There's a new face leading Bearcat men’s soccer on the pitch this year, and he has ties to some of the highest levels of international soccer. Matthew Corti-Young will be taking over the team as head coach for the 2024 season, envisioning a fall comeback for the squad. Corti-Young has spent the last three years as an assistant coach at University of California San Diego, but head coached at Claremont McKenna (DIII) for four years prior. At Claremont he saw a drastic improvement in team performance resulting in their deepest NCAA tournament run since 1984. A native of Southampton, England, Corti-Young has roots in coaching at the Southampton Football Club Academy, a development program under the often Premiership-level side. With “The Saints,” he was able to coach future professionals in their early development stages. Although Corti-Young recently arrived on campus, he says he’s already seeing a solid foundation under the squad. “Sam [Adelman] and Quinn [Nottage] have left an unbelievable soccer culture here. I’ve done two training sessions and everyone has been in the right gear at the right time with a great attitude. They have been the highlight of my experience so far.” He also spoke highly of the seniors who want to help him and stay a part of the program despite being finished with their soccer careers. Coming off of a rugged losing 2023 season at UCSD and inheriting a Bearcat side that has stumbled from its 2022 championship heights, Corti-Young has his work cut out for him. He said he’s ready to build off of what went well and improve on weaknesses while adding some creativity to the Bearcats’ style of play. “Sometimes people can become very dogmatic when they think about soccer. They think of it from a very binary perspective. There are different cultures around the world that embrace different elements of the game and to be really informed, you should engage with things that are contrary to what you currently believe.” Over the last two seasons, the Bearcats have set themselves apart in the conference as a relatively methodical, one-line break at a time side. Their proclivity for composed build-out and carefully organized defensive presses saw them through to their 2022 championship but lacked teeth under the strain of several injuries in 2023. At the time of the interview, Corti-Young was not yet able to comment on any specific tactical changes. Winning and losing aside, Corti-Young’s first goal is “to gain the respect and trust of the team.” He understands that after a coaching change, there is a “pause or recalibration in the culture.” He hopes to “enhance the culture and then grow the alumni engagement, community service, student-athlete leadership development and every facet in the program.” While there are still a few months until the first kickoff of 2024, it will be interesting to see if the Bearcats can put together a bounceback season with Corti-Young at the helm this fall. So far, the ‘Cats fell 0-3 to the DI Oregon State Beavers in a spring friendly.

Hello, Bearcat Fan! Another year, come and gone; all we’ve written in the sand washed away again. It’s a particularly challenging time for the sports section, as three of our veteran reporters will now be making their way into the wide world beyond the confines of State and Winter Street. Thank you, Jackson, Mary and Ernie for helping me convince the executive staff of my competency time and time again despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. I would weep a thousand Sparks Pools if only I had the time. Let’s go to the news! Softball has April’s number; they’ve extended their win streak to six, including a Puget Sound sweep and a 13-0 blowout at Pacific. They’ve climbed all the way from seventh to fourth. Playoffs, anyone? Lacrosse will face Whitworth (whom they just narrowly defeated 12-11) in the NWC semi-finals next Saturday. Baseball lost back-to-back series to Cal Lutheran and George Fox. They face only No. 1 Whitman before the conference tournament. A sweep will earn them hosting rights. Whitley Stepp (‘26) jumped 2.25’’ under her PR to tie Erica Snyder (‘26) for fourth in the high jump at the OSU High Performance track and field meet. In the world of sport: Arsenal barely clung to title hopes at the North London Derby, titans of the ice battled it out in the Stanley Cup opening rounds and Brazilian soccer legend Marta announced her retirement following the Olympics. Consider in the coming weeks: Why are Baseball and Softball’s conference finals after Willamette’s academic finals? Also, have a delightful summer, Bearcat Fan!

