Issue24

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 24 | WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY| FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

WOUSTOCK COVERAGE SEE PAGE 7

NFL

BOUND Wide receiver standout signs contract with San Diego Chargers SEE PAGE 9 FOR STORY

PHOTO BY JORDAN SALAZAR

Kellen Hendrickson recognized for Staff Excellence

Physical plant maintenance worker wins 2015 Pastega staff award

By Jenna Beresheim Staff Writer Kellen Hendrickson, a Trades Maintenance Worker 2 on campus, has been announced as the winner of the 2015 Pastega Award for Staff Excellence.

According to the Western Pastega Award homepage, the Award for Staff Excellence “recognizes classified or administrative staff members who demonstrate exceptional service to the university.”

Similar to the Pastega awards for Excellence in Scholarship and Excellence in Teaching, the Staff Excellence award winner also receives a $1,000 honorarium.

A trades maintenance worker is

Hendrickson

hired through the physical plant on campus. Work orders are sent in through the Portal, allowing both students and staff to notify workers of issues around Western — specifically the dorms and Valsetz.

“I work exclusively on the housing side of campus doing repairs of any kind,” Hendrickson said, explaining

WOU.edu to move to a more mobile friendly platform

WordPress style website touts easier access and use

By Sydney Joa Freelancer Western will be unveiling a new design for its website, with the official update day set for May 15.

Many of the changes are cosmetic, including a shift from a red banner to a black one. The new website, which is set to be complete by the 2015 fall term, has also made deeper changes to the basic functionality of the site itself.

While the official roll out date for this update is later this month, the project will continue development over the summer so as to not affect the students’ and faculty’s ability to access the Western website

during heavy traffic times like finals.

Students and faculty will still be able to freely access both the Western homepage and the WOU Portal sites while the changes are being made.

With the complete website slated to be finalized by fall term, those who visit the site during summer term will see each page changing almost daily.

The decision to make these changes mainly has to do with mobile access; the current website lacks true mobile friendliness.

The web provider utilized for the WOU website has started to list and rank web users by whether

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Continued on Page 2 WWW. W OU. EDU/ WES T ERNJOURN AL

NEWS

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THE JOURNAL 345 N. Monmouth Ave. Monmouth, OR 97361 Student Media Department TERRY HOUSE

Incoming first-year students see tuition rates rise 2015 Pastega Staff Excellence Oregon average 3 percent higher than Western.

From Front Page

NEWSROOM 503-838-8347

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF HAUNANI TOMAS journaleditor@wou.edu

NEWS EDITOR JACK ARMSTRONG journalnews@wou.edu

CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR KATRINA PENAFLOR journalcampuslife@wou.edu

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR NATHANIEL DUNAWAY journalentertainment@wou.edu

COPY EDITOR JENNIFER HALLEY journalcopy@wou.edu

ADVERTISING MANAGER JONATAN SANTILLAN journaladvertising@wou.edu

DESIGNERS JORDAN SALAZAR CARLY FISTER journaldesigner@wou.edu

PHOTO EDITOR SHANNEN BROUNER journalphoto@wou.edu

WEB MANAGER DANIEL FRANK journalweb@wou.edu

EDITORIAL EDITOR CONNOR WILLIAMS journaleditor@wou.edu

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER HAYDEN RUE STUDENT MEDIA ADVISER MEG ARTMAN 503-838-9697

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS STEPHANIE BLAIR MATT COULTER ZACH GARDNER NEIL GRAVATT RACHEL GOSNEY

SUBMISSIONS THE JOURNAL encourages readers to share their opinion through letters to the editor and guest columns. Submissions must be typed and include the writer’s name.

Contact information will not be published unless requested. Unsigned submissions will not be printed and original copies will not be returned.

Letters to the editor may be up to 300 words and guest columns should not exceed 500 words.

THE JOURNAL does not guarantee the publication of all letters or columns.

THE JOURNAL reserves the right to edit for punctuation, grammar, and spelling, but never for content.

Please bring submissions to THE JOURNAL at Terry House or email to journaleditor@wou.edu.

Submissions must be received by Wednesday at 5 p.m. to be considered for print.

All opinions expressed in columns, letters to the editor or advertisements are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of THE JOURNAL or Western Oregon University.

By Jack Armstrong News Editor Western is expected to experience another rise in tuition for the incoming students of the 2015-2016 academic year, beginning Fall term 2015.

According to the faculty senate minutes, incoming first-year students can expect to see a rise of around 2 percent for the total cost of tuition for the typical school year.

This increase would see entering students with Oregon residency paying $1,976 in tuition and fees for a 12-credit, full time enrollment.

Currently enrolled students with the WOU Promise program will not experience a rise in tuition, and will continue to pay their existing level of tuition.

This increase, while not insignificant, it is about half of what other students at many other universities in Oregon can expect to see.

“Tuition increases are the lowest at WOU out of all the Oregon public four year institutions,” Western president Mark Weiss said. “2 percent for next year compared to an average of 5 percent for others.”

Part of the lower than expected tuition increase comes from a higher than expected amount of funding granted by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission.

According to their website, the HECC is a 14 member volunteer board who is responsible for “advising the Legislature, the Governor, and the Oregon Education Investment Board on higher education policy.”

“There are two pieces of information used by the HECC in making funding decisions,” Eric Yahnke, Western’s vice president of finance and administration, said. “The first factor is enrollment level and student credit load while enrolled, and the second is a the graduation rate of students with a degree.”

