Matthew Mahoney Contributor The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is the student government body that represents and serves the residents living on Willamette’s campus. RHA Executive Director Aidan Lawrence-Devine, Director of Programming Hannah Jones and the Director of Communications Morgan Davis discussed what RHA has been doing during the COVID-19 pandemic and what they are doing now. RHA serves two major functions: they vote on funding requests as a general assembly and they work on projects to improve or enhance resident life through a collection of committees. The funding for requests and projects comes from a portion of the housing activities fee that every resident pays as part of their room and board. Jones said, “emphasizing that [RHA’s funding] comes directly from those that live on campus is huge because a lot of people don’t realize how much they actually contribute to RHA without ever really being a part of it.” Lawrence-Devine jokingly added: “We have your money, now tell us what to do with it.” Any resident can make a [ funding request ]to improve some aspect of resident life. Once you fill out the form using the link above, you will be contacted by Morgan Schetter, the student director of administration, and then asked to present it to the General Assembly (GA) when they vote on it. The GA then decides if they will approve it in a vote. Lawrence-Devine, Jones and Davis invite more funding requests from students outside of RHA. RHA has funded a variety of requests in the past proposed by residents, from a Minecraft server to new shower curtains on the 3rd floor in Lausanne Hall to a trivia night done by the Disability Advocacy Club. As Jones puts it: “People think that it needs to be something physical for the residence halls, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be.” They emphasized funds can be used for a lot of different things. RHA has completed a myriad of projects for campus residents this year despite COVID-19, such as the pumpkin painting party and destress week. This has been possible for them to do because they made the events longer to allow social distancing and create more time for small groups of people to drop by and then leave. Jones says the success of this strategy last semester will allow her to do even better things this spring. She says: “I’m really looking forward to using what I learned in the past semesters specifically dealing with COVID and using those skills and lessons this semester to do more with the time and resources I have.” RHA also worked with Willamette Integrated Technology Services (WITS) to facilitate a better Wi-Fi experience for residents last fall. Some changes were made over winter break by WITS, but Lawrence-Devine says RHA will continue pushing for Wi-Fi improvements. RHA also obtained reusable bags for Goudy that will be distributed to residents in the upcoming weeks. Lawrence-Devine said they decided to do this “so residents can help reduce the waste that comes with all this remote eating.” Finally, all residence halls got new vacuum cleaners ordered, and will be in place in the halls soon. RHA is planning to throw out the old committee structure of programming, advocacy and outreach for a system of a need-by-need basis. This spring, they passed a bill that will radically restructure the organizational structure. Committees will become long term bodies that oversee work groups, short term bodies that exist for the duration of a specific project. Lawrence-Devine said that “however we happen to change the committees, we will maintain the themes: advocacy, programming and providing leadership opportunities for people,” and continue “to get involved wherever we can to help people.” The RHA Board of Directors want committees to be better situated and more productive in accomplishing specific projects, rather than meeting for the sake of meeting. In the past, there has been difficulty defining committees, which led to different committees overlapping and doing the same kind of work. Lawrence-Devine says if a student is interested in advocating for their fellow residents, they are actively recruiting and to reach out to your RA or to the Board of Directors at https://willamette.edu/org/rha or . The time commitment is two hours a week: one spent at the general assembly meeting 7-8 p.m. every Thursday, and one spent at the committee you choose to serve on. To summarize, the many great benefits the Board of Directors say that RHA has to offer: RHA is a place to develop leadership skills, to accomplish things that directly impact the residents and to get experience accomplishing things. The dynamic they care about is fostering a collaborative community that supports people’s creativity and allows people to get as much out of it as they put into it. Jones said, “It’s better to be more of a delegator and overseer to foster new ideas and build skills, rather than be a dictator and just tell everybody what to do.” Davis said: “The dynamics I want to focus on is self-initiation. Just coming up with your own ideas and working on it as a team.” If you have concerns about resident life, you can reach out to your RAs or Area Coordinators but you are also free to email Lawrence-Devine at for any advocacy concerns. For other updates, follow and pay attention to their Instagram @willamette_rha to see what fun things and events are going on as RHA does a lot of programming.

