The Willamette University Mill Stream. Photo by Iris McClure. This information was provided by ASWU Director of Communications Katelyn Beissel Rosales and compiled by Alma Snortum-Phelps, publication editor for The Collegian. Here are the candidates for the Spring 2026 ASWU Senate special election, organized by graduating class. Voting begins Friday, Jan. 23 at 8 a.m. and will end Monday, Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. Class of 2027 Ella McComas Hi Bearcats! My name is Ella McComas (she/her), and I am running to be one of your class of 2027 ASWU senators. As a double major in Civic Communication and Media & Public Health, I am committed to strengthening communication between students and administration. My current campus involvement includes being a member of the women’s soccer team, a student representative for the fall Public Health faculty hiring committee, serving as a voting member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and participating in various campus and classroom opportunities. Through my experience, I’ve seen how student input can shape programs and opportunities offered at Willamette. I am committed to representing diverse perspectives through listening, supporting, and uplifting students to create a more engaged campus experience. As a senator, I want you to feel heard in campus decision-making, and my priority is to ensure your ideas are reflected and accomplished. This role is about student voice, and I intend to amplify it! Aggie Hunziker Hey Bearcats! My name is Aggie (she/her) and I am running to be one of your class senators for the class of 27’! I am from Maui, Hawaii, and I am majoring in PPLE. I am running as your class senator with two years of experience and lots of ideas for this semester! Over the past two years I have coordinated and hosted a comprehensive self-defense class accessible to all Willamette students. I believe that it is our job to provide meaningful and engaging opportunities for you all to have an enriching experience at Willamette. Having returned from a semester abroad, I would love to create meaningful events to foster collaboration between all students regardless of background, age, and beliefs. To do so, I would like to continue providing self-defense classes and facilitate conversations between student organizations and community organizations to create learning experiences for you all. I am ready to listen to your thoughts, take any feedback, and be here to support you in any way. I look forward to working with you all and creating lasting memories! Class of 2026 Sean Olson Hi! I’m Sean (he/him), a senior majoring in Economics and Japanese Studies. I’ve been involved on campus as an RA, CA and student organization leader, where I work on events, budgets, and supporting students day-to-day. I have served in the student government for two years, including the finance board and anti-racism plan committee, gaining experience with budgeting, policy discussions, and representing student voices. During my time here, I have worked closely with other student leaders to support student organizations and improve campus life. I strongly value collaboration and believe the best outcomes come from working across committees, organizations, and perspectives. I’ve enjoyed partnering with various people to student-centered solutions. Through these experiences, I’ve learned the importance of transparency, accountability, and listening to students. My goal is to continue advocating for students, making responsible decisions with student resources, and help create a campus environment where students feel heard, supported, and empowered to succeed.

The Willamette University Mill Stream. Photo by Iris McClure. This information was provided by ASWU Director of Communications Katelyn Beissel Rosales and compiled by Alma Snortum-Phelps, publication editor for The Collegian. Here are the candidates for the Spring 2026 ASWU Senate elections, organized by graduating class. Voting begins Friday, April 11 at 8 a.m. and will end Monday, April 13 at 5 p.m. Class of 2027 Claire Warthen Hey Bearcats! My name is Claire Warthen (she/her) and I am running to be one of your senators for the class of 2027. Throughout my time at Willamette, one of my greatest joys has been getting to know all the wonderful people we have on campus. From working as an RA in Baxter, to handing out t-shirts at Midnight Breakfast, I’ve been involved at Willamette like most other Bearcats (probably a bit too much). As a result, I understand the importance of balance and accountability, two things I plan to maintain and uphold in my role as senator. My role in ASWU thus far has been shaped by my experiences living the Willamette motto, “not unto ourselves alone are we born”. Serving as Director of Communications and as a senator, I’ve learned first hand the administrative side of ASWU, gained a strong understanding of the funding process, the endowment, and how we as senators can have a positive impact on campus culture and community. I hope to continue using these experiences to support and grow the Willamette community as a senator again next year. Go Bearcats! Ella McComas Hi Bearcats! My name is Ella McComas (she/her), and I am running to be one of your class of 2027 ASWU senators. As a double major in Civic Communication and Media & Public Health, I am committed to strengthening communication between students and administration. My current campus involvement includes being a member of the women’s soccer team, an ASWU Senator, and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. During this past semester in ASWU, I've helped organize a self-defense class to educate and empower the broader Willamette community. I intend to continue bringing resources and events to campus in the future that strengthen our community. Through my classroom and extracurricular experiences, I’ve seen how student input can shape programs and opportunities offered at Willamette. I am committed to representing diverse perspectives through listening, supporting, and uplifting students to create a more engaged campus experience. As a senator, I want you to feel heard in campus decision-making, and my priority is to ensure your ideas are reflected and accomplished. This role is about student voice, and I intend to amplify it!   Maddee Reid Hey Bearcats! My name is Maddee Reid (she/her), and I’m running to be one of your Class of 2027 senators! I’m a junior majoring in PPLE and Sociology (with a minor in History) and a member of the women’s soccer team. Through my experiences, I’ve learned how to collaborate across differences and advocate for community needs. What I value most about our campus is its close-knit environment! I’m committed to strengthening connections between students and faculty while ensuring all students across backgrounds and identities feel heard and valued. Honest, productive conversations about improving our campus should always be taken seriously. I previously served as a senator in Fall 2025, where I worked with Facilities to install period product disposal containers in dorm bathrooms, improving accessibility and inclusivity. I  also listened to student concerns about TPUSA becoming an affiliated club and voted against their affiliation. While I support diverse perspectives, I believe campus spaces must prioritize inclusivity and ensure every student feels safe and respected. As your senator, I promise to listen, amplify your voices, and turn your ideas into meaningful change. Class of 2028 Jack Crone Hello, my name is Jack Crone (He/Him). I’m a PPLE Major, and I’ve spent my last two years at Willamette working in and around the Salem community and environment. In 2024, a close friend and I started CastawayWU, an environmental and civic engagement-focused club. During the past two years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to getting Willamette students off campus and into places around Salem that often need the most