Mount Hood

Speak while everyone’s watching

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Celebrity activism has always been a big deal in the world of entertainment. Whether celebrities speak out by taking to social media or writing targeted speeches for award shows, the wide audiences that popular celebrities reach make for an opportunity for their voices to make a large impact. No matter the issue, or whether I’m for or against it, celebrities sparking up discussions is healthy for society and gets people thinking.

Celebrities speaking out about the election, both for and against President Trump, has been big in the news lately, but celebrity activism is far from a new thing. 

One of the most notable examples was during the 1973 Oscars, when Marlon Brando refused to attend the ceremony or accept his award for best actor in “The Godfather” to protest the treatment of Native Americans by the film industry and at Wounded Knee. Instead, an Apache trade member named Sacheen Littlefeather was sent to announce that he couldn’t accept the award.

Leonardo DiCaprio used his award platforms for “The Revenant” to discuss issues as well. During his speech for best actor at The Golden Globes, DiCaprio advocated for the Native Americans who live in the areas where the film was made.

“I want to share this award with all the First Nations peoples represented in this film and all the indigenous communities around the world. It is time we recognized your history and that we protect your indigenous lands from corporate interests,” said DiCaprio.

Award speeches are moments where fellow celebrities, the media and massive audiences of people all have eyes on someone, and I think bringing up a social cause that most people wouldn’t think of is a great thing to do while everyone is listening.

Afterwards, people take to social media voicing their opinions on what was said. While some individuals are mean and hurtful, a lot of people honestly voice their opinions on either side of the issue. The sharing of opinions, the small dinner table debates, it’s what creates a healthy, thoughtful and intelligent society.

Numerous celebrities took to the streets for the Jan. 21 Women’s March, using their voices to reach wide audiences with information and encouragement; Scarlett Johansson, Lady Gaga and Cher were all present at the Women’s March in Washington DC. Among the celebrities present, there was also actor and comedian Nick Offerman, who took to Twitter voicing his support and sharing photos of the march.

Whether it’s marching for causes, speaking out on Twitter or dedicating an award speech to a cause, celebrity activism provokes thinking and is positive for society.

Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu

Review: “The Lego Batman Movie”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

The original “Lego Movie” (2014) introduced a different kind of Batman. Batman was funny, poked fun at previous Batman adaptations and knew how to kick some butt. “The Lego Batman Movie” brings that concept back but this time on a much larger scale.

Will Arnett’s overly confident, sometimes childish and emotionally damaged Batman is hilarious from the very beginning. He’s sympathetic, struggling with loneliness and a major fear of attachment, but he’s also constantly making jokes.

Batman himself is a very well-rounded character. In “The Lego Movie”, Batman’s negative qualities are shown without much of the positive, but “Lego Batman” makes a point to highlight both.

The supporting cast is great as well. Michael Cera’s Robin is adorable and loveable and Zach Galifianakis gives a humorous performance as the Joker, albeit not the most sinister Joker. All the voice acting is top notch. Each actor brings their unique style to these characters, creating something entirely new out of a well known character.

The all-star cast doesn’t stop there; Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill reprise their roles as Superman and Green Lantern, Billy Dee Williams voices Two-Face and Conan O’Brien voices The Riddler. The incredible cast is not utilized very well though, with many of the supporting characters only having one or two lines in the whole film. Billy Dee Williams, for example, has a lot of publicity for playing Two Face, yet he only says 10 words throughout the entire film.

At its core, “The Lego Batman Movie” is about family. The story of Bruce Wayne’s parents being murdered is common knowledge among superhero fans, but this film takes it one step further by highlighting Batman’s emotional struggles with attachment. While “The Lego Movie’s” big moral is creativity, “Lego Batman” puts a huge focus on teamwork.

One of the best parts of the universe that “The Lego Movie” created was the merging of different film franchises, and “Lego Batman” does the same thing. Film’s worst villains, such as Voldemort, Sauron, King Kong and Daleks challenge Batman while reminding viewers that the film is still set in a massive universe.

The film also did a great job of parodying Batman and DC movies. Multiple jabs were thrown at “Suicide Squad” and “Batman v Superman.” There are throwbacks to multiple different “Batman” films as well, poking fun at some of the ridiculousness of them.

