Chrissy Ewald Staff writer Willamette University is hiring a new Dean of Students for Community Care and Inclusion. The new position is replacing the former Dean of Students position most recently held by Domanic Thomas, who vacated the position in Fall 2019. As part of the interview process, the four finalists for the position are each individually attending an open [forum] on Wednesday, March 10, Friday, March 12, Tuesday, March 16 and Thursday, March 18. These forums are open to faculty, staff and students, including those from PNCA and other Willamette-affiliated colleges. A profile photo of Douglas Eck for the University of Houston. The Dean for CCI position is part of the Student Affairs department. Responsibilities [include] working across a broad array of departments within administration and student services to develop an inclusive and caring campus environment that supports all students. The Dean for CCI is also responsible for overseeing student conduct and conflict resolution, working as deputy Title IX coordinator, working with the student CARE team and emergency on-call protocols. The title now includes “for Community Care and Inclusion” to reflect that the role is that of a “senior administrative leader who can focus on student equity issues across all of our schools,” ] Vice President of Student Affairs Lisa Landreman said in an email. The first finalist, Douglas Eck, Ed.D., participated in an open forum on Wednesday, March 10. Eck currently works as Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Houston (UH), a large public university with an undergraduate population of over 38,000 students. Eck said he is interested in Willamette because he “possess[es] more progressive views” than he thinks his current institution “is willing to embrace or enact, certainly at the speed in which we can effect change.” He said the Dean of CCI position here at Willamette is a place he can “engage some of those bold, creative ideas” about “student success in the year 2021.” He discussed his experience at UH, which is a designated [Hispanic-Serving Institution], and his frustration that finding the services designed to support the school’s Hispanic population could be hard. Eck completed a Doctor of Education degree focusing on the experiences of Student Affairs staff last year, which is another reason he is looking for a new position that enables greater professional growth. Eck expressed excitement about being able to “be the trailblazer” and “set the standard” for this new position. During his work at Ohio State University as Residence Hall Director and Housing Coordinator, Eck was asked to join one of the university’s Black Student Unions as a faculty advisor. He discussed the importance of establishing rapport and trust and building relationships with the communities present within a university. As Associate Director of Residence Life at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, Eck was part of the team that developed and implemented that college’s first gender-neutral housing. Eck said this proposal was at first met with skepticism, but the team worked to educate and answer questions from the community that led to buy-in and implementation. The program was successful, and still exists at Lake Forest College. “If students are allowed to live in an environment that removes stress, barriers, stigmas- think about how much more focus and energy they can give to the other aspects of their academic career,” Eck said. At UH, Eck facilitated a study of racial bias in the student conduct process that reflected the disproportionate disciplining of Black students compared to white students well-known to exist in K-12 education. Eck emphasised the importance of using data to facilitate strategic planning across the university, including “getting our police department on board,” to address that racial bias. Eck said his experience at UH has prepared him to coordinate Student Affairs across multiple schools and between physically distant campuses. Emily Drew, associate professor of sociology and ethnic studies at Willamette, asked Eck how he would handle competing pressures from either side of the political spectrum, including recent activity from right-wing militias. Eck noted that although he feels safe walking around places like Salem because of various privileges that protect him, he said it was important for him to understand where and why students and community members feel unsafe. “If this is something actionable by Willamette, then that’s my responsibility. I need to be driving that conversation or policy change, or that education or training. If this is something that’s happening across the street, at the statehouse or downtown Salem, that’s where we need to start talking about partnerships with the local community,” said Eck. He noted the importance of being up-front and honest with students rather than trying to hide some of the negative aspects of the Willamette experience. ASWU President Claire Mathews-Lingen asked Eck how he would support new and ongoing student efforts, both specifically in equity, diversity and inclusion and in other programs and on-campus activism. Eck said he feels it is a listening process for learning what students are passionate about in this new environment. “I want to be invited into those spaces. I don’t believe that I should be marching in and saying ‘tell me what’s going on,’” Eck said. He also emphasized the importance of learning the history of various student efforts to avoid mistakes of the past and provide appropriate challenges and support to create sustainable, successful, and inclusive student experiences. Willamette students, faculty and staff can attend the next forum interviews at the dates and Zoom links given [here]. Lisa Landreman said in an email that Willamette hopes to make an offer by the end of March.