help. We’ve acquired CAFES grants and conducted research to better understand the health of the waterways running directly through our campus, and removed 11.5 thousand pounds of trash from Salem parks with the help of WU volunteers. I believe one of WU’s clearest shortcomings is the “Willamette bubble,” a local idea that students exist isolated and disconnected from the Salem community. Breaking this “bubble” is something I want to push for as your senator. In the last two years, as we’ve worked with the City of Salem and local nonprofits, we constantly hear the same thing: volunteers are aging out, and they can’t keep up with helping those most in need. With your vote, I want to provide more opportunities for student engagement and connection with the Salem community. Ernest Jones Ernest (he/him) is a trusted campus leader. He is the current treasurer of Willamette’s Black Student Union and has been an ASWU Senator since his freshman year, and is seeking reelection to serve in fall of 2026 as he will study abroad in Granada, Spain in spring of 2027. Ernest is a voice for transparency and accountability within ASWU. He is an outspoken advocate against the affiliation of hate groups, which endangers students of color, queer students, and other marginalized groups. He helped lead the charge to divest ASWU’s endowment from the larger university endowment and believes that student funds should serve the entire student body, not only a few special interests. Ernest is not afraid of doing what’s right for the student body even if it means having tough conversations. Now, more than ever, the student body cannot afford to have representatives who sit idly and serve as a rubber stamp for the campus administration. If reelected, he promises to fight for you in the Senate. And when we fight, we win. Let’s win together by voting for Ernest. Robin Gonzales Hi y’all I’m Robin(she/they)! This is my Second year running for Senate, I’m currently a sophomore Majoring in creative writing in Spanish! I wanna be able to continue using my voice To advocate for the Students of Willamette and create a stronger connection between them and ASWU!  Ella Ross Hi Willamette! Through my work with Willamette EMS, campus research projects, and regular involvement in our student and greater community, I’ve seen how much we can achieve together. For a long time, I’ve attended ASWU meetings to stay informed. But I have realized that I want to do more than just listen from the sidelines; I want to actively collaborate and represent you. As a passionate, outgoing student advisor with an award-winning history in student advocacy, holding my tongue is hard! I know what it takes to be a dedicated voice for those who feel unheard, and I am ready to put that experience to work for our student body. My vision is to make ASWU transparent. Student government shouldn't feel like a mystery. I want to clarify its internal workings so you understand exactly what ASWU is responsible for and how it serves you. I will bridge the gap between students and the Senate, ensuring your voices lead the conversation. I am running to be your advocate, partner, and voice. Let’s make our student government truly yours! Want an Ella-quent student body representative? Vote Ella Ross! Class of 2029 Matthew Stout Hi, I'm Matthew Stout and an upcoming Sophomore, I’m double majoring in Environmental Science and play for our lacrosse team on campus. I’ve been involved with ASWU this past year and work as an A/V technician on campus so you may see me around at a couple events. Through my time here, I’ve worked closely with the student body and stand by relationships and communication as a key part of my campaign and personal standings. I volunteer frequently in my community and work closely with youth in tutoring and after school programs to create a relationship with my peers. Growing up in Texas showed me firsthand the importance of having a community you can depend on. During my teenage years I moved to California where I became familiar with a multitude of economic and social injustices in my city. I have participated in multiple protests and debates regarding LAUSD school policing, LGBTQ+ representation, and academic funding. I'm a firm believer in my ability to ensure that the 2026-27 academic year consists of effective communication and honesty across the board. I want to be able to create a community on campus that pushes a supportive and positive environment. Alex Berry My name is Alexander (Alex he/him) and I am running for one of the Senate Class of 2029 seats. I have served on the senate this academic year and want to continue my efforts on campus and organizational improvement. Before coming to Willamette I received my AAS in Business Management and I believe that experience has allowed me to become a productive representative of the class of ’29. This year I have connected to campus through my involvement with ASWU, The Collegian, BSU, Sigma Tau Delta, and look forward to being a Colloquium Associate next semester. These efforts have been done through my strive for community building and efforts to maintain a well rounded nature on campus. As a senate nominee I hope to hear community voices and listen to the best interests of the entire student body. In addition I want to embrace diverse backgrounds and represent communities that might worry about having their voices heard; and those who have been historically underrepresented. Teddy Wachtler Hello! I’m Teddy, and I’m confident in my ability to serve you best on the ASWU Senate. Particularly, I’m committed to dramatically increasing the transparency and legitimacy of ASWU’s logistics. With a tumultuous year of financial and political controversy in ASWU, it is increasingly important to ensure that ASWU’s decisions are based purely on the genuine interests of the student body in a democratic manner. This looks like increasing the accessibility of ASWU publications (why is accessing the meeting minutes so convoluted?), serving on the funding committee to ensure equitable distribution (why is the funding distribution so extraordinarily lopsided between clubs?), and decreasing censorship (why do the Collegian’s articles almost never include any hints of anti-ASWU sentiments?). There are immensely important questions orbiting ASWU and the school administration that deserve answers. As a Senator for the class of 2029, I hope to provide those—applying my experience as the Treasurer of three distinct student organizations, my academic and collaborative skills, and my extensive volunteer background advocating for queer justice in my local community. More information regarding me can be found at my website: https://thwamster.github.io/ . I’m ready, willing, and excited to advocate on your behalf. Go vote! Gabi Klarr Hi Bearcats! My name is Gabi Klarr (she/her), and I’m running for ASWU Senate. I believe a good leader is dedicated, responsive, transparent, present, and a vocal advocate for their communities needs. In high school I served as my school’s school board representative, which included attending site council meetings where I worked closely with parents, students, teachers and members of the community to improve the functioning of my school. After listening and working with my community I would go to the school board and advocate for my peers. This experience taught me how to be a leader that took into consideration the views of a diverse group of people and then doing justice to their voices so that they were heard and understood by the people who can initiate institutional change. My additional experience includes: student council all of high school, president of Spanish club, and social media manager for NHS. As your Willamette representative I will continue to be involved and responsive to my community. I will show up as the leader I would want representing me, one that is dedicated, listens, and is not afraid to say difficult things to the people who need to hear it.

