A duck in a Willamette jersey about to score a goal on the soccer field while the crowd cheers behind them. Art by Wes Mowry-Silverman. Hello, Bearcat Fan! Spring break is quickly approaching, thank god, and with it comes the inevitable arrival of conference play for our beloved spring sports. But for now we trudge through preseason and the odd limbo of the last two weeks of classes before a much-needed vacation. Let’s see how we fared! Track and field competed in the Eldon & Chuck Throwdown on Saturday, a home dual meet versus Lewis & Clark, and took a resounding W against the River Otters — resounding to the extent that for the sake of brevity, I cannot feasibly discuss all of the first place finishes. Austin Snodgrass  (’28) broke a 65-year-old school record in discus with a throw of 51.15 meters, jumping into the steeplechase pool to commemorate his achievement.  On the women’s  side of things, the ’Cats swept the top four spots in the 100-meter hurdles, with Mashani Coleman Toliver  (’26) taking the top spot. In overall points, the men’s team outscored L&C 107 to 38, and the women’s outscored them 86 to 50. Congrats, track! Softball went 3-1 in a weekend series at home against Puget Sound, losing the first game 2-1 and then sweeping the three remaining games of the series, including an extra innings battle on Sunday in which the ’Cats came away with a 7-6 win after going down 1-6 in the second inning. Baseball  went 1-2 in a series against Linfield at Roto-Rooter Park, winning the first 5-4 and then dropping the other two, one of which also went to extra innings, allowing the Wildcats the opportunity to score six straight unanswered runs in the 10th.  Women’s tennis faced the Whits away over the weekend, losing both matches 1-6, the two points coming from No. 6 and No. 3 singles wins from Katie Briggs  (’26) and Sofia Spencer  (’28), respectively. Men’s tennis also faced the Whits, but at home, losing to No. 1 Whitman 0-7 and Whitworth 1-6. The singular point came from a solid No. 4 singles performance by Hudson Snyder  (’28). Lacrosse  split the weekend series also against the Whits, beating Whitman 11-7 and then losing to the Pirates 10-11 in a frustratingly close battle. Shelby Wilkinson  (’29) scored three times and recorded five draw controls in the latter. In the wider world of sport , the Breanna Stewart-led Mist won the Unrivaled championships 80-74 against the Phantom on Wednesday, capping off the league’s second season. Texas shocked South Carolina with a 78-61 win in the women’s basketball SEC championship game, shaking up the seeding for March Madness, which begins on March 20. NFL free agency began last Monday, which has already brought some chaos to the league, and star edge rusher Maxx Crosby was traded to the Ravens for a whopping two first-round picks on March 7. In the coming weeks: Lacrosse faces the reigning George Fox Bruins on Saturday at home, and hopes to secure their first-ever win over the team. Baseball heads south to face Cal Lutheran on Friday, and softball stays in-state to face the Wildcats. Tennis matches up against Pacific, with the women’s side staying home and the men’s heading north. Track and field competes at the Rich Allen Classic in Newberg on Saturday, and golf essentially starts off their regular season at the Willamette Valley Cup. Yay Bearcats!

Constitutional Heritage Club's table in Jackson Plaza on Jan. 13. Photo by Lucy Devlaeminck. At the Feb. 26 ASWU meeting, senators voted to refuse affiliation to the Constitutional Heritage Club (CHC). The club was started by Lexi Thorsett (’26), the same student who sought to establish a Willamette chapter of the national organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in the fall. The vote was not unanimous, but overwhelmingly the group was rejected, with 12 senators opposed and two abstaining. The club approval committee had originally voted to recommend affiliation of the club on Feb. 16. Club approval member Peyton Edmunds (’29) told The Collegian on Feb. 19 that she would support the club  if it absolved its relationship with TPUSA. However, at last Thursday's meeting, according to the senate meeting minutes , ASWU members brought up concerns around a seemingly retained connection between CHC and TPUSA. The morning of the senate meeting, The Collegian had released an article  documenting apparent connections between the two entities. In a written statement sent to The Collegian on March 5, Thorsett said, “I gave into [ASWU’s] demands and they refused to meet me halfway. They want me to completely cut ties with Turning Point USA. The people of my club don't want that to happen and I promised I would keep fighting for the right to organize an official club. … I will not stop fighting for our right of freedom of speech. I will keep trying to bring Turning Point USA to campus and I have it in good faith that this fight will continue once I graduate.”

