January 2018 – Page 4 – The Western Howl

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

It was on Jan. 5 through Jan. 7 in Pensacola, Florida, that the Wolves flag football club earned their shot at competing for a national flag football championship.

The result, however, went unfavorably for the team, unable to grab wins in pool play for tournament seeding. They entered play first against Tennessee Tech in a losing effort, 14-19, before their historic season concluded against Central Florida, 12-21.
On the experience of playing at a large platform in Florida, a rarity for Western, junior quarterback Cody Chimienti viewed it as a learning tool, “I didn’t have super-high expectations being that none of us had ever been there before … but now that we’ve had a feel for the sort of competition there, we’re looking forward to returning.”
In the same way that the Wolves competed against bigger schools with a larger crop of athletes in and around the Washington-Pullman area, so was the case in Florida. But if anything, the teams in Florida were larger. Teams like the previous ones, Rutgers University and Loyola-Marymount are all division one schools, and this tournament had more of them.
Getting their first piece of the competition, Western struck with a rainbow pass for the beginning touchdown against Tennessee Tech. After trading scores, and with three minutes left in the second half, Tennessee scored the go-ahead touchdown to seal the game.
Versus Central Florida, Western again jumped out early, scoring a touchdown on the first drive. After scoring again late in the second half on an 80-yard play, they couldn’t adjust to the unique attacking offense of UCF, going down.

“For our first time as a team,” said Chimienti, “for Western, going to Pullman and Florida, I think it was a pretty big accomplishment.”
Speaking on the significance of the season and on the accomplishment, Chimienti spoke optimistically for the future commenting “I think it’s going to open doors for the future and potential athletes to want to come join us.”

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

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What does anxiety look like to you?

Mikaela Wong | Freelancer

I had my first panic attack when I was 8-years-old. I wasn’t able to understand the reality of what it was until I was 19 and started getting them more regularly. The feeling was always familiar: my chest got tight, my throat closed up, my eyes widened and my breathing started getting quicker and shorter. I felt as if I was drowning; I had no control.
To me, anxiety is the constant feeling of being on-edge or fidgety that never goes away, but just varies in levels and extremeness. It can sometimes get the better of me when I’m overwhelmed by responsibilities, if I’m surrounded by too many people and become socially exhausted or sometimes for no apparent reason at all.
In my specific case, my problem is that I have a high-functioning personality, meaning that I am very good at hiding my problems and feelings. Instead, I use it to fuel my motivation to accomplish or achieve things. Not that I believe that accomplishing things is bad, but using it to distract or deviate my mind and others’ from what is bothering me can be. It reached a point where I was achieving so much and had everything that I thought I would need in order to be happy, yet I still asked myself why I felt empty inside.

While there are many ways in which people choose to deal with their mental disorders, I chose to start seeing a therapist when I noticed the behavioral patterns heading in a negative direction.
I was diagnosed with major depression and extreme anxiety. My therapist told me that achievement was a common way of coping with deeper issues, as if my self-worth was dependent on how much I could get done. But that in reality, I just needed to be and exist without needing to prove myself to anyone, including myself.
In order to do that, I had to practice being “mindful”. This meant teaching myself to be in the moment and forcing myself to observe things I directly saw instead of worrying about what it meant, or letting my mind wander into the hypothetical world or over-analyzation it tended to go to whenever my anxiety would rise. “What if I didn’t study enough for that test? What if my friends are just pretending to like me? What if my life doesn’t look like how I want it to in 10 years?”

Instead, when presented with a situation where I felt my anxiety sneaking up on me, I focus on my body and observe which parts of me are feeling tight and rigid. Then as I slowly and consciously relax that muscle, I visualize the stress leaving my body and become more aware of my posture and position. I will take five minutes to ground myself and become aware of my breathing while observing colors, shapes and textures, before continuing to proceed with my day.
Mental disorders and self-care are going to be different and look different to everyone. Asking for help isn’t a weakness and finding out how to take care of yourself isn’t a waste of time. Life is a process for you, not a presentation for others. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. You can visit the Student Health and Counseling Center for a confidential appointment, free to any student registered with six or more credit hours.

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Dining out of town for date-night

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

While Monmouth offers several delicious quick-bites, if you’re looking to go somewhere a little fancier, your options are limited. I knew that I wanted to take my boyfriend out for a slightly more elegant dinner to thank him for helping me move — to be honest it was mostly because I had just purchased a really cute dress and needed an excuse to wear it out — and I found myself looking out of town, but still fairly close by for a nice eatery.

