Page 8
Page 6
Page Page 34-5
Page 7
Page 7
January 26, 2022
Vol. 121 NO. 3
Person entered SURC with knife; no injuries were reported By Sean Bessette and Morgana Carroll Editor-in-Chief and Staff Reporter
Women’s and Men’s basketball team combine for three straight wins over weekend Photo Courtesy of CWU Athletics, Senior Kassidy Malcolm led women’s basketball to two wins this weekend, scoring 28 against Saint Martin’s University and 22 against Western Oregon University.
By Jared Galanti Sports Editor The CWU men’s and women’s basketball team returned to Nicholson Pavilion and won three straight games combined this past weekend, after having to postpone home games earlier in the month due to COVID-19 issues. The first win came on Thursday, Jan. 20, when the CWU women’s team (11-4) beat visiting Saint Martin’s University (SMU) (9-6) 90-75. Redshirt senior forward Kassidy Malcolm led the team in scoring with 28 points off 12-20 shooting (2-5 from three). Redshirt senior guard Kizzah Maltezo finished second on the team with 27 points off of 10-18
shooting (6-9 from three). Redshirt junior center Samantha Bowman led the team in rebounds with 14. CWU finished the night shooting 57.6% (34-59) from the field and an efficient 52.2% (12-23) from three, while the defense held SMU to just 48.3% from the field (29-60) and just 30% (6-20) from three. The CWU women’s team continued its roll on Saturday when it beat Western Oregon University (WOU) 74-55. After only leading by two points at halftime, CWU outscored WOU (7-7) 43-26 in the second half. Malcolm again led CWU in scoring with 22 points on 9-12 shooting (6-9 from three) and Bowman once again led CWU in rebounds with 14.
CWU once again shot efficiently, shooting 47.5% (29-61) from the field but struggled with threes only making 43.3% (13-30). The defense, however, showed up again, holding WOU to only 32.9% (23-70) from the field and 28% (7-25) from three. The CWU men’s team (93) followed the women’s with another strong win with a 9067 victory over WOU (3-10). The men were led by the duo of senior forward Marqus Gilson and senior guard Xavier Smith, who put up 23 and 20 points respectively. Gilson shot 10-17 from the floor and also led the team in rebounds with 12 and had one assist and steal.
The CWU men shot an efficient 59% (36-61) from the field while shooting 46.7% (7-15) from three. The defense held WOU to just 42.4% (25-59) from the field and 40.7% (11-27) from three. The CWU men will next face Simon Frasier University (SFU) in back-to-back games on Jan. 25 and Jan. 27, one of them being a rescheduled home game from Jan. 1 before traveling to take on Western Washington University on Saturday Jan. 29. The CWU women will go on the road to face SFU on Jan. 25 before playing at home Saturday Jan. 29 against Northwest Nazarene University.
An incident in which a person with a knife entered the SURC last Saturday evening, Jan. 22 took place. No injuries were reported. The SURC was evacuated as a “precautionary measure.” According to CWU’s emergency notification system, the person was experiencing a mental health crisis. Multiple updates were sent to the campus community via CWU’s emergency notification system throughout the evening. After hours of negotiation with the suspect, they were taken into custody, according to an update provided at 10:12 p.m. The SURC resumed normal operations on Jan. 23. The suspect had supposedly been pinned between the two sets of doors at the rear of the SURC, according to multiple eyewitnesses on the scene. According to eyewitness Soren Janson, a CWU student, the police showed up at around 6 p.m. There were six officers, according to Janson. By the time more students had begun to gather around the event, half an hour later there were multiple police cars and more officers on the scene. They had begun to tape off the area.
A LOOK BEYOND
Page 02
January 26, 2022
Letter from the Editors The Observer published an article last week titled, “Dining services supervisor investigated for ‘inappropriate boundaries.’” Since the publication, we’ve witnessed various reactions including a change.org petition garnering over 400 signatures to have the supervisor fired. Students have used their platform to comment, such as ASCWU President Madeline Koval. Keep an eye on our publication for any updates and developments regarding this case.
