Compiled by Dawn-Hunter Strobel, Olivia Frenkel, Noah Dantes and Sophie Smith What is your favorite Willamette memory or event? Bella Green: The day the Bearcat Pantry opened was definitely the pinnacle of my Willamette experience. It was this culmination of so much work that we had done to do that and it’s been so neat to see how new leaders have taken the SOAR Center and made it so much more than any of us imagined it would be. So that’s something I’ll definitely remember forever. Emmett Blaney: Being in lacrosse has been really good for me. I joined at a really bad time in my life and it was a thing that made me get out of bed and it made me feel like there was some pattern to my weeks. I joined before I was out as trans and the experience of coming out to my team and my coaches was a very powerful thing for me. I think I’m the first trans person who’s played varsity sports here. That was a really powerful thing that I’m gonna remember, the way that I realized that it’s not a stretch to have trans people be involved in things.  Maya Roussell: When I think back to college, the positive feelings are all saturated around my work at the Bistro. Not just because it was a job that I enjoyed, but because it was a community of people, not only the people that I worked with but also the regulars, the people who are always there. It was a little bit like a safe space for me and it was definitely the safest and most supportive job I’ve ever had. There was room to grow and also encouragement to be a student and do the student thing. Marissa Fink: Playing in the Jazz Collective has been my favorite thing at Willamette. It’s just a great community of musicians. What are you going to miss most? Colin Troesken: The flexibility I had in what to do and when to do it. College and academia in general, those are some of the few times where you pick your courses and you have breaks between classes and you can choose what to do with that time, how to spend that time. While when you go into the workforce, it’s typically a nine to five day because you know, capitalism hates us. Your day is pretty much scheduled out for you, you get up in the morning, you go to work, you come home, and maybe you have some fun in the evening. But college is a very specific time to have this freedom and have these choices of what you wanna do.  Rose Linville: A lot of people have probably said this, but just the people and the community. I studied abroad one year and the things I missed the most were things like going to the Bistro and just being able to know that I’d be able to see at least two or three friends the second I walked in. The environment here too is great. I think people are so passionate. In general I think it’s easy to be apathetic, but Willamette students are not that. I’m going to miss the awesome professors as well. Marissa Fink: Just the community. Being at such a small school, the music department is so small, the environmental science department as well. It’s a tight knit community and there is always a professor or student you can reach out to.  Sam MacDonald: Just having so many people around. Having all your friends in one place within walking distance of each other has been really nice. The social network and having the ability to make friends and connections all the time is also something I’ll miss. What was the most impactful class you’ve taken? Maya Roussell: “Black Queer Literature with Weekes.” That was definitely one of the ones where, until I took it, I felt like there was a huge part of my education missing. Not only was Weekes my first POC professor that I had, it was a topic and exposure to writings and authors who had just been not on my educational radar at all because of the way education is built. Some of the works that we looked at just felt so important. Not only to my understanding of self but also understanding of the holes in the perspectives that we as students get.  Bella Green: One of the old biology major requirements is “Physiological Dynamics of Plants and Animals with Emma Coddington.” I really liked that class because Emma talked about biases in science and how to confront your own biases in your own research. I think we talk a lot about bias in other fields of study but not as much in the physical sciences so it was a really good opportunity to learn about that and how science marginalizes some communities and how to be an advocate.  Marissa Fink: It was an anthropology class taught by Rebecca Dobkins, “Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights and the Environment.” The class was a mixture of anthropology and environmental science majors, since it was an interdisciplinary class. The professor was so organized and on top of things. I was always learning and never had a dull moment. Sam MacDonald: Probably “Foundations of Advanced Math.” I thought I was going to be doing politics and psychology, and that class made me decide to do math instead, so that has directly altered my life trajectory. What’s something you’ve learned about yourself since arriving at WU? Marissa Fink: I’ve always been more of a listener in conversations rather than someone who jumps in and dominates. I saw this as a weakness before college, but I learned the value of sitting back, listening and soaking everything in like a sponge. I find more comfort and value in identifying as a listener than I used to. Natalie Lyell: Growing up I was always called out as being “bossy,” but the communities I’ve found at Willamette have helped me learn about the ways in which I’m a strong female leader. I was able to recognize that I had important things to say and valuable skills to contribute, but that a lot of the time that was going to be overlooked or devalued because of my gender. Willamette has helped foster my confidence as a leader. Bella Green: I became aware of how to support my mental health since being here, which is something I never had before coming here. I think having access to Bishop was really useful in helping me navigate those things and getting the support that I needed. Sam MacDonald: Well, I’ve learned that I can do a lot of math, that’s for sure. That’s a difficult question because I feel like I’m a fundamentally different person than I was when I got here. So, I feel like I’ve learned everything. Everything is new. One of the really main things I think is that I learned how to be more genuine and open with people. I am a lot more comfortable with who I am. Maya Roussell: In many ways and many areas of my life, self advocating. Not only with being able to advocate for the type of education that I want but also, going from a first year to a last semester senior, I got to, at certain points, realize where my areas of knowledge were growing and where I had acquired tools and things I could speak knowledgeably about and because of that, that made me a more informed artist and a more informed student of the world. Learning that having that knowledge and knowing how to interact with information can help you find your voice when you need to find your voice and be able to speak when you should be able to speak to advocate for yourself or others or what you believe in.  