Art by Basil Allen. Disclaimer: The Devil’s Advocate is a satirical column that does not reflect the views or opinions of The Collegian.  I want to start a DND campaign, how do I get my friends on board? - Dm Accomplishing this feat will take a lot of planning, but it is possible. First, randomly ask your friends, “If you could be any fantasy character, who would you be?” After you collect their answers, turn those fantasy characters into D&D character sheets, write out the backstory and roll all their stats. If they aren’t already psyched for D&D, they won’t take the time to make their own character sheets. By completing this task for them, you are one step closer to tricking them into playing your campaign. I must tell you though, fair reader, this will eat up quite a bit of your time. Godspeed, soldier! Your class work can wait. Consider all of the self-constructed backstories as you plan the craziest one-shot possible. A group of heroes thrust together to defeat the Blitz the Bearcat turned evil bugbear. Make sure to keep it as engaging as possible, with crazy descriptions and different fun accents for every NPC — the works! Once you have already sold your soul to the D&D gods just to get all of this planned out in a timely manner, tell your friends they all need to come to an emergency group meeting. Help them forget their wild Friday night plans by making it seem so mysteriously urgent that they wonder if you're pregnant or dying. They’ll never think it’s D&D. Once the meeting is in session, pass out their character sheets and debrief them on the adventures that await. By now it is too late for them to back out, so let the games begin! As the monsters start coming and the D20s get rolling, watch as your friend group falls in love with the magic that is Dungeons & Dragons. Make sure to cherish every moment you can because it’s most likely the one and only time everyone's schedule will align again! As the DM, it will become your whole life. So, best of luck! Lastly, if your friends do not immediately fall in love with this game, I hate to break it to you, but it is time to find new friends.

Two Willamette Table Tennis Club members engage in an intense rally on Feb. 27, 2026. Photo by Patricia Krepel. Just a short 20-minute walk from campus, the Willamette Table Tennis Club (WTCC) has quietly built a welcoming and tight-knit space for ping-pong players of all skill levels since 2010. What distinguishes the group is not competitive intensity or flashy facilities, but a consistent emphasis on accessibility and connection within the Salem table tennis scene.  For Nancy Reynolds, one of the club’s longtime coaches, the journey into table tennis began quietly. She has been a part of the Salem community for 15 years, originally moving here from Boulder, Colorado. Reynolds worked as a bilingual school teacher and former high-level professional bike racer, and it was her husband, Matthew Barnes, whom she met while being a bike racer, who introduced her to the game. After researching organizations in Salem, they decided to give WTTC a try after retiring.  One of the club's most popular initiatives is Beginner Night, held on the first Monday of every month. These sessions offer free lessons alongside open play, giving newcomers the opportunity to learn basic techniques while meeting other beginners and casual players. Reynolds said some of the club's strongest competitors actually started playing at a Beginner Night.  “They came for the first time on a night like this,” she explained, “and then they just got really good form.” Reynolds noted that one of the biggest challenges for older players is unlearning bad habits.  “When you've ‘played’ enough, you develop a bad form, and it could take you 15 years to get rid of it,” she said. New players, by contrast, have the advantage of building strong fundamentals from the beginning.  Table tennis is both a mental and physical sport.  “At any level, it's the brain and body. Sometimes, your brain’s not sharp,” Reynolds said.  The balance of strategy, reflex and endurance makes it uniquely engaging and challenging. In the facility, Reynolds and Barnes participated in a one-on-one match, where both of their skills were displayed as the ball snapped back and forth between them. The Salem club operates without sponsors or corporate ties. Instead, it relies on a community-oriented model built on affordability .  “We just want to keep the club available,” Reynolds explained.  Thursday evenings feature a 6-7 p.m. happy hour, where play is completely free, followed by regular open sessions. If players don’t have their own equipment, donated rackets are available for use. The goal for the club is to remove financial barriers that often exist in other sports. “We want people to come and play and not have to be wealthy,” Reynolds said.  Saturday afternoons at 1 p.m. are also open play, providing another flexible entry point for students and local participants to drop in without commitment. For communication, the club uses a shared Google Calendar that lists upcoming events. Notably, membership is not required to participate, reflecting the club's accessibility-first philosophy. However, memberships and passes are available to help cover operational expenses, especially since visitor fees have remained unchanged for over 15 years.  Beyond weekly play, the club fosters community in other ways. Coaches from San Diego visit twice a year to host weeklong training camps. Members organize potluck dinners and birthday celebrations. There is also a small interconnected regional network of players across Springfield, Eugene and Corvallis.  Inside the facility, flags hang along the walls representing the diverse backgrounds of players, including Ukraine, Russia, China, Japan, Mexico, Great Britain and more. In a sport often stereotyped as niche, the Salem table tennis community prioritizes belonging.