“We expect that Western will receive a higher amount of state funding under the new outcomes-based formula based on information provided by the HECC,” Weiss said. The increase in funding is said to be around 20 percent compared to previous years.

Western’s administration has also been working as a unit to reduce the costs across the university in an attempt to curtail rapidly rising tuition costs. President Weiss made it a focus of his time at Western.

“It is imperative that we lower the relative cost of attending a university for Oregonians,” Weiss said. “I believe that affordability and student debt load are among the highest priorities that we must address in providing a college degree.

Students also play a vital role in keeping costs down. Western students are particularly active in voicing their opinion at the legislative sessions in Salem.

“I believe that Western Oregon students are the most active in the legislature when the tuition rates are up for debate,” Yahnke said.

THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

“During the most recent presentation to the Oregon State Board of Higher Education, we had by far the most students in attendance representing their cause.”

This task is certainly easier said than done.

Oregon has seen a decade of steady divestment in higher education, which coupled with a rapidly rising enrollment rate contributed to an overall increase in tuition costs for incoming students.

Slightly lower enrollment can also have a temporary effect on Western’s tuition prices.

According to the faculty senate, “enrollment has declined this year about 4 percent overall.”

“Enrollment can have an effect on fixed costs and the current services offered by the university,” Yahnke said.

“Higher enrollment keeps current faculty engaged, and we have an administrative staff that is set up to deal with a certain number of full time students,” he added.

This dip in enrollment is expected to reverse moving into the 2015 academic year with “a potential 10 percent rise in enrollment with the 2015 entering class.”

Western’s new independent university board could also have an effect on future rates of tuition.

With the Oregon University System no longer retaining voting control over Western’s budgetary future, the costs facing the entering class of 2016 will be decided by the new board and incoming president Rex Fuller.

“The WOU institutional board will approve or modify the administration’s recommendation,” Weiss said. Western students are also asked to participate in the discussion when it is possible.

“A student tuition fee committee is apprised of the university budget and is offered the opportunity to voice their opinion on the recommendation,” Weiss said.

Looking at a smaller increase than usual has left Weiss feeling like Western’s efforts to provide the best education at the lowest price possible has been a success.

“Our students get a top notch education from faculty and staff dedicated to their success,” said Weiss.

Even at a lower price than expected, higher education does come with its pitfalls.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the national average of debt for students upon graduation with an undergraduate degree hovers around $29,856.

This is the highest it has ever been, even accounting for the effects of inflation.

“I encourage all students to receive the necessary advising assistance to graduate in a timely manner and avoid the cost of extra years to degree completion,” Weiss said.

He added: “Lastly, I encourage students to take responsibility for themselves to appropriately manage their debt load, and make certain they graduate with a degree to launch their futures.”

the physical plant’s type of work.

“An example of a typical day includes repairing lighting fixtures, heaters, furniture, plumbing, and I also do patching and painting work.”

Hendrickson is a Tillamook, Oregon native and began attending Western as a student in fall 2001.

By Spring Break 2003, he had begun working for the paint crew at the Physical Plant, and said he found the flexible schedule and understanding staff a blessing for a student with an ever-changing schedule.

Hendrickson graduated from Western with a social science degree in history, remaining on campus to extend his time at the physical plant.

“After I graduated, I was asked to continue working as a temporary full-time employee,” said Hendrickson. He was given the opportunity to attend electrical school for two years, moving up in rank at work from TMW1 to TMW2.

“I never thought about working here after college, but Western has given me so much,” he said.

“I’ve been able to meet and work with some amazing people here.”

After spending years working at Western since graduating from the university, Hendrickson said he finds joy in his work every day.

Outside of work, two children keep him busy for the time being.

Once they are older, Hendrickson would like to become more involved with campus activities outside of work.

Working amongst exceptional mentors as well as a previous Pastega Award recipient, Hendrickson was honored to receive such recognition for the work done for the campus community.

“This award tells you that the campus community has noticed your hard work and wants you to know it’s appreciated,” Hendrickson said. “I don’t come to work every day hoping for an award. I come here because I enjoy what I do and who I work with.

“My hope is that each one of the students here finds something that makes them happy,” Hendrickson added. “For me, just helping out the students and the staff makes me happy. Ensuring that their day goes better is the only award I need.”

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NEWS

Western website redesign From Front Page the website is mobile friendly and in order to elicit a better ranking for wou.edu, the mobile friendly switch was necessary.

Aside from the company push to update the site, looks and general updated design were other catalyzing factors.

“This new design will be generally more user friendly and definitely more cohesive,” said Danielle Gauntz, the lead website designer for Western.

Each department’s page is getting an updated look alongside with the university’s home page.

Newly designed pages for the departments will feature a series of new, easy access majors

and programs tab to better locate general information.

Each one will also feature a specially designed look to go with the department.

The use of more visible, easy access links and tabs will make getting around the new and improved sites much easier and browsing time more efficient.

Although each department page is getting plenty of individual attention, a large portion of the attention is also being focused on making each page more accessible from one another.

Or, as Gauntz puts it: “The geography of the site will be much easier to navigate.”

Western’s new website involves many cosmetic changes, including a shift from a red banner to a black one. The new WordPress style website is intended to provide easier access and use.