The Bistro in the Putnam University Center in November of 2023. Photo by Jason Lehman. On Feb. 26 , the Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) senate voted unanimously to clear the Bistro’s debt of $19,604, with the condition that they work to create an accountability agreement for the Bistro going forward.   The ASWU senate had originally considered the possibility of clearing the Bistro’s current debt on Feb. 19 , but after some discussion they motioned to table the vote until the Feb. 26 meeting.  This is not the first time that ASWU has supported the Bistro financially. In 2024, ASWU cleared the Bistro’s debt of just under $10,000 . Since 2020, ASWU has given the Bistro a total of roughly $70,000 in different measures to help relieve its debt. With this latest addition, the relief has been brought up to about $89,000. When the motion to clear the debt was first brought before the senate on Feb. 19, general manager of the Bistro Emma Stephens (’26) said that the Bistro and its financial consultant, Mike Martinez (MBA ’11) are working to make the coffee shop financially independent. Stephens took over the management of the Bistro in fall of 2025, inheriting the debt from the 2024-25 academic year, she said. She has been making some changes to the shop’s operations.  Other than raising the price of goods and its catering service, the Bistro has worked to increase its profits through social media campaigns and collaborations that increase foot traffic, Stephens explained. Additionally, she shared that at the beginning of the academic year, the Bistro cut its inventory of syrups but that the Bistro brings them back as specials to make them “more exclusive” and thus encourage further sales. The Bistro also recently raised the price of its cookies. Stephens said that she wanted the Willamette community to know that the price increases “are so we can remain open as a business” but that the Bistro is “always looking to lower the price of chocolate chip cookies.” The Bistro’s debt has been brought on by a number of factors. Like many businesses, it is still recovering from the pandemic and is struggling with rising ingredients costs as well as increases to the minimum wage. Additionally, the removal of Compass Cash  has negatively impacted the Bistro, as it used to be a major source of income, Stephens said.  She also shared that the Bistro had been previously advised by Willamette faculty members that there would be a “return to normal” after the pandemic and that the Bistro could eventually continue operating as it had pre-COVID “without having to make any drastic changes.” She said that at the end of the last academic year, it became clear that this would not be the case.  Some of the pushback against the relief measure from the senators at both the Feb. 19 and Feb. 26 meetings included concerns about transparency of the Bistro finances and the worry that it would continue to rely on ASWU as a source of funding.  Stephens shared that she is “more than happy to provide [the ASWU senate] with the accountability measures that they’ve asked for.” Following the vote, ASWU Senator and finance board member Ernest Jones (’28) said that while the Bistro is “an important space on campus … it is not sustainable to continually bail out the Bistro.” Thus, he voted in favor of the motion “under the assumption that an accountability plan would be written up.”The specifics of said plan were not discussed at the meeting. In ASWU Treasurer Mitch Septoff’s (’26) words at the Feb. 19 meeting, “This money is coming straight out of the ASWU Reserve … but I can’t see a better use than the Bistro.”

Goalkeeper Siera Edwards ('26) dives for the ball at Sparks Field on Sept. 14, 2025. Photo courtesy of the Willamette Athletics Department. For most goalies, their journey in the position starts about the same: no one else on their team wants to be a goalie, so they are forced into it.  “It kind of just became whoever isn’t scared of the ball flying at their face just stays in goal,” said Willamette’s women’s soccer keeper Siera Edwards (’26), recalling how she started between the sticks in youth soccer.  It’s not surprising that, even so young, being a goalie isn’t exactly a coveted job. As the last line of defense, there is a weight that rests on the shoulders of the single goalie.  Mikkel Jensen (’27), keeper for the men’s soccer team, summed up the pressure by saying, “If you make a mistake, it’s over. If you mess up, it changes the whole game.” Willamette University’s lacrosse goalie, Olivia Austin (’27) said, “I don’t think people realize how mental being a goalie is. It is one of the most mentally tough positions ever.”  All Bearcats goalies agreed, the pressure of being a goalie is one of the hardest parts of the job. “Sometimes the pressure can weigh down on you. If you fail, everyone can see it,” said Austin. The goalie making a split-second mistake that leads to a goal is a lot more obvious than a defender in the outfield making a mistake, and comes with immediate consequences.  Goalie positions come with other responsibilities aside from saving the ball. There is an underlying leadership that comes from the goal. Goalies can see the whole field and are expected to tell their players where to be to help other members of the team. Keepers are also responsible for distributing the ball from the backfield, either after a save or from an opposition turnover, which can be just as crucial in regulating the team’s play as a good clear from a center back or a fast break from a midfielder. For Austin, the demands of the position require incredible mental resilience and an ability to shake off any mistakes. “You have to be able to … show up and do the work every time.” Sometimes, the mentality derived from goalkeeping to experiences outside of sports. “If you’re able to shake [mistakes] off on the field, why wouldn't you be able to shake it off in real life?” Jensen asked. Edwards explained that her goalie position has thrown her into a leadership role that a field player might not have, and that has helped her self-confidence when applying for jobs and interviews.  Every goalie has one trait in common, according to Edwards: “For any goalie, you have to be a little crazy. … You are having objects thrown at you at very high speeds.” There are also plenty of positive feelings with the goalie’s job, moments that remind goalies why they do it. Perhaps the most obvious is the feeling after making a great save and celebrating with the team, Austin said. Another is the community of other goalies that is built within a team that Edwards carries with pride. “When people realize how important you actually are and how hard it is, that’s very rewarding,” Jensen said.