Emma Innes Staff writer The Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) passed a constitutional amendment Mar. 11 as part of a broader plan to restructure ASWU. According to ASWU Vice President Mary Robicheaux (‘21), the changes are due to a lack of student interest in ASWU, shown by a lack of voter turnout and issues with filling Senate seats. By making structural changes, ASWU hopes to increase student interest and facilitate a better relationship between ASWU and the student body. The amendment reduced the number of senators for each class from five to four. The American Studies Program from Tokyo International University of America will keep its two seats for a total of 18 senators. The role of caucus whips, who lead the Senators of their class, will be removed due to the decrease in Senators. Other changes from the amendment include fixing Article I section 2 to read “College of Arts and Sciences” instead of “College of Liberal Arts,” and the adding of equity language. The promotion of equity will be added to Executive roles and the preamble will be changed to add equity and accessibility. The amended preamble shall read: “We, the Associated Students of Willamette University, commit to uplifting the quality of the student experience at all levels of university and campus life. We shall uphold the standards of equity, accessibility, accountability, inclusivity, and transparency among students, faculty, and university administrators.” The amendment will be voted on by the student body during the Mar. 19 Executive elections. If passed, it will immediately take effect. ASWU has further changes planned involving Senate roles, Elections, ASWU projects, communication to the student body, codes of conduct, creating compensation for Senators, creating a House of Representatives made of club leaders and creating a relationship with the student government of Pacific Northwest Art College, newly acquired by Willamette University. Senator compensation, changing the Senate roles, outreach to the student body and election changes are being prioritized with other tasks. Changes such as the House of Representatives and the codes of conduct will wait until next semester.

Nat Felten Staff writer Pictured: Food available to students at the Bearcat Pantry. Photo taken by Grace Shiffrin. When the ice storm left many Willamette students facing food insecurity, students from the Bearcat Pantry coordinated a food court on campus. “We wanted to be able to provide free meals… a hot meal to alleviate stress,” said Miya Konishi (‘21), the [Bearcat Pantry] coordinator. She and her co-coordinator Shione Mochizuki knew that students didn’t have power and would likely come to campus. “It was very last minute,” said Konishi: “And we had a huge help from volunteers as well. We were able to find a panini press from my friend, and then we used a waffle maker that she had. We had our food safety handler’s license, so we were like, we can just do this. We just have to get the word out.” Konishi created a recipe that she jokingly called the ‘Bearcat Special’: a lot of chicken noodle soup, chickpeas, tomatoes and pasta, all seasoned and cooked in a Crock-Pot with red veggie broth. Through word of mouth and social media, Konishi estimated 70 students received hot meals: “It was great because it did bring a sense of community in a time where it’s somewhat isolating. But I mean logistically everything went smoothly as it could have… generally the students were happy but you could tell students are certainly exhausted with everything going on.” Konishi said that there is now the question of preparing the pantry for future crises: “I think it could potentially be a great option to develop the SOAR Center and develop the Pantry… but right now we haven’t made any plans because we’re still recuperating from the aftermath.” The Bearcat Pantry is in the SOAR Center on the third floor of the Putnam University Center (UC) and provides food and clothing that students have requested. In response to COVID-19, the Pantry shifted from an in-person “shopping experience” to a Google request Form where students may request items for pick-up from the Pantry.

