ScholarWorks @ SeattleU (Seattle University)

Truog, Daniel

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
1-15-2025 
2025-01-15 Seattle U Arts Faculty Grapple With Possible Cornish 
Merger 
Daniel Truog 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
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Spectator Online. 1558. 
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The Spectator • January 15, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/01/15/seattle-u-arts-faculty-
grapple-with-possible-cornish-merger/
Seattle U Arts Faculty Grapple
With Possible Cornish Merger
Daniel Truog, Sports & Opinion Editor
Arts students, your walk to class might be getting a little
longer. Seattle University announced Dec. 5 that the school
has signed a letter of intent to merge with Cornish College
of the Arts, an arts conservatory based in South Lake
Union.
The key word here is “intent,” as the agreement is not yet
binding. The two schools will work together to assess the
details of a potential partnership, with a decision targeted
for March 2025. The current plan is for Cornish to become
the Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University.
While the path forward after a binding agreement is signed
is unclear, Emily Parkhurst, interim president of Cornish,
wrote in an email to The Spectator that students at both
schools might not have to wait long to feel the effects of the
merger.
“Our hope is that students will begin to benefit from this combination as soon as this coming fall,” Parkhurst wrote.
Prior to the announcement of the letter of intent, the arts curriculum at Seattle U had been undergoing change as part of the
Reigniting Our Strategic Directions effort. In the fall, the art, studio art and art history majors were consolidated to form the new
art and visual culture studies major. This major was designed to support the challenge of low enrollment in the previous majors.
One program at Seattle U has a curriculum that was developed specifically for the university. The design major has a focus on social
engagement and visual communication that serves communities. Students in the design cohort spend two years learning technical
skills and two years on conceptual design informed by Seattle U’s Jesuit values and mission.
Design is one of the largest majors in the Seattle U arts departments, with roughly 60 undergraduate students across all years. All
design students cover print and media-based graphic design, web design and UI/UX design within a single major.
Professor Naomi Kasumi has been at Seattle U since 2003, when she started as the director of the digital design program. Her role
has changed as the program developed, with design becoming a major in 2012, but she has worked to create a unique program that
gives students an education they might not find at other institutions.
“[There are] certain things I really want to save because that’s the beauty of Seattle University’s Design program,” Kasumi said.
“That’s something I’m trying to communicate with [Cornish].”
Eve Labriola
A pedestrian walks in front of the Cornish sign.
Kasumi and other Seattle U faculty will be meeting with faculty from Cornish over the coming months to develop a better
understanding of how the different programs and facilities can integrate with one another.
Design at Cornish is different from design at Seattle U. After their first year, students choose to get a degree in design, game art,
illustration, animation or UI/UX design. Cornish’s website also lists 17 current members of the design department, which includes
instructors and professors. On the other hand, Seattle U has one tenured and one full-time faculty in its design program.
Kasumi learned about the merger in a Dec. 5 Zoom meeting with faculty and university administration, two hours before the Seattle
Times released an article detailing the plans to merge.
“I was watching all the other faculty members’ faces on Zoom and they were thinking, what are you talking about? We didn’t know
about this until now. And then, do we have the money to buy them?’” Kasumi said.
Specifics of the transition period are unknown, but Provost Shane Martin and Senior Vice Provost Tamara Herdener shared some
details in an email with The Spectator.
“For the Cornish students, this will include academic advising tailored to their unique needs, integration programs to foster
community, access to mental health and wellness resources to support their overall well-being, among many other services and
programs. For Cornish faculty, we are developing resources such as professional development opportunities, forums for open
dialogue, and individualized support to ensure a seamless transition into the Seattle University community,” Martin and Herdener
wrote to the Spectator.
Martin and Herdener also shared that transparency in the merger process will be informed by the Strategic Directions curriculum
revision process. While no further details were shared about transparency through the merger, the Strategic Directions process has
involved working groups with faculty, staff and students as well as communication with groups like the faculty elected body
Academic Assembly and Staff Council.
There are a number of challenges ahead when it comes to integrating Cornish into Seattle U. First, it is unknown how Seattle U’s
College of Arts and Sciences will change when the new Cornish College of the Arts is created at Seattle U. This is not the only new
college coming to Seattle U, with the university’s announcement in the fall of funding for a new College of Health Sciences.
Additionally, Cornish faculty are protected by a collective bargaining agreement as part of OPEIU Local 8. On the other hand,
Seattle U faculty are not unionized, after the legal battle for non-tenure track faculty unionization ended in 2018. Both full-time and
part-time faculty can be elected to the university’s Academic Assembly, which serves as the official voice of the faculty on all
matters related to university governance.
The Cornish collective bargaining agreement (CBA) contains a successor clause that states that, in the event of a merger, the
successor firm would be bound by the collective bargaining agreement. It is unclear if any Seattle U faculty would be able to join the
union in the event of a merger. The Cornish CBA is in effect until Aug. 31, 2025.
Another challenge for the merger would be integrating Cornish’s semester system into Seattle U’s quarter system. The debate over
the merits of either system has sizzled for years at Seattle U, dividing faculty and students alike. While Seattle U’s law school is on a
semester system, it is completely separate from undergraduate education. Integrating Cornish’s undergraduate classes into Seattle
U’s would require both to have the same academic term length.
Cornish’s location on South Lake Union would likely require some students to travel between Cornish facilities and the current
Seattle U campus.
Despite the bevy of unknowns, many Redhawk professors see positives in the new facilities, expanding knowledge and growth of
students of Cornish joining Seattle U. Fr. Trung Pham, an associate professor and the chair of art and visual culture studies, looks
forward to the potential for a larger arts footprint.
“More space, more students, more opportunities,” Pham said. “We don’t have a lot of space for art here, so merging with [Cornish]
will solidify the space.”
If Cornish joins Seattle U, the university would have three total performance spaces for students. Cornish students would gain
access to Seattle U’s pool and athletic facilities as well as academic resources like the Lemieux Library and Learning Commons.
The faculty of Cornish would also bring new expertise to Seattle U programs like film and media, according to Department Chair
and Professor Kirsten Moana Thompson.
“I’m particularly excited about the fact that there are faculty with animation and production expertise at Cornish,” Thompson said.
The film and media department has also considered developing a Master of Fine Arts program at Seattle U, which Thompson
speculated would benefit from Cornish faculty and facilities.
Kasumi and Thompson emphasized that improving students’ opportunities for education and professional development is one of
the most important aspects of merging with Cornish.
“This is not for me or teachers, but this is for students. If this is a great change for students, then we… have to embrace the change to
make the best out of students’ learning,” Kasumi said.
In recent years, small arts institutions have struggled with low enrollment. The Vermont College of Fine Arts became a subsidiary of
the California Institute of the Arts in April 2024 after financial challenges caused declines in enrollment.
“Art schools are closing. So merging would help. We’ve seen it across the nation,” Pham said.
Enrollment at Cornish has also been declining, hitting 502 in the fall of 2023. The school listed Kerry Hall, a Capitol Hill class
building, for sale in May 2024 and sold it to Seattle Theatre Group in November 2024. This merger would be a way for Cornish to
continue educating students while dealing with these challenges.
“Cornish will retain its name and its legacy as an institution. A legacy is not one single building. Our legacy is the thousands of
students, teachers and staff who have made this such a special place. It’s the art that has been created here and created by our
alumni. It’s the dedication to Nelly [sic] Cornish’s belief in education through exposure to all the arts. Through this partnership with
Seattle University, that legacy will continue for generations to come,” Parkhurst wrote to The Spectator.
There is hard work ahead for Seattle U. Whether the deal falls through or the storm clouds of merger complications part to reveal a
brighter future for Seattle U is anyone’s guess. But the past year has shown a significant commitment to the arts by Seattle U. A new
art museum and now possibly a new college shows that big moves are being made to cement Seattle U as a leader in arts education.