Beyond Our Coverage Local
National
Washington State Department of Health (DOH) ran out of at-home COVID-19 tests less than 24 hours after opening their online ordering site on Friday, according to YakTriNews. The Washington DOH posted on Twitter it expects more tests soon, according to the article. Kittitas County’s COVID-19 seven-day rate measured 1,143 cases per 100,000 population between Jan. 4 - Jan. 11, according to Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 dashboard. The statewide rate measured 1,631 cases per 100,000 population, with 30% of hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients. Washington Attorney General Bob Feguson joined a multi-state lawsuit against Google with attorneys general in Texas, Indiana and the District of Columbia on Monday, according to Seattle Times. The article stated the lawsuit alleges the company collected data without consent as well as misled consumers about its location-tracking services. The City of Ellensburg held a public hearing Tuesday for a preliminary plat approval of a 293-lot subdivision, according to the Daily Record. The subdivision, the proposed three-phase project named Mallard Meadows, would be located off of Bull Road.
World
The Supreme Court announced Monday it will examine the ability for universities to consider the race of applicants in admissions processes according to The Washington Post. Students for Fair Admissions said “Americans strongly disapprove of race-conscious admissions” according to polls, while Harvard University president stated the risks of accepting the cases could cost education institutions the ability to create diverse student bodies. The James Webb Space Telescope arrived at its post 1 million miles from Earth, a month after it launched, according to AP News. NASA expects observations to begin in June with expectations to give astronomers the ability to observe space and time over 13.5 years ago, according to the article.
One of the last places on the globe to be COVID-free, the Kiribati island nation in the Pacific went into lockdown for the first time during the pandemic on Saturday, according to The Washington Post. After landing on the remote island, 36 passengers on a flight from Fiji tested positive. The island had only recorded two infections in the history of the pandemic until now. NATO announced some member countries have put troops, fighter jets and ships on standby in an effort to provide support to Ukraine and its bordering NATO countries, according to The New York Times. Russian forces continue to arrive in Belarus for planned exercises next month which has caused concerns of Russia invading Ukraine. Stories compiled by Addie Adkins
U.S. stock markets fluctuated over the weekend, regaining most losses on Monday after falling 10% from its Jan. 3 high, according to The Guardian. Investors made sharp selloffs on Friday and Monday morning fueled by fears surrounding the Russia/Ukraine conflict and the end of support from the Federal Reserve.
Visit our website for more information.
cwuobserver.com
The Observer Staff Editor-in-Chief Sean Bessette News Editor Star Diavolikis Scene Editor Libby Williams Opinion Editor
Copy Desk Chief Katlyn White Assistant Copy Editors Addie Adkins Katherine Camarata
Graphic Designers Meghan Salsbury
Katlyn White
Sarah Stewart
Sports Editor Jared Galanti
Photographer Dylan Hanson
Online Editor Crystal Clausen
Advertising cwuobserver@gmail.com
Staff Reporters
Faculty Adviser Jennifer Green
Jennifer.Green@cwu.edu
Morgana Carroll Joshua Kornfeld Evan Couch Tapanga Krause Jake Hassebrock Ty Mcphee Gavin Johnson
Editorial Consultant Francesco Somaini Editorial Policy: The Observer is a public forum for student expression,
in which student editors make policy and content decisions. The mission of The Observer is two-fold: to serve Central Washington University as a newspaper and to provide training for students who are seeking a career in journalism. The Observer seeks to provide complete, accurate, dependable information to the campus and community; to provide a public forum for the free debate of issues, ideas and problems facing the community at large; and to be the best source of information, education and entertainment news. As a training program, The Observer is the practical application of the theories and principles of journalism. It teaches students to analyze and communicate information that is vital to the decision making of the community at large. It provides a forum for students to learn the ethics, values and skills needed to succeed in their chosen career. If you have questions or concerns, email us at cwuobserver@gmail.com.