Sophia Mack Staff writer “We want students to perform and we want someone to watch it. We want to make art, and without an audience there is no art” - Stephen Alexander, Head of Theatre Publicity At Willamette University. This semester, the Willamette Theatre department has three productions in store. A play, “A Bright New Boise,” a musical, “The Cradle Will Rock,” and a dance showcase, “Moving Forward- Screendance.” All three productions address topics relevant to many today, including working in a retail store during the pandemic. One production features a section that is entirely pre-recorded to increase performers safely. All productions will be available to stream throughout the semester for $5 a student. For information on purchasing tickets you can go to WUtheatre.com . A Bright New Boise Taking place in the break room of a Hobby Lobby in Boise, Idaho, “A Bright New Boise” follows five workers as they grapple with life in 2020 and one father and son relationship that can’t be ignored any longer. Maia Farinas, ‘23, the assistant director, says the play lends itself to a performance during COVID given that “the play is set in modern times, so even though it was written in 2016, we are able to make it set in 2020 and have it make sense.” Rehearsals for the first few weeks are being held on Zoom, but soon after the quiet period the small cast will begin rehearsing in the theater, while wearing masks and social distancing. “I’m really excited for the play, I think it shows a lot of perspectives that Willamette students aren’t used to thinking about.” said Farinas. “A Bright New Boise” will be available to livestream March 10-14. The Cradle Will Rock Written in 1937 by Marc Blitzstein, “The Cradle Will Rock” was controversial for its time. Tackling topics like American capitalism, racism and corruption, this musical parodies classical music with jazz and pop. Willamette's rendition will include 10 scenes put together by the music department and students in the dramatic vocal arts. Parts of this show will be pre-recorded, including the music which will be mixed together for the livestream performance of the show allowing for a safer production. “What really excites me about ‘The Cradle Will Rock’... is you get to see all the seedy underbelly of what's going on and how the world works, as seen through the people that exploit it.” said Alexander. “The Cradle Will Rock” will be available to live stream April 1-4. • Moving Forward • Screendance “Moving Forward- Screendance,” combining dance and cinema, is a relatively new type of art form that adapts to changing tastes and modern challenges. Student choreographers will work with dance faculty to create a visual experience exploring themes of moving through uncertain times. “The screen dance form allows for it to seem to be a music video and a lot of ways it is, but it's really still focused on the dances, the primary storytelling idea.” said Alexander. The entire performance will be pre-recorded, and then put online. This will allow the dancers to learn about the process of video production as well as choreography. Screendance will be available for ticketed viewers through YouTube’s secured system starting April 30 through the following two weeks. Ticket sales for all shows go out February 17. All tickets are $5 to students. After purchasing a livestream and recorded performance you will be emailed a private link for viewing. For more information you can access WUtheatre.com .

Emma Innes Staff writer A muddy outline now exists where the Goudy tent used to be. Photo by Rebecca May. As students returned to campus for the Spring 2021 semester, they noticed the dining tent on Brown Field known as the Goudy tent had been reduced to its frame. Then within the week, all that remained was an empty field with mud where the tent once stood. The Goudy tent had been set up for extra covered dining space at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester to help with the seating limits inside Goudy Commons. The tent was closed during Willamette’s first “quiet period” starting on Nov. 16 when indoor dining on campus was stopped in response to Governor Kate Brown’s [ two week freeze ]. [ Restrictions against indoor dining ] are still in place due to Marion County remaining in the “extreme risk” category as defined by the Oregon Health Authority (embed link in OHA). The Reopening Operations Committee (ROC) said in an email, “The decision to remove the tent was made for a variety of reasons and was informed by feedback and reflections from students.” Feedback came from several different sources including first-year colloquium group discussions, as well as Student Affairs employees who had discussions with student leaders and student organizations. Bon Appetit staff were monitoring the use of the tent as well. The ROC had hoped for the tent to not only provide additional dining space to help ease crowding in Goudy Commons, but to give student organizations and athletic teams a place to meet. However, the Goudy tent was often entirely empty during dining periods. The ROC said they learned students did not feel inclined to or comfortable using the space during meal time. According to the ROC, some students from first year colloquium discussions thought the tent to be haunted either from being told or inferring this for themselves. Outside of mealtimes, meetings were not taking place in the tent, the ROC believes the social gathering limit played a role in this . Most student organizations moved to virtual events for the Fall 2020 semester, thus not utilizing the tent as a meeting space. Social gatherings were initially restricted to only ten people for the majority of the Fall 2020 semester, with the limit later becoming six when the statewide two-week freeze took effect on Nov. 18. The six-person limit is still in effect. The total cost of the tent for the academic year was $166,120. This amount includes the cost of the structure, flooring, heaters, lights and furniture. This number does not include some minor maintenance costs that occurred. With the Goudy tent not being utilized, the ROC took it down as they were unable to justify the cost of the tent with it being mostly unused. The ROC said the Goudy tent is unlikely to come back: “At this time, we do not plan to bring the tent back if the county or state restrictions change or ease. We believe the Goudy dining hall and outdoor space should provide enough options for students once in-person dining is allowed. We will of course continue to monitor the situation and revisit this decision if needed.”

