Mount Hood

Review: “Black Panther”

Stephanie Blair | Staff Writer

I am sick and tired of Marvel movies. There are too many, the jokes aren’t that good and the plots are formulaic at best and cliché at worst. I don’t want any more — or so I thought before seeing the masterpiece that is “Black Panther.”

Starring Chadwick Boseman as the title character, “Black Panther” follows the tale of T’Challa, a Wakandan prince and secret superhero, ascending the throne following his father’s death. The Marvel audience was introduced to the Black Panther in “Captain America: Civil War,” where he served as a righteous and forgiving voice of reason among squabbling superpersons.

This film had the potential to show a meaningful story filled with beautiful culture that would empower black children around the world, in much the same way that the recent Wonder Woman film did for little girls. And y’all, they did the dang thing.

The only imperfections were the touches of classic Marvel low comedy, which might have been saved by delivery if the actors didn’t look like they were being forced to drop these scenically-disjointed one-liners.

Which is not to say that there was no place for humor in the film. On the contrary, for example, Boseman and Letitia Wright shared delightful, natural moments of comedy in their portrayal of a sibling relationship that was so true to life the audience in my theater couldn’t help but smile.

The music, including compositions by Ludwig Goransson and original songs by Kendrick Lamar, was incredible. The costumes, influenced by the fashions and traditions of real African tribes, were gorgeous. The cinematography showed everything the audience wanted to see without being gratuitous. The villain was righteous and still flawed. The entire film was vibrant and beautifully complex in a way that sets it apart from the drab, gray and uncompelling cinema that Marvel has been churning out for the last three years or so.

Overall, I can only hope that this film is the last piece of the trifecta of successful black-led movies which will finally get Hollywood to open its eyes. Between “Moonlight,” “Get Out” and, now, “Black Panther” the message is clear from the world: we want racially diverse films to thrive. If you don’t believe that last statement, let me just mention that “Black Panther” now sits in fifth place for the biggest grossing domestic opening weekend of all time.

This movie sparkles start to finish with black magic, and I can only hope there will be more like it in the coming years.

Contact the author at sblair13@wou.edu

Photo by: Movies.disney.com

Watching what you share

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

For many, the usage of social media on a regular basis has become second nature. Whenever we get bored, we pull out our phones and instinctively pull up Instagram or Snapchat to see what people we do and do not know have been up to. For some of these people, their accounts have become similar to a personal diary, where they post anything and everything they can think of.

Social media is an ideal platform for many as a way to express their voice and opinions. While everyone is entitled to free speech and has the right to post whatever they feel is necessary, sometimes people can forget to really think about what they’re posting. What one chooses to share on the internet stays there forever, and may have an impact on their future.

Everything that’s posted is public. Think about it; one might think they’re safe by making their account private, but what happens as soon as one person screenshots something? Maybe you wanted to share something personal on your private Instagram account, then it was saved and spread. If the thought of that isn’t bothersome, then posting those types of things is okay. But recognize that nothing is truly private; a setting won’t stop posts from spreading.

Think about your current or future jobs. Would your employer be okay with what they see on your account? If one uses their platform to criticize a coworker, a customer, or even just to complain about their job, this could make their boss or whoever they work with uncomfortable, and probably very unhappy. A common guideline to follow is to not post anything about your coworkers that you wouldn’t say to their faces. While everyone needs to complain from time to time, choose to do so without involving the internet; just talk it out with someone.

Everyone thinks they’re a comedian on the internet. However,  just one misinterpreted comment can lead to an uproar and many offended people. While a post may seem funny, if the wrong audience reads it, it can get you into trouble. In person, if something like this were to happen, many people would apologize and explain themselves. However, on the internet, it will linger with you forever and could hurt reputations. Before posting a joke or any comment, really give it thought. Use the perspective of multiple people, then decide if it’s really worth posting.