The Thinker finds himself in an unfavorable new crowd. Art by Adrian Axtell. When one ventures into the digital realm, they are putting themselves in danger of hearing the opinions of trolls, undisclosed advertisers, AI bots, Matt Walsh  and children. No one’s safe. Not on YouTube, not on Twitter, and heaven help you if you have the misfortune of downloading YikYak. To indulge in a little hyperbole, everyone is acting stupid. People are ill-informed, angry and loud, and they couldn’t be prouder of it. They want to be heard, despite the fact that they don’t have anything to say. People have disregarded intellectual curiosity in favor of inflammatory grandstanding, and in doing so, they’ve abandoned the art of being a true hater.  Social media corporations have done nothing to curb the prevalence of misinformation and rage-baiting. In fact, they’ve actively encouraged it .  A recent study , published by the The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that Twitter’s algorithm promotes posts that were divisive, emotional and from accounts the user was likely to disagree with. These practices keep people on the app for longer and encourage them to make content of their own.  "Enragement equals engagement, equals more ads, equals more shareholder value," NYU marketing professor Scott Galloway said. It doesn’t matter that this culture of outrage can have real consequences on people’s physical and mental well-being. Harm is irrelevant when profit is on the line.  As a result , people feel compelled to share their opinions constantly, without researching or looking inward first. There are great rewards to those who have the most provocative or inflammatory take, and these same rewards are not reaped in equal amounts by thoughtful criticism. Nuance takes effort, nuance takes time. And so, nuance becomes passé, and cruelty becomes du jour. Through the prevalence of this manufactured internet culture, the art of being a hater, a critic, is drowned out and diluted.  Growing up, many children are chided to think before they speak. This tenet has been disregarded in the digital age, when people do not have to reckon with the impact of their words on those around them. Often, internet users are protected by anonymity. They do not have to grapple with the personhood of those on the other side of the screen. To this effect, they lose sight of their own personhood, if only for a moment. It’s easy to dehumanize our enemies, but to succumb to blind anger robs us of our humanity, too.  In addition to incentivizing outrage and cruelty, our media landscape encourages thoughtlessness . People are lulled into a mind-numbing doomscroll, where all they can do is take in content and gobble up the slop they are served . People are equally encouraged to watch content passively and speak about it actively. It is as if people are consuming this slop without chewing, then spitting it back up without caring whom it lands on.  People are no longer placing value on critical thinking. They’re just placing value on being critical.  One of the most infuriating parts of this new style of communication is the people who frame this drivel as social commentary. This is the juxtaposition at the heart of our media ecosystem: people are simultaneously rewarded for being ignorant and for framing themselves as if they are not. Helena Riley, @freshhel on the social platform X, said it best : “I understand [that] a very popular personality to perform rn is like ‘glamorous philosopher’ but some of you are stupid.”  If you don’t read critically or reckon with the content you consume, you won’t have anything interesting to say, and no amount of buzzwords and pseudo-intellectual posturing is going to save you from that fact. If you are an ill-informed hater — if you picked up your pitchfork before you even knew what the mob was for — you’re not morally virtuous. You’re not an intellectual. You’re just a bandwagoner. You might be on the right side of history in a particular moment, but with no true moral framework, you will just as easily end up against those who least deserve your ire.  To remedy this culture of worthless criticism and poor-quality hating, we must rediscover the beauty of critique. But is it foolhardy to gatekeep being a hater, an experience as human as grief and joy?  There were probably critics as soon as there were creators, people appraising cave paintings and remarking to themselves, “What a crude glorification of the hunting lifestyle. This totally plays into the hunter-gatherer industrial complex.” However, to be a good hater, one must first be a lover. You must have a love of an artist , a craft, a movement. Or the critique will ring hollow. To be a good hater, you must fundamentally be an optimist. You must believe things can be improved, or there is no reason to critique them as they are. If doom and gloom is the only option, why resist? Why not accept your dismal reality? A hater stands up against this passivity and says, “I am upset. I will not accept this reality. I don’t like it.” This act, acknowledging the darkness of the present, is the first step towards imagining a brighter future. That is why, at its best, hating is a simultaneously cynical and hopeful act.  When we lose this hope, this curiosity that is at the true heart of critique, we fall victim to stupid nonsense. I believe stupid nonsense is an inalienable human right, as important to our survival as food and water. That being said, I want us to be a little more honest about our stupid nonsense, rather than dressing it up in a costume of intellectualism. We hear it. We speak it. We perpetuate it. And that is why we must all be more thoughtful, more informed, in our commentary, before all this stupid nonsense makes language meaningless. I hope someday I can live in a world that is thoughtful and empathetic enough that I can receive all criticisms with open arms. I hope someday I can dance with my hater brethren in a golden field, as we gleefully complain about the scratchiness of grass and the overbearing nature of sunshine. I hope someday I can read the comments of my peers with confidence, knowing that they will broaden my perspective and my understanding, rather than prompting me to write a judgemental screed on the nature of commentary.