2025-01-15 Seattle U Arts Faculty Grapple With Possible Cornish Merger

Dumlao, Diego

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-5-2025 
2025-02-05 Redhawk Indoor Track Program in the Final Stretch at 
UW Invitational 
Diego Dumlao 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • February 5, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/02/05/redhawk-indoor-track-
program-in-the-final-stretch-at-uw-invitational/
Redhawk Indoor Track Program
in the Final Stretch at UW
Invitational
Diego Dumlao, Volunteer Reporter
The Dempsey Indoor Facility is rich as music blares over the
loudspeakers and athletes prepare for their events. The
facility is filled with an abundance of cheers and murmurs,
but with one blow of a whistle, silence. The athletes take
position behind the blocks, the words “take your marks”
echo in the room, then with a loud *BANG*, they’re off.
This weekend, the Seattle University men’s and women’s
indoor track teams competed in the UW Invitational, their
second to last regular season meet in the program’s history.
It was announced Nov. 14, 2024, that after the 2024-25
season, Seattle U will be discontinuing the indoor track
program, along with men’s tennis. With this being the last
indoor season, the Redhawks are looking to go out with a
bang and prepare for the upcoming outdoor season in the
spring. Jordana LeSavage took over as head coach of the
cross country/track and field program just months ago in August
2024.
“We’re still in a phase where we’re getting a lot of quality training…
We’re still about four weeks out from the indoor conference
championships held in Spokane at the end of February, and then we
have a full outdoor season. So, it’s working with everybody and
playing the long game,” LeSavage said.
Though LeSavage took the helm not too long ago, she has been a
member of the program as an assistant coach for multiple years,
beginning in 2022. During her time with the program, the
Redhawks have won two Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
titles in the distance medley relay, along with nine All-WAC honors
and 16 school records. LeSavage also pointed out that multiple
athletes set personal bests, with some even entering the top 10 all-time list in their respective events during the UW Invitational,
adding to the lists of accolades achieved with her leadership. 
Diego Dumlao
Sophomore, Dan Barreto and Freshman, Porter Buck competing
in the 1 Mile Run.
Freshman, Mila Tsai racing in the 800 Meter event.
(Diego Dumlao)
One of the individuals who set a personal best during the invitational was Matthew Fiso. The freshman sprinter/jumper came out
the gate hot, jumping 6.65 m (21.10 ft) in his first attempt in the long jump event. Fiso was also part of the men’s 4×400 relay, along
with Alex Jensen, Seku Sanders and Alexzander Osorio, which put up the eighth-fastest time in program history, 3:24.49.
“We got a lot of sprints; a lot of block starts. We get a lot of
recovery… our warmup does the most justice for our bodies… I think
that’s the main part of everything,” Fiso commented on the team’s
preparation for meets. 
Yet another individual who had a good showing this meet was JR
Zamora. The sophomore achieved a personal best in the 60-meter
dash with a time of 7.07, putting him tied for eighth all-time in Seattle
U history. At the Jan. 17 meet, Zamora was just .01 meters off the
Seattle U record for the long jump event, jumping 6.66 meters (21.85
feet).
“I’m feeling pretty great…today I had a really great reaction time, I
was getting out the blocks, and like people were still behind me,”
Zamora commented on his performance.
One newcomer to the women’s team that has been making her impact on the program is graduate student transfer, Alisha Saucedo.
Saucedo is joining the Redhawks this year from Saint Martin’s University, where she holds the school record for both the indoor and
outdoor 800 meter event along with earning All-conference Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors twice. For the Redhawks,
Saucedo has the eighth fastest time in the women’s mile event (Jan. 18) and was a member of the distance medley relay along with
McKenna White, Annabelle Clapp and Diana Camargo Solis, who achieved the third fastest time in Seattle U history this weekend,
12:00.45. Saucedo expressed lots of praise for Seattle U as they have welcomed her to the program.
“It’s been awesome. Jordana has been the most amazing coach. She’s so intentional about all the little things, about making sure
we’re okay, not just physically, but also mentally… The team has been awesome… I just really have felt at home, which is really nice,”
Saucedo said. 
The Redhawks will head back up to the Dempsey Indoor Facility Feb. 14 for the final regular season indoor track and field meet in
the program’s history. The team will then head over to Spokane Feb. 28 for the WAC Indoor Championships. With this being the
final stretch for the Redhawks indoor track and field program, the team is looking to finish off strong and lead themselves into a
successful outdoor season.
Sophomore, Sean Elllison competing in the Long Jump
event.