On March 18, the PNW-based drag queen Poison Waters came to Willamette to perform a show presented by the Willamette Events Board. Before Poison Waters performed, two Willamette students hit the stage to open the show with a bang. One of them was completely new to drag while the other had some experience under her belt already. The first opener was Ceph Tronco (‘26), who made his drag debut to the song "The Ballad of Mona Lisa" by Panic! At the Disco in a middle school, emo-inspired look, complete with Dr. Martens boots. Tronco’s full look consisted of a black wig and a black dress, with the latter borrowed from his mom. “My mom has been a really big help on this,” Tronco shared. “I feel like that is a really cool experience to have for my first time doing drag, [which] is my mom being 100% supportive.” Tronco had been eyeing getting into drag and thought that being an opener for Willamette’s drag show was a perfect place to try it out. “This is a type of performing that I have never done before and am really really excited about,” Tronco said. “The chance to try something new is big for me, and also as a trans guy I think that women’s fashion is just more fun in a lot of ways — there [are] more variety options. It appeals to me aesthetically. I think it’s fun to take something to its logical extreme.” Tronco also said that drag is a great way to interact with his interest in women’s fashion in a way that feels comfortable to him. “It's a circumstance where it’s clear that this is a costume, that this is a bit that I’m doing. I get to engage with it and explore it again and have it be safe, contained and clear that it’s not true to me.” The second opener was Natalie Risse (‘24), who has been doing drag for about a year. Last year in her study abroad program in Ireland, Risse had the opportunity to go to a drag school and perform in a drag show. “It was a great experience,” Risse said. “I wanted to do it here because in Ireland my friends from here didn’t get to see it, so I wanted to bring it to Willamette. It was perfectly timed.” Risse performed with the drag name Shrexxy both in Ireland and at Willamette, dawning a bright green wig, green clothing, fishnets and completing the look with bright green platform heels. Shrexxy became Risse’s drag persona in high school long before she actually started doing drag, when she and her high school friends would watch "RuPaul’s Drag Race" and discuss what their drag names and looks would be. Even though she started doing drag for her high school friends, Risse found a lot of comfort within the art form. Risse shared that drag “was essential to growing in my queer identity and understanding myself as a queer person.” From watching her favorite drag queens to doing drag herself, Risse appreciates the accepting and liberating atmosphere that drag provides. Risse added that drag makes her feel “that I’m not strange and that I’m not wrong. It’s been a long road of suppressing it and being like, ‘no, being gay is wrong,’ ‘being sexual is wrong,’ ‘doing all these things [is]wrong.’ College has been that experience of trying to leave that boundary that I was placed into and understand myself in a new way and in a way that is liberating and joyous and my true self.” After the show, Risse expressed the pride she felt after performing: “I rewatched it and thought I did good. It makes me happy and joyous that I feel like I performed my genuine self and my friends all enjoyed it and everyone came to support me [which] l really loved.”

Hello, Bearcat Fan! The ‘Cats suffered a hard week. Although we can never be certain of the forces that dictate sporting results, I did spot a cadre of hooded figures in Linfield colors entering the Lausanne and Doney sub-basement tunnels by moonlight early in the week. Curious times are April ... curious times. Let’s go to the news! Lacrosse failed to earn their first-ever victory over George Fox after leading 10-8 in the fourth quarter. They masticated Pacific and Linfield, but I probably didn’t have to tell you that (not only because they always beat those teams, but also because that's an unsettling word choice). Baseball trounced George Fox but then lost by a similar margin in their second game. It seems anything can still happen as the ‘Cats fight for their second-place spot heading into playoffs. Early reports say the Men’s Golf team narrowly missed a championship repeat, losing out to The Blues after climbing a rank on the second day. Linfield finally got the better of the Women’s squad, who took last. At the NWC Track and Field Championships, Whitley Stepp (‘26) earned her second conference title in the high jump as the women and men snagged eighth and seventh respectively. In contrast, Softball took all four wins from the Loggers; they’ve now jumped to fifth in the conference. In the world of sport: Damian Lillard dropped 35 points in the Bucks’ playoff opener, Stanley Cup playoffs kicked off and Don Carlo Ancelotti carried Madrid on a single eyebrow. Consider in the coming weeks: What? There’s an entire sub-basement under Lausanne and Doney? Huh? It’s allegedly full of white hallways and aging technology? And did you say Gabriel’s horn blows now stronger and subtler than the last time?

