Mount Hood

Ghost hunter scours campus

By: Rachael Jackson
Staff Writer

Washington based ghost hunter Ross Allison has spent over 25 years researching the paranormal.

He now bears many accomplishments in his field: he is president and founder of Advanced Ghost Hunters of Seattle-Tacoma, founder of the Seattle Death Museum, tour guide at Spooked in Seattle, lecturer, and author of three books.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, Allison visited Western’s campus to lecture and to lead a ghost hunt.

Allison began his visit with a lecture entitled “Ghostology 101” to give the audience an overview of the history of his field. To be a successful ghost hunter, he explained, one must have passion, devotion, and patience, because finding a ghost is no easy task. Ghost hunting is tedious work, so it can be hard for some not to rely on gimmicks for publicity.

“You don’t need to make up stories to convince people,” Allison stressed before entering the second half of his lecture.

Kathryn Sinor, a junior anthropology major and aspiring ghost hunter said, “I appreciated that he wasn’t like, ‘I’m not going to convince you,’ just, ‘here’s the evidence and take it as you will.’ That was neat.”

For those in need, Sinor seems interested in starting a business of her own.
“If anyone has ghost problems, come to me,” she said.

After the lecture there was a ghost hunt in Campbell and Todd Hall.

Todd Hall was the first stop where Allison handed out equipment to a few students to aid in the ghost hunting. This equipment included a thermal camera, laser grid, compass, dowsing rod, and ping-pong balls for ghosts to manipulate.

While in Todd Hall, there was some commotion when a cold spot appeared near a group of students. The compass swung between south and southeast, refusing to find north, all while the dowsing rods crossed. Allison explained during the lecture that these were all signs of ghost activity.

While the hunt remained inconclusive about the presence of a ghost, the students that were in attendance were told to check their phone recordings for possible Electronic Voice Phenomenon, the term used for when the voice of a ghost is picked up on recording devices.

The rest of the night remained quiet and seemingly absent of paranormal activity.

Humans of Western

HoW

By: Megan Clark
Campus Life Editor

Perrin Dean, sophomore, Pre-ASL interpreting major
Jackson Fryer, transfer student, ASL Studies major

Dean: “We actually just like met randomly in the music hall, and he, I don’t even know what you asked me-”

Fryer: “I was like, hey I’m looking for people to play music with”

Dean: “And I was like, ‘hey, I play music!’”

Fryer: “And one thing lead to another, and here we are.”

Fryer: “Well, usually [we sing together], though most of the time it’s me singing and me trying to get her to sing. But she’s a f—ing amazing and talented singer and musician, but she just don’t think that herself.”

Fryer: “At least for me, if the whole ASL thing doesn’t work out, then you know … I guess, it’s more like if the music thing doesn’t work out, then I have the whole ASL thing to fall back on.”

Fryer: “Have we only known each other a month?”

Dean: “It has not been long! We bonded really quickly … We should make a friend-iversary.”

Fryer: “Can you bake a cake? I like cake.”

Fryer: “I was in band, so my teacher was like, ‘Hey Jackson, you want to play an instrument, right?’ and I was like ‘F— yes!’ Instruments equal cool, equal friends, you know? So then he was, ‘Yeah, so the tuba …’ And I was like, ‘That’s f—ing genius!’ So I started playing the tuba … I quickly realized that any instrument with a spit valve is not a cool instrument, so I switched over to the guitar, and it’s been, you know, love at first strum.”

The Story of a Hiroshima Bomb Survivor

By: Emily Pate
Staff Writer

Ed Kawasaki, survivor of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, came to speak at Western this past Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The talk, in conjunction with the Black Rain, Sadako’s Story, Hiroshima Ground Zero, and Never Again art exhibits in Hamersley Library, builds awareness of the aftermath of the bombing.

Kawasaki was born in 1929 in Hawaii to Japanese immigrant parents. When he was 11, his family moved back to Hiroshima, Japan.

On Aug. 6, 1945, when Kawasaki was 16, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. He happened to already be in the hospital for a ruptured appendix he suffered prior to the blast.

A few days previously, his father had called a surgeon at Shima Hospital. The call could not connect, so Kawasaki went to a different hospital two miles from the epicenter of the bomb. This move saved his life, as Shima Hospital was ground zero for the explosion.

“What a lucky twist of fate,” Kawasaki said about his survival. “I sometimes feel as though I’m living on borrowed time.”

Will Edwards, a junior Geology major, has always had a passion for WWII history.
Through a reenactment and education group, he has met many veterans, but never anyone who was in Japan during the bombing or, as he called Kawasaki, a “primary source.”
“To be able to know something that happened first hand is pretty cool,” Edwards said. “It definitely puts nuclear war into perspective.”

Juneau Singleton, a first year with an undecided major, also attended to hear a firsthand account.

