Unbeknownst to many, Mardi Gras actually has its roots in Christianity. Literally translating to “Fat Tuesday,” Mardi Gras is the final day of enjoyment before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. The names given to Mardi Gras—Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday and Fetter Dienstag—are rooted in the tradition of feasting heavily before the fasting and abstinence of Lent begins.

For some cultures, such as the French, this means the slaughtering and feasting upon a hefty calf, while in others it means making and consuming

large quantities of pancakes because of the need to use up fat, eggs and dairy before fasting begins.

The colors of Mardi Gras were not chosen until the middle of eighteenth century: purple symbolizing justice, green representing faith and gold signifying power.

Mardi Gras also has a link to the Christmas season through a time known as Carnival. It is believed that Carnival was originally based on the seasons—either as a representation of the few

Journalthe

We s t e r n O r e g o n U n i v e r s i t y

MARCH 2, 2011 WWW.WESTERNOREGONJOURNAL.COM VOL. 11, ISSUE 20

Junior forward Rylee Peterson (pictured above on Feb. 17 playing against SPU) scored 22 points in Western’s win over NNU on Feb. 24.

Against SPU, Zahler suprasses 1000 points, 500 rebounds for her career

WBBSEE PAGE 11

Kyle Bruce | Freelancer

The principles of ‘Pancake Tuesday’Illuminating the celebration of Mardi Gras in various countries, cultures

Western’s campus looks to go Google University Computing Services begins process of switching mail system to Google Apps, saving approximately $15,000

Alex Riecke-Gonzales | Freelancer

MARDI GRASSEE PAGE 6

University Computing Services is making a change. Western will be switching the current mailing system over to Google Apps.

The change simply means that the e-mail, calendar and contacts that students use now on their webmail accounts will be stored on Google’s servers and accessed through its systems. The addition of Google Apps will save Western money and enhance the online system for all users.

“Starting during spring break, students will simply log into the WOU Portal, and they will see an

icon to sign up for Google Apps. When they click that, they’ll wait about five minutes and then they will have a live link that goes to Google Apps,” said Michael Ellis, the assistant director of University Computing Services (UCS).

Ellis and Bill Kernan, the director of UCS, have been working on the system change for about a year. Converting the e-mail system over to Google Apps is a complex and lengthy process. Google has

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INSIDE >> 2 NEWS 6 CULTURE 8 OPINION 10 SPORTS4 CAMPUS LIFE

SNEAK PEEK >>NEWS

Aleut Elder Larry Merculief gave insight into his traditional upbringing and education. Merculief hoped to bring a different way of life and approach to education to the campus community.

SEE PAGE 3

ELDER WISDOM COMES TO WESTERN

A new exhibit displaying abstract art, local artist David Tinman Edgar and Parisian artist Jeff Blanco compliment one another through their work.

SEE PAGE 5

MIL-SPEC ART EXHIBIT OPENS IN CAMPBELL

‘Menopause, The Musical’ comes to the Elisinore Theater in Salem, Ore. Internationally renowned, the production touches women of all walks of life.

SEE PAGE 7

‘MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL’

The Wolves defeated the Yellowjackets 2-1 and 7-3 on Sunday’s doubleheader against MSU Billings after losing both games on Saturday.

SEE PAGE 10

SOFTBALL SPLITS HOME OPENING SERIES

CAMPUS LIFE

CULTURE

SPORTS

Wolves defeat NNU, fall to SPU in playoffs

Photo by | Tim Miller

On the heels of arguably its best season since transitioning to NCAA Division II in 2000-01, the Western Oregon women’s basketball team earned the sixth seed in the inaugural Great Northwest Athletic Tournament, matching them with three-seed Seattle Pacific for a quarterfinal match-up Monday, Feb. 28.

The Wolves were humbled by host SPU, falling 81-45, ending their season in the process.

Senior guard Sara Zahler scored 1,000 career points and grabbed 500 career rebounds in the contest. Her 1,000th point came on a three-pointer from the right wing with 4:04 left in the first half. Her 500th rebound came on a missed free throw with just 55 seconds left in the game. Zahler became the 45th player in GNAC history to score 1,000 points. She also became just the third player in Western history to tally 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds.

“I’m extremely happy for Sara,” Western

head coach Greg Bruce said. “To accomplish 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds is a great milestone.”

Senior forward Danielle Bellando led the team with 10 points against SPU. She connected on five of her eight shots. Zahler added nine points while freshman forward Melissa Fowler and junior guard Jade Haas scored six points apiece. The two also led the team in rebounds with four caroms each.

The Wolves (11-16, 9-9 GNAC) took two early leads at 2-0 and 4-2, but it was all SPU from then on. A jumper at the 17:38 mark put the Falcons on top for good. Western closed to within six at 22-16 on a successful and-one from junior forward Rylee Peterson but would get no closer.

SPU (20-7, 13-5 GNAC) took a 51-32 lead into intermission and would lead by as many as 37 points in the second half.

“SPU came with their

2 NEWS March 2, 2011

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The start up information for Western’s Google Apps account, giving students an easy way to transition.

“I think we’ll see quite a few, if not eventually all of the Oregon University schools, utilize Google Apps in one way or the other. So we’re not on the bleeding edge but we’re near the front of the pack.”

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT UNIVERSITY COMPUTING SERVICES

- Michael Ellis

Whether the resonating sound of voices filling the air or the wonders of instruments strikes one’s fancy, students, staff, family and friends alike have the opportunity to hear both of these forms of music on Sunday, March 6, as 15 Miles West and Spectrum join together to provide an evening of entertainment and enjoyment for all who attend.

At the end of each term, 15 Miles West makes an appearance to perform for their fans and the campus community. Freshman ASL/English interpreting major Ian Mitcheltree remarked that he is most looking forward to “showing the public what we’ve been working on.”

“It just seems like a good idea to get out once a term and show everyone what we’ve [been] slaving away at,” he stated.

Mitcheltree went

Joanna Walker | Freelancer

15 Miles West and Spectrum to showcase this year’s musical selections to campus community

on to comment that in preparation for the performance, the group has been adding some special choreography.

“Nothing huge or serious, but enough to keep us on our toes,” Mitcheltree stated.

Senior music major Jonny Herrick added that since they will be performing their set from the ICCA competition, “those who missed it get a chance to experience it.”

“Personally, I’m excited that we will be performing three arrangements of mine,” said Herrick.

With intense weekly rehearsals and sectionals in preparation for the performance, one can expect to hear various popular rock and pop songs, with four of the five total songs having been arranged by group members.

According to fourth year contemporary music major Feliciano “Chano”

Full spectrum of musicking makes its way to Monmouth

Garcia, “Three of the songs being performed at this concert will showcase our ICCA set-list: ‘Virtual Insanity’ by Jamiroquai, ‘Just The Way You Are’ by Bruno Mars and ‘Uprising’ by MUSE [arranged by Herrick]. The other two songs are arrangements by our own Jonny Shay Herrick: ‘My Girl’ by Bobby Valentino and ‘Beautiful Monster’ by Ne-Yo.”

Regarding their music, Herrick noted that “it is special for us [to perform member-arranged songs] because the music we arrange is specific to the makeup of our group. All of our personalities are scored into the chart to take it from its original recording to a place only we would understand.”

“I like singing songs arranged by one of us over an outside arranger, because it feels truly productive and original,” Mitcheltree

assigned Western a specific technical support person to help with any questions or difficulties the two may have along the way.

“There were requests for a more feature rich mail and calendar system to be added and the issue of cost for maintaining the current system,” stated Kernan.

Western will save around

added. “If it’s someone else’s arrangement, there’s this feeling of [unoriginality]. When it’s ‘self-composed’ it feels more exciting and fresh.”

For those 15 Miles West fans who want to see more, or who might not be able to attend, there will be an end of the year concert solely for the group.

“We would like to praise our fans and the incredible support they have shown for the past two and a half years,” Herrick commented. “The passion of our hard work and performance feeds off the appreciation of our listeners. Can’t wait to see Smith Music Hall packed again on Sunday!”

The second portion of the evening will feature musicians performing original compositions created by student composers from Western. This group, known as Spectrum, currently has two pieces on the agenda.

The name “Spectrum” came about because of the variety of music that is written by the composers, according to second year music composition major Josh Humlie.

“It reaches across a large ‘spectrum’ of genres

and styles,” Humlie stated, going on to mention how this term there will be two classical pieces as compared to last term which included a piece written for a film.

The composers thus far are Chris Kaltwasser and his string quartet and Olivia Nelsen performing a piano solo.

According to Humlie, Kaltwasser, Nelson and their fellow student composers “work on their pieces for years, and that evening we’ll get to hear the results of their hard work. It’s really a cool experience for both the composer and the listener.”

