Jake Procino Staff writer jprocino@willamette.edu This coming Saturday, March 7, marks the official start of the men’s and women’s track and field season with the Willamette Invitational.  The team practices every day except Sunday, with a combination of practicing technique on the track and weightlifting in the gym. While sprint training is usually split by gender, many facets of the practice are co-ed.  17th-year head coach Matt McGuirk and his staff provide direction for the team through the planning of workouts and practices. The staff gives out the workouts and, during practice, assists with the team’s technique. Certain events need less technical help, such as most of the running events. Other events need a lot more coaching supervision to achieve a high level of execution. Events on the technical part of the spectrum include the high jump and triple jump. Track and field’s season is in the spring, though usually the team works out in the fall to prepare for the season. However, many of the track distance runners compete in the fall as members of the cross country squads.  Like most student-athletes, a loaded in-season schedule forces the track and field athletes to manage their time wisely to complete school work. Senior Brian Peck believes that the lack of free time actually makes him more responsible: “When your sport is [in season], it forces you to work when you have [free time]. But when you’re in the off-season… you have all this time, so you think you have tons of time to get your work done, but then you never get it done.” Track and field compete in meets, where two or more schools meet at one location and participate in events. According to Peck, the most important meet of the year for the team is the Northwest Conference Championships (NWCC) at the end of April, where there is a lot of strategy deployed to score as many points as possible for the team. In the meets leading up to NWCC, the intent is different: “Track is individual until we get to conference, and there the entire mind-set changes. Throughout the entire season, you’re just trying to [improve].”  The mindset of improvement is reflected in the execution of the meets. Each event usually only has one round, with each individual participating logging one attempt rather than having qualifying and final rounds. Leading up to the NWCC, track athletes will often run in a variety of different events. For example, a runner who usually runs 400-meter sprints may participate in a 200-meter sprint. However, field event athletes like throwers (shot put, javelin, hammer, and discus) tend to do their events every meet.  Peck said that he is trying to limit his expectations for the season. “I want to think that I’m going to do well, but I don’t want to have too many expectations because if I come in with super high expectations then early on in the season if I don’t quite meet those, then I’m going to get bummed out and lose motivation.”  A successful season for Peck does not necessarily mean hitting certain benchmarks. Peck would rather look back and say, “I tried my hardest.” For Peck, this includes eating healthy, getting enough sleep and being as coachable as he can. Off the track, this means getting academic work done in a timely manner so that he is not stressed about it: “When stressed out, no one runs as fast.” Lastly, Peck has learned to have a certain mindset to compete his best:  “What I’ve learned in my years here, the way you compete the best and the way you have the best time is focus on having fun. That’s why we’re out there, to have fun.” The Willamette Opener meet will be held on Saturday, March 7 at McCullough Stadium, with events beginning at 9 a.m.

Britt Shunn-Mitchell Contributor bemitchell@willamette.edu With over a quarter of Willamette University’s student body involved in athletics, associate athletic director and senior woman administrator Leslie Shevlin has a lot of training to oversee. But for the last eight weeks, she has added to her busy schedule her own training for the Salem Rotary Triathlon. Like many student athletes, Shevlin has been getting up early to train for an hour and a half before starting her workday. Shevlin swam in her college days. While she acknowledges that her training now differs from that of student athletes, she said, “If people can respect what I’m trying to do, even if its not exactly what they’re doing, there is a little bit of a connection there and I’ve always tried to set a good example for my athletes. It can be traumatic to have your athlete time end in college so its good to show that it can go on.”  Shevlin’s example has reached far beyond just inspiring athletes to stay active after college. When she was the head coach of Willamette’s men and women’s swim teams, she got the team involved with volunteering at the Rotary Triathlon. The yearly tradition that Leslie started has continued and surpassed her expectations. Shevlin said that she “wanted to support and participate in a local race… We knew swimming was going to volunteer I appreciate Brent [current head coach of the swim teams] has continued that. But to have softball answer the call at the SAAC meeting and we also have the Center for Hope and Safety 5-kilometer coming up with softball and tennis volunteering, to have our teams in the community being visible and volunteering when we put the call out, that culture is the culture we want.”  Shevlin was the third place finisher for the women’s Olympic distance triathlon and 13th overall with a time of 2:55.14. With a high of 62 degrees Fahrenheit and heavy rain, a mile swim, followed by a 40-kilometer bike ride and finished with a 10-kilometer run was no easy task. Both the men’s and women’s swim teams and the softball team volunteered at the race to help direct traffic, mark the course and cheer on participants. Shevlin said, “In that kind of weather, with that kind of obstacle, to have people who were putting in effort into their volunteering and to have direction was great. For me, I’d get right past someone before they’d be like, oh its Leslie, go Leslie. To have that constant encouragement was super helpful, it was awesome.” Junior swimmer Claire Alongi reflected on the volunteering.  “It was wet and a little miserable, but then someone would come around the corner while I was cheering and they would smile and some even said thank you. And that pretty much made up for all the rain.”