Erika Kirk portrayed as a saint. Art by Basil Allen. In September, conservative activist and Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk  was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University. About two weeks later, Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk , took the stage at her husband’s memorial to deliver a speech . She was dressed in a white pantsuit and heels, with a gold cross around her neck and long blonde hair cascading down her back. Under the bright lights of the stage, she glowed, her eyes glittering with tears and sparkly eyeshadow. At moments, her voice faltered, but she carried on. She had no other option. Kirk’s speech was not for an intimate event, a gathering of friends and family. It was for a stadium of people , decked out in MAGA hats and TPUSA memorabilia and for an audience online, tuning in from across the country and around the world.  Erika Kirk couldn’t grieve privately. From the moment he was shot, her husband ceased to be a person. He was no longer a man but a martyr. Her husband had been the face of a movement, and now it was her job to carry on his mission. Erika Kirk rose to the occasion.  Now the CEO of TPUSA, it was Erika’s turn to take the world by storm. In recent months, Kirk has been everywhere — interviewing Nicki Minaj at AmericaFest, endorsing JD Vance for a 2028 presidential run, smiling modestly at the State of the Union and seemingly always ready with a sparkly blazer and some fireworks. Kirk has become a MAGA darling. She is the perfect symbol: a good Christian woman besmirched by the heartless libs for simply loving her husband and being a mother.  In some ways, she is the picture of traditional womanhood. In other ways, she’s the ultimate symbol of female empowerment.  With a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in legal studies, Kirk is more educated than her husband, who dropped out of college at 18. Kirk founded a charity, a Bible program and a clothing line before she ever got involved with TPUSA. As a young woman, Kirk was passionate and ambitious. Now, she’s educated and successful. She’s exercising her autonomy, balancing her career with motherhood. She’s a CEO and a prominent political leader, as powerful or more than many of her male counterparts. That is the feminist dream.  And yet, Kirk has not used her position to serve and uplift other women. She’s a figurehead of the Trump administration, which has degraded women and stripped them of their rights from day one. Despite the seeming contradictions of this position, Kirk is just one in a long line of women at the helm of anti-feminist movements .  Her story is reminiscent of Phyllis Schlafley , a conservative activist and author who fought against the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and helped establish the insidious “family values” justification, which has been utilized by conservatives to oppose the rights of women and queer people. Like Kirk, Schlafly was intelligent and driven, a Harvard graduate who served on multiple political campaigns.  These women’s seeming hypocrisy has been used as a cudgel against them, a feminist checkmate in the game of “ideological inconsistency gotcha.” Progressives point out the dissonance, as if to say, “How could you have been so silly? Don’t you see that your own career proves that women can be as capable as men?” Unfortunately, this refutation is ineffective, because it misses that the role of these women in oppressive systems may be hypocritical, but it isn’t accidental.  Their presence doesn’t undermine the messages of these regimes. In fact, their presence is critical. Schlafly’s advocacy was so successful, in part, because she was a woman. She was able to utilize the language of feminism to argue against it , recognizing the real discontent of many women but blaming it on feminists, rather than the patriarchy. She argued for women’s rights, specifically, their rights to be mothers and wives. Like Kirk’s encouragement of childbearing and strict gender roles , these assertions of the goodness of traditionality, in contrast to feminist ideas, frame feminism as if it stands in opposition to women finding love and having families. Due to their position as career women, it then appears as if conservatives are the more accepting, nuanced community, in favor of women having families and careers. Feminists, in this lens, become loveless child-haters, as if advocacy for mothers has not been a central component of most feminist movements.  Women like Shlafly and Kirk also serve as evidence that women and marginalized people can be successful in conservative regimes. Their presence sells the lie that as long as you are smart enough, hardworking enough, gritty enough, you can be successful. It codifies the idea that your identity is not a barrier to success — your competency is the only thing that truly matters. This presents the right as an egalitarian meritocracy, a place where people receive rewards for excellence, rather than handouts for identity. In reality, the competency of women and other marginalized groups is completely irrelevant to these oppressive forces, which sort people from birth .  Some people believe that women shouldn’t have equal rights or equal pay because they are less skilled than their male counterparts, but hate goes deeper than that. Regimes like the Trump administration do not restrict the opportunities of marginalized people because of competency issues, but because marginalized people are seen as fundamentally lesser than the dominant group.  As a woman, or a member of another marginalized community, you can succeed within oppressive regimes. But this success is not rooted only in talent. It’s rooted in compliance. If you are obedient, if you are a charismatic mouthpiece for propaganda, if you disregard all morality and grovel at the feet of your leader, you may be one of the lucky few who gets ahead. If you are a good follower, a good woman, you will submit. So, despite these women’s positions in board rooms or on the global stage, they are no more free than housewives unable to act without their husbands’ permission. They must still serve the needs of men, above all else. Their empowerment is a mirage as it is contingent on their submission. Pointing out the submission inherent to these women's power is not intended to strip these women of their autonomy. They have agency. They wake up every day and choose to prioritize personal gain at the expense of people just like them. At first glance, these women may appear empowered, even feminist. However, they are only serving their own self interests, and in doing so, serving their oppressors. One woman’s success will never be enough. One woman’s success will not prove all women worthy of respect. Especially if these women succeed at the expense of all others, they’re not gaming the system, they’re just upholding existing power structures. True liberation will always be collective.

ASWU Treasurer Mitch Septoff ('26) presents on organizational funding challenges to the ASWU senate on Jan. 29, 2026 in the Montag Den. Photo by Lucy Devlaeminck. Disclaimer: The Collegian is an ASWU-funded organization. As an organization, members of The Collegian executive team are currently having funding discussions with the ASWU treasurer and treasurer-elect. These discussions remain separate from The Collegian’s journalistic coverage. Unknown to the wider student body, two of Willamette’s three elected student government leaders recommended a removal of the third. But with the end of the school year fast approaching, this removal attempt has been abandoned. In a closed session just before spring break, the Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) senate conducted an initial hearing for a trial regarding ASWU Treasurer Mitch Septoff’s (’26) possible removal from office. The senate then motioned to rehear the concern in a closed session at the next ASWU meeting after the break, originally scheduled for last Thursday. ASWU President Stevie Bergstrom (’26) and Vice President Jay Chew (’26) initially brought forward the recommendation for removal, citing issues of timeliness and communication. But two days after classes resumed following the break, the second closed hearing was canceled, with no plans to reschedule. In a joint decision, Bergstrom and Chew have ended their pursuit of removal for cause. Septoff maintains that, while he’s made mistakes in his tenure, he generally stands by the work that he’s done, and he sees a path forward to help finish the year. Members of the ASWU executive team are the only ones who can submit a recommendation of removal for cause. Other students are only able to remove a senator or ASWU executive cabinet member through a petition for recall.  