2025-02-05 Redhawk Indoor Track Program in the Final Stretch at UW Invitational

Scott, Tristan

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-19-2025 
2025-02-19 As Extreme Weather Threatens Seattle Homeless, 
Community Lunch Steps Up 
Tristan Scott 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • February 19, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/02/19/as-extreme-weather-
threatens-seattle-homeless-community-lunch-steps-up/
As Extreme Weather Threatens
Seattle Homeless, Community
Lunch Steps Up
Tristan Scott, Staff Reporter
As the northern hemisphere begins the slow crawl toward
spring, Seattle winter is holding on tight. So far, February
has seen multiple instances of snow and ice placing much of
the Puget Sound under a Cold Weather Advisory due to the
freezing conditions. For some, the cold weather may be
little more than a nuisance. However, for over 16,000
people in King County currently experiencing
homelessness, winter can bring potentially deadly
struggles. 
Last year, a similar streak of cold weather led to the deaths
of at least five homeless individuals in the Seattle area.
While winters in the Pacific Northwest are often
considered mild, they come with higher levels of rain and
moisture than other parts of the country. This damp
environment can increase the risk of hypothermia for those
who do not have access to shelter during the night, when
temperatures drop near or below freezing.
“You’ve got to stay dry, that’s really super important,” Jesara Schroeder, a Seattle resident who has experienced homelessness, said.
“If your bedding all gets wet, it’s pretty horrible. Even if you try to dry it out the next day, it’s still cold. It’s really difficult to get dry
bedding once your bedding has gotten wet.”
Schroeder became homeless in March 2020, initially living out of her car before moving to a tent city, a protected homeless
encampment run by Seattle Housing and Resource Effort (SHARE) and Women’s Housing Equality and Enhancement League
(WHEEL). She now lives in transitional housing, but has experienced the full range of Seattle weather while living outside.
“I know that people focus on cold weather and I totally understand that, but I want to point out that hot weather is actually getting
really bad in Seattle,” Schroeder said. “Like, we had wildfires while I was living outside, and it wasn’t very helpful to hear them say to
close your windows and stay indoors. We’re just literally out there breathing that air, and then it just gets so hot that until the sun
goes down you can’t even get back in your tent.”
Annabelle Deguzman-Carino
As rates of homelessness steadily increase, so do extreme temperatures as a result of climate change. Despite this known issue,
Schroeder and other individuals seeking shelter often struggled to find resources that could keep them safe and help them find
housing or job opportunities. Several shelters in the area only open their doors when the weather is considered “extreme,”
making them unreliable for frequent use, while others have very few beds available and fill up quickly.
Many of the resources that do exist are community-built, like local nonprofit Community Lunch on Capitol Hill. Operating out of All
Pilgrims Christian Church only a mile away from Seattle University, Community Lunch provides free breakfast and lunch every
weekday to those in need.
“I got connected with Community Lunch a few years ago as a volunteer, and what really attracted me about this organization was
there were no questions asked. People didn’t have to bring their ID, if you wanted to leave with 10 meals, great. If you wanted to
leave with 15 coffees, cool,” Emily Pfaff, the executive director, said. “We don’t ask questions, you just get what you need. We’ve
never missed a meal. Rain, shine, craziness, whatever is going on, and we don’t plan on it.”
Suzanne Fry has been volunteering for Community Lunch for over a decade. Over that time, she’s watched the space grow from
providing lunch just twice a week to a small handful of visitors to a large-scale operation providing hundreds of meals every day.
“I think it’s really great for people to not only come in and have a hot meal with dessert and coffee, but also to be able to sit with
other people and chat,” Fry said.
In addition to meals, Community Lunch accepts and distributes donations of all kinds including furniture and self care items. The
open space allows visitors to mingle during lunch time, chatting at cafeteria-style tables or borrowing a book to read from a shelf
near the entrance. This is also where larger donations are kept, giving visitors the opportunity to “shop” for things they may need.
The organization’s goal is to create a comfortable, safe, need-based community space, welcoming individuals from all backgrounds.
This diversity is reflected by the staff and volunteers, many of whom are women and LGBTQ+ folks.
Icy sidewalks and snow (Rowan Stark)
“I have a very diverse staff, which is one of the coolest things about us. All ethnicities, all backgrounds, all genders, all whatever. It’s
supposed to be a community lunch, we’re supposed to be a staple for the community,” Pfaff said. “What’s really cool about here is,
since we have everybody from all different backgrounds, it really shows the people that come through here that we are very open
and accepting.”
This diversity gives staff the opportunity to form deeper connections with people who use the space, as they may see themselves
reflected in the people who work there.
“It’s really all different types of folks coming through,” Staff Member Rose McMurray said. “There definitely are some folks that you
know, come through and that can be a little bit difficult. But there’s a lot of folks that you get to see every day, and even people who
have a little bit of difficulty when they first start coming in, a lot of the time you get to know them a little bit better and a little bit
better and then people start to see it as a community space, and you get to kind of interact with people and get to know people in a
really nice way.”
The increase in need for shelter and warmth during the winter months has been noticed by Community Lunch staff, as folks who
may not have access to all-day shelters gravitate towards the temporary shelter provided at mealtimes.
“It’s definitely gotten busier starting with the holidays,” Maya Taylor, the head of Community Lunch’s kitchen, said. “Especially
because we open our doors, people tend to want to stay inside as much as possible. Sometimes we notice that when the elements
are really bad that it does slow down because I think people would rather just not leave at all and just conserve as much as they can.”
Though organizations like Community Lunch provide much-needed resources for the homeless, they remain limited by the
donations they receive and their limited hours of operation. Because of this, Schroeder emphasized the need for official day centers
for those experiencing homelessness.
“The Seattle Public Libraries are unofficially day centers for the homeless, which is great, but they’re not designed for that,”
Schroeder said. “The libraries are awesome, and I don’t want to downplay the work they do, but they’re set up to be libraries which
is what they should be. They’ve actually taken on some stuff with homeless folks, but it really isn’t their job. An actual day center has
restrooms, it has laundry, it has showers, it often has case managers so people can help you figure out what little housing there is in
Seattle and how to get access to that.”
Having access to more resources like day centers and community kitchens would benefit not just homeless folks, but much wider
populations, McMurray explained. This is one of the biggest misconceptions about organizations like Community Lunch.
“People view this work as specifically ‘serving the poor’ or ‘serving the homeless,’ which I think fundamentally regards it as helping a
community that isn’t yours or helping outside of your community, which is really othering,” McMurray said. “The fact is that a lot of
people have homes, and a lot of people who come in here as guests are just folks that have retired and want some community and
time to hang out with people. The biggest misconception, at least in my eyes, is the fact that this isn’t here to help a different
community, this is to help each other and this is to help us.”
Schroeder echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of recognizing those experiencing homelessness as individuals
rather than a faceless mass.
“Homeless people are your neighbors. There are college students right now who are homeless, you know, I have a master’s degree
and I ended up being homeless,” Schroeder said. “There’s this perception of homeless people as not being the same as you. We are
the same as you, you have neighbors who are homeless.”
Organizations like Community Lunch rely on help from the community to operate successfully. 
“Volunteering is a huge foundational aspect of our work. We’re unable to really remain open most days without the hours and the
time that our volunteers put in,” Taylor said. 
Community Lunch accepts volunteer applications as well as donations both monetary and physical. Some of the most helpful items
to donate in the wintertime are socks, hand warmers, and hygiene products. Other local organizations in need of community
support include WHEEL, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance and Roots youth shelter.


2025-02-19 As Extreme Weather Threatens Seattle Homeless, Community Lunch Steps Up

