Web Designer, Author at The Western Howl

By: Jamal Smith
Sports Editor

Western’s softball team found their groove at the right time, finishing out the season with a string of victories that propelled them into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships as the No. 2 seed. For the Wolves, every facet of the game seemed to be clicking: their pitching, offense, and defense.

So going into their opening game of the post-season in Lacey, Wash., on April 28, the Wolves had the momentum and the confidence that is needed for a team to win the championship. The Wolves’ first opponent in the opening round was Concordia University, a team Western beat three out of four times at the end of the regular season.

The same success Western found in the regular season against the Cavaliers continued into the postseason, as the Wolves came away with a 3-1 victory.

Junior infielder Kelsie Gardner had two hits and one RBI in three at-bats. Gardner, who is ranked third in the GNAC in batting percentage with a season average of .430, has been one of the Wolves most dangerous offensive weapons all year long.

In the fourth inning, junior catcher Mercedes Green belted her sixth home run of the season to put the Wolves up 2-0. Then later in the inning, Gardner connected for an infield single which stretched the Wolves’ advantage to 3-0.

Western’s starting pitcher, senior Alyson Boytz, had one of her best performances of the season, only allowing the Cavaliers’ offense four hits all game long. Boytz pitched from start to finish, and got herself out a bases loaded situation in the fifth inning on her way to the 3-1 victory.

Then on April 29, the Wolves blanked Saint Martin’s University (SMU) 4-0 in the second round of the playoffs and advanced to the Championship game.
In the second inning, junior infielder Ashlee Lynch crushed a two-out solo home run over the left field wall for her ninth home run of the season. Not to be outdone, in the fifth inning, junior infielder Destiny Kuehl connected on a fastball that went out of the park for her 13th home run of the season which gave the Wolves the 4-0 advantage over SMU.

Boytz followed up her incredible performance just the day before with an even more impressive outing. Boytz again went the distance and only allowed two hits in her shutout.

After the two decisive victories, Western advanced to the finals for a doubleheader against Central Washington University on April 30.

Central Washington clinched the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a conference record of 18-10. In the regular season, the Wolves played the Wildcats four times and only came away with one victory. The Championship double header played out similar to the meetings between the two teams in the regular season, as the Wildcats stunned the Wolves 11-2 in their first matchup and then 9-3 in their second.

The Wolves finished the season with a record of 31-24 and 16-11 in conference play. Although the Wolves fell short on winning the GNAC Championship, the team gave it their all and proved that looking forward to next season, they are indeed a dangerous team.

Contact the author at jsmith15@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalsportWOU

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Obama surprises students

By: Jenna Beresheim
News Editor

On April 28, Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary was busy speaking to a crowd of college journalists gathered in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room when the President of the United States showed up for a surprise visit.
“I hear there’s some hotshot journalists in here,” said President Barack Obama as he approached the podium where Earnest stood. “I heard you guys were around today, so I wanted to stop by and say hello.”
The event, which hosted college journalists from across 28 states, was held in Washington D.C. within the White House itself. Issues relevant to college in the United States, such as Title IX initiatives and student loan debt, were covered as part of the process.
Going with the theme, Obama stated that he had some breaking news for the new generation of reporters.
The President stated that he intends to enroll 2 million more individuals into the Pay As You Earn program. This program caps the amount of student debt loans that a borrower has to repay to 10 percent of their monthly income. This plan would hopefully take place by April 2017.
Community colleges were not forgotten either, being approached as an item that may become free in the future with federal support.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve done in education to make sure that millions of kids who previously couldn’t afford to go to college can,” the President said.
To see the official White House recording of the event, visit http://1.usa.gov/1TuZZN7
Contact the author at Jberesheim11@wou.edu or on Twitter @WOUjournalnews

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You should be watching for “”Overwatch””

By: Ashton Newton
Staff Writer

In the modern world of video games, the studio Blizzard stands out for some of the most memorable games around. Games like “World of Warcraft” and “Diablo” are some of the most popular in recent years, so when Blizzard comes out with something new, it’s going to be big.

“Overwatch” is just that. Announced at BlizzCon 2014, “Overwatch” excited first person shooters and Blizzard fans alike with a stunning cinematic trailer.