Page 03
January 26, 2022
Music faculty member targeted by prejudice
SCENE
WiseCrax:
Ongoing investigation seeks answers
Honorable Mentions
By Katherine Camarata Senior Reporter
By Libby Williams and Katherine Camarata Columnists
Racist, homophobic and sexually explicit materials were distributed to music faculty and student areas of McIntyre Hall over winter break, according to an email sent out to the music department on Jan. 5. CWU Police, Human Resources, the Provost Office, the Dean’s Office and the Music Department are all involved in a formal investigation to discover who committed this violation. The materials were “A horrific attempt to target and slander a CWU faculty member,” according to the email sent on Jan. 5. The email continues on by saying the incident occurred shortly before a music faculty retreat announcing efforts to create “safe spaces for women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, and all students, faculty and staff.” According to the email, “Acts that create unsafe spac-
Photo by Dylan Hanson/The Observer.
es for students, faculty and staff at CWU will not go unchallenged.” Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities Dr. Jill Hernandez released a statement to The Observer: “The CWU Music Department is leading the way in building a strong community that reflects our shared value of prizing and protecting our extraordinary diversity. Our collective efforts to foster civility and inclusivity will not be undermined by those who seek to sow discord. “We continue to stand together and take concrete steps towards delivering on the promises of our shared values for women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, and all students, faculty, and staff within the College of Arts and Humanities.” CWU is asking anyone who has information regarding this incident to contact Director of Police and Public Safety Jason Berthon-Koch at 509.963.2959.
I see you, lone waffle fry in the french fry bag, living your crispiest life before your once-in-a-lifetime journey to the center of a human. You may not know that anybody recognizes your diligence, but I do. When Andy the burger-flipper went to shovel those french fried chips into that wafer-thin paper envelope of guilty love, who was there to accompany them, free of charge? You were. And when that five-year-old’s mom only ordered potatoes cut in the shape of vape pens, who shattered her limited perception of reality? You did! And when you were asked to choose between being shaped like a breakfast or being shaped like a lunch side dish, who denied the duality of expectation by saying, I shouldn’t have to choose and neither should you?! You did! I see you, lone waffle fry, I respect you, I cherish you, and you bet your tartar sauce that I will eat you first.
I see you, broken 24-hour parking pass printer. Struck down in your prime, if you could even call it that. Of course, now that you have nothing to offer them, they finally see your worth. You watch them now, realizing in horror that their card has been declined, and you are out of order. They grapple with their options, torment stricken and full of woe. Do they use 30-minute parking and switch spots every half hour? Do they try to park in the back corner of the lot, where they’re convinced no parking attendant would venture to tack on a $30 fine? After all, it’s 4:17 p.m. They wouldn’t ticket them this close to the free parking hour, right? RIGHT? But alas, what would you know? You’re just a 24-hour parking pass printer, and you are out of order.
I see you, orca whale, being all white, black and misunderstood all over. You may let it get under your blubber when everybody calls you a killer, but I see you for more than just the temperamental older sibling to the dolphin. When the Loch Ness monster needed an animal so bold that it would throw humans off its scent, who volunteered to take the spotlight and star in Free Willy? You did. When humans finally caught on to the fact that Sea World was far worse than A and B World, who rallied all the orcas in captivity for a worker’s strike, fins filled with homemade signs? You did! And when Oreo cookies needed a new mascot that reflected their product, who signed that contract with ink that spewed out of your blowhole crying “All’s whale that ends whale”?! By Shamoo’s flipper, you did! I see you, orca whale, I respect you, I am terrified of you, and you bet your under-seasoned seal carcass that I will never mistake you for a penguin again.
I see you, Bing. Or, actually, I haven’t in a while. Are you doing okay? Remember that time when I was in the seventh grade, you had that promotional ad where you had people do an anonymous side-by-side search with Google, and then they voted for which one they liked better? And then remember, when everyone still picked Google? That must have hurt. I think about you from time to time. I figure you had to take some time away, I understand that. Google and I are doing great, same as always. Go easy on yourself, okay? It’s not your fault. I’ll look you up sometime. I might even Bing you (no, I won’t).