Ultimately, the things we choose to share on the internet are going to follow us forever. It’s very important that everyone shares their voice, and social media makes it easy for everyone to do. Just make sure that what you’re choosing to share is something you’re comfortable with everyone seeing; you never know what the repercussions might be.

Contact the author at chealy16@mail.wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Western earns three titles in championship

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

Western’s track and field teams competed in multiple events in Nampa, Idaho on Feb. 16 and 17. The team raced in the GNAC championships, and totaled scores of 43, good for seventh place for the women’s team, and 91 for the men’s, good for third.
Seniors David Ribich and Kennedy Rufener led the pack in their performances. Ribich ran twice, splitting efforts between the 800-meter and mile run.
For Ribich’s first place finish times of 4:11.08 in the mile, and 1:50.83 for the 800, he got the attention of GNAC coaches, who awarded him the Track Athlete of the Meet honor, and Performance of the Meet for his 800-meter run. “The award from coaches was a surprise to me for I thought other guys on opposing teams had a fair chance at the award” said Ribich.
Also in that men’s mile, three runners — junior Dustin Nading, sophomore Justin Crosswhite and senior Parker Marson, ran to consecutive finishes, following Ribich’s first place finish.

“I was ecstatic about the results this weekend,” said Ribich. “We were in close competition for the overall team title and the focus and commitment to each other was visibly seen. Neal Cranston, just a freshman, made the final and competed like an upperclassman.” Cranston crossed the line in sixth place in the 800 final.
Rufener ran her fastest down the stretch of the 5k, which earned her the conference title and a provisional qualification for the Nationals. “I made sure to stay very comfortable during the race and not to get too excited and with about a mile left to go I made my move” said Rufener.
The women’s team overall nearly doubled their total from the 2017 GNAC championships and moved two positions from where they stood a year ago.
Rufener also spoke of the overall team performance and mentioned that the team wanted to score the most points they could in this last chance attempt to qualify for the Nationals. “Finishing two spots up from last year is an improvement and something to be happy about and I wish I had another indoor season to experience it again … Suzie (Van De Grift) ran great in the mile with a 2nd place finish and Olivia (Woods) and Megan (Rose) had great races in the 800 finishing 5 and 6.” Woods is a junior while Rose and Van De Grift are seniors.
Both men’s and women’s medley relay team’s finished second with times of 11:48.58 and 10:13.68, respectively.
The field roster helped rack up more points as well, as sophomore Alani Troutman completed his long jump in fourth with a measurement of 22-7 3/4 (6.90m) and added five more points to the men’s team’s total.
Sophomore Mariah Gronbach added three points to the women’s team’s total from her sixth place weight throw finish that measured 52-4 1/2 (15.96m).

Western will travel back up to the Dempsey field in Seattle, Washington, on Feb. 24, where they’ll visit the Seattle Pacific Falcons in a final qualifier meet.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: wouwolves.com