Emma Innes Staff writer Sparks Fitness Center will reopen for student use starting Thursday, Feb. 11. Sparks previously was [ closed ] due to state restrictions not allowing sport facilities to open. New restrictions allow a maximum of six people in facilities with over 500 square feet. While the fitness center will reopen, the Sparks pool will remain closed to recreational swimming. There is a list of guidelines that must be followed to use Sparks. Only six people will be allowed to use Sparks at a time, wearing masks and maintaining a distance of 25 feet. Students must sign up for an hour block in Sparks, each student allowed three sign ups a week. The schedule will be made available for sign-ups each Sunday. Due to the 25 feet distance requirement, there will be restrictions over how many individuals can be in each room and restrooms are being designated for each facility space. Athletic teams will work out together in Cone Field House under coaching staff supervision. The list of guidelines, sign up link and new Sparks hours can be found [ here ].

Emma Innes Staff writer The Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) held its first meeting of the Spring 2021 semester on Thursday, Feb. 4. ASWU issued a statement of support for a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program and tabled ASWU’s anti racism plan. The CERT statement is a statement of support for Vincent Chin’s (‘21) senior capstone project to make Willamette University a CERT campus. [According to the CERT website ], CERT is a nationwide program for local communities to learn how to prepare and respond to disasters. The purpose of the program is to have volunteers trained in basic responses such as team organization, fire safety and medical operations in order for professional first responders to be able to focus on more complex and critical tasks. ASWU’s statement recognizes Willamette’s campus is at risk for floods, fires, earthquakes and incidents at the State Capitol. The statement recognizes that Marion County and Salem have neighborhood CERT programs, and an on-campus program would complement Willamette Emergency Medical Services (WEMS) as well as certain academic programs. In the meeting, ASWU President Claire Mathews-Lingen said she talked to the administration about emergency preparedness after the wildfires in September. ASWU unanimously voted to sign the statement. ASWU Senator Zeke Druker (‘24) said in an email that making Willamette a CERT campus would just involve taking the actions to fund and organize CERT training. According to Druker, it’s recommended by the federal government that Campus Safety should take on responsibility for the funding and organization of training, but any Willamette institution could if needed. They expressed what they believed it would take: “For a project like this to be successful, every part of the University community, from the student body to the administration, needs to be in partnership. I hope that the administration will make the necessary resources available for serious proactive measures and robust community engagement. ASWU will, I hope, continue to be as supportive as possible of these efforts." The vote to approve the ASWU anti-racism plan was tabled for a later meeting so that ASWU would have time to seek input from student organizations who serve minority students. Other updates from ASWU concerned open seats, class reports and the Treasurer report. ASWU Treasurer Micheal Burke said he would present a picture of ASWU’s financial situation at the next meeting. The class of 2021 is working on getting input over what graduation should look like. At the time of the Feb. 4 ASWU meeting, the class of 2021 had one open seat, while the classes of 2022 and 2023 both had two open seats. ASWU meetings are every Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. (PST). Meetings are currently virtual due to COVID-19 precautions. The link to attend the Zoom meeting can be found [ here ].