ASWOU elections committee finalizes polling results

ASWOU President 264

Corbin Garner

251

Alyssa Chiampi

7

Write-In

ASWOU Vice President 463

Kellon Hughes

59

Write-In

ASWOU Senate President Jessica Freeman

293

Dean Wright

218

Write-In

11 ASWOU Judicial Administrator 330

Jenesa Ross

180

Christina Sekafetz

12

Write-In

Student Activities Board Director 485

Javier Garcia

37

Write-In

Bill 1.15 69%

31%

Bill 4.15 37%

25% 63%

Affrimative Vote 360 162 Negative Vote

Bill 6.15

Affrimative Vote 195 Negative Vote 327

Votes counted out of a total of 522

75%

Affrimative Vote 393 Negative Vote 129

Low turnouts delayed election results

By Jack Armstrong News Editor The Associated Students of Western Oregon University have announced the results of their general election for the upcoming 2015-2016 academic year.

The election was originally slated to last one week from April 20 to April 24. The polls were extended to May 1 when student turn out threatened the legality of the election results.

“In order for the election to be valid, we need 10 percent of the student population to vote,” said Alyssa Little, a third year Community Health major. “As of Friday (April 24), we didn’t have the 10 percent.”

Many students expressed a lack of interest in the outcome of the elections. Some felt that they didn’t have enough access to information concerning the candidates and the bills being considered.

One hindrance to voting this year, according to some students, was the new utilization of the OrgSync system to process and count votes.

“It was really difficult to get to the voting page, it is kind of a doozy to find,” said Kyler Freilinger, a first

year integrated science and teaching major.

Even candidates suggested that OrgSync had contributed to the delay.

“I honestly think that elections were extended due to the difficulty of voting through OrgSync,” said Alyssa Brooke Chiampi. Chiampi was running for ASWOU president against Corbin Garner.

When students were able to vote, they were faced with a decision on several hotly contested bills, most specifically the divisive Bill 4.15.

Bill 4.15 sought to seek student opinion concerning Western’s membership to the Oregon Student Association, a group that represents Oregon colleges and universities, as a voice in the Salem legislature. Many student groups on campus formed to support both arguments for and against maintaining membership.

Results of the election are listed below, in addition to being posted on the door of the ASWOU offices in Werner University Center. For more information concerning the election process, contact ASWOU at 503-838-8553.

ARTWORK CREATED BY CARLY FISTER

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THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

SPORTS

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SOFTBALL: The Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championship softball championships were held April 30 through May 2 in Yakima, Washington. Western’s softball team ended their season after a 3-8 loss to Western Washington University. Western Washington advanced to the championship game and lost 5-9 to Montana State Billings.

In other news, the softball team announced that their elite competition camp will be held June 2224 at Western’s softball field. The elite competition camp is intended to enhance and improve the skills of high school students and prepare them for a higher level of competition. For more information, go online to www.wouwolves.com.

PHOTO BY KYLER FREILINGER

Track racks up personal records at OSU and Mt. Hood meets

By Rachel Shelley Staff Writer Western track competed at two separate meets in preparation for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Meet, the Oregon State High Performance Meet and the Mt. Hood Track Festival.

Just 20 miles down the road, the Wolves traveled to Oregon State to set multiple personal records before conference. Emily Wetherell started it off for the Wolves, throwing a personal record of 45.72 meters in the hammer throw, finishing 11th overall.

Justin Larson took third with his javelin throw of 61.06 while Aaron Whitaker would take home a season-best and first place in his section of the 400-meter dash, finishing in 49.21 seconds, giving him eighth overall.

Jeremy Moore threw a season-best with 14.88 in the shot put, finishing 11th overall. Cody Warner would finish second overall with 10.68 in the 100.

In Gresham, the team would set 14 personal records in the final meet before conference. Nine personal records were set by the women’s team, with Alecia Falck starting it off with a PR in the discus and hammer throw with 38.68 and 34.51, respectively. Leah Nicklason would also throw a personal record in the discus with 36.47.

THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

Megan Rose would then set a personal record in the 400 in 59.67 seconds, right behind Suzanne Van De Grift who also would post a season best time of 59.43. Laura Knudson set a personal record time of 1:05.16 in the 400-meter hurdles, winning the event while Felicia Covey would win the following section of the 400 hurdles with her personal record time of 1:07.76. Rebecca Laible won the triple jump with a season best mark of 11.68 meters.

For the men, five personal records were set in four different events. in the 1,500 meter, Josh Dempsey won section two in 3:57.60. Lucas Clark and Chris Mudder would set their PRs in the discus with 38.92 and 37.53, respectively.

Kegan Allen threw 45.24 in the hammer throw – a personal record – while Jacob Kantola would jump 6.36 in the long jump, his personal record.

Badane Sultessa would earn a NCAA Division II provisional time, the second Western runner to do so, and became number 20th in the country in the 800 with a time of 1:51.13, placing second in the race.

The team will now race at the GNAC Outdoor Championships held Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9, at McArthur Field starting 2 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

PHOTO BY RACHEL GOSNEY Distance runner Stephanie Stuckey at the OSU High Performance meet in Corvallis April 30 and May 1.

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SPORTS

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BASEBALL

NFL

BOUND

from Front Page

By Kyler Freilinger Freelancer

PHOTO BY OLIVIA DeJANVIER First baseman Nathan Etheridge (#12) at bat in game one against Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, May 2.

Ten players earn Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors

By Jacob Mitchell Staff Writer Western’s baseball team had a solid weekend of play, as they went 3-1 in a four-game series against fellow GNAC competitor, Northwest Nazarene University. Their only loss in the series came by way of a nail biting, extra-inning slugfest in game three (7-8).