Written by Joshua Kornfeld Staff Reporter
Contributions by Libby Williams Scene Editor
Designed by Meghan Salsbury Graphic Designer
Daniel Walters spent the majority of his first few days back on campus in his dorm waiting to receive his COVID-19 test. After receiving a positive test result from the walk-in testing clinic offered at the SURC, Walters was transferred to Munson Hall. “I started feeling pretty sick. I had a sore throat, developed a fever and body aches,” Walters, a first year aviation student in the flight officer specialization, said. Once in isolation, digital communication was his only connection with the outside world. “The only physical contact was the drop-off and pick-up. Food deliveries were dropped off at the door with a brief knock,” Walters said. Walter’s overall comments were of general boredom and being confined to a small room. For the first three days, however, he said he was unable to get utensils with his meals. Most of his time was spent doing homework or playing on his Xbox, according to Walters. “I wanted to be able to go walk outside, get some fresh air,” Walters said. After a few days at Munson Hall, Walters said he heard a girl crying and being unhappy with the isolation and confinement.
“I could hear her through the wall, on her phone,” Walters said. “She was freaking out, crying, saying, ‘I hate it here. I feel like I’m in an insane asylum. I want to go home. I hate being so lonely.’ It made me realize, maybe for some people, this is their first kind of lonely experience.” During Walters’ time in isolation, to his knowledge, there weren’t any permanently assigned staff members ensuring the safety and well-being of residents. The only staff members in the building were delivering food or assisting students moving in. “The only way they will know something is happening is if they get a phone call, and I called the 24-hour duty residents coordinator,” Walters said. Elena Villa, a junior apparel textile and merchandising major, was also quarantined at Munson Hall. Villa tested positive soon after returning to campus this past fall. After feeling unwell, Villa said she went to the doctor who originally advised her that it was likely just a cold. However, after taking a COVID-19 test, Villa found out she tested positive. “I cried about it for an hour after I got the results,” Villa said. “I felt like
I would be causing so many problems for everyone around me.” As an on-campus resident, Villa isolated in Munson Hall. Villa described the isolation rooms as having four beds with large windows, with a single resident assigned per room. Villa said this created a lonely atmosphere. A 24-quiet-hours policy was also in place, further isolating students from one another Villa reported. “I really missed talking to people in person. After just starting classes, I was getting to know people. And I really missed being able to be in class with others,” Villa said. One piece of advice Villa recommended for those currently in isolation is to ensure you have a solid support network, whether friends, family or acquaintances. Make sure to take the opportunity to reach out so your needs are being met. “The worst thing that you could do is not ask for help,” Villa said. After nine days in isolation, Villa was finally allowed to return to her dorm. Freshman secondary education major William Barber is also in quarantine in Munson Hall. He said while he didn’t initially
test positive for COVID-19, he was still allowed to isolate after showing symptoms. “I just elected to isolate because I started feeling really sick on Thursday, so I called the school on Friday,” said Barber. Barber said that since his roommate wasn’t feeling sick, his roommate was able to stay in their room in Dugmore Hall. “Since I didn’t have a positive test, they just [said], ‘Well, if your roommate starts feeling symptoms after five days, tell him to get tested,’ and he feels fine, but he’s probably going to get tested anyways,” he said. Barber said that he felt CWU is handling the on-campus isolation situation fairly well, but he did have some concerns with Munson Hall itself. “The first day that I was in here, [I] could smell the mold,” Barber said. “It gave me a headache. But I’ve gotten used to it, so I can’t really smell it anymore. But it’s definitely kind of moldy.” All three students mentioned the overall hard work of housing, dining and student health teams in ensuring that students were taken care of.