In an attempt to prevent the removal of Willamette University’s bookstore, a new per-credit model has been confirmed to take place for the 2024-25 academic year with the hopes of increasing utilization of the bookstore. The new per-credit model is a course material delivery program offered as a solution by Barnes and Noble, the university bookstore’s partner for the past three years, to increase bookstore sales. The model has been successful after implementation on over 200 other college campuses across the country. It offers an expanded choice for students on their textbook purchases by charging $20 per credit hour, allowing students to have access to however many textbooks needed as assigned by the instructor for each course. About a month before classes begin, emails will be sent out notifying students of the textbook materials assigned by each of their instructors. Students can choose to opt out at that time and until the add/drop period deadline, which provides a 30-day window. After opting out, students can still purchase all needed materials from the bookstore a la carte as normal. If a student chooses to stay opted in as per the default of the model, they will then choose the option of physical or digital textbooks unless specified by the instructor, as well as the delivery method. Digital textbooks will be made available through Canvas, while physical textbooks can be delivered to the university bookstore located in Putnam University Center or to the student’s chosen home address. It is notable that all physical textbooks are rentals, including lab manuals, and must be returned at the end of each semester to be reused by other students. Students can choose to purchase any chosen textbooks at the end of the semester at a reduced but additional price. As for payment, it is required to pay for the total of all credits signed up for each semester if a student chooses to opt in, regardless of whether or not they require textbooks. Registered credits exclude courses ending in “x.” An example model of this payment system could look like $240 for 12 credits and $360 for 18 credits. Additionally, the model will exclude non-textbook items such as lab goggles, art supplies, calculators, etc., but all will still be available for purchase at the bookstore. The model adds the textbook fees to the student’s calculated tuition and fees package, allowing for financial aid to be applied to cover the costs if applicable. Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Ruth Feingold explained that the current bookstore model is being discontinued by Barnes and Noble at universities of similar size to Willamette and said that the company required implementation of a different model to continue the partnership. “It may not have been my choice to [implement the per-credit model], but it just adds an additional option,” said Feingold. “It’s not a big annoyance to opt out,” she added. Feingold noted that only 30% of current students utilize the bookstore, causing a loss of money for both the university as well as Barnes and Noble. The new model is expected to increase student purchases from the bookstore to 80%, which will be profitable for both parties involved. Using the new model, students are expected to save 35-50% on average over purchasing books. Feingold invited faculty members as well as Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) to discuss the new model when the idea first arose back in the fall of 2023. “Generally speaking, [faculty and students] asked a lot of the right questions that helped us and informed us on how to work better with Barnes and Noble,” said Associate Vice President of Budget and Facilities Anne Gallagher. Dean Feingold added that there were initial suspicions from faculty and students regarding the new model, but assured that the Frequently Asked Questions web page released on April 22 evolved from the concerns that had been brought up to the table during departmental chair meetings where the College Council student representatives were also present. “I was worried it was a capitalist trap that would force students to spend more money than needed,” said history professor William Smaldone. After his initial concerns were answered including the fact that students can just opt out, Smaldone is optimistic that the new model will be effective in keeping the bookstore open and increasing sales, as well as be cheaper for some students who take courses such as his. He recalls having to reassign a core textbook in one of his history courses after the price doubled to over one hundred dollars with consideration that it was only one of five other assigned texts. “I think it is a positive option,” said Gallagher. “There were several rounds of communication, Dan Valles (Chief Operating Officer) is ready with a comprehensive communication package so there will be opportunity for students to educate themselves.” Feingold encourages students to be informed consumers and opt in or out as they see fit depending on their courses and needs.

