Mount Hood

Editor’s Picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Post-rock is a subgenre of rock characterized by it experimentation with standard rock instruments. Post-rock songs are often long and usually instrumental. I’ve found that listening to post-rock is incredible for almost any occasion. For studying or sleeping, it’s relaxing and peaceful. Some of the most notable post-rock artists are Explosions in the Sky, God is an Astronaut, This Will Destroy You and Mogwai. Many post-rock artists also score films. Whether it’s studying, driving, sleeping or hanging out with friends, post-rock is always a great genre to listen to.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” released in December. I enjoyed the movie a lot. The film itself has some negatives, especially in the first hour but, overall, “Rogue One” proves to be a worthy addition to the franchise. The third act of the film is one of the most tense and action packed in all of “Star Wars.” “Rogue One” has characters from both the original trilogy and the prequels and serves as an good precursor to “A New Hope.” While nowhere near perfect, “Rogue One” is a must see for anyone remotely interested in “Star Wars.”

Contact the author at anewton15@mail.wou.edu

The Legacies: 2016

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

As we have entered into 2017, we can easily think about all that happened in the past year. It may have felt like a rollercoaster with the numerous ups and downs that occurred during 2016. It is essential to remember what that took place over the last year but it is also important to pay tribute and remember all those we lost throughout 2016.david-bowie-colorusatoday-com

David Bowie passed away at age 69. He was a musician who won two Grammys and influenced five generations. In 1996 Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Alan Rickman was 69-years-old when he passed away. He was a well-known actor and director. Most notably, he is remembered for playing Severus Snape in the “Harry Potter” movie series and Hans Gruber in “Die Hard.”

George Kennedy passed away at age 91. He was an actor who starred in over 200 movies and shows. Kennedy received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in “Cold Hand Luke,” playing Dragline.

Nancy Reagan had a long life of 94 years. She was an actress and the First Lady of the United States to the 40th President, Ronald Reagan. The major cause she supported as First Lady was the “Just Say No” campaign about drug awareness.

Doris Roberts passed away at age 90. She is best remembered as Marie Barone on the television show “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Roberts was also an author and philanthropist; she supported groups like the United Activists for Animal Rights.

The artist known as Prince passed away at 57-years-old. He was a very well-known musician known for his elaborate stage presence and wide variety of music style. These genres include R&B, funk and rock, among others. He was ranked 27 on “Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists.”

Gene Wilder lived until age 83. Along with being an actor, he was an author, screenwriter, and film director. He played parts in such movies as “Blazing Saddles,” “Young Frankenstein” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

Alan Thicke passed away at 69-years-old. He was an actor, game show host, talk show host and songwriter. Thicke is most known for his role as Jason Seaver on the television show “Growing Pains.” He was inducted into the Canada Walk of Fame in 2013.

George Michael passed away at the age of 53. He was a singer and songwriter in the band Wham! Two well-known singles from “Wham!” were “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Last Christmas.” Michael was an activist for LGBT rights and for HIV/AIDS charities.

Carrie Fisher passed away at the age of 60. She was an actor and author. She portrayed Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” film series. She also play major parts in other films such as “The Blues Brothers” and “When Harry Met Sally.”carrie-and-debbie-colorlatimes-com

Debbie Reynolds passed away the day after her daughter, Carrie Fisher, at age 84. She was many things, most notably an actress and singer. She starred as Kathy Selden in “Singin’ in the Rain,” and Aggie Cromwell in the “Halloweentown” movie series.

The world lost many talented and influential people throughout 2016. These were only a handful of those who passed away. Each not only impacted the world in their own way, but they touched individual lives in ways we will never be able to fathom. May they never be forgotten and always rest in peace.

Contact the author at ajames16@mail.wou.edu

Review: “A Monster Calls”

By: Kevan Maloney
Freelancer

“A Monster Calls” is a fantastic story that hooks you in from the first few minutes. It is a movie adaptation of the novel by Patrick Ness and directed by J.A. Bayona. This movie sports a great cast, featuring Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver and Liam Neeson.