Ivy Yeoh Staff writer icyeoh@willamette.edu Willamette University played Caltech this Friday, Sep. 13 at Sparks Field. WU shut out Caltech 3-0, bringing Willamette’s overall record to 3-0-2 this season.  Right off the bat, WU played an aggressive offense, with two shot attempts coming within the first 10 minutes of play. This pattern continued until 12:10 when junior Omar Dominguez Pascacio scored the first goal with a header and first-year Edwin Ortiz assisted with a corner kick. A corner kick is a free kick for the offensive team from the corner of the field after the defensive team kicks it out of bounds.  At 53:11, sophomore Tam Proctor scored for WU with a shot within three yards of the goal, bringing the score to 2-0. He was assisted by junior Max Berner-Hays and junior Mack van der Velde.  At 61:27, a WU player made a powerful pass, only to have it blocked by the referee’s lower abdomen. After the laughter subsided, the bleachers erupted in applause for the ref’s speedy recovery. What could have been a possible shot attempt for WU turned into a situational comedy gag and fun for all the spectators present.  Throughout most of the game, the ball was kept on Caltech’s side of the field. WU also had far more shot attempts than Caltech, ending the game with 22-4 overall shots on goal. At 23:39, senior Nicholas Ballenger made an impressive shot which was called offsides and shot a crossbar shot at 48:00. A crossbar shot is a near-perfect shot that hits off the post of the goal, resulting in no points. Sophomore Yushiro Shiomi also played well with an excellent fast break at 50:30 and a subsequent failed shot attempt. By the end of the game, Ballenger and Shiomi each had five shot attempts.  “It doesn’t seem like Willamette is switching the play very often, but they’re doing really well pushing up to the second half of the field. They’re creating a really strong offense,” sophomore Reed Vogt said at 46:20. Late in the game, a WU player collided with a Caltech player, resulting in a minor injury and a few seconds on the ground. At one point, an anonymous spectator commented, “He needs some milk!” after a particularly powerful collision.  Sophomore Josh Schneider scored the final goal of the game at 71:06, assisted by first-year Abdul Ali, with a low kick which rolled on the ground right past Caltech’s defense and into the lower left corner of the goal. It looked like Caltech’s goalie, Richard Shim, expected it to miss as he stood and watched it roll into the goal.  In the last five minutes, Caltech made a shot attempt which was blocked by the WU goalie, senior Mason Kelliher, making it his second and final save of the game to preserve the shutout.  The Willamette men’s soccer team will next play Whitman College on Sep. 21 at 2:30 pm and Whitworth University on Sep. 22 at 12:00 pm. Both games are happening on Sparks Field.