Junior Adam Bloom led the Wolves offensively this past weekend, with a combined 6-for-8 at the plate with one run scored and two RBIs. Seniors Matt Taylor and Marcus Hinkle hammered out five hits apiece in their final games at home for Western. Senior Michael Sherwin recorded a pair of home runs in game one, and had a pair of RBIs to match.

It was announced Monday from the GNAC head office that Western had 10 baseball players named to the GNAC Team.

Senior Jesse Pratt was named

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Pitcher of the Year and Brady Miller was awarded Freshman of the Year.

Along with Pratt, seniors Garret Harpole and Taylor, juniors Shawn Domke and Nathan Etheridge were named as members of the first team.

Second team selection included Miller, junior Garrett Alvarez, juniors Darrien Moran, and Cody Sullivan, while earned honorable mention honors.

Pratt and Taylor were unanimous selections on this year’s first team, while Harpole and Taylor were veterans as they earned the same awards last season.

The team traveled to Billings, Montana Thursday to play in the GNAC tournament. The Wolves lost their first game to NNU, 3-2.

At the time of publication, the Wolves were playing against No. 1 seed Montana State Billings. A loss in this double-elimination tournament would end their season.

For four years, Western wide receiver Tyrell Williams entertained football fans as one of the best players in Western’s history. Following the NFL Draft, Williams signed a contract with the San Diego CharWILLIAMS gers as a free agent and became the eighth Western player in school history to join a NFL pre-season team.

In the 2014 season alone, Williams had 51 catches, 8 touchdowns and a grand total of 950 receiving yards. During his pro day at Oregon State, Williams recorded a 4.42 and 4.44 second 40-yard dash, 39.5inch vertical jump and a 6.55 second 60yard three-cone drill.

When asked about his pro day results, Williams said he was happy and that it was a good day.

Williams said he chose the Chargers because he liked the receiving coach and the coaching staff. He also said he really liked the facilities and the surrounding area.

Although he was partial to the Chargers, Williams added there were other teams that contacted him including the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.

He was invited to a workout session with the New England Patriots.

Williams will depart May 14 for a fourday rookie mini-camp. After the minicamp Williams plans to return to Western to finish school then “take off again, for good, after classes are over.”

“Trying to make the team is the main thing. I’m going to do whatever is asked of me. Keep my head down and keep working,” said Williams of his future NFL plans.

Williams will be graduating at the end of spring with a major in exercise science.

THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE

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Strolling through Yard Shows

By Jenna Beresheim Staff Writer Amassed in a flock of vibrant colors and distinguishing markings, sorority sisters and fraternity brothers clad in representative garb gathered in the Werner University Center plaza April 6 for Spirit Week.

The event was known as a Yard Show, where various members from the houses get together and “stroll,” a form of dancing where contestants line up and perform a coordinated dance in that line. Lines ranged from three people long to over 12.

Six houses showed up to this competition, hosted by Omega Delta Phi – a Western fraternity that started the event last year after attending one hosted by Oregon State University.

“It was really fun and we wanted to do it again, make it a tradition,” said Kevin Alejandrez, a third year

sociology major and president of Omega Delta Phi. “It’s just a fun way to hang out with each other and dance.”

This Yard Show has a main focus on having fun and hanging out, with competition taking back seat to mingling with friends. Even a sorority from OSU, Gamma Alpha Omega, came to this event.

“We come back to support Greek unity at WOU,” said Courtney Calleros, a biology senior from OSU and president of Gamma Alpha Omega. “It takes a lot of time and effort to put on these events.”

Alejandrez said they hope to continue this throughout the years, allowing the houses to get together and have fun, mingled with a little healthy competition.

“No Days Off” Dream Junkies perform for Spirit Week

By Evelina Ramirez Staff Writer

“The Stroll” is the dance of choice by Western and Oregon State Greek life members who participated in Wednesday’s Yard Show.

PHOTO BY MATT COULTER

“Their lyrics touched my heart; they give knowledge to the crowd, and [they] say things as they are in the world,” said business major Diana Flores.

Music group Dream Junkies came to Western Tuesday, May 5, in honor of Spirit Week, to perform soulful spoken word rap and energetic hip-hop music.

Dream Junkies consists of performers John Givez, Beleaf, and Ruslan.

Born in Southern California and raised in the North San Diego County, rapper Givez stays true to his South California roots and merges hip-hop and R&B to create a unique listening experience.

From left to right: performers Belaf, Ruslan, and John Givez of the group Dream Junkies

PHOTO BY EVELINA RAMIREZ

THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

To help promote the event on Tuesday, performer Beleaf visited Valsetz dining hall and passed out fliers to students with the group’s performance information.

“He gave my friends and me a flier to go see his show and some of my friends and I ended up going,” Flores said Student Activities Board director and interdisciplinary major Cheyenne Standing-Elk said, “Something we noticed on campus is that we don’t have rap and R&B performances, and we wanted to bring him because we really liked him.”

Campus Greek life took part in organizing the event.

“Omega Delta Phi got involved, and they provided the Dream Junkies with a hotel,” added StandingElk Some of the songs the Dream Junkies performed were “Black Sugar,” “No Days Off,” “West Side Blues” and “Out of It.” “I’ve never heard them before so it was different, but overall I really liked it because they were really fun to listen to,” said public health major Olivia Ramirez. “I like that they spread a positive message.”

After the performance, the Dream Junkies had their merchandise on sale, which included: t-shirts, CDs, and hoodies. To get updates from the Dream Junkies, check out their social media accounts @ ruslankd, @beleafmel, and @johngivez or visit kingsdreament.com for more information.

