ScholarWorks @ SeattleU (Seattle University)

Armstrong, Madden

Fragments 
Volume 66 Parallel Article 25 
2024 
A Letter to a Greenland Shark 
Madden Armstrong 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments 
Recommended Citation 
Armstrong, Madden (2024) "A Letter to a Greenland Shark," Fragments: Vol. 66, Article 25. 
Available at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments/vol66/iss1/25 
This Prose is brought to you for free and open access by the Seattle University Journals at ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fragments by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
The Newest Normal by Hope Onstad 
Tonight, the sky is full of stars. I haven't seen them since I was a little girl. Back when I 
was still home. Little beams of light clustered together, freckling the sky with their beauty. I 
haven't seen the stars since we came to Alteria. Apparently, they come out every 30 years for 
one night. 
I am 29 years old. 
I turn on the TV in our shuttle and the weatherman speaks about the stars. Through 
static, I hear his words "if... y-*fshhh* planning on seeing the stars to-*shhhhch* please 
remember to wear your masks as *chshhs* precaution." A smile spreads across my face and I 
excitedly run across carpeted floor to our bedroom. The lights are off because I put Celine to 
sleep about two hours ago. But the stars are out, and she is already stirring, so I want her to 
come out on the patio with me. I curl my hands around the soft wood of her crib and peer in. 
Her violet eyes stare up at me, lit by the moonlight cascading through the curtains. I carefully 
pick her up by her armpits and lay her against my chest. She coos at me. 
"Hello my sweet angel. Did you sleep well? Mommy wants you to see something. We're 
going to go to the patio together. Does that sound good?" I whisper to her in the floating 
atmosphere of our room, and she sucks her thumb, and she doesn't say anything back to me. She 
is only a baby after all. I guess I'm just excited for the day she will be able to respond to me. I 
can't wait to hear her little voice. Sometimes the shuttle gets lonely. Especially since my mom 
moved cross planet, but I will always have Celine and she will always have me. 
I set Celine down on the changing table as I prepare the oxygen mask. Three drops of 
the pink solution, five of the blue, into the yellow bag. Attach the tube to the mask and turn it 
until it locks in place. Adjust the strap of the mask so it doesn't hug her head too tightly. I 
remove my own mask from my bedside table drawer and repeat the same process. Drip. Drop. 
Screw. Lock. Adjust. I lift Celine and carry her to the patio door. This will be the fourth time 
she has gone outside. She is 6 months old. 
When I arrived on Alteria, I was 11. The people on TV, everyone around me, even my 
own mother, told me I would adjust. That this was my new normal. My new home. 
I have never called Alteria home. But it is Celine's. And she deserves to see the planet's 
beauty, as scarce as that beauty is. 
I slide open the door and step out, barefoot on the concrete. I tiptoe to the blue, frayed 
deck chair and gingerly sit down. Celine begins to cry, soft and sniffly. 
"Hey sweetie shhhshhh, you're alright. Are you hungry baby girl?" I say as I shimmy her 
mask slighdy and touch her lips with my pointer finger. She latches on, eager. 
"Ok, ok that's what I thought." 
I tug on the