“Overwatch” is a team-based competitive first person shooter. The game features 21 playable heroes with all different abilities and play styles. Characters break down into four broad categories: offense, defense, support, and tank.

Cooperation is highly encouraged. Players can switch heroes during the game, so it’s advised to switch things up often and find a perfect balance of offense, defense, and support to have an advantage over the opposing team.

Each character can be individually customized with voices, emotes, and skins, unlocked with level ups and coins won in game. This gives players a chance to express themselves in game and look way cooler than everyone else. Luckily, all customizations are purely cosmetic, so no player has an unbalanced advantage.

“Overwatch” has three objective based game modes, instead of the standard “team deathmatch” style modes. This forces players to work together in order to complete objectives like capturing control points and escorting vehicles across the map.

Game developer Chris Metzan said that “Overwatch” “promotes teamwork and relationship and having fun with your friends.”

Last week, “Overwatch” had an open beta test for players to jump in and get a feel for the game before its May 24 release.

I got a chance to play the beta for a few hours and I found it to be an outrageously fun experience. The game played smooth and people were cooperative and sincere.

Blizzard has also been releasing mini comics and animated shorts to immerse players into the world of “Overwatch” before release. These can be found on the “Overwatch” website, as well as YouTube.

The general plot of “Overwatch” is that an “Omnic” artificial intelligence crisis led to an uprising of robots around the globe in a near future Earth. Because of this, the UN creates a task force to protect Earth called “Overwatch.”

“Overwatch” also has its own Reddit community where players can share tips, strategies, and original artwork, all while sharing the excitement of the game.

“Overwatch” releases May 24 for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC. No Mac release is planned. Blizzard has talked about adding cross play between platforms, so all players could play together, much like the game “Rocket League.”

Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu

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Horoscopes

Aries 3/21-4/19
I’ve got a special treat for you this week, Aries. Orange mocha frappuccinos!

Taurus 4/20-5/20
There is a very adorable caterpillar in your pocket.

Gemini 5/21-6/20
The moons be dancin’ and singin’ in your favor, Gemini. You will not be hungover on May 14.

Cancer 6/21-7/22
My recommendation for you, Cancer, is to only buy Vlasic brand pickles from here on out.

Leo 7/23-8/22
Piff the magic dragon.

Virgo 8/23-9/22
You think you’re an Evian, Virgo, but you’re really more like a Dasani or an off-brand generic bottle of water.

Libra 9/23-10/22
Libra, the moon told me she burned her toast this morning and the char looked just like your face.

Scorpio 10/23-11/21
You will be attacked by a garbage squirrel in front of the WUC. Totally unavoidable.

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21
This content is currently unavailable in your country.

Capricorn 12/22-1/19
A falcon will fly into your window at 5 p.m. this Sunday. Her name is Emma and she will be glorious.

Aquarius 1/20-2/18
All Aquarians remind me of my uncle Rodger. Cool guy.

Pisces 2/19-3/20
It was Vanessa Hudgens. She did it.

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The price of pink

By: Stephanie Blair
Copy Editor

Every time I walk down the toiletries aisle of a store I am bombarded with products that proclaim “FOR MEN” or “Women’s ______.” It took me longer than I care to admit to realize that one costs more than the other.

So, I went searching for prices to demonstrate this inequality. What I found wasn’t super surprising to me: women’s products cost more. Often a non-gendered product was the cheapest, though some would argue that some scents are inherently male or female.

Basically, if y’all don’t want to smell like a particular gender, decide first if it’s worth the extra money. This is college: we’re all poor and no one cares if you smell like “cocoa butter kisses” or “thunderstrike flashfire.”

Products:

Winco generic brand, Laxatives. (Everyone poops, get over it.) I checked, there’s no difference in ingredients!
Non-gendered: $1.94 for 25 (7.8 cents per pill)
Women’s: $3.60 for 30 (12.0 cents per pill)

Speed Stick, Deodorant.
Men’s/default gender: $1.98 ($0.66 per ounce)
“Lady Speed Stick:” $2.15 ($0.91 per ounce)

Bic Pens (on Amazon), blue ink, retractable ballpoint
Ungendered: $7.67 for 12
“BIC for her:” $7.49 for 2

Gilette, Shaving cream.
Standard/Ungendered: $2.69
“Venus”/Women’s: $3.24

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What fourth estate?