OPINION SPORTS
Page 06
Edith and Ethel: Ask the Aunties By ‘Edith and Ethel’ Columnists
Dear Aunties, A friend of mine won’t take the hint that I don’t like him romantically, how do I get him to listen? – Fed Up and Fired Up Edith: Fight him. That isn’t my real answer, but just a thought. I hate when people can’t pick up hints that I’m not interested. Like, is me only saying one word every time you ask me a question, not a hint? Ethel: Ghost him. I can’t even say that’s not my real answer, because I would just drop him like a rock. I have a terrible time with confrontation, so, I would just deflect and avoid, deflect and avoid. Edith: You could be serious about it and nip it right in the bud. Or, you could just weird them out so much they want to leave you alone. Like, full on barking at them. I mean literal barking. I’ve done it before! Ethel: Oh, like that lady in that one video who just screeches at catcallers like a pterodactyl! Yes, queen, do that. Other than that, I mean, you could always get a hex from your friendly neighborhood witch. Edith: Technically you could hex them yourself if you were trained enough. But I mean, besides showing straight up discomfort and them not picking up on it, why even associate with them anymore? Step away from them and let them slowly realize they were just being too much for you. Ethel: I agree, I think that’s our best advice honestly. The amount of chaos in our other bits of advice may be too much for some people, so if that’s your cup of tea, go for it. But I feel you really want to gauge the personality of this guy too, and that will help guide you. Edith: You’re already juggling school, probably a job or two and a social life. Don’t worry about hurting his feelings because you don’t want to be in an uncomfortable position anymore. Ethel: So, Fed Up, if he won’t listen to your words, start letting your actions speak for you.
Write in!
submit your questions to cwuobserver@gmail.com (all questions will remain anonymous)
January 26, 2022
Opinion: Stop pre-ordering video games By Ty Mcphee Columnist Cyberpunk 2077, Anthem, No Man’s Sky, Mass Effect: Andromeda. Modern games have become too dependent on hype to generate revenue instead of the actual games themselves. Overpromising features or gameplay when the development team knows that it’s far beyond their scope is one of the biggest reasons these games flop. People are drawn to the hype and need to have that game as soon as it’s out. The year is 2007, Master Chief is falling out of the sky ready to kick some alien butt and gamers are lining up outside the local Gamestop wait-
ing to snag their own copy of Beyoncé’s third “Halo” single. You’ve sat in line for an hour and you get up to the counter and ask for Halo 3. “What’s the name under for your pre-order?” the person behind the counter asks. “Pre-order?” I ask. I just sat in line to pick up a copy of Alien Shooty and you’re telling me I need to make a reservation for The Chief and Arbiter’s wedding? In a CD-era, it made sense for people to be pre-ordering games since there’d be a limit on how many copies a store got. For small business shops, this guaranteed they got a sale. Collectors editions, Legendary Editions, Ultimate Gamer
Editions and The Super Dangerous WAD WAD Edition. These game versions which come with a limited run item or items are obviously going to garner some type of desire to have them whether buyers like the game or not. I mean come on, who wouldn’t want to sport Lean S. Kennedy’s slick leather jacket from one of the worst Resident Evil games? In 2022, digital copies for games are more common than not. In fact, the recent generation of consoles have been released with a digital and physical game version with the digital ones being cheaper. The number of incentives games have for pre-ordering is astonishing and only lead to more people giving in to
the problem, such as in game currencies that give players a lead over those who bought the standard edition, a fancy cosmetic item that’ll become outdated a month after launch and, in more recent years, one free battle pass. I’ll admit, I’ve succumbed to a couple of the games that came out in recent years, (Cyberpunk 2077 and Battlefield 2042), but that hasn’t stopped me from enjoying them. I know what flaws there are in pre-ordering and why you should wait on a product before enjoying it yourself, but sometimes the hype is just too much to handle. I will always tell myself, try to remember and preach it: stop pre-ordering games.
