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NEO-NAZI FLYERS NEO-NAZI FLYERS FOUND ON CWU CAMPUS, STUDENTS RESPOND

Brandon Mattesich

Editor-In-Chief

MIF YOU SEE THESE TAKE THEM DOWN.

“ ”

CENTRAL DOESNT FUCK WITH NAZIS!

ultiple racist Neo-Nazi flyers, allegedly created by a group called “Washington White Pride,” were found around the CWU campus last Friday, leading to mass sharing and outrage on Instagram by students and ASCWU student leaders alike.

The flyers shared inaccurate and racist sentiments targeting minority communities in the larger state of Washington. They also listed a contact line and a call to action featuring a “Celtic Cross,” a symbol originally adopted by the Nazis which has since been re-adopted primarily by American neo-Nazi organizations, according to a list of hate symbols published by the US Marine Corps.

Lee Banford, fifth year geology major, was the first person to find the flyers and share them on Instagram with the caption, “DISGUSTING. IF YOU SEE THESE TAKE THEM DOWN. CENTRAL DOESNT FUCK WITH NAZIS.” Their story posts were later reposted and shared across dozens of student accounts at CWU.

“I found the pamphlets outside Discovery Hall on the red tables facing the SURC,” Banford said. “My initial reaction was stomach drop disgust. It is really a horrible feeling finding things with hateful speech like that, it’s disgust but also so much anger. It’s really hard to wrap my head around that kind of mindset that people can have, the lack of empathy.”

Students across social media pledged to take down the flyers if seen, with various captions being shared across Instagram condemning the actions of whoever put them up.

Some students responded to the posts on social media, stating that these types of

hateful posters affected their feeling of safety on campus. “They absolutely affected my sense of safety. I know Ellensburg is a conservative town, but I have often felt a sense of solace and inclusivity at CWU. I have no reason to believe that Central encouraged or endorsed these flyers, but the fact that they were/are posted around so prominently is deeply troubling.

“It reminded me of the hatred people can hold against each other when we’re afraid,” Kay Martin, a 4th year psychology major, said. “I hope that more students join things like MOCA, THRIVE, all of the great advocacy groups on campus. I hope that there will be events about how to properly stand up for yourself in today’s world, in a safe and strong manner. I hope that campus security catches whomever is putting up those signs.”

Banford’s posts were also shared by multiple members of the ASCWU community, including ASCWU President Hondo Acosta-Vega, who echoed the sentiment shared by Banford in their original posts.

“ASCWU has been made aware of the flyers placed on our campus and are aware campus police are looking into them. Any and all flyers we find will be given to them in order to preserve the safety of the student body,” Acosta-Vega wrote in an email to The Observer. “All students have the right to feel safe on campus. We are the lifeblood of Central, and we will make sure any information we have or flyers we find will be given to them (the police). We are also aware any and all flyers are being taken down immediately upon discovery, and we fully support this, and will do our parts to help ensure hate is not welcome here on campus.”

ASCWU leaders weren’t the only students to share the posts on their social media chan -

nels however, as students from across campus reposted Instagram stories, adding their own captions and repeating Banford’s original post.

“When I shared it, people had the same reaction as me,” Banford said. “It seemed to be the same thing of disgust, anger, shock. A couple people couldn’t believe it was at CWU that this was found. Which I felt really goes to show that this truly can happen anywhere.” Martin themself shared a similar statement to Banford, expressing their frustration at the hatred being posted up on campus. However, Martin argued that the existence of the flyers should not drive students apart, but rather serve as a reminder that students are stronger together.

“I think now more than ever, politicians and ‘the system’ and all the things we’re scared of will win by splitting us apart. Times like these are when we really need to come together and stand against this kind of thing. People are worthy of love and respect, period,” Martin said.

The Observer reached out to CWU Associate Director of Strategic Communications David Leder to ask if there was any comment from the university on the flyers. Leder explained that campus police are aware of two reports of these types of flyers being distributed on campus, but that they stated “no crime has occurred.”

Aside from the reports, Leder stated, “neither the CWU Police nor the administration will have any additional comments at this time.”

JENNIFER KING TRAILBLAZER. LEADER.