Art by Basil Allen. Disclaimer: The Devil’s Advocate is a satirical column that does not reflect the views or opinions of The Collegian.  I heard someone mention the 'cat distribution system' offhandedly. How does this system work exactly? - Curiosity killed what now? There is an ancient, powerful force that bequeathed us humans with the cute, furry creatures we call cats, short for Cute Animal, Truly. That’s why the Egyptians sanctified them. The Cat Distribution System is a self-sufficient system designed to reach only those who have been deemed worthy. When the time is right, and you have proved yourself accordingly, the nearest cat in need will be deployed to you. It is your duty to adopt or take care of the cat as long as possible for maximum karmic value. Should you fail this destined task, Bastet herself will curse you for a thousand years.  Note, this is a natural duty which will present itself whether you want it or not, especially in Salem, the city of outside cats. As this has happened to me, I suggest being prepared at all times. Keep cat food and a water bowl in your backpack or car when you go out. And if there’s anyone you dislike who’s allergic to cats, you can save some fur for them too! How do I save money when I don’t have a job because no one will hire me? I need $700 ASAP - Broke Given the political and economic state of the world right now, you may not find a job for a while, degree or not. But the math for this one is pretty simple, actually. All you have to do is divide the amount of money you need by the number of friends and family members you have, then send a couple of pleading texts their way. It’s important to diversify your portfolio. Believe me, this little “favor” works.  In fact, it’s so successful, you’re gonna have to create a long-term plan. Such angel investors need to be treated kindly. Time your requests and remind them how much they mean to you, besides the money.  I would consider this a perfectly acceptable way to acquire much-needed cash. After all, governments operate on debt, corporations receive bailouts and many universities rely on donor funding. Feeling bad about asking for money is only a hindrance. Does shame pay the bills?

On Feb. 12, Willamette University’s Art Department showcased their multimedia art with a fashion show. “CARRY ON” demonstrated the fierce attitudes and commitments of Willamette University’s students, giving way to boisterous designs and character imbued by the artists. Each student struck a pose, showing their work to the world. As each artwork was exquisite, the judges were all ready with their 10/10 scorecards. Lacie Wheeler ('26) struts on the runway on Feb. 12, 2026. Photo by Mac Childers. The purses were displayed in the main gallery in the art building after the the fashion show. Photo taken by Mac Childers on Feb. 18, 2026. Hanna Futrell ('26) takes center stage on Feb. 12, 2026. Photo by Mac Childers. A full view of the gallery displaying the multimedia purses on Feb. 18, 2026. Photo by Mac Childers. Art students show off their bags on Feb. 12, 2026. Photo by Mac Childers. (Top to bottom, left to right) "Insides" by Fenn Corsello ('26), "Everything, Everywhere" by Ava Goldberg ('27), "Enigmatic Swag" by Aissatou Coyle ('26), and "Jurse" by Kendall Hall ('27). Photo taken on Feb. 18, 2026 by Mac Childers. (Top to bottom) "I craft, therefore I am" by Alma Snortum-Phelps ('27) and "Reverie" by Armondo Valdez ('27). Photo taken on Feb. 18, 2026. Photo taken on Feb. 18, 2026 by Mac Childers. Art students receive high scoring marks from the judges at the fashion show on Feb. 12, 2026. Photo by Mac Childers.