What advice would you give your first-year self? Emmett Blaney: Don’t take that 8 a.m. lab. I came in thinking I wanted to be an environmental science major but I think I confused caring about the environment for wanting to be in environmental science. I’m from Wyoming and there aren’t a lot of people who are very passionate about the environment, at least in my hometown. So because I was one of the only ones, I thought that that meant I needed to go into environmental science. But really it was coming here, realizing ‘Oh, I can be a person who cares about the environment and behaves in sustainable ways without doing science,’ because I hate science.  Maya Roussell: I think I would tell first year Maya that there’s no shame in exploring the full picture of who I am. The understandings of myself or the definitions or ways I’ve interpreted myself or that has been placed on me that I brought with me didn’t have to apply and it never had to apply. Surrounding myself with people who nurture my true self and are accepting and open and forgiving for any growth that I need to have is completely invaluable.  Rose Linville: Things don’t have to be so hard. I think I made things really hard for myself whether that be in my emotions and angst or just putting a lot of pressure on myself to do things. You can relax and have fun, you can appreciate life as it is instead of putting a lot of pressure on yourself. Simone Stewart: Get involved in clubs! You won’t have this kind of free time later. Jensine Rasmussen: Go out and do more clubs sooner. I definitely got more involved towards the end of my Willamette career, but I wish I had joined much sooner. What were your expectations coming into Willamette and how did they hold up? Emmett Blaney: I expected Willamette to be a liberal paradise. It turns out even in political paradises, things are not paradises. It happened really quickly, realizing there are a lot of unjust things that happen here.  Colin Troesken: Part of the reason I chose Willamette was because I came out here and everyone was so friendly . A professor when I came here on my Bearcat Days pulled me into his office and talked to me one on one about my academic interests, so my expectations were, Willamette is super friendly and the professors are super involved. I thought it wouldn’t live up to that. Then I came here and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only did it match my expectations, it surpassed them in a lot of ways. Professors are super caring and super willing to help out students. And also students here are so gosh darned friendly and nice. They’re willing to talk about big picture controversial subjects that in other environments might be kind of pushed aside, but Willamette students are willing to take those head on and make friends through doing so.  Sam MacDonald: I really expected to get very homesick and that didn’t happen nearly as much as I thought. I was definitely hoping that I would make friends and that I would be successful in my classes and both those things have panned out really well.  Maya Rousell: My expectations were that I was going to have a completely fun but maybe challenging four years and that I was going to pop out the other end an expert in whatever I wanted to be an expert on and make the best friends of my life. I think that in some ways those things held up, but in different ways than I expected. I think that this time here taught me how to look for the people who are going to be my friends for life and the people who are going to nurture me. I’m not popping out an expert on what I wanna be, and I don’t think anybody really is. It wasn’t the most fun four years of my life, it was pretty awful at times. I would say that the really difficult parts grew me into who I am and taught me a lot about how to be in the world in a better way.  How are you finding closure with the semester being cut short?  Colin Troesken: Closure this year for me was really weird. I was in leadership in Improv Club, I’ve been on ASWU for four years, so I had all these grand ideas of what closure was going to look like. But then this happened, so I had to look for closure in other ways. It’s a lot more of a meditative sort of closure. I think that is an okay way of having closure. Is it the big, fond farewell that Commencement was supposed to be? No. But I don’t think closure necessarily needs to be one big event; it can be a series of small little events.  Bella Green: I’m a first generation student so I think having that sort of vision in my mind of graduating has definitely motivated me in the past. So it’s definitely weird to not have that. I think what’s been helping me have closure is just sitting and asking myself what I needed from that and what I think I needed from that was recognition and just to celebrate the hard work that not only myself but my peers have done as well. One way to sort of combat that is to ask for validation and recognition. My family has been really good about giving that to me. I also think really checking in with your friends and asking how they’re doing and making sure they feel acknowledged for all they’ve done.  Maya Roussell: I think I haven’t quite found a lot of closure yet. In a lot of ways, it feels like I’m just gonna dissolve out of here. In a way I sort of see everything as just moving forward and all kind of connected. So even when something ends it kind of blurs into the next thing and I also feel like nothing is ever really done. This time here sticks with us and the people we’ve met will stick with us in some way or another. That’s gonna be my closure, is realizing this time is done in a way but also it’s the thing that has set us up for anything we do so it’s not like it’s completely a closed chapter that will never be revisited. Rose Linville: Making sure that I stay connected as possible is a good way to find closure. If I have to say my goodbyes over Zoom as opposed to real life, then I will. I also live really close to campus so sometimes I’ll take long, moody walks through campus. For Commencement, a couple of my friends are still in Salem, so we’ll probably put on our graduation garb and take silly pictures or something.  What’s next for you? Emmett Blaney: Everyone including my mother keeps asking me this, but I do not know. I plan to start an herb garden. I wanna have some indoor herbs. I’m not going to school next year, I’m staying in Salem for the time being, so I assume just working. I want to bike ride more, I want to do more art. I don’t remember the last time I’ve read a book for fun so maybe I’ll read a book for fun. Eventually I wanna go back to grad school. I’m not 100% sure for what yet.  Colin Troesken: Next up, I’m going to graduate school at the university of Saint Andrews in Scotland for my Masters in Philosophy. After that I hope to get a PhD there or some other university and go into academia and do philosophy work professionally.  Bella Green:  Long term goal is going to med school. But in the interim I think I’d like to be more involved in research.  Maya Roussell: Right now there’s a little bit of a pause, like we’re all experiencing in this pandemic. But more long term I’m looking to go to grad school to study film, media and animation. Basically I want to become a video and projection artist/designer. So I have my sights set on grad school for that eventually when that works out. In the meantime I’ll just be trying to work and save in my hometown so I can make that happen.  Marissa Fink: I’m moving back to New Jersey. I’m excited to be back with family again. I don’t have a definitive plan. A couple years ago, my plan was to focus on environmental science after graduation and do music as a hobby, but I’ve realized in the past year that I need to keep doing music. Music is going to play a larger part in my life.