The ASWU bylaws  do not provide in-depth instructions on how to carry out removal proceedings, leaving some senators with concerns about how the original trial was conducted.  “There’s not a lot of guidance” said Associate Dean of Students & Director of Student Engagement & Leadership Lisa Holliday. She added there is a lack of precedent for this kind of removal, as student petitions for recall have been the most common avenue used for the removal of an officer.  “This is a difficult time for ASWU, to have to go through something like this,” Holliday said.  The recommendation for removal Chew said that there was no specific incident that led to the decision to pursue a removal for cause. Instead, there was a “snowball effect.” “Nobody’s perfect. We’re not saying you can never make mistakes,” Chew said. “But there were some basic parts of the [treasurer] role that were not being carried out.” Bergstrom agreed, “These concerns weren’t based on a single incident but patterns over time, particularly around communication, timeliness and just kind of how funding processes [were] impacting student clubs and organizations.” Septoff has received some criticism for his handling of funding rounds , most recently in regards to pre-spring funding cuts  for organizations. “I have not been part of removal proceedings prior to this, and I am the most tenured person on ASWU,” Bergstrom said. “I think anybody on ASWU who was at that hearing can attest just that the bylaws are very vague.” An expedited trial  A senator who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation shared that they were not notified of the closed senate session until the day before it was meant to take place. Additionally, the “ASWU group chat” was not notified that the closed session would be for removal proceedings until the day of.  As a result, Septoff had roughly seven hours to prepare a defense. “We should have a process that's responsible and gives all parties enough time to prepare,” the unnamed senator said. The senator clarified that they “don’t have enough information to assess whether there are grounds for impeachment.”  The anonymous senator said the document accusing Septoff was “not as in-depth as many would have liked.” The senator clarified that they are “not saying exec is untrustworthy” but questioned, “If we don’t have the receipts of what happened, how are we supposed to trust the official narrative?” ASWU Senator and Treasurer-elect Peyton Edmunds (’29) believes the timing of the trial “does not make sense” as most of the accusations brought up against Septoff were from last semester, and the “tipping point was one meeting with Hawai‘i Club in which I don’t necessarily think that Mitch violated anything in the ASWU bylaws [or] constitution.” Chew shared that “there isn’t any language particularly looking at a timeline.” He added, “Given the vague nature of the [bylaws] … it was largely up to Stevie and I to utilize our judgment as to how exactly to put these documents into practice.” Bergstrom clarified, “As soon as Jay and I had made that decision, we told the senators that it would be happening the next day after our senate meeting.” Septoff responds to concerns In response to criticisms regarding his handling of funding rounds, Septoff said, “I have made mistakes. I’ve let emails slip through the cracks. I’ve delayed sending things longer than they should have. I mismanaged my technology.” But, he added, “I pretty wholesale reject the idea that I’ve communicated inequitably, that I’ve treated any club with a special degree of disdain, and I think the principles that I hold myself to are the right ones.” Septoff also shared, “I won’t let it rattle me or let it affect the way I’m doing the transition.” He said that most of the “behind-the-scenes work” for the pre-fall funding round is nearly finished, “with the exception of organization funding … but I have full faith that Peyton and I will be able to handle that. There’s two of us working on it this time instead of one, which is very nice.” Septoff ended his statement by encouraging students to become more involved in ASWU. “I think that if truly people want someone to do a better job being treasurer, what we need to see is more people running for ASWU.” Abandoning the trial’s rehearing Bergstrom said that the main reason for not moving forward with the removal for cause was the limited time left in the semester. “The sentiment from some senators was that it wasn’t inherently super productive,” she said, adding, “This is something that Jay and I had wished we had acted upon maybe earlier.” Though the removal proceedings were dropped, Chew said, “It is still valuable to sort of hold people accountable even if no action is taken.” Prior to the cancellation of the second hearing, Edmunds brought up additional concerns about the possibility that Septoff's removal would affect the pre-fall funding round. She said if Septoff were to be removed at this time, it “would actively inconvenience everybody.” Because the senate does not convene over the summer, any potential issues with the pre-fall funding round would be hard to rectify.  Edmunds noted that if Septoff were to be removed, “he has no obligation to train me at all.” She said that “any concern that we had with Mitch [over] the last two semesters would be, like, so miniscule in comparison to what could happen if I go into this with no training whatsoever.” Edmunds added that it is “important to recognize how unique the treasurer role is in its publicity” because the position of treasurer is the only one “where mistakes are this public and scrutinized at this level.” In response to concerns regarding the sudden cancellation of the hearing, Bergstrom addressed the senate at its most recent meeting on April 2, saying, “We are choosing to move forward in a way that prioritizes collaboration, continuity and the work we still have ahead of us.”

A duck in a Willamette jersey about to score a goal on the soccer field while the crowd cheers behind them. Art by Wes Mowry-Silverman. Welcome back, Bearcat Fan! As the academic year begins to wind down, our beloved spring sports roar into the middle of conference play, hoping to snag elusive playoff berths and bring Willamette University to glory. Let’s see how they fared this week! Women’s tennis won their second conference matchup of the season against Puget Sound on Saturday in resounding fashion, besting the Loggers 5-2 in team points. Men’s tennis  were barely defeated by the Loggers 3-4, with a doubles matchup loss serving as the tiebreaker. Softball  went 1-3 against the Whitworth Pirates at home over the weekend in four tight games, winning the first of the series 4-2 at home. Baseball endured a 4-14 loss against the Pirates on Friday, but then won both doubleheader games the following day, with a three-run homer from catcher Jason Smith  (’26) extending their lead in the latter game.  Lacrosse snapped their losing streak by destroying the Lutes and the Loggers at home 20-1 and 18-2, respectively, with midfielder Alex Warfel  (’28) totaling nine goals over the weekend. The Bearcats lost earlier in the week in a heartbreaker to Lewis & Clark 11-12, with the River Otters delivering the final blow with 16 seconds left in the game. Women’s track and field  competed in the Jenn Boyman Memorial meet at Linfield on Saturday, with Anastasiia Lemesh (’26) taking No. 1 in the 3000-meter steeplechase and the 4x100 team also securing gold.  Men’s track and field  excelled in field events, with Austin Snodgrass  (’28) taking No. 1 in discus with a throw of over 49 meters. Women’s golf  competed in the NWC Spring Classic, with Saida Seelig (’26) taking No. 27 in individual rankings. Men’s golf  also competed in the NWC Spring Classic, placing No. 4 in team standings, with AJ Papajohn  (’27) tying for No. 2 in individual rankings. In the wider world of sport:  UCLA won its first-ever national championship in the women’s March Madness finals on Sunday, trouncing the Gamecocks 79-51. The WNBA conducted its expansion draft for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, the two new teams that begin play in the 2026 season. The NBA begins its final week of the regular season, and the Trail Blazers have clinched a play-in berth at the No. 9 spot. Surely that playoff game will go well. In the coming weeks: Lacrosse faces the evil empire of NWC sports, better known as the George Fox Bruins, away on Sunday, and looks to defeat them for the first time in program history. Track and field  head to Monmouth on Friday and Saturday to compete at the John Knight Twilight meet, while tennis faces the dominant Blues on Sunday. Baseball  competes against Warner Pacific on Wednesday, then Whitman over the weekend, while softball  heads north to Tacoma to face off against the Lutes. Golf  looks to find victory over the weekend at the Wildcat Invitational in McMinnville on Sunday.

