot of behind-the-scenes preparation went into it that the audience wasn’t able to see.

“People don’t understand the amount of coordination that goes into this,” Parker said. “We reached out to Chris Edgars and Soren Lundquist from the Theatre Department. Without those two, Burgstock would have never happened.”

Edgars is a music student at CWU and served as the stage manager, while Lundquist was the sound tech and board operator for the show.

Parker said seeing all the local artists perform and “pour their heart and soul out into music in front of a live audience” was inspiring.

Wyatt Martin, rhythm guitarist of Cigman Fraud and CWU alumni, said the music scene in Ellensburg can be limited which is why events like this are necessary.

“In Ellensburg, there’s not a lot of places to play,” Martin said. “Old Skool’s [record store] is the place to play, so as much as we can expand on that, the better.”

Parker mentioned stories he heard of the Ellensburg music scene 15-20 years ago and how local bands like The Screaming Trees helped pioneer a worldwide grunge movement with a legacy that still lives on.

“The Screaming Trees, easily one of the top ten grunge bands of all time … They came from Ellensburg, they came from this town, so why can’t we do the same?” Parker said.

Shaun Howard, Cigman Fraud guitarist and psychology student, said he hopes concerts like Burgstock encourage other people in Ellensburg to express themselves through music.

“We want to turn people into Cigman Frauds,” Howard said.

Del Pollock, an Ellensburg local and EHS grad, said they were excited about the turn-out as people scattered across the expanse of grass in front of the covered area in Alder St. Park. They said they hope this event becomes an annual occasion.

“I’m really proud of all these newer musicians and bands banding together and creating a community,” Pollock said. “It’s nice to see a bunch of friendly and familiar faces.”

Pollock said she is an aspiring musician and enjoys watching other bands play.

“I’m kind of shy and I want to start my own band at some point, so it’s kind of nice to watch it and see it,” Pollock said.

According to Martin, the combination of each individual Ellensburg voice at the event created a wave of voices.

“A big crowd of a lot of voices with a lot of music going on is something that we’re down for,” Martin said. “That’s what Burgstock is about.”

Cigman Fraud gets the crowd on their feet for the May 12 show at Old Skool’s

The House of Ash thrashed the stage with headbanging and intensity on April 7

Cobrahawk celebrated their ten year anniversary with a show at Old Skool’s on May 12

The Sleepers performed originals and covers on June 3 at Old Skool's. Coustesy of @Smothymedia on Instagram

Orchesis annual performance showcases student choreography across genres

Dr. Therese Young celebrates 28th and final year directing at CWU

Katherine Camarata and Zileni Milupi Lead Editor and Senior Reporter

Splashes of vibrant color and bright white lights echoed across an expansive white backdrop behind the stage of the Milo Smith Tower Theatre as audience members gasped, laughed and cried their way through the annual Orchesis dance production; the show featured styles ranging from hip hop to ballet to ballroom to tap, performed to music genres from classical to alt-pop to rap.

Three quarter’s worth of dedication culminated for the dance department from April 20-22 in McConnell Hall, and as is custom, the Saturday evening show sold out.

According to Associate Professor of Dance and Director of the dance program, Therese Young, CWU’s performance company Orchesis has existed for around 40 years. The company’s website states that its mission is to promote dance as a performing art and to provide opportunities for students to choreograph, learn and perform original works.

Young has been teaching and directing at CWU for 28 years and this will be her final year teaching and was her final time directing Orchesis. Young’s students tearfully shared stories about her generosity and offered her a gift basket after the closing show Saturday evening.

“It’s been very joyful, I have so many memories,” Young said. “My words of wisdom to the students is do something you love, because life is too short and you need to enjoy what you’re doing. I tease my students. I'm like, ‘oh, in 20 years when I'm sitting in a rocking chair and I hear a song on the radio I'm going to think about all of you.’”

Director and faculty perspectives

Young emphasized that students have creative freedom regarding dance concepts and choreography.

“We want to release them and let them work,” Young said. “The times when we do have more input is when someone says they are stuck or don’t know what to do with a piece.”

Young expressed her satisfaction with working with college-aged dancers and how that experience has been.

“I wanted to teach at a college level,” Young said. “I enjoy teaching college-age [students] because they’ve had enough experience. They can think outside of the box, so that’s exciting for me.”