Sophie Smith Jasper Jones Editor-in-chief News editor slsmith@willamette.edu mgjones@willamette.edu Much has changed at Willamette since the class of 2020 first gathered on campus. In the last four years, beloved events and traditions like Wulapalooza and Cat Cavern lunches have come to an end, but new groups and resources like the University’s first women’s lacrosse team and the Bearcat Pantry have been created. Scroll through the images below to get a glimpse of Willamette life since the class of 2020’s arrival.  Many graduating students began their time at Willamette in August 2016’s Opening Days. During check-in for the program, leaders and incoming students dance to the music in Cat Cavern.  Courtesy of Opening Days on Facebook. A group of students walk to Matriculation, an event that marked their official acceptance into the Class of 2020.  Courtesy of Willamette. Willamette students gather on Brown Field for Wulapalooza, or Willamette’s annual earth, art and music festival affectionately known as “Wula.” The last Wulapalooza took place in 2018, before being replaced with a smaller festival called Futurepalooza. Earlier this year, Willamette Events Board had been planning an event similar to Wulapalooza, named StarJam. Image courtesy of Wulapalooza on Facebook. Willamette’s first women’s lacrosse team gathers at the beginning of its first season in spring 2019. The team’s goalkeeper, Kara Phillips (‘19) told the Collegian last year, “We get a unique opportunity to create our own culture that will last for years to come.” Collegian archives. The Bearcat Pantry, part of the SOAR Center, opened in March 2018. Originally located in Shepard House and now in the UC, the student-run pantry provides food staples to Willamette students. Image courtesy of Willamette. Cat Cavern used to be a supplementary dining hall during lunch hours. The beloved dining services ended in the 2017 fall semester.  Courtesy of Bon Appétit Willamette on Facebook.

Karen Wood University Chaplain and Professor of Religious Studies  “Be open and curious about what life is bringing you—don’t close off to possibility. My colleague Omid Safi asks the question:  What if you knew that you would be blessed, but not through whom or how?   Look for the invitations, the blessings, the openings, the wondrous, the mysterious.” Gaetano DeLeonibus Professor of French and Comparative Literature and the History of Ideas “Chers Amis, If anything, the COVID-19 crisis has shown us that globalization, or the ‘Englishfication’ of the world, has failed to create solidarity among peoples. How quickly Western countries have retrieved unto themselves within their walls leaving the rest of the world to fend for themselves! To oppose the arrogance, vanity and greed that have informed at the helm of this world, will you help us inject new life into our motto, Non nobis solum nati sumus , in order …? A bientôt sur le champ de bataille!” Jeanne Clark  Professor of Rhetoric “In the last section of ‘Little Gidding,’ T.S. Eliot writes, ‘What we call the beginning is often the end/And to make an end is to make a beginning./The end is where we start from.’ You seniors have come to a long-anticipated end in a difficult time that forecasts awkward beginnings. You aren’t the first to graduate in uncertain, even somewhat frightening days, and you probably won’t be the last, but this graduation should still be a time of hope and anticipation. You have been educated for problem solving, for creative thought, for service, for considered and considerate action. We are in a time that needs all of these gifts. As the world changes, your direction in life may change, so stay alert for the work that brings you fulfillment and joy. Continually prepare yourself for that. I found a love of poetry only in grad school. I broadened my political horizons in those same years while living in the Middle East in an international community. Let this be a chance for you to begin to learn the things you didn’t have time to learn while at Willamette. Keep trying something new. Eliot continues, ‘We shall not cease from exploration/And the end of all our exploring/ Will be to arrive where we started/ And know the place for the first time.’ So graduate, explore and come to know yourself better in this newly strange and challenging world. Be confident. Live in hope.”

Jasper Jones News editor mgjones@willamette.edu After a long search to find the College of Liberal Arts’ new vice president for Student Affairs and dean of students, Lisa Landreman has been hired to assume these positions.  Currently, Landreman is finishing her final weeks at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI, and preparing for her move to Salem in late June. In an interview with the Collegian , Landreman spoke about the upcoming transition into her new job, and how COVID-19 has affected it.  “A lot of people look at me and say, ‘Really? You’re moving in the middle of a pandemic?’ But really when I started this process, no way we would’ve known it would’ve looked like this,” said Landreman.  Landreman told the Collegian that when she decided she wanted to pursue a vice president position, she was “very selective” with what universities she applied to, and that in her search, Willamette “rose to the top” of her list. She explained that Willamette’s placement in the Colleges That Change Lives list and its commitment to the liberal arts were two aspects that initially attracted her to the campus.  “When I got there, I was so impressed with the students that I met and the staff and the faculty that I met. It just all coalesced, all the things that mattered to me. I just saw myself being able to build a happy life there,” Landreman said about visiting campus for the first time.  When asked what part of her new job she is most excited about, Landreman said she is excited to learn about the intricacies of Willamette, including traditions and special events. She also expressed her excitement to get to know students and the other Student Affairs employees. “I’m really excited to get to know the student body president and other organization leaders. And reach out and connect to students who feel like they haven’t been connected to before, or don’t even know what a vice president does. I’m hoping that I can reintroduce them to all that is possible when students want to engage with administrators in ways that make Willamette a better place,” she said.  In regards to how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting this transition, she said she is taking things “one day at a time.” The pandemic makes a move across the country more difficult than usual, and has slowed that process down for her.  Even though her official start date is not until July 1, she is already meeting with other administrators to learn more about the University.  “In this time of crisis, I don’t have the luxury of a really long orientation. Sometimes when people start new positions, they have six months to get to know everyone and figure out how it works. My hunch is that I am going to be involved in having to make some tough decisions, as every institution is,” she explained.  As for other ways that COVID-19 may affect her job, Landreman said she understands that the pandemic is affecting every Willamette community member.  “I don’t know enough about how COVID might be impacting the staff that I work with… for all I know, staff could be attending to sick family members, staff and faculty might have children at home. That might change how we think about our work for a little bit, we might have to be creative… We are all impacted, and we need to give each other grace as we figure out how we can deliver the best experience we can for students, while also protecting and considering everyone’s wellbeing.”  Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Landreman’s career in higher education has caused her to live in many states, including Indiana, Michigan and California. This will be her first time living in the Pacific Northwest, though she is familiar with Portland, since her sister used to live there.  “We like to explore whatever is unique or distinctive of whatever city we live in,” said Landreman, noting that she is excited to introduce her husband to Oregon staples like Mt. Hood and the Columbia Gorge.