Benjamin Snell Staff writer Since students returned to Willamette’s campus for the academic year, the university has entered a “quiet period” where student interactions are limited to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This means students are required to attend all classes remotely until Feb. 1, and are asked to stay in their dorms (or in their homes, for off-campus students) whenever possible. These new policies and requests may provide students with more free time, but not as much to do. Here is a list of things students can do to occupy their time during this period, in addition to places they can go both in Salem and on campus. A student studies during the quiet period. Photo by Anushka Srivastav. 1. Visit Salem parks or nearby coffee shops Two parks that are currently open to the public and within walking distance from campus are Bush Pasture Park and Riverfront Park. Both of these places have trails for people to walk on and pleasant scenery. Coffee shops such as Isaac’s , The Governor’s Cup and Ike Box are all available for food and drink item takeout and are within a 1-mile radius of campus. Rick’s Cafe at the Willamette law school has also recently opened back up for business. 2. Go to a common area on campus There are certain areas on campus that are open to students where they can sit to do homework or simply relax. The University Center, Ford Hall and Hatfield Library (with limited hours) are all currently open to students. Goudy is also open to students for take-out dining options. 3. Watch a new TV show If you have access to Netflix, there are many opportunities for new (or old) shows to watch. Bridgerton is a popular new drama series that centers around the royal family in England in a past century, and Schitt’s Creek has also gained recent popularity as a great comedy series worth binging ( here is a more comprehensive list of shows to watch). 4. Discover new music The quiet period gives people a lot of time to find new artists or songs, and both Spotify and Apple Music have ways to do just that. Spotify has Discover Weekly and Daily MIxes, which offer personalized playlists to listen to, and Apple Music carries a similar system “New Music Mix.” Both platforms also offer a variety of genres (and playlists within those genres) to explore. 5. Practice mindfulness While classes are stressful for many students, meditation and practicing mindfulness can help. Applications “Calm” and “Headspace” offer free meditation and mental wellness programs that can help you wind down and relax. Willamette also offers mindfulness meditations online via Zoom every Monday from 4:45-5 p.m. 6. Attend upcoming WEB events WEB offers a number of activities for students to participate in. One upcoming event is the Virtual Game Night on Feb. 5, from 7-9 p.m. For more information on WEB and their upcoming events, you can visit their instagram page (@wueventsboard) and check their calendar here .

Jan. 26, 2021 By Rebecca May Snowperson and snowdog made by Eva Morath ('23). Pictured: Snow over Hatfield Fountain. Pictured: Mill Stream, blanketed in snow. Pictured: Snow falls near Lausanne and another academic building. Pictured: A "Campus Closed to Visitors" sign is shrouded in snow. Pictured: A mask left forgotten on the ground is covered in snow.

Feb. 3, 2021 By Rebecca May Plastic ducks mysteriously appeared in the Hatfield Fountain on Feb. 3.