Senior composition major Becca Scott added, “This term’s concert will be unique from any other Spectrum concert because these works have probably never been performed before. That’s the point of having the concert every term: brand new student compositions can be performed before audiences relatively soon after being written.”

Beyond the requirement that the composers be Western students, to make it into the program students need to fill out a form with specific information about the piece

and rehearsal times so that the performance can run smoothly.

Scott remarked that Spectrum “has a history of being a sort of smorgasbord of music, with pieces on styles from ambient music to pop songs. Every term has a different combination and could contain anything form a solo trombone concerto to an experimental post-tonal symphony.”

Humlie remarked that he hopes that audience members “can take away an appreciation for how much time, work and thought goes into creating [these pieces].”

“The idea is that the audience gets a taste of how music is developing from what it was into something different, yet still familiar and enjoyable,” Scott added. “Composition students put a lot of work into what they do and are expected to have an understanding of so many different facets of musicking. Hopefully the audience will hear what is being performed what the composer meant it to be, whatever that may be.”

The dual performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Smith Hall, with no cost for admission.

E-MAILFROM PAGE 1

has been very positive.”Google is home to

thousands of tools and features and all of them are accessible to those who use Google Apps for their email accounts. Students can edit their account to be as simple or complex as they wish by turning on and off desired features.

Google Mail will automatically have basic features like contacts, priority mail and calendars, but with

above the rest of their mail.Some of Google’s

popular signature features include Google Talk (a chat client), Google Sites (website creation) and Google Documents. Both Ellis and Kernan expect Google Documents to be the most beneficial addition to Western.

Google Documents helps with the creation of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other documents. A user can allow a chosen group to view the document and edit it simultaneously.

“[Google Documents] allows for a new level of collaboration between students, faculty and staff that we haven’t had before,” said Ellis.

Another benefit is the addition of mobile support. As students become more mobile, the desire for e-mail use with iPhones, Androids, etc. has grown. Google Apps allows students to access their accounts easily with their smartphones.

Students will have the option to convert their e-mails to Google Apps by spring term.

“[Users] will be able to opt-in to Google Apps, so it will be the users’ choice when they migrate from the Western e-mail system to Google Apps,” Kernan stated.

Eventually the current mailing system will become obsolete, but e-mails will still

be delivered to both systems until everyone has migrated their accounts. Additionally, Ellis and Kernan will also continue to modify the system until it meets all the needs of users.

Across the nation, thousands of schools are making the change to Google Apps. Oregon’s higher education system has a contract with Google that assures a high level of security. This has encouraged Oregon schools to use Google Apps.

“I think we’ll see quite a few, if not eventually all of the Oregon University schools, utilize Google Apps in one way or the other,” Ellis stated. “So we’re not on the bleeding edge but we’re near the front of the pack.”

Ellis and Kernan are currently finalizing the process so that users who switch to Google Apps can keep any saved emails and contacts as they make the switch.

In the next month, Michael Ellis will be holding two seminars on the migration to Google Apps. These seminars will cover a wide range of information on the switch and the benefits offered by Google. Through these seminars, Ellis hopes to introduce what the system is and what it can do for the campus community.

More information on the mailing system can be found on Western’s website by searching for “Google Apps,” and on the UCS homepage. This includes

further descriptions of Google Apps and step-by-step instructions on how students can migrate their account when the system is available.

$15,000 just by making the switch to Google Apps.

Some staff members have asked to be what Michael Ellis calls “early adopters” of the system.

“The whole UCS department and a few others across campus are already on the Google apps system,” Kernan said. “The response from staff and faculty already using the system

a little more sophistication. Contacts can be organized into countless groups and calendars can be shared between individuals or groups of people. The user can sort emails into different levels of priority simply by marking the contact’s first email as a priority. Students can use this feature to mark emails from professors or employers and see them

Photos courtesy | Computing Services

NEWS 3 March 2, 2011

www.westernoregonjournal.com

Larry Merculief is an Aleut Elder from a tiny island called St. Paul that is located 300 miles off the coast of Alaska. St. Paul is one of the four volcanic Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, and is only five miles wide and 12 miles long. Merculief was raised in the traditional way of his people wherein he was allowed to learn by observing, not by being told what to do, and now travels to learn from other people and share his knowledge.

On Wednesday, Feb. 23, and Thursday, Feb. 24, Merculief visited Western to speak to students, faculty and anyone else who wanted to learn about indigenous knowledge and the “Language of One.” He spoke in the Oregon room of Werner and almost all of the chairs offered were filled. The crowd waited expectantly, murmuring quietly, as two cameras were set up to record Merculief.

Merculief does not believe in reading speeches off of cards or any other means of traditional lectures. In fact, he waltzed onto the scene in a tunic, sea lion teeth hanging

As Western prepares to update its Master Plan for campus remodeling, student involvement is crucial. Physical Plant staff members want students to hear and see what changes will be taking place and how these remodeling efforts will affect them. For this reason, Physical Plant’s Planning Department is hosting an open house on Thursday, March 3, in the Columbia room of Werner from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“We are looking to present our latest proposal and hopefully receive some input from the campus and Monmouth communities,” said Physical Plant Director Tom Neal.

According to Assistant Director Tony

Aleut Elder Larry Merculief visits Western to share his indigenous life experiences and lessons Brought up in a tradition that honors learning by experience, not instruction, Merculief presented a different kind of lifestyle, education to the campus community

around his neck, playing a wooden flute. The audience quieted immediately to hear him play his haunting tune. Without saying a single word, he caught everyone's attention.

The first words he spoke were in his native language.

He then went on to explain, “When my people say hello, we say ‘Aang waan,’ which means 'Hello, my other self.'”

Merculief continued by explaining that his people use this greeting for everyone they meet to show that everyone is equal and came from the same place.

M e r c u l i e f ' s native name is Kuuyux (pronounced “Koo-yaax”), which is a traditional name given only to one person in each generation. It translates literally as an “arm extending from the body,” but means “carrier of traditional knowledge into modern times.” His name was given to him when he was a small child by the last Kuuyux. Ever since he received that name, Merculief has been aware that it is his job to pass on all of the deep knowledge of his people.

Kment, “The open house is an opportunity to share how that direction was developed, what it will mean for campus development and get community feedback before the plan is finalized.”

Kment continued by stating that “last fall, the Steering Committee held an open house for the campus community to solicit initial feedback. Participants were asked how the campus is currently serving their needs and how that might change over the next 10 years. Working with SERA Architects, the Steering Committee has now developed a recommended direction for the Master Plan.”

Kment explained that

Merculief was a part of the last generation on his island to have a traditional upbringing.

“The whole village raised me,” he explained, “which meant I had to spend equal time with everyone.”

Merculief was welcome in any home as though he was a lost son and could visit anyone anytime as his parents never limited him. This type of upbringing was allowed because the tribe’s way of teaching was not by sitting a child down in a classroom and telling them what to do and what not to do, but in letting them watch, listen and learn through experience. Merculief learned early on to be quiet and take things in, otherwise he would lose the lesson. He came to the understanding that words diminish things when one comments on a profound experience.

In comparison, Merculief stated that when Western culture instructs children, it tells them “don't think, don't think; we'll do it for you.”

The way he was raised, Merculief had to

the plans being created now will forecast the campus changes to take place over the next 10 years.

“The plan also sets a broader vision for growth beyond 10 years to give the university guidelines for making sensible long-term decisions regarding growth, access and sustainability,” he added. “The campus expects to continue to grow as it has over the past several years. [Western] wants to maintain the friendly, walkable nature of campus while accommodating growth. Several capital improvement projects are planned to improve student life, housing, athletics, recreation, parking and academic needs.”

figure everything out by himself because he was given no instructions or explanations about what he was supposed to be doing. He stated that he learned in a more natural way as a result.

“I lament the fact that universities teach by rote,” Merculief said, but went on to reassure everyone that “our way is just another way.”

One woman in attendance at his lecture on “Indigenous Elder Wisdom for Modern Times” on Wednesday, Feb. 24, was Karen Olivo, a volunteer at the Jensen Arctic Museum.

Olivo stated that her family moved to Alaska in 1945 and she only moved to the lower continental US after her first marriage to an Aleutian man.

She grew up in Alaska from a very young age in a small village and thought that “everyone lived in a shack like [hers].”

She was excited for Merculief's visit because “[it's] wonderful to hear someone put it together.”

Merculief's visit to Western was funded by the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS).

Monica Millner | Freelancer

Elder Larry Merculief displays his Indigenous clothing while giving a lecture on his upbringing was a member of the Aleut tribe.

In addition to his lectures, Merculief held workshops with students and commmunity members on the traditions integral to his tribe.

As the Physical Plant staff begin preparing for future remodeling plans, the second phase of the Alder View Townhouse construction is well under way.