Noah Dantes Managing editor ngdantes@willamette.edu On April 23, Tokyo International University of America (TIUA) president Hiroshi Takahashi announced that TIUA would be closing for the time being, and students in the American Studies Program (ASP) left campus shortly thereafter. In an email, TIUA Director of Administration Toru Tanabe answered several questions regarding TIUA’s temporary closure. In his statement, President Takahashi said that TIUA will remain closed for the rest of this academic year, with the possibility of staying closed for all of 2021. He said the school closed after the TIUA Corporation declared financial emergency, which “required a substantial reduction in the Corporation’s staff and its expenditures.” Several factors will affect when TIUA reopens. According to Tanabe, COVID-19 will continue to be a safety concern for institutions, students and families engaged in study abroad programs. He said TIUA will also be looking for financial confidence to strengthen before reopening: “Students and their families must be willing to and comfortable spending the substantial amount of money it takes to study abroad.” TIUA closed less than two months into this year’s program, but Tokyo International University (TIU) is working closely with students and their families to determine the value and amount of these reimbursements. TIU is TIUA’s parent organization. Tanabe said much of TIUA’s staff has been permanently laid off.  “Unfortunately, when there are no students there are no financial resources. This necessitated laying off the majority of our employees. Indeed, only two remain; one in Japan and one in Salem.”  While Tanabe said that employees were permanently laid off, other sources, such as an April 30 email by professor Miho Fujiwara, said that TIUA’s faculty may be brought back when TIUA reopens. Tanabe described the support that laid off employees are receiving: “Employees were fully compensated and received severance pay, but these are personnel matters governed by privacy. We brought someone in to work closely with all staff to address a range of questions and needs, and also to organize teaching materials and program documents so that everything remains well-preserved for eventual re-opening.” There was concern from some students that when TIUA eventually reopened, the ASP program would be smaller in size or offer fewer opportunities to its students. However, Tanabe said that no permanent changes to the program have been determined or discussed.  “President Takahashi and Provost Long will eventually engage in discussions about how the program should improve or evolve. The dramatic changes in teaching happening at this time will help inform those conversations. Regardless, the overarching vision will remain, which is integrating TIU students into the Willamette experience through the ASP program.” Tanabe hopes that despite the abrupt closure of TIUA and the departure of this year’s ASP students, the connection between TIUA and Willamette will continue to prosper once normalcy returns.  “As is true for a lot of things right now, sometimes our appreciation increases when we no longer have access. COVID-19 forced an unwanted pause for the ASP. When the ASP returns, our desire is for the Willamette community to embrace things even more fully than before.” In an April 30 email to the Japanese department, professor Miho Fujiwara said that the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) members of the TIU-TIUA Relations Committee “wanted to gather expressions of gratitude and care for our TIUA faculty.” In this email, Fujiwara included a Google document that collected well wishes from students, faculty and administrators for the laid off TIUA faculty. As of May 5, this document was over 26 pages long with over 100 responses. In an April 23 email, Fujiwara detailed how CLA students can stay connected to ASP students during TIUA’s closure: “Even though the 2020 ASP students will not be able to come back, drop a line to say ‘hi’ if you know their contacts.”  Existing student groups and clubs, as well as the World Language Studio, are continuing operations in order to help CLA and ASP students connect, now and when TIUA reopens in the future. “We experience valuable intercultural experience in these mutual collaborations,” Fujiwara said. Fujiwara finished the email by saying: “Online experience will not replace the in-person experience with ASP students, TIUA faculty and staff on campus. But let’s do what we can do to prepare for the day when they return.”