Baseball can’t avoid three-game sweep

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

From Feb. 16-17, Western baseball traveled to California State University-Monterey Bay to compete over three games against the 6-0 Otters. In game one, the Wolves went down 3-13, and in games two and three, while close, also resulted in losses, 14-13 and 4-3 respectively.
From the get-go of the first inning in game one, the Otters activated their offense. The Otters managed to get the bases loaded a few times on the game. The first happened before senior catcher Hayden Duer, who leads the CSUMB squad with 12 runs batted in on the season, doubled to center field to run three of his teammates in.
A CSUMB home run in the next at-bat scored two that made it 5-0.
The only three Wolf scores of the game came in the second. The first score came from a double to right center, scoring one. But junior infielder Drey McInnis delivered the Wolves’s highlight home run, to score two more.
At 7-3 in the fourth, CSUMB loaded up the bases again to make it 10-3. Runners on base was a circumstance that the Wolves couldn’t evade as 11 Otter players were walked on the day.
Duer hit for seven RBI’s in four at-bats in the game, and included the last RBI to put finishing touches to a 13-3 win.
The next two games were much closer, and the second game included heavy action.
The first score was from a single up the middle by Western senior infielder Nyles Nygaard. But runners on bases continued to be a theme of the series, as CSUMB scored two off of consecutive walks to gain advantage, 2-1, to end the first inning.
In the fifth, Western got further behind, 5-1, and even further in the sixth, 8-2, the latter of which came off a Duer homer.
The lead plummeted to 13-5 before a miraculous come back from the Wolves ensued in the final inning. With one out away, the Wolves had runners on bases and in a sacrificial play, Nygaard flied out to centerfield to score one. Western followed again with more runners on bases and ran in eight of them to tie it up. The game tying and saving run came off a homer from senior infielder Justin Spinner, although senior Wolves’s pitcher Jay Leverett got caught stealing to end the inning. The Wolves had to prevent Monterey Bay from scoring to proceed to extras, but the Otters got one off a single after the bases loaded to end the game.
Both teams only scored in the third inning of the final game. Nygaard homered two that made it 3-0. But the Otters filled the bases again after which they tripled in their half of the inning to score it 4-3. Kept at bay for the rest of the game, Western only managed to get one hit and never got a chance to tie or grab the lead. Now at 0-7, Western looks to produce numbers in the win column where they’ll travel to Lewis & Clark college in Lewiston, Idaho, where they’ll play a three-game series from Feb 23-25. The Wolves will first hit the mound at 3 p.m.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: wouwolves.com

University Lobby Day sees significant student turnout

Byron Kimball | Freelancer

A large student turnout and multiple meetings with state legislators were just a few defining factors of this year’s University Lobby Day on Feb. 15.

Advocates from seven Oregon universities and colleges, including Western, Portland State, Oregon State, University of Oregon, Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon and Oregon Tech joined forces to advocate for increased state funding for higher education at the state capitol.

“Ensuring that we have an accessible, affordable education is something we can agree on. It’s why we’re all here today,” explained Ryan Hagemann, Vice President and General Counsel at Western.

The early hours of the event on the capitol steps featured performances from university pep bands and cameos from each university’s mascot.

Students later filed into the capitol building’s Senate hearing room for briefings on the day’s proceedings, which included afternoon meetings with senators and representatives, panels by faculty members from each university, music performances by university choirs and a group photo.

A first for this year, students were paired into small groups based not on university, but on their legislative district and who their state representative is. According to Hagemann, this change was designed to help students understand the value of engaging with one another as constituents. And, as the intermingling of students and faculty from across the state soon demonstrated, build community between all seven universities.

The buzz of student and faculty voices was hard to miss when trawling through the capitol halls and chamber rooms. For Hagemann, who has been involved with University Lobby Day since 2013, the turnout was bigger than he remembered from years past.

It was clear that students involved were passionate about the endeavor. ASWOU, who helped organize the event, worked to ensure what Hagemann described as “excellent engagement.”

ASWOU President Jessica Freeman was quick to express the importance of lobbying to have student voices heard. “The legislators care about student experiences, and they want to hear student voices,” Freeman explained. “I would highly recommend any and every student attend at least one University Lobby Day in their college career.”

Contact the author at bkimball16@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Empowered and educated through ALICE

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Safety is a number one priority in most public institutions and unfortunately, active shooters are a reality in United States schools. The lockdown response to turn off lights, cover and hide is what many students grow up learning. But this passive response to an active shooter is only one way to respond to the situation. ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) is a program that provides individuals with the tools they need to respond to an active shooter.

Campus Public Safety provides free ALICE training to students and community members at least twice a year. If students are unable to take part in this training program, read on for more information about taking action in a critical situation.

 

Alert

This is the way that the individual learns about the incident. “Alert” can refer to hearing yelling or gunshots, getting a text from a friend or a WOUAlert warning. Additionally, “Alert” refers to how individuals alert others, either by dialing 911, posting on social media or running and yelling. Clear communication is essential when alerting others about an incident and can lead to fast and effective law enforcement response.

