March 2017 – Page 2 – The Western Howl

By: Burke De Boer
Sports Editor

We are now in the ides of March, and madness once again descends upon us; referring of course to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.

The most hyped bracket of each year released its 2017 edition on March 12, the result of a madcap Selection Sunday.

The top seeds in each region were Villanova in the east, Kansas in the midwest, Gonzaga in the west and North Carolina in the south. Duke’s spot as number two in the east could set this bracket up for a Duke-North Carolina final.

In a highlight of the east region, Wisconsin fans were left baffled at how their Badgers were deemed an eight seed. On the other side of the bracket, Minnesota was crowned a five seed, despite not playing in the Big Ten championship.

Wisconsin’s trip to the Big Ten championship and ranking second in the conference didn’t seem to help their rank in this tournament. Even Maryland scored a higher seeding, despite bombing out in the Big Ten’s quarterfinals.

Wisconsin’s spot as an eight seed puts them against ninth-seeded Virginia Tech. This is going to be a game to watch, despite all the salt of Badgers fans for their team being underseeded. Josh Parcell reported an interesting stat on Twitter, in that Wisconsin is 307th in the nation when it comes to defending three pointers. Virginia Tech, meanwhile, ranks ninth in the country in three point offense.

The midwest region looks almost like a Big Twelve tournament, as three of the conference’s schools were all seeded together. Top seeded Kansas is the natural favorite for the region, but with Iowa State and Oklahoma State both in contention, some conference rivalry is certainly possible.

Iowa State shouldn’t overlook their matchup against Nevada though. March Madness is always full of upsets, and the twelfth seeded Wolfpack just won the Mountain West championship.

It’s Nevada’s first trip to the big dance since 2007, but they have some tricks for their first round matchup. Guard Hallice Cooke played for Iowa State just last year before transferring to Nevada, bringing their scouts and coaches an inside view of Iowa State’s operations.

One stat that will help Nevada regardless of insider info is the fact that Iowa State is one of the worst teams in the nation at rebounding, ranked 295th. All around they’re a smaller team filled with good shooters but lack the power of the Wolfpack. Nevada big men Jordan Caroline and Cameron Oliver have a combined rebound average of 17.9.

The south region is perhaps the most wide open of the four, as top seed North Carolina has underperformed on the road this year.

Tenth seeded Wichita State is also considered to have gotten the Wisconsin treatment. The Missouri Valley champions were largely pegged for around a six seed, but somehow fell to double digits. Make no mistake, they have the potential to go far in this bracket. They are one of only ten teams in the nation to be ranked in the top 25 for efficiency on both defense and offense.

The three-peated SEC kings Kentucky come into the south region with a number two seed. In 2014, Kentucky and Wichita State played one of the instant classics of March Madness history, and the selection committee is likely chomping at the bit for a rematch.

Making a notable appearance in the west region is Northwestern, who have received a tournament bid for the first time in school history. Northwestern are the only Power Five school to have never played a tournament game, a legacy that comes to an end when they face Vanderbilt in Salt Lake City.

The Wildcats were sure to make the tournament after beating Michigan on March 1, the result of a full-court Hail Mary pass from Nate Taphorn to Derek Pardon in the dying seconds of the game. Pardon put the lobbed ball through the basket as time expired in one of the incredible highlights of the regular season.

March Madness is a time for stories, and this year’s selections prove to have many. No one has ever gotten the bracket challenge right, at least those placed by online bets. So pick your favorite teams and spite all your rivals. We’re all going to be wrong. Have fun.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

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Western’s distinguished women alumni

By: Jade Rayner
News editor

March has been observed as Women’s History Month since 1987, as designated by Congress through Public Law 100-9. Since then, the National Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art and other notable locations use March to “… join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history,” according to womenshistorymonth.gov.

Western has had numerous alumni that have made a difference either as educators, politicians and artists among other professions. Actress and painter Ariana Richards is among Western’s distinguished alumni.
Ariana Richards attended Western in 2006. Her career as an actress is expansive; one of her most famous roles being Lex Murphy in “Jurassic Park,” she has also played parts in “Tremors” and “Spaced Invaders” to name a few.

She won the Young Actors Award for “Best Young Actress Starring in a TV movie” both in 1991 and 1992 for her parts in “Switched at Birth,” and “Locked Up: A Mother’s Rage.” The Internet Movie Database credits Richards as, “… one of the most accomplished young artists of her generation.”

In addition to Ariana Richards career as an actor, she is also recognized as an accomplished painter. She is a member of both the Portrait Society of America and the California Art Club. Artists that she credits for her inspiration include John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn and Mary Cassatt. She focuses on working in a more traditional style with oil paint as her primary medium.

Richards has earned the Art of the West Award of Excellence at the Oil Painters of America Western Regional Competition in 2006; in 2013 she was named the “Official Artist for the Children for Children Organization-Interpretational Painting of Music.”

She has created work for multiple exhibitions, although her current focus is on painting specially commissioned pieces for individuals. Her work can be viewed online at galleryariana.com.