The popular social media app TikTok has been controversial for quite some time, but recently this contention has come to a head. The House of Representatives has officially passed a proposal for TikTok to either be bought from the Chinese government or banned in the United States. If approved in the Senate, the bill will only need the president’s signature. A lot is up to the legislators, so as of right now, there is very little the American public can do about the situation. For many this seems inconsequential —it's just another social media platform that students would be more productive without. But the question of a ban is much larger than just one addictive app. Surprisingly, TikTok seems to be dropping in popularity according to some students. Few have the app downloaded and less than half use it on a daily basis. Instead, they watch reuploaded videos on Instagram and YouTube. While Instagram reels and YouTube shorts attempt to replicate the platform’s success, Tiktok struggles to escape its viral niche. For once being arguably the most popular short-form content, TikTok is dying out as fast as its predecessors of the 2010s. Musical.ly and Vine were both platforms with similar setups. They were beloved by their generation and yet neither lasted more than four years. Vine was launched in 2012 and discontinued in 2016. Musical.ly was released in 2014 before merging in 2017 with none other than TikTok. Perhaps this is fate; the shorter the media, the shorter it lasts. Trends come and go, and when a trend is as much of a threat to national security as the government implies about TikTok, the sooner the better. U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI), who currently chairs the House Select Committee on China, sponsored the bill with these concerns in mind. According to him, TikTok has already begun to abuse user privacy in order to target journalists and interfere in elections. If the United States does not take action, there’s no telling what amount of unclassified information the app could share with rival countries, he asserts. However, public and federal privacy concerns don’t require banning the platform completely. If regulated safely, the American public would still be able to enjoy TikTok. “The TikTok user experience can continue … so long as ByteDance [China] doesn't own the company,” Gallagher clarified to NPR’s congressional correspondent Deirdre Walsh. Even U.S. Representative and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) commented on this in her House floor speech in March, insisting that improvement was the bill makers’ only motive. Is this true though? Not likely. At the insistence of the Chinese government, TikTok’s parent company has agreed to work alongside Oracle, an American software service, to oversee user data management. But privacy doesn’t appear to be the U.S. government’s only concern. All these apps have another thing in common that must be taken into account, and that’s their intended demographic. Musical.ly shared the same privacy allegations, as it was also owned by China. That isn’t the case for Vine or even Facebook, the latter of which wasn’t just accused but actually did sell information back in 2017. Both were American-owned, but the dangerous one, Facebook, somehow endured. The truth is that Vine, Musical.ly, and TikTok are Generation Z’s platforms. While every other generation is allowed to keep their favorite flavor of social media, the youngest are forced to start over multiple times. Maybe that has something to do with Zuckerberg and his chokehold on the economy — too Meta? — but more likely it's because the government wants to silence one group in particular. Everyone knows Gen Z is too unpredictable. Too opinionated. Too extreme. The government has not been timid in its views. Officials are afraid of radical ideas voiced by this generation and they know TikTok is where we rally. This is why the bill is a big deal. Either way, extreme regulation goes against freedom of speech, but America buying TikTok might even be worse than banning it altogether. “I get my news from TikTok. If the government owned it, they could regulate what we see,” Samantha Fernandez ('27) noted. She’s right. The United States government may not buy the app outright, but whichever American company does will be subject to demands. Sure, they may only want to limit screen time right now, but there will always be the possibility of worse. First no more scrolling after midnight, then just the slightest hint at rebellion will get a video blocked. Kylie Smith (‘26) said it best: “Censorship can be bad. … If they’re just going to change the platform, there’s really no point in keeping it.” Maybe TikTok getting banned won’t have much of an effect by itself. It is, however, indicative of future restrictions. Freedoms that, if not preserved, can be lost forever. Sorry Nancy Pelosi, this proposal will not make the platform “tic-tac-toe, a winner,” but maybe it doesn’t have to be a lost cause either.