“I thought it was really unique that a real survivor was coming,” she said. “You never really hear that perspective. You hear that they dropped the bomb, but not that the next time he went to school half his class was gone.”

Kawasaki said that Americans should not be ashamed of their nationality because of the atomic bombs.

“We all have to realize that war is hell,” Kawasaki said. “Yes, we could question ourselves whether it was OK or not OK to have used the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But if you are asked about the atomic bomb by a foreigner, as an American, I would say, ‘I am sorry that it happened.’”

“Let us forgive each other for the war,” he said. “Let us all pray for eternal world peace. And then we should just move on.”

Violin, Viola, Vielle — & friends

By: Rachael Jackson
Staff Writer

English Professor Dr. Marjory Lange showcased her violin, viola, and vielle skills in the Smith Recital Hall on Sunday, Oct. 25.

The concert began with a piano trio composed by Clara Schumann. Dr. Lange played the violin for this piece with Christopher Wicks on the piano and adjunct faculty member Katherine Parks on the cello.

The two pieces that followed were unique in their own way – a whimsical sonata that Wicks composed himself (which Dr. Lange played the viola for), and movements from Bach’s Two-part Inventions that was transcribed for the violin and cello.

Bach was a fun piece that many audience members bobbed their heads or tapped their hands to.

Then the concert moved to a real treat for history and music lovers alike, featuring a series of songs played on Medieval and Renaissance period instruments – the vielle played by Dr. Lange, and the douçaine by Aage Nielsen.

Both instruments were minimalist designs of their junior counterparts – the vielle looks similar to a violin, while the douçaine resembles its woodwind cousin, the bassoon.

The first two historical compositions they played were traditional works from the 13th and 15th centuries. In contrast, the duo’s third song, “Four Strong Winds” is by modern day Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Tyson. This may seem like a strange inclusion until Nielsen explains it.

“During the big folk boom in the 60s, we had a lot of traditional-inspired songs show up,” he said. “This is when the singer-songwriter boom took place.”

Their final song, ‘Estampie,’ an anonymous composition from the 14th century, was a long and virtuosic piece that showcased the range of the instruments.

While there seemed to be a large number of faculty, friends, and community members in the audience, there was also a distinct lack of students.

Lange spoke about the importance of pursuing hobbies, saying, “Students tell me they used to play an instrument and I ask, ‘Why did you stop?’ It’s necessary for intellectual growth to keep a hobby or two.”

There are several upcoming events for students to attend at the Smith Recital Hall.
The next concert will be Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015 when jazz flugelhorn player Dmitri Matheny will perform with his trio of musicians at 7:30 p.m. Western students get in free with I.D.

An interactive medium for the horror genre

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By: Darien Campo
Freelancer

It’s a bittersweet time in my house.

Here we are in the final week of the month; October is almost over. On the other hand, it’s almost Halloween!

The final movie countdown has been getting pretty spooky this week with “ParaNorman” (2012), “The Thing” (1982), “Scream” (1996), “Alien” (1979), “Young Frankenstein” (1974), “Silent Hill” (2006), and “Plan Nine from Outer Space” (1959).

Watching “Silent Hill” is always a unique experience for me.

As a huge fan of the Konami video game series that it’s based on, it’s always fun to see all the monsters and locations from those classics brought to the big screen. But at the same time … it’s just not a very good movie.

I enjoyed it more when I was younger, but every time I watch it now I just can’t help but notice how badly put together it is. The plot is a lazy mess with a whole scene at the end that literally has to stop the movie to explain to the viewer what is happening.

That is really bad writing.

The main problem is that “Silent Hill” only works in its original format – as a video game.

Along with my parade of horror movies, I’ve also been playing my fair share of horror games this month. The film borrows heavily from the first two games, so I’ve been replaying those along side this new viewing, and in an interactive medium, Silent Hill thrives.

Horror films are already a form of interactive art. We aren’t asked to sit idly by and watch a story unfold in front of us during a scary movie.

Instead, scary movies will specifically prey on our fears and try to “attack” us directly. A good horror film will do all it can to make the audience feel as if they’re personally in danger. We jump, we scream, we shiver, and we laugh; horror asks for a certain level of audience participation.

This is why I think that video games are actually the perfect medium for a genre like horror, even better than a theatre screen.

Playing a game like “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” (2010), in which the player’s only defense from the grotesque monster is to run as fast as possible and find a place to hide, is an exhilarating experience that is hard to capture in film. Putting the audience in the shoes of “Alan Wake” (2012) gives us a feeling of personal danger that a movie can rarely replicate.

A movie can show us things we’re afraid of, but a video game can make us fear for our own lives.

If it hasn’t been made obvious already, I love horror. I’m a confirmed ghost story and horror film addict. But I’ve also realized that if the horror genre is going to grow, it might be time to start shifting over into a more interactive medium. There will always be a place for horror in cinema, but a scary game is a whole new experience.