After some research, I decided I would take him to Bentley’s Grill in Salem. The reviews looked promising, the menu had my mouth watering and the prices looked doable for a college student budget, while not being as cheap as some chain restaurants. We set our reservations for 7 p.m. on a Friday, a typically busy day, and they were still able to get us a nice table for exactly when we requested.

Once we arrived, we found the restaurant in an extravagant looking lobby in the Grand Hotel. Immediately, we were greeted and seated by smiling faces who gladly took our drink orders — we had many options as the location also had a full bar — and were given our menus.

I started by ordering their calamari with lemon roasted garlic aioli. My boyfriend isn’t a huge fan of seafood, but we both still very much enjoyed the appetizer which came out to us quickly. The serving size was perfect for a starter and it was fried perfectly.

Not too long after, we were brought our dinners. I ordered their Fulton New York cut steak with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a vegetable side. My boyfriend ordered their special of the day, which was ribs with arugula, rice and a sun-dried tomato salad. My steak was cooked perfectly medium-rare, and his ribs were incredibly tender. Everything was cooked just as we had ordered it.

The waitress was checking up on us frequently, making sure everything was served to our liking. She was always incredibly kind and genuinely seemed as if she wanted to make the best experience for us as possible.

We finished our dinner by somehow making room in our incredibly full stomachs and ordering a crème brûlée dessert. This was probably my favorite part, as this is my absolute favorite sweet. My boyfriend didn’t love it quite as much, but he also had never had crème brûlée before and wasn’t sure what exactly to expect.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire night. The service was top-notch, the food was all cooked to perfection, and the atmosphere and ambiance was both comforting and appealing. I’d definitely go here again if I’m looking for a more elegant dining experience.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

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Meal-prepping made easy

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

A new and increasingly more common trend amongst many, especially those who are health-conscious or ones on a budget, is food prepping. Cooking the meals that you will eat throughout the week and storing them in containers offers a simple way to keep you prepared, and can lead to more discipline in what you choose to eat if you’re focusing on your health.

The problem that many people can run into when eating healthy is that it’s not cheap. Purchasing fresh produce and high-protein meals can tend to get expensive. This is especially true when you purchase more than you can actually use, and it goes bad before you even have the chance to use it. However, with some proper meal planning, this can be easily avoided.

Before shopping, know what you want your meals to be. To do that, try to think of what meals would most closely reflect the diet that you’re trying to consume. Make sure that whatever you choose is of the right amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat and whatever other nutrients you’re trying to reach. Once you map out your meals for the allotted time that you’re prepping for, you can compile a grocery list that you’ll stick to once you head to the store.

While shopping, it’s a good idea to buy things in bulk, as you’ll typically use most of it while prepping everything and it’ll offer you the cheapest option. For example, if you’re planning for chicken breasts to be part of your prep, your best bet would be to purchase a bag of frozen chicken breasts as it costs far less than unfrozen and can go further.

Another thing to think about when shopping is if you’re trying to stick to a budget, are there cheaper things that you can replace items with? Certain meats are equally as high in protein but cost far less; some vegetables last longer and therefore will be cheaper in the long run as you won’t have to throw anything out.

When cooking, cook all of one item at a time. Cook any meats together all at once, all vegetables together and so on. Then, once everything is done, you can separate everything you’ve cooked based on how long you’re prepping for. Be reasonable; only prep for the days where you know you won’t be cooking.

When everything is all prepped and put into containers, you’re ready to go. Just make sure that you don’t prep things too far ahead of time. For instance, cooked chicken only lasts about four days in the fridge. Make sure that what you’re choosing to cook will stay fresh.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.eduIMG_3729

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Small ways to make side cash

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Here’s a fact that many of us know far too well: college is not cheap. For many, the stress of being a full-time student can be far too heavy to even consider finding a side job. And for those who have a job as well as being a student, sometimes you still don’t feel like you have enough money in the bank to live comfortably.

Luckily, being a college student allows for some opportunities to make money that are fairly low commitment. While nothing can come incredibly easy, there are ways that you can still make some cash without the stress of working hours every week. Choosing to take up any of these options allows you to focus on being a student first and lets you leave some of your financial stress behind.

-Be a note-taker in your classes, if applicable. You’ll already be there; doing this forces you to really pay attention to the lectures and jot things down. Not only will you be making money, but you’ll do better in school. You can apply in the Office of Disabilities.

-Sell things online. I’m not saying to sell everything you own, but think about what you have that you never use. Or, you could even buy things second-hand and resell it for profit.