HISTORY MAKER.

LETTER from the EDITOR

To be quite frank, this week has been a tough one for me, at least from the news angle, and I’m sure I’m not alone in that feeling. What has been happening nationally has taken a toll on many and I am not exempt from that. However, I am really proud of the work we have all done at The Observer so far this quarter, and I really look forward to seeing this issue on the stands.

I think if there’s anything we all need right now it’s a strong sense of community, and an understanding that most people are much more rational than the internet can make everyone seem. I’m not saying to stop reading the news, but I do find that putting down Instagram and Twitter (X) every now and then to let yourself settle back into reality and realize that not everyone’s as insane as the big accounts online is helpful.

Issue 2 Recap

News this week touches on everything, from on campus dining to opinions on national news.

We also have a story about the flyers discovered around campus that was honestly pretty disheartening to hear about, but I’m confident our coverage will help inform anyone who reads it.

Scene also had a few stories this week. One of those stories is about Book Banning across the nation, following recent developments at Texas University. We have a different story about the Wildcat Pantry, which is as informational as it is exciting to read.

Oh and if you haven’t heard, SEAHAWKS TO THE SUPERBOWL (I write being a So-Cal baby). And of course, we have a story about that. But arguably even more impressive, is Central’s Women’s basketball team and the absolute sweep they have been on. It’s something I was excited to read about, and I hope you are too!

And we have to talk about design this week as well, with our fabulous team having worked together to create another stunning issue full of style and content alike. I’m really happy to have such a large design staff this quarter, and I can

Brandon expressing his love for The Observer.

(Photo courtesy of Kyley Glenn)

Dinner For Tomorrow:

Dining Director talks plans and how you can stay up to date.

Your every step gets slower, eyes drooping, energy sapped and an empty pit is forming where your stomach once was. That’s right. You’re starving. Well, you’re in luck, at least, according to Dean Masuccio, director of dining services.

Masuccio shared a number of upcoming plans for the Dining Sector, including a sushi concept, events and his philosophy for what dining brings to the CWU community.

Coming Soon

Masuccio stated that continuous change in dining is normal for the industry and part of his team’s mission to keep things fresh and new for students, while also maintaining the department’s financial responsibilities. To be doing a good job, Masuccio said that it was important to keep people engaged and break up the usual eating experience.

“The way that me and my team have approached and continue to approach our dining program is to always look at opportunities for continuous improvement,” Masuccio said. “We’re balancing change with our financial responsibilities as a department, so trying to do more with less and trying to introduce new and fun things with a limited budget.”

In terms of what’s coming in the near future, Masuccio mentioned gauging student interest in introducing a sushi offering for the SURC’s marketplace. The concept is currently planned for fall quarter 2026.

“We’re doing all our due diligence and homework to make that happen,” Masuccio said.

However, Masuccio added that typically,

something incoming means something else is also leaving.

“I’ve been here seven years now and over the years, we introduced Fresh Bar which took the place of the previous concept that was there. We introduced Panini which took the place of the previous concept that was there. We’ve redesigned, reimagined The Village over the years to kind of create the current setup,” Masuccio said.

Beyond The Kitchen

Outside of the different foodplace concepts around campus, Masuccio said that there are also several events that dining hosts, with many still to come.

“We’re doing the Gen jams now at the Bistro, almost weekly. Jazz night at the Bistro, I think, is once a month. Open mic night, we’re collaborating with campus activities,” Masuccio said. “So, just follow us on social media and see who eats that. Stay up to date on all of our events.”

For spring quarter, Masuccio said that he and his team plan to bring back the Food Wagon, which is being expanded and updated to be available through GrubHub. Other events include Lunar New Year’s specials, a plant based picnic and Mother’s Day brunch.

Masuccio stated that what he enjoys about being able to offer such events is that it allows for dining to deliver on adding to the student experience beyond just cooking and serving food.

“My philosophy about our dining program is that it’s not just to provide food and beverage,” Masuccio said. “That’s kind of the core responsibility that we

have, but my belief and my team’s belief, is that we are here to supplement the experiences that our students have while they’re here at CWU, either through the experiences they have as a guest or by participating in the some of the co-curricular activities that we support through student activities or student events.”