The acting was almost perfect. Other than a few superfluous details that stuck to me, the acting was incredible. The cast brought everything together so well that, for most of the movie, I forgot I was watching a movie. I felt as though I was apart of the life of the protagonist, Conor, who was played by Lewis McDougall.

Something that caught me off guard was the theme of the film. I came in expecting a children’s movie, but got a story with heavy themes: bullying, depression and grief, to name a few. I can say without a doubt that this is a more mature movie and should be treated as such.

One of the best parts of the movie was the monster. The monster is a giant, living yew tree voiced by Liam Neeson, giving the effect of a wise old man while keeping the scary factor of a monster. The CGI look of the monster also looked amazing. It made sense that a tree monster would have his joints very clearly groan at even the slightest of movements. The monster is probably my favorite character in the movie because his actions felt important and helped to drive the plot along.

However, despite all the film’s great qualities, it does lack rewatch value. I didn’t get the desire to watch it a second or third time.

I think “A Monster Calls” is a great film. From the acting of the main casting, including Liam Neeson’s voice acting, to the hard hitting and very relevant themes of the movie, “A Monster Calls” provides an entertaining and compelling experience from start to finish. Overall, this movie is great but it is very dark and sad.

8.0/10
+ Fantastic Acting
+ Amazing Story
+ Great adult themes
– No Re-watchability

Contact the author at kmaloney15@wou.edu

Modern Holiday Songs

“Christmas Lights” by Coldplay will always be my favorite Christmas song. It isn’t cheerful, but it gives a feeling of hope that is unmatched in any Christmas song. “Christmas Lights” acknowledges that things aren’t always perfect and cheery in the holiday season, but there’s always hope.
-Ashton Newton

“The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)” sung by Nat King Cole has alwayscoldplay-christmas-colorcoldplay-com been the quintessential holiday song for me. A tradition my mom and I have is that when we decorate our Christmas tree with ornaments and lights, we play Nat King Cole’s holiday album on the radio. Obviously, it’s a song that some people may consider to be overdone due to how many different artists have covered it, but the mellow tone and instrumental background of this particular version has always had a huge impact for me. Whenever I hear it, I always think of being at home with my mom in our living room and how happy that makes me.
-Elissa Sorenson

“Peppermint Winter” by Owl City isn’t a classic, by any means. However, it captures the childhood sweetness of the Christmas season while the melody leaves me slightly melancholy. Without a hint of romance, “Peppermint Winter” captures the levity and beauty of a white Christmas.
-Stephanie Blair

As a person with very little interest in stale Christmas classics, I was ecstatic when I heard that John Roderick (of The Long Winters fame) and Jonathan Coulton (of Jonathan Coulton fame) were collaborating on an album of original Christmas songs (and one Hanukkah song.)
One Christmas at a Time (2012) is a wonderfully original ten-track album for the holiday season. The songs inside are just as funny and as they are touching, and sometimes downright strange If you’re looking for a refreshing take on the season I cannot recommend these 9 Christmas songs (and one Hanukkah song) enough.
– Darien Campo

I’m a sucker for holiday music, so it’s difficult for me to just pick one song as my favorite. I enjoy most. But this year, I’ve been listening to Frank Sinatra’s, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” a lot. His voice is soft, but filled with longing and tenderness. His low, quiet extended notes to the final letter of the words,“dreams,” and, “gleams,” keeps you yearning for something you can’t quite put your finger on. Although this song can seem melancholy, it accurately performs the feeling of longing during the holidays.
-Paige Scofield

Review: “Moana”

By: Matthew Oldfield 
Freelancer

Disney might have entered another new age with its move from 2D into 3D animation. Like the ocean princess movie “The Little Mermaid” kicking off the titular Disney Renaissance, it’s next big steps come from its 3D art department separate from Pixar.