Thérèse (Katie Joy Wingo, '26) announces to her husband (Derec Gregory, '27) that she is now the male General Tirésias and is heading off to war as his paintings look on. Photo courtesy of Nick Zimmerman. As Willamette’s Dramatic Vocal Arts program was gearing up to perform “The Breasts of Tirésias,” actor Timothée Chalamet ignited an online firestorm after claiming  that “no one cares” about opera or ballet. While his words were taken somewhat out of context, the effort behind the production and the turnout for the 1947 surrealist opera in Smith Auditorium made it clear that audiences still care about opera. Directed by Hannah Penn, chair of the program, the opera tells the story of Thérèse (Katie Joy Wingo, ’26), a woman who grows tired of being submissive to her husband. She sheds her breasts, grows a beard and becomes the male General Tirésias. Fearing that the country will be left devastated as more women do the same, her husband decides to find a way to have children, giving birth to 40,049 in a single afternoon. As with many classic operas, the story and themes can be adapted through creative choices to connect with the audiences of today. To Penn, the lead’s rejection of femininity is strongly resonant to today’s culture. “It's agency about her body, body modification, gender affirming [care],” Penn said. “It has lots of modern words that we could put on it.” When the opera was written in the 1940s, based on a play by Guillaume Apollinaire, the story was and still remains a surrealist spoof. “It was a very visual way to show that she was rejecting this sexualized concept of femininity. [Thérèse] was like, ‘I don't want to be that. I don't want to be a sex symbol anymore.’ So ... she pops her boobs,” Penn said. A striking feature of the set was the massive eyes glaring across the stage and the audience. This choice was another one made to adapt the story to connect with today’s students, along with adding to the production’s surreal nature. “My concept for it … was that the husband is not just a husband. He's a painter, and so the wife becomes his muse and his model,” Penn said. “There's this concept of the male gaze as being a really oppressive and omnipresent thing, and we've created that on the stage with these giant eyeballs that are everywhere. … They should create a little anxiety in the audience.” On Friday night, that audience was out in force, with numbers in the hundreds.  Even though the opera dealt with heavy themes, the production remained lighthearted throughout. A man rides an inflatable horse in from the wings, babies made of cardboard dance across the stage, and multiple characters die and get better nearly immediately.  Derec Gregory (’27), who played the role of Tirésias’ husband, said that the comedy of the show breaks down the common idea of what opera is supposed to be. “Opera isn't boring,” Gregory said. “Opera isn't perfectionist. Opera is whatever you make it to be. It can be fun; it can be expressive; it can be weird; it can be stupid; it can be hilarious. And I think just kind of spreading that message of taking it lightly, rather than being perfectionist with it, is a great way to make it more digestible for audiences.” One of the main distinctions between opera and musical theater is that opera is typically sung-through, often without microphones, while musicals tend to include more spoken dialogue. The common idea of opera as a stuffy event with performers in period costumes singing long arias reduces a diverse art form to just one part of what it can be. “It's a little bit like if your whole concept of spoken theater was Shakespeare, and you didn't know any other theater,” Penn said. “ Of course, there are some operas like that, but opera has been composed for 400 years. It's still being written.” Today, many operas challenge common expectations, incorporating humor, spoken dialogue and contemporary themes. Some Broadway productions are also staged by opera companies, further blurring the lines between genres. “Some of it is really lighthearted and goofy … and some of it is very serious,” Penn said. “And because it's a really diverse art form ... there's the whole range of styles and tone and content and theme.”

Tanner Overby ('28) plays Asbury University in Salem, Oregon on Dec. 18, 2025. Photo courtesy of Quinn Carbery. Heading into this year’s basketball season, the Northwest Conference (NWC) coaches picked the Bearcat men to finish last in the conference. That didn’t faze Tanner Overby (’28). “There honestly wasn't any pressure [at the beginning of the season] at all. We got picked last, so we just kind of played freely,” he said. That freedom yielded results. By season’s end, the sophomore, who had played just 128 minutes in his rookie year, had broken the school points-per-game record, had been named the NWC player of the year, and had led his team to its first conference final appearance in a quarter of a century.  An early introduction to basketball has turned into a standout season at Willamette University for Overby. When he first started the sport, he was only 6 years old, being coached by his father — a former high school and college player who passed down his love for the game. “He got me started when I was young,” Overby said. “He played in high school and in college, so he had a love for the game and introduced me to it.” Years later, that early introduction led him to dominate the conference this past season with 24.6 points per game, which broke the previous school record of 23.4.  Despite his meteoric rise, Overby’s road to college basketball wasn't entirely straightforward. During his first two years of high school, he focused on a very different sport: golf.  “In golf, you kind of have to look at what's best for you individually,” he explained. “In basketball, you have to focus on the team's needs first as well as yourself.” He switched to basketball during his junior year, and the switch proved to be a big adjustment.  “Its definitely different. It's way more physical and more fast-paced,” Overby said. While playing for Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon, he often played forward positions — the three and the four — because of his team's smaller size. At Willamette, however, his role shifted dramatically. Now he operates primarily as a guard, playing the one or two, responsible for carrying the ball down the court and acting as a “floor general,” calling plays and moving the offense.  “Just seeing all the work I put in during the summer really paid off,” he said. “Especially from not playing much last year at all. It's really rewarding.” Overby totaled only 128 minutes on the court in his first-year season, but this year, he was on the court for more than five times that amount, with 630, the fourth most on the team. After not having the most court time last season, Overby entered the offseason determined to improve. The work began months before the season started. “I did a lot of conditioning, a lot of basketball work and lifting,” he said. “Just getting my body ready for the season and trying to get better over the summer.”  The effort did not go unnoticed. He was named the NWC Player of the Year on Feb. 27, an accomplishment that reflects the work he put in behind the scenes. He’s the first Bearcat to earn that honor since 1993. “I think everything just clicked for him mentally,” said assistant coach Isaiah Quintero. “He came in this year, and the work was obvious that he had put in all offseason. And once the games started, he just took off.” “This year, I prepared a lot more because I knew I was going to be playing a lot,” Overby said. “I’m just trying to stay in the moment and really focus on myself.” As the season progressed and the team found success, expectations began to shift. Much of that improvement has come from strong team chemistry, Overby said. Off the court, the players have built close relationships that translate into their play. Beyond his scoring ability, Overby’s impact is seen in that team chemistry. What stands out most about Overby is how he connects with his teammates, Quintero said. “They seem to respect him and how hard he works, and that respect is reciprocated. A bunch of them have said that this is the closest team that they've ever been a part of.” The coaching staff has also played a significant role in the team's development, teaching the players lessons on improvement while watching film back and reflecting as a team what they could have done better rather than dwelling on mistakes. Overby has embraced that mindset, stepping into a leadership role as the season progressed.  “He’s definitely taken more of a leadership role and taken ownership of that,” Quintero said.