Opinion: All food can be classified as a sandwich By Morgana Carroll Columnist You eat food, I eat food, everyone eats food. It’s become a cornerstone of the human experience. It is ingrained in our culture, in the way we live. Some people often get very defensive over their food. Italians will go on about the authenticity of pizza. The weird food thing I get defensive over? All food is a sandwich. That’s right, all food. Any kind of food. Every time I say this, people will start listing foods that they think can’t be sandwiches. But every time they fail to trip me up on this. It’s a hill I’m willing to die on. Before anything else we need to set up some ground rules. When I say any and all food can be a sandwich, that doesn’t include raw ingredients. Even I can’t make the argument that a red bell pepper or a single artichoke is a sandwich. The fact is that all prepared and created dishes are sandwiches. The moment you put effort into what you’re eating, it goes through a metamorphosis and is a sandwich. Another ground rule we need to get out of the way is the definition of a sandwich. We can’t use the elitist Webster’s definition of a sandwich because that definition contradicts itself. All dictionaries have this narrow definition that a sandwich consists of meat and cheese between slices of bread. The first reason this definition is wrong is the ingredients
list. Most definitions will concede some amount of variety, but there are instances of sandwiches without meat or cheese at all, like an ice cream sandwich. That contradiction alone should render this definition moot. The other issue with this definition is how restricted its view of the bread is. The definition limits the bread to needing to be on either side of a sandwich. But what of hoagie bread, or sandwiches that come from popular restaurant chain Subway? The bread in these sandwiches only fully covers one side and half supports two others. Yet it is still a sandwich. So this shows that the bread only needs to support the rest of the dish in some way, not restricted to two opposite sides. This broadens the basis of a sandwich considerably to include hotdog. In this instance, the bread is also supporting the rest of the meal in the same way a hoagie does. And if this is the basis of our support, then the next logical inclusion is the humble taco. But we need to dig deeper into this. If the amount of support required isn’t limited to two opposite sides, then what prevents it from supporting the whole meal from every side? In this regard, raviolis and Hot Pockets are also sandwiches. But what about sandwiches that don’t use bread? You’ll notice an increase in restaurants substituting the bread in hamburgers and sandwiches with lettuce (this is an indicator that the brainwashing is wearing off). So if a sandwich without bread can be considered a sandwich, that lifts all stipulations entirely.
Photo Courtesy of pexels.com
Now a sandwich is a dish with any kind of support system. A soup is a sandwich because the broth supports the rest of the soup. A salad is a sandwich because the lettuce supports the other ingredients in the salad. Any food where one primary ingredient supports its fellows is a sandwich, which pertains to nearly all dishes.
In a lot of ways, we need to learn something from the humble sandwich. Much like how the bread is the support in the sandwich, we need to be the support in our communities. We need to follow this example, and be the support system for each other. Only once our society resembles a sandwich can we reach something great.
Page 07
January 26, 2022
SPORTS
January brings in larger crowds of new students to the Recreation Center By Evan Couch Staff Reporter The winter quarter brought new students to the Recreation Center who are looking to better their fitness, as well as regulars who are seeking to achieve their New Year’s resolutions. Senior Krystal Bui has been going to the Recreation Center consistently throughout her time at CWU, but now is trying out different areas and workouts in the facility as part of her New Year’s resolution. “I’m doing more free weights,” Bui said. “Before the new year, I was always kind of nervous to try the free weights because everyone who does it knows what they are doing.” Bui said she has been educating herself on what workouts to do and how to do them in order to feel more comfortable when training. Bui explained that the atmosphere the Recreation Center provides makes for a comfortable experience for those who may be new. “Everyone here is pretty welcoming,” Bui said. “Everyone has their own little space, so if you’re new, you can just do what you feel is comfortable.” Freshmen Anthony Martinez and Weylin Selander started coming to the Recreation Center together at the beginning of the quarter. Their new routine is not a resolution however, just a way to stay in shape. “Before this, I would just workout in my room by myself,” Martinez said. “I came here to do it with a friend, and I get to use cool machines instead of just doing pushups.”