Nothing shows Disney’s biggest leap than with its new movie “Moana” about an Oceanian/Polynesian young girl who is “chosen” by the ocean to save hear island from a terrible curse cause by the demi-god and co-star Maui.moana-poster-colormovies-disney-com

A lot of what Disney got right with the story is help from Oceanic/Polynesian people who helped develop the core of the story along with some of the music, with additional help from Hamilton’s own Lin-Manuel Miranda. The rooted lore of the culture helps submerse the audience in the story and characters, making them relatable and likeable.

On the story outside the lore, the character focus of Moana and Maui made helped show off the more friendship bond of love and not needing a romantic sub-plot. I’m glad the two main characters didn’t end up together. This shows that Disney is starting to slowly go away from their usual formula and try and do something new. Even if “Frozen” might have been the first to do so, they did it in a way that still had a romantic sub-plot still in there that could lead to a potential sequel.

With “Moana” the story feels complete and fine just the way it is without the romantics and staying with its core. What Disney missed however was in some of its pacing seemed too fast at times that didn’t fully disrupt the flow of the movie but left an odd feeling while still watching as well as a few low brow humors that was a bit off putting as well.

Overall the movie was a joy to see and a breath of fresh air. I’ll give “Moana” an 8/10 for its use of lore, musical score, and re-inventiveness on the story. This is a fresh breath of air that is something the traditional Disney film genre needs and will help push it forward to a new age.

Editor’s Picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation:

I recently bought “Stardew Valley” for PC and it quickly took over my life. The game is a farming simulator with pixel graphics and a calming soundtrack. Players take up a character who has inherited their grandfather’s farm. Players can farm crops, fish, expand their farm, raise animals and more. “Stardew Valley” is an extremely relaxing game to play, the perfect way to wind down after classes.

Editor’s Disparagement:

“The Walking Dead” has run its course. Currently on its seventh season with ratings dropping every episode, “The Walking Dead” just feels like it’s more of the same this season. The iconic characters are going through the same arcs and the show is having trouble with over-the-top action because they’ve already done it all. “The Walking Dead” doesn’t have many other places it can go, unless something big changes with the show’s core dynamic.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Review: “Star Wars: Catalyst”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“Star Wars: Catalyst” is a prequel novel to the upcoming spin off movie “Rogue One”. The novel centers around Galen Erso, who is father to “Rogue One” protagonist Jyn Erso, and Orson Krennic, the film’s antagonist. The novel is written by James Luceno, who also wrote “Tarkin” and “Darth Plagueis”. Luceno is known for bringing readers into the heads of “Star Wars” villains, and “Catalyst” is no different.

star-wars-catalyst-colorrandomhousebooks-comThe novel is not the most accessible for the average reader. The appeal of the book is that it’s a “Rogue One” prequel and “Star Wars” fans will find the locations and familiar characters fun to read about. However, the characters would just seem random without prior knowledge of the film.

At its core, “Catalyst” is a detailed history of how the Death Star came to be. The iconic space station’s history is muddled with confusing mentions in both “Episode II” and “Episode III”. The novel puts all of that confusion to rest: “Catalyst” is the origin story of the Death Star.

“Catalyst” is an interesting book that is weighed down heavily by its lack of direction. Characters float from situation to situation without really any strong reasoning behind it.

The “Star Wars” timeline can be confusing at times. Jumping between forms of government three times: The Republic, The Empire and, most recently, The New Republic/First Order. “Catalyst” deals with the Republic and Empire eras, but without prior knowledge of the political systems, the shift would seem weird.

The book shines in the character relationships. Erso and Krennic’s rich history is intriguing. The best part of “Catalyst” is getting immersed in the struggles that the characters face. They have all have relatable struggles and flaws.

“Catalyst” is not the best “Star Wars” novel that has come out, but it is not the worst either. The interesting history of the Death Star and the rich characters are brought down by the book’s lack of a strong overarching plot. The book is perfect for diehard Star Wars fans looking for something to keep them busy until “Rogue One” releases on Dec. 16.

Please contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

7/10
+ Death Star History
+ Interesting characters
– Thin overarching plot

American Music Awards 2016

By: Blayde Biacan
Staff Writer

This has been a truly crazy year. An event that signifies the coming of the end, as well as a new year, is the 44th annual American Music Awards, which will take place on Nov. 20 in the Microsoft Theater.