“The Lego Batman Movie” is not only hilarious throughout, but it has every aspect of a good Batman film. There is fantastic character development for Batman and Robin throughout. I found myself caring more about these Lego characters than I did in either the “Dark Knight” franchise or “Batman v Superman.” The team dynamic and growth is extremely rewarding.

From start to finish, “The Lego Batman Movie” is engaging, accessible for any audience and absolutely hilarious. With well written jokes and strong characters, “Lego Batman” is not only one of the funniest films so far this year, but also one of the best Batman films there has ever been.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

 

4/4

+ Team dynamic

+ Excellent voice acting

Valentine’s nay

By: Ashton Newton
Hopeless Non-Romantic

50.2 percent of Americans are single, yet around the time of Valentine’s Day, stores fill up with heart shaped chocolates, roses and those atrocious teddy bears.

As part of the 50.2 percent, I vowed this year to make good use of all of these Valentine’s Day products, while also fully embracing my loneliness.

I made it my mission this February to buy as much Valentine’s Day decorations and candy as I could, but without letting the love aspect play a role.

First, I bought an adorable stuffed dog holding a heart. The cashier smiled at me, but she had no idea of my true intentions. With a knife, I removed the heart and now I have a perfectly normal stuffed dog. Take that Valentine’s Day.

Next, I stocked up on heart-shaped milk chocolates. I turned the heart shaped container into an awesome frisbee, then melted the chocolate down and poured it over a bowl of vanilla ice cream which I ate while binge watching “Planet Earth.” Again, take that.

Ever notice how sharing champagne or sparkling cider never seems right? This Valentine’s Day I bought bottles just for myself to fill a mug with and I couldn’t be happier.

I spent three hours last night filling out Valentine cards. They were all from me, addressed to flattering adjectives that describe me. I’m going to be so happy when I see them on the 14th.

Candles always go on sale around Valentine’s Day. It’s the perfect time to place them around the bath tub and watch Hulu for an unreasonable amount of time.

The day after Valentine’s Day, all the heart shaped chocolate that wasn’t sold is extremely cheap. This Valentine’s Day I plan to make a game plan of all the stores I’ll hit up in order to reap the benefits of unsold chocolate.

However lonely life gets, I just remind myself how awesome frisbees are, how great chocolate is and how being alone isn’t so bad if I love myself.

Don’t contact the author, he’s satisfied being alone.

Emergency ASWOU election comes to a close

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

Last week brought with it the result of the Associated Students of Western Oregon University’s emergency election. Due to the death of Alma Pacheco, president of ASWOU, the role of vice president needed to be filled.

ASWOU is the student government at Western; their role is to advocate for student’s rights on campus, as well as in the state of Oregon.

Samantha Dunaway, a junior majoring in biology with an emphasis in zoology will be taking on the role of vice president; her new responsibilities will include organizing meetings, and completing tasks assigned by the new president of ASWOU, Cynthia Olivares.

Samantha Dunaway is already very familiar with Western’s student government. Before being elected as vice president, she was working as the ASWOU director of student organizations, overseeing all of the student clubs on campus. Her work with the organization has included training student clubs to use OrgSync and financial policies, and giving them the tools to be successful.

When asked what plans she had for improving student life at Western, Dunaway replied that, “My main goal is to support all students on campus. My door is always open for students to voice their concerns about our university, and I will always be open to addressing those concerns. I know how many students struggle with paying for college, pay tuition out of pocket and work multiple jobs to make it through college. I will do everything in my power to support these students and work to decrease tuition rates. My other goals include making Western more environmentally sustainable, increasing involvement in clubs and organizations on campus and helping to create a strong team environment within the ASWOU cabinet so that we can better serve the student body.”

As a final note, ASWOU Vice President Samantha Dunaway added, “I want students to know that my door is always open. I love Western Oregon University, and the best part of this school is the students. I want them to know that I am always available to address questions, concerns, and ideas on how to improve our school. Also, everyone in ASWOU is here to serve the students. Come by our office and say ‘hi!’”