Assistant Professor of Dance and Assistant Director of the Dance program, Gabrielle McNeillie, who has been a part of eight Orchesis performances, gave her perspective on the evolution of the show.

“I think what I’ve noticed changing is the development of the choreography,” McNeillie said. “Our choreographers are just every year becoming increasingly more advanced, and we also have broadened the styles of dance that we’re showcasing.”

McNeillie highlighted the close relationships between the students and faculty, and how that contributes to the creative process.

“We want them to be confident in the work that they’re doing and feel excited to share this work with others because it can be really scary to put your creative self out there,” McNeillie said. “It’s intimidating. Our goal is to really help them through that process.”

McNeillie continued: “I hope people walk away not only enjoying the show, but I hope there are pieces that can make them think and ask questions. Maybe some of the pieces change their mind about what they think dance is or what dance could be.”

Young reminisced about a few of the many pieces she choreographed during her decades at CWU.

“Over the years, I’ve done some really interesting, creative pieces that seemed kind of crazy at the time,” Young said. “It’s been quite a journey having a way to express different things through movement.”

Young explained that she maintains close relationships with her students after they graduate.

“The policy was I’ll be their facebook friend after they graduate,” Young said. “Now I get to see them having kids and their kids are dancing, and that's really heartwarming.”

Dancers and choreographers

From high energy, jubilant group numbers to tear-jerking solos and duets, Orchesis weaved its way from moment to moment with careful consideration for its delivery.

The show was off to an energetic start and flowed into a hip hop piece choreographed by Kieran Smythe. The mood shifted, with a contemporary duo piece choreographed by Emily Evans and performed by Alison Prekeges and Hope Worth, which left multiple audience members in tears on Saturday night.

As one dancer pushed herself across the stage while laying on the floor in the dark, another entered; they mirrored each other, the tension swelled as they fought and embraced, one trying to hide and escape from the other. One wore a green top with blue pants while the other wore blue pants with a green top, there was symmetry and union and equally discord represented.

Mechanical engineering sixth-year and dance graduate Aislinn Williamson talked about her experience as a dancer and choreographer in the show.

“I’ve been on both the performer and choreographer side,” Williamson said. “It’s really cool to work with other choreographers because everyone has their own process”

Williamson said of her choreography: “For me, personally, I tend to just follow the musicality. So if I find any underlying beats, I try and see how my body moves to match that beat and also, how can I create opposition?”

One of the dances Williamson is a part of, which tells a story about grief, was personal to her as she recently lost two family members.

“The feelings that I had with recent loss fully took over,” Williamson said. “This was my own personal journey with grief performing this piece.”

Dance and Physics BS major Alison Prekeges explained how Orchesis helped her pursue her passion for dance.

Prekeges explained that she grew up competing in dance competitions and wished to continue performing after the pandemic. “I joined Orchesis at Central because I wanted to keep dancing,” Prekeges said.

Prekeges explained that she was comfortable with most of the dance styles at Orchesis prior to joining the company.

“Coming to central it's the first time I've ever done ballroom styles,” Prekeges said. “I think it's really cool that we have a ballroom piece this year because I've never seen stuff like that before.”

Sophomore in the dance program and Orchesis dancer Emma Tolmich said the ballet piece she choreographed and performed with Sophie Blasingim and Emily Evans was one of her favorites.

“We auditioned a trio on pointe shoes with a red string,” Tolmich said. “It’s to signify friendship and how you can lose friendship over time and sometimes you reconnect, but essentially, you just break off and that’s one of my favorites.”

Tolmich said she hoped audience members could see the emotion in their facial expressions to feel what the dancers were feeling.

“At the end of one of the dances, I get this little solo, and I get to thrash my head as hard as I can, and roll over my feet and I end in this really dramatic backbend laying on the floor, and I love it,” Tolmich said with an extra emphasis on the word love.

Tolmich gave credit to the stage crew for their hard work on the production.

“All the lighting designers and the stage manager Luis, they are doing amazing work and they’re really bringing the show together,” Tolmich said.

Audience perspectives

Vicky Garrett, mother of an Orchesis dancer and attendee of the production for years, said she appreciated the Milo Smith Tower Theatre for this show.