James Willis Sports editor jdwillis@willamette.edu The last four years of Willamette athletics have had a little bit of everything: the creation of a new team, coaching changes, record-breaking performances and playoff appearances. Amidst everything that has occured in the last four years, the class of 2020’s student athletes have made a lasting impact on Willamette athletics.  This year’s graduating student-athletes have had record-breaking performances, including Matthew Castaneda’s 95-yard touchdown pass and swimmer Derek Ludwig’s breaking of the school record for the 100-meter butterfly. Several teams have won conference championships in the last four years, such as men’s soccer in 2018 and baseball in 2018. Sparks Field was renovated with new turf and nets, so that people no longer have to chase balls onto 12th Street. The current athletic director, Rob Passage, was hired and helped start the women’s lacrosse program. As seasons progressed, teams saw coaches retire, get hired and some even fired. The football team got to play an international game in Canada, and also competed in the first-ever collegiate football game with at least one woman on the roster of both teams.  Kealaulaikalani Gier, senior softball player and co-president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), reflected on her experience as a Willamette University student-athlete.  “My time at Willamette was deeply influenced by my participation on the softball team throughout my four years here. Being a student-athlete really shaped my perspective and focus towards attending school and obtaining great education. Softball gave me lifelong friends that immediately became family. Through practices, bus rides, games and spring break trips, I got the opportunity to play the sport I love with the people I love. It’s always nice to see my teammates around campus or even have class with them sometimes. I loved that Willamette was small enough that even if I wasn’t hanging out with my teammates.” Senior football player Alec Stevenson shared his favorite memories of playing football for Willamette.  “My favorite memories were playing with all my teammates, and leaving it all on the field every time I stepped out there. I was always looking to hit someone hard.” Stevenson was the first-ever three-time defensive MVP for the football team and is second all-time in tackles. He plans to work in wealth management. Gier also spoke of how being a student at Willamette shaped her experience: “I got the privilege of meeting other people around campus that became close friends and genuine people I will always connect and remember. Willamette gave me so many friendships that fit different aspects of my life that I never knew I needed. I’m thankful for the professors who really stuck by my side to help me succeed in all my classes so that I could continue on. The professors made me feel comfortable, knowing I could also count on them to help me with class and with life. I’m forever grateful to have people who helped me accomplish my four years at Willamette as I would’ve struggled without their support.” Gier will be attending graduate school in the fall at Hawaii Pacific University, pursuing a master’s degree in Global Leadership Management and Sustainability. Although many senior student-athletes lost their season due to COVID-19, their time and achievements have left their mark on Willamette athletics.

Dawn-Hunter Strobel Lifestyles editor dsstrobel@willamette.edu Social distancing orders have changed many different facets of day to day life. But one of the most glaring ways that social distancing can cause tension is during grocery shopping. With stores regulating the number of people inside at a time and putting tape marks by cash registers asking shoppers to stay six feet apart, while dealing with other customers who are not taking safety precautions, a successful grocery shopping trip can be no small feat. Willamette students shared their experiences with the changes COVID-19 has brought to the grocery shopping experience, tactics for how to navigate getting groceries and what it’s like to work at a grocery store.  Lauren Alexander (‘20) moved back home after the transition to distance learning to Thousand Oaks, CA, and is one of two designated shoppers in her family of five. She noted a distinct atmosphere of panic in her community. When she returned home, entire aisles were empty.  “We’ve got hundreds of grocery stores, and so many aisles were empty. No pasta, no beans, no soup, you can’t go anywhere and find snack food. All bulk sections were completely sold out,” she said.  Worse than the food outages, according to Alexander, has been dealing with other shoppers. “I had one lady who almost rammed me with her cart because she was like, ‘You were getting too close.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ Because she was walking at me .” She also shared her encounter with a man, much larger than her, who stood less than a foot behind her in the checkout line.  “This was one of those guys, they want to take up space to make you uncomfortable. They’re the kind of guys who go straight down the aisle just so they can get within six feet of you to make you uncomfortable,” she said.  Alexander said that in her community, there are many people who are protesting the stay at home orders, and believes that most of her uncomfortable experiences have come from dealing with people who share that belief.  Uriel Mejia Raya (‘20), who works at a Safeway in Salem, said he has seen a lot of similar behavior from Salem residents.  “I’m still surprised at this time how many people tell me it’s not real. There’s still some doubt in this community. ‘It’s not real, it doesn’t matter, it won’t affect me.’ Those kinds of things. It’s a lot of people, surprisingly,” he said.  Mejia Raya said that his power to enforce social distancing only goes so far. “There’s not much we can do other than reminding them… and generally they’ll bark back at you but they’ll follow it. But if they don’t, I personally can’t do much. Even in this whole thing, I have to be cordial and nice, even if they get in my face.”  Mejia Raya commented on people’s shopping habits, saying, “At this point, I feel like they’re just coming in to get out of the house.” He also said he has seen a lot of people buying things they don’t need.  In the face of these experiences, Alexander said the place she feels most safe is at Trader Joe’s and her local farmer’s market. At her local farmer’s market, each vendor has lines marked off around their booths, everyone wears protective gear and they don’t allow the customers to touch the produce. The combination of fewer people in comparison to a grocery store and the more personal experience made Alexander feel much safer at her farmer’s market than any grocery store. KiKi Drum Bento (‘21) is in Salem and only shops at Winco. She feels her shopping experiences have been successful because of how she prepares to go shopping. The number one factor, according to Drum Bento, is meal planning.  “It’s super easy to plan out the meals you want for the week and then make a list of ingredients and then that’s your grocery list. Because of that, grocery shopping is always really quick and easy. I know exactly what I need,” she said.  However, she did note that grocery stores tend to have a negative energy, saying that the last time she went shopping, “everyone was kind of nervous.” To help with this, she recommends going shopping with people you live with so it’s easier to escape the negativity and also to help increase efficiency by dividing up who looks for which product.  Drum Bento tries to cook mostly vegan and said that at the beginning of the crisis, some egg substitute items were out of stock and a particular veggie patty that she likes has been hard to find, but has otherwise been able to continue to cook with her dietary restrictions. Alexander is lactose intolerant and uses almond milk as a milk substitute, but said she is unable to find it anywhere.  Mejia Raya said at the Safeway he works at, the only product other than the expected things, like toilet paper, paper towels and hand sanitizer, that has consistently been out of stock is flour. Alexander also commented on the lack of flour, and said that the trend of everyone baking more in quarantine has brought her joy.  With the possibility of having to change eating habits because of product availability, Drum Bento encouraged everyone to do as much home cooking as possible.  Mejia Raya encouraged everyone to be especially kind to their grocery store employees in the middle of all of this.  “If you’re a bystander and see things, if you can, get involved. Because as much as I want to, I can’t.”