Nawwal Moustafa, a recent graduate of Western, is the creator of Dreamboat Productions, and works as a teacher at Elevate Oregon, a program aimed at building relationships with urban youth to promote education and leadership skills through year-round mentoring.

Moustafa created and self-published a 54-page coloring book titled “Chin Up, Dreamboat!” in 2016. The production of her coloring book was completely crowdfunded on Kickstarter within five hours, according to chinupdreamboat.com. The coloring book gained recognition from Buzzfeed, The Daily Dot and Bustle to name a few.

In an interview with metro.co.uk, Moustafa stated that, “I had this idea after I ended a relationship where we rushed into some serious commitment … It was a typical, over-committed too soon relationship. So, I created this. As a tool for others, and a tool for myself.”

She went on to explain that she chose a coloring book as an outlet to share her story because it’s interactive, and that “… coloring in the images works as the perfect self-therapy to process all the crappy parts of a breakup – gay or otherwise.”

More information about “Chin Up, Dreamboat!” including how to purchase the book and other available products can be found at chinupdreamboat.com.

Another distinguished woman is Western’s College of Education Alumni of Special Note Kate Dickson. Since graduating from Western in 1977 with a master of science in education, Dickson has had an active career as an educator.

Her work as vice president of education policy for the Oregon Chalkboard Project has led her to become head of an initiative to instill what’s learned through the Chalkboard Project to teacher preparation programs.

Oregon’s Chalkboard Project is an initiative of Foundations of a Better Oregon. According to their website, the project’s mission is, “… to help create systemic transformation in the quality, accountability and stable funding of Oregon’s K-12 public schools.”
Previous to her work on the Chalkboard Project, Kate Dickson has also been in the roles of Oregon Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, principal and teacher in the Salem-Keizer school district.

Reflecting on her education, Dickson noted that, “… my graduate work at Western was high quality and established a strong foundation for valuing intellectual rigor, critical thinking, and problem solving complex public education issues.”

More information about her, and other distinguished alumni can be found at wou.edu/education/alumni.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

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Western gets vocal

By: Blayde Biacan
Staff Writer

Western’s very own a cappella event took place at the Smith Recital Hall on March 9. A cappella is singing without instrumentals. The experience had the performers doing their utmost in their talents, all the while still joking with the audience and themselves on
stage.

Western’s a cappella is separated into two groups. The male group is called 15 Miles West. While the female group is called Suspended. Their interactions on stage and between themselves show how close they are, “We’re like a family” said one performer.

In the event, many well known artists and songs were performed. In order of their performances, the event started with 15 Miles West performing “This is Gospel,” “I Wish,” “Jealous,” “7 Bridges Road,” “I Do” and an Usher medley. It then transitioned to Suspended performing a Chainsmokers medley, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” a Rihanna medley, “Hide and Seek” and a Colors medley. In the end they came together to sing “Never Be Like You.”

The only time that an individual stood out was in a solo, other than that, you could see and hear every performer and their music. Trying to focus in on one specific tune or person is hard. Despite there being no musical instruments besides the performers themselves, it sounds exactly like each song, which is truly what a cappella is.

Contact the author at bbiacan16@wou.edu

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Local musician shakes things up

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Breaking into the music scene can be hard for new artists. With the rise of social media and trends, staying relevant in today’s entertainment industry is a difficult thing to do, but local musician Isaac Turner is combating that.

Turner created a “Song of the Week” series, where over the course of one year, he writes, produces and creates a music video for an original song. Turner just wrapped up working on his week 10 song, “The Road.”

I got a chance to sit down with Turner and learn all about his work and the exciting things he’s been working on.

“Last year in December, I reflected that I’d done nothing the whole year. A whole year has gone by and I haven’t even finished my album, I was still recording it. I played a couple shows and did a few festivals, but that’s nothing. I did nothing to build a fan base” said Turner.

With this, Turner recounted that it was time to make a change.

“I came up with this idea to write, record and produce a song every single week. One, it’s going to force me to buckle down and handle it. It’d force me to stay in the studio writing and producing. The other thing is that you get better every time you do something. Every time I do one of these songs, the songwriting will get a little bit better, the production will get a little bit better, the music videos will get a little bit better. That was the main part of it” Turner added.

Shying away from the old standard of making music and staying relevant in today’s world of social media are both important for Turner and his music.

“How do you stay relevant in today’s crazy social media? If you have an album that’s 12 songs, how do you keep that relevant all year? You can’t. By a new song every single week and the process of the song, I can stay relevant all week long” Turner said.

Turner currently has three albums out. His latest, “Give You Love” released in January with 12 songs.

The biggest inspiration for Turner’s current release system is the band Marion Hill, who released a song online and gained enough popularity that they had a record deal before their first tour. He said Marion Hill, “… and their story is what changed my idea, so they’re a huge inspiration on me, their story more than their music. Sound wise, I’d say Chet Faker. I love his vibe”.