The American Music Awards will also premiere live on ABC’s “Good Morning America”, which will be hosted by Gigi Hadid and Jay Pharoah. There are many well-known names included in the nominees for the many different music categories.

Drake currently leads with 13 nominations, the most in the event’s history. Previously, Michael Jackson’s 11 nominations held the top spot from the 1981 American Music Awards.

Drake’s album, “Views”, has kept the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart, and one of the songs, “One Dance” was given the title of Billboard’s “Song of the Summer 2016”. Following him is Rihanna with 7 nominations, and Adele and Justin Bieber who hold 5 nominations each.

This year, the American Music Awards is adding in new categories such as, Tour of the Year and Video of the Year, as well as adding in a favorite song category for the different genres of music.

The nominees for favorite album and favorite song in each genre aren’t the same, so don’t fret too much if we hear too much of the same names.

An anticipated category is the Artist of the Year, which features the nominees such as Adele, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Drake, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Twenty-One Pilots, Carrie Underwood, and The Weeknd.

These are some highlights of the American Music Awards, however there is more information on the American Music Awards website itself with more information. If not you can always surprise yourself when it’s showtime on ABC.

Contact the author bbiacan16@wou.edu

Review: “Two Vines”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Empire of the Sun is known for their upbeat electronic music and their quirky style. Members Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore wear elaborate costumes and are often accompanied by dancers. The spectacle and music are entirely original.empire-colorempireofthesun-com

Their latest album, “Two Vines”, doesn’t try to reinvent Empire of the Sun’s sound; instead, it expands their library and only adds to the sounds of their past albums. Their originality is expanded, rather than changed.

The highlight of the new album is the song “Friends”. One of the most upbeat songs that Empire of the Sun has ever produced, “Friends” blends slow poetic verses with an extremely upbeat chorus that sounds like electronic dance music. This song is made to be played loud.

“High and Low” is another fantastic fast-paced song. “High and Low” is currently the only song on the album with a music video, which features plenty of Empire of the Sun’s signature costumes and dancers.

“Two Vines” doesn’t only have fast-paced songs though. Songs like “There’s No Need” and “To Her Door” slow things down and put more focus on vocals.

The album also has some less memorable songs; “ZZZ” and “Way To Go” are both repetitive and don’t really add anything to the overall sound of the album. “ZZZ” especially is aptly named for how it makes me feel.

The deluxe edition of “Two Vines” was released at the same time as the normal version, and includes four additional songs. One of the songs included is “Walking on a Dream” from the band’s first album. It’s a little strange that they included it, but it’s a great song so I’m not complaining.

The inclusion of “Walking on a Dream” enforces the similarities between Empire of the Sun’s earlier work and “Two Vines”. Someone who’d never heard “Walking on a Dream” probably wouldn’t be able to tell that it was a song from two albums ago.

For the most part, “Two Vines” is a fantastic addition to Empire of the Sun’s library of music. It has both fast and slow songs, danceable music accompanied by meaningful lyrics and stays true to the band’s style. Although slightly brought down by some unmemorable songs, “Two Vines” takes its rightful place alongside the albums before it.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Classic tales retold

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

Walt Disney Pictures has been working hard on making many new live-action movies recently: “Cinderella” and “The Jungle Book” to name a couple. Although, they haven’t stopped there. They are in the midst of working on and releasing new live-action movies within the next few years.

The new live-action version of “Beauty and the Beast” stars Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast.

“I knew all the words by heart. I knew all the songs by heart,” said Watson to Entertainment Weekly when asked about the film.

This is going to be the classic fairy tale retold. If you aren’t familiar with the story, it is about a prince who, due to his arrogance, becomes the Beast and must learn to love and receive love before he can turn back into the prince. The story follows the young woman whom he traps in his castle and their love story.