Getting Involved

For those looking to get help with dining, Masuccio said that he and his team always appreciate student feedback, taking it into account when planning for new events, concepts or menu items.

“An example of that is we took the pulled pork sliders off the menu at the beginning of fall quarter to change it up and allow for a different menu item to be introduced,” Masuccio said. “We heard from students and RHA. We missed the slider, so we brought them back for winter quarter. We’re always looking at ways that we can align with what our students are looking for.”

Masuccio also said that dining is the biggest source of student employment on campus, to the point that they currently have a waiting list due to employee retention. Despite this, he recommended students give dining employment a shot.

“You are serving the campus community, you’re serving your peers, but I think it’s also an opportunity to maybe start as a student employee and have opportunities to grow within our Student Leadership Program and become a student coordinator or a student manager,” Masuccio said. “We have student managers that have graduated and are now working for us full time.”

Gunner Stuns Staff Reporter

(Photo courtesy of CWU)

BAN BOOM BOOK

Jade Marsden Staff Reporter

Book banning is on the rise across the nation, raising widespread concerns about the weakening of academic freedom which lead to the challenge and ongoing removal of The Symposium, a foundational text written by the Western philosopher Plato, at Texas A&M University. The work had violated new gender, sexuality and identity policies enacted last November; the chair of the philosophy department had already requested its removal from a professor’s syllabus in early January of 2026.

The text is being removed because it includes dialogue depicting same-sex relationships between men during a banquet where guests had dedicated speeches to the god of love, Eros. The same passage also presents a fable spoken by Aristophanes, explaining the origins of love and sexual desire in human beings.

According to philosophy Professor Cynthia Coe, the fable depicts a tale of human creation. “When human beings were created by the Greek gods, we had four legs and four arms and we got to places by doing cartwheels, essentially, and we were enormously powerful and we made an assault on the gods,” Coe said. “Zeus, the head of the Greek pantheon, takes a string and slices us in half. And so what we’re doing when we’re attracted to somebody is we’re seeking our other half.”

The humans who had emerged from the original clay spheres formed various pairings, including both same-sex and different-sex partnerships. However, Coe argued that focusing on same-sex relationships misinterprets the fable, which Coe said is meant to illustrate the beginnings of desire and love.

The Board of Regents had updated their policies shortly after firing another professor for discussing gender identity and sexuality within Sep. of 2025 stating that courses may not “advocate race or gender ideology, or topics related to sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Professor and Instruction Coordinator for the library Elizabeth Brown stated that the censorship of

this text is sending a “really hurtful message, because it excludes marginalized groups and populations.”

“[It is] unwelcoming in the most generous interpretation, and just outright disrespectful in not accepting of those people or inviting them into conversation and not recognizing them for who they are,” Brown said.

The retraction of this text has intensified broader concerns about book banning across the United States. In Texas, this trend has been propelled by a set of recent laws including: House Bill 900 (HB900), which prioritizes restrictions of adult designated educational materials; Senate Bill 12 (SB12), prohibiting content related to race, gender, identity and sexual orientation and Senate Bill 13 (SB13), which introduces new regulations for managing library materials. These bills are raising serious concerns amongst parents, librarians and educators when limiting students’ access to multifaceted resources.

Brown said that book banning tends to be about control over narrative, stating, “issues around intellectual freedom and around censorship are about controlling the narrative.” She pointed out that encountering certain subjects can be unsettling but, “when you remove the things that you personally find uncomfortable that’s just closed minded.”

The professor who was asked to remove The Symposium was also given a deadline to do so, ultimately replacing the text with a module on Free Speech and Academic Freedom.

Issues around

intellectual

freedom and around censorship are about controlling the narrative.

”

Elizabeth Brown, Instruction Coordinator

PACK the PANTRY

Wildcat Pantry hosts its biggest food drive of the

Meisner Dunlap Staff Reporter

Pack the Pantry has always been the largest food drive of the year for CWU’s own Wildcat Pantry, and this year is no different, with over a thousand pounds of donations already having been received and much more to come.