Jake Logan | News Editor

Western to hold campus Master Plan open house

Photo by | Monica Millner

Photo by | Emily Laughlin

Meeting to outline project plans for next 10-year span

Photos by | Emily Laughlin

4 CAMPUS LIFE

www.westernoregonjournal.com

March 2, 2011

Katrina Pettigrew | Freelancer

Students invited to dance the night away at Western’s Fasching Masquerade BallGerman Club to host a festival traditionally celebrated prior to the start of the Lenten season

“They are like normal parties really, but we dress up. It’s kind of like dressing up on Halloween. We just wear funny costumes and stuff. Where I’m from, up in the north, we call it ‘Fasching.’ In the west, like in Cologne, they call it ‘Karneval’ and they celebrate it big time.”

GERMAN NATIVE

- Katja Lüdemann

Join the German Club for a night of music, dancing and copious amounts of fun as they bring the wonders of Germany’s Fasching to Werner’s Pacific room on Friday, March 4, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. for Western’s very first Fasching Masquerade Ball.

Fasching is the festival and party season in Germany that begins on Nov. 11 at 11:11 a.m. and lasts until Ash Wednesday. While the starting date is the same, the names differ depending on where in Germany one is living.

“Where I’m from, up in the north, we call it ‘Fasching,’” said German native, Katja Lüdemann. “In the west, like in Cologne, they call it ‘Karneval’ and they celebrate it big time.”

Although the festive season lasts as long as

it does, there are breaks for the Christmas holiday and the New Year. The main time for partying is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. There are many parties to attend and parades to enjoy. Fasching in Germany is much like the Mardi Gras that many individuals celebrate in the United States and other countries. That is where the German Club’s Fasching Masquerade Ball comes in.

Western’s German Club is throwing the Fasching Masquerade Ball to raise money for the German grant, a scholarship available to any student enrolled in German, regardless of their academic major or minor. Recently, the German Club was not functioning and members felt that throwing Oktoberfest and the ball were good ways to raise awareness for the club as

Candace Cheney | Freelancer

After years of teaching psychology, Dr. Kathryn Thompson prepares to begin the next stage of her lifeDuring her career as a professor at Western, Thompson successfully created psychology club WOUPSA, has left a lasting imprint on students and colleagues alike

Dr. Kathryn Thompson first attended Linfield College where she double majored in math and science. During her time there, Thompson discovered her passion within the field of psychology while enrolled in an undergraduate course.

“I was simply fascinated by the material,” she stated.

After completing her bachelor’s degree, Thompson graduated with her doctorate in psychology from the University of Montana. Possessing a wide range of interests, Thompson further involved herself in the areas of teaching and research. Thompson was enthusiastic as she explained how much she finds the branch of developmental psychology to be so dynamic and interesting.

T h r o u g h o u t Thompson’s career, she has worked on several research projects, one of which consisted of studying social skills training for teens in McMinnville, Salem and Independence. The result of these studies was the publication of three academic articles.

“Their research into

adolescent assertiveness from [Dr. Albert] Bandura’s social cognitive theory approach particularly focused on the relationship between stored cognitive information and behavioral performance,” Thompson said, going on to explain that through this they discovered that “adolescents could learn and retain cognitive information that is basic to understanding the concept of assertion.”

The diverse scope of Thompson’s research and questioning has also led her to the study of how adult attachment styles and romantic relationships relate to a person’s earlier adolescent experiences.

Most recently, Thompson is working on a research project relating to the bi-cultural identity resolution for non-native Mexican immigrants. This past Saturday, Thompson’s research findings were presented at the Oregon Academy of Science Meeting in Portland, Ore., by psychology students Irena M. Granov and Andrea Padilla-Orozco. The presentation was entitled, “Mexican Immigrants in the

Know of the U.S. Culture: What We Know and What We Don’t Know.”

Thompson said that she loves being a professor because of her students. She stated proudly that the students at Western are “smart, fun, pleasant and polite.”

She also expressed an appreciation for her “wonderful” colleagues that are “smart, challenging, intelligent, supportive and overall great people.”

When asked about her experiences working with Thompson, fellow psychology professor Dr. Chehalis Strapp boasted that, “Kathy Thompson is a dedicated teacher who [has] constantly challenged her students and provided them with cutting edge specialty courses including ‘Love and Attachment’ and ‘Cross Cultural Development.’ As a researcher, she has mentored numerous undergraduates, taking them each year to national and regional conferences.”

According to Strapp, Thompson developed the

well as to raise funds for the grant, according to sophomore Joseph Stevens, vice president of the German Club.

“[We] want to build a community of language learners,” Stevens said.

Described by some as Stevens’ “brain child,” the Fasching Masquerade Ball will be a first at Western.

Stevens hopes that the ball will catch on and become an annual event, as there seems to be quite a bit of interest on campus. The

ball will serve to teach the students about German culture and traditions in addition to raising money for the German grant. The ticket sales will go towards the grant, with

each ticket being $5 per person or $8 per couple. While donations are not advertised, anyone wanting to donate will be welcome to do so.

“I would like to see the event’s costs covered and then some,” Stevens said.

The decision to make the ball a masquerade came from German traditions. In a masquerade ball, attendees dress up in flamboyant costumes and masks, similar to scenes in movies set during the Renaissance. While costumes and masks are not required at the ball, they are encouraged. In Germany, where Fasching is a regular affair, dressing up is common.

“They are like normal parties, really, but we dress up,” Lüdemann said. “It’s kind of like dressing up on Halloween. We just wear

funny costumes and stuff.”At the ball, there

will be $10 Tarot card readings by Sharon M. Blasing and a wide array of music playing, mostly a combination of American Top 40 and German dance music. There are hopes that attendance will match the Halloween dance hosted earlier this year, according to Stevens.

Anyone enrolled in German that is hoping to check out the German grant should contact German Club Adviser, Dr. Gudrun Hoobler or check the German Club’s website for the PDF application. The German Club’s website can be found by searching “German Club” on Western’s website. The event page can be found at www.wou.edu/karneval or be searching “Fasching Masquerade Ball” on Facebook.

Although retiring, Thompson will still teach classes at Western periodically. THOMPSON

SEE PAGE 5

Photo by | Emily Laughlin

www.westernoregonjournal.com

March 2, 2011 CAMPUS LIFE 5

Joanna Walker | Freelancer

Western joins the race for lifeCampus community to hold Relay for Life event for the first time

Many students have been affected by cancer in one way or another, be it through a family member or a close friend. The Relay for Life website, located at www.relayforlife.org, provides a wealth of information, event locations, information on how people can help support the cause, personal stories, volunteer videos and information about cancer that includes statistics about the event itself. For example, the website states that in 2010, of the 3.5 million participants, 600,000 were cancer survivors.

On Saturday, April 16, from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. on April 17, teams will participate in the New PE Gym for the Relay for Life program.

Senior communications major Raeann Salchenberg, also the event chair for the Relay for Life committee and the Student Activities Board director, remarked that “Since Oregon’s weather is unpredictable, we decided to hold the event inside.”

There are currently about five teams signed up, but there is no limit as to how many teams can participate. There are numerous individuals and departments on campus to help run this event, with Salchenberg stating, “We have a relay committee of about 12 people that have specific job duties such as logistics chair, entertainment chair and many others. The committee consists of students and staff at WOU.”

Providing the campus community with another means to volunteer for a cause and raise awareness and money to fight cancer are only two of the main reasons why the Relay for Life event was brought to campus with the hope of making it a tradition.

“I wanted an event on campus for students, faculty, staff and community members that brings everyone together,” Salchenberg commented.

She explained that she has wanted to bring the relay experience to Western for some time and that her inspiration to hold a Relay for Life event at Western

Heather Worthing | Freelancer

Cannon Gallery showcases artists Blanco, EdgarUnique abstract art educates students of how different systems can work together

It was Napoleon Bonaparte who said the famous phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words.” During the dates between Feb. 16 through March 18, another French-based individual, artist Jeff Blanco, along with Portland-based artist David Tinman Edgar, will showcase their talent and speak volumes through their abstract art.

“The paintings of Edgar and Blanco are very instinctual. You can tell that they wanted to preserve the rawness of their creation and present a painting that is fashioned out of feeling rather than thought,” said junior Emily Ayers, an art student here at Western.

The new art exhibit will be presented in Campbell Hall in the Dan and Gail Cannon Gallery of Art. The two artists have had a history together fraught with hardships and brotherhood as they served together in the military during the mid-1980s. Their unique abstract art complements each other and one can see their bond strengthened through their art due to the numerous

deployments. The theme of the exhibit is MIL SPEC which is a defense term of standardization of making systems work together.

“I suppose it is a statement about the reduction of individuals to the numbers and a disconnect between humanity and the larger agenda of the military machine,” said Edgar who served as a Fire Team Leader in the U.S. Army Ranger Unit.

With paintings with titles such as “Kickass,” students are sure to be engaged by the provocative structure and colors of the exhibit.