Photo Courtesy of CWU, A new year marks new fitness goals that can be accomplished at the Recreation Center.
Selander explained that he had been coming prior to the new quarter, but now has some personal goals in mind. “I didn’t really like the way I looked before,” Selander explained. “I wasn’t proud of it, so it’s a new commitment and I want to follow through.” Goals and resolutions like these are what bring students into the Recreation Center this time of year. According to Recreation Staff Director Matthew Boyer, the Recreation Center has a typical increase of students
at the beginning of the winter quarter as they go in to use the many amenities they offer. “We generally do see an increase in participation,” Boyer said. “A lot of that is due to New Year’s resolutions.” According to Boyer, the Recreation Center had 5,098 visitors during the week of Jan. 9 to Jan. 15. Boyer also said due to the weather at the beginning of the quarter, usage was down from its typical January numbers. However, staff records indicate a 20% increase in use
on average from fall to winter quarter every year. “The weather outside is horrible,” Boyer said. “You can’t do much outside, so it drives people inside to workout.” With the increase of usage, Boyer said they see a boom in all areas of the Recreation Center. “It’s all over the place,” Boyer said. “People freely move from floor one to floor two … so they flow everywhere.” Boyer explained that it’s their goal to ensure everyone feels welcome and comfort-
able no matter where students are with their fitness goals. “We want everyone to be moving,” Boyer said. “To do that, we know that everyone is in a different place in their fitness pursuits.” The Recreation Center offers many different ways for students to stay active no matter where they are in their fitness goals. They offer personal trainers, community fitness classes, intramural sports and online training courses to suit every student’s fitness needs.
Recreation Center hosting its own Squid Game for CWUp Late By Ty Mcphee Staff Reporter The Netflix show Squid Games is coming to the CWU Recreation center as part of CWUp Late week. The game will span two days, Tuesday, Feb 1. and Thursday, Feb 3. The first night of games
will feature Red Light Green Light and Tug of War with the Hopscotch Bridge and the Squid Game happening on the last night. Due to the nature of some of the games, they’re going to be altered to accommodate the space and how contestants will be eliminated.
Samantha Wary, senior coordinator of sports and camp programs, has helped organize the event and is working to get the games figured out for students to compete in. “We’re going to try and do [Squid Game] as close to the actual game as we can get,” Wary said.
“ We ’ r e hoping to get between 50 and 100 people, I would call it a really great success,” Wary said. Last quarter, students were able to participate in Shivers and Quivers, a Halloween -themed archery tag event held by the Recreation Center. Wary said that if
it becomes popular she could see it sticking around and being featured in other quarters. The prize that students will be fighting for is being kept under wraps, but students can expect to win a CWU Champions shirt which has been featured in other events.
EVENTS
Page 08
January 26, 2022
Wildcat Words: How are you feeling so far about this quarter?
Matthew Corbin
Sage Hayes
James Laursen
JeimeryZamora
Steven Brant
Jr. Film
Fr. Law and Justice
Sr. Film
Fr. Accounting/Pers. Financial Planning
So. Anthropology
“It seems like it’s a little harder coming back after winter break. I’m not as focused as I was.”
“A little stressful, I’m taking four classes at the moment. It’s a little hectic, but it’s slowing down.”
“Good. I really like my classes.”
“This quarter is going good. COVID hasn’t hampered anything.”
Q A
Meet Miah Jeffra, a CWU lecturer with the English department and co-founder of award winning literary journal Foglifter Press, a queer collaborative focused on publishing multi-marginalized writers. Miah studied English, Theatre and Music at Oglethorpe University, and later completed a Master of Fine Arts in Critical Studies and a Master of Arts in English. Their research interests include antiracist and decolonial studies, global aesthetics, psychogeography and queer theories.
&
with
MIAH JEFFRA
Q: What did the process look like for you and your co-founder to create Foglifter?