“I bought about a case of pasta and a case of refried beans and some baking soda. But I didn’t have enough for the refried beans,” Wildcat Pantry Coordinator Charles Johnson said. “This woman who was in line behind me goes, ‘It’s people like you that make a woman go, Wow! What’s he doing with all that food?’”

“I turned to her and said, ‘I work for the Wildcat Pantry at Central Washington University and all of this food that I have in my cart is being donated to our Pack the Pantry food drive, which is our largest drive of the year. She was enamored by that,” Johnson continued. “She asked to purchase an entire case of refried beans for me so that I could donate them to the pantry.”

Pack the Pantry is a three-week event that allows the Wildcat Pantry to receive specific items on its shelves for students to enjoy for free. The event runs from Jan. 12 to 31. Each week, the Wildcat Pantry has been focusing on essentials and foods from a different category.

According to the CWU Wildcat Pantry’s Instagram page, the organization received a total of 1,719.2 pounds of donations so far, not including monetary items.

Joel Klucking, the senior vice-president for Finance and Administration, defined Pack the Pantry as a friendly competition between teams of CWU staff. Still, Klucking explained, it is more about helping the community than winning.

“There’s a trophy, but it’s a token,” Klucking said. “It’s nice to have a trophy, but ultimately, we’re trying

year

to raise or provide as much to the Pantry as we can.”

The Wildcat Pantry provided donation boxes in many buildings around campus. Lead Inventory Team Member Alonzo Avila and Inventory Staff Member Tianyi Mao pack all the donations into their golf cart every Tuesday and Friday of the event and drive them to the Wildcat Pantry inside James E. Brooks Library.

“It’s a team sport that you’re competitive, but at the end of the day, there’s still sportsmanship and everyone’s in good spirits,” Avila said.

During the first week, CWU staff donated nonperishables to the Pantry. Such items included cultural foods and other high-priority items.

The Pantry focused on foods that satisfied allergy-related needs during the second week. Such foods included gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-free and vegan non-perishable items. On the Friday of that week, The Observer shadowed a packing.

According to Avila, the Pantry’s golf cart has overflowed with donations every Tuesday and Friday of the event so far.

When asked about the importance of donating, Kurt Kirstein, the associate vice-president for academic affairs, who represented the Provost Office team in Pack the Pantry, said, “When I was at Evergreen [State College], my family didn’t have any money. The only reason why I was able to go to college was because my grandmother paid for my tuition, and I spent many days not having enough food.”

“I can’t solve the whole problem, but I want to try to do everything I can to make it easier for as many students as possible,” Kirstein continued.

Conference Coordinator Kelli Conrads, who represented the SURC team in Pack the Pantry, said that donating is an efficient and important way to help the community.

“Food insecurity is something that I find near and

dear to my heart,” Conrads said. “I’ve been there, so I think people should donate if they can.”

Additionally, Conrads donated to the mobile food bank on Wednesday, Jan. 21, and encouraged students to do the same in the future. She said the mobile bank hosts food drives two to three times a year.

“If you can’t donate items, donate time to the mobile food bank,” Conrads said. “There were lots of volunteers from all over campus, and I think that’s great.”

While describing the success of the mobile bank food drive, Conrads said, “There were lots of people lining up in their cars to get food, and they got fresh vegetables and fruit and eggs. I think having both of those events at the same time is really cool. It shows that there is a need.”

When asked about how he will accomplish his goal of winning the competition, Klucking said, “There’s a lot of staff in my division, and so if everybody gives just a little bit, then we should be able to win.”

Klucking explained that even if he wins, he wants to give most of the credit to the Wildcat Pantry. “The winner is really the Pantry. In the last two years, this friendly competition has led to a lot of donations for Pack the Pantry that maybe otherwise wouldn’t have happened.”

The third week will be about hygiene and household. That week, the Pantry will accept items such as feminine products, hair care, toilet paper, winter clothing and detergent.

Johnson looks forward to the build-your-own charcuterie open house event on Friday, Feb. 6. When asked to define the word “charcuterie,” Johnson said, “It’s a wooden cutting board. And then [students will] get meat, cheese and crackers. They can make little sandwiches out of it. Some people snack with it.”