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
4-16-2025 
2025-04-16 Mariners Baseball is Back! 
Diego Dumlao 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • April 16, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/04/16/mariners-baseball-is-back/
Mariners Baseball is Back!
Diego Dumlao, Volunteer Reporter
The chant “Let’s go Mariners!” echoed throughout T-Mobile
Park on a typical cold and cloudy day in Seattle. Fans piled
into the grandstands and the scent of garlic fries lingered
throughout the stadium. After two ceremonial first pitches,
one from the family of the late Rickey Henderson and the
other from Mariners legend, Ichiro Suzuki, as well as the
“play ball” call coming from youth baseball and softball
players from across the state, Mariners baseball was
officially back.  
The Mariners ended the 2024 season just missing out on
the playoffs for the second year in a row. The ending of last
season, as well as a slow offseason with little to no big
moves by the ball club, left fans in Seattle disappointed in
the organization and caused them to question whether the
Mariners ownership was making the right decisions for the club.  
But despite fans questioning the ownership and last season ending in a disappointing fashion, that didn’t stop Mariners fans from all
over Washington from packing into T-Mobile Park for Opening Day versus the now mononymous Athletics.  
“We always try to be optimistic for the next year,” lifelong Mariners fan Blake Dompier said.  
Logan Gilbert was named the Opening Day starter. The righty was one of only two Mariners to represent the team in the 2024 All-
Star game and ranked in the top 10 in the MLB’s starting pitcher power rankings. Last season, Gilbert posted an ERA of 3.28 with an
opponent batting average of just .196 and recording 220 strikeouts. With statistics like this, there was no doubt about who would
be starting on the bump for the Mariners this Opening Day.  
It was a pitching duel throughout the entire game, with the first run score not coming until the top of the fifth inning. Athletics first
baseman, Tyler Soderstrom, homered to dead centerfield, putting the Athletics up 0-1. The Mariners would answer back in the
bottom of the seventh after the M’s shortstop JP Crawford tagged up on a fly ball hit to deep centerfield by left fielder Victor
Robles, tying the game at 1-1. Soderstrom would get back up in the top of the eighth and blast yet another solo home run, once
again giving the Athletics the lead 2-1.  
The Mariners wouldn’t let the Athletics keep the lead for long, with the M’s offense coming alive in the bottom of the eighth, putting
up three runs. Seattle’s offensive birth began with right fielder Randy Arozarena putting a good swing on one and driving a solo
home run to left field, tying the game for the Mariners. Infielder Luke Raley would get on via walk, then veteran infielder Jorge
Polanco came up to bat and blasted a two-run big fly to dead center, securing the lead for the home team, 4-2. Mariners flame
thrower Andres Muñoz came in to close out the game and he did just that. After walking the Athletics’ right fielder Lawrence Butler,
Muñoz punched out left fielder Brent Rooker. With one out and a runner on first, Athletics centerfielder JJ Bleday hit a ground ball
to Crawford at SS, with Crawford proceeding to turn a double play, ending the game and securing the first win of the season for the
Diego Dumlao
Mariners Vision, the screen at the Seattle Mariners’ T-Mobile
Park, shows an Opening Day graphic as things fall into place for
the team’s first game of the season.
Mariners with a score of 4-2.   
It has officially been three weeks since the Major League Baseball season began, and the Mariners are off to a mid-tier start. After
defeating the Athletics on Opening Day, the Mariners have been hovering just under or at .500. At the time of writing, the team’s
record sits at 9-9. Despite not having the hottest start of the season, the M’s have shown glimpses of how strong of a ball club they
can be. The team pulled off their first series sweep of the year after taking down a strong Texas Rangers ball club in a three-game
series with scores of 5-3, 9-2 and 3-1, respectively.  
Although it is early in the season, Mariners fans seem to have one goal in mind:  the playoffs. Jackson Chilcott and Ryan Petitt are
lifelong Mariners fans.  
“I’m thinking about playoffs, we have to get there,” Chilcott said, with Petitt commenting, “Yeah a league average offense, which
should lead to a playoff run.” 
The Mariners are currently on the road, but the team makes their way back home April 25 to take on the Miami Marlins for a three-
game series. 


2025-04-16 Mariners Baseball is Back!