Billy Ullmann Lifestyles editor aeullmann@willamette.edu The Hallie Ford Museum of Art opened its newest exhibition, “What Needs to Be Said,” on Saturday, Sept. 14. This exhibit, located in the Melvin Henderson Rubio gallery, features the work of thirteen Oregon-based artists who received the Hallie Ford Fellowship in the Visual Arts between 2014 and 2016. The artworks exist across a variety of mediums, including photography, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, installation, noise and audience interaction.  The exhibition itself was named after the work of MK Guth, a fellowship recipient and associate professor of art at Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA). Her titular work explores the idea of expression by inviting viewers to help create the piece through writing what they believe needs to be said in large blank books placed in the gallery. Following the first day of viewing, there was a panel discussion led by art curator Diana Nawi. The panel featured a few of the art fellows: Karl Burkheimer, Tom Porchaska, Blair Saxon-Hill and Samantha Wall.  Nawi began the discussion by explaining that even though the artists have different practices, “there was one common thread: time.” She asked the panelists how they believe their work was a practice of time. Wall, a drawing instructor at PNCA, created a series of drawings, one everyday, over the month of December 2017 that feature a fist colored in India ink. She explained: “This was a necessity of reality. After a tragedy in my family, I had to work on something small. I found steadying in repetition. […] I made these to slow down from a frantic pace.” Her work shown in Hallie Ford is a part of a diptych, or work consisting of two matching parts. The half not featured was created in January 2018. Burkheimer, once a professor and chair of the Master of Fine Arts in Craft at the Oregon College of Art and Craft, showcased his sculpture Hull. He responded to Nawi’s question by saying: “There’s a continuance and a returning. It’s like a wheel: it comes back to it started but continues going forward. [Art] can be unplanned but familiar. After the destruction of something, there is something else left over.” Porchaska, a retired professor of printmaking at PNCA, has a series of drawings on display with subject matter ranging from landscapes to depictions of sexual interactions. He described his relationship to time by saying, “[My art] is continuous. I draw and make small sculptures. There’s a random tossing of things. [A lot of it] is cumulative and comes with time.” Saxon-Hill, who owns an art book store called Monograph Bookwerks, works with a variety of mediums but has a common practice of using documents and materials from the past. She explained her relationship with time by saying: “I look at impossible documents and outdated forms of technology to look at our sense of knowing and truth. I examine artifacts and materiality through things like evidence of wear and oscillations of time. A lot of my works have a relationship with something external or a historical moment.” The panel discussion concluded with Nawi asking the artists how they got to where they were as artists and what they felt needed to be said. Wall responded by saying inspiring others to find a voice is hard. Burkheimer said, “I just did stuff. It took a long time for me to realize I was doing art. Naming is not as interesting as the doing… There is a continual problem seeking.”  Porchaska answered, “It’s in not always knowing and looking for surprises. I also share and ask my friends, which feeds me.” Saxon-Hill described her experience: “[My art] is a way to find answers and think through ideas. I break it down into something digestible; my work produces revelation. There is constant change.” The exhibit is viewable until Dec. 20. Tannaz Farsi and Geraldine Ondrizek, fellowship recipients, will be giving artist lectures in the Roger Hull Lecture Hall in the Hallie Ford Museum at 7:30 pm on Sept. 26 and Oct. 24, respectively. There are also gallery talks given by museum docents every Tuesday at 12:30 pm starting on Oct. 1 and running until Dec. 17.

Elizabeth Hyde Staff writer eghyde@willamette.edu Students assembled in Eaton 209 to hear the poetry of acclaimed writer Geffrey Davis on Sept. 11. The Davis reading was the first lecture of the 2019 Hallie Ford Literary Series, orchestrated by the Hallie Ford Chair in Writing, Professor Scott Nadelson. Nadelson introduced Davis, citing that the Mark and Melody Teppola Creative Writing fund made it possible to bring the poet to Willamette.  Davis hails from the Pacific Northwest, but currently resides in Arkansas. He was raised in Tacoma, and graduated from Oregon State University and went on to receive his Ph.D from the University of Pennsylvania. Two of his published works have received critical acclaim: “Revising the Storm” received the A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize in 2013 and “Night Angler” received the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets in 2013. Davis is an Associate Professor of English at the University of Arkansas. His poems have been printed in renowned media outlets including “PBS NewsHour,” Ploughshares , and The New York Times Magazine . He is also a poetry editor for the Iron Horse Literary Review .  Geffrey Davis read from his autobiographical poetry book “Night Angler,” which draws heavily upon themes of fatherhood. Davis recalled deciding to dedicate the book to his eight-year-old son, but was not sure how to approach him with it. Fate intervened one day when Davis fell asleep on the couch and woke up to his son reading the book to his wife.  “Yeah. It’s a good book, Dad,” his son told him.  “It’s been a long time since I’ve tried that hard to fight back tears so that the voice across from me would keep speaking,” said Davis. Out of all the accolades his work has received, Davis said that his son’s review is the only one that matters.  “Night Angler” also grapples with heavy subjects like Davis’s relationship to his own father, who struggles with addiction, the grieving process of miscarriage and violence against young black boys.  “To me, reading Geffrey’s poems is always a joyful experience, because no matter how sad or painful the subject matter is, they are always searingly honest, never shying away from complex emotions,” said Nadelson. “They make us struggle with contradiction and earn our compassion, and they always do so in language that mirrors a precision, directness and yearning of prayer.”  Nadelson announced that Davis will serve as this year’s judge for the Teppola Creative Writing prize. Willamette students may submit work in the form of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction, and the winners in each genre will be awarded $500 and the opportunity to read from their work at the award ceremony. Submissions for the Teppola prizes will be due in the beginning of spring semester. Two more authors will be visiting Willamette in the Hallie Ford Literary Series this semester. Natanya Ann Pulley, author of “With Teeth,” will be at Willamette on Nov. 6, and Leni Zumas, author of national best-seller “Red Clocks,” on Nov. 19. Both authors will present in Eaton 209 at 7:30 p.m.