Photos courtesy of Pexels.

BREAKIN’ RECORDS

UP IN HERE ALL NIGHT (UH HUH)

Parker Wood Sports Editor

The Women’s Basketball team are on their longest win streak since 1987, due in part to Senior Guard Asher Cai who has already broken both school and conference records. The Wildcats currently stand at the top of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) with a 18-1 record, nine of those wins coming from GNAC opponents and going undefeated in the GNAC.

Cai has been one of the biggest parts of the Wildcats success, leading the team in every

percentage, three point percentage and free throw percentage. She also leads the GNAC this season in every scoring stat outside of three points made.

Cai gave the credit for the recent success to her team, “none of it means anything if we’re not winning games,” Cai said. “I just want to shout out the team for working so hard, showing up every day for each other. I can’t get these accolades without them.”

“WE’RE ALL BOUGHT IN AND THERE’S NOT ONE PERSON WHO’S A STRAGGLER.”

The record for career three point shots made was previously held by Katie Colard of Western Washington, until Jan. 17, when Cai and the Wildcats traveled to Billings, Mont. to face GNAC opponent Montana State Billings. Against the Billings, the Senior Guard had her least amount of minutes played but she still found the time to drill three three-point shots and take the GNAC career record for three point shots made with 264.

Along with the three point record, Cai recently broke the school record for all-time points, passing Sunny Huerta, who herself broke the record last year. Cai and Huerta shared the same locker room between 20222025 and Cai has nothing but love for the former Wildcat.

“I respect Sunny (Huerta) so much and I’ve played with her for three years and

those were probably the most special years I’ve been here. She’s taught me a lot,” Cai said. “I was really appreciative that she could be there and that she handed the torch off to me. Just a lot of respect for Sunny and everything she’s done.”

Despite the great roster the last few years, the Wildcats haven’t claimed any titles, GNAC or otherwise. Despite falling short of the champion title, Cai knows that improvements can always be made. “I take every loss as a losing opportunity to get better from it,” Cai said. “I know that Randi (Richardson, the head coach) approaches that way too. Losses just show weakness and that just shows what you can work on.”

With the best start to a season the Wildcats had in years, a feeling in that was past couple of years. “The difference in the is, as a collective, we’re all in it,” Cai said. “We’re all bought in and there’s not one person who’s a straggler. We’re all coming together, we’re all pushing each other in practice, pushing each other in scout team … we all want to win.”

Cai is currently averaging 22.9 points per game and is 19 points away from breaking the GNAC alltime points record. The Wildcats continue their stretch of home games on Thursday, Jan. 29 against Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.

Asher Cai celebrating (Photo courtesy

A Saints player trying to guard Asher Cai.

(Photo courtesy of Nathan Herde)

Asher Cai on the court.

(Photo courtesy of Nathan Herde)

ASHER CAI HELPS LEAD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TO LONGEST WIN STREAK SINCE 1987

“I JUST WANT TO SHOUT OUT THE TEAM FOR WORKING SO HARD, SHOWING UP EVERY DAY FOR EACH OTHER. I CAN’T GET THESE ACCOLADES WITHOUT THEM.”

(Left to right) Jordy Demott, Kayla Thorton and Aliyah Finch.

(Photo courtesy of Nathan Herde)

celebrating against Saint Martins. of Anthony Perez)

CWU team huddle.

(Photo courtesy of Nathan Herde)

Minneapolis needs to be the final wake up call Editorial:

Brandon Mattesich Editor-In-Chief

The murders of two non-violent protestors by federal agents in Minneapolis need to serve as the final wakeup call to anyone who does not see the problem with ICE and the current presidential administration.

Those who know me in my personal life know well that I have been personally against Trump and his policies since before he ever took office. But in my reporting I have made it a priority to fairly cover national events and policy updates, ensuring that I cover issues from a non-biased perspective and that I give all parties a chance to speak on political matters.