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CAMPUS LIFE

WOUstock rocks the weekend

By Amanda Clarke Staff Writer Students flocked to the Grove to enjoy a day of sun, music, and carnival games during WOUstock.

The event was held Saturday, May 2, and was put on by the Ackerman Hall Government. The General Assembly, Triangle Alliance, Residence Hall Association, Weekend Wolfpack, and Green Team helped sponsor.

KWOU DJed the event with music from the 60s and 70s, as well as more modern music. At 2 p.m., live singer Keenan Welsh Richmond, a senior music major, sang covers of the Beatles

songs including “Day in a Life” and “Blackbird” as well as “Here Comes the Sun.” “I’m a really big fan of their music,” Richmond said.

There were multiple events including a sack race, a bounce house race, face painting, a backdrop where people could take their pictures to be put on the WOUstock Facebook page, volleyball, tie die, a dunk tank to dunk RAs, and prizes given away through a raffle.

There was also a carnival and barbeque in the Grove outside of Ackerman as well as the various activities the students could

Left: A potato-sack race to the finish line between two students at the Grove.

Right: A dunk tank was among the list of carnival games present at WOUstock.

PHOTO BY SHANNEN BROUNER

participate in.

“I really enjoyed the dunk tank and the face painting,” said Ashley Flores, a junior prepsychology major.

Flores added that she enjoyed the event because of “the atmosphere. It was really welcoming to everyone.”

From 7-10 p.m., there was a bonfire by the library where participants could make S’mores.

Prizes included “a sustainability basket, a beach basket, a movie basket, an academic basket, and a WOU basket full of WOU gear,” said Sophie Owings, a first year communication major.

The Ackerman Hall government president and first year theatre major, Matt Miller, helped to coordinate the event.

He said that there were “way more [people] than we expected,” and that it was more successful than any of the volunteers could have hoped.

This is the third year for the WOUstock event.

PHOTO BY SHANNEN BROUNER

Miller said they took what was done in previous years, “and modified it to make it more successful.”

The “Coming Out Monologues” Stories of self-discovery told by students and faculty

By Amanda Clarke Staff Writer The “Coming Out Monologues” took place Thursday evening, April 30, in the Pacific Room of the Werner Center.

According to Western’s events Facebook page, the monologues were “a collection of stories authored and performed by Western Oregon University students, alumni, faculty and staff.” The event was directed by Ted deChatelet and produced by CM Hall.

The event was donation based, and partnered with the Stonewall Center, Safe Zone and Triangle Alliance. There were 21 speakers including those who identify as bisexual, lesbian, gay, asexual, pansexual, questioning and transgender.

The monologues gave presenters a chance to tell their story of being accepted, or not being accepted, and

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included monologues from people on all paths finding their own identity. Each monologue dealt with topics including compassion, courage, connection, fear and curiosity.

“Everyone has a different story,” said Hall, a Western graduate, staff member, and sign language interpreter.

The audience was filled with students, staff, faculty, friends and presenters of all ages, as well as supporters of those who presented their story.

DeChatelet said they had a “phenomenal turn out. We had 150 chairs set out, hoping to fill them all but not expecting to. We had to bring in 100 more chairs.”

“It’s so inclusive,” deChatelet added.

“It’s not just students or staff. We had so many participants, and their communities came to support them.”

John Goldsmith, a junior and

English major, said: “There was a huge turnout. We had to ask for five extra rows of chairs. We didn’t think it would be this big.”

Goldsmith also presented his monologue before the audience. He added that he had shared his story because “Western has been the best environment for me.”

Sam Stageman, a sophomore forensic chemistry major, also presented his story: “My story isn’t one told very often, so I thought that I should share it,” he said.

Stageman added that the event “really does give everyone a chance to tell their own stories.”

Goldsmith said the monologues were moving because “these are actual voices from campus. They are representing the school.”

Hall said she had thought about putting on this event for several years.

“There has been a lot of evolution

in this age group around LGBTQ acceptance and I thought this is a really great opportunity to have some visibility and tell some stories [as well as] get people to kind of come together,” Hall said. “I just feel like when people are telling their truths and sharing their personal lived experiences, people connect, hearts open and minds open. People start to see things from different perspectives.”

The monologues, as many of the participants agreed, helped to create a sense of “community within a community,” presenter Evelyn Garcia, a senior psychology major, said.

A student in the audience, who wished to remain anonymous, said “It was really nice to see people like me and see them being so brave, and it was just really nice to see how others went about it, and it made me and my identity feel valid.”

THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

CAMPUS LIFE / ENTERTAINMENT

8

ACTORS WANTED

Auditions to be held for summer production of “As You Like It” Next week, Western’s department of theatre and dance will hold open auditions for its summer outdoor production of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.” Director David Janoviak will cast a combination of student and community actors in Shakespeare’s classic pastoral comedy. Parts for approximately 12 men and six women will be available.

The auditions will consist of an optional prepared Shakespearean monologue as well as cold readings from the script.

No preparation is necessary to audition, but a familiarity of the play is highly recommended.

Audition dates are Friday, May 15 from 6 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, May 16 from 12 to 3 p.m. in the Math / Nursing Building, room 108.

The play will rehearse Monday through Friday evenings (6-9:30 p.m.) beginning on June 22 and will perform from July 30 through Aug. 1 on the outdoor stage adjacent to Rice Auditorium.

The part of Jaques is precast. All other parts are available.

“As You Like It” is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, and features the famous phrase “all the world’s a stage.”

It tells the story of Rosalind and Celia, cousins who run away to the Forest of Arden, where they find true love.