Campus Safety Report March 1 - 7, 2021 Provided by Ross Stout. Assault March 1, 11:00 a.m. (Off Campus / Capitol and Chemeketa St.): Campus Safety received a call from a student reporting that they were assaulted off campus by two individuals. The descriptions of the two individuals involved are as follows: Individual 1: Male who appeared to be White, 5’6 big build, long, curly blond hair and facial hair, wearing a gray V-neck shirt, black snow hat and something tied around his waist. Individual 2: Male who appeared to be White, 5’11”, thin build, long and thin brown hair, wearing a button-down shirt and a snow hat. The student is physically okay and reported the incident to the Salem Police and Campus Safety. If you have any information about this incident please contact Campus Safety at (503) 370-6911 or the Salem Police at (503) 588-6123. Campus Safety is available for walking escorts across campus as well as rides as needed, 24/7, when the destination is within a few blocks of campus. For destinations further from campus: Safe Ride is a ride program developed years ago by ASWU that has become a program operated by Campus Safety in partnership with Willamette Valley Yellow Cab. This program has, in the past, allowed students to call Yellow Cab and have the ride billed to their student account. Because of the extraordinary circumstances this year, Willamette will cover the cost of the cab ride. In order to make sure that this program can be sustained through the end of the semester, we encourage you to limit use of this program for times you are traveling solo to a destination within the immediate Salem area. To use Safe Ride: Call Yellow Cab at (503)-362-241. Tell the dispatcher you are using SAFE RIDE. Show the driver your valid Compass Card. The driver will enter your name and ID number on a SAFE RIDE form. When you arrive, fill out the bottom portion of the form, sign it, and return it to the driver. Emergency Medical Aid March 4, 7:55 a.m. (Hatfield Library): Campus Safety received a call reporting an individual experiencing back pain in need of medical assistance. An officer responded and evaluated the individual and paramedics were contacted. The individual was then transported to the hospital. Suspicious Activity/Persons March 1, 2:35 a.m. (Smullin Hall): Campus Safety received a call from an employee reporting an individual attempting to get in the building. An officer responded and searched the area, but could not locate anyone outside the building. The staff members inside were escorted from the building to their next destination. March 2, 11:00 a.m. (Botanical Gardens): Campus Safety received a call reporting an individual passing through the garden area. An officer responded and searched the surrounding areas, but the individual had already left campus. March 2, 2:51 p.m. (Jackson Plaza): Campus Safety received a call reporting multiple middle school aged students passing through campus. An officer responded and made contact with the group and they then left campus. March 2, 7:21 p.m. (Pelton Theatre): Campus Safety received a call reporting individuals on BMX bikes harassing students. An officer responded, but the individuals fled as soon as they saw the officer approached them. March 3, 9:59 a.m. (Law School): Campus Safety received a call reporting an individual smoking and wrapped in a blanket passing through campus. An officer responded and searched the surrounding areas, but the individual had already left. March 3, 11:14 p.m. (Doney Hall): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual passing through campus. The officer made contact with the individual and was informed that the campus is closed to visitors. The individual was then escorted off campus. March 6, 4:05 p.m. (Law School): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual passing through campus who refused to leave after being informed that the campus is closed to visitors. Salem Police was then contacted but the individual left the area as police approached. The individual was observed again near Olin and police were once again contacted. The individual left before the police arrived, but was later apprehended off campus. March 6, 8:10 p.m. (Ford Hall): Campus Safety received a call reporting a transient had followed a student into the building. An officer responded and made contact with the individual who thought the building was open to the public. The individual was informed the campus is closed to visitors and the individual left campus. March 7, 5:05 p.m. (Quad): While on patrol, an officer encountered a group of individuals without masks on. The officer made contact with the individuals and informed them that the campus was closed to visitors.