Leyden, Henry

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
5-21-2025 
2025-05-21 A Case For Pickleball [OPINION] 
Henry Leyden 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • May 14, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/05/14/a-case-for-pickleball-opinion/
A Case For Pickleball [OPINION]
Henry Leyden, Volunteer Reporter
Like a lot of upper-middle-class families where I grew up,
my parents had enough money and flexibility in their work
schedules to make my extracurricular activities explorative
and numerous. I did karate, soccer, baseball, Shakespeare
club, even one archery lesson and much more. My parents
held the “educating the whole person” philosophy long
before my time at Seattle U. But as I grew older, and the
social pressure to “specialize” in something grew, the sport
that stuck with me was tennis.
Solving problems is a part of how we make sense of the
world, how the brain feeds the soul, and a process needed
for growth. This problem-solving ethic is easily applied to
sports—refining a technique, countering an opponent’s
strategy. For me, one of those formative moments came
during my first lesson at the South Austin Tennis Center. Having limited success keeping the ball in, my coach told me to try brushing
up on the ball using a grip that was rotated further western than my previous continental, “to get topspin, and hit the ball harder
without it going out.” 
By the end of the lesson, I could noticeably see the ball spinning head-over-heels as it left my racquet. I had felt myself improve, and
it was addictive. That feeling lasted me the rest of my childhood as I continued to play high school tennis for four years. But I was no
D-I (or probably even D-III) athlete, and after losing the structure and opportunity provided to me by public-school tennis, I stopped
playing.
Three years later, I encountered pickleball on the tail-end of the “COVID niche sports boom.”
I thought the game was a joke. It was clearly tennis for an inferior athlete. Everything looked the same, except in this “sport,” the
athletic ability needed to produce mutually rewarding gameplay was lower. My tennis elitism worked, successfully at first, to blind
me from seeing pickleball’s athletic legitimacy. 
For a sport to be successful, its athletic essence must be easily understandable, emotionally resonant and easily transferable among
and between players and spectators. This essence, often encapsulated by the phrase ‘the beauty of the game,’ is the quality that gets
players hooked. A sport’s ability to spread like a disease to those who come into contact with it is the start of its ascension towards a
community’s common cultural curriculum (think UCOR!), integrated at every level of society. 
Immediately, I could see how pickleball possessed some of these viral characteristics that were allowing it to grow at such a rapid
rate. You could play with anyone and have a good time (try saying that about tennis), and more importantly, I realized games were
happening everywhere. Every public outdoor court I looked into—Miller, Greenlake, Rainier Beach, Mount Baker, Beacon Hill— are
now dominated by a vibrant, and almost omnipresent, pickleball community. Go to Greenlake on any sunny day and you’ll find
50-100 pickleball players participating in open play. The same courts, if occupied by tennis players, would typically provide eight
Zam Ortega
players with athletic enrichment. 
But plenty has been written about the democratic egalitarianism of pickleball. It’s how most laymen know it, that game that’s easy
to play and super casual! Part of me is grateful that pickleball can draw such a wide range of engagement, keeping the sport growing
while creating amazingly diverse outdoor communities. Another part feels resentful. Resent because pickleball’s accessibility
means it draws a lot of hate when it tries to assert itself as a paddle sport with an identity and athletic legitimacy that exists
separately from tennis. Pickleball media is plagued with comments that contain these general sentiments: “go play a real sport,” “just
play tennis,” “nobody cares you fucking losers.” And while people in the real world aren’t unnecessarily hateful, their attitudes
towards pickleball are similar—that it’s a dulled-down version of tennis made to accommodate old people and the unathletic. I
resent and pity this attitude—it was once mine. 
When I first started playing, I thought I was better than everyone else just by virtue of a tennis background. I quickly found out I was
horrible, and that if I wanted to get better against high-level players, I needed to learn this game, not just play tennis. The longer I
watched, played and competed in this sport, the stronger my convictions grew that there is art in this game, there is a soul with
beauty and potential equal to any other competitive athletic endeavor humans have created. 
In these next paragraphs, I will attempt to explain why. Why pickleball should be a premier global paddle sport, and why it deserves
its own source of athletic legitimacy derived independently from the giant that is tennis (all discussion of gameplay is doubles).
Game Analysis: It’s Not Tennis (Disclaimer* technical pickletalk ahead!)
The “no volley zone” in pickleball, known as the kitchen, is the foundation on which the sport’s independence from others in the
racquet family rests. Pickleball’s small court size and slower-moving ball mean that being closer to the net is advantageous for both
players. There is little court space for passing shots, and if you try to continually drive from the baseline, villains will easily counter
your drives—it is very difficult to drive balls that are low with topspin and keep them in-play. To get around the limitations of driving,
you’ll often see players “dropping” the ball into the kitchen, where villains have no choice but to wait for the ball to bounce as the
primary way to get themselves up to the net. 
Thus, the game design eliminates the classic tennis doubles format of one up-one back; getting to the kitchen line at every
opportunity is crucial. When both teams are at the kitchen line, “dinking” often ensues. This is an element of the game that
commonly gets criticized; people see it as boring and unathletic. I think dinking is as suspenseful as a tie game in the fourth quarter.
The kitchen only extends seven feet from the net, meaning any ball even slightly popped up can be aggressively taken out of the air.
Being able to hit high-pace dinks that get your opponents out of position while simultaneously leaning in on the kitchen line to
speed up balls out of the air, or off the bounce, requires high-level shot recognition, deception, consistency and movement. Any
moment can be the one for attack—high-speed “firefights” or “hands battles” that require quick “counter shot” volleys don’t exist in
sports elsewhere, and produce some of the best athletic content in the paddle sport world.
From dinking we also get my three favorite shots in pickleball, the shots I believe truly separate the sport and give both players and
spectators a reason to uniquely engage with pickleball instead of other paddle sports. The first is the one-handed backhand flick or
roll. The roll and flick differ slightly in their respective techniques, but both are attacking volley shots that involve a unique wrist
pronation similar to a golf swing or frisbee throw. This is the difference maker in high-level pickleball. Assuming the player is right-
handed (most are), the “left side” of the court tends to be the dominant one as the left side player can cover the middle with their
forehand. This results in the majority of dink patterns being cross-court between the two left-side players (there is more space
between you and the player diagonal to you than the player directly across the net). Thus, when balls are popped up enough to be
taken out of the air, they usually come to the left side of players’ backhand—initiating the opportunity for the roll/flick speed up (you
use these shots respectively depending on the height of the ball and how aggressive you want to be). Being able to roll the ball out of
the air catches opponents by surprise, setting you up to put the next shot away and allowing you to dictate the point. This shot is
highly technical, and one that I had no prior skill development for from tennis—over a year into playing and I am just now starting to
figure it out. 
The next two are the “around the post” shot (the ATP) and the ernie. During cross-court dinking, the ball can be pushed far enough
out-wide to be outside the confines of the court—allowing a player to circumvent the net completely and hit ‘around the post.’ This
shot has been done before in tennis, but in pickleball, it happens almost every game. The shot requires putting a sort of bending-spin
on the ball reminiscent of a table tennis shot, and it’s exhilarating to hit and watch. The ernie is even more unique. Because the
pickleball court is much smaller, and dinking is played at a slower pace up-close, on certain shots traveling near the edge of the
court, the kitchen can be circumvented by jumping diagonally over to the far side of the net. Here, while you’re mid-jump, you can
extend your reach a few feet into the court, beyond what you would otherwise be able to from the kitchen line. This shot is
extremely dangerous as it cuts the distance between you and the villains in half, making it a very hard shot to counter, and a very fun
shot to watch as it is often unexpected (you have to wait to make the kitchen jump until the last second so the villain can’t recognize
it and change directions.) These shots—the flick/roll, the ATP and the ernie—are just some of the evidence as to why pickleball
deserves its own athletic identity and prestige, because while it’s a game that anyone can play, it’s not a game that anyone can play
well.
My analysis of the game could go on eternally—and there are certainly countless shots, point dynamics, strategies and techniques
that I haven’t touched on at all. This game is truly a puzzle; there are countless pieces.
The final point I’ll make is this: Even though I think pickleball is an incredibly amazing game, it isn’t “better” than tennis. More
importantly, pro pickleball players are not better athletes—it’s the opposite. Athletes at the top of global sports like table tennis or
tennis are undoubtedly more elite because they have a larger social network to pull from. But as pickleball continues to grow and
develop its institutions, this might shift. The pool will grow larger, and the future Carlos Alcaraz of pickleball might decide at the age
of seven, on an almost unconscious level, to play pickleball instead of tennis—it’s what all the cool kids are doing (is what I hope the
sentiment will be in fifteen years). 
If you’ve made it here, go play some serious pickleball! It’s a real sport, and it’s here to stay. 


2025-05-21 A Case For Pickleball [OPINION]

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
5-14-2025 
2025-05-14 Week in Review: May 5-12 
Daniel Truog 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • May 14, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/05/14/week-in-review-may-5-12/
Week in Review: May 5-12
Daniel Truog, Sports & Opinion Editor
This Week in Review marks the last week for some Seattle
University sports in the Western Athletic Conference
(WAC). As the July 1 date for the big conference change
bears down on our Division I athletics, let’s take a look at
how Redhawks across the school’s athletic offerings fared.
Softball
Softball said goodbye to the WAC with a hard-fought
tournament appearance. While we’re hoping to check in with them in a more detailed article next week, the team’s final chance at a
WAC title before the start of the West Coast Conference era deserves a mention.
On the first day, the Redhawks took on Utah Valley. A resounding 10-3 win pushed the Redhawks into a tough game against
conference leaders Grand Canyon University. The Lopes, who entered the tournament on a 23-game win streak, defeated the
Redhawks, sending them to the elimination bracket. 
A narrow 5-4 victory over three-seed Southern Utah kept the team in contention, but their May 9 rematch against Utah Valley did
not go the same way. The Redhawks built up eight runs over the first six innings, only to see the Wolverines score seven runs in the
penultimate sixth inning. This brought the score to its final 9-8, knocking the Redhawks out in the semifinals. This was the last time
the team will face WAC opponents in a conference tournament.
Baseball
Baseball had a busy week at home, with a May 6 home game against Washington State and a three-game series against California
Baptist over the weekend. Senior catcher Jackson Lind belted a grand slam over the heads of Cougars to give the Redhawks a win
over their adversaries from Pullman. Hopes of a win streak were dashed with losses in the first two games of the Cal Baptist series,
however. An 11-4 loss to the Lancers in the first game was followed by a 4-2 loss in the second. This second game was played in
Everett, Wash., at the curiously named Funko Field. The Redhawks pulled out a win in the third game back at Bannerwood, insulated
by a solid six innings of pitching from Sophomore Kenny Ishikawa. Along with a solid offensive effort, Ishikawa and the team
ensured Cal Baptist never took the lead in the team’s senior celebration game and finale of this series.
Women’s Golf (and a little check-in on men’s golf)
This week, the women’s golf team was down in Arizona, competing in the National Golf Invitational. The Redhawk star performer
this week was Rivekka Jumagulova, a senior from Kazakhstan who finished third individually. Seattle U finished eighth as a team in
the 10-team tournament. The women’s golf season may be officially over with the conclusion of this May 11 postseason
tournament, but fans of men’s golf will have to wait for the results of the NCAA Regionals, which conclude May 14. This is the first
time men’s golf has played in NCAA Regionals since 2017, after strong performances from Kevin Li and Walker Lamb at the WAC
Championship.
Andrew Mori
Track
Track season is not quite over, with the WAC Outdoor Championships on the horizon. Before this, the team focused on the May 3
Oregon Twilight Meet. Senior Lili Hargreaves set a personal and school record in the 1500 meters, finishing just about one second
after Junior Azalea Groleau. Full meet times can be seen online on athletictiming.net.
Intramurals
Past Spectator coverage has given intramural sports the spotlight, if only for a brief moment, and this will be no different. Week 2 of
Spring Quarter play concluded May 12, with UREC publishing power rankings of the various teams. In Open 7v7 Flag Football, the
top spot was taken by team “No Game This Week,” tied with “RedhawkTuah.” Co-Rec 8v8 flag football also saw a new leader in “My
Little Sunshines,” who took a slight lead over a team whose name cannot be published.
Soccer ratings stayed largely the same from Week 1. In Co-Rec 7v7 Outdoor Soccer, the only two teams in the league are tied after
“Unathletico Madrid” took down “ecart” in a twisted variant of El Clasico one could only find in Seattle.
Full, uncensored power rankings can be found on the UREC Instagram page @su_rec.