The mission of the art department at Western is to cultivate a unified atmosphere of learning in the undergraduate programs of visual art through aesthetic research activities and art making, personalized learning and public service. The program teaches theory, philosophy and aesthetic awareness. Student and professional gallery exhibits contribute to the cultural environment of the campus and region and the process of critical

and creative thinking, skill building and visual literacy are emphasized throughout the program.

Edgar spoke to Jodie Garrison’s intermediate painting class about his career and art.

“I thought the talk was extremely interesting. He [Edgar] really opened up to the class and talked not only about the art but the emotions behind the art. He drew from his experience at war and other life experiences that allowed us to connect to him and the art in a very personal way,” said junior Kelly Hartman.

“The Cannon Gallery is a teaching gallery and we aim to showcase a variety of national and international artists whose work complements our curriculum,” said Gallery Director, Paula Booth.

Venues such as these to learn from professionals are opportunities that Western students have when involved in the art department and to be a part of that unified atmosphere of learning and contributing to the cultural environment of the campus.

was a result of her past experiences and how cancer has affected her life.

“My sister had cancer three times over a span of eight years,” Salchenberg stated. “I started getting involved in the American Cancer Society [ASC] when I was in late high school.”

Salchenberg went on to describe her involvement with cancer support, awareness and other activities in order to show her desire to raise awareness and support those affected by the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2010 more than 1.5 million people were affected by cancer, of which about half a million are expected to die.

“[Relay] is very important to me because of my sister,” Salchenberg said. “Also, I have a lot of friends and family who have been affected by cancer in some way.”

Sophomore education major Kelsey Davais, who is on the sub-committee in registration and accounting and a team captain, noted that the overall goals for the event are to raise money for ACS. “We only have about two months to raise money, but I will do as much as I can in that time,” she stated.

When asked how cancer had affected her life, Davais stated, “While I was in high school, I was involved in relay in honor of my grandma who I never met. She died of breast cancer before they knew of a good way to beat it. [My grandpa] beat his cancer in December of 2008, but his heart failed him in February. My grandpa was a survivor, but the treatments took a toll on his body.”

According to Salchenberg, some overall goals for this event are to “bring our campus community and the surrounding community together to raise money for the fight against cancer.”

Students interested in participating in Western’s Relay for Life campaign are encouraged to contact Salchenberg at asstuact@wou.edu.

successful psychology club WOUPSA (Western Oregon University Psychology Student Association) and she has served as the faculty co-sponsor for the WOU-Talmadge Middle School Mentoring program for the past 10 years.

WOUPSA is a combination of the Psychology Student Association and Psi Chi, the national honors society in psychology. The club hosts a number of events throughout the year, shares educational experiences with hopeful psychology majors and faculty members and promotes successful student/faculty relationships.

Strapp further stated that Thompson is “conscientious, dedicated and generous with her time and enthusiasm. Her sense of humor and April Fool’s Day antics will be greatly missed.”

“Kathy Thompson is a wonderful teacher and mentor,” said Dr. Lauren Roscoe, mirroring Strapp’s sentiment. “She really cares about her students and goes above and beyond. She was active in research and mentored several students

about the research process. I consider her a mentor and friend. Her presence in the department will be greatly missed.”

Although Thompson is officially retiring, she plans to teach a course at Western every now and then and will continue with research projects as well. With a strong desire to learn the Spanish language, Thompson has been sitting in on as many classes at Western as she has time for and she will continue to do so in the near future.

Thompson plans to spend more time with her family, consisting of her husband, five children, six grandchildren, two cats and one dog, and looks forward to encouraging her children toward their professional and academic endeavors.

Thompson has several children in college working towards their careers, one of which, Seth Thompson, is working on an internship in India for his family human services degree at the University of Oregon. As she leaves Western, Dr. Thompson encourages aspiring psychology students to study “what fascinates them the most” to ensure a lifetime of happiness.

THOMPSONFROM PAGE 4

(Top) “Oil on Board” by David Tinman Edgar. (Bottom) Sophomore Amanda Decker observes “Circle Sign” artwork, created in 2008.

Photos by | Erica Wills

6 CULTURE March 2, 2011

www.westernoregonjournal.com

MARDI GRAS | FROM PAGE 1

days added to the lunar calendar to make it coincide with the solar calendar or as a late-winter celebration designed to welcome the coming spring. Either way, it has become a season of feasting and merriment that begins on the Twelfth Night also known as Three Kings’ Day. It is 12 days after Christmas (January 6) and celebrates the visit of the Wise men to the

order to confuse King Herod, who wished to kill the newborn Jesus Christ. A coin or bean would be hidden inside the cake and it is said that whoever finds the prize will have good luck for the rest of the year. This French tradition is now instilled in Louisiana, where bakers have replaced the coin or bean with a small baby.

Even the community of Western is taking on the holiday, having their own Mardi Gras celebration on March 2, in the

festivities. Italy has traditional foods and sweets that are associated with the Carnevale, such as fritelle and crespelle. In Milan, Mardi Gras actually ends on the Saturday after Ash Wednesday, with the recognition of the Ambrosian rite. Many states within the United States recognize traditions of Mardi Gras, most noticeably Louisiana.

Extremely influenced by the French settlement in 1702 of Mobile, Alabama,

which at that time was the first capital of French Louisiana, Louisiana today has a long standing tradition that is now in New Orleans, which became the capital in 1718. In New Orleans, the French influence has brought about masked balls and parties on Fat Tuesday.

Another tradition dates back to the 12th century when a custom began in France. A King’s Cake is served on January 6, which is made in a circle to represent the circular routes that the Wise Men took in

A common sight in New Orleans during the time of Mardi Gras, people celebrating on Bourbon Street brave the crowds for entertainment.

• In French “Mardi” means “fat” and “Gras” means “Tuesday.”

• Though celebrated for its entertaining purposes in America today, the origins of Mardi Gras can be traced back to Medieval Europe, primarily celebrated in Rome.

• Mardi Gras is generally celebrated on “Fat Tuesday,” the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and prior to the start of the Lenten season.

• Lent is the 40-day period of fasting prior to Easter Sunday.

• Today, the most popular Mardi Gras celebration takes place in New Orleans, though in America the holiday was initially celebrated in Mobile, Ala. in 1703. The event was established in New Orleans in 1718.

• The traditional colors of Mardi Gras are purple (symbolizing justice), gold (symbolizing power) and green (symbolizing faith).

mardi grasFun facts

infant Jesus, bearing gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold.

Different cultures celebrate Mardi Gras in different ways. For example, in Belgium the Mardi Gras festival has become one of the most important days of the year. Around the year 1000, Gilles dance through town from dawn till dusk. Gilles are males starting at the early age of three dressed up in traditional costumes of wooden clogs and an outfit, which is made in the colors of the Belgian flag. They don a mask in the morning, but after reaching the town hall the mask is removed and is never worn in the afternoon. Gilles carry ramons, tied bunches of twigs, which are said to ward off evil spirits.

Italy is one of the countries that focus more on the Carnevale period rather than Mardi Gras itself, which means that for a week before Mardi Gras there is merry-making, masquerade processions, masked balls, parades, pageants, jugglers, magicians, stilt walkers and many more

Den of Werner. Though it isn’t as long as the traditional Mardi Gras celebration (the event will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.), there will be beads and mocktails for all to enjoy.

This is a new event to campus, though Hannah Arriola ASWOU Multicultural Student Advocate said that “Peer Mentors usually does something similar to this program about alcohol safety during freshmen week.” For the Mardi Gras festivities the goal is “to educate about Mardi Gras History, where it came

from and why it’s here now,” Arriola stated. She also stated that like the Peer

mentors, they do also wish to “educate on alcohol safety when a person may be out on Mardi Gras.”

With the help of her intern Ka Her, Arriola has set up festivities to include music, mocktails, beads, masks, photos and alcohol safety info.

Arriola said their main goal is allow people to “just have fun and learn at the same time.”

Jazz has been a distinctive aspect of American culture for over 100 years, reflective of the feelings and changes that took and continue to take place regarding American values, moods and lifestyles. As one of the most culturally diverse genres of music, jazz has broken down the walls between racial issues and differences amongst African Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Europeans. Long before the Civil Rights Movement, people from different walks of life were able to bond and connect over their love of music and, more specifically, their love of jazz.

From Feb. 18 through Feb. 27, Portland, Ore., once again played host to the Portland Jazz Festival, choosing to revamp this year’s event by adopting a new theme.

Jazz is known for its ability to be molded and tailored to a variety

of sub-categories, with many of these generally unique to specific cultures and races. Two popular categories are that of African-American jazz and the jazz of the American Jewish community. The integration between these two cultures has been a theme observed on the jazz scene in cities such as New York and has been adopted as the theme for this year’s jazz festival.

With these new combinations of unique and distinctive sub-categories of jazz, the performers at this year’s event were equally diverse.