Piper Lehr Staff writer Colleen Kawahara, a member of the Willamette University Reopening Operations Committee, says that graduation plans for this year are still undecided. However, they are committed to making and communicating a decision before mid-semester break from Mar. 25-28. As for now, they’re trying to get an idea of what seniors would most like for them to include in the event. “I’ve been working with Kristin Jradi, she’s an ASWU senator. I believe [ASWU are] going to be surveying seniors to get their preferences for commencement. They’re going to be asking what aspects of graduation are important to them, whether it’s walking down the stage, or shaking hands with the president and getting a diploma, or being with their friends,” she explained. After the survey goes out, they’re going to play things by ear. “The priority is to try to figure out how to do an in-person experience with the health and safety guidelines,” she said. “I think it is important for seniors to do things in-person so we want to try to make that happen.” But she also said that it’s been difficult to theorize how best to make the event safe. “Because Marion County is currently a high-risk county, the limit is currently 75 people for outdoor events and 50 for indoor ones. And typically we have about 4,000 people come to commencement.” If Marion County moves into the moderate risk category, this limitation would be slightly lifted: “It would be 150 people for outdoor events, and 100 for indoor events,” she explained. But for now, they’re planning ahead as if the risk level isn’t going to change. Kawahara does have some ideas on how to make an in-person graduation ceremony safe. “If we do an in-person experience we may have to limit it to just the graduates, and the families may need to view it virtually.” She’s also been thinking about breaking the ceremony up into smaller groups based on department. With this option, there would be an English major ceremony, a math major ceremony, etc. “The part that I’m trying to figure out is how would the double majors do that,” she said. She also talked about the possibility of holding an event virtually. “It could be a hybrid for those who are studying remotely,” she said. “The other option is all virtual.” Kawahara mentioned that originally she didn’t think about the idea that students might not want to attend an in-person graduation ceremony. “ASWU mentioned that some students might still be wary of attending an event like that,” she said. Again, she’s playing things by ear. So if a majority of students feel too unsafe to attend, she’s not opposed to doing a virtual event. When asked if seniors will have to purchase caps and gowns, Kawahara said that they’re still undecided on that. “Last year we sent a care package to those students with goodies, and their caps and gowns, ahead of commencement so that they could wear it on that day.” But she doesn’t think they’ll take that route this year. Instead, they’ve been planning to create an event like the Senior Salute of previous years. “You know, it’s the event where they typically order stuff like caps and gowns and other regalia. That was scheduled for March 16. I think we’ll still do something like that but we’ll probably push it back until we know what we’re doing,” she said.

Noah Dantes Editor-in-chief At ASWU’s March 4 meeting, senators voted to approve a budget granting funding to all clubs that had submitted an anti-racism action plan. The budget passed on March 4 included the three clubs that had submitted a plan after the Feb. 25 meeting. Esports, the only club without a plan to date, was the only club not to receive ASWU funding during this round due to not having an anti-racism plan. Additional ASWU outreach to Esports is planned to explain the process and support them in the creation of a plan. ASWU President Claire Mathews-Lingen [had vetoed] a budget passed during the Feb. 25 ASWU meeting granting funding to all clubs, including those without an anti-racism action plan. Mathews-Lingen vetoed the previous budget due to how the vote occurred: “Senators were still asking questions and stating confusion as the vote took place, not to mention that we were nearing 2hrs & 40min [normal meetings last an hour], and several senators had logged off by the time the vote took place.” The March 4 meeting only lasted 50 minutes. The next ASWU Senate Meeting takes place at 7 p.m. on March 11, which students can view [on Zoom].