Compiled by Billy Ullmann and Sophie Smith Lifestyles editor and editor-in-chief aeullmann@willamette.edu and slsmith@willamette.edu Mads Malone they/them Class of 2020 What is your tattoo of? It is blank sheet music. I got it to represent teaching myself piano and getting through struggles. It sort of for me means that I’ve been through worse times and I got a skill out of it. When I was teaching myself piano a lot of my life was up in the air and piano was the thing that grounded me… It means that if I’m in a really dark place there’s also something to be learned and there’s always beauty to it. Also I use it as a notepad.  How many other tattoos do you have? None. But I want more. I want a sleeve on my other arm.  Why do you like tattoos? They’re a way of expressing something to the world that you can’t do via clothes or hair. Having a tattoo to old people means you’re a punk. It keeps the right people away from me.  Bradley Arvola Class of 2020 Why did you get your tattoo? In Colorado, this is the basic tattoo to get. Colorado is known for its mountains. When did you get it?  Two and a half years ago. I was in Boulder with my mom and my sister who also got mountain tattoos. How many other tattoos do you have? Two. What do you wanna get next? A nautilus. It’s an animal I relate to because it spends its whole life going backwards not seeing where it is going. I plan on getting in the crook of my arm. ] Jasper Jones she/her Class of 2020 When did you get this tattoo? I got it during winter break of my sophomore year at Mule Tattoo in Tustin, CA. Why? My best friend and I were talking about tattoos and we both said we wanted bees and we decided to get bees together. We said that I should get a sword and she should get a crown. How many others do you have? 4. What tattoo do you want to get next? A Mister Rogers tattoo- either the trolley or the script of ‘won’t you be neighbor.’ Clifford Grace they/them Class of 2022 When did you get this tattoo? Fall break of my first year. Why? I found a simplistic sketch of the design on the ground outside my dorm and I thought it was cool so I took a photo of it. A month later it was on my body. It’s actually from a peer’s final art project and I recently met the person it was modeled after. How many other tattoos do you have? 7 with a lot more to come. Why do you like tattoos? It’s like telling a story. Everything has some significance and strengthens my sense of self.