Piper Lehr Staff writer Over the summer, the music and theatre departments came to a mutual agreement that if they couldn’t perform in a safe way, they weren’t going to do it at all. Zoom has presented numerous difficulties for both Willamette students and staff. Chris Engbretson says that it’s been no different for the choir program, which he directs. Among existing issues with the now defunct Male Ensemble Willamette (MEW), during the pandemic the choir program has undertaken the stress of technical difficulties, and equity issues, and the loss of a sense of community. Two choir program professors have recently retired. First, Dr. Klemme, previously the director of MEW, retired about two years ago. Engbretson, previously only the director of the women’s ensemble, “Voce,” took over MEW during the 2019-2020 school year and renamed it “Vox.” But there were some immediately apparent issues. “We knew there was going to be a lot of challenges because they [the students] were loyal to him [Dr. Klemme], and the time changed. So we lost a lot of people.” Engbretson explained that there were so few students in Vox that he had to sing with them to balance out the sections. “We sang through this last school year and then they decided to end the course. So the only two choirs we have right now are Chamber Choir and Voce.” Engbretson is now directing both of them after the previous Chamber Choir director, Dr. Long, retired last year. One of the benefits of doing choir in-person is that one can find their notes more easily if they’re standing right next to their section members. When asked if there were any problems with people staying in tune, Engbretson said, “It’s worse than you think. In order for it to work we have to be fully muted because there’s latency. Even if I conduct on camera, if someone lags they’re still going to be off tempo.” He continued to remark, “whenever it’s somebody’s birthday, just for fun we all try to sing [Happy Birthday] together and it’s absolute chaos.” They’ve also largely had to stop doing sectional work. “There’s a lot of accessibility problems, like people not having keyboards if they’re off-campus, and the ventilation situation in the practice rooms is not great either.” He did say that sometimes students meet in breakout rooms if there’s something easy to fix, but that this was not often. Because of these technical difficulties, there are no formal concerts this year, says Engbretson. Last year, he was looking at making the winter concert more inclusive for people who aren’t Christians. “We’ve had a lot of clear feedback about Christmas in Hudson not feeling inclusive. [The plan] is not to demolish it, it’s to make it more about family, and community, and love, instead of strictly a religious connotation.” He noted that it’s easy to go hard in the opposite direction, but that he was trying to avoid that as well. “We will still be singing Christian music, especially pieces that hold special meaning because we’ve been doing them for a long time.” But this project has been put on hiatus. “The plan is next year when we can hopefully receive the vaccine we can sing together in-person during the 2021-2022 school year and make it more inclusive.” Still, Engbretson doesn’t think that remote learning has been a total loss. Even before the pandemic, Engbretson has been trying to incorporate more music theory into his lessons, which has been easy to adapt to Zoom. “We have music theory Mondays and sight singing Fridays, and I’ve also been requiring students to do projects on composers that they like. With Chamber Choir we’re doing some other things with microphones and editing software, which is nice because that’s something they might actually use in the real world.” They’ve been working on six madrigals, four in Italian and two in English, and have been preparing another piece called “Miserere mei, Deus” by Allegri, which they’re trying to get out in video format. “It’s been taking a long time to produce for a variety of reasons,” said Engbretson. Choir hopes to get it out by the end of the year.

Campus Safety Report February 1 - 7, 2021 Provided by Ross Stout. Medical Escort February 4, 9:48 a.m. (In a Campus Residence): Campus Safety received a call from a student requesting a ride to the ER due to an injury. An officer responded and transported the student to the ER and later picked them up and returned them to their residence. Suspicious Activity/Persons February 2, 12:21 p.m. (Stadium): Campus Safety received a call from an employee after they noticed damaged fencing and shed siding on the grounds. A report was filed and a work order to repair the damage was created. February 2, 12:51 p.m. (Goudy Commons): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual passing through campus without a mask on. The officer approached the individual to inform them of the campus mask policy, but the individual then left campus. February 2, 3:09 p.m. (Sparks Center): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual camping near the building. The individual was informed that the campus is closed to visitors and was asked to leave. February 2, 3:34 p.m. (Winter Street): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual attempting to talk to students and staring at residence halls. Officers responded and met with the individual and informed them of the campus visitor policy. The individual was then escorted off campus. February 3, 10:53 a.m. (TIUA): Campus Safety received a call from an employee reporting an individual sleeping near the building. An officer responded and made contact with the individual who then became agitated. The individual then left when advised Salem Police would then be contacted to remove the individual from campus. February 4, 10:13 a.m. (University Center): While on patrol, Willamette Watch encountered an individual passing through campus without a mask on. An officer responded and the individual was asked to leave campus. February 4, 12:48 a.m. (Southwood Hall): Campus Safety received a call reporting an individual going through the dumpster. An officer responded and met with the individual and informed them of the campus visitor policy. The individual then left campus. February 4, 10:29 p.m. (Atkinson GSM): Campus Safety received a call reporting multiple individuals camped out near the building. Officers responded and the individuals were informed that the campus is closed to visitors and were asked to relocate off campus property. February 5, 2:52 p.m. (University Services Building): Campus Safety received a call reporting two visitors on campus taking photos. An officer responded and met with the individuals and informed them of the campus visitor policy. February 5, 4:50 p.m. (Matthews Parking Lot): Campus Safety received a call reporting an individual going through the dumpsters. An officer responded and searched the surrounding areas, but the individual had already left. February 6, 4:30 a.m. (Sparks Parking Lot): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual passing through campus. The individual was informed the campus is closed to visitors and was asked to leave campus. February 6, 8:12 p.m. (Sparks Parking Lot): Campus Safety received a call reporting a dark colored vehicle driving around the lot slowly multiple times. An officer responded and searched the lot and surrounding lots, but could not locate the vehicle. February 7, 11:50 a.m. (State Street): While on patrol, an officer encountered two individuals passing through campus carrying large bags. The officer spoke with the individuals who were trying to find the hospital and reminded the individuals that the campus is closed to visitors. The officer then escorted them the right direction. February 7, 12:15 p.m. (Pi Beta Phi): While on patrol, an officer encountered an individual sleeping behind the building. The officer made contact with the individual and informed them that the campus is closed to visitors and asked the individual to leave.