Titled “Bridges and Boundaries,” one of the many artists performing at this year’s event was Portland Jazz Festival’s new Artistic & Community Ambassador, Esperanza Spalding.

Spalding is best known as a singer and jazz bassist, winning the 2011 Grammy Award for best new artist. This makes her

the first jazz artist to ever win this award.

A native of Portland, Ore., Spalding has a diverse ethnic background including African, Hispanic European and Native American origins. From an early age, this diversity fueled her interest in different cultures, aiding her in learning to sing in a variety of languages. Spalding performs in English, Spanish and Portugese, with her vocal skills as diverse as her instrumental talent. Along with the bass, Spalding taught herself to play the violin at age five and has also played the oboe and the clarinet.

Along with Spalding, other artists that have influenced this Afro-Semitic movement that performed over the weekend include Anat Fort, Dave Frishberg, The Afro-Semitic Experience, Devin Phillips, Don Byron, Joshua Redman, Poncho Sanchez and Regina Carter.

Performances were scattered throughout Portland this weekend at venues such as The Newmark Theatre, The Crystal Ballroom, The Winningstad Theatre and the Alberta Rose Theatre.

This year, the event was sponsored by Alaska/Horizon Airlines and US Bank. Additionally, PDX Jazz was awarded two grants: the America Fast-Track grant and the Jazz Masters Live grant. The National Endowment for the Arts established the latter grant with a mission of bringing the most talented musicians, songwriters and producers of jazz to venues across the country. Supporting jazz musicians since the 1960s, the National Endowment for the Arts strives to provide excellence in jazz by establishing support for local artists and projects to promote an international love of the arts.

Christina Tilicki | Culture and Campus Life Editor

Annual Portland Jazz Festival showcases over 100 unique performances, sheds light on cultural significance of genre2011 event brings internationally acclaimed musicians together to share in the craft that they love

Photo courtesy | Darin Marshall

• Randy Weston• Feb. 18, The Winningstad Theatere• Anat Fort• Feb. 19, The Winningstad Theatre• Esperanza Spalding• Feb. 25, The Newmark Theatre• Poncho Sanchez • Feb. 25, The Crystal Ballroom• The Afro-Semitic Experience• Feb. 26, The Crystal Ballroom• Regina Carter• Feb. 26, The Crystal Ballroom • SFJAZZ Collective• Feb. 26, The Newmark Theatre • The 3 Cohens featuring Anat, Avishai

and Yuval• Feb. 26, The Crystal Ballroom• Maceo Parker• Feb. 27, The Crystal Ballroom

Portland Jazz Festival performances

CULTURE 7March 2, 2011

www.westernoregonjournal.com

Book Review

“The Strain,” published in 2009, is a horror thriller and the first in an ongoing trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. The “San Francisco Chronicle” describes “The Strain” as “a visceral page-turner that re-imagines vampirism as a virus . . . [An] epic battle between good and evil . . . [with] vivid scenes of a New York where something has gone terribly wrong.” “Entertainment Weekly “called it “a cross between ‘The Hot Zone’ and ‘Salem's Lot’.”

Ray Carsillo from ESPN.com was quoted as saying, “‘The Strain’ is a tremendous, thrilling read. I had to keep putting the book down after every few pages because I was so creeped out by the amazingly descriptive passages. If you can work up the courage to finish the book, you'll be clamoring for the second and third installment of this trilogy in no time. This story will redefine how you look at vampires.”

The story centers around Dr. Eph Goodweather, who leads a special division of the CDC, a rapid-response team called “Canary.” When a pilotless plane shows up at JFK airport in New York City, Goodweather and his team are called in to investigate a possible act of biological terrorism. They discover four survivors in a plane full of corpses inflicted with a virus unlike anything they had ever seen before. In the cargo hold is a mysterious coffin (a nod to Bram Stoker) full of dirt.

To add to the eeriness of the plane, a solar eclipse plunged New York into five minutes of darkness. Things shift into the paranormal when the corpses start to come back to life and the survivors transform into hideous

monster-vampires. Mutated by the

virus, these “revenants” have long stinger-like tongues, black eyes and oxygenless blood full of “blood worms.” Goodweather is locked in a race against time to discover the source of the virus and stop it before all of Manhattan is infected; the safety of his wife and son depend on it.

In his search, he encounters Abraham Setrakian, a disgraced professor and Holocaust survivor who has fought these vampires before. The closer they get to the truth, the more they encounter Eldritch Palmer, the mysterious leader of the Stoneheart Group, who will stop at nothing to prevent Goodweather from hindering the virus’ outbreak. Palmer’s interest lies with a figure known only as “The Master.” Joined by a ragtag group, including an exterminator named Vasiliy Fet, Eph must fight to stop the Stoneheart Group’s domination and contain this horrific contagion.

Guillermo del Toro is best known for his directing work on blockbuster films such “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “The Orphanage” and the “Hellboy” series, which have won him three Academy Awards. He also directed lesser-known masterpieces such as “The Devil’s Backbone” and “Chronos.”

Chuck Hogan is an acclaimed novelist known for his books “The Standoff” and “Prince of Thieves.” The latter novel won him the 2005 Hammet Award and was called one of the 10 best novels of the year by Stephen King.

The second book in this trilogy, “The Fall,” was published in September 2010. The final installment, “The Night Eternal,” is set to be released this October.

With hints of Bram Stoker’s classic ‘Dracula’ and modern science fiction, this thriller has been

called a ‘true page turner’ by critics

Lindsay Pirelli | Freelancer

Order online @ subway.com

113 E. Main St. 503.837.0960

From March 8 to March 10, The Elsinore Theatre in Salem, Ore., will host what is known by fans and critics alike as the hilarious and honest performance called “Menopause, The Musical.” It will show Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., and Wednesday at 2 p.m.

“Menopause, The Musical” is a show that entertained and liberated women across the United States and internationally since 2001. The performance is the work of writer Jeanie Linders and focuses on women going through “the change” of menopause, but in a comedic and very relatable way.

Linders has a 30 year career in the arts. She was the president and CEO of an advertising firm for 10 years, specializing in entertainment and hospitality accounts. She was also an art consultant and worked in public relations for one of Michael Jackson’s tours.

Parodying songs has always come naturally to Linders and it has been said that she created “Menopause, The Musical” after a bottle of wine and a hot flash. She says that she remembers standing in front of her freezer during a hot

flash and singing a song called “Hot Flash” to Rod Stewart’s song “Hot Legs.”

Her organization, the Jeanie C. Linders Foundation, supports women worldwide in business development, arts and culture, personal growth, health issues and education. The foundation encourages and assists women to start small businesses and help their families out of poverty. Linders’ career spans far and wide, and “Menopause, The Musical” is one of her amazing accomplishments that has reached women everywhere.

Linders said that “Most women know intuitively that every other woman is experiencing hot flashes or night sweats, there is always a close friend or two who can sympathize or identify with her, but when they are sitting in a theater with hundreds of other women, all laughing and shouting ‘That’s me! That’s me on stage!’”

The performance is set in a department store, where four women who are practically nothing alike meet at a lingerie sale. The women share menopause stories of hot flashes, mood swings, wrinkles, night sweats, forgetfulness and those

Internationally acclaimed production

‘Menopause, The Musical’ premiers at

Salem’s Elsinore TheatreJillian Calahan | Freelancer

cravings for chocolate, all of the things that audience members will laugh at and find easily relatable. The women form a relationship through their similar experiences as they soon realize that they are no longer traveling down “the silent passage” of menopause. The musical is aimed at encouraging healthy discussion about menopause and the issues that aging women experience, most often alone.

“The show’s strong pull comes from the freedom to publicly giggle over the more sober personal realities that have come with aging. There’s a genuine liberation to be had in laughing,” said Joseph T. Rozmiare in The Honolulu Advertiser.

The show originally opened in Orlando, Fla., in 2001. After millions of women rejoiced and were inspired by the show, its creator expanded the show. “Menopause, The Musical” has now been shown in more than 450 cities throughout the United

States and in 15 other countries. The show has enlightened audiences in countries such as Australia, Canada, England, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand and South Korea.

Linders saw the amazing potential in the show for raising awareness about women’s health issues. After the success of “Menopause, The Musical,” Linders created “Menopause, The Musical Out Loud: Breaking The Silence of Ovarian Cancer.” The second show has been performed across America in more than 100 cities. The show spreads awareness about ovarian cancer and raises funds for local and regional ovarian cancer research and treatment chapters. “Menopause, The Musical” also supports the Jeanie C. Linders Fund, which has programs such as the There’s No Place Like Home national program. It provides homes to women and families who have lost their homes after natural and catastrophic disasters.

Written by Jeanie Linders, “Menopause, The Musical” pays homage to the trials women face.