-Tutor. Are you really good at your major? You can make money by helping others reach the skill level you are at. For more information and to apply, contact the Student Success and Advising Office.

-Babysit/petsit. Living in a college town, it can be hard to remember that we do live in a city where many families live. Many parents would love to hire a trustworthy and qualified college student versus an unqualified high school student.

-Freelance writing. Here at the paper, we would love to have talented writers share their voice; for more information feel free to contact me or any staff member.

-Use your talents. Can you knit? Sew? Paint? Are you good at making signs? People will pay for handmade, quality products. Start small by selling to people you know, and eventually you could branch out to different customers.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

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Review: “The Post”

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

Before going to see the film, I had heard relatively nothing about “The Post” or the Pentagon Papers scandal that it follows. Regardless, the film was an engaging and empowering political thriller that boasted impeccable acting.

The film follows the publisher and executive editor of The Washington Post — Katherine Graham, played by Meryl Streep, and Ben Bradlee, played by Tom Hanks — as they try and play catch-up with The New York Times in an effort to expose Vietnam era U.S. war secrets. Before The Washington Post can obtain enough evidence to write their own articles about the secrets, President Nixon tries to shut The New York Times’s articles down.

The release of this film couldn’t have come at a better time; “The Post” felt like an homage to the free press. The movie pits The Washington Post and The New York Times against each other, emphasizing The Washington Post’s involvement and stifling The New York Times’s. Though this made for a more intense and dramatic storyline, it felt unjust. I loved the sense of journalistic fervor presented throughout the storyline.

For the greater part of this film, I was ready for Spielberg to blow it with Graham’s character. True story or not, I almost resigned myself to the fact that Streep’s character would be lessened to the part of frail, flighty woman and that her male counterparts would have to intervene to save the paper. However, instead I witnessed an incredibly moving comeback. Streep could play publishers for the rest of her career and I would be content; her depiction of Graham was incredibly moving.

Hanks was extraordinary in his role as well; his character is driven and unrelenting.

One of my favorite things in “The Post” was the underlying sense of female empowerment. It would’ve been easy to make Graham the only speaking female role. However, the movie is powdered with minor female characters that emphasize Graham as a role model to women.

“The Post” was fantastic. It isn’t the type of movie that will keep you thinking about it for days after you see it. That being said, it’s memorable, it’s engaging and the acting is incredible.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

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Western welcomes Celtic music

Nikita Williams | Freelancer

On Jan. 13, musicians Eric Rigler, Dirk Freymuth and Kira Ott held an exciting and high energy concert as part of Western’s Smith Fine Arts Series.

Rigler and Freymuth had just come back from their 2017 PBS TV special “Celtic Journeys: Songs and Soundtracks,” where they created a musical panorama of the Celtic spirit and energy that revealed parts of the Celtic culture.Together, the three musicians played wonderful music from Ireland and Scotland as well as music from the movies “Braveheart” and “Titanic.”

Rigler is a legendary bagpipes player and has played in movie soundtracks such as “Braveheart,” “Titanic,” “Men in Black 3” and “Cinderella Man.” He has performed on “The Tonight Show” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” as well as other TV shows.

In addition to being a professor at Western, Freymuth is also a gifted player in guitar, lute, baroque mandolin and viola da gamba.

Ott is one of the most in-demand musicians of the Celtic scene in Los Angeles, California. Ott teaches, performs and records traditional Irish fiddle.

During “Celtic Journeys: Songs and Soundtracks,” Rigler played Irish Uilleann pipes, Scottish small pipes and whistles; Freymuth played acoustic guitars; and Ott played the fiddle. During the concert, both Rigler and Freymuth noted how much they enjoyed using a looping pedal both while recording traditional Celtic music and while playing it live. It was amazing to see something so intricate being played on the Rice Auditorium stage.

The concert was high energy, fast-paced and interesting to watch. All three performers had an amazing on-stage connection with each other. Their movements while playing their instruments and their enthusiasm after the show had finished were evidence for how much each performer loved the music they played. It displayed their love of Celtic music and happiness in sharing it with the audience.

Rigler, Freymuth and Ott played with energy and enthusiasm — you could see their passion for this type of music. With a packed show and such wonderful music being played, it was truly a night to remember. The next show in the Smith Fine Arts series show is “Grégoire Maret: The Gospel According to Grégoire Maret,” on Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. in Rice Auditorium.

Contact the author at nwilliams15@wou.edu

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Flag football hits the big stage

What does anxiety look like to you?

Dining out of town for date-night

Meal-prepping made easy

Small ways to make side cash

Review: “The Post”

Western welcomes Celtic music

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