Non-polarizing reporting is something I pride myself on and is something I really value as Editor-In-Chief of this paper. But as I went to write this article I found myself utterly incapable of removing my views from the story because simply put, what I have seen in the videos and in the following statements by the

Trump administration has left me with one overwhelming feeling:

If you supported ICE before, if you supported them throughout, then these killings need to be the final wake up call, because to me, this is well past the point of no return. There is no sound logical or ethical reason to support the current activities nor practices of ICE in this country, at least not as the organization they currently are.

The most appalling part of the entire situation to me is how the Trump administration has responded. By some miracle, both murders have been recorded from multiple angles and because of that, the real footage exists and has been widely shared and seen by millions.

And yet, the Trump administration, instead of responding to the footage, to the undeniable footage that we can all watch, has repeatedly put out conflicting and all together completely made up statements and retellings of both

killings in which ICE agents were under direct assault, where they were gravely injured or needed to act to save their lives, as if we, the people, cannot just freely watch the footage ourselves and see that both instances played out nothing like how Trump and his staff have said they did.

It is insulting to our intelligence as citizens as much as it is dangerous that the administration has not taken it upon themselves to seek reform nor apologize and has instead doubled down both times despite the overwhelming abundance of footage and testimony clearly showing how both events actually transpired.

So the way I see it there are three options. One, if you were already anti-ICE, these events just exacerbated your stance. If you are pro-ICE, you then watched the footage, and are now reconsidering your stance in light of the very real footage of murders on the street. Because the third option should not even be an option, the third option

is blindly listening to authority without questioning the footage yourself.

That is what I mean when I say this is the final wakeup call, because this footage, these blatant murders in the street, are not a narrative that can be twisted “left” or “right” as prior ICE incidents could’ve been, rather they are recorded, well documented, and easily accessible instances of overreach of power, and the only way you do not see that is if you blindly follow what the administration is peddling.

My point in writing this is not to encourage you to blindly follow my opinion on this matter either, in fact, it's the opposite. I want to encourage everyone to watch the footage and form an opinion for themselves, don't let me, don't let anyone, inform your decision on this. Watch the footage, and see it for yourself.

There is no excuse nor reason to just blindly follow an opinion being pushed onto you about this matter, because when something this serious

unfolds, something this fundamental, it is something you need to come to your own conclusion on.

I say this because I have complete confidence that anyone who watches the footage with an open mind, without a preformed opinion or narrative having already been decided, will be forced to see the truth of the killings, which is that they are inexcusable, and that the Trump administration’s accounts of them are blatantly inaccurate falsifications of the truth.

So instead of just reporting on this event, I wanted to write this editorial to say simply: Let these murders be the final wake up call so that no more may transpire, and let these murders be the final wakeup call that the Trump administration has a serious history of misinformation and a serious commitment to the falsification of history that is not only deeply unsettling, but could have dangerous consequences for near every citizen of this country's future.

ICE Protest in Minneapolis (Photo courtesy of @ImSpeaking13 from X)

How ‘bout them Seahawks?

Parker Wood Sports Editor

The Seattle Seahawks are officially NFC champions and are on their way to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2015. After a postseason of defeating division rivals left and right, all that’s in the way of the Seahawks second ring is the New England Patriots, the same franchise responsible for the biggest heartbreak in Seattle sports. No matter how this season ends, this team rose above doubts and uncertainty to be one of, if not, the best team in the NFL.

One of the most pivotal points for this team was in 2024, when the Seahawks moved on from long time head coach Pete Carroll and instead gave the reins to then Baltimore Ravens Defensive Coordinator Mike MacDonald.

From the get go, many Seahawks fans knew this was the right guy for the job, as the Ravens had consistently been one of the best defenses thanks to MacDonald. In that first year, MacDonald brought the Seahawks to 10-7 and transformed a bottom 10 defense to a top 12 defense.

At the beginning of the 2025 offseason, the Seahawks signed former Viking quarterback and former third overall pick Sam Darnold. If not for leading the Vikings to a 14 win season, Darnold was considered an all-time draft bust, a term used for draft picks who never played to expectations. Despite the 14 win season, there were still plenty of doubts on if Darnold was actually a good quarterback or if he was just in a good system, and the Vikings let him walk out of the organization.

The Seahawks took a shot on Darnold and signed him to a three year deal. Despite the doubts, Darnold stood up to the challenge

and played pretty well until a week nine game against the Rams, where Darnold would have his worst game of the year and throw four interceptions.