Students with concerns regarding Western can contact the Associated Students of Western Oregon University at aswou.@wou.edu, or they can stop by their office in Werner University Center room 122.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Struggles persist

By: Burke De Boer
Sports Editor

Women’s basketball suffered a pair of losses last week when they hosted conference rivals Concordia and Montana State Billings.

Late in the game against Billings, the Wolves held a 12 point lead but the Yellowjackets completed a comeback in the dying minutes. The Wolves, who had led for more than half of the game, committed 11 fouls in the final six minutes the game. The Yellowjackets were able to capitalize, picking up 16 points on free throws.

The final score was 60-64. The four point loss was the closest the Wolves had come to winning since their three point victory over Northwest Nazarene on Jan. 21.

Sophomore guard Kaylie Boschma put up 16 points against Concordia and 10 points against Montana State Billings to make it four games in a row with double-digit scoring.

With no games played over the weekend, the Wolves are having a full week off after their dropped game against the Yellowjackets. On Thursday, Feb. 16, they host the last team they defeated as Northwest Nazarene makes the trip to Monmouth.

With four games left in the season, the Wolves have a 7-16 record and are ranked 10th in the GNAC.

Contact the author at jorunalsports@wou.edu

End of the road

By: Burke De Boer
Sports Editor

Men’s basketball saw their five game winning streak come to a close as they dropped a pair of games on the road last week.

A 63-73 loss to Western Washington on Feb. 9 was the rough start to the week.

The first half in Bellingham saw the two teams feel one another out, with nine lead changes. The final play of the half was a fastbreak dunk by junior forward Tanner Omlid, which cut Western Washington’s lead at the time to one point.

The exciting play continued into the second half.

Ten seconds in, Omlid hit a layup to take the lead. The Wolves would extend their advantage to as much as eight points before Western Washington fought back.

The teams traded baskets in the final minutes as Western Washington was able to keep the Wolves at bay.

A trip to Burnaby presented the Wolves with an opportunity to salvage a win from the road tip, as they had won 16 straight against Simon Fraser. Simon Fraser had yet to win a conference game.

When Tanner Omlid fouled out with eight minutes left in the game, the Wolves found themselves unable to dictate.

Junior guard Ali Faruq-Bey was the hard charger in the final minutes, scoring nine points without Omlid. But this was not enough, as the Simon Fraser team put up 18 to win it, 63-68.

Even though he fouled out, Omlid picked up a double-double on the night, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Faruq-Bey totaled 16 points in the loss.

At 10-6 in conference play this season, the Wolves remain in a good position. They are ranked third in the GNAC, remaining in control of their spot in the playoff picture.

The Wolves look to get back to winning ways, hosting two Alaskan foes this week. They play the Nanooks on Feb. 16 and the Seawolves on Feb. 18. Tipoff for both nights is 7:30 p.m.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Predict me an Oscar

By: Blayde Biacan
Staff Writer

The 89th annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, is recognizing many great people and films this year. Many of the selections this year have a great diversity of cultures depicted in the movies.
I’ve watched the films nominated and predicted the winners for some categories. The following categories and nominees are:

Animated Feature Film – “Zootopia”
Directing – “La La Land”
Cinematography – “La La Land”
Editing – “Arrival”
Music: Original Song – “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana”
Writing: Adapted Screenplay – “Arrival”
Visual Effects – “Doctor Strange”

For this particular Oscar ceremony there is a lot of controversy over the movie “La La Land.” The musical looks good and uses a lot of long takes. It also received 14 Oscar nominations, rivaling “All about Eve” and “Titanic.” Both lead actors, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, received Oscar nominations. The only backlash that this movie received is from critics on how it depicts jazz culture, which can be compared to pop culture in how it could be misrepresented and may not be true to its roots, which is why it may not win as many categories as some would expect it to win.
The films nominated offer a lot of diversity in setting, such as in “Moana.” It is based off of Polynesian culture when they used to sail the seas, especially when finding new land. In the film “Lion,” it shows the Indian culture and also how the protagonist has to get used to other cultures throughout the movie.
There are many other categories that I have not mentioned with great nominations and even many more categories that include “La La Land.” The Oscars will be premiered live on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m. PST in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Contact the author at bbiacan16@wou.edu

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