For more information, please contact Professor David Janoviak (Director) at 503-559-1551 / janovid@wou.edu

A global education The benefits of studying internationally at western

By Chelsea Hunt Staff Writer Senior Brande Balas is not the only student at Western benefitting from a persistent increase in international students.

Fall term, Balas took a class with international student Meznah Almuqbil, a first-year student from Saudi Arabia. Balas was born in Saudi Arabia, where her father had been working at the time, which has given her a different perspective of cultures, she wrote in an email.

Even so, she still felt nervous talking to Almuqbil for the first time, said Balas. “I was afraid I’d say the wrong thing and offend her.”

However, after getting to know Almuqbil, Balas learned that “she is a beautiful person with such an insightful point of view.”

Almuqbil is one of many international students at Western, 90 percent of which come from Saudi Arabia and China.

The increase began in about 2004 when the university wanted to draw more international students, said Rob Troyer, professor of linguistics. Due to the increase, Troyer was hired in 2007 partly to help international students be

successful.

According to associate provost Dave McDonald, in 2005 there were only 59 international students, but as of 2014, there were 350.

This growing number of students at Western translates to a 493 percent increase in less than a decade.

Western’s interest in bringing in foreign students is about “wanting to be more international,” Troyer said.

“Having international students on campus is one way Western students can connect to the rest of the world,” he added.

Just as having international students exposes domestic students to the diversity in the world, international students get to see the diversity in the United States.

Almuqbil said that America is interesting to her because she loves learning about different cultures within the United States.

Internationalism isn’t merely an end in and of itself, though.

The influx of international students brings with it financial benefits, helping Western to be financially stable, Troyer said.

In addition to diversity and financial stability, Troyer also listed the increasing globalization in

the world as a reason why international students are important to Western. It’s not just “the flow of goods and products, but knowledge,” he said.

Junfen Zeng, a senior from China who goes by the name Tina, said that she thinks that America’s education is good.

At the university she attended in Shanghai, she participated in a three plus one program where she did her first three years there and is completing her degree in finance here at Western.

Zeng said her favorite thing about being in America is “I can meet different people.”

Both international students like Zeng and domestic students like Balas have gotten this opportunity to interact with people from different cultures.

Over time, Balas has come to know several other international students in addition to Almuqbil.

“The students that I’ve talked to have been very open and understanding,” Balas wrote.

Balas’ advice to other students is to assess their biases and let them go, as well as to get to know the international students for who they are.

“I’ve found that we are far more similar than I would have ever guessed,” Balas added.

COMIC CORNER MY SUPERVISOR IS A DINOSAUR

BY ANONYMOUS THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

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ENTERTAINMENT

BIGGER,

BOLDER,

MORE SUGAR?

p

ed

PHOTO COURTESY OF HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

By Jenna Beresheim Staff Writer Looking for a non-shaming, obesity-epidemic-blasting documentary? Look no further than “Fed Up”

by Stephanie Soechtig.

Narrated by Katie Couric and averaging a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, this documentary is well-made and definitely worth the watch. Plus it is free on Netflix.

Popcorn and soda pop not included, but at only an hour and a half, snackage will not be required.

Unlike some other marathon movies that require pre-apocalyptic hoarding to survive to credits, this documentary will be over in a blink. And may even make you re-consider those sugary snacks.

“The message that’s been pushed on us: it’s your fault you’re fat,” Dr. Mark Hyman, the chairman for the Institute for Functional Medicine said, in regards to the obesity epidemic in America: “Forget about it.”

Top scientists and board members across the country in all forms of public health take a stand to break long-standing problems in the way we view health, debunking

myths such as calories are calories, regardless of what form they are in, as well as what it really means to balance diet and exercise.

Instead, the focus is on sugar and how exactly it works in the body — even going so far as to compare junk food companies to tobacco companies.

Following the lives of several children suffering from zobesity, the viewer gets a more personal view of the daily struggles of those who are overweight and cannot seem to break away from it.

No matter how hard these children try, what they do is not working. Until they begin making the “right” changes to their daily life.

Unlike some documentaries, this film does not force the facts upon the viewer or demand a strict allegiance to their cause be made.

Instead, “Fed Up” focuses on the facts and providing information, encouraging the public to reduce sugar intake, backing it up with all the right reasons. For those who wish to make the change to their lifestyle, this documentary offers a 10 day sugar-free challenge to break the habit.

FOUR OUT OF FOUR PAWS

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“Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Fed Up” fuel our hearts and minds

AGE OF ULTRON PHOTO COURTESY OF SLASHFILM.COM

By Declan Hertel Staff Writer In the first 10 minutes of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Captain America (Chris Evans) does a high-speed endo on a motorcycle, launches into a front-flip, and throws the motorcycle into a Hydra troop truck that spectacularly explodes upon impact.

This is utterly ridiculous; it is also TOTALLY AWESOME. Those two words are the core of “Age of Ultron,” Joss Whedon’s final foray into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I saw this movie at a midnight showing during its opening weekend, and throughout the entire movie the audience was laughing and cheering as the punches flew, the lasers pewpewed, and the Hulk smashed everything.

The fight choreography is without flaw and everyone gets their chance to be the butt-kicking action hero.

And oh boy, do butts get kicked: “Age of Ultron” takes the over-the-top stylized violence of the first “Avengers” film and ratchets it up to 11, and then says “nah, man, we can go higher.”

The film starts out at “Nuts” with the fight in a European forest that includes the aforementioned motorcycle stunt and keeps pushing until it hits “Completely Freaking Bonkers” in the third act. I won’t spoil any other fight scenes; you’ll thank me.