2025-05-14 Week in Review: May 5-12

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
4-23-2025 
2025-04-23 Handbook “Does Not Apply” To Academic Program 
Cuts, Provost’s Office Says 
Daniel Truog 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Truog, Daniel, "2025-04-23 Handbook “Does Not Apply” To Academic Program Cuts, Provost’s Office Says" 
(2025). The Spectator Online. 1609. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1609 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It has been 
accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
The Spectator • April 23, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/04/23/handbook-does-not-apply-
to-academic-program-cuts-provosts-office-says/
Handbook “Does Not Apply” To
Academic Program Cuts,
Provost’s Office Says
Daniel Truog, Sports & Opinion Editor
Earth Month 2025 began, as it often does, with an email
from Academic Affairs to all students reminding them of
the late Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’. This
letter implores humanity to, “care for our common home,” in
a nuanced document almost one hundred pages long.
Among other things, it calls for sustainable development,
dialogue between religion and science and confronting the
educational challenge of rethinking humanity’s relationship
to the environment.
But another message went out in Earth Month 2025, this
one to recently admitted students. It informed them that,
come fall, the university would no longer be offering the
environmental science major they had applied for. As
Laudato Si’ celebrates its 10th anniversary, Seattle
University marks the last year that students can enroll in
environmental science, a major whose website states
students will, “make an immediate impact on one of the most important—and complex—problems of our time.”
At a board meeting and retreat from March 13-14, the Seattle U Board of Trustees voted to terminate the BS in Environmental
Science degree and six other academic programs. The other programs being terminated are BA Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, MS
Structural Engineering, MS Mechanical Engineering, MA/MEd Educational Administration, Principal PM Certificate, and Program
Administration PM Certificate.
Four other programs are also being restructured. These programs are BA Public Affairs, MA Public Administration, MA Nonprofit
Leadership and Certificate in Fundraising Leadership. No full-time faculty will be fired as a result of the changes to these programs
and all enrolled students will be able to finish their majors.
These programs were selected for termination by the provost’s office and Chief Financial Officer’s office, which faculty were
informed about at a March 10 meeting of Academic Assembly (AcA). This assembly is the main mechanism for shared governance at
Seattle U, allowing faculty to work directly with the provost on major decisions. Shared governance is outlined in the Seattle U
Faculty Handbook, and Section XII of the handbook explains the process by which academic programs are cut.
Section XII is titled “Termination of Appointment for Institutional Reasons.” The section also outlines the procedure for program
elimination, a process that does not start at the provost level. Program termination is not discussed in any other section of the
Annabelle DeGuzman-Carino
handbook.
“Program, degree program or department reduction or elimination may occur only after review by the Dean and the appropriate
faculty governance body at the school or college level, which will make its recommendation to the Academic Assembly,” Section XII
reads.
After this section, the handbook characterizes any reduction or elimination of faculty as a consequence of educational program
reduction or elimination. Similarly to program elimination, faculty elimination is a decision that starts with the Dean and an
appropriate faculty governance body.
“In the event of financial exigency or a decision to reduce or eliminate an educational program, the Dean and appropriate faculty
governance bodies at the school or college level will make a recommendation for reduction(s) or elimination(s) of any faculty
appointments to the Academic Assembly,” the handbook states.
This part of the handbook was not followed when the seven programs were selected for termination. A representative from the
provost’s office shared their interpretation of this section, guided by the Office of University Counsel, in an email to The Spectator.
“The University did not follow Section XII of the Faculty Handbook, ‘Termination of Appointment for Institutional Reasons,’ because
it does not apply to the Academic Program Analysis initiative. Section XII applies only to academic program closures that involve the
termination of faculty appointments, and the Academic Program Analysis did not result in the termination of faculty appointments,”
they wrote.
It’s easy to get lost in the complex language of our university’s handbook. Most students have never encountered the Faculty
Handbook, and past spats over intricacies of the handbook, like its guidance on Jesuit identity in teaching, have receded into the
collective rearview mirror of the university. So, why should this be any different?
For one, it has the potential to set a precedent for future cuts without consulting faculty. Seattle U is projecting a financial deficit of
over $7.5 million for the current year and Chris Malins, the university’s CFO, previously told The Spectator that changes to faculty
and programs were one avenue the university was looking at to reduce the deficit. These cuts, under the Academic Program
Analysis initiative, are a sign that the university is willing to slash programs without consulting faculty to get the deficit under
control.
This method of terminating programs may soon be cemented in the Faculty Handbook. The Provost’s Office shared with The
Spectator that they are working on amending the handbook with AcA, to “clarify the framework for faculty participation in Seattle
University’s system of shared governance for situations like this one,” the provost’s office wrote. 
Future amendments could create a direct path for cuts called for by the university’s president and the Board of Trustees. This has
already happened; the provost’s office shared that Seattle U President Eduardo Peñalver requested the cuts.
“As directed by Goals one and five of Strategic Directions, which was approved by the Board of Trustees, President Peñalver asked
the provost’s office and CFO’s Office to jointly engage in the Academic Program Analysis initiative,” the provost’s office said.
This initiative used a number of factors to flag programs as underperforming. These factors, shared with The Spectator by the
Provost’s Office, were credit hours, student to faculty full-time equivalent ratio, graduation rates, enrollment, average course size,
admissions, financials and academic factors.
This numbers-based approach led to the elimination of these seven underperforming programs by the Provost’s Office. Faculty and
students felt that the human side of the equation was not fully factored in.
Faculty feel strongly about the unique contributions of their programs. Wes Lauer, the chair of the civil and environmental
engineering department and former director of the environmental science program, shared that the program changes have been
challenging for him, his colleagues and their students.
“The Environmental Science program has served some of the strongest, most motivated, most collaborative students I’ve worked
with at SU. It’s truly been a privilege to guide them as they learn to apply science to help us understand our place in the natural
world,” Lauer said.
In the Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies (IDLS) major, students had unique opportunities to work across disciplines. The Elementary
Education specialization was the only education program where students graduate with a Bachelor’s degree and their teaching
certificate at the same time, allowing them to immediately start teaching after graduation.
IDLS majors like Caitlin Tips, a fourth-year student, found out April 1 that their program was being terminated.
“I genuinely was convinced it was an April Fool’s joke for a moment,” Tips said. “[They] said you will be graduating with this degree,
but we are terminating it, or technically merging it into the Matteo Ricci Institute because of low enrollment,” Tips said.
Student Government of Seattle U (SGSU) President Sophia Cofinas, a fourth-year public affairs and international studies major,
shared that students were not involved in this decision at any stage, through the student government or other means.
“My perspective from SGSU’s involvement is that we were not involved, we were not aware of the program cuts until the decision
had already been made, and we have, via my voice in the Board of Trustees meeting and other spaces, suggested and advised that
the student voice be more present in these decisions and look forward to the administration hopefully taking that into account,”
Cofinas said.
Beyond the lack of student or faculty voices in decision making, faculty like Phillip Thompson, a professor in the civil and
environmental engineering department, are concerned about a perceived lack of transparency around the data used to terminate
programs.
“No one in my department has seen any metrics that justify the closure of the Environmental Science program. Our [CSE AcA] reps
have also confirmed that they have not received any data either,” Thompson said.
These cuts are reminiscent of an effort that emerged in 2020. Amid the pandemic, a new committee was introduced to AcA, called
the Academic Portfolio Program Review (APPR). APPR brought together representatives from each college, the budget office and
the provost’s office, who worked to “recommend programs to the BOT for potential sunsetting.” The program hoped to reduce
university expenditures by 10% to deal with a financial deficit under previous University President Fr. Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J.
The committee provided a number of updates at AcA meetings, reflected through meeting minutes from the 2020 academic year.
Discussion at a July 20, 2020 meeting indicated how faculty at the time felt about paring down academic offerings through a
process rooted in robust faculty engagement.
“Some faculty are uncomfortable with the structure of the APPR. The APPR has been created purely for financial reasons and
remains a little unclear about its goals and guiding principles.”
APPR was postponed in early 2021, due to a lack of transparency and outcry from multiple faculty groups.
Some elements of APPR returned in Reigniting Our Strategic Directions, Seattle U’s strategic plan put forth by President Peñalver
in 2022. Goal 5, which the provost’s office cited earlier along with Goal 1, describes exactly what the administration has done with
their Academic Program Analysis: making a difficult decision to change and sunset programs to cut the school’s budget deficit. The
Strategic Directions plan also states, “We will do so in a transparent and equitable way using clear criteria for decision making.”
This spring, environmental science seniors will present their year-long capstone project, a hallmark of the program that
distinguishes it from programs like environmental studies and civil and environmental engineering. The six students in this year’s
graduating class, the same number of seniors as last year, have spent the year working on research with professional sponsors.
One of the capstone groups is working with computer science students on an interdisciplinary project supporting a forest
management consulting firm to collect forest data using drones. It calls to mind Goal 1 of Reigniting Our Strategic Directions, the
same one used to direct the program’s termination, which puts an emphasis on “encouraging interdisciplinary approaches and
employing Ignatian pedagogy.”
Goal 1 also sets curricular priorities for the university. At the top of the list: sustainability and climate change.