Jake Procino Staff writer jprocino@willamette.edu On Saturday, the Willamette University football squad marched with a new coach and new energy down to La Verne, CA, to face the University of La Verne (ULV) Leopards on an absolutely scorching 100 degree Fahrenheit day. The opening game was not only notable for being the first time that two women student-athletes on different teams played against each other in a college football game, but it is also notable for being Willamette’s first game under the direction of the new head coach, Isaac Parker.  Both teams came out guns-a-blazing, lighting up the first quarter scoring a combined 36 points by the time the first 15 minutes ended. ULV started the scoring capping a 56-yard drive with a 19-yard pass with 11:04 left in the first quarter. WU responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive of their own, finished off with a 15-yard pass from quarterback senior Mathew Castaneda to wide receiver Atkins School of Management student Jordan Jenkins, catching his first of three touchdowns of the day. ULV was then able to block the extra point kick and return it for two points, extending their lead to 9-6. The two teams traded scores again, both scoring seven points. ULV scored on a touchdown from the Willamette a 24-yard drive, and WU scored on a 7-yard pass from Castaneda to sophomore wide receiver Kodiak Hussey, bringing the score to 16-14. ULV closed out the first quarter with a 59-yard kickoff return followed with a 22-yard run to the endzone, ending the quarter with a score of 23-13 in ULV’s favor.  After the back-and-forth of the first quarter, the game slowed down considerably. WU’s offense slowed, with Castaneda throwing an interception. The defense came up big, with a huge 4th down, stop forcing a turnover-on-downs. WU took immediate advantage, utilizing play-action heavily, scoring on back-to-back drives. With both touchdowns, Jenkins made it look easy, completely blocking out the cornerblocks and hauling in touchdown passes with 5:50 and 2:22 left in the quarter, allowing WU to take the lead for the first time in the game, 27-23. Castenada said of Jenkins, “When you have a guy as big and physical as he is it makes certain things a lot easier.” It looked as if WU was going to go into the half with the lead, but a couple of costly penalties allowed La Verne to drive 67 yards down the field and enter the half with the lead, 30-27. ULV came out of the half with a spark on offense. They ran the ball down Willamette’s throat and scored a rushing touchdown in only two minutes into the half. Not to falter, the offensive trident of Castenada, Jenkins and running-back sophomore Dylan Sparks helped drive the ball downfield, allowing senior Caine Farmer to score on a 21-yard touchdown pass. This cut the lead down to four, with ULV still leading 37-33.  Before ULV’s next drive, WU defensive coordinator Buster Davis had a pep talk with the defensive team, needing them to come up with defensive stops to keep the game close. The talk seemed to work, as the defense earned two consecutive stops. Then, unfortunately, the defensive stands did not pan out offensively. After the first stop, the offense had a three-and-out. The second drive was promising, with Sparks and Castenada running the ball to ULV’s side of the field. The drive was cut short with ULV intercepting Castaneda in the endzone. This sequence of events boosted ULV, as they drove down the field and scored with 7:32 left in the game, bringing the score to 43-33. The 12-play, 80-yard drive that took almost six minutes off the clock seemed to take all the momentum away from WU. Neither the WU offense nor the defense could get anything else started as WU punted the ball away with 5:50 left in the game and never got the ball back.  Despite the loss, the team is proud and ready to continue. “We kept it a game for a long time…there were ups and there were downs, and in the downs we didn’t really fold,” Coach Parker commented. “A lot of teams that are used to losing don’t respond that way usually. So that made me feel good.”  “We fought until the end and believed in our new system,” Castenada said, “There is excitement with this team again and it is something that has been missing the past couple of years.” The Bearcats will next take on Occidental College in their home opener at McCulloch Stadium on Sep. 21 at 12 p.m. (PST).

Billy Ullmann Lifestyles editor aeullmann@willamette.edu Aries: The sun enters your sister sign, Libra, on Sunday, Sept. 22, which will likely put partnerships in your focus. This is a good time to figure out how people influence your wants and desires. The moon enters fellow fire sign, Leo, on Sept. 24, putting you in a headspace to look at your self image and the way others see you.  Taurus: The moon is in your sign until Sept. 19, motivating you to spend time relaxing and taking care of yourself. The sun moves into fellow Venus-ruled sign, Libra, on Sept. 22. Your romantic and sensual side will likely feel engaged due to this change. Do not forget that your actions can have consequences, especially as the moon moves into sensitive Cancer on Sept. 22. Gemini: The moon moves into Gemini on Sept. 19, and remains there until Sept. 22, giving you ample time to think and socialize. With Virgo season finally coming to a close on Sept. 22, you can catch your breath in the thoughtful air of Libra season. This is a good time to focus some of your energy on your relationships. Cancer: Libra season begins on Sunday, Sept. 22. Give in to your caring and nurturing nature but do not feel afraid to speak out and communicate your needs during this next month. The moon moves into your sign on Sept. 22, which will likely put your feelings at the forefront of your attention. Trust your intuition. Leo: The sun moves into Venus-ruled Libra on Sept. 22. This is a good time to think about how you can make others feel the way you love to feel. While focusing on others, don’t forget to listen to others’ praise of you. The moon enters your sign on Sept. 24, energizing you to go out and be seen.  