Mount Hood

‘Tis the season to stay busy

Jade Rayner | Copy Editor

The holiday season is about to hit full swing, with December right around the corner. Whether you’ve been blasting holiday tunes since the beginning of November or you’ve been avoiding the holidays at all costs, it’s time to embrace this season to the max. Break out your planners, folks, because there is no shortage of fun to be had, come Dec. 1.

Being a full-fledged Christmas fan or not, there’s no denying the joy that comes from seeing lights adorn trees as far as the eye can see. To catch a tree lighting in action, and snag some free hot cocoa and candy canes in the process, check out one or three of the many tree lighting events taking place within the first week of December.

Western’s 50th annual tree lighting will take place in front of Campbell Hall at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1. For more information, refer to page five. Can’t make it that night? Keizer will be holding its annual tree lighting in Walery Plaza on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. For more information on event details and where to park visit http://keizerchamber.com

Independence is lighting up the night with their Parade of Lights on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. It’s important to note that the parade route will look different than it has in the past. For a complete map of the route, check out the Independence city website. A holiday party will be held following end of the parade at the Independence Elk’s Lodge on Main Street at 5:30 p.m.

For those looking for a little more excitement and a lot more walking than a typical tree lighting has to offer, check out the Oregon Zoo’s 30th year of its ZooLights event. ZooLights takes you on a journey through a spectacle of over a million lights, while also offering rides on the train, pictures with Santa and a variety of food carts. The event runs through Jan. 7, but will be closed Dec. 24 and 25 as well as Jan. 1 through 4.

For those who want to save some money this season, plan on attending one of the value nights for a cheaper admission price. To see a calendar of when those are, as well as pricing and event times, go to http://oregonzoo.org/visit/zoolights.

The Elsinore Theatre in downtown Salem is offering multiple opportunities to get a nostalgia fix with a variety of holiday movies and performances. From screenings of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “Elf,” to the Eugene Ballet Company’s “The Nutcracker” and “Sing We Now of Christmas” performed by Festival Chorale of Oregon, the possibilities are plentiful. A full list of performances and movie screenings can be found on http://elsinoretheatre.com.

There are a plethora of activities and events available to attend during the holiday season. As the term winds down, it’s the perfect time to start planning how to achieve a well-deserved break from school and have fun in the process.

 

Contact the author at journalcopy@wou.edu

Review: “Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp”

Stephanie Blair | Editor-in-Chief

I discovered “Animal Crossing” and began my lifelong debt to that nefarious raccoon, Mr. Nook, in 2002, when it first came to America as a game for the GameCube. The game was met by a sea of praise from players and critics alike and was followed by its sequel, “Animal Crossing: Wild World” on the Nintendo DS in 2005. Due to continued critical and cultural acclaim, the game continued to be reincarnated: next as “Animal Crossing: City Folk” in 2008 for the Wii, and finally as “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012.

However, such as it is with many Nintendo games, if those platforms weren’t a part of a player’s childhood then these titles hold no meaning or nostalgia. Now, for the first time, an “Animal Crossing” game is available on a non-Nintendo console: the humble smartphone.

“Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp” is free on Google Play and the iOS App Store, allowing Android and iPhone owners, alike, to experience a taste of the game loved ‘round the world.

However, veteran Animal Crossers may find themselves wanting more from the app. The concept of the new game is that the player’s character is taking a vacation to go camping outside of the city. In this wilderness, other animals from the game series are camping, as well, and will exchange money and materials for favors. Similarly, instead of being perpetually indebted to Mr. Nook for home expansions, a trio of brothers keeps the player in debt through camper upgrades.

There isn’t nearly as much customization available as there was in previous games and the world is incredibly limited. Similarly, beloved characters and places have been cut to accommodate the limitations of cellular platform — or, more likely, to avoid making the entire game experience free to the public. For those who invested significant amounts of time in collecting artifacts and specimens for Blathers at the museum, there’s nothing in the app.

For those who have been shaking trees and running from bees for over a decade, it simply doesn’t provide the same level of satisfaction.

However, for a college kid with no money for a Nintendo console, it’s a great substitute. And, for those who have never experienced the game, “Pocket Camp” is a great way to test the waters without investing in consoles and games.