Claire Alongi Staff writer clalongi@willamette.edu It can seem a little impossible to stay positive these days. The year so far has seemed to provide blow after blow (Australia on fire, worries of World War III, etc.), with COVID-19 being the biggest and baddest. The world is all but shut down, and Willamette is not an exception. The university has been holding classes online since the week before spring break, and will finish out the semester the same way. The future of the fall semester for WU, and colleges everywhere, remains uncertain. But just because it can be hard to see the silver linings doesn’t mean they’re impossible to find. Now more than ever, it’s important to find small joys in daily activities, or to seek out things that can bring a moment of brightness to an otherwise dire situation.   For example, senior Niki Kates started a quarantine book club. She was inspired by her time in Professor Melissa Buis Michaux’s book club at the Oregon State Penitentiary. “ I love the way that a good book can bring people together regardless of the circumstances. So many members of that book club, both inside and outside prison, cherished those meetings because they were an escape from the mundane. Nothing mattered except what was going on in that room, and I think creating a space that allows you to fully immerse yourself and share that experience with others is needed now more than ever,” she said. The quarantine book club meets about twice a month on Mondays. While it doesn’t always attract the largest crowd, Kates is still enjoying it immensely. She emphasizes that she wants it to be a stress-free time for people to connect and talk about what they’ve been reading. In addition to the book club, Kates has also been doing a lot of personal reading for fun. And dancing. “I'm pretty bad at [dancing], but it's really fun and something I've always wanted to get better at. Sometimes I send videos to my mom because I know she'll always hype me up,” she said. While Kates had things to say about staying positive as a student, studio art professor Kathryn Cellerini-Moore spoke to the professor's side of things. Before talking about what she’s doing to remain positive, she acknowledged that it can be incredibly hard sometimes. “I sense that art students and art faculty alike are mourning the loss of the constant interaction and rich conversations that take place when people are in a room making things together. Community making simply cannot be replaced with remote learning,” she said. But, despite setbacks, she’s continued to conduct online art classes as best as she can. “I didn't want my students to also lose the sense of camaraderie, trust and admiration they've developed for one another by not having the option to see one another in class, even virtually. Remote learning has certainly presented many challenges, but I have been learning from my students that even a 20 minute check-in, in between project due dates and demonstrations, helps keep some semblance of our studio art making community spirit alive,” she said. She’s decided to look on the bright side of things too, and sees remote learning as a way to share snippets of her life that students and colleagues might not normally experience. “[Connecting with people virtually] helps me feel like I am still part of a vibrant, inquisitive community of makers even though we are physically distant. Another fun side effect of virtual learning is that I am able to broadcast from my professional studio, which is located in my home. My students and colleagues are able to see a piece of my life that they might not have otherwise. My cats regularly sleep in the background of remote learning sessions, and I think these small infusions of humor and domesticity actually help remote learning feel more personal, or less cold than it might otherwise,” she said. Some days might be harder than others to look on the bright side. The key is to draw on the strength of friends, of art, of bad dancing, of any laugh or nice sunny day, and to store those up and remember them when it really seems the world is falling apart. Kates had some parting words of positivity: “I don't know that I have anything particularly wise to say about the current state of affairs, but I want to just remind everyone that whatever you're doing is okay. Listen to your body, reach out for help if you need it, and if you want to talk books every other Monday at 5 p.m., email nkkates@willamette.edu . Also good luck on finals — it's never been easier to avoid stepping on the seal!”

Olivia Frenkel Staff writer okfrenkel@willamette.edu As students either approach or pass their one month marker of sheltering in place, it’s easy to point out how much life has changed and perhaps even easier to point out the negative changes. Friends who expected months together are now miles apart, passion for research and projects was left behind in labs and classrooms and toilet paper is now more difficult to find than a nutria. Though the weight of these life changes can feel the largest, students have also found unexpected joys in everything from baby ducks to reconnecting with old friends to taking baths. One commonality that students emphasized is the strength of their support systems. Monica Gustaveson (‘21) was hesitant to move back in with her parents after studying abroad and living on her own for so long.  “I wasn’t expecting to need them as much as I did when I came back. For example, my mom made me print out different calendars and she color coded them for each class, so I’d stay on top of everything,” Gustaveson said.  She also explained that this love and guidance extends beyond her family and to her close friends as well.  “The other day, my friend Venmoed [digitally sent] me $12 and told me to Postmate some ice cream for myself, and those little things make the biggest difference in feeling connected to people,” she said. A popular quarantine pastime is cooking and baking. Oliver Kushen (‘23) and William Nordham (‘23) have both found happiness in experimenting in the kitchen.  “I’ve been baking a lot of pies and desserts, but more recently, I recreated the Bistro snickerdoodle cookies, which was really fun and a little nostalgic,” said Kushen.  Nordham’s time in the kitchen has also been enjoyable, yet was self-described as “frequently disastrous.” He explained in good humor, “I tried replacing strawberries with apples for a strawberry cake recipe. It went completely wrong and the filling was just grainy applesauce.”  