Virgo: The moon remains in Taurus before moving to playful Gemini on Sept. 19. Recharge for a bit before giving into any restless creative energy. Virgo season comes to an end and Libra season begins on Sept. 22 as the moon enters Cancer. Take some time to relax and address your needs.  Libra: The sun enters your sign on Sept. 22. You will probably feel very in your element, with Mercury and Venus also in your sign, so do what you are best at with ease. Take some time while the moon is in Taurus (until Sept. 19) to relax before an energizing Gemini moon. The moon moves into sensitive Cancer on Sept. 22, so be sure you don’t take anything too deeply. Scorpio: The moon remains in your sister sign Taurus until Sept. 19, so feel free to put your comfort first. The moon is in Gemini until Sept. 22, so feel free to let go and go a little wild. Libra season begins on Sept. 22. Don’t get too attached to any situation, as Libra is an air sign and is apt to change quickly.  Sagittarius: The moon is in your sister sign, Gemini, from Sept. 19 to 22. Feel encouraged to talk through any ideas and to make connections during this time. Libra season begins on Sept. 22, putting partnership and balance at the forefront of your mind. Check in with yourself and those close to you to make sure everyone is pulling equal weight. Capricorn: The sun moves in Libra on Sept. 22. This a good time to deal with some thoughts and doubts you may have been pushing aside, especially regarding your relationships. The moon is in your sister sign Cancer from Sept. 22 to 24, allowing you to work through some of the emotions that may be lying dormant. Aquarius: The moon is in fellow air sign, Gemini, from Sept. 19-22. Have fun and make connections during this time; you never know what you can learn from others. The sun enters Libra on Sept. 22. This is a good time to check in with others and make certain that you aren’t taking or giving more than you need. Pisces: The sun moves out of your sister sign, Virgo, and into Venus-ruled Libra on Sept. 22. Do not get lost in the change of the season, instead use this time to reevaluate where your energies are being placed. The moon moves into Cancer on Sept. 22, which may inspire you to look inward and guard your emotions a bit more. DISCLAIMER: These predictions are not to be taken seriously. I am not a professional astrologer and any guesses made are simply that: guesses. Do not actually use as advice or guidance.

Jack Kuyper Sports editor jlkuyper@willamette.edu Willamette University’s men’s golf team opened their season at Pacific Lutheran University’s Collegiate Open this past Saturday, Sep. 14 and Sunday, Sep. 15 in Dupont, WA. Sophomore Austin Davis led the Bearcats with a sixth-place individual finish, with first-year Alex Weirth right behind him with a 13th-place finish. Sophomores Andrew Kibbee and Tyler Shreve finished 45th and 57th, respectively, and first-year Carlos Cortes Dequidt finished in 70th place. Willamette placed sixth overall out of the 12 schools that took part in the tournament. Davis started the tournament strong, swinging a 70, two under the par of 72 on Saturday. For comparison, the leaders on the first day were Jared Beals and Travis Bossio of Grey Harbor College, who were tied for a score of six under par of 66. Davis tied with golfers Reilly Hegarty of Whitworth University and Brook Wyatt of Frasier University for sixth place. Weirth, in the first tournament of his collegiate golf career, was one of eight golfers tied for 13th place at one over par of 73. Both Shreve and Kibbee finished Saturday with a score of seven over par 79, tying six other people for 54th place. After the first day of play, the University of Fraser Valley (Canada) held the lead with 278 points. Grey Harbor College held second with 286 points. Whitworth University took third, only two strokes behind Grey Harbor at 288. WU was in seventh at 301. On Sunday, Davis pushed his way to tie for sixth place with a 72 even-par on day two. He tied with Tyler Cassell from Grey Harbor with a score of 71-71 each day at one under par. Weirth played a very consistent game, finishing one over a par of 73 both days. His score earned him 13th place in the individual standings with an overall score of 146. Kibbee stepped up his game after day one, improving on his day one score of 79 by ending Sunday four over par, 76 to claim 45th place. Shreve finished in 57th with 159 total points. Following him was Dequidt in 70th place with an overall score of 178.  Willamette ended the tournament in sixth place with a score of 602 (301-301). Fraser Valley took first with a score of 563 (278-285), while Pacific Lutheran University tied for second with Whitworth with a score of 583. Grey Harbor came in fourth with a score of 585 (286-299), while Spokane Community College took fifth, beating WU by one stroke for a final score of 601 (297-304). “Overall, I thought it was a very positive start,” Willamette head coach Patrick Daugherty said in his interview with assistant athletics director Robert McKinney. “We are pretty young, and for three of our guys this was their first college event. There is certainly room to grow and get better in certain areas, but overall it’s invaluable experience that we can build on.”  The team’s next challenge will come at the Bulldog Invitational, hosted by the University of Redlands on Saturday, Sep. 21 and Sunday, Sep. 22. The match will be held at the S Club in Rancho Mirage, CA. The women’s golf team will also be participating at the event in what will be the first competition of their season.