By: Alvin Wilson
Staff Writer

Thanks largely to the actions of politicians, press freedom is an issue that countries around the world currently face.

In countries such as China and North Korea, both at the bottom of the Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), practicing journalism means repeating what the government wants the press to say.

The WPFI ranks countries based on how free their press is, taking into account anything from journalist killings and kidnappings to laws that prohibit criticizing the government.

America is regarded as a free nation—one in which journalists are treated well and allowed to practice their profession freely. This has been historically true and, to an extent, it still is. But since 2010, the U.S. has dropped from number 20 on the WPFI to number 41. That puts us just behind South Africa and just ahead of Botswana.

Press restrictions are real in America, and they creep up nearly undetected. The way journalists are treated by their country’s politicians can shed light on their country’s press freedoms.

For example, in American political campaigns it is normal for journalists to be confined to a “press corner,” where they are secluded from the candidate and the audience. It’s also not unheard of for journalists covering protests, such as the ones in Ferguson, to be arrested.

Our most renowned politicians, by being complacent with these practices, are facilitating the creation of more press restrictions.

Hillary Clinton received backlash early in her campaign when she roped off reporters during an Independence Day parade. She came under fire again last month when CBS reporter Stan Bush claimed she was using a white noise machine to prevent reporters from hearing her from outside a fundraising event.

Donald Trump has been especially insulting to the press. Here’s a list of some news outlets he has attacked and what he said about them, according to the New York Times:

The Associated Press: “… reporting is terrible and highly inaccurate.” “… always looking for a hit to bring them back to relevancy—ain’t working.” “… has one of the worst reporters in the business.”
Politico: “… considered by many in the world of politics to be the dumbest and most slanted of the political sites.” “… if they were legit, they would be doing far better.”

Univision: “… too much debt and not enough viewers.” “… controlled by the Mexican government?”

You get the point.

When politicians marginalize, demonize, and try to delegitimize journalists who are just doing their jobs, it makes it easier for them to justify restricting press freedoms. When politicians invent new ways to hide things from the press, they’re opening the door for others to do the same.

With political leaders such as ours, where will America’s press freedom rank eight years from now?

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Bringing culture to the arts

By: Rachael Jackson
Campus Life Editor

Among friends, peers, and colleagues, four visiting scholars from China took the Smith Hall stage to showcase their talents. The scholars were a handsome group: two sopranos, Xin Zhang and Xue Chen, Tian Cao on trumpet, and Wei Jiang on the piano.

The four hail from the Guangxi Arts Institute in the city of Nanning. They are on campus as part of the Visiting Scholar and Faculty Program, and are here for tutelage and for the experience of a different culture.

Isabel Martinez, senior early childhood education major, made it out so she could support the parents of her students. It was surprising to see how skilled the performers were.

“I think they did really great. It is interesting to see them every day and then on stage. I had never thought they would be that talented. I mean, I knew they would be, but just … not like that,” Martinez said.

Liz Halligan, along with her husband, have been offering a place at their dinner table for visiting scholars every Friday night as part of the outreach program International Students Inc.

“The students that come, they are either in business or accounting or computers … to have this many artistic performers is exciting,” Halligan said.

It is new for most people of the western world to see anyone other than white opera performers.

“It was really great to see the different cultures come out. It isn’t something you see a lot of. I was impressed by the piano player,” said Shelby Morgan, employee of The Research Institute.

Though many songs were operetic, that is not all the singers performed. Zhang sang “Rejoice” by George Handel and a Chinese folk song titled “A Glass of Beautiful Wine,” while Chen gave a lively performance of “Glitter and Be Gay” from “Candide”.

The night was carefree and fun as the four played for a room of friends, but it was also inspiring to see what the international students are bringing to the university. It is a reminder to take part and see what students are doing around campus.

“I think the school is really taking good care of their international students. They are interested in them, and care about them, and support them. But international students always want to make more friends, they want Americans to reach out to them. They can get lonely,” Halligan said.

Contact the author at rjackson13@wou.edu

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Wolves postseason run ends at GNAC Championships

Obama surprises students

You should be watching for “”Overwatch””

Horoscopes

The price of pink

What fourth estate?

Bringing culture to the arts

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