 

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu


Radium Girls stand in the spotlight

Stephanie Blair | Editor-in-Chief

On the mainstage of Rice Auditorium currently sits a simple set of three platforms and a plain black backdrop, obscured by a massive, reflective window. It’s on this little set that a big story is going to be told: “Radium Girls” by D. W. Gregory.

The premise is less simple.

“Three girls die and sue a company,” said Mindy Mawhirter, a junior acting BFA major who plays Kathryn at the start of the show.

“In that order,” added first-year theatre and mathematics education major Andi Moring, the play’s lead.

The play takes place over the course of 20 years but begins in New Jersey in 1921, following a small group of girls who work in a factory painting watchfaces with glow-in-the-dark paint for the soldiers of World War I. It’s the radium which makes this paint glow, and claims the lives of so many workers in this factory.

In one of the opening scenes of the play, the forewoman informs the girls that they have to go back to licking their paint brushes to form a point rather than wiping them in cloths due to their budget. When Grace, portrayed by Moring, objects, saying that her doctor warned her not to, she is snapped at and told that she must have misunderstood the doctor.

“We know now that (radium) is very poisonous and radioactive, but they didn’t know that back then,” explained Moring. “It was the miracle drug, it was incredible.”

This point is further driven home in the show when Marie Curie claims that radium is the cure for cancer. And so, the girls continue to radiate themselves, making them sick and ultimately driving them to their graves. This same event sparks a lawsuit, the main focus of the show.

“It’s kind of just the story of the first real lawsuit against a company for how they’ve been treating their workers, and work conditions,” said Moring. “I don’t want to give away too much but, yeah. That’s our show.”

“This is a very different show than what we did last year — we did ‘Machinal,’ which was an expressionistic piece, and this is more of realism,” said Mawhirter. “So that’s been interesting to see: the differentiation between the two styles of theater — especially with having the same director (Michael Phillips).”

While the show isn’t expressionistic, it is a touch abstract in terms of its performance. The set, as mentioned, is fairly minimal, and so is the cast. The show is performed by 16 actors who portray a total of 36 characters on a single set.

Molly Duddlesten, junior theatre and English major, commented, “I die on page 27 so like, that’s cool. And then I’m other characters in the show, which is fun.”

The show opens on Thursday, Nov. 9, and runs for two weekends. Nov. 9-11 and 15-18, the curtain opens at 7:30 p.m. and a matinee performance will take place on Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. There will be no late seating once the show starts. Friday night performances will be interpreted.

Adult admission is $14; senior, faculty and staff admission is $10; for Western students with ID, admission is $8. Visit the box office at Rice Auditorium or call 503-838-8462 to purchase tickets.

 

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Podcast roundup

Zoe Strickland | Managing Editor

 

“Terrible, Thanks for Asking”

Photo courtesy of apmpodcasts.com

Listen to if: you want honesty, and you need a good cry.

“Terrible, Thanks for Asking” is an emotional show. Hosted by Nora McInery, “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” is a podcast that celebrates the more somber bits of life. McInery is well-versed in those moments; within the span of a few weeks she lost her second child, her husband and her father. “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” stems from those experiences.

In the podcast, McInery interviews people about those dark parts of life; the episode themes vary from what it means to be perpetually single in your thirties to what happens when your best friend dies. This podcast is one that can’t help but breed empathy for every situation, even for people who may be hesitant about whether or not they will be able to relate to what’s discussed.

“The Love Bomb”

Photo courtesy of podcasts.com

Listen to if: you’re interested in gender identity, sexuality and the interconnectedness of people.

“The Love Bomb” is hosted by actor Nico Tortorella, who identifies as a cisgender, sexually fluid bisexual. In this podcast, he interviews people in his life who he loves, has loved or doesn’t love yet.

In the purpose of full disclosure, Tortorella uses the word love openly. This is probably the only case wherein I don’t roll my eyes involuntarily at the phrase “in love with love” — Tortorella’s interest and honesty makes it work. “The Love Bomb” delves into the deeper discussions relating to how people identify and what those identities mean to them. The show just concluded its second season, so there are about 40 one-hour episodes to wade through.