RHA's mascot, Goose. Photo by Sofie Szigeti. In early March, the Residence Hall Association (RHA) released a statement to its Instagram followers to look out for its duck mascot, Goose. If students solved riddles and found the mascot hiding in plain sight, they would have a chance to win a prize. Throughout the week of March 9 to 13, both RHA and Hall Council were in charge of “Seek & Find” activities, during which students were encouraged to look around campus and in dorm halls, where riddles lay in wait. Examples of these riddles included trivia, word scrambles and finding hidden objects. By finding and then solving these riddles, students had a chance to win prizes.  Each day saw a different scavenger-hunt-esque activity. The week ended with the “Final Quackdown” on Friday, a day-long event which saw students solving “case files” every hour in order to track down the missing stuffed animal Goose. The day wrapped up with an after-party.  The winners of the Final Quackdown (from left to right): Lindsay Perez ('28), Conor Vahey ('28) and Anya Olsson ('28) on March 13, 2026. Photo by Sofie Szigeti. The planning for the event started early in the semester. Throughout February, the board of directors figured out what prizes to buy, created the riddles and decided on the locations that the riddles would lead them to.  RHA directors Julian Bullwinkel (’28), Sacha Des Pres (’28), Maria Alcantar (’28) and Griffin were in charge of writing the riddles, which Des Pres remarked was a fun exercise in creativity. Rodney Gray (’26) was the main creator of the “Final Quackdown” and wrote the storyline and case files and put up the clue posters around campus. Sydney Bell (’28) was in charge of social media and graphics and made sure everything was advertised accordingly on Instagram.  The big theme of the event was RHA’s mascot Goose. Gray stated that this event is the first to centralize Goose, even though he has existed as a mascot for around a decade. Bullwinkel said the RHA is pushing for more recognizability on campus. “A lot of people have heard of RHA but they either don’t know what we do or don’t know how to get involved, so Goose is also helping us get that recognition,” he said. Des Pres said another one of the event’s goals was to “see students engaging on campus with RHA events and to create a culture of community where everyone has something in common to be excited about.” RHA is entirely funded by student housing payments, so Alcantar said she believes it's important for “students to have fun in their residence halls and interact with each other and for RHA to host these events as relationship building,” in order for students to get the most out of their money. Goose and Seek and Find Week are examples of how RHA has shifted its goals more directly toward creating an involved community. Griffin, the new RHA advisor who began her role this spring semester, is advocating for RHA’s renewed vision.  Griffin felt that Seek and Find Week was very successful because there was a big turnout. For example, the Eastside Color Hunt brought in over 300 submissions of color collages. Students from each dorm hall were encouraged to take pictures of a specific color and put them together as a collage to turn in. She also said that RHA has gained a large amount of followers on Instagram and had an increase in students coming into the housing office to collect prizes.  Griffin wants RHA to be associated with three words: advocacy, education and celebration. “What I learned from working in RHA is that living on campus is a remarkable experience,” she said. “RHA is about helping students feel connected to the campus space. We want students to feel like they’re in a safe space, that they’re learning and that they’re socially engaging. We celebrate the vast diversity that’s here on our campus through different types of events.”  Griffin hopes that RHA can expand its services in the future and that the organization can host three or four “iconic” events that continue every year. With this future comes change. Gray noted how before, planning for events like these used to be done by the director of programming, but for Seek and Find Week all the student leaders were deeply involved. RHA plans on switching a few positions and have all directors directly participate in planning for events. “This event is the introduction of what to expect from RHA in the future,” Gray said.