Despite the poor outing, the Seahawks stayed in the game until the last minute, where they missed a field goal to tie the game. Darnold would continue to produce turnovers but he would also lead the Seahawks to a record breaking 14 win season and their first playoff wins since 2019 and their first superbowl appearance since 2015.

Without an amazing quarterback, what helped push the Seahawks to such a great record? One of the most dominant defenses seen from the NFL in years. The self-proclaimed “Dark Side” boasted top ten stats in each defensive category, including allowing the least amount of points in the entire NFL. The scheme created would help the defense create pressure on the opposing quarterback while rarely blitzing, allowing the front seven to feast while the secondary would find comfort in coverage.

Along with one of the most feared defenses, the Seahawks had one of the most impactful wide receivers in the NFL, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, or JSN as fans call him. Despite being on one of the most run heavy teams, JSN ended the season breaking a franchise record and leading the league in receiving yards with 1793 yards. Smith-Njigba is currently the favorite to win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award, which would make him the first Seahawk to win the award since running back Shaun Alexander in 2006.

The Seahawks ended the 2025 regular season with 14 wins, the most in franchise history and securing a week off during the NFL

postseason. With two rivals joining them in playoffs, the Seahawks got to rest while they watched their rivals win their respective games, meaning the ‘Hawks would host the San Francisco 49ers to decide which team would make the NFC Championship.

This would be a rematch of their week 18 match, where the Seahawks won the right to the first seed and the week one bye. The Seahawks would go on to smash their rivals, with a 41-6 win, preventing the California team from even scoring a touchdown.

In his first meeting with the team in 2024, MacDonald told the team of an NFC Championship game in the far future, where the weather will be cold and nasty, touting it as “Shitty for them, perfect for us.” That the opposing team will know what they’re in for, 11 guys moving as one. “They know we’re like that,” MacDonald said.

Fast forward to Jan. 25, 2026, and MacDonald’s revelation comes true. In Lumen Field, Seattle faces division rival Los Angeles Rams for the chance to lead the NFC to the Super Bowl. It is cold and the weather is biting, but both teams fight like hell. Every time the Seahawks seem to find success, the Rams follow as MVP favorite Matthew Stafford picks apart the most fearsome defense in the NFL.

In the end, Sam Darnold kept up with the best QB in the NFL, and the defense was able to make the right stops at the right time. As the clock ran out, the Seahawks stormed the field, celebrating their 31-27 victory over the division rivals, along with securing the chance to go to Superbowl LX. The Seahawks go into the superbowl as three and a half point favorites.

Seattle Seahawks celebrating in the locker room after their big game. (Photo courtesy of Seattle Seahawks)

HEATED RIVALRY

Disclaimer: This story contains spoilers. These thoughts are coming purely from the series as I have not read the books.

Breaking the internet; along with the hockey community, ‘Heated Rivalry’ began airing on HBO MAX on Nov. 28, then released episodes weekly for six weeks. The show quickly became the most watched original series on Canada’s streaming site, Crave.

The show is able to explore the ideas of mental health, different sexualities, difficult home lives, grief and the struggles of coming out in a country where it is illegal. As well, in a heterosexual dominated sport.

The show is a slow burn, following Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander as they find their way to each other within the span of nine years. Despite their relationship, we are left with them still being closeted at the end of the season.

It takes a minute for any emotional intimacy to be displayed between the two. The first two episodes focus on physical intimacy, hockey and introducing the characters. Episode three takes us through the eyes of a different hockey player, Scott Hunter.

‘Hunter’ was probably my favorite episode of the series. Scott and his love interest Kip Grady had a love story that I found to be beautiful. I also enjoyed how well the actors displayed chemistry within their characters.

The first main character to discuss is Ilya Rozanov. A Russian hockey player who starts the show playing for the Boston Raiders. His character has depth but the way it was explored in the show wasn’t enough to form a real attachment.

The show stays surface level when it comes to discussing the story of each character as an individual. We learn about the struggles of him never being enough for his family. Being seen as lazy by his father or an ATM for his brother, and his sexuality of being bisexual being illegal in his home country.