Chocolate pudding in the lunch dessert bar on Feb. 9, 2026 at Goudy Commons. Photo by Sofie Szigeti. Desserts are a unifying force for all across campus. A dessert is the perfect ending to a satisfying meal, the encore after the performance. Therefore, it is crucial to know which desserts served at Goudy are worthy of the long walk to the dessert bar after finishing a meal or precariously balancing a small dessert plate between a dinner plate and a drink to make it all in one trip. The dessert observation period for this article lasted about a week. Don’t let me yuck anyone’s yum, but without further ado … 8. S’mores chocolate pudding The s’mores pudding had too many textures and flavors colliding with each other that did not seem to go together. I know that s’mores are a classic flavor and that the components are supposed to go together, but they just didn’t somehow. The overall look of it was not very appealing, either, and made me feel like the kid in “Matilda” with a face full of chocolate . 7. Chocolate Oreo pudding I know, I know. Another pudding? Really? Yes, really. But this one actually tasted quite good, and I would recommend it to those who like pudding. The flavors complemented each other, the Oreo bits added a nice texture, and it tasted like a normal chocolate pudding with a bit of a twist. It’s a good addition to the lineup of desserts that deserves a place at the bar.  6. Strawberry cupcake with soy whipped frosting Though not the highlight of the cupcakes that Goudy provides, it was an interesting change that I was intrigued by. The cake was pillowy, the frosting had a nice taste and feel, and the freeze-dried strawberries were a superb garnish. Sadly, the cupcake had little to no flavor outside of the strawberries on top, but the effort was appreciated. 5. Cherry chocolate cake with soy whipped topping Goudy consistently shines in terms of the fluffiness of its cakes. This was no exception. The cake itself was wonderful and had a slightly honeyed flavor to it. Where the ball was dropped was the flavor of the frosting. At first, the frosting tasted good, if a bit sour. After a few seconds, however, it morphed into a sickly sweet medicinal taste that many cherry-flavored treats unfortunately fall prey to. It was reminiscent of the experience of choking down disgustingly sweet cough syrup as a child. Overall, this was a good cake that was taken down a few notches by its frosting. 4. Raspberry chocolate vanilla cake As per usual, the cake was airy and had a satisfying vanilla flavor that didn’t overpower the raspberry frosting. The frosting itself did not have much of a taste in the way that La Croix tastes like the memory of a flavor, but that was okay for this cake, as it accented an already good taste. Chocolate shavings and raspberries were an appreciated detail. 3. Chocolate chunk cookies A true classic from Goudy. The chocolate chunk cookies are something to rely on and provide an enjoyable hit of chocolate for my fellow chocolate lovers. A soft, doughy texture, large chunks of chocolate and edges with a bit of crunch made this a wonderful dessert option. Were they better than the typical chocolate chip cookie? Not necessarily, but they were good if one wanted a sweet treat for no cost. 2. Marionberry crisp Easily the best crisp offered at Goudy. The marionberries provided a wonderfully bittersweet taste unlike any other berry, although I may be biased as an Oregon native. The superiority of the marionberry is not the main point. The main point is that Goudy knows how to prepare some awfully delicious preserves, and the crisp provided just the right contrast to the berry to create an outstanding dessert. 1. Chocolate chip blondies Better than any cookie, the blondie combines the texture of the brownie with the luscious taste of a chocolate chip cookie, creating the single best dessert that Goudy serves. The perfect time to get them is when the chocolate is visibly oozing from the fresh blondie. That’s when the chocolate gives you a “Ratatouille”-worthy flashback to childhood. There’s not much to say other than chocolate chip blondies are downright delicious, and there is not one person who could convince me otherwise. Chocolate chip blondies at every meal is a movement that I could get behind. After all, there can never be too much of a good thing.

Dave Metzger recording and conducting a short film released for Disney's 100th anniversary. Photo courtesy of Laura Metzger. While it’s not Los Angeles, Oregon has a rich history in film. A plethora of classic films have been filmed in the state, including “The Goonies,”   which was famously filmed in Astoria, and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,”   which was filmed at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem.  Adding to this history is Dave Metzger, who has worked as a composer, orchestrator, and arranger on over 50 films, many of them with Disney. Metzger currently lives in Bend, but he was born in Corvallis and lived in Salem for over 30 years, giving him personal and professional connections to Willamette University. “My in-laws were Willamette graduates back in the — man, I guess that would have been the early 1950s,” Metzger said. “I have a lot of friends that are or were professors and staff members at Willamette University, so I've always had a deep appreciation and love of that school.” Throughout his career, he traveled back and forth between Salem and Los Angeles for his work, much of which has been with Disney. He received his first credit for the company as an orchestrator on “The Lion King” in 1994.  Since then, he’s worked with Disney on many more films, including orchestrating the music for both “Frozen” films and “Moana.” He also composed the scores for the 2023 short “Once Upon a Studio,” the 2023 film “Wish” and the 2024 film “Mufasa: The Lion King,” among many other credits. Though Metzger has worked in all aspects of film music, there are differences between composing and orchestrating for films. “A lot of times, the composer is just going to write the melody in a very basic way, so an arranger then will write counter melodies and things like that. … If [the other parts of the score] weren't there, you would kind of think that the song was fairly spare and not much going on,” Metzger said.  Some composers work by writing the melody of the song, leaving other work up to the arrangers and orchestrators, but Metzger tends to add more to his work, often composing for the full orchestra. Metzger’s journey to film started early in his life with a mentor who encouraged his love for film and a spark of inspiration from a legendary composer. “I was really lucky to be in a choir class in junior high with a really great director who also was a composer, and so she was sort of my mentor … so I just wrote a ton, starting at age 12, all the way through junior high,” Metzger said.  He continued this composition work all the way through middle and high school, writing music for school bands.  