Joss Whedon is well known for the one-liners and rapier wit he brings to his scripts, and he is on top of his game here. Every character packs as many quips as they can into the 141 minute runtime; they are almost all

hilarious, and the ones that aren’t are worth a chuckle.

Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye delivers my favorite of the film right in the middle of the climactic battle, which ought to be a pleasant surprise to anyone who saw the first “Avengers,” where Hawkeye was pretty boring.

To be honest, Hawkeye steals the show. Ultron (a masterful voice performance by James Spader) may have his name in the title, but Hawkeye’s subplot and improved characterization really lend the film its emotional heart.

The addition of a romantic subplot involving Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) made me skeptical at first, but Whedon’s writing and the performances of Ruffalo and Johansson sealed the deal, and I was on board. Well done, Mr. Whedon. Well done.

My only real complaint about the movie is that when you’re driving a behemoth of a story at maximum overdrive as this movie does, bits are bound to fall off. There are a number of small happenings in the movie that are never explained and come off as useless. Whether they actually are or they’re foreshadowing the next phase of the MCU, it’s irritating.

That said, this only mattered to me after the movie was over, and I wiped the doofy smile from my face.

In all honesty, if you’ve liked the MCU so far, you’ll love “Age of Ultron.” If you hate the MCU, you’ll likely hate this too. But if you’re just looking for two hours of plain old escapism, you can’t do much better than this.

THREE AND A HALF OUT OF FOUR PAWS THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

OPINION

10

Fighting hate with hate is NOT the answer

By Conner Williams Opinion Editor There are two sides to every story and, as a journalist, it is my responsibility to shed light on both of them.

Each issue has multiple points of view that must be examined and taken into consideration before a final judgment is decided upon.

So when the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries decided that the owners of Sweet Cakes bakery in Gresham must pay upwards of $135,000 in emotional damages to the Boman-Cryers, a lesbian couple, for refusing to bake them a wedding cake because of their sexual orientation, I found myself a bit befuddled.

In no way at all do I endorse discrimination. Bigotry against people with different lifestyles or principles is abhorrent in every way. In my opinion, there is no excuse to belittle someone because they have a different belief system or lifestyle. Using religion or any other basis as an excuse to spew forth hate is unacceptable.

Aaron Klein, the co-owner of Sweet Cakes, was alone when he refused

THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

service to the Bowman-Cryers. He claimed that he discriminated because of religious reasons, but since the state of Oregon has a zero tolerance law for discrimination based on “sexual orientation, race, sex, disability, age or religion,” he had committed a crime. And even though his wife, Melissa, was not present at the time, she is also held liable for the incident.

The Boman-Cryers sued the Kleins, and are expected to receive at least $135,000 as a result.

I am all for disciplining the Kleins for their behavior. They should not be allowed to get away with their actions.

But do they really deserve to be sentenced to bankruptcy for it?

What is the formula for determining the proper fiscal amount to offset the “emotional damages” experienced by the discrimination? This whole process seems very arbitrary to me. I am curious how it is determined the way that subjective incidents like these are to be resolved.

Because isn’t this just fighting hate with more hate? After the incident went public, the Klein’s business vehicle was vandalized multiple times. I don’t see how displaying and condon-

ing additional acts of contempt is supposed to fix the original wrongdoing.

Aaron Klein made a boneheaded and intolerable mistake, but that doesn’t mean that his bigotry should be responded to with more bigotry. That makes the other side just as bad.

In response to their financial predicament, the Kleins started a GoFundMe campaign to enable people to donate money to them to help pay off the anticipated amount. GoFundMe has recently shut down the Klein’s donation fund and revised its policies, stating that it will not allow benefits go towards people that are facing formal criminal charges.

Soon after, Wisconsin faith-based nonprofit group Continue to Give has started its own fundraiser for the Kleins, which has raised about $1,000 so far, according to The Oregonian.

The controversy is widely split, with many in support of both sides. Many people say that since the Kleins own a private business, they have every right to refuse service to whomever they please, for whatever reason.

Oregon state law disagrees.

We must not tolerate this type of behavior for it only further polarizes the

gay community and hinders the progress we have made thus far. According to ProCon.org, 37 states have legalized gay marriage. We have made huge leaps for the rights of gay people, and we cannot stop now.

While we should not tolerate detestable discriminatory behavior, we should also not stoop to that level by attempting to fiscally obliterate those with much more narrow-minded viewpoints. Trying to put out a fire with gasoline will not solve the problem.

We should be focusing on changing the culture and learning to accept others with lifestyles and opinions different than ours, not punish to the point of bankruptcy and financial turmoil because of a stupid decision.

The Kleins are a family with a mortgage and kids to feed. While they may be narrow-minded bigots, I do not feel that they deserve to be punished this severely. Total financial chaos is not the answer to solving the problem of discrimination.

If you have any input you would like to share, please feel free to submit letters to the editor to journaleditor@ wou.edu.

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OPINION

NO BANG for my

$100. . .

Supporters of both Mayweather and Pacquiao agree on “boring” fight

By Jack Armstrong News Editor As last Saturday night approached, boxing fans across the world crowded around any available television in an attempt to catch the self-proclaimed “Fight of the Century” between Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. and Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.

The fight went the distance lasting all 12 scheduled rounds and ending in a unanimous de-

“It took 12 short rounds for that dream to come to a screeching halt.” cision declaring Mayweather the World Boxing Organization Welterweight Champion, and maintaining his undefeated record at 48-0.