 

Lockdown

One option to respond to an alert is to lock down and secure in place. This includes locking the doors, turning off the lights and barricading the doors. These small barriers increase the time it takes for a dangerous person to enter the room and allows time for law enforcement to enter the building. This is also a time to make a plan of action with others, whether that be to plan a counter attack, evacuate out of the window or find a place to hide. Simply closing the door and locking it can greatly increase an individual’s possibility of survival.

 

Inform

It is important to communicate the situation to as many people as possible. “Inform” is an extension of “Alert”, but it is ongoing throughout the incident. Examples of this include notifying friends to stay out of the area, calling Campus Public Safety and describing the intruder’s location and direction and posting on social media. Be clear, direct and give as much information as possible.

 

Counter

Choosing to counter should be a last resort. Countering involves making noises, movements, distractions or making physical contact with the active shooter. Groups can use this tactic to increase its effectiveness. In many cases, the active shooter is expecting individuals in the building to lock down and cover, not fight back. If a person or a group is in a position of power where they can counter, it should remain a viable option.

 

Evacuate

If evacuation is an option, leave the dangerous area as quickly as possible. Through lockdown training, many students are taught to hide and wait in the event of an intruder. But this option may only increase the likelihood of encountering the intruder. If an evacuation route is possible, use it.

Contact Campus Public Safety at (503) 838-8481 for more information on ALICE Training.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Where to study at Western

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

It’s no secret that within the boundaries of Western’s campus lies several spots that would make the ideal study area. No matter your preference when it comes time to hit the books, the campus has a spot that will work well for you.

One of the most obvious spots that some students have yet to utilize is Hamersly Library. This location is ideal for multiple study types. If you like complete peace and quiet, the third floor will offer you not only entire silence, but bright lighting and windows to sit near and get work done. “I like the library,” commented sophomore ASL/English interpreting major Lexi Osborn, “It’s quiet and it’s really easy to get stuff done there.”

However, there are also perks to studying on the first floor of the library. “I like studying there at the dry erase tables,” noted junior business major Riley Hawken. “It’s a social hangout at times because you get to see people you know walking in and out of the library.”

The dry erase tables are also located right next to The Press, so you can grab your caffeine fix to keep you going and it won’t sacrifice much of your time.

Finally, the library offers the 24-hour room, which means that if you need a place to study, at any point in the day or night, you can find yourself in there.

If you wanted to work in the library, but find that it’s crowded, you can actually reserve spots to study in the Werner University Center. Or, if you walk to the far end of the second floor of the WUC, there are multiple couches and tables to study at, located right next to the Willamette Room.

If you like to study with music to keep you energized, a good place to go would be the Health and Wellness Center. With multiple couches on the first floor to keep you comfortable and bright lighting to keep you awake, this would be the ideal spot for someone who doesn’t mind a little bit of noise to keep you attentive and focused on your studying.

Another notable indoor place to include is DeVolder. It has huge dry erase boards for people to write on while studying, and many of the chairs include a desk attachment. Located right next to the Health and Wellness Center, it’s an easy location that doesn’t get too busy.

Ackerman offers study rooms to students, as well. They are first come first serve, but it’s worth checking out. Note that the doors do lock after 10 p.m. on weekdays, and it’s closed all weekend, so you’ll want to go before then.

If you’re someone who enjoys studying outside when it begins getting a little warmer, there are outdoor options as well. Studying in front of the WUC offers you several benches, tables and chairs. If you want to go somewhere a little more secluded, there are several tables located on the side of the Richard Woodcock Education Center that are rarely used. If you’re just trying to find a nice bench to sit on and read, the best option would be the ones located between the ITC and APSC building. With pretty views and hidden away from everyone, they will keep you focused and peaceful while you’re studying.

Contact the author at chealy16@mail.wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

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