As the summer months approach, there are a number of events that Bearcats can look forward to, including Noah Kahan’s We’ll All Be Here Forever Tour. Throughout the tour, Kahan will be visiting students’ respective hometowns, with his show closest to Salem being in Ridgefield, Washington in early July. In light of summer’s soon arrival, here is a definitive ranking of all of Kahan’s collaborative tracks from his album “Stick Season (Forever).” Eighth: Homesick (with Sam Fender) This might be one of my least favorite songs I’ve heard. I’ll admit that I don’t listen to a lot of the pop-folk genre or “stomp-and-holler,” as Spotify calls it, but this is foul. Fender’s verse feels very detached from the rest of the song, and this detachment is only furthered by the lack of blending between his and Kahan’s voices. Overall, I think “Homesick” was one of the only songs on the album that wasn’t bettered by a feature. Seventh: Dial Drunk (with Post Malone) Albeit, I’m not a huge Post Malone fan, but that isn’t why this song is ranked so low. I actually like this version of the song better than the original until it gets to Post Malone's verse. The issue with this song is the inverse of the issue with “Homesick (with Sam Fender).” It’s the content of the new verse that bothers me; the album as a whole describes Kahan’s life before fame, but the line “Drinks pouring, couldn't stop it” implies a financial freedom that Kahan didn’t have prior to fame. This contributes to the song feeling too separate from the rest of the album. Sixth: You’re Gonna Go Far (with Brandi Carlile) My dislike for this song has nothing to do with the lyrics itself, just my personal experience associated with the song and my expectations for Carlile’s performance. This song reminds me of rainy October days and teary goodbyes. Not my own teary goodbyes, but watching them take place awkwardly as I’m sitting on my dorm bed debating on whether or not to reach for my Airpods. Carlile’s performance is a bit of a more objective analysis; my introduction to her was through Hozier’s track “Damage Gets Done.” I really loved her performance on that record, and compared to this song, it was underwhelming. Fifth: She Calls Me Back (with Kacey Musgraves) At this point, we’ve run out of songs I actively dislike — these are just the less good of the great. Musgraves’ verse holds a great sense of relatability to me, especially knowing Bearcat Days are approaching: “I’m running out of tears to cry / They’re gone before they hit my cheeks.” I’m reminded of masking my tears while racing down the stairs of Eaton Hall after tanking my Symbolic Logic midterm, all while a group of prospective Bearcats were going up the stairs. While the memory is horribly embarrassing, I’m feeling particularly nostalgic and therefore the song lands at No. 6. Fourth: Call Your Mom (with Lizzy McAlpine) First, use this as a reminder to call your family! This song reminds me of going to college and the tears that were shed as my parents left me alone for the first time. This song serves as a reminder that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In Kahan’s experience, when love from a partner or a friend isn’t enough, love from his mother will get him through. McAlpine does an incredible job in this song and serves as an important role, playing the “character” of Kahan’s friend who is reaching out to help and reminding him of the love of his family. Third: Everywhere, Everything (with Gracie Abrams) This song is one of the most splendid love songs I’ve ever heard. While Abrams’ and Kahan’s voices are juxtaposed, I find that this element works well in a song about love. It feels as though Abrams is echoing the sentiment shared by a partner. This song is also one of the more poetic songs on Kahan’s discography. A line that stuck with me is, “I wanna love you till we’re food for the worms to eat.” It is reminiscent of those photos of fossilized bodies hugging each other postmortem in an eternal embrace. Second: Northern Attitude (with Hozier) “Northern Attitude” is a song that I feel resonates with most Portlanders, and it applies to older Willamette students — those acclimated to Oregon’s dreary climate and even more dreary population. Hozier’s addition to this track works incredibly well especially given that the artist has a track on his own album, “To Someone From A Warm Climate,” which shares a similar sentiment. First: Paul Revere (with Gregory Alan Isakov) I spent a number of my summers in Maine, with the thick humid air filled with gnats and mosquitoes, the freezing, but swimmable oceans, the experience of visiting a small town, and the awkward conversation of “I’m not from around here.” This song discusses the interesting dichotomy of not resonating with a place while also being aware that it is deeply ingrained in your life through memories and mannerisms. Stylistically, Isakov’s voice works incredibly well with Kahan and is layered well enough to create simultaneous separation and attachment. With this ranking in mind as the days get warm and summer heat looms, hopefully all Bearcats will be able to enjoy summer travels, hikes, picnics and internships with some of Noah Kahan’s folk hits as the soundtrack for the season.