Sophie Smith Editor-in-chief slsmith@willamette.edu The Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion will present the findings from February’s Campus Climate Study survey at this week’s convocation, which will be held in Ford Hall’s Kremer Board Room at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 19. Last semester, all Willamette University students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to participate in the climate study by taking a two-part survey. According to the Willamette website, the survey was an effort for the University to “better understand the extent to which our campus climate supports diversity and equity, and to inform and improve support, policies and practices at our institution related to diversity and equity.” The survey was split into a quantitative section and a short answer section, the second of which consisted of survey takers’ personal testimonies about their time at Willamette and their opinions of campus. The University received the written answers of the survey this summer, but did not receive the quantitative data until recently. Since receiving this data, the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has planned several forums to present the information. Tomorrow’s convocation is the first of these forums. A full report will be posted online soon. Willamette purchased the survey from the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium, or HEDS. HEDS is an organization that creates surveys and data sharing programs for its member universities. Jade Aguilar, Willamette’s Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, explained the University’s reason for purchasing the survey from a third-party organization. “It’s really hard to make a survey without putting your own bias in it. If you can buy a survey from a reputable organization that knows what they’re doing, then your chances of having a better survey are increased. When you have a survey that other schools use, you can have some comparative data. We will be able to, at some point, see what other schools answered.” Willamette took this survey at the same time that eight other universities did. In the near future, the University should receive comparative data that shows how WU’s results look relative to these other schools.'  “It’s still valuable to see what we answered, but it will be interesting to see what Pacific said,” Aguilar said, referring to Pacific University, which also participated in the study. Willamette does have access to comparative data that shows the engagement rate of the survey. Of the nine schools that participated, Willamette students displayed the highest engagement rate, with 47 percent of all students taking the survey. The next highest rate was from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, with 32 percent. Willamette tied for second among faculty and staff engagement with an engagement rate of 56 percent, trailing only Goshen College.  Aguilar credits this high response rate to the work student employees in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion did to market and advertise the survey. 1,339 people at Willamette took the survey and 1,186 wrote at least one comment. 89 percent of people who engaged with the survey participated in the short answer section. More detailed quantitative results will be revealed at Thursday’s convocation.  Over the summer, groups of University staff and students studied the written portions of the survey. Those who read the comments convened to discuss patterns they all observed in the data. A more full description of these patterns will be revealed at convocation, but Aguilar said one main theme the group observed was that those who took the survey wished to see a more cohesive community at Willamette.  “A pretty pervasive theme emerged: satisfaction with your small group, but a sense of dissatisfaction with University-wide community,” Aguilar said. “People have really close, small groups. They like their coworkers, they like their friends…. But they feel like there are divisions and factions across campus.” Moving forward, the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion plans to host forums or discussion groups to better understand how community members think the University can best establish this sense of community. Amarit Ubhi (‘20), the President of the Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU), read half of undergraduate and graduate students’ comments from the survey. “Many of the student responses discussed diversity, transparency, safety, Greek Life, toxic masculinity and call-out culture,” Ubhi said. “Students also do not feel like they could trust the University as an institution, and this was especially reflected in the bias report question concerning why some students did not report incidents. I think clarity needs to be brought to this subject.” Ubhi and Aguilar agree that the survey is but a first step in understanding campus climate and improving issues of equity, diversity and inclusion that exist on campus. Ubhi plans to utilize the ASWU External Affairs Committee “to collect feedback from the student body, as well as [to put] together forums and discussion groups to share with students.”  Aguilar said February’s climate study was the first of several, which will be conducted in three-year intervals. “There’s more work to be done,” said Aguilar.