Students who live on campus, like Layla Hughes (‘23), are also able to find happiness in the small things.  “Over time I started noticing the super tiny things like the sky or the flowers blooming,” she said. “I genuinely look forward to the sunset every day and the baby ducks make me so happy.”  She also finds joy in the new relationships she has been able to form. “The people still working in Goudy know my name now, and they always say hi and will compliment my outfit. It’s a connection that I didn’t expect to make, but I’m grateful I did.” Isabella Lamb (‘22) stayed at Willamette for as long as possible, but found that living at home has had its perks. “The weather has been really nice [in the Bay Area], so I go outside as much as I can to sit or do homework,” she said. She has also found cooking with her family and cleaning her own space to be both productive and fulfilling.  “I’ve also found that taking baths has also been really relaxing and enjoyable. People who live on campus obviously can’t take baths, so that is definitely something I look forward to when I’m home,” she said. Other students, such as Brian Peck (‘20), have found themselves connecting and reconnecting with old friends and family.  “I’ve gotten to know my distant family a lot more,” said Peck, “We’ve been having big family Zoom meetings that wouldn’t have been possible if everyone wasn’t in quarantine.” As living situations change, people everywhere have gained new housemates or have returned to living with family members. Kelley Dyer (‘22) recently moved into her sister’s house, who is a senior at Willamette living in Salem.  “This is her last year before she moves on to bigger, steadier jobs, and she’s looking into a few on the east coast, so we’ve been able to really spend some quality time before she goes off into the world,” she said. The pair cook and watch TV together in their free time.  “We are super into mug cakes too,” said Dyer, laughing. “They are getting so good, like each night they get better and better.” It’s important to remember that though some find joy in the rain, there are others with leaks in their roofs and cracks in their walls. Happiness during this time is beautiful and necessary, yet it is still a privilege to have, so do what you can to support yourself, your family, friends and communities, because everyone deserves to experience some semblance of joy.

Justine Bogle Contributor jmbogle@willamette.edu COVID-19 has forced Willamette students to choose between staying on campus or going back home. Even though Willamette’s dorms have remained open, most students decided to head back home rather than stay on campus. With most students now home, many have had to deal with a lack of space and family distractions.  Some students feel safer or more comfortable at home than on campus. Emily Alameda (‘22) said, “I felt more comfortable being with my family.” Alameda has a close relationship with her parents. Because she didn’t want to be alone and she feared getting sick away from home, she decided the smart move was to return home. With Willamette being out of state for her, Alameda was concerned about the possibility of travel restrictions being placed on the region, and feared getting stuck in Oregon not being to get back home if anything were to happen. Aleena Brinkley (‘23) also worried about travel restrictions separating her from her family. Her dad is an EMT in Vancouver, WA, and she feared that he would be sent to New York. Because of that possibility, she didn’t want her sister to have to be left alone. She mentioned that her dad wanted her back home, so he knew that she would be safe and with family. Parker Jones (‘23) said that he is having difficulties with his class, Intro to Painting, when it comes to finding space to work.  “I don’t have a painting studio. I’ve just been setting up my canvas on my desk propped up and it’s kinda messy. It’s not the same as being in the studio,” he said. When he was working in the studio, he was able to get more feedback on his work, rather than just comments on a posted picture.  Locker reported that she has been able to separate herself from her mom and dad while doing schoolwork. Both of her parents are working online, but they all have seperate rooms to work in. Her mom works in the living room, her dad is downstairs and she stays in her room. Alameda’s parents are also working online, but she has encountered more difficulties with it than Locker has. Alameda’ dad’s office is right next to her room, and she said she doesn’t want to disrupt him. Because of this, she has had to find a different space to work in.  She said, “ We had to close my kitchen off for an hour for my classes because that's the only area that I've found that I'm able to actually try and focus in.”  Students have had varying experiences with social distancing, based on the measures their towns and cities have taken. In Salem, Brinkley still sees people walking around and ignoring the new rules.  “People are just going to stores and walking around just because they are bored,” Brinkley said. Alameda’s home is in Everett, WA, only 25 miles away from Seattle. Because Seattle was one of the first hotspots for COVID-19, the area is strictly enforcing social distancing and stay-at-home guidelines. Alameda is working to mitigate stress and meet the needs of her family and friends by making masks for those who are in need of them. Jones and Locker feel school has taken the right precautions. Jones thinks the switch to online classes and the ability for students to stay in the dorms were both beneficial.  “ They are trying to keep up the normalcy of having classes continue,” said Locker. Due to the postponement of the return of in-person classes from April 13 to the fall semester, different people left campus at different times. Jones left campus during spring break and returned to Portland, OR. Alameda left to Everett, WA before the extension of online learning through the rest of the semester.  Alameda said, “I left a lot of my stuff back there [on campus].” She hopes that restrictions will be lifted by early May so she is able to return to campus then to pack up her dorm with minimal issues. Students who left reported that the largest factors in their decision to go home was personal health as well as proximity to family. Continuing classes has helped retain the normalcy and structure of school and work. Interviewed students are hoping they will be able to come back in the fall to resume their in-person education at Willamette.