“I love the Tower Theatre, it’s intimate and cozy,” Garrett said. “McConnell is beautiful also and it’s fun as well, but this is a beautiful space for dancers and they can take up the whole space.”

Kylene Ayer, a CWU dance alum, said she was particularly moved by the “Would You Do it All Again?” piece choreographed by Hannah Townley. .

“It actually brought a couple tears to my eyes and I was not prepared,” Ayer said. “The music paired with the choreography on that one, it was evoking a feeling that I couldn’t necessarily attach to what I was seeing. Every time I’m back here, I’m always reminded, would you go back and do it over, would you do it differently, or can you just appreciate the magic that came with these moments that you spent there in this town?”

Ayer mentioned the ballroom number choreographed by Young as another stand out moment.

“It was a transportation in time to a little more elegant courting system,” Ayer said. “The collaboration from the dancers, the hoots and hollers from the backstage, the community support, the dedication to being here and being present, and that can be seen across a wider perspective of culture and social aspects right now, but it was really cool to see it reflected in something I used to be a part of.”

Garrett highlighted the importance of art events in the community as a reason to leave the house and be inspired by artists at the university.

“The growth in the dancers that I’ve seen in the last couple years, they're amazing,” Garrett said. “The way they choose to express themselves through dance is intimate, and this space enhances that.”

Isaac Olson, junior in musical theater and sociology, was in the audience and said: “My favorite number by far was ‘United in Grief,’ Abby Faulk did so good with that. Her choreography is so incredible, I love dancing with her. Overall, you could see the passion for dance in each of the dancers. You can tell that this is what they enjoy and love.”

Ayer said themes of struggle, collective transcendence and emotional health problems were obvious throughout the show.

“Even just remembering what it’s like… all of the people in this show are working on other things in their life, they're going after other major programs, this is just a piece of their life and they're having to work that hard every day to accomplish their goals and their dreams,” Ayer said.

Abby Faulk choreographed a hip hop and modern piece to, United in Grief, by Kendrick Lamar.

Photo courtesy of Therese Young

Hope Worth performing during the Orchesis rehearsal.

Photo courtesy of Therese Young (1)

A c c o u n t i n g

A g r i b u s i n e s s

B u s i n e s s A n a l y t i c s

D i g i t a l M a r k e t i n g

E c o n o m i c s

E n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p

F i n a n c e

G e n e r a l B u s i n e s s

H u m a n R e s o u r c e M a n a g e m e n t

L e a d e r s h i p a n d M a n a g e m e n t

M a r k e t i n g M a n a g e m e n t

P e r s o n a l F i n a n c i a l P l a n n i n g

S p o r t B u s i n e s s

S u p p l y C h a i n M a n a g e m e n t

SOIL

Youwilldieportrait. PhotobyBrandonDavis Butterflymothlight.PhotobyAndrewUlstad

Sarah Spurgeon Gallery hosts first SOIL Art Collective exhibit

Andrew Ulstad Staff Reporter

The Sarah Spurgeon Art Gallery in Randall Hall has officially opened the first exhibit of the new quarter, featuring art from the SOIL Collective. The multi-artist exhibit entitled “Tangents…I was thinking about the stars” will be on display until Oct. 22.

SOIL is known for pushing the boundaries of what is perceived as art. Founded in 1995, SOIL has become a mainstay in the Seattle art scene. They have displayed everything from painting, sculpture, mixed media installations and experiential art in their Seattle gallery.

As a nonprofit collective and gallery, SOIL focuses on bringing fringe and experimental art into a gallery environment. Their gallery in Pioneer Square even reserves the front-facing space for submission exhibits in an attempt to encourage lesser-seen artists and art styles

The SOIL website said just about any work can be displayed “provided it is accepted by the membership.”

The exhibit focuses on a sense of interconnectedness in the “Tangents…I was thinking about the stars.” According to the panel presentation before the opening of the exhibit, SOIL derived the title from the idea that humans naturally create patterns, like when mankind first looked upon the stars and instinctively started connecting dots to create constellations.

At the opening on Sept. 29, Gallery Director Heather Horn Johnson said one of the driving factors in booking SOIL was their connection to the CWU community. Philippe Hyojung Kim received his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the university in 2016. Johnson said she hopes this connection

combined with the longevity of the SOIL Collective will help to create a sense that young artists can be successful, even with non-traditional media.