Reed Bertran Staff writer rgbertran@willamette.edu Upon returning to Willamette for the 2019 fall semester, College of Liberal Arts students were welcomed by the sight of the newly renovations completed on the first floor of the Putnam University Center (UC). These renovations, which revamped the flooring of the building and added new sitting areas to the space, also added a new window to the Bistro and shifted the location of its door leading to the UC. These changes also added 25 square feet of floor space to the Bistro. Bistro management was involved with parts of the renovations that concerned them.  Assistant Director of Projects Mark Mazurier worked directly with the renovations, and spoke to the goals of the project: “The ultimate goal for the project was to modernize the first floor lobby and make it more inclusive and comfortable for students to gather in. The relocation of Maps Credit Union is a more efficient use of space. The remodel and redesignation of both restrooms helps with the need for all-gender restrooms on campus. The expansion of the Bistro should mitigate some of the crowding that can occur there during busy times. The new carpeted soft seating area next to the Bistro provides a cozy spot to hang out on the first floor.” Although many changes were made during the renovations the most noticable is the revamped flooring in the UC. Gray hardwood boards now lay where tile previously was, creating a smoother, modern aesthetic within the building.  According to Tania Palafox (‘20), the current Bistro manager, not all aspects of the renovations have been met by students with open arms.  “When renovations began it was our concern, the Bistro management’s primary concern, to advocate for the addition of an accessibility activation switch on the Bistro door being remodeled. When we met with the University project managers of the renovations we were informed that the addition of an accessibility button would be too expensive and was not mandatory underneath Oregon state building codes.“ said Palafox. When asked about Willamette’s decision concerning an additional Bistro accessibility button, Mazurier said that the University is now planning to do so.  “Since our initial meeting with Bistro management, we have decided to install an automatic door opener on the main exterior door of the Bistro. Apparently, this had not been communicated to the Bistro management yet.” Mazurier also spoke about construction and cost of the renovations: “The UC renovations cost approximately $225,000, including design, construction and new furniture, and began shortly after 2019’s commencement. The plan to renovate the first floor of the UC had been decided since early 2017, and the decision to begin construction was made in fall of 2018.” The cost of the project, Mazurier stated, was debt funded. According to Cambridge Dictionary debt funding is, “Money borrowed by a company for long periods in the form of loans or bonds.” Cambridge Dictionary also states that because this form of borrowing operates over a long period of time, it is generally a safe way to raise the capital of the borrower.  According to The Atlantic , universities commonly take out debt-funded loans to produce new infrastructure or remodel parts of their campuses:“[In 2017] colleges and universities borrowed a record $41.3 billion through municipal bonds, their principal source of debt funding, the financial firm Thomson Reuters reports… Colleges and universities collectively spent $8.4 billion on new construction.”

Britt Shunn-Mitchell Contributor bemitchell@willamette.edu Trinity University came all the way from San Antonio, TX to play against Willamette’s women’s soccer team on Sunday, Sep. 15 at East Field on the University of Pudget Sound’s campus. The game was full of great plays for both teams, but Willamette’s sophomores stood out, recording two of the team’s three shots. Sophomore ASP student Aoi Sawanodori took one of Willamette’s shots, while sophomore Sydney Wilson took the other. The third shot from Willamette came from senior Gena Main. Trinity’s goalie, Paige Wallace, managed to block all of Willamette’s shots to shut out the Bearcats 3-0. This puts Willamette’s women’s soccer season record at 1-3 overall. However, Willamette’s defense showed a lot of promise for the rest of the season. The first half of the game was close throughout due to strong defensive plays by both teams. There were no goals until just under half an hour in, when Trinity’s Jessica Young scored the first and only point of the first half with an amazing header at 27:45. Lindsey Peng had a remarkable assist on the goal due to her corner kick. Willamette’s defense stayed strong until the second half, when Kristen Coniglione scored a header off a free kick assist from Peng at 50:03. The final goal attempt was shot by Emma Everts after a pass from Sarah Evans at 74:22. This shot was initially deflected by first-year Kristen Barclay, but only enough to delay the point and not enough to prevent it. WU managed to end the game with only 10 fouls compared to Trinity’s 15.  With one win under their belts and many good plays, Willamette’s women’s soccer team is heading into their next home game against Linfield College on Sep. 21 at 12 p.m. (PST).