2025-04-23 Handbook “Does Not Apply” To Academic Program Cuts, Provost’s Office Says

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Brooks-Torres, Keagen

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
5-14-2025 
2025-05-14 May I Interest You in Some Tunes? 
Keagen Brooks-Torres 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Brooks-Torres, Keagen, "2025-05-14 May I Interest You in Some Tunes?" (2025). The Spectator Online. 
1510. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1510 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
The Spectator • May 14, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/05/14/may-i-interest-you-in-some-
tunes/
May I Interest You in Some
Tunes?
Keagen Brooks-Torres, Arts & Entertainment
Editor
Even the robins and wrens were singing along upon hearing
the crisp harmonies, groovy guitar riffs and rich basslines
drifting across the library plaza Wednesday, May 7.
“Melodies of May,” KXSU’s spring in-studio concert,
brought some life into a cool spring evening with live music
from local artists, tabling from student organizations and a
Thing Festival ticket giveaway. 
KXSU holds in-studio concerts quarterly, with winter
quarters being a “Music and Market” collaboration with
Fashion Club featuring local artists selling their work.
“Melodies of May” had a further focus on student
organizations, with Fashion Club selling zines and posters
alongside Re-Mixed, the multi-racial student association.
KXSU also had their usual booth selling CDs, vinyls and
KXSU merch such as t-shirts, key chains and mini totes. 
Third-year Communication and Media Major and Program Director at KXSU Mars Nelson was excited about on-campus
organizations’ involvement in KXSU events and encouraged interested parties to reach out. 
“We’re trying to be more of a resource for the orgs on campus. Like if you have an event and you want music, we’ll DJ. If you want to
table at our event, we’re always willing,” Nelson said.
Nelson credited Jenia Viles, a second-year business management major and music and promotions director of KXSU, with much of
the event’s planning. Viles also tabled for GrammyU, a program that provides opportunities for emerging creatives and music
professionals. 
Kicking off the night was Meldrop, a funk R&B group with a smooth indie sound. Since the group met as bussers in Tacoma’s Lobster
Shop and discovered their shared passion for music in 2023, Meldrop has been bringing a unique surf-rock groove to Seattle’s
scene. Meldrop also played Fall Fling at the University of Washington last September with The Dare and Laundry Day.
Their upcoming EP “Melodaze” will be unveiled at a release show at Madam Lou’s on May 24.
“It’s always fun to be on my campus because people are always chilling out there, and you get to play music for them. People are just
walking by which is really nice. We got to roll down the hill too!” River Esqueda, lead guitarist and singer for Meldrop, said.
Noelle Lee
The Meldrop band performing a song at the live in-studio
performance.
Keeping the show’s energy up was King Youngblood, a heavy soul band featuring a cellist and distinctly punk sensibilities. The band
had been involved with KXSU since its beginning, with KXSU having hosted King Youngblood for their first on-air interview, as well
as having been the first college radio station to play their music. King Youngblood also played at two previous KXSU in-studios. 
Founding member, leader, vocalist and guitarist of King Youngblood
Cameron Lavi Jones is also the creator of the “Black and Loud
Music Festival,” an annual event celebrating and centering Black-
fronted bands. The festival is coming up on its fourth year in
Seattle, playing at the Crocodile this Sept. 13th. There was an
additional festival this past April for the debut of  “Black and Loud
New Orleans,” bringing the event outside Seattle for the first time. 
King Youngblood continues to have an illustrious and focused
career, with their first new single since their debut album “Big
Thank,” being unveiled at a release/tour kickoff party May 23 at
Baba Yaga. Their next full-length album, “Outrun Your Shadow,” is
set to be released later this year. Additionally, the band has a comic
book titled “AFROTHUNDA,” with an EP soundtrack and audiobook
that goes along with it. They will be releasing the comic’s sequel
along with another EP soundtrack this year. 
“Our whole ethos with King Youngblood is reclaiming rock music
for Black and Brown people.
I feel like in the world of comics, there’s a very similar thing of always trying to have a little bit more representation that is just
allowing people to just have fun with it too,” Jones said.  “Especially considering that with the EP, there is a lot of really serious music
on it, songs that are very vulnerable and very personal. But it’s also really exciting to be able to have a vehicle for just being a little
bit more human about things too.” 
Closing out the night was Isaiah Banks and Friends, an R&B neo-soul artist with a guest group made up of guitar, drums, bass, keys
and backup vocals. With strong roots in the Seattle scene, Banks enjoys jamming across the city at local spots like the Rabbit Box.
Banks will be singing with the Joint Souls May 15 at Sunset Tavern. Banks will also be starring as Bobby in The Village Theatre’s
production of the Color Purple, opening May 27. 
“Not only do I want music to be my job, you know, because I gotta eat somehow, you know, but I want to just continue to get better. I
want to be able to use music to my fullest potential,” Banks said. “I want to be able to play any instruments I need. I want to be able
to sing any song that I want to. I want music to be so easy for me, like, I want to breathe it, honestly.”
Music enthusiasts and local songbirds alike found something to enjoy at last week’s KXSU in-studio. As the sun set over the dancing
attendees and mesmerizing musicians, springtime was off to a strong and lively start. 
King Youngblood turns to a bandmate mid-song during
their in-studio session.