SOIL artist Colleen RJC Bratton said her process was very fluid.

“I start with an idea,” Bratton said. “Then I experiment and see what material suits the subject.”

The exhibit features pieces from 22 members of SOIL, including Kim. As a CWU alumnus, one of his goals in organizing the exhibit was to encourage art students to form a support system of artists.

“Family is not what you’re born into,” Kim said. “It’s the connections you make.”

Kim attributes his success to the support system he found in his cohort while at school and now within the SOIL collective.

Kim’s beliefs struck a chord with students in attendance.

Junior fine arts student Tyler Raymundo said he had not deeply considered the effect of his fellow art students upon his work before attending the opening. Raymundo said community was an essential part of what separates good art from meaningful art.

“Tangents…I was thinking about the stars” will be on display in the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery in Randall Hall until Oct. 22. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 1-5 p.m. and admission is free.

SOIL SOIL SOIL SOIL

Kim jelly jolly jealy jello jellies Towers of Babbling 1.

Photo by Andrew Ulstad

Photoby BrandonDavis

Johnson Betelgeuse and the Dog Star.

Photo by Andrew Ulstad

New waves spreading downtown: Nuwave Gallery and Fortuity Cellars open doors on 3rd

MJ Rivera Staff Reporter

Students and community members looking for a place to sip wine, admire art and get their creative sparks flying need look no further than Nuwave Gallery and Fortuity Cellars on the corner of 3rd Ave. and Main Street. The location held its grand opening during the weekend of Jan. 13 - 15.

According to gallery owner, curator and featured artist Erin Oostra “new wave” is a movement or trend within the arts specifically.

“As an artist myself, waves were one of the first things that I started painting when I started painting on larger canvases,” Oostra said.

Oostra said her vision for the gallery is to provide inspiration for people to start or continue creating art, or to simply enjoy it. Nuwave is an inviting space without the stuffiness of a typical art gallery, according to Oostra.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the partnership with Fortuity,” she said. “There’s always someone here, there’s wine, but you don’t have to drink or be 21 to come in.”

According to Oostra, the gallery will offer snacks, soft drinks and beer. She said the space will provide a place to sit down “without the pressure of someone watching you look at art.”

About the artist

After getting her start in graphic design, Oostra worked in Seattle for about 10 years. Her background is shown in her art through geometric designs that collide and mix with natural scenery.

“I really loved that because it was artistic in a way and it was business-minded and I could actually make money,” Oostra said. “I always grew up being told that ‘you couldn’t make money as an artist,’ so I never even tried. Once I got into the design world, which I did enjoy and still enjoy, I realized I was spending so much time on the computer that I just kind of needed a creative outlet that wasn’t for anyone except myself.”

Oostra said she started displaying work at restaurants, coffee shops and galleries until crossing paths with Fortuity Wine Cellars.

“I didn’t envision myself opening a gallery, but I met Emily and Lee who own Fortuity,” Oostra said. “They have a winery outside of Yakima. I did some events with them, and they came to me almost exactly a year ago today and asked me if I would be interested in expanding my art career by partnering with them and sharing a space together, and that’s how the gallery came about.”

Oostra said her decision to accept their offer was a difficult one to make.

Opportunities for CWU art and wine studies students

Oostra is also the first featured artist of 2023 at Nuwave, and her collection is called “Presence to Present.”

“When I moved here, I really fell in love with the local landscape. I’m an avid hiker and I’m used to the cascades and all the mountains on the west side. I found over here there’s almost a silent beauty full of treasure that you kind of have to search for a little bit more,” Oostra said. “I wanted to highlight that and honor the people who have been here before us, as well as inspiring people to go find those quiet beautiful moments in the local landscape.”

Nuwave features a Community Wall that anyone can contribute to. When an artist submits art for the community wall, their art becomes a donation under the care of Nuwave gallery.

“Whether you’re a new student, you’re creating something experimental, this is a space for you to submit your work, see it on a wall, say you showed at a gallery and kind of break down one of those initial barriers that I feel like a lot of creative people have,” Oostra said.