Hype builds following new Star Wars trailer

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

The theatrical trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was released on Monday, Oct. 26, 2015 with advance tickets going on sale immediately after the release.

I watched the trailer about fifteen times that night, picking through every little detail I could find. I was not alone in doing so; the trailer got 128 million views the first day.

People took their reactions to Twitter; @elmayimbe tweeted, “My pops took me to see the original trilogy in theaters. This time I’m going to take him to see #TheForceAwakens.”

Several large cinema chains who hadn’t fully prepared for such a great influx of fans buying advanced tickets, saw their websites crash soon after the trailer release.

Alamo Drafthouse theater group CEO Tim League apologized, saying the release is “the single biggest simultaneous surge for movie tickets our industry has ever seen.” IMAX alone grossed at $8.6 million with presale tickets. Someone in Philadelphia even took his ticket to eBay, selling it for $1000.

There were those less excited about the new trailer, though.

The hashtag #BoycottStarWarsVII began trending on social media not long after the trailer hit the web. The hashtag was used by people saying that the new Star Wars is “anti-white propaganda” for having an African American as the lead character.

The boycott was later revealed to have begun as a joke, but the sheer volume of tweets could indicate that some have begun to take it seriously.

The majority of the use the hashtag got was people reacting to the appallingly racist reason that others were citing as motivation to boycott the movie, including comedian Patton Oswalt who took this opportunity to mock the boycotters.

JJ Abrams himself responded, saying “We cannot wait to share the trailer with you tonight. We don’t care if you’re white, black, brown, Jawa, Wookie, Jedi, or Sith. I just hope you like it!”

In China, Disney had an event tied to the trailer release. 500 Stormtroopers gathered on the Great Wall of China and handed out lightsabers and other souvenirs to fans that came.

The event was aimed at increasing the fan base for Star Wars in China, which hasn’t been as widely celebrated and watched as it has been in America, so the country is largely unfamiliar with the franchise.

Disney is pushing for greater Star Wars popularity in China because it is currently the world’s second largest film market.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is shaping up to be one of the most popular new movie releases of all time.

Fandango already released first day ticket sales, stating that they were 700% higher than the previous record holder, and that’s even with their website crashing during the sales.

The next installment of the Star Wars series is looking like it’s going to break some big box office records.

Food Day 2015

By: Jenna Beresheim,
News Editor

The nationally celebrated Food Day came to Western for a two day event this year.

Typically, Food Day is held on Oct. 24, but with the event falling on a Saturday this year, campus decided to push the event forward to the 22nd and 23rd.

The event supports making informed food choices, sponsoring local farms, decreasing carbon footprints, recycling, changing food policies, and much more. The national theme this year was entitled “Toward a Greener Diet.”

The Oct. 22 activities included a free movie viewing of “Living on One Dollar” and a Green Passport event in Valsetz with activities and prizes including pumpkins.

The focus for the day was on sustainability and greener choices, such as making jack-o-lanterns from empty milk jugs and battery operated tea lights.

Friday, Oct. 23 was food focused and packed with samples. A “clean” eating meal was featured at Valsetz, vendors from near and far filled the WUC, and outside the building WOU food pantry traded pumpkins for non-perishable food items.

“Some people donate one food item, and others will donate two, or five,” explained Christie Colasurdo, a fourth year community health major and director for the WOU food pantry.

“Even if you just get 10 cans, that’s still something, and you know that someone who needs a meal is going to be able to get it,” said Colasurdo.

All pumpkins were donated from Charlie’s Produce in a large flat, and were traded for both cash donations as well as food.

Within the WUC, Samuel Benjamin, a representative for Portland Roasting Coffee, poured samples for interested participants. Scattered along the table were several types of coffee, as well as some flavorings to customize drinks as necessary.

“I love when people are enthusiastic and open to learning more about coffee,” said Benjamin, “there is always more to learn and I love being able to provide that.”

“Both the Morning Blend and Italian Blend are available in Allegro,” reported Benjamin’s coworker, Nikolai Cherny.

Another vendor present was the WOU Campus Garden, a volunteer-run garden overseen by their advisor Dr. Emily Plec, a professor in communication studies.

“You can have an individual plot or garden collectively with other students,” stated Plec.

“Volunteers get first crack at the harvest, and anything else goes to the food pantry here on campus,” Plec continued.

Herbs from the garden are also donated to campus dining to use in their dishes.
Students interested are encouraged to find the campus garden on Facebook at “Campus Garden WOU.”

Over 14 separate vendors participated in this event, from large companies such as Odwalla to smaller homegrown entities like Jamie’s Jellies.

WOU Food Day started four years ago and has gained popularity since, emsuring that there will be more events in the years to come.

“Eating real [food] can save your own health and put our food system on a more humane, sustainable path,” reports the Food Day website.

For more information regarding the national event, please see http://www.foodday.org/