2025-05-14 May I Interest You in Some Tunes?

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Damjanac, Milan

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
4-16-2025 
2025-04-16 Streets of Rage Brings Pro Wrestling Frenzy to Capitol 
Hill 
Milan Damjanac 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Damjanac, Milan, "2025-04-16 Streets of Rage Brings Pro Wrestling Frenzy to Capitol Hill" (2025). The 
Spectator Online. 1520. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1520 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
The Spectator • April 16, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/04/16/streets-of-rage-brings-pro-
wrestling-frenzy-to-capitol-hill/
Streets of Rage Brings Pro
Wrestling Frenzy to Capitol Hill
Milan Damjanac, Staff Reporter
Grown men and women have been beating each other to a
pulp for the sake of entertainment for centuries, and
Capitol Hill residents have a prime opportunity to
participate in this age-old tradition. Defy Wrestling holds
monthly professional wrestling bouts only a few blocks
from Seattle University that are every bit (and maybe a
little more) as awesome, passionate and exciting as you
would hope them to be.
On April 13, Defy hosted Streets of Rage, an event that
involved a host of American and international wrestlers
throwing down to win it all. The event was dramatic and
chaotic, with wrestlers getting hit by and thrown into doors
and chairs, attacked with screwdrivers, forced into fan
blades, punched, slapped, bitten, thrown, slammed and
more—all to the delight of a large crowd.
One of the most memorable parts of Streets of Rage, and of
professional wrestling in general, is the crowd presence and
community. The second story of Washington Hall was absolutely
packed with spectators, many wearing merchandise to support their
favorite wrestlers. The atmosphere was loud and passionate, with
crowd favorites being met with cheers of encouragement and
fandom, and villains trading obscenities and insults with the crowd.
Travis Williams, winner of the tag-team title fight as part of the duo
Sinner & Saint, emphasized how Defy, a local Seattle organization,
cultivates a unique experience for both wrestler and viewer.
“Defy is known to have an insane audience and insane community, it’s
one of a kind, so to be out here is special,” Williams said.
Crowd interactions went further than just the verbal—multiple
wrestlers got into heated encounters with fans, especially during
their walkups. Additionally, the match often escaped the confines of the ring, and the line between spectator and participant was
heavily blurred. 
Eve Labriola
ELP flies from the top ropes.
Miles DeVille smashes Randy Myers into the mat. (Eve
Labriola)
First-year Psychology Major Ben Ravenscroft praised the immersive nature of wrestling.
“It was cool when they would, like hop into the crowd and then we’d have to all move and everybody that was sitting down would
have to pull the chairs away and then they would be fighting right in front of us. That was 100% my favorite part,” Ravenscroft said.
The night was littered with good matches, starting with a three-way tag team match between DG Japan, C4 and Midnight Heat,
with Lun of DG Japan pinning Eddie Pearl of Midnight Heat for the win.
Next was a match between El Phantasmo and Mance Warner, with ELP executing a particularly memorable Burning Hammer
through a door. Ultimately, both men were disqualified, and they vowed a rematch.
Next, crowd favorite Randy Myers narrowly lost to Miles Deville, who found an opening for a pin while Myers was speaking with the
ref, prompting a huge wave of backlash from the audience.
Zach Sabre Jr. and Timothy Thatcher faced off in a technical, grapple-y bout that still found the space for some huge slams, with
Zach Sabre Jr. coming out on top with a surprise armbar to win the match.
This was followed by a three-way women’s bout, with Amira, Vert Vixen and Nicole Matthews trading blows and teaming up with
each other for some serious hits, including Amira’s top rope somersault onto both opponents outside of the ring. She clinched the
round with a pin on Matthews.
Calvin Tankman vs. Gabe Kidd was possibly the most memorable
matchup of the night, with some insanely big hits, accompanied by
very intense, profane taunting from both sides. Tankman, a
behemoth of a man, seemed the favorite for much of the match,
even putting Kidd into the lap of a woman in the audience and
striking him, but the match ultimately ended through Kidd pinning
Tankman with an impressive piledriver.
Tankman was in good spirits after the match, and excited about the
ability to compete with established wrestlers like Kidd. He is
hopeful for their planned rematch in Japan.
“I feel as good as you can coming off of a loss. That’s one of the top
competitors in the world, and considering it took everything he had
to put me away, and I slipped up a little bit, I think it’s a good show
and then helps further cement myself in trying to be put on that
same list,” Tankman said.
Finally, the night concluded with a tag team match between DG Japan’s Kzy & Susumu Yokosuka and defending champions Judas
Icarus & Travis Williams of the duo Sinner & Saint. This match was shaping up to be a good one, but a missed pin from the referee
and interference from Sinner & Saint’s manager left the crowd dissatisfied with their ultimate victory and defense of the title.
The event was an incredible showing of skilled and engaging entertainers, along with an awesome home-grown crowd that
espoused an infectious dedication to the sport. Ian Chant, a longtime Defy and pro wrestling fan, encouraged more people to come
participate in what is, at its core, a damn good time.
“Give it a shot. If you like musical theater, if you like drag, if you like any number of weird, silly goofy things, you already like pro
wrestling, you just don’t know it yet,” Chant said, adding, “These guys and gals work their asses off, and it’s never failed to impress,
never failed to make a good night out.”
Chant is part of a group of dedicated Defy fans who have been attending their events since its inception in 2017. Despite the
number of veteran viewers, the community is incredibly receptive to new fans, and it’s never too late to start getting in on the fun.
Events are held in Capitol Hill around once a month, so Seattle U students are only ever a few short weeks and a 15 minute walk
from one of the most intense, fun, and memorable nights of their lives.
Miles DeVille does a flip off of the ring corner. (Eve
Labriola)


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