He was 16 when the first “Star Wars” movie came out, which displayed the legendary film compositions of John Williams. “That's when I really caught the bug of film music, and I knew that that's what I really wanted to do for a career,” Metzger said. As an orchestrator or arranger, when working with other composers, Metzger said he has to ensure he maintains the work of the original composers while turning it into a full score.   “I don't want to write something that [Lin-Manuel Miranda, whom Metzger worked with on “Moana”] is not going to respond to or do something really weird to his songs,” Metzger said. “Part of it is actually trying to figure out what they're looking for. … There's a narrative arc for the whole movie, and so … I'm trying to tie in all of the songs in the movie in some way so that there's some kind of consistency to it.” A recent project that Metzger composed was “Once Upon a Studio,” a 2023 short film  featuring Disney animated characters spanning the company’s over 100 years of storytelling. The film is a love letter to Disney’s rich animation history, and Metzger worked that history into the film’s score. “I would use themes from some of the classic films, but most of the time, I would actually write in the style of the era,” Metzger said. “It was really a blast. That was a hugely fun project for me because I'm a Disney nerd.” Early in Metzger’s career, he arranged the version of the Disney classic “When You Wish Upon a Star” that played alongside the Disney logo with longtime collaborator Mark Mancina. Metzger had a full circle when he conducted the recording of “Once Upon a Studio,” with every Disney animated character performing the song in a group shot. “I'd worked with that song before, but there was something really cool … in the context of “Once Upon a Studio” to be able to do that,” Metzger said. “I don't usually conduct, but that was kind of fun.” Metzger continues to work with Disney and in Hollywood to this day, recently composing 2024’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” and arranging and orchestrating the 2025 remake of “Snow White.” “There's just always something about Disney animation, and I love the people there,” Metzger said. “I've been there, working with them for so long that they're really kind of family.”

Giant, painted salmon jump down Waller Dam. Art by Addie Martin. Waller Dam, which has been diverting water from the Mill Creek to create the Mill Race — or Mill Stream — since 1864, is probably hindering the passage of salmon and trout. In light of that fact, the North Santiam Watershed Council (NSWC), the non-partisan, non-governmental organization which works to manage Salem-area streams, received around $1.8 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2023. The money has funded research into the efficacy of options for improving it and another local dam. In early March, the council will know the results of some of that research. Salmon and trout used to be in abundance in Salem’s streams. In a 1972 article  on the Willamette Heritage Center website, a writer recalled that in 1916, daily trout catching limits were capped at 30 fish per person.  President of Willamette’s Castaway Club Eyan Hackney (ʼ26) said there hasn’t been a species survey on Mill Creek in 20 years. Salmon are considered a keystone species . They provide food and ecological benefits to humans and animals alike. They have also long been culturally significant  to Indigenous communities of the Willamette Valley. Giving one example of their benefit, Hackney explained that mussels use the fish in their reproduction process as hosts of larvae. Mussels, in turn, play a crucial role in cleaning streams through filtration, potentially limiting the effects of toxic algal blooms and pollution. Their presence also helps improve riparian vegetation, which can mitigate the effects of rising temperatures on streams, Hackney said. To allow the passage of these fish, Waller Dam has a fish ladder, but in a November interview, NSWC Executive Director Brandin Hilbrandt said it has “too much of a jump” and is “not necessarily favorable for fish passage.” She said that the NOAA money will help the council “evaluate [the ladder’s] current effectiveness and explore options that better support fish passage.”  The NSWC sent a similar “project and technical assistance funding” proposal in 2022 as in 2023 in tandem with other local councils. They were not selected. For years prior, a local private citizen had been raising questions about the ecological conditions at Waller Dam to local leaders, Hilbrandt said. She said that the citizen has remained active in the project as it has developed. Up in the air The potential options yet to be analyzed for the future of the dam range from removal to no action at all. Now with the grant funding, the NSWC council will be able to work to officially assess if the city should improve the dam, and if so, how.  In November, Hackney, with a focus on conservation, told The Collegian he was interested in seeing the dam removed, even if it meant disrupting the regular flow of the Mill Stream. His club has been studying the stream in preparation for a study on the creek through a grant of their own. However, he has since said he favors a “V-shaped cutting” improvement being made to the dam, not removal. Hilbrandt later elaborated, “ It's important to also note that there are water rights on Mill Race — water must be conveyed through Mill Race to meet the water right.” Other ideas floating around include modifying the dam so that it can be raised and lowered, and using a pump to provide flow to the Mill Race, Hilbrandt said. What’s next Soon, with the results of the council’s assessments, stakeholders will know what’s actually possible for the future of the dam based on construction capabilities and flood-risk assessment, among other factors. The results will be presented to a community stakeholder advisory committee, which Hackney said he will be a part of alongside local residents, neighborhood associations, planning commissioners, city council members, state agencies, local organizations, wildlife groups, tribal partners and City of Salem representatives. The committee is intended to guide community feedback into the decision making process. “What we’d love to see is a community-based decision,” Hilbrandt said. Following the presentation of the NSWC research results, the committee will help advise the improvement process over two years. Decisions about whether or not to complete an improvement project will lie with the city. Any actual dam improvements will need a new funding source. The 2023 grant funding was tied to the Inflation Reduction Act.  The 10-year act, passed in 2022, is now facing stark Republican opposition  in the U.S. Congress.  It allocated $240 million  toward salmon passage improvement projects nationwide in the hopes of “restoring habitat for healthy salmon.” Should salmon again migrate in large numbers through Salem’s center, some Salemites would be able to grab a coffee, set up a lawn chair and watch the migration right in their backyard.  “How neat would that be?” Hilbrandt asked.