Jake Procino News editor Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) Vice President Mary Robicheaux sent an email to ASWU on Feb. 26 notifying them that ASWU President Claire Mathews-Lingen vetoed the motion passed on Feb. 25 to approved the budget for clubs, including funding clubs that had yet to submit an anti-racism action plan. ASWU [passed legislation] this past October requiring all ASWU-affiliated clubs to participate in an annual anti-racism training and to submit an anti-racism plan in order to be granted funding. The [ASWU Constitution] grants the President the power to “veto any legislation of the ASWU Senate” as long as the President sends a written statement to the Vice President within the week of the legislation passing. In a written explanation of the veto, President Mathews-Lingen said she believes the senate did not have an informed conversation about the motion before passing it, saying: “Senators were still asking questions and stating confusion as the vote took place, not to mention that we were nearing 2hrs & 40min [normal meetings last an hour], and several senators had logged off by the time the vote took place.” Collegian staff attended the ASWU meeting and ASWU Chief Justice Sam Johnston (’21) confirmed the events of the meeting as follows: the ASWU Finance Board had recommended a budget to the senate which withheld funding from clubs that had not yet submitted an anti-racism plan. Senator Zeke Druker (’24) introduced a motion to fund the Jewish Student Union (JSU) and Hawaii Club, despite neither club having submitted an anti-racism plan at the time of the meeting. When informed by the ASWU Executive Board that ASWU could not pass a budget that grants preferential treatment to specific clubs, Senator Druker introduced a motion to pass funding for all clubs that had been rejected because they had not yet submitted an anti-racism plan. President Mathews-Lingen said of the events in the email, “the bias preference being given to some specific clubs over others last night does not align with the values of ASWU or Willamette.” Chief Justice Johnson said he supported the veto because it seemed to him that senators were not fully aware of the ramifications of the motion they were voting on. In an email to the Collegian, Senator Druker said they submitted the motions to create exceptions in funding because ASWU has yet to establish a Senate Committee of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to actually approve anti-racism plans submitted by clubs, and because: “[Hawaii Club and JSU] are important cultural resources that keep students connected to ways of life that are very difficult to maintain at an occasionally homogenous institution like Willamette… [Missing] a major cultural or religious event is not the same issue as missing an entertainment event or tournament.” They continued, saying that denying funding for cultural organizations in this case punishes “specific intersection of students for the (in)actions of an organization's leadership.” Senators can override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in the next ASWU meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Mar. 4. Students can watch the meeting [over Zoom].

Campus Safety Report February 22-28, 2021 Provided by Ross Stout. Possession of a Controlled Substance February 26, 9:22 p.m. (Cascadia): Campus Safety was contacted to confiscate found paraphernalia. An officer responded and met with the RA and the items were given to Campus Safety. A report was filed. Suspicious Activity/Persons February 22, 12:18 a.m. (Law School): Campus Safety received a call reporting a yelling individual passing through campus. An officer checked on the individual and requested Salem Police be contacted after the individual attempted to assault the officer. Salem Police responded and the individual was arrested and removed from campus. February 23, 3:22 p.m. (State Street): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual passing through campus on a bike and looking at buildings. The officer observed the individual to make sure they made it off campus property. February 23, 3:30 p.m. (Smullin Hall): While on patrol, an officer encountered two individuals walking through campus. The officer made contact with the individuals to inform them that the campus is closed to visitors. The individuals then left campus property. February 23, 3:36 p.m. (Sparks Center): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual on a bike loitering near the building. The officer made contact with the individual to inform them that the campus is closed to visitors. The individual then left campus. February 24, 5:00 a.m. (Pelton Theatre): Campus Safety received a call reporting a suspicious individual outside of the main entrance attempting to get in. An officer responded and met with the individual and informed them that the campus is closed to visitors and that masks are required on campus. The individual was escorted off campus. February 24, 1:01 p.m. (University Center): Campus Safety received a call reporting two younger aged individuals on bikes doing tricks. An officer responded to make contact with the individuals, but they rode off as soon as they saw the officer approach them. February 24, 1:16 p.m. (Skybridge): While on patrol, an officer observed an individual with a baby stroller in the Kaneko area. The officer made contact with the individual and informed them that the campus is closed to visitors. The individual then left campus. February 25, 8:26 a.m. (Doney Hall): Campus Safety received a call reporting a suspicious individual loitering near a building entrance. Officers responded and made contact with the individual who became agitated. Officers were able to escort the individual off campus. February 27, 10:15 a.m. (Law School): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual sleeping near the entrance and charging their phone. The officer made contact with the individual who then refused to leave. The individual was escorted off campus. February 27, 6:20 p.m. (Doney Hall): While on patrol, an officer encountered an unmasked individual yelling as they passed through campus. The officer attempted to make contact with the individual but the individual yelled to the officer that they were leaving. The officer kept a visual on the individual until they made it off campus. February 28, 8:15 a.m. (Matthews Parking Lot): While on patrol, Willamette Watch encountered an individual going through the dumpster in the parking lot. An officer responded and searched the area, but the individual had already left. February 28, 12:45 p.m. (Quad): Campus Safety received a call reporting an unmasked family on the quad. An officer responded and made contact with the family to inform them that the campus is closed to visitors. The individuals then left campus. February 28, 1:40 p.m. (Sparks Field): Campus Safety received a call reporting a family watching a soccer game from outside the fence. An officer responded and made contact with the family to inform them that the campus is closed to visitors. The individuals then left campus.