Photo courtesy | James Penlidis

Photo courtesy | Jeanie Linders

8 OPINION March 2, 2011

www.westernoregonjournal.com

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CULTURE/

CAMPUS LIFE EDITORChristina Tilicki

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SPORTS EDITORJeffrey Larson

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DESIGN EDITORNadia Snsawir@

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Letters to the editor must be signed with submitter’s name, affiliation (if applicable) and include a physical address, e-mail and phone number. Letters may be edited for grammar, punctuation and spelling, but never for content. Letters to the editor may be up to 250 words. The Journal reserves the right to run letters to the editor that are over 250 words if space allows it.

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The Western Oregon Journal, published for use by Western students, faculty and staff, is private property. A single copy of each week’s Journal is free from campus newsstands. Unauthorized removal of multiple copies will be considered theft and is prosecutable.

Letters to the editor

Jo Bruno

Freelancer

Overcome depression by increasing self-awareness

JakeLogan

NewsEditor

The Oscars: What a disappointment

Winter is the time of year when blue skies turn cloudy, rain falls constantly and the sun hides more often. It is that time of year when some people feel a sense of sadness overtake them too. Many of us suffer from some form of depression, whether it be seasonal or a constant struggle with internal battles. In western society, our doctors give us a depression prescription and send us on our way. Most doctors do not ask why we feel stressed or why we feel like crying every day.

Honestly, I feel that most doctors just do not care. They are more worried about making money than actually making sure we are all living a happy and healthy life. Because of that, I have taken it upon myself to make sure I live a life of happiness and health. I would like to remind you that it is, in fact, possible to find a sense of comfort and relaxation regardless of what is going on in life. I cannot lie and say it is easy, because it is nowhere near

easy to accomplish this sense of serenity. However, I can guarantee it is well worth the struggle.

I want to begin by sharing a short story. My intention behind sharing this story is not to receive sympathy; it is only to explain the process of my depression and my struggle to get over it.

The day was June 9, 1998, and I was sitting on the sidewalk where I sat every morning for about four months straight. This particular morning changed my entire life. As I sat and waited for my friends to arrive at school, a car hit me. Yes, a car hit me. I do not recall much of the moment of impact. I do, however, remember hearing screeching tires and then tumbling over someone’s front lawn a few times only to land on the

porch. The costs I endured from the outcome of this accident were a broken femur bone, the inability to walk (or even limp) through my way to high school graduation, a large lawyer’s fee and an even larger hospital bill. Now, I do not want to go into the legalities of the whole matter, but I do want to share the internal effects it had on me.

I struggled throughout high school and did all I could during my junior year to receive all the credits I needed to graduate on time. I worked hard because walking the stage meant a lot to me. It was not so much the actual graduation, but more so experiencing my name being called and hearing my family cheer me on. Because I spent graduation night in my hospital bed, I do not even know what it was like. The inner turmoil I experienced in the hospital and during physical therapy while I

DEPRESSIONSEE PAGE 9

To say that the Oscars are a highlight in my year is somewhat of an understatement. I call the Oscars my Super Bowl: I watch the red carpet, which is comparable to a pre-game show, and pending on the outcome of the awards, I watch post-show interviews. I love the event, from its speeches, to its fashion and entertainment.

I’ve watched the Oscars since I was little, and always excited by the glitz and the glamour of the event. I love watching actresses like Julia Roberts and Hallie Berry receive their golden statues; however, I must admit that the 83rd Oscars program was rather lackluster.

The fashion element of the event is showcased in the red carpet special, which is aired right up to the award ceremony. This is where the actresses have their chance to dazzle the public and press with their gowns, dresses and frocks. However, in my mind, there was only one knock-out actress this year, Natalie Portman, who wore a perfect purple gown that was appropriate for her

baby-bump. Gwyneth Paltrow

and Sandra Bullock also stood out from the crowd, but not as dramatically as Portman did. Of course, Anne Hathaway made her typical glamorous red carpet appearance, but her wardrobe was the only thing she shined in.

The show had so much potential for being a knock-out program, but somewhere it didn’t click. With James Franco and Anne Hathaway as co-hosts, I thought it was going to be a fantastic show. However, I thought Franco and Hathaway somewhat dull and lacking. They went for every cheesy gimmick that two younger actors could. They tried to reach a “younger demographic”, talked about how much fun dresses could be – with Franco even donning a Monroe inspired gown – and took slightly flirtatious slams from each other; all that was missing from their performance was a symbol shot at the end of their punch-lines.

Despite these disappointments, my first real annoyance with the Oscars this year started at Melissa Leo’s win for supporting actress for her role in “The Fighter.” While

OSCARSSEE PAGE 9

INDEPENDENCE CINEMA 8

450 S. 2nd Street Independence, OR 97351503-606-3000 | www.IndependenceCinema8.com

RANGO (PG) (12:00) (2:25) (4:55) 7:20 9:45

DISNEY’S GNOMEO AND JULIET (35MM) (G) (12:40) (2:45) (4:50) 6:50 8:50

THE KING’S SPEECH (R) (11:30) (1:50) 6:40

DRIVE ANGRY (3D) (R) (11:45) (2:15) (4:40) 7:05 9:35

UNKNOWN (PG-13) (4:15) 9:10

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT (R) (1:00) (3:10) (5:30) (7:40) (9:55)

HALL PASS (R) (11:20) (1:40) (4:05) 6:30 9:00

I AM NUMBER 4 (PG-13) (11:35) (1:55) (4:20) 7:00 9:30

ADJUSTMENT BUREAU (PG-13) (12:10) (2:35) (5:05) 7:30 9:50

Showtimes for March 4 - March 10Matinees are all shows starting before 6PM.

Tickets available at box office, WOU bookstore and online at www.PrestigeTheatres.com.

*No passes on starred attractions

March 2, 2011

www.westernoregonjournal.com

OPINION 9

was learning to walk again was excruciating. Nearly every night when I was alone, I cried. I was very angry and did not want to do the exercises my doctors told me to do. I fought with my boyfriend, argued with my mom and refused to see anyone. It took me almost an entire year to finally get out of the house and socialize with the rest of the world.

The depression associated with this particular part of my life still hits me every so often. If I spend too much time in the house or if I do not exercise for a long period, my mind takes me back to this accident. I have seen different types of doctors and they all tried to give me medication to cover up the symptoms of my depression instead of encouraging me to face my fears. After the last doctor I saw about my depression, which was about five years ago, I decided I needed

to take it upon myself to overcome my depression and control the memories of being hit by a car.

I cannot put into words how awesome it feels to be able to overcome a wave of depression, especially when the depression hits without warning. When I feel like crying for no reason, get snappy with people for no reason or cannot sleep, I reflect on my life. I try to figure out what happened within the last couple of weeks that might have triggered a sad memory or fear I have. It may take me about three or four days before I realize what has happened that sparked it, but nonetheless, I am grateful to have the ability to notice when depression overtakes me.

You may be asking yourself what it is I did to recognize my depression or how I overcame my internal struggle. It is simple, really: I paid attention to myself. I listened to my thoughts. I observed my habits. I became in tune

with myself. It is amazing to know exactly how you feel when you are feeling something. It is astonishing when you can distinguish between fear and sadness. It is a miraculous moment in your life when you can say to yourself, “I am feeling [insert emotion], because [insert reason].”

Overall, depression is something most people experience. I have shared my story because I want to uplift those of us who suffer from depression of all sorts. As I mentioned earlier, it is not easy.

However, the more we try to overcome the feelings of helplessness, inadequacy and dependency, the more we can smile, laugh and help others. Try not to ignore the symptoms of depression because those feelings are there for a reason and paying attention to them will make a difference in your life. I am speaking from experience when I say that anyone who wants to overcome depression can if they try.

Every week there will be a close-up photo of a random object that can be found on campus. The first person who emails the “Journal” at editor@westernoregonjournal.com with the correct identification wins a free Little Caesar’s pizza. In your email,

please include your name, phone number and area of study/title.

The answer to the photo hunt will be printed in the following week’s issue. Good luck!Last week’s answer: Artwork located by the staircase next to the University Bookstore on the

upper level of Werner.

Congratulations to pyschology major Riley Buck for correctly identifying last week’s photo and winning a free Little Caesar’s pizza!

The BIG Picture

Photo by | Emily Laughlin

DEPRESSIONFROM PAGE 8

I am sure she did well in her performance, she did not do well in her acceptance speech. Her speech seemed to ramble on and on to the point that I wanted to yell “Get off the stage already!” Additionally, Leo made Oscar history when she blurted out the f-word in her speech, stating that when she watched another actress, Kate Winslet, accept the award a few

years back, it “looked so much [f-ing] easier.”

Leo’s acceptance was not the only one that made me roll my eyes; the way Charles Ferguson (producer/director of “Inside Job,” the winner for best documentary) started off his speech first made me skeptical and then annoyed. He turned his acceptance speech into a political moment, stating that the financial crisis that started three years ago was caused by fraud amongst corporate

bigwigs and still no arrest of them has been made.