“In my personal experience, it gets easier the more you do something and with art or sharing anything creative, it’s so vulnerable,” Oostra said.“This is a way that you can practice sharing and showing which is only going to benefit you and your future.”

Karen Bach, the tasting room manager for Fortuity, said, “I’d really encourage them [students] to come in and try the wines at Fortuity because they are 100% Yakima Valley AVA, which is uniquely different from the royal city AVA or Walla Walla AVA, that people are used to tasting.”

AVA, or American Viticultural Area, is the region from which grapes are grown that has an effect on the way they grow according to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Bach said she is excited about creating a space where students can come together.

“The cool thing about here is we combine the arts portion at CWU and the wine program,” Bach said. “So it’s a unique space where both of those majors could come in and feel like they’re a piece of something.”

Oostra said the space will also feature a “creative table” in a lounge area where guests can make their own art.

Grand opening weekend

Oostra gave a walkthrough of her gallery to all the community members and students who attended the grand opening on Jan. 14. Her art circles around the interior, starting on the right side of the gallery with paintings that include symbolic gold and white tones and shapes.

Oostra is a fan of the writings of John O’Donohue, who she said she took inspiration from in her description of her collection.

Oostra spoke about her work at the event: “Take a moment here and step back and think about presence in terms of the land before us, the space that surrounds us, the dirt that we live on, the air that we enjoy every day that it carries a weight beyond words. This land connects us with the people who have preceded us, tribes, ancestors, founders and family. Standing in this historical remembering, we can see that we are blessed to be here.”

Part one of her collection includes geometric symbolism. Oostra said, “the circle is an ancient form that signifies continuity, belonging and permanence. The triangle, especially the inverted triangle, represents water with a downward flow, this can represent working together and the union of people. Gold represents the warmth of the sun on the land around us and the hidden beauty of this landscape.”

Towards the back of the gallery, her collection transitions from light and gold, to black and stark in part two.

SOIL SOIL

People from Ellensburg and beyond came to see the grand opening tour. Two gentlemen from Selah were smiling and enjoying the art and said they are the fathers of Emily and Lee, the owners of Fortuity Cellars.

One of them, Loyd Fergestrom, said, “[Oostra] got a lot of creativity and thought, it’s beautiful how she has the words to describe what she wants to portray.”

Oostra said she is excited to be part of the community, especially after the trying few years the world has gone through.

“I did wrestle with it for a little bit, I didn’t know if that was where I wanted to go, but I quit my corporate job and all that, Oostra said. “It’s all very fresh and new, and it’s fun.”

Oostra said that anyone can purchase art from the community wall as well, and all proceeds go to their ‘cause of the quarter,’ which is currently Skookum Kids, a local emergency shelter for children entering foster care.

“I think we’re craving more human connection and that is one of our goals here is to connect with people,” Oostra said. “Whether that means talking to people as they come in, or helping people be creative, or encouraging people to share their art or having different types of events that just bring people together. I’m excited to be a part of all of those things. And that’s the difference of me owning a gallery versus me just being a solo artist.”

Erin Oostra with her art.

Photo by MJ Rivera

Erin Oostra’s Art.

Photo by MJ Rivera

LOST LENORE

Jampa Dorje

A girl in a car with a container of coffee in her lap whispers she knows where Lenore is

She asked around questions direct and indirect wondering if Hwy 10 goes to Alabama no, she didn’t want to go to New Orleans and she was told Lenore was in Baltimore

Currently it’s 93° there humidity 33% wind from the northwest at 10mph visibility unlimited

I remember her wearing velvet pants— respite and nepenthe from the memories of Lenore

From grape to girl

Morgana Carroll

I am an artisan good

Like grains from the stalk

Crafted into bread

Like grapes from the vine

Vinified into wine

A fantastic transformation

A Kafkanian metamorphosis

Has my being undergone

Who questions the crunchy crust of bread

And tells the loaf it is still but wheat

Who questions the aromatic scent of wine

And tells the bottle it had no right to ever leave the vine

And so who has the right to tell me I had no right to change

Poems

Art

The Friend You Used to Need

Katherine Camarata

Forging through the fargone paths Searching for a dream that lasts Believe in something present past Beyond time, beyond grasp