ODP, WEB and Lū‘au among student groups with lowered spring budgets ASWU Treasurer Mitch Septoff ('26) presents at the ASWU senate meeting on Jan. 29, 2026. Photo by Lucy Devlaeminck. Disclaimer: As a student organization, The Collegian was also impacted by funding changes. Advocacy efforts remain separate from news coverage. Willamette’s student organizations are facing significant funding cuts. In December , the Associated Students of Willamette University (ASWU) senate voted to give the university’s student organizations — the Willamette Events Board (WEB), Outdoor Program (ODP) and The Collegian — $20,000 each as a “tide over” until a consensus could be reached on how best to manage ASWU’s funds moving forward.  “We just don’t have as much money as we used to,” said ASWU Senator and finance board member Peyton Edmunds (’29). According to ASWU Treasurer Mitch Septoff (’26), one of the reasons for this lack of funding is that post-COVID, there are simply more clubs and organizations making requests during funding rounds, meaning that ASWU does not have the money to grant them all.  Clubs tend to make requests in all three funding rounds for a semester, while organizations typically only request funding in the pre-fall and pre-spring funding rounds.  In the 2026 pre-spring round, ASWU had a budget of $150,000 set aside for organizations, plus an additional $30,000 left from the fall semester that was not put back into the Reserve to help cover this semester’s gap.  However, organizations requested over $220,000.  When it was time for ASWU to vote on pre-spring funding, Septoff said, “The recommendation that the finance board came up with was not well-informed enough for my liking or the liking of other people in the organizations.” This led Septoff to recommend that the ASWU senate give organizations $20,000. That way, “organizations who needed to make payments and disbursements over winter break would have the ability to do so, without [the senate] making a final decision on funding.”  This decision was also in part, he said, because “all the organizations requested [a minimum of] $30,000, and we know we probably weren’t going to cut below $20,000.” Complicating matters further, Septoff said, there is no organizational funding precedent for student orgs the way there is for clubs. Organizations are generally larger than clubs, and certain things, like Leadership Awards, can not be cut between fall and spring semesters.  “The organizational precedents, if they ever existed, fell out of use so thoroughly that we actually don't have record of them today,” Septoff said. He added that while the finance board is working to draft a new precedent, without it, the ASWU senate and finance board are left to make “best judgment decisions.”  Septoff said that when making cuts, one of the things that the finance board considers is “discretionary versus mandatory spending,” essentially looking for what can be cut without impacting the quality of the organization. On Jan. 29 , after some deliberation, the ASWU senate voted to confirm the budgets for organizations this spring.  Organizations, clubs respond  ODP provided two possible budgets to ASWU, one was their original ask for $60,000, as well as a reduced ask of $41,000. ASWU voted to fund the reduced budget, meaning that ODP is facing the largest cuts of any of the student organizations this round.  According to Outdoor Program Coordinator Kira Grimes (’26), these cuts “pretty drastically impacted the number of trips and the types of trips that we could run.” Grimes said that ODP is working to “maximize our outdoor programming with the reduced funding that we would be getting in this semester.”  WEB had initially requested around $35,000. In the end, ASWU allocated $30,000 to WEB instead — a roughly 15% cut from their ask.  That total allocation was still thousands over ASWU’s target budget. The ASWU senate voted to pass this allotment with the agreement that WEB will cut another $8,500  in the fall.  “If we had accepted the amount that was originally proposed to us…,” said WEB President Zia Brandstetter (’26), “it would have devastated us as an organization.”  Even then, the budget that was approved this January “cut a lot of stuff,” she said. While WEB does keep the profits from Black Tie in a non-ASWU-affiliated account, Brandstetter shared that the account is “not huge, but it’s sort of supplemental.” Brandstetter said these budget conversations are never trivial. “Midnight Breakfast can't go away. Black Tie can’t go away again.” She added, “It is a difficult decision for everyone involved, and I do not envy the finance board, or the ASWU treasurer’s position, or ASWU exec at all.”  