Emma Innes Staff writer Screenshot of the Feb. 25 meeting taken by Emma Innes. Members of Willamette University’s administration attended the Feb. 25 Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) meeting for a Q & A session regarding Willamette’s response to the [ice storm]. Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Ruth Feingold, Vice President of Student Affairs Lisa Landreman, Director of Housing and Conferences Scott Etherton, Director of Bishop Wellness Center Don Thomson and Director of Campus Safety Ross Stout were in attendance to take questions from senators. Some questions had been sent in ahead of time, but others were taken on the spot from senators. The first question, addressed to Landreman and Feingold, asked what informed the initial decision to not offer housing to off-campus students and to keep classes going. Landreman said that the primary concern was communicating that campus had power, heat and wifi. She said the ROC believed the outages would only last one or two days, so offering on-campus housing was not needed except for those in a damaged home exposed to the elements or with a medical need. Once they realized how long the power outages were going to last, they looked into offering on-campus housing. During the Q & A, two senators shared their experiences with housing during the start of the emergency. Senator Zoe Chittick (‘21) expressed gratitude for having been accommodated by Willamette after she had to vacate her room. Senator Inéz Nieves (‘24) said she had a negative experience Saturday, Feb. 13 helping an off-campus friend who lost power and has a medical need. The student was unable to be provided transport by Campus Safety and did not have a taxi ride arranged for them, something Campus safety can do. The student was then denied housing once on campus. Nieves questioned why the responsibility fell on her, a student, to handle the situation. Landreman said she had a conversation with the student about her experience and that there had been some miscommunication regarding if the student qualified for housing that day. Landreman mentioned the student had reached out for accommodation three hours before the email stating off-campus students who are exposed to the elements or have a medical need can receive housing accomodations. On the question of what went into the original decision to not cancel classes, Landreman said “our goal is to try as much as we can to not cancel classes.” Feingold said that universities tend to be conservative in canceling classes due to wanting to give students what they paid for, as well as to meet federal rules to receive financial aid and accreditation. She acknowledged concern [expressed] over the day-to-day, last-minute announcements over cancelled classes, saying that is standard procedure every university uses during emergencies. Feingold said it’s important to remain flexible as the situation can always change so this policy will remain. Feingold apologized for the miscommunication on Sunday due to issues with the listservs, and thanked those who helped spread the word of classes being cancelled. When asked what Student Affairs will do differently next time, Landreman placed an emphasis on communication, stating that “communication communicates care.” She then brought up an idea to have emergency tips for students on Willamette’s website to be linked to in initial emergency emails. Housing and Campus Safety were asked what they will do differently next time. Etherton and Stout both said their departments won't do much different next time. Housing will go through the same process of weighing the risks and pros of accommodating off-campus students depending on the situation. Landreman said that without COVID-19, housing would have been easier to provide. The only available rooms were those set aside for quarantine, which Landreman said they need available due to state requirements for higher education. Stout said for the next crisis, Campus Safety will once again provide a 24/7 call center and triage to connect students to resources. There had been concerns expressed by Landreman that students didn’t know to call campus safety for help connecting to resources. During open questions from senators, Senator Zeke Druker (‘24) expressed concerns about food insecurity during the emergency and the lack of communication regarding resources such as the SOAR Center and the emergency fund. Landreman admitted she didn’t have information regarding the SOAR Center and did not think about it, but promised to not forget about it again. Feingold then questioned why the SOAR Center didn’t send an email out themselves to send word out. ASWU President Claire Mathews-Lingen (‘21) stepped in to say that the SOAR Center spread the word on social media as much as they could but don’t have the ability to send a campus-wide email, and were concerned about the providing of hot meals being disrupted if they directly collaborated with the university, since they were unable to follow Willamette’s food prep protocols. When Druker continued to express frustration over the lacking communication, Landreman responded that they could have emailed her regarding the SOAR Center before backtracking to