“Still Processing”

 

Photo courtesy of stitcher.com

Listen to if: you want to stay informed and intersectional

“Still Processing” is a show put on by The New York Times that primarily deals with the intersections between culture and race. Co-hosted by culture writers Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham, the podcast has interviewed RuPaul to talk about the Emmy’s, analyzed the implications of the show “Girls” and, most recently, discussed the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein.

Though the topics discussed on “Still Processing” may not be new ones, both Morris and Wortham bring a sharp-witted perspective to the table.  “Still Processing” is a show that forces listeners to think about their actions and the media they consume. “Still Processing” just wrapped up their most recent season, but has 53 episodes that are up and available for your listening pleasure.

“It Makes a Sound”

Photo courtesy of nightvalepresents.com

Listen to if: you love fiction and analyzing the power of music.

 

“It Makes a Sound” is a new podcast from Night Vale Presents. Like most of the podcasts in the company’s arsenal, “It Makes a Sound” is a fictionalized serial show that only spans a season of episodes. In this case, “It Makes a Sound” is set to produce nine.

Set in the ‘90s, the podcast begins when its fictional host, Deidre Gardner, finds a tape of an unreleased album from the elusive musician, Wim Faros. The podcast follows Gardner as she attempts to solve the mystery of the Wim Faros tape. “It Makes a Sound” is beautiful in the way that it captures what it’s like to truly be a fan of something. Gardner takes you through her journey as she finds the tape, and brings you along as she tries to use music as a way of revitalizing the world around her.

 

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

Scream yourself silly

Darien Campo | Designer

I am an avid fan of horror-comedy, but I can be picky about this genre. Usually because most films turn out to be little more than “comedies with gore” (e.g. Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil.) In this list, I’ve put together what I think are the five best films that perfectly straddle the line between shocking terror and gut-wrenching laughter.

  1. The Frighteners

Just five years before Fellowship of the Ring hit theatres, Peter Jackson directed “The Frighteners;” a film starring Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister, a conman who uses his ability to communicate with ghosts to trick people into thinking he’s an exorcist. “The Frighteners” is an enthralling mystery that weaves Bannister’s con artistry, his uncertain past, a terrifying mass murder and a mysterious string of deaths caused by an unknown assailant.

  1. Cabin in the Woods

Drew Goddard, writer of “Cloverfield,” “The Martian,” and the upcoming “Deadpool 2” made his directorial debut with “Cabin in the Woods” — a film he wrote with nerd-culture icon Joss Whedon. “Cabin in the Woods” is a great deconstruction of all the horror tropes and characters we know so well. It subverts the genre in surprising ways, while still paying homage to and celebrating the gory heritage we all know and love. “Cabin in the Woods” is frighteningly original and shockingly funny.

  1. American Psycho

Bret Easton Ellis’s novel of the same name can be a difficult read. Those not used to such violent fiction can easily see it as a fetishization of murder and sexual violence, but the decision to have the film helmed by female director Mary Harron helped turn it into a violently hilarious parody of 1980’s greed and narcissism. Christian Bale delivers one of his finest performances as the utterly psychotic Patrick Bateman: a self-obsessed desperate-to-impress yuppie by day, deranged serial killer pop-music aficionado by night.

  1. Bubba Ho-Tep

B-movie king Bruce Campbell stars as Elvis Presley, years after he faked his death and now resides in a nursing home with a black man who claims to be John F. Kennedy. Together the two must face off against an ancient Egyptian mummy that is now feeding off the souls of the weak retirement home residents. Based on a novel by Joe R. Lansdale and directed by Don Coscarelli  (“Phantasm,” “John Dies at the End”). “Bubba Ho-Tep” is – well, I don’t even know what else to say, if that all doesn’t reel you in then you’re a lost cause.

  1.  Evil Dead II

While the original “Evil Dead” is a campy misstep of a horror film by a group of novice filmmakers, and “Army of Darkness” is a straight-up comedy, the middle film “Evil Dead II” is the movie that I believe perfectly strikes a balance between fear and farce. “Evil Dead II” is a film that is equally inspired by the gore and horror of “Friday the 13th,” as it is by the outrageous slapstick of The Three Stooges. Bruce Campbell is at his peak as Ash Williams, S-Mart housewares clerk and demon-slayer. This movie is fast, fun and full of atmosphere. If you’re a fan of the recent Showtime series or terrific reboot, it’s well worth checking out the franchise’s roots here. It’s one of my favorite films, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu

Review: “Little Nightmares”

Jade Rayner | Copy Editor

If you’ve ever wondered what it would look like to combine the style of Tim Burton with the adventure and covert horror of Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” — “Little Nightmares” is here to deliver.