James Willis Sports editor jdwillis@willamette.edu As the school year comes to an end, two Willamette University football players have learned they qualified for a national honor society. The Hampshire Honor Society, sponsored by the National Football Foundation (NFF), is for collegiate football players of all divisions who have maintained a 3.2 GPA throughout their athletic careers. This year, Willamette’s two inductees are Kyle Bonn and Jordan Jenkins.  Bonn was an offensive lineman for the Bearcats and is graduating with a degree in psychology. Jenkins was a wide receiver on the football team, although he also played on the basketball team as an undergraduate. He is graduating from Willamette’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management with his Master’s degree, as part of the 3-2 MBA program.  Bonn spoke about his experience following his qualification. “I hadn’t even heard about the Hampshire Honor Society before. It wasn’t a goal of mine to get in, because I had no idea that it existed.”  He also spoke on some of the ways he was able to find academic success. “It was a lot of early mornings and late nights. I had to forgo some social aspects of college. My time outside of class or practice was usually spent at work or studying for exams weeks in advance because I knew I wouldn't have time to cram.”  Bonn elaborated further on his academic habits: “Time management and hard work. You can always do a little more after you think you're at your limit.” Even though he did not know about the society until he was selected for it, Bonn stepped back and recognized that this is an achievement that means something.  “It shows that I have put in hard work and persevered through adversity. It's proof that my effort brought the results I was hoping it would.” Bonn said that he hopes that his achievement helps break the stigma of athletes, specifically football players, being less academically gifted than their peers.  “I am not the first or only person to receive this honor, many previous players have received this before me. I like to think that as more and more players are recognized for their academic talent that the stigma will weaken and eventually break.” This year’s Hampshire Honor Society class has a little less than 1,500 members from football programs of all divisions all across the country. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) website, there are just over 73,000 collegiate football players in the United States. Jenkins and Bonn are now the newest Willamette inductees to the selective Hampshire Honor Society.

Jasper Jones News editor mgjones@willamette.edu On March 23, Governor Kate Brown ordered Oregon residents to stay at home and started to legally enforce social distancing. Three days prior, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released to a swath of fans that had been waiting for a new installment in this popular game series for eight years. Now, as people in Oregon and all across the world are only allowed to physically interact with the people who they live with, people, including Willamette students, have used Animal Crossing: New Horizons as a way to stay in touch with friends and cope with life in quarantine.  Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a real-time lifestyle game where your character lives on an island that is at first deserted, but that you can build into a beautiful and thriving community. Almost everything is customizable, from your house, to the island's scenery and decorations, to your clothes and character’s appearance. There is a cast of 402 possible residents, cute animal characters that come and live on your island that you can talk to and form friendships with.  “There’s something in it for everyone: you can build a new world, you can do interior design, you can play fishing games, you can shop, you can go to mystery islands and collect things, you can get involved with the stock market,” said Sammie Zemanek (‘20).  The Collegian interviewed multiple students about their experience with the game and how it is impacting them during social distancing. They all agreed that it has been a helpful tool to stay in touch with friends and family, and is also a calming piece of escapism.  You can also easily visit other friends’ islands, to visit their shops and museums and see how they have customized their islands and homes, among other activities. This is where the bulk of socialization through this game has been happening. Many Willamette students have been visiting friends’ islands while using Zoom or Facetime, so they can both play and talk at the same time.  Jay Hadfield (‘20) has been using the game to stay in touch with multiple people, including their childhood friends, brothers and mom. Hadfield reminisced about the neighborhood friends that they played Animal Crossing: Wild World with, a game that was released in 2005. Now in 2020, Hadfield has reconnected with those same friends who are now all playing New Horizons.  For Hadfield, this game is not just a way to connect with friends around their age, but has used it to stay in touch with family members of different generations.  Speaking to playing the game for the first time with their mom, Hadfield said, “She loved it so much that this morning she got up early so she could play before my brother got up. She’s thinking about getting a Switch so that she can have her own island. My stepdad plays with her as well, and they are trying to get my grandma to play it.”  Meg Pratt (‘20) planned her birthday party on the game. She was supposed to see her favorite band in concert with her friends to celebrate her birthday, but with COVID-19 and the cancellation of the show, Pratt said, “Second best thing is that it is happening in Animal Crossing. I am setting up a concert stage, I have a bunch of games planned… I’m trying to get one of the members of the band to fly into my island.” Pratt also is using the game to stay in touch with her best friend, who she has not seen in person for two years.  Sam Levy (‘20), who uses she/they pronouns, is using this virtual world to stay in touch with her friends, old roommate and long distance boyfriend.  “It was one of the best things ever… There was something about physically sitting next to him, and facing each other in the game that, I was like, ‘I don’t know why this is so helpful, but I feel like I’m with him. And it feels so much better,’” Levy said about the first time their boyfriend visited their island.  When asked if playing Animal Crossing with friends and family feels like substantial socializing time, all those interviewed agreed that it does not replace the real thing, but is a great activity to do together, besides just talking over Zoom or Facetime.  “I think that is something important that is missing from all of our lives right now,” said Pratt.  When asked why she thinks Animal Crossing has been so widely played during social distancing, Levy said, “It really reinforces calmness, safety and community in a way the outside is not replicating right now.” Later in the interview she said, “I think a lot of people are flocking to it because it’s something that you can control.” The COVID-19 pandemic is causing worldwide distress and grief, and for many people, living in this time feels overwhelming and like they are completely out of control. Graduating seniors are stepping into an uncertain and dangerous world, where important aspects of life like financial security and housing may be harder to come by. For many, Animal Crossing has been a way to escape those feelings of fear and uncertainty for a moment. While playing, you are transported into a world where you will always have a stable income, since you can sell fish, insects and fruit that are all easily attainable, and you have a whole island that you change and design to your exact liking.  “All of those kinds of landmarks, like remodeling your house, sort of feel unattainable for our generation, for most of us I would say. Maybe that’s a little over serious. At the end of the day, it’s a cute, fun game. But for me it’s definitely, like, well, I can’t afford an armchair for my room right now, but I can afford six in Animal Crossing,” said Pratt.