Canadian hockey player for Montreal, Shane Hollander, has a similar experience. We see him face microaggressions while at a hockey mixer for being Asian. There was also the internal conflict of him accepting being gay. Especially coming out to his parents. Yet again, each conflict was only discussed at a surface level so we were never able to get attached and build his character.

Scott Hunter and Kip Grady were the ones I felt the most connected to on a personal level. Although they were only on screen for a short time, the audience was able to go in depth on bigger topics within their romance as well as their per-

A skate forward for representation

sonal life.

Hunter shared his parents death and the weight of representing St. Thomas. Grady received a full ride to grad school. Add that to the plot of his partner being out but being asked to hide with Hunter essentially, we got a lot of what Shane and Ilya lacked.

The show does feature a lot of intimacy, but I genuinely believe the intimacy of the show was important as it is usually not depicted on screen.

Representation matters immensely and I’m glad that the community is able to receive these pieces of media that mirror their life. Heated Rivalry has allowed hockey players to come out, queer identities to receive representation, and has even resulted with the actors of the main characters to be given the opportunity to be the olympic torchbearers.

The Audience

To take away from the show itself and focus on the audience, I feel that there are some that are creating invalidation among the couple. I have come across videos of women expressing attraction to the intimate scenes between these two main characters.

And while everyone is allowed to like what they want, it feels as though they are undermining the importance of gay couples being seen as a valid relationship rather than something to be fetishized by straight people.

While the main characters may be attractive to fans, I do believe there is a way to focus on them as real people rather than focus on their fictional characters purely when they are acting as a couple. For those who do fall into the category of a non cis straight woman, I do believe it can be different.

To contrast that, some women have found safety in the show. Characters such as Ilya and Shane leave room for women to imagine. There’s no pre-existing expectation of the roles that these two men play when it comes to intimacy.

Gender norms are able to be thrown out. There is also the ability for women to focus on pleasure rath-

er than comparison. Subconsciously it is an easy thing to do. It is easy to focus on whether you are performing the way these women do, if your body looks similar to those in porn, etc.

To stray away from women and focus on the topic of the show, it has brought courage to members of the NHL to feel safe and secure in coming out. Something that traditionally lacks in occurrence for traditionally straight dominated sports. Zach Sullivance was able to credit ‘Heated Rivalry’ for his confidence in coming out.

Production

Not only is the show good from the perspective of the storyline, its cinematography is incredible. Most shows that focus on gay couples seem to follow a cheesy, low quality, Netflix style production. And yes, this is respectfully pointing at Heartstopper. However, ‘Heated Rivalry’ has several shots that truly drive the point home.

The first scene to discuss is when Scott and Kip reach a conflict in their relationship. This results in a shot of Kip celebrating his birthday as well as receiving a full ride scholarship to grad school at his favorite bar while Scott walks past and looks inside.

Another scene I found to be beautifully shot was during the conflict between Ilya and Shane. After Shane got scared of how real everything felt, he began to see Rose. Eventually, they go to a club together in Canada.

Ilya has a game in the same area and goes to the club. This is where we see a centered shot of Shane in focus staring at Ilya while Ilya is kissing another girl’s ear and staring at him. It switches between the two centered in frame. While it can be interpreted as a strange scene, I see it as something to really drive the point home of how hard it is for these two to stay away from each other. Like a forbidden love that is magnetic.

Focusing on the production, the soundtrack felt reminiscent of ‘Challengers’. The fast paced electronic music would play anytime there was a game, or an intimate moment between the two main characters. There also were very few songs that contained lyrics which I found to be interesting. Most shows have this pressure to be top trending songs on.

An example of that being ‘The Summer I turned Pretty’ having a Taylor Swift song or a top pop song in almost every scene. Somehow, ‘Heated Rivalry’ was able to maintain audience interest and enjoyment through music without giving in to these pressures. Could this have just been due to the production company not being able to gain the rights to the songs? Maybe, but either way I think it was an outcome that was meant to happen for the show.

Kyley Glenn Columnist

Designed

by Z Morris

Divined

Ethan Kennedy

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