There has also been talk about two other live-action movies. “Snow White” and “Oliver Twist” are in the works, both being produced by Marc Platt, known for such performances as Broadway’s “Wicked.” There is not much information currently about who will star in these movies or when they will be released.

Although information is lacking, we still know a little about each of these movies. “Snow White” will be a musical and will expand on the original story while “Oliver Twist”, though also a musical, will be set in present-day America. Other upcoming movies to watch out for information about are the live-action adaptations of “The Little Mermaid” and “The Lion King.”

“Beauty and the Beast” will be in theaters March 17, 2016.

Contact the author at ajames16@mail.wou.edu

Caretakers of the constellations

By: Kinsey Bushart
Freelancer

“Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2” had its first trailer released Oct. 19. In the trailer, the gang of space superheros continue on their journey to, of course, guard the galaxy.

In the minute and a half video, Starlord and Drax the Destroyer have a heart-to-heart conversation, Gamora is an action star, Rocket Racoon blasts a hole in something and is more than likely about to get into some sort of trouble along with his adorable little pal, baby Groot. So, it’s business as usual.

This action packed sequel continues the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is sure to bring the crowds just as much enjoyment as the first “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The film is planned to be released to theaters May 5, 2017.

Contact the author at kbushart16@wou.edu

Old Man Logan makes cinematic debut

By: Kinsey Bushart
Freelancer

The third installment to the “Wolverine” franchise had its first trailer released Oct. 20, though the movie title, “Logan” was leaked by Hugh Jackman himself two weeks prior.

This “Wolverine” movie is said to be the final film where Jackman plays Logan, a character that Jackman has played since the 2000 movie, “X Men.”

In the “Logan” trailer, mutant populations have dwindled, and those who are born are taken by the government to be used for their abilities. The X-Men are a thing of the past and both Logan and Professor X are alone. Logan himself has become aged and scarred while the Professor lays in a hospital bed.

With the introduction of a new mutant child, it seems that the two ex X-Men may get another chance to continue their work in the protection of mutants. “Logan” is to be released to American theaters March 3, 2017.

Contact the author at kbushart16@wou.edu

Music at Western (On campus music performances)

By: Katherine Ljungqvist
Freelancer

Research has shown time and again that music can promote mental health, improve sleep quality and relieve stress and anxiety.

According to John Hopkins Medical research, exposure to new music has been linked with increased creativity; for a college student, these benefits can be paramount to a person’s success.

Fortunately for us, Western offers numerous musical performances throughout the year where one can reap the benefits of music.

The Western Oregon University music department is kicking off the 2016 fall term with a number of music events at Smith Hall and Rice Auditorium. Weekly performances are scheduled starting Nov. 5 through Dec. 4, which will include guitar and chamber ensembles, the Western Orchestra, a performance by the Tom Bergeron Brazil Band and a performance by the student run Brazil orchestra with special appearances by the Brazilian Bassist, Wagner Trinidade.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Western’s music department head, Dr. Tom Bergeron, to discuss some of this year’s events and also the major role that Latin American music plays in America’s music education. When asked how students can benefit from exposure to live music performances at Western, Dr. Bergeron responded that these performances offer students “edutainment.” “We’re playing music that we hope you’re going to enjoy, but we’re also trying to … put it into context,” said Bergeron.

Part of how this is accomplished is with the presence of guest musicians such as Wagner Trindade, who lend their knowledge and talents to performances.

Many college music departments feature symphony or jazz ensembles, but Latin American music is a staple in America’s music culture, and is subsequently growing in popularity in American music education.

While many Latin American countries are small enough to stay off the music industry’s radar, Brazil is the second largest country in the Americas as well as the “largest self-contained music industry in the Western Hemisphere.” The presence of Latin American influence in America’s music culture is prominent, which is why it is so beneficial for music students to receive exposure to this element of the industry.

Performances by the Tom Bergeron Brazil Band and other Western music events throughout the year are posted on the music department home page, wou.edu/music and are free to students with their student ID. So if you’re looking for affordable entertainment this year that has educational and mental health benefits, then you should check out the Western music department event schedule.