The Collegian, which also has its own ad revenue, had the lowest reduction out of any student organization — down 5% from its original ask — with expectations to reduce spending further in the fall. Lū‘au, though it is not technically an organization, is also facing funding cuts, explained President of Hawai‘i Club and co-coordinator of Lū‘au Payton Kawahara (’27). While Hawai‘i Club is funded separately, the Lū‘au funding request was made during the same pre-spring funding round. As of Feb. 19, Kawahara said they are still not funded. Kawahara said the Lū‘au planning committee originally requested $35,000, which was less than the previous year. However, their requested budget has since been cut down to $21,000, but “it is still not entirely approved.” On Feb. 12 , the ASWU senate voted to partially fund Lū‘au to the amount of $5,800. Kawahara noted that Lū‘au is “cutting a lot of things we normally wouldn’t have thought to cut in the past,” including things like the T-shirts for the dancers and volunteers. Kawahara added that to compensate for the potential funding cuts, they will be holding fundraisers at Panda Express on Feb. 27 and April 3.  “We care about things a lot,” ASWU Senator Edmunds said. “And a lot of the cuts we make, we don’t want to make.”

A duck in a Willamette jersey about to score a goal on the soccer field while the crowd cheers behind them. Art by Wes Mowry-Silverman. Hello, Bearcat Fan! March is upon us, and as such we only have a mere three more months until summer. Thank god. Like spring in Oregon, this weekend was filled with lots of highs and lows for our glorious Bearcats, so let’s get on with the news. Men’s basketball  concluded their season in Spokane on Saturday, losing 87-97 to the Whitworth Pirates in the conference final after beating the Loggers 80-75 on Friday. The weekend saw two ’Cats record career highs in points, including Kellen Sande  (’27) and Davis Hester  (’28), with 26 and 27, respectively. Congrats to men’s basketball on a fantastic season! Men’s tennis won their first Northwest Conference matchup since 2019 over the weekend, routing Puget Sound 6-1 at home. The ’Cats dominated in doubles and lost only their No. 1 singles match to secure the win.  Women’s tennis  lost 2-5 against the Loggers away on Saturday but won their No. 1 and No. 6 singles matches to nab two points from Puget. Baseball  faced Pacific three times over the weekend, losing both games in a doubleheader on Saturday but winning the last of the series 8-6 on Sunday. In the latter, right fielder Shayde Koga (’29) recorded four RBIs in five plate appearances, contributing greatly to the win. Softball  headed south to the Lone Star State on Friday, going 1-5 in their games over the long weekend. The Bearcats faced a gauntlet of close doubleheaders against Southwestern, East Texas Baptist and Trinity, winning the final game of the series 3-2 in San Antonio. Men’s track and field  began their outdoor season at the Umpqua Opener in Roseburg and saw many No. 1 finishes, including Davandre Campbell  (’29) in the 110-meter hurdles, Roan Bashioum (’27) in hammer, Austin Snodgrass (’27) in shot put and Judah Ali ' ifua  (’26) in javelin. Women’s track and field  also participated in the Umpqua Opener and saw similar success. Taking No. 1 finishes for the ’Cats were the 4x400 relay team, Olivia Jacobson  (’28) in hammer, Whitley Stepp (’26) in high jump and Henri Osborne  (’28) in shot put. In the wider world of sport:  The NHL and PWHL returned after the international break for the Olympics, with the trade deadline looming for both leagues. The NFL combine happened this weekend, with former Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq breaking the record for the fastest 40-yard time by a TE in the event’s history. Unrivaled playoffs began on Saturday, with the Vinyl defeating the Laces and the Paige Bueckers-led Breeze triumphing over the Rose, both teams now advancing to the semifinals on Monday night. College basketball is winding down its regular season in preparation for March Madness, with evil incarnate, otherwise known as Duke, at No. 1 in the men’s AP poll and undefeated UConn firmly at No. 1 in the women’s.  In the coming weeks: Track and field continue their outdoor season with the Eldon & Chuck Throw Down this weekend. Yee-haw, I guess?. Baseball faces Warner Pacific on Tuesday evening, then Linfield at home Saturday and Sunday. Softball  faces the Loggers at home on Saturday and Sunday, and tennis matches up against Whitworth on Sunday. Lacrosse heads north to face the Whits, starting in Walla Walla and then heading up to Spokane.