Kaitlin Imai (’26) prepares to take a free throw at a Jan. 30, 2026 game against Whitman in Cone Field House. Photo by Patricia Krepel. Just two years after earning an at-large bid to the DIII March Madness tournament, women’s basketball has found themselves once more in a bit of a playoff drought. Senior guard Kaitlin Imai (’26) has witnessed all the highs and lows of the program. The Bearcats finished No. 5 in the Northwest Conference (NWC) this season, just a few games short of a playoff berth and another shot at dancing in March Madness. This season, however, her impact was felt even more as she cemented her legacy by finishing her career as the program’s eighth all-time leading scorer.  For Imai, basketball has always been a constant.  “Since the third grade, it’s been a big part of my life,” Imai said. “My sister started playing, and as a little sister, I wanted to be like her.” That lifelong commitment has carried Imai to become one of the most impactful players in Bearcat women's basketball history. But for Imai, individual milestones have always come second to the team. “I wasn’t really thinking about rankings,” she said. “It was more about, ‘What can I do to win?’ Sometimes that’s scoring, sometimes that’s distributing and reading the floor.” Imai’s career has unfolded during a period of both promise and growing pains for the Bearcats. In the 2023-24 season, the team surged to the top of the NWC standings, finishing 14-2 in conference and earning the right to host the conference tournament in Salem. But their postseason ended abruptly with a semifinal loss, exposing issues that have lingered in recent years: depth, late-game execution and handling pressure in elimination moments. For players like Imai, those shortcomings were frustrating but instructive. “The goal is always a championship,” she said. “Anytime you fall short of that, it’s going to be hard.” Part of that challenge stemmed from the team’s youth. Teammate Emma Floyd (’26) noted that recent seasons have required younger players to step into larger roles earlier than expected. That inexperience showed at times, particularly in high-pressure situations, but it also accelerated growth across the roster. This season, Riley Walden (ʼ29) earned NWC Rookie of the Year. Imai saw that development firsthand. “We had a lot of freshmen and sophomores contributing, which is awesome,” she said. “I’m hopeful for what they can do later.” As a senior, Imai embraced the responsibility of helping guide that younger class, a role shaped by the leadership she once received. “My seniors, when I was a freshman, did a really great job checking in on us, pushing us and asking more of us,” she said. “That’s what I value. Somebody who believes in you enough to ask you for more.” Her leadership style mirrors the team’s values: growth through accountability and connection.  “You get what you put in,” Imai said. “Basketball is a team sport — nobody can do it by themselves. The only way you can succeed is to commit to each other and to a collective goal.” That commitment has been especially important as the Bearcats look to build on past success and avoid the inconsistency that followed their conference title season. After winning the program’s first regular-season championship in 28 years, the team struggled the following year, highlighting the difficulty of sustaining success amid roster turnover and injuries. Now, after the 2025-26 season, the Bearcats have once again found their footing. This season, they remained competitive against teams that previously gave them trouble and have avoided the prolonged losing streaks that derailed earlier campaigns. A late-season pair of wins over Lewis & Clark and Pacific Lutheran pushed them into fifth in the conference standings, just outside a tournament berth. For Imai, one of her most meaningful moments came in that recent win over Lewis & Clark on Feb. 21, not only because of the result alone, but because of how the team achieved it. “Everybody contributed. The ball movement was flowing really well. It felt like we were really connecting as a team,” she said. “I just wanted to leave everything I had out on the court and not have any regrets.” With their final game ending on a high, Imai reflected on what it meant for her at the end of her collegiate career. “It’s weird to think that I’m not going to be here next year,” Imai said. Her impact will extend beyond her final season. Imai has helped shape the foundation for the Bearcats’ future, one built not just on talent, but on trust and shared motivation. “I just want to make sure I’m working with people who want to do better and commit to the same environment,” she said. “That’s what being part of a team is about — a community.”

The Oregon Capitol building on Feb. 8, 2025. Photo by Keenan Yoshizawa. A new law has established requirements for how public education institutions must handle federal immigration enforcement on public campuses. Gov. Tina Kotek signed House Bill 4079  on March 31, weeks after the Oregon State Legislature passed the bill during its session on March 2. Known as the “Safeguarding Students and Families Act,” the legislation mandates that public K-12 schools, community colleges and universities develop clear protocols for when federal agents enter campus grounds. While the bill applies strictly to public institutions and will not directly alter policies at Willamette, the legislation is a response to the January 2025 revocation of federal sensitive locations guidance  by the Trump administration, which previously restricted immigration enforcement actions in schools, hospitals and churches.  The law requires public institutions to designate and train specific staff members to verify the credentials and judicial warrants of any federal immigration officers. Institutions would need to provide expedient electronic notifications to students, staff and families if immigration enforcement activity is confirmed on school property. According to the bill, these alerts must include the general location of the activity but are restricted from disclosing personally identifiable information to protect student privacy.  Throughout the bill’s progression, advocates and student groups frequently called for the inclusion of an “ immigration justice package ” which would be a standardized set of “Know Your Rights” resources and legal aid information. One such group was Latinos Unidos Siempre, which organized a walkout for immigrant rights on Feb. 27 . While the final version of HB 4079 focuses on procedural responses, the demand for these packets highlighted a community-wide interest in accessible legal information.  Lesly Cordero-Lagos (’26), the president of the Pro-Immigrant Rights Student Union at Willamette, said, “Even though the bill does not directly impact [the club] or Willamette, it impacts the Salem community, and we are part of the community.”  Cordero-Lagos said that the geographical setting of the university creates a responsibility for students to remain informed about the experiences of those in the surrounding communities.  “The location of Willamette really matters. There are a lot of places students go to that are diverse. Students need to be aware of their privilege [since] Willamette is a predominantly white institution. Most [students] don’t have to experience what the Salem-Keizer students have to deal with.” Although HB 4079 does not mandate changes for private institutions, the new state standards have prompted discussions regarding Willamette's own level of transparency and support.  “Students want to see the university take a vocal stance or say if they would support students or faculty in the instance that someone in the community is detained,” said Cordero-Lagos. “The lack of acknowledgement or news about what this means for Willamette is something I think students are getting frustrated with, especially because it comes down to safety.” In a February letter  to the campus community, Executive Director of Campus Safety AJ Christensen and Vice President of Student Affairs Lisa Landreman wrote, “ We understand that the potential presence of federal law enforcement on campus and in our communities can cause concern. We are monitoring developments carefully, consulting with legal counsel and institutional leaders throughout Oregon and the country, and reviewing our campus policies and protocols.” Campus Safety’s priority is protecting the “safety, privacy and rights” of the community, they wrote. They also noted that the university has limitations on its control over federal action.  A page detailing some of the university’s current guidance as it relates to federal law enforcement on campus is here .  The guidance says that anyone who sees federal law enforcement on campus and is concerned should contact the Campus Safety office. It also specifies which buildings on campus require a warrant to be entered by law enforcement and which don’t. In addition, the page specifies that university protocols include community notifications through the Today@Willamette if significant law enforcement will occur on campus.  As Oregon prepares for the law’s provisions to take effect on Sept. 30, 2026, student advocates emphasized that awareness remains a primary tool for campus safety. “Showing up and sharing the news about what is going on are important measures to take given the context that we live in today,” Cordero-Lagos said.  While Willamette remains governed by its own private institutional policies, the regional impact of HB 4079 will be visible across neighboring Salem-Keizer schools and Chemeketa Community College starting this fall.