A new automatic door button has been installed at the west entrance of Smullin Hall with funding from the Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) as part of a campus improvement project aimed at increasing accessibility. Andrew Caruana is a current ASWU senator for the class of 2024 and the former president of Disability Advocacy Club (DAC) for three years. He said that this campus improvement project, organized alongside senators Anastasiia Lemesh (‘26) and Sean Olson (‘26), consisted of funding the installation of a button for the west entrance of Smullin Hall to open automatically. Many people with disabilities previously had to use a different entrance with an automatic door opener. “If you were coming from [the west] side you’d have to go all the way around the building to the other side to get to a door with a door button. It was not the most accessible route,” Caruana added. The company contracted to install the new button is Capitol City Door, Inc. The cost of installation was $7,179 and it was fully funded by ASWU, according to the company’s budget proposal. The building where Smullin and Walton halls are located is home to the offices of many faculty members, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Accessible Education Services (AES) and Willamette Information and Technology Services (WITS). Caruana said that the idea for this project came from many members of DAC who had been advocating for the installation of an automatic opener button for several years. The project also received help and support from AES, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Ruth Feingold, ASWU Advisor Lisa Holliday and the Neurodivergent Student Union (NDSU). ASWU senate approval for the proposal was unanimous. Milo Greenberg (‘24), the treasurer of ASWU, said that “getting a quote for how much [the button] was going to cost was an ordeal,” but he is glad that the project was finally completed. Nonetheless, Caruana thinks that such accessibility projects should be funded by the university instead of ASWU. “I’m happy that [ASWU] had the money to do it. I’m sure that students generally are happy to see their money going to things like that, because those are real and tangible things, but the university should have paid for it and it should have happened decades ago,” Caruana said. Since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law in 1990 and further expanded in 2008, public buildings have to meet accessibility standards, including functional elevators and accessible entrances through ramps or automatic buttons. With its existing single accessible entrance, Smullin Hall was already ADA-compliant, but Caruana believes that these standards are insufficient. “What do we consider as ADA-compliant versus what is actually accessible to people with disabilities? We might be compliant, but are we really doing the best that we can?” Caruana said that members of the university administration supported the project, but added,“What admin is willing to support and what admin is willing or able to pay for are two very different things.” He hopes that this project encourages the university administration in the future to “look at these projects more seriously” as other large buildings on campus, like Kaneko, still only have one automatic door button. “To the university’s credit, Willamette is a really old campus, and when you’re working with really old buildings it’s very expensive to do some of the remodels that should be done,” he added. Caruana concluded that the university should always aim to increase accessibility and send a message to prospective students with disabilities that they are welcome and heard at Willamette.

Hello, Bearcat Fan! A new Collegian executive staff has been hired and soon I myself will face yet another editorial hiring period. Please, loyal reader, to ensure my continued stewardship of the sports section, comment on this article: “Hi, I’m very charming and respectable, but a false step in the case of sports hiring may cause me to lash out and/or make a scene.” Let’s go to the news! Women’s Soccer staked their flag in the center of Corban U’s field and now owns the rights to all of Salem (2-1). NCAA on top! In their first game under Matt Corti-Young, Men’s Soccer headed south to Corvallis to face Oregon State. The Beavs, who took third in the last DI national tournament, defeated the ‘Cats 3-0. Lacrosse pillaged Puget Sound (20-3). Baseball shipped off to the Midwest to take on North Central College and Concordia Chicago. They grabbed two wins of a possible four. Men’s Golf won the NWC Spring Classic, a massive result as they head to the conference tournament. Women’s Golf took seventh at the NWC Spring Classic, then defeated Linfield by a single stroke at the Willamette dual meet. On both accounts, Linfield will again be forced to lay awake at night, dreaming in vain of surpassing our glorious institution. Scores are making their way in for Tennis’ last match-up of the year. The Bruins will be a nearly insurmountable challenge for them. Softball stands on the verge of snatching two wins of three from No. 3 George Fox as of Sunday afternoon. Can we expect a late-season surge? Erica Snyder (‘26) snagged 8th at the NWC multi-event track and field championship. In the world of sport: At UFC 300 Max Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje with one second on the board, Alex “Poatan” Pereira TKO’d Jamahal Hill in round one, UEFA Champions League quarters are a dead heat and I got a new Jermaine O’Neal Indiana Pacers jersey. Nice! Consider in the coming weeks: Whatever happened to the Dolly Parton plaque which used to hang in Sparks, and alternatively, how much more of this are you going to put up with? I mean, seriously, what will it take? At some point, you have to back yourself ….