admit it’s her responsibility, and welcomed senators to reach out if there’s information not being provided to the student body. Senator Kristin Jradi (‘21) said the SOAR Center is funded by the Community Action Fund for Equity and Sustainability (CAFES), which retains funding from an optional student fee, meaning there is risk of losing funds. She said that if Willamette wants to rely on the SOAR Center, it needs to be institutionalized. Landreman agreed and is having conversations to better fund the SOAR center. When questioned about plans for giving out food during future emergencies, Landreman said they will need to work out meal storage and communicate with Bon appetit. Asked about WU’s generators, Stout said some buildings on campus have backup generators but it’s not enough to keep the building running as normal. Landreman said a goal is to build up Willamette’s backup generators to be able to power regular operations of a building. Landreman then mentioned there’s been talk of bringing in a consulting group for improving WU’s emergency preparation. Mathews-Lingen expressed hope for planning over the summer.

Benjamin Snell Staff writer Updated Feb. 26 with information gathered after the event. Due to the power outages and damage done to the city of Salem last week, many students experienced hardships both on campus and off. Some students in need of a brief escape attended the Chinese & Taiwanese Cultural Association’s (CTCA) Lunar New Year event this Sunday, Feb. 21. The event was divided into two parts: a food takeout portion and a Netflix Party portion. The food was catered by Bon Appetit, and included chicken and rice bowls and pork dishes. The takeout portion of the event garnered around 40 people coming in total, more than Hickman anticipated and more than that of last semester’s mid-autumn festival with around 30 people. Hickman also mentioned that, as a result of COVID, certain portions of the event had to be cut. She added that “instead of doing like, live performances and stuff like that, we’ve just transitioned to distributing food like we normally would,” adding that she felt this had a great deal of significance to the event as a whole. The movie that was shown via Netflix Party is Over the Moon, a family movie that sheds light on the sense of community within Chinese culture, focusing specifically on the Moon Festival. The plot revolved around a Chinese girl and her journey to the moon to prove the existence of a mythical goddess. The Over the Moon viewing party included 4 people. Coordinator of the event Tara Hickman (‘21) emphasized the value that should be placed on Asian culture on campus, and in Salem in general. In an interview, she said that the event was planning on being much more low-key and small scale this semester in comparison to previous years, saying that “a big theme for this semester and last semester was just making sure we still have that community that surrounds a lot of these big events… because that’s really a focus in a lot of Asian events.” Overall, the event was still relatively small scale but was able to provide a space for relaxation to some during a more stressful period.

Chrissy Ewald Staff writer On Saturday, Feb. 27, members of the far-right hate group Proud Boys are expected to hold a rally at the Oregon State Capitol. The rally will be centered at the corner of Cottage and Court streets, and is expected to begin at 1 p.m., though attendees may arrive hours in advance. In an email to the student body at 1:31 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26, Director of Campus Safety Ross Stout advised students to stay away from the rally and other large gatherings due to the continued risk from COVID-19 and the Proud Boys’ history of violence. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) [classifies] the Proud Boys as a hate group, known for their white nationalist, “Western chauvinist” beliefs and for participating in violence at rallies, including the “Unite the Right'' rally in Charlottesville, North Carolina where Heather Heyer was struck and killed and others were injured when a car drove into a crowd of peaceful counter protestors. Proud Boys were involved in previous violent rallies at the Oregon Capitol, [including one] on Jan. 1, 2021 in which three far-right demonstrators were arrested. A Proud Boys member who led several rallies in Portland in 2020 was [arrested] following his participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol. Proud Boys were also involved in a [similar incident] at the Oregon State Capitol on Dec. 2020, when a right-wing anti-mask rally devolved into an attempt to storm the capitol building and interrupt an ongoing legislative session. The SPLC identifies the Proud Boys as “one of a handful of far-right groups instrumental in instigating violence and civil unrest in the Pacific Northwest” throughout 2019 and 2020. Open carry of firearms on public property is allowed under Oregon law. However, weapons of any kind are not allowed on the Willamette campus. While Stout encouraged students to stay away from the rally, if students observe someone with a weapon on campus, they should keep their distance and call Campus Security at 503-370-6911.