I understand many documentaries are political; however, the Oscars should be a night when the focus is given to cinematic achievements, which thankfully Ferguson acknowledged at the last moment.

I hope that next year’s Oscars are better than this year’s and make up for it by having a knock-out host, great films and amazing fashion and atmosphere.

OSCARSFROM PAGE 8

RETRACTIONSThe magic and mystery of a play well done (Feb. 23, Issue 19): The front page caption reads “Margaret Sherbourne”; it should read “Nicole Wolf.”

Men’strackandfieldwins4thstraightGNACindoortitle(Feb.23,Issue19): It was recently discovered that a significant portion of this article was plagiarized by one of our freelance writers, with parts of the story taken from Danny Barnts’ press release. As a result, said freelancer will no longer be writing stories for the “Journal.” The staff wish to express their sincerest apologies to both Mr. Barnts and our readers for this act.

World after WOU (Issue 19, Feb. 23): On Wednesday, Feb. 23, this event was canceled due to weather conditions on campus. Unfortunately, this notice was unavailable at press time.

March 2, 2011

www.westernoregonjournal.com

10 SPORTS

Softball team goes 2-2 to open GNAC playHillmick, Worthey, Wood help give the Wolves two home wins this weekend against MSU Billings

Freshman Alex Hillmick led the Wolves to sweep the doubleheader on Sunday, Feb. 27. She allowed only one run over seven innings in the first game of the doubleheader.

The Western Oregon softball team played two doubleheaders over the weekend to open Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play against Montana State Billings. Western split the games, losing both games on Feb. 26 and winning both on Feb. 27.

DAY 1The Wolves suffered

two late comebacks by Montana State Billings in its GNAC opener to fall in both games of a doubleheader, 5-4 and 8-7, on Saturday, Feb. 26.

The losses dropped the Wolves to 3-4 on the season while improving the Yellowjackets to 4-3.

Ashley Worthey went 5-for-7 with three runs and four RBIs in the doubleheader to pace the Wolves. Jessica Wood also added three RBIs.

GAME 1Kaycee Hoffman’s

bases-clearing double with two out in the seventh inning lifted MSU Billings to a 5-4 win over Western.

The Wolves led 4-0 entering the top of the sixth inning before MSU Billings rallied with two in the sixth and three more in the seventh.

Western grabbed the lead behind a strong performance on the mound and in the batter’s box by Wood. The senior from The Dalles, Ore. went 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and an RBI.

Wood (2-3) did not give up a run for Western through five innings, allowing just three hits and six strikeouts. She ended the game with a final line of eight strikeouts in 6.2 innings, giving up five runs and eight hits. Wood was saddled with the loss after the Yellowjackets rallied for the win.

Hoffman was the offensive force for the Yellowjackets with four RBIs and two doubles. Meg Harasymczuk added two runs and a double as she went 2-for-3.

Western took the lead in the fourth on Wood’s double to score Worthey. The Wolves added three

in its half of the fifth on run-scoring hits by Bailey Rueck and Worthey. The Wolves pushed across one more on an unearned run to go in front, 4-0.

Worthey also went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored for the Wolves.

GAME 2MSU Billings’

Harasymczuk deposited a three-run homer over the right-center field wall in the top of the seventh inning to give the Yellowjackets an 8-7 win in game two.

H a r a s y m c z u k ’ s

W=Win L=Loss PCT=Percentage GB=Games Back

s o f t b a l l g n a c s ta n d i n g s

Sophomore Andrea Bailey hit a home run in Western’s 8-7 loss on Feb. 26.Photo by | Emily Laughlin

game-winning homer came on the eve of the Wolves scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth.

Down 5-3 heading into its half of the sixth, Western rallied for four runs. Andrea Bailey started the scoring with a solo home run to center. Tierra-Lyn Cuba then singled and, two batters later, Jessica Hallmark reached on a walk. With two runners on, Worthey came through as she doubled off the left field wall to drive in one and put runners at second and third for Wood. On the first pitch, Wood lined the ball up the middle to score two and put the Wolves in front, 7-5.

The Yellowjackets had the answer in the seventh, however. They scored three runs in their last at-bat to earn the one-run win. MSU Billings capitalized on a Wolves’ error to lead off the inning when its next hitter singled and Harasymczuk followed with the go-ahead three-run blast.

Worthey led Western at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Hallmark also scored two runs as she reached base in three of her four plate appearances with a single and two walks. Bailey was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI out of the leadoff spot.

Wood (2-4) took the loss after being charged with three runs (two earned). Western’s defense also committed two errors in the seventh inning.

DAY 2In the second set of

games in the four-game series, Alex Hillmick earned a win and a save to help the Western softball team sweep a doubleheader from MSU Billings, 2-1

and 7-3, on Sunday, Feb. 27.

The back-to-back wins gave Western (5-4, 2-2 GNAC) and MSU Billings (4-5, 2-2 GNAC) a split in the opening GNAC series for both teams.

GAME 3Hillmick allowed just

one run over seven innings to make two early Wolves’ runs hold up for a 2-1 victory.

This was the first career complete game victory for the freshman from Pendleton, Ore. She gave up just five hits and struck out six en route to improving to 2-0 on the season. The only run she allowed was a solo home run to Harasymczuk with two outs in the first inning.

The Wolves manufactured runs in the second and third innings to overcome the early deficit. Their first run came on Tia Misfeldt’s foul out with the bases loaded, which carried MSU Billings’ third baseman out of play. This allowed all of Western’s runners to advance a base.

Western pushed across the go-ahead run in the third on Rueck’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to plate Bailey, who led off the inning with a walk.

While Western was able to score two runs without the benefit of a run-scoring hit, the Yellowjackets struggled to score as they left 10 runners on base and went 4-for-13 with runners on, including 0-for-5 with the bases loaded.

Annaleisha Parsley (1-2) took the loss. She gave up four hits and two runs while walking four and striking out three.

GAME 4Cuba and Wood each

had two two-out RBIs and three Wolves’ pitchers combined to allowed just one earned run (three total) in a 7-3 win in game two.

Western put four runs on the board in the second to grab an early lead. It then added three insurance runs in the fifth after MSU Billings narrowed the lead to one.

Danielle Harcourt was the only Wolf to record a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Misfeldt reached base in all three of her plate appearances as she drew walks and had a hit. She also scored two runs. Hallmark scored runs in each of Western’s scoring innings and also added a hit and a walk.

In the circle, Wood started the game for Western and pitched a very strong first three innings, facing just two batters over the minimum. She ran into trouble in the fourth after the Yellowjackets loaded the bases with one out. Western head coach Pam Knox then went to the bullpen for Kelsey White, who responded by getting out of the inning with just one run allowed to pick up her first win of the season. Hillmick took over in the fifth and pitched the final three innings to earn her first career save.

The game featured no extra base hits and Western out-singled MSU Billings, 9-6.

NEXT GAMESWestern will continue

its GNAC schedule next weekend in Canada as the Wolves go to Simon Fraser for a four game series, March 5-6.

• • •Story courtesy of sports information, located at

wouwolves.com.

W L PCT GB W L PCT Western Oregon 2 2 .500 -- 5 4 .556 MSU Billings 2 2 .500 -- 4 5 .444 Western Washington 0 0 .000 -- 5 0 1.000 Central Washington 0 0 .000 -- 2 3 .400 Saint Martin’s 0 0 .000 -- 1 4 .200 Northwest Nazarene 0 0 .000 -- 1 4 .200 Simon Fraser 0 0 .000 -- 0 0 .000

CONF. ALL

Photo by | Emily Laughlin

March 2, 2011

www.westernoregonjournal.com

SPORTS 11

Matthew Curan | Freelancer

Men’s basketball falls to SPU in playoffsNelson led the Wolves with 19 points and six

rebounds in the Wolves’ 69-65 GNAC playoff loss

Sophomore Kolton Nelson (pictured on Feb. 17 against MSU Billings) had 19 points and six rebounds in the Wolves’ loss to SPU on Feb. 28.

On the final day of the regular season, Western faced their toughest test of the season: a road game against the top team in the conference.

On Thursday, Feb. 24, Central Washington (CWU) knocked off the Wolves, 71-57. With the win, CWU is the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season champions (GNAC) and improved their record to 23-3 overall, 16-2 GNAC. Western dropped to 13-15 overall, 8-10 GNAC.

Western fought hard in this game, but struggled offensively. They only made 38 percent of their shots compared to CWU making 50 percent of their shots. The Wildcats’ bench outscored the Wolves’ 33-4.

“We wanted to make them execute in the half court,” explained Western head coach Craig Stanger. “Unfortunately, we shot a low percentage and we needed to slow them down.”