Plans for the 2024 Opening Days have begun as applications for Opening Days (OD) leaders closed on Feb. 19. New OD student leaders have been chosen and the process of planning and integrating a new system of leadership has emerged. The Willamette Events and Activities website has already posted its general structure of how the 2024 Opening Days will be run, stating, “Opening Days will give you the tools and resources you need throughout your first semester and beyond. This year’s program takes place Aug. 21-25, with move-in day on August 21st.” With the 2023 Opening Days lasting six full days from Aug. 22 to Aug. 27 in comparison to the 2024 Opening Days, which lasted only five days, there is an apparent change in the schedule that cuts out an entire day. Along with this alteration, Dean of Students and Director of Student Engagement and Leadership Lisa Holliday explained other changes:  “[We are] really trying to simplify the responsibilities of the OD leaders. … So we are really trying to say, ‘Okay, you’re an OD leader, you’re responsible for helping students connect and build relationships and get them acquainted with the campus and resources.’” Instead of having two OD leaders per group, there will only be one leader per group of 15. “Instead of hiring 60 OD leaders, we will be hiring 40,” said Holliday. This adjustment is meant to relieve some of the responsibilities for OD leaders, but in turn, causes Opening Days to be less student-led. The 2023 OD Leaders webpage outlines the former expectations of an OD leader, stating, “They complete a Spring Training and then return to school in August for intensive training and preparation before Opening Days begins. … [These] leaders are also responsible for planning all the events and programs that occur during Opening Days. Every leader is a member of one of the OD committees, each responsible for planning different events.” Though many of these responsibilities remain the same, the new changes made to the OD leader position will decrease this workload. According to Holliday, other adjustments are due to feedback from current first-year students about their Opening Days experiences. Some students found the experience to be overwhelming, as she recalled, “There was one day where students were busy from eight or nine in the morning until 11 o’clock at night. It was Colloquium, a couple of educational programs, and then it was Matriculation and then the Glow Up dance. It was just too much.” In order to create a balance within the new schedule, a day was taken off of Opening Days and the events were more spread out so there would be more time to incorporate meals and breaks. Willamette student Henry Ives (‘24) was an OD leader for the 2022 school year and in a reflection of his time, he stated, “I’ve always valued so much of the connections that can be made with individual students and I could see the worth of the program and how much people got out of it.” He transitioned his interests into student engagement through his position as an OD leader. Commenting on the changes to Opening Days that decrease student-led activities, Ives mentioned, “We never have enough leaders to distribute the workload evenly, so hopefully that [change] takes a little bit of stress off student leaders because every year was always, like, too many people being stretched a bit too thin.” With oncoming class sizes increasing steadily every year since the COVID-19 pandemic eased, OD leaders have felt their responsibilities increasing linearly as the role requires more of them. As an OD leader for the 2021-2023 school years, Naydine Lima-Mercado (‘24) recalled, “[I] wouldn’t have done it over and over again if I wasn’t interested in improving the program and being part of that experience. … Part of what I would like to see changed for Opening Days would definitely be [more appreciation for the leaders]. … Opening Days leaders do a lot of work. … They commit a lot of their time for a small fraction of payment.” Lima-Mercado led a group of more than 30 international and transfer students the first year she participated in Opening Days. Another year, she led a group of 19 students with the help of another OD leader. “I have no doubt that [the Opening Days staff] will pull it together. They always have, we always have. Opening Days have always succeeded because of the way that we’re able to pull it together all at once,” said Lima-Mercado regarding the new changes to the program. In hopes of a better work-education-life balance for OD leaders and to reduce the chances of first-year students being overwhelmed, finalized plans are still up in the air as the current academic year nears its end.