The public focus on the socalled “Fight of the Century” never seemed to center on the fight itself. Instead, the media focused on the personal differences between the fighters, turning the fight into a bout of good versus evil.

Mayweather has five separate convictions for domestic abuse and assault, while Pacquiao is a senator in his native Philippines and has recently become a self-proclaimed born-

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again Christian.

For everyone who follows boxing (and even many who don’t), this was the clash of giants in the sport that had gone unseen since the likes of Ali vs. Frazier in 1971. Many hailed this bout as the return of boxing to the mainstream, the return to a storied past.

It took 12 short rounds for that dream to come to a screeching halt.

When all was said and done, the crowning of a new champion left most wanting more. For all the pomp and circumstance and all the years of anticipation, many felt that the event failed to live up to the hype or at the very least, failed to live up to the price tag.

Part of this displeasure certainly stemmed from the wider audience that this fight attracted. Even people who don’t normally watch boxing became interested in this fight. It turned into more of a social event like the Super Bowl.

As a result, the more tactical (read less exciting) display that took place in the ring was lost on many.

Mayweather used his significant height advantage to keep Pacquiao at bay, and the fight stagnated with neither fighter showing signs of stepping up.

Viewers grumbled on Twitter calling the bout “boring,” “over-rated,” and compared it watching a couple of sparring partners in practice rather than the two biggest boxers of our time slugging it out for glory.

When the final bell rang and it all came to an end without a knock-out, or even a single knock-down in the entire fight,

the grumble of displeasure turned into a roar.

HBO and Showtime both presented the fight live through Pay-Per-View, but in a controversial move the price of the event ticket shifted up from the usual $59.99 to a whopping $100 for a single viewing.

Bars showing the event were charging $20-$30 cover just to get through the door.

Fans of both fighters agreed on one thing: the entertainment value of the main card fight hadn’t lived up to the price of admission. Many celebrities ranging from athletes to musicians took to Twitter requesting a rematch or a refund.

With two fighters and the Nevada Gaming Commission grossing more than $450 million, it is unlikely disgruntled viewers will see a rematch or a refund, and it is now unlikely that the public will see a price reduction for future blockbuster pay-per-view events.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao has effectively put the nail in the coffin of an already declining sport. Boxing was on the uptick with viewers despite concerns over concussions. In fact, NBC recently debuted a weekly primetime selection of fights that fans with access to NBC can watch outside of the pay-per-view system.

It’s hard to place blame on one particular party in this situation. It is unreasonable to require fighters to put themselves in more danger by fighting more aggressively than they are comfortable with.

In turn, the pay-per-view cable and satellite companies owe it to their stakeholders to gain as much profit from the fight as

they can, and the sports bookies make money regardless of the fans entertainment level.

Still, the bitter taste of a promise not fulfilled remains.

Entertainment should be just that, entertaining. We are allowed to expect a certain level of satisfaction from the things we pay for.

However, the level of expectation for entertainment and the definition of satisfaction are incredibly individual. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and in America we hold the right of the individual opinion as tantamount.

The disconnect between these two sentiments is troubling but not beyond explanation.

Given that the only thing that has changed with the sport of boxing since the days of Ali and Frazier is the delivery system of the entertainment, our lack of satisfaction with the fight must come down to the cost of access.

The price tag of something that arrives in the home as simply as pressing a button can be deceptive. With the digital age in full swing, we have come to expect vast amounts of entertainment content for little to no cost.

Anything that borders on boring is deleted and forgotten about, but you cannot delete a $100 pay-per-view ticket the same way you delete a $10 album off of iTunes.

In this modern era of streaming services and on demand content in the home, our sense of monetary value versus satisfaction in entertainment is on-going, that evolution is shaping up to be the true “Fight of the Century.”

THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

TAIL-END

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PHOTOS BY SHANNEN BROUNER Dance students have been preparing all year to present their work at Western’s annual Spring Dance concert, which opened Thursday, May 7. Additional performances are May 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Rice Auditorium. Tickets for students are $7 and can be purchased from the box office at 503-838-8461 or before the performance.

CAMPUS BRIEFS COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT The computer science department will be offering an online course entitled CS 340W – Ethics and Information Management.

The course will only be offered online during the summer from July 20 to August 14. There will be no texts required for this course, and it is aimed at assisting computer science majors fulfill their writing intensive requirements. For more information or help with difficulty registering, stop by the computer science office in ITC 310B, or call 503-838-8480.

FEMALE ONLY SELF-DEFENSE WORKSHOP A free self-defense workshop will be held exclusively for females, Wednesday, May 13. The workshop, created through collaboration between campus recreation and campus public safety, is an effort to create campus-wide awareness and increase safety measures. If interested, register at the Health and Wellness Center.

THE JOURNAL | FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015

GRADUATION AND COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY WEBSITE The website dedicated to Western’s graduation and commencement ceremony is now available to all graduating students. This website is designed to help students sign up for the ceremony itself, provide the speaker with information concerning name pronunciation, and to list all the deadlines present before graduation can take place. The website is located at http://www.wou.edu/ graduation/. For any further information concerning graduation or the website, please contact the Registrar’s office at 503-838-8327.

LAST DAY TO TAKE “W” GRADE The final day to receive a “W” grade is today, Friday, May 5.

Opting to take a “W” grade does not affect your grade point average. It is recommended that students considering this option meet with student success specialist Jesse Poole. Students can schedule appointments to discuss their situation by calling 503-838-8428.

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