CWU started the game firing on all cylinders with an 18-4 run and never gave up the lead after that point. Despite the strong start, Western only trailed 38-27 at the half.

To start out the second half, Western scored the first five points to decrease the Wildcat’s to six points. This was the point where CWU showed why they are the number one team in the conference. They went on an immediate scoring run and kept the lead above 10 points throughout the rest of the half.

Junior Blair Wheadon, who was voted to the second team all-GNAC, led all scorers with 24 points. Sophomore Kolton Nelson had six rebounds and three assists.

The Wolves have the annual GNAC tournament to look forward to. The top eight teams out of the conference square off against each other. Western was started the sixth seed in the tournament and they start it off on the road against third seed Seattle Pacific. The winner of the GNAC tournament gets an automatic bid to the West Region Tournament.

On Monday, Feb. 28, Western lost to Seattle Pacific, 69-65. Nelson led Western with 19 points and sophomore Tarance Glynn contributed 18 points.

This game was a nail-biter from the

start. Last time they played in Seattle, Western stunned the former GNAC champions with an upset.

At the end of the first half, Western only trailed by seven points. SPU pushed the lead to 64-55 with 3:55 to play. This is where Western showed everyone how tough they are.

The Wolves responded by scoring the next seven points. After a steal and powerful dunk by Jordan Freelander, the Wolves trailed 64-62 with 59 seconds left in the game. SPU responded by making a lay-up on the next possession. Nelson answered back with a huge three-pointer off the backboard to make it 66-65 with only 38 seconds in the game.

The next possession of the game for SPU could simply be called the dagger. After two timeouts, the Falcons finally got the ball in bounds. David Downs waited for the right moment and passed the ball to fellow senior Jeff Downs. With 11 seconds left, Downs drained a game-clinching thee-pointer to make the game 69-65. Western failed to score on the next possession and that was how the season ended for the Wolves.

“That shot epitomizes who he is,” said SPU head coach Ryan Looney. “We were intentionally trying to run the shot clock as far down as we possibly could. To his credit, he got an open one late in the clock and buried it for the game.”

Western finished the season 13-16 overall, 8-11 GNAC. SPU improved to 19-8 overall, 12-6 GNAC. They move on to the semifinals of the tournament and will travel to Alaska Anchorage.

Despite finishing the season below .500, Western still had a very successful season. They improved from last season by making the GNAC tournament and won one more game than last season.

Western has a very bright future ahead of them. Glynn, Nelson and the back court duo of Kyle Long and Wheadon will return. The experience they gained from this season will pay dividends next year.

“I am proud of our overall attitude,” concluded Stanger. “We had great camaraderie and I like the direction of next year.”

Photo by | Melissa Swagerty

WBBFROM PAGE 1

best game tonight,” Bruce noted. “They were ready to go and it showed in how they dominated the game for large stretches. We could not slow them down enough to make a difference. You have to tip your hat to them.”

Western was outdone in almost every statistical category, shooting just 31 percent for the game. The Falcons connected on 60 percent of their field goal attempts.

SPU also dominated the boards, outrebounding Western 42-27. The Wolves did have 11 offensive rebounds to SPU’s ten. The Falcons outscored the Wolves 52-18 in points in the paint and 24-13 in

points off turnovers.The Falcons were led

by junior guard Nyesha Sim’s 16-point, ten-rebound double-double. Redshirt freshman Katie Benson also notched a double-double, registering 13 points and ten boards.

Seattle Pacific has been the dominant force in the GNAC since its formation ten seasons ago. They have won six conference titles and have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in nine consecutive seasons, including a second-place finish in 2003-04. They finished last season ranked seventh nationally after losing in the Elite Eight.

Despite the setback, Western had a stellar season. The Wolves finished with a .500 record

in GNAC play for the first time since 2001-02. Their five conference road wins and four series sweeps were firsts, as well. They started conference play at 4-0, the best start in school history.

Zahler was named to the All-GNAC Second Team while Peterson was voted the GNAC Newcomer of the Year.

Peterson also earned All-GNAC Honorable Mention honors while Zahler was twice selected as GNAC Player of the Week. Her first selection of the season was Western’s first weekly award since the 2007-08 season.

“I hope the team and the fans can focus on what we did throughout the entire season,” Bruce

added. “We did not play our best game tonight, but we accomplished a lot of things this year. The girls should be really proud of the year they had.”

The Wolves earned the GNAC tournament’s sixth seed with their 76-72 victory at Northwest Nazarene last Thursday, Feb. 24. The win evened Western’s GNAC) ecord at 9-9 while NNU dropped to 9-9 in conference play, putting the two in a tie for sixth place. Western received the sixth seed because it swept the season series from the Crusaders.

Peterson’s jumper with 47 seconds left proved to be the game-winning shot. Peterson had a game-high 22 points on the night, hitting nine of her 12 shots.

The Wolves led by

as many as eight points in the second half, holding a 54-46 advantage with 10:2 remaining. NNU battled back and was able to grab a one-point lead at 72-71 with 57 seconds left.

The final lead change came moments later when Peterson’s shot put Western up for good.

After an NNU miss, sophomore guard Lorrie Clifford nailed two free throws to put Western up by three at 75-72.

The Crusaders missed another field goal attempt and then fouled Peterson, who iced the game after making one free throw.

Zahler scored all 13 of her points in the second half. Bellando registered 12 points and eight rebounds while

sophomore guard Jamie Richardson added 10 points and five assists. Sophomore guard Lorrie Clifford led the team with eight rebounds. Peterson also recorded three blocked shots.

Western torched the nets, shooting 57.4 percent for the game, including a blistering 60 percent in the second stanza. NNU was held to 36.9 percent shooting and made just five of 19 three-point shots.

“It was great to see the girls get this win,” Bruce said. “We had been playing well and had leads late in all of our recent losses, but we had struggled to make plays down the stretch. This victory is a testament to their heart and their will to win.”

March 2, 2011

www.westernoregonjournal.com

12 SPORTS

Men’s Lacrosse earns 6-5 win in home opener Chris Curtis | Freelancer

Jacob Bohince, Iliyn lead the Wolves to victory at home over the Western Washington Vikings

With temperatures hovering right around freezing, the Western men’s lacrosse team welcomed the Vikings from Western Washington University to what is now known around the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League as “The Farm.”

The Wolves certainly had their work cut out for them this Saturday with the absence of both All-American midfielders Ian Bohince and Matt Frutiger.

Both teams came out looking to keep the tempo of the game slower based on the field conditions. Halfway through the first quarter, sophomore Jacob Bohince was able to get the Wolves on the scoreboard first with a nice dodge from behind the cage.

The remainder of the quarter was more back and forth action with both defenses coming out on top and Western leading 1-0.

The Vikings were able to get on the board in the second off a drive by Colin Gaddy. It was not until midfielder Mark Iliyn made one of his patented coast to coast goals that Western regained the lead and this time, they were sure to not relinquish it. The first half ended with Western Oregon up 2-1.

The start of the third quarter was the brightest spot for the Wolves’ offense as they looked to shred the tightly-packed zone defense that the Vikings were putting up.

The first goal came on an extra man opportunity with Jacob Bohince finding Spenser Brock for the easy tally. Shortly after, Bohince made a drive through the crowd and scored his second of the day, giving Western its largest lead at 4-1.

Gaddy for Western Washington got one back before freshman Taylor Dougan let fly a sniper

shot from the top of the box. Sitting at 5-2, the Wolves had a bit of a mental break down allowing two quick scores in the final minute of the third quarter, shortening the lead to 5-4.

In the fourth quarter, Brock once again gave the Wolves some breathing room with a crucial goal to go up by two. From that point, it was all about the Wolves defense clamping down on the Vikings, only giving up four shots in the entire quarter.

The Vikings were able to give Western a bit of a scare late in the fourth, scoring in transition with 23 seconds left in the game. However, the Vikings were unable to win the ensuing face-off and Western won, 6-5.

The Wolves will be back in action Saturday, March 5, at home playing host to Concordia University of Irvine at 1 p.m.

Sophomore Jacob Bohince (3) scored two goals, helping lead the Wolves to a 6-5 victory over the Western Washington Vikings on Saturday, Feb. 26.

Photo by | MacKenzie Brown

Photo by | Brandon Woodard

Tony Falotico scored two tries to lead the Wolves to the 27-10 victory over the Corvallis Rugby Football Club (CRFC) Brewers. Marc Gillette, Marc DesJardin and Marshall Hanshumaker added one try a piece in the win. With the scored tied, 5-5, at halftime, the Wolves crushed the Brewers in the second half with outstanding defense and impressive runs by Falotico and DesJardin to give the Wolves the 27-10 win.

Western topples CRFC, 27-10

Tony Falotico runs past former Western rugby player James Holmes, now playing for the CRFC Brewers, enroute to one of his two tries.