Contact the author at kljungqvist16@mail.wou.edu

Review: “Doctor Strange”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“Doctor Strange” is the 14th film in the huge Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has included space, gods and psycho robots. “Doctor Strange” brings the brand new world of mysticism into the universe as well, and does it incredibly.

Not only one of the most visually stunning films Marvel has had to date, but “Doctor Strange” brings fans a completely new side of the cinematic universe with magic and other dimensions.

The film jumps head first into Marvel’s mystical side, while keeping things simple enough for casual viewers to understand how things fit into the universe as a whole. With 14 films, keeping them simple at the core is important, and “Doctor Strange” does this perfectly.

Stephen Strange’s defining characteristic is his arrogance. He’s a world famous neurosurgeon with a massive ego. The film starts with him as an unlikeable character, but Strange grows and is very much human.

What makes this movie so grounded is that all of these sorcerers are human. Some might be hundreds of years old, but they talk like humans and they have the same problems as humans. Everyone in this movie can be relatable, which is an important quality to have in any superhero movie.

Characters are brought to life by incredible performances all around, notably Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One and Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.

The visuals in “Doctor Strange” were some of the best that Marvel has had. Scenes are always accompanied by patterns that are satisfying to look at. Buildings are moving, dimensions are crossing and all of it stays true to the comics and brings Steve Ditko’s incredible art to life.

The side characters don’t play a huge role in the film. The focus is very much on Strange and his origin, so important characters like Wong and Mordo were not given the attention they deserve. But I think it was important to have a large focus on Doctor Strange since he’s the hero being introduced into the Marvel Universe.

The villain, Kaecilius, continued Marvel’s trend of weak and underdeveloped villains. Mads Mikkelsen did a great job playing him, but he made such a little impact that I couldn’t even remember his name when I left the theater. Doctor Strange’s sentient cape has more of a personality than Kaecilius.

“Doctor Strange” expands Marvel’s cinematic universe and definitely has a place in it. The movie loosely mentions characters and events from previous movies, as well as showing off Avenger’s Tower a couple of times.

The most exciting quality about Marvel movies is that they are always setting up the stage for something bigger. There’s always a plan for the future and each movie is just a small part of something huge. “Doctor Strange” definitely feels as if it’s setting up for something great. There’s more to come for Strange and the stage is definitely set for that.

“Doctor Strange” is a great movie. It blends together humor and action, while entering a whole side of Marvel’s huge universe.
Although brought down slightly by unimportant side characters and a weak villain, “Doctor Strange” is one of the best Marvel movies to date.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

8/10
+ Stunning visuals
+ Incredible performances

– Weak, underdeveloped villain

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendation:
“Norwegian by Night” by Derek B. Miller is a novel about an elderly American man who moves to Norway with his granddaughter and her husband. In Norway he saves a little boy from death and begins a journey running from a killer, the law and his family.library-2-color
The book is a thriller but doesn’t feel that way because of how rich the characters are. I was instantly drawn into the lives the characters were living and every problem they had.
Also great is the “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” novelization written by Alan Dean Foster. The book adds details that are left out of the movie. Some deleted scenes from the movie are included, as well as more dialogue between characters that were cut from the film.

Editor’s Disparagement:
It’s becoming more and more practical to shop for books on Amazon. You don’t have to leave your house and prices are generally really cheap. But there’s something about going to a bookstore that will always be better. While Amazon is great for buying books, buying books from bookstores helps small businesses and is great for finding books you would’ve never read if you were only shopping on Amazon. Blindly buying a book to read is difficult on Amazon since ratings are right in front of you at all times.

Expressionism on the stage

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western theater students took to the Rice Auditorium stage to rehearse for the 2016 fall show, “Machinal.” Despite the fact that the set remains unfinished, the students are eager to begin rehearsal to make this show as polished as possible.

As stated by the Internet Broadway Database,“Machinal,” written by American journalist and playwright, Sophie Treadwell, premiered on the broadway stage on Sept. 7, 1928. Written in the style of expressionism, “Machinal,” brings an interesting and eccentric form of storytelling to the stage.