Another inspiration for Turner is the state of Oregon, where he’s spent his whole life.

“The rivers, the woods, nature. I incorporate that into so many of my videos. I think a huge part of my acoustic thing comes from that folky Oregon natural kinda thing” added Turner.

Isaac Turner’s music is available on both iTunes and Spotify, as well as on his youtube channel “isaacturnermusic,” where his weekly music videos can be found.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

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In defense of Lego

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

When I was little, building Lego with my dad was one of my favorite things to do. We’d dump our giant buckets of Lego onto the living room floor and, in my little mind, enter a whole different world of magic and creativity.

As I look back, the beauty of those experiences with my dad wasn’t about how I felt, it’s how I remember the proud look he gave me when I built a building, or the excitement on his face when he showed me something he built.

I grew up building Lego, both alone and with my dad. Unlike some people, I never stopped. My Lego bucket still occasionally gets dumped out on the living room floor and I can’t remember a Christmas where there wasn’t at least one set on my list. Lego may be in the toy aisle, but it’s far from a toy.

First off, Lego promotes creativity in an adult world that looks down upon it. Some people like to write, some like to make music and some like to build. Creating things out of Lego that are incredible is a lot like drawing a really nice picture. It’s therapeutic to be creative, and creativity is what Lego is all about.

Having small models of things you love is another great reason to build Lego. As a “Star Wars” fan, having an X-Wing on my shelf is really cool. Lego partners with lots of movies like “Lord of the Rings,” “Harry Potter” and “The Avengers”. Whether or not you like building them, collecting Lego is almost as exciting.

Whether it’s with kids, siblings or friends, building Lego can also be a social experience. Some of my best memories with family or childhood friends are building Lego together and comparing what we built. Watching my little brother get older and start building his own sets has been an incredible experience as well.

Lego is expensive, but you don’t need a lot of money to get creative. With places like eBay and Craigslist, finding piles of cheap Lego is totally possible. Plus, the new video game “Lego Worlds” just came out. The game lets players build anything they want virtually with endless possibilities.

With sites like Reddit, Lego fans from all over the world can come together and share their creations. Whether an adult, a college student or a kid, Lego is an incredible hobby for anyone who likes to be creative.

Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu

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Campus briefs

By: Paige Scofield

Wednesday, March 15
Squeeze the Stress Away
12-2 p.m.
Werner University Center
Eastern Side

Thursday, March 16
Rogue One! Movie Night
6-9 p.m.
Werner University Center
Willamette Room

Thursday, March 16
Western Oregon Winds
7:30 p.m.
Rice Auditorium
Free with student ID
$5 general admission

Friday, March 17
Trivia Fantastica!
7-8 p.m.
Werner University Center
Willamette Room

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Poetry tells of scars from the past

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On International Women’s Day, the Multicultural Student Union held the event: Women of Culture Celebration Dinner, in the Werner University Center.

The event was to, “… honor and acknowledge the diversity within women in different communities. The purpose of this event is to bring awareness to our campus by providing workshops, keynote speakers and a variety of interactive activities involving different issues and aspects that affect women. This event is inclusive to both men and women in the pursuit of educating our campus on the importance of women’s rights within different traditions,” according to Western’s website.

The event was coordinated by Shelby Brooks and Ivan Acosta, the Co-Secretary and Activities Director, respectively. Shelby Brooks, a sophomore Spanish middle/high education major, was glad that they were able to put on this event because of the help they received from Student Engagement and the University Diversity Committee.

“I think it’s important to raise awareness about minorities and people who have suffered through things that we don’t always recognize,” said Brooks. “It’s important to acknowledge that different people have different backgrounds than you, and try to understand where they come from in order to have a well-rounded life. So everyone can function better together and that people can truly empathize on more than just a surface level.”

The summit was filled with students waiting to eat dinner and listen to the keynote speaker Dominique Christina. Christina is an award-winning poet, author, educator and activist. She holds five national Poetry Slam titles in four years, including the 2012 and 2014 Women of the World Slam Champion and the 2011 National Poetry Slam Champion. She has also published several poetry collections throughout her career.

Christina discussed the life of her aunt who was one of nine students who desegregated a high school in Little Rock, who dealt with endless brutalization. She discussed the horrifying things her mother saw as a 10 year old child, and she discussed her own hardships of having an abusive step father, dealing with her own anger and trying to never feel voiceless or scared again.

She discussed feeling different, because her family never showed anger to how they were being treated.

“I come from people who did not permit themselves the full utility of their bodies and their voices,” Christina said. “They didn’t shake their fists in your face, they shook the cage by being excellent.”

Between the retelling of her past, Christina performed several of her spoken word poems that were about her traumas, her love, the mothers who have lost their sons at the hands of police and her daughter. Each of her raw, artistic performances received a ginormous round of applause by its end.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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March Madness returns

Western’s distinguished women alumni

Western gets vocal

Local musician shakes things up

In defense of Lego

Campus briefs

Poetry tells of scars from the past

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