Nat Felten Staff writer Art by Olivia Frenkel. Last spring semester, an email was sent to Willamette students detailing the University’s Emergency Fund as a financial resource for students. Since the email was sent out, there have been over 200 requests for funds, CARE and Conduct Case Manager Tori Ruiz said over email. Students have been approved grants for needs such as personal safety (such as changing a lock), emergency rent, utilities and medications. Ruiz said that most requests are granted, but there are conditions, “If the funds are not going to help the student in some way that can be tied to academics, the funds won’t be disbursed.” This made the fund a potential resource for students who might have needed help getting off campus in Spring as “getting them home—or to a safe place off campus—so they could study remotely in a familiar location was deemed an academic necessity.” By contrast, a student requesting funds to visit a friend would be denied. The funds also may not be used for tuition. Students will not be granted money from the fund if they have money from the Financial Aid office that they have not used. Ruiz said that she and her team make clear to students that the fund is limited, “For example, folks can have two payments two separate times—like $200 one time and $300 another—but the total distribution may not exceed $500, unless there are extenuating circumstances.” Ruiz has started the practice of having talks with students about their situation. If the students have long term financial problems, Ruiz says that she can refer them to the Financial Aid Office for a chance at reworking their package. The fund existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was not online until Spring 2020, just in time for an influx of requests. In response to concerns that not enough students were aware of resources like the Emergency Fund, Ruiz says that they are developing a website of on-and-off campus resources to help students achieve financial security, “like a one stop shop for students’ non-academic needs.”

Art by Maizy Goerlitz. Edited by David Flanagan Opinions Editor Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are the individual staff member’s own, and do not reflect the perspectives of the Collegian staff as a whole, nor the view of the Collegian as an institution. The Pick: Vagabonding by Rolf Potts. Submitted by Benjamin Burton, Photo Editor. Staff comment: It makes you look at, plan and experience travel in a completely different way. Plus it’ll get you pumped to plan and start saving for some post Pandemic trips! The Pick: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky Submitted by Noah Dantes, Editor-in-Chief. Staff comment: The most interesting take on evolution and sentience I’ve encountered in fiction. Set thousands of years in the future after the collapse of humanity’s space age, a small group of human survivors ventures across the galaxy in search of a new home. What they find: a terraformed world housing an ancient experiment gone wrong (or maybe right). Sentient spiders, a result of an old human science experiment, crawl across the surface, and they feel alien - both in thought and mannerism. While any other author would turn this story into one of horror, Tchaikovsky’s tale is one of life: both the spiders and the humans are easily sympathized with, and the reader gets to see the universe through both perspectives. Spanning generations, follow the humans and spiders struggling for the same planet as the story builds towards a deeply surprising and masterful conclusion. What does the last of humanity do, desperately in need of a home with nowhere else to go? And more importantly, what do the spiders do, suddenly faced with the kin of their creators from millennia ago? Who gets to live? The Pick: A Little Life Submitted by Jesse Buck, Lifestyles Editor. TW: suicide, self harm, trauma, abuse, sexual assault Staff comment: I don’t recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with their mental health. I cried through most of it. That being said, it is the most beautiful and wrenching portrayal of friendship and humanity that I have ever read. It follows four college classmates as they go through life, and explores the shifting relationship dynamics people have with the ones they love, providing a deep look into chosen family and the nature of suffering. It’s absolutely tragic all the way through, beautifully written, consistently engaging and one of my favorite books of all time.