In the depths of crumbled soil Feeding through the scape of toil From the snake within the coil Feed the victor to the spoils

Parade of pressure flying free From the throes of fallacy

From the roots beneath the tree Come the fruits of clarity

At the time it comes to fight For wellness within your life

Find what’s missing deep inside Drown in light all that which hides

Despite all uncertainty

Or fear to move to freedom’s beat Be the light you need to be Be the friend you used to need~

A higher being, if there is any, put grains and grapes onto this earth

To be molded into something greater by the hands of an artisan

Until only something entirely new remained

Is my own strife not an artisan in its own right

Are my own experiences not the tools with which the artisan has to work with For me to be born a crying boy, and crafted into the woman I am today

Comic by Kai Kyzar

QUARTER PAGE

“Edge of Eternity” by Katherine Camarata

“Headlight Children in Space” by Jampa Dorje

Gifts to the future

Katherine Camarata Lead Editor

A vast array of unique paintings and sculptures decorated Gallery One as high-spirited artists from older and newer generations alike gathered to honor community members who have left lasting artistic impressions on the valley over several decades.

The Gestures: Gifts to the Future exhibit opened at the First Friday Art Walk on Feb. 3; a corresponding artist’s talk is set to occur on Feb. 11 at Gallery One from 10 a.m. - noon.

The exhibit is a collaboration with the Kittitas County Historical Museum; each legacy artist displays several pieces in the gallery, and eventually donates one piece to the museum to preserve art as a permanent piece of local history.

Seven long-time Ellensburg-based artists are showing in the exhibit, with mediums ranging from watercolor to junk assemblage to acrylic to stained glasswork and beyond.

The artists are: Sam Albright, Richard Denner, Bobbie Halperin, Cindy Kreible, Molly Morrow, Jane Orleman and Julie Prather.

Orleman is the owner of the fabled Dick and Jane’s spot on N. Pearl St. She is typically a muralist and said she selected the specific painting for the exhibit titled “She Asks for Time to Unravel the Mystery” because it was able to “fit inside the building.”

“This painting is actually really dear to me,” Orleman said. “I was painting it during the time my brother was dying. The title is ‘She Asks for Time to Unravel the Mystery,’ and it’s the mystery of living and dying and being.”

Orleman displayed her work centered around childhood abuse and family violence at CWU in 2019 for the first time in over 20 years. Orleman is currently displaying a painting in the stairwell of Gallery One called “She’s Stronger than She Looks,” depicting a child holding a woman on her shoulder.

“I wanted to give it to the museum so that it would continue the discussion and the dialogue about families that need healing,” Orleman said.

Lauren Otto, a senior in anthropology and intern at Gallery One, said she especially appreciated the colorful paintings of Sam Albright and Cindy Kreible, emeritus CWU art professor.

“I love his [Sam’s] work for the way that it is able to bring stuff to life on canvas, just gorgeous,” Otto said. “The way she’s [Kreible’s] able to capture the environment and the color.”

Former CWU Librarian of 20 years Guy Shover said his favorite pieces in the exhibit were created by Albright

and Denner; he said he particularly enjoyed reading Denner’s chapbooks in the gift shop.

“I like Sam Albright’s stuff,” Shover said. “He makes mandolins, he makes great paintings. They’re representational in a nice way.”

CWU alum and exhibitor Albright said his artwork is about inspiring a feeling in the viewer that might connect them to the artist. Albright primarily works with watercolor; his pieces in this exhibit feature winter scenery, the likes of snow and mist that permeates the pine trees.

“It has this graphic intensity about it, and I’m trying to find someplace in between the naturalness and then using watercolor in a little more intense way than a lot of people think of watercolor,” Albright said.

The vibrant stained glass lamps of Julie Prather, former employee of the CWU photo lab, have been displayed all over town, and Prather said she creates one every month because it

gives her joy. Prather said she often ponders what glass and photography have in common, and she said they both deal with light.

“Light in a photograph makes a beautiful photograph, and then the light with glass makes it magical,” Prather said. “I’ve always hoped that I bring color and light to people’s lives.”

Assemblagist, collagist and poet Richard Denner said he feels this show marked the dawn of a fresh cycle.