“Little Nightmares,” a side-scroller suspense-adventure game by Tarsier Studios, was released on April 27 and is perfect for getting in a spooky mindset for Halloween. The game centers around Six, a small child trying to find their way out of The Maw, a cruise ship full of large, grotesque characters that will eat Six if they get the chance.

Much like the “Amnesia” games, the monsters must be ran from rather than fought, with a few exceptions. “Little Nightmares” also shares similarities with Playdead’s “Limbo” in that they are both side-scrollers which focus on a child protagonist, and puzzle-solving is needed to travel through the game.

I would say a big pro and con for this game is how accessible it is for a wide range of gamers and non-gamers alike. Being one of the worst gamers I know, I obviously died at least 40 times over the course of this fairly-short game, and I’m sure that is missing a good handful of them. However, for those well seasoned at gaming, it might not pose the same challenge that “Limbo” would. Although the beginning sets the scene differently, most of the game is well-lit and the monsters aren’t very difficult to escape, especially if you died once and have been able to see their movements. The first level is by far the most difficult, but you will be rewarded if you choose to make it throught the whole game.

There’s something for everyone within The Maw. Childlike playfulness and imagination is encouraged while the player learns to navigate the mouse-sized Six around the massive rooms in The Maw. Once the monsters come out, horror fans are presented with fast-paced suspense, but it’s never too much to handle. For those sticklers like myself who demand an aesthetically pleasing design in their entertainment, there are no disappointments. I cannot stress enough how beautiful and unique a world Tarsier Studios created.

My recommendation is this: drop whatever game, Netflix series or memoir you’re working on, and do yourself a favor by immersing yourself in the world of “Little Nightmares.” It’s not a big time commitment considering it only took me — a “noob” of a gamer  — a total of four or five hours to complete. Throughout the journey of completing this game, I felt both emotionally and physically frustrated, angry, excited, sad and in love for a variety of reasons. No other game has ever sparked as visceral of a response from me as “Little Nightmares,” and if that doesn’t intrigue you, nothing will.

“Little Nightmares” is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows through Steam.

 

Contact the author at journalcopy@wou.edu

Nightmare Factory back in business

Stephanie Blair | Editor-in-Chief

Those seeking an experience manufactured to scare even the bravest of heart need look no further than the Nightmare Factory at Oregon School for the Deaf. For the last three decades, the Factory has been spooking its victims with ghouls, zombies, monsters and clowns.

In particular, one clown has stood out: Mr. Booger. Each year, Mr. Booger straps those brave enough into a wheelchair and takes them for a “Wild Ride” through his funhouse. The Nightmare Factory website advertises that “this insane ride of your life includes many years of terrifying flashbacks! Great birthday gift for that special someone! Not for the faint of heart or people with weak knee syndrome!”

For those eager for a thrill, but not thrilled by the prospect of being wheeled around by a clown, there is another option to enhance the experience of the Nightmare Factory: Z-Tag. For $10 in addition to admission, haunt-goers can purchase an “infection detector” which will allow them to partake in a modified version of tag.

As explained on the Nightmare Factory website, “Human players start out with a green tag and must survive by avoiding zombies and finding health kits or a healer … Zombies have red tags  and seek out humans, Infection happens when a zombie player’s badge gets within 3 feet of a human player’s badge.”

The infected human must then find a health kit within a certain amount of time or they, too, will become a zombie. Tags are for the players to keep, and they can re-enter the haunt to play again for a reduced price.

For those seeking to be scared to death or who just want to make it out alive, the Nightmare Factory offers intensity levels for everyone.

However, for those with heart conditions, seizures and asthma the Nightmare Factory has a special warning; “Fog machines, strobe lights, specialty lights and high startles in use!”

For more details or to purchase tickets, visit nightmarefactorysalem.com or call 503-378-3825.

Regular admission tickets are $15, VIP tickets — which reduce wait time on busy nights — are $25 and tickets for Mr. Booger’s Wild Ride are $40. Tickets for the Wild Ride must be purchased in advance.

 

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

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