Chrissy Ewald Staff writer A photo of the 2024 ASWU senators' Zoom forum on Feb. 19. Taken by Chrissy Ewald. In response to the ice storm and power outages that struck Salem last week, the Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) Senators of the class of 2024 held a forum on Feb. 19 to listen to student experiences with the weather. The senators planned to relay the stories heard to Willamette’s administration, in order to help inform their future responses to crises. Senators Ainsley Moench, Zeke Druker and Inéz Nieves held the forum which was open to all College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) undergraduate students, in person and via Zoom. The forum began with an open comment period for students to voice their personal experiences with the ice storm, followed by presentations by Senators Nieves and Druker on how to access student resources. The forum was sparsely attended, but senators used what comments students did offer to discuss a wide variety of issues, including off-campus power outages, the efficacy of accommodations offered by professors and administrators and effects on student mental health. Emma Bass (’24), the sole non-senatorial speaker, said: “[Her professors] haven’t been super lenient on everything going on. I still have two major exams this week that weren’t postponed.” Senator Druker responded that although it is difficult to regulate how individual professors manage their own classrooms, pressure from students might help establish new norms that are more lenient towards students in times of crisis. Senator Nieves floated the idea of adding a clause about weather crises and climate change to student-professor agreements such as those on nondiscrimination found in class syllabi. In addition to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions that isolate students, Bass said: “I think there is a lack of understanding of how [the weather crisis] affects people indirectly who are neurodivergent, and how being locked in our rooms for several days and not having access to other people, and even just the weather and the power outages and the uncertainty, can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for people who are neurodivergent or have anxiety or depression.” Michelle Doty (‘22) did not attend the forum but responded to an ASWU [Google survey] on the ice storm. Their house had running water, but lost power, heat, hot water and wi-fi. They criticized the administration’s response to the ice storm and power outages as “very poor.” By the time administration offered housing and food to students living off-campus who had lost power, Doty’s power was back on, and they felt that the amount of time it took for those services to be offered was unfair to students who live off campus. Doty said they would prefer the CAS “give everyone the full week and add a couple days at the end of the semester” than hold classes during an emergency or make planned spring break days instructional days. Bass and the senators discussed the financial impacts of the ice storm on student jobs. “I work with intramurals this semester. Our income is only based on the hours that we work, so there’s a lot of uncertainty because of the weather and everything going on,” said Bass. “The past few weeks, I haven’t gotten paid at all because of the weather… luckily I’m in a position where I save, and so I’ll be fine, but when there’s weather, they don’t really take into consideration all the students that rely on the bi-monthly pay that we get.” Nieves said that many students who work on campus “rely on this pay [from their job] to pay for college,” car payments, and rent. “Even though Willamette tends to be very generous with our scholarship money, it’s still not enough to cover a lot of the issues that students have when it comes to accessing education monetarily.” This discussion was followed by two presentations: the first, by Senator Nieves, covered the resources available to students at the Gender Resource and Advocacy Center (GRAC), the Sexual Assault Response Advocates (SARAs) and Bishop Wellness Center. The second, by Senator Druker, covered resources available to students including the SOAR center, local food banks, the Willamette Emergency Fund and the textbook assistance fund. “All of these are resources that are available to you, and are your right to access as Willamette students. You have a right to be safe, you have a right to have your needs met, and I really hope that everyone takes advantage of that.”