According to the University of Delaware Library, expressionistic plays are known for their “unconventional” ways of showing the inner workings of the human psyche. Often employing the use of strange dialogue, unrealistic movements, distorted scenery and stylized acting.

“The simplest way I could describe it (expressionism) is the idea of the individual being crushed by the machine of society,” said Gabriel Elmore, a junior in the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program and supporting castmate.

“It’s not so much about the dialogue, as it is about the feeling that the dialogue invokes, from the audience and the actors. My character is trying to be as real as possible, but she’s failing miserably at it, because, she has all of these societal pressures that are coming down on her.” said Meghan Doerfler, a sophomore in the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program and lead in the play.

When asked if she faced any challenges while taking on the role of, “Young Woman,” Doerfler responded, “I really enjoy working on it so far, because it’s my first lead role here at Western, and that in itself has been a challenge for me.”

“It’s such an expressionistic play, and that’s something that I don’t think any of the actors in the show have ever done before, so it’s getting used to a whole new style of acting while still trying to act it,” she added.

“Machinal” is performing in Rice Auditorium Nov. 10-12 and 16-19 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 2:00 p.m.

“Machinal is about your average Jane trying to survive in this society that she doesn’t know how to behave in.” Doerfler said, “She wants to find love, and everyone is telling her that is an impossible concept”

For purchasing tickets and additional information contact Rice Auditorium’s box office at 503-838-8462.
Box Office Hours: 12:30-4:30 p.m. weekdays, reopening at 6:00 p.m. night of performance.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@mail.wou.edu

Nintendo switches things up

By: Matthew Oldfield
Freelancer

For quite a while Nintendo has been secretive over their new gaming console, for a while calling it the “NX” system and keeping everything quiet. Slowly, news outlets rolled out information about what Nintendo’s been up to: stories of their patenting screen and controller designs. Now the secret is out and the Switch is here.

On Oct. 20, Nintendo held an event to showcase their new console and all it can do. Aside from the usual function of a gaming console, the Switch comes with a modular like controller that can slide out of its holder and attach to a portable screen that allows you to keep playing your game, similarly to the Wii U.

Along with their technical display, Nintendo has announced some games that would be available for the system, such as “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild,” a new unnamed “Mario” title, “Skyrim: Special Edition,” “Pokémon Sun and Moon,” as well as future titles from third party developers like Activision, Sega, and Capcom.

Not much else is known at this time about what the new system is fully capable of. Nintendo has met with criticisms from consumers from the limited information, but with a demo presentation slated for Jan. 12 and the console releasing March of next year, there’s not much longer to wait.

Contact the author at moldfield14@wou.edu

Review: “Skyrim: Special Edition”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” is a five year-old game that has remained very popular with a huge fan base behind it. Fans have been asking for years for “Skyrim” to come to modern consoles, Bethesda responded by releasing the “Skyrim: Special Edition”, which brings the original game to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with revamped graphics, mods and add-on content.

“Skyrim” is a massive role playing game where players take control of the Dragonborn, the only person who can truly kill a dragon. As Dragonborn, players venture off into the province of Skyrim, doing quests, fighting monsters, slaying dragons and collecting weapons and armor.

The world of “Skyrim” feels very much alive. Walking through villages, there are blacksmiths working at their forges, children playing, bards singing and so much more that just makes you feel like there’s a living world around you. It’s easy to get completely immersed.

Part of playing in a world as alive as “Skyrim” is that there are consequences for your actions. Strangers will have conversations about things your character has done. If you wrong someone, they might send mercenaries to teach you a lesson. No wrong deed in “Skyrim” goes unpunished.

In the special edition, the graphics are stunning. A lot of “Skyrim” is wilderness, so players spend the majority of their time in caves, forests and tundra’s. With the graphical revamp, these landscapes are brought to life more than they ever were before. As you wander through the picture perfect world, every still is worth a screenshot as you wander through a picture perfect world.