“Having been an artist in Ellensburg for a period of almost 50 years, it seems as though things have come full circle and now we’re beginning a new cycle … a new era of artists and art collectives, and I feel very honored to be part of this new wave of art in Ellensburg,” Denner said.

She Asks for Time to Unravel the Mystery by Jane Orleman.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

Photo art of Davidson Building by Julie Prather.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

Lamp by Julie Prather in the Gifts to the Future exhibit at Gallery One.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

Assemblage by Richard Denner in the Gifts to the Future exhibit at Gallery One.

Photo by Katherine Camarata

“Water Shield Pond Weeds” by Cindy Kreible

Photo by Katherine Camarata

With several routes serving the campus, Central Transit has all your transportation needs covered. Best of all, it is FREE to ride!

Wildcat Words: Wildcat Words by

Yohanes Goodell

What’s your favorite memory with The Observer?

“Hanging out with the staff and being excited to see my first story being printed.”

“My favorite memory would have to be working with the class and being able to say hi to Morgana everyday.”

“Watching the Spring Per formance of the Orchesis Dance Company because the dances were choreographed so beautifully.”

“When I covered an event about a stand-up comedian, it was really cool and fun to talk to him, especially because I’ve seen some of his YouTube videos before.”

Armani White is a professional rapper from Philadelphia with major hits such as “Billie Eilish” and “Silver Tooth.” He performed for CWU Wildfest on June 1.

Armani White

1. Tell me a little bit about what it was like growing up in Philadelphia and how you got you started in the industry?

It was fun. We were just a bunch of wild kids, like we were outside kids and we got into trouble because we always missed our curfew. That just led us to become a group of creative kids. We just found ways to be creative with each other and just pushed each other to do different things. Some of us wanted to be photographers, some just wanted to rap, somebody wanted to make beats and then we all just grew.

4. While you’ve made some great music, you’ve also collaborated a lot with talented musicians like Denzel Curry on “GOATED,” DIVINE, ASAP Ferg on “Silver Tooth.” Who is your favorite artist to collaborate with and why?

Yeah, Denzel’s like my dog. It’s kinda like a cheat code cause we just goofy together. We just get together and start laughing all the time. So that’s one of the easy ones. I’m gonna say DIVINE ‘cause he flew me out to India and I was a part of the culture for five days. He showed me around the whole city. And it was dope, it was a really good experience. DIVINE was definitely fun. And then we had a movie set, it didn’t feel like a music video. That was definitely one of the coolest experiences. Everything else is just me and Denzel [Curry] and we just had a lot of fun on set. Ferg [A$AP Ferg] is my dog too. The “Silver Tooth” music video was so quick, so we had a lot more fun making the record compared to shooting the video. But like I said, I’m cool with everybody.

“First quarter design nights, the one on Halloween was my favorite one. We had spooky music playing and we had a little dance party. It was really awesome.”

2. How do you think the use of Tik Tok has affected rising musicians?

Tik Tok … obviously helped me a lot. I think it also is crippling in a way that there’s some people who see a moment like mine and they don’t realize it was organic. So they try to imitate it and recreate it and do a bunch of stuff to make it happen. But I think if you crack the code and just being authentic and being yourself, having fun on it, then it is one of the most powerful tools I’m using right now.

5. What’s some advice you want to give to beginner musicians who want to follow a similar path to you?

Don’t listen to me. The reason I say this is I ain’t listen to nobody like when I was doing this, I was just trying whatever worked and that was what ended up working out. The biggest advice I can always give anybody is to be disruptive. Just do something that makes people almost mad at you, because people are going to talk about something that makes them mad way more than they’re gonna talk about something that makes them happy. But not in a bad way like breaking things. Even the “Billie Eilish” thing was because we couldn’t get a clear sample, because we couldn’t get the people to pay attention to us, we couldn’t get this answer. That answer was we just disrupted. The whole goal of that campaign was just to disrupt. Just be disruptive, that’s the best advice I can give anybody.

Q&AcompiledbyYohanesGoodell fromaPressConference

Madison VanRavenhorst Sr. Public Relations & Digital Marketing

Brittany Cinderella Sr. English: Creative Writing B.A. & Physics B.A.

Zileni Milupi Sr. Communications

Kai Kyzar Sr. Creative Writing

Beau Sansom Sr. Professional & Creative Writing