A: At the time (2015) there weren’t many—if any—U.S. literary magazines dedicated solely to queer and trans voices. The dearth of complex representation is what inspired us to found the magazine. Many literary magazines, even if they publish LGBTQ+ voices, default to straight and cis audiences who might not find complex queer/ trans issues and identities particularly legible. We wanted to provide a platform for these more nuanced stories and ideas. To complicate representation. We solicited writers we loved, we came up with a design aesthetic for the magazine, and released our first issue in Spring 2016. Since then, it has been a collaborative labor with a wonderful team of writers/editors. It’s evolved a lot. I’m so grateful for the team I work with. Q: Do you have a favorite piece you’ve published or written? What was it and what was the inspiration behind it?
A: I’m not allowed to say I have a favorite! That’s like a parent favoring a child, right? S ome of my favorite writing experiences have been with poetry, but I will never publish that work. Those babies are for me, only. I get excited when I feel I clearly achieve an intention in my work. In that vein, there is a short story I wrote called “Ain’t No Thing.” It was intended to be a cautionary tale, a story written to reveal the cultural racism that all of us white and white-passing folx possess. The protagonist is rendered as a sympathetic character, yet one who demonstrates a racism that I think the most conscientious of white folx—including readers of literature— will gradually recognize within themselves as they read the story. If we writers want to challenge the reader’s notion of who they are by reading a work of literature, then I feel that story served to achieve that. It’s published in StoryQuarterly, as well as in my story collection, The Violence Almanac. Q: When did you know writing was your calling?
A: I still don’t know if it is. Haha! At one point I thought dancing was my calling, then I thought music was my calling. Photography, sculpture. I guess they all revolve around the arts. If anything, I feel teaching is more of a calling. Writing for me, however, is necessary—to make sense of the world, to discover my peculiar understanding of it. Which, I hope, informs my teaching. Q: If you could be any animal, what would it be?
A: An octopus, for their adaptability—but one that lives more than a couple of years! An otter, for their versatility. A porpoise, for their fierce and playful living. Q: Favorite film or film genre?
“Compared to last year it’s heaven with all the in-person classes.”
weekly events 26 27 WED
THURS
3-4:30 p.m, Sustainability Cafe @ SURC 137A, 137B 4:30-5:30 p.m. Community Garden Info Night @ SURC 137A, 137B
10-11 p.m. p.m. Improv Night 8 a.m.-3 Virtual The Hot New Jam @ Lobby Day SURC 210 Basketball 7 p.m.Theater Intramural @ SURC Gym
28
4-6 p.m. Break the Stigma: BIPOC Mental Health @ SURC 137A, 137B 7-10:30 p.m. esports Tournament: Rocket League @ SURC Theater 210
29 30
2-4 p.m. Women’s Basketball vs. Northwest Nazarene @ Nicholson National Pavilion Pickle Day 8-9:30 p.m. Comedian: Adam Grabowski @ SURC Theater 210
FRI
SAT
SUN
National Croissant Day
31
6-8 p.m. Lunar New Year Celebration @ SURC Ballroom 7 p.m. - midnight CWUp Late Presents: Bad Movie Bingo with Cats @ SURC Theater 210
1
12-1p.m. p.m.Composition Author visit: A Field 7-8 Guide to Climate Anxiety @ Studio Recital @ McIntyre Samuelson 103 Hall 174 9:30 p.m. - midnight Squid Game Part 1: Red Light, Green Light @ SURC Gym 153
MON
TUES
A: I love satire and dark comedy—“Heavenly Creatures,” “The War of the Roses.” But a more recent film I loved was Denis Villenueve’s “Arrival,” for its hopeful treatise on humanity and language. I cried for an hour after watching that film, and it wasn’t because I was sad. Photo courtesy of Miah Jeffra Wildcat Words - Dylan Hanson. Q&A - Addie Adkins
@CWUObserver
CWU Observer
@CWUObserver
cwuobserver@gmail.com
cwuobserver.com