Mods in “Skyrim” have been around on the PC for a long time, but just got put onto consoles with the special edition. Mods are user-made and can range anywhere from improving effects to adding new characters and buildings. Mods can sometimes give players an unfair advantage, so trophies are disabled while using them. Since modders have been hard at work for years creating content, the mods added onto the PlayStation and Xbox versions of the game give players a lot of new things to try out.

The special edition includes add-on content that costs money in the original version. There are two add-ons that give new quests and content, “Dawnguard” and “Dragonborn” and one called “Hearthfire” that allows players to adopt children and build a house. Each of these packs adds hundreds of hours of new content, but requires players to be a higher level to start, so players just starting out won’t see it for a while.

Some may not like the game’s immersion, requiring lots of walking and reading dialogue. It’s definitely not a “pick up and jump into action” game, so it’s for more of a role-playing experience and less of a casual one. For players looking to get lost in a game though, “Skyrim: Special Edition” is one of the best games out right now to do that. I’ve had hours of fun and I’ve barely scratched the surface.

“Skyrim: Special Edition” is a fantastic game. One of the most beloved and immersive games in the last five years, “Skyrim” is back as one of the richest and most beautiful games out on modern consoles.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Editor’s picks

community-colornbc-com

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendations:
“Community” is a show about a study group at a community college who go through all kinds of trials and tribulations. It’s absolutely hilarious. Anyone associated with a college campus relate to a lot that goes on in the show. The characters deal with difficult classes, love, friendship and the occasional school-wide paintball battle. “Community” was created by Dan Harmon, who also created “Rick and Morty.” There are six seasons now streaming on Hulu and for years fans have been petitioning for a movie to be made.

Editor’s Disparagement:
Movie trailers that give away major plot details infuriate me to no end. There are some things in movies that should be kept a surprise. The best example of this is in the trailers for “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice”. Doomsday’s reveal would’ve been so cool if they hadn’t tacked it onto the end of the trailer. The trailer for “Suicide Squad” does the same thing by showing almost every major Joker appearance. If I had better self control, I’d boycott watching the trailers altogether. The best movie trailers are the short ones that simply give a feel for the movie, rather than giving all the details of it away.

Bob Dylan awarded Nobel Prize in literature

By: Kinsey Bushart
Freelancer

This year Bob Dylan became the first American to win a Nobel Prize since novelist Toni Morrison back in 1993. Dylan is also the first ever songwriter to be awarded the Nobel Prizebob-dylan-2-bwcnn in literature in the 112 years since the award was created, and the newest person awarded with the honor of being the top most inspirational and developed literary creators.

Bob Dylan began his singing, songwriting, writing and art career in 1959 at the age of 18. In the 75-year-old’s long career, he has gathered the admiration of millions of people around the world with his poetic and inspirational lyrics. In his time as a revered icon, Dylan gathered quite the following, especially in the 1960s when some of his most influential as well as controversial songs were released. At that time he was considered an unofficial spokesman on the issues in America and he also addressed said issues in his lyrics and movements.

Dylan was touring while the broadcast of his Nobel Prize was announced but since the Nobel Committee decided to award the Nobel Prize in literature to Bob Dylan, they have not been able to contact the artist except through his manager. Since they have yet to receive a confirmation of acceptance from Dylan, the committee has given up attempting to award the icon this prestigious honor. The ceremony will go on as planned, even if Dylan is not there to accept it.

Contact the author at kbushart16@wou.edu

Western Oregon University

Facebook  Instagram  YouTube LinkedIn

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
345 Monmouth Ave. N.
Monmouth OR 97361

503-838-8000 | 1-877-877-1593

Tools

Bookstore
Campus Maps
Canvas
Find People
Portal
Technical Support
WOU Email
Technical Support

Resources

A-Z Index
Accessibility
Academic Calendar
Class Schedule
Net Price Calculator
Jobs at WOU
News
Explore WOU
Partnerships
Student Services
Freedom of Expression
Immigrant Resources

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.

Accessibility    Public Records    Privacy    Student Consumer Information

WOU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by WOU.