The Outdoor Program (ODP) will bring new opportunities to students to explore ice caves, camp at an old World War II-era fort and get free gear this spring semester. After a slow start to the semester caused by weather conditions resulting in multiple trips getting canceled, the ODP is finally successfully offering trips. After its ziplining trip on April 6, the ODP will offer three trips: Fort Stevens beach camping, white water rafting and the Guler Ice Caves hike. Excursions range in price from $15 to $60 and are open to all students. Scholarships are available through the program if financial support is needed. Fort Stevens lies near Astoria on the Oregon coast. It used to be a military installation that was utilized from the Civil War until World War II to guard the Columbia River. The fort now has a museum that details its history as well as a shipwreck on the beach which visitors can explore. Fort Stevens also offers hiking trails, a freshwater lake and the opportunity to see wildlife. This trip runs from April 12 through 14 for $45. White water rafting is set to run on April 27 for $60. The ice cave trip has been long awaited by the Willamette community. The Guler Ice Caves are located in Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington. The ice caves are the result of lava tubes, a natural tunnel formed in a lava flow, where ice is able to form. The cave, open to the public, is roughly 650 feet long and is full of ice stalagmites and floors year-round. There is a rich history behind the caves. This trip runs on April 28 for $15. Ingrid Asoved, an assistant coordinator of the ODP, believes the white water rafting trip and the Guler Ice Cave hike are expected to have high turnouts. The ODP is also offering supported trips, a semi-new part of the program that allows clubs to reach out to the ODP to create outdoor opportunities. Supported trips create a collaborative effort between the club and ODP which allows students to have more opportunities for getting involved and outside. This semester the Non-Traditional Student Union collaborated with the ODP for a trip to an aquarium, but many other trip ideas can be offered. The ODP continues to offer free gear for rent this semester and wants students to utilize the service before it possibly disappears next year. Equipment ranges from tents to sleeping bags to paddle boards, which can be used for personal trips. Next semester, rentals will most likely again include a fee. The ODP is also offering its bike shop this semester, so if you are experiencing issues with your bike, you can visit Montag to have it looked at. The ODP will offer trip ideas for the fall at the end of the semester which students can vote on,  and they are also taking suggestions via email.

Salem Center is a shopping mall in the heart of downtown. Unfortunately, it isn’t known for its incredible reputation. The Yelp reviews sum the space up pretty well: “Boarded windows, lights off and scattered people shuffling around with nothing to do. It looked like ‘Last Man on Earth,’ if you've seen that show”; “[I don’t know] how they are staying alive, let alone the smaller businesses”; “[The city] should just close it down, it's a waste of retail space.” These are just a few examples of what local residents are saying about Salem Center. Of course, then, it was news to the community when local investors Kelly McDonald, Patrick Carney and Mark Shipman bought out the acres to invest in renovating the mall. According to an article from the Statesman Journal, McDonald, Carney and Shipman are three business partners who pride themselves on being from Oregon. All three say they appreciate the potential Salem Center has to become a vibrant place and a better reflection of what they believe to be the essence of the Salem community. McDonald, Carney and Shipman are looking to renovate Salem Center in order to flip its entire connotation as a “horrible and miserable place to be,” and they plan to achieve that goal by catering to what the people living in Salem are looking for in a shopping center. All of this begs the question: what do Willamette students, now calling Salem home, want in a shopping center? As the majority of Willamette consists of college students who are budgeting (i.e., learning to suck it up and eat the two end pieces of the bread loaf because even though you know it’s just bread, you still swear it tastes different), what are Bearcats looking for in a shopping center? The current Salem Center is, admittedly, a dud. Contrary to how it might seem within the on-campus bubble, Willamette college students do not make up the whole population of Salem, and thus, amenities in Salem Center need to apply to everyone in Salem. The center has chain department stores like American Eagle, Bath & Body Works and the scariest place to get your ears pierced, Claire’s. After several years of Salem Center’s continual decline, it is clear that these stores are not what the people of Salem are looking for. From a college student standpoint, what do the Bearcats want to see in the new and improved Salem Center? Some students expressed wanting public areas for people to spend time in without necessarily having to spend a lot of money. Annie Birch Wright (‘27) said, “A lot of infrastructure is built around keeping people moving and buying things, so I think it would be so cool to have a place where that isn’t the case.” Birch Wright also emphasized a desire to see the new Salem Center shift toward more sustainable development and take a few steps toward carbon neutrality. Other students proposed the benefits of having basic necessities easily accessible, like expanding their walkable grocery store selection to more than just Safeway with its big lines and even bigger prices. Some proposed affordable clothing stores for students to grab staples. Though the students of Willamette are looking for a variety of things, it goes without saying that all are excited to see the renovations of Salem Center under McDonald, Carney and Shipman. Their goal is to “add new energy to this vibrant, human gathering place for greater Salem,” and despite what specific qualities people are looking for in the new shopping center, it’s clear that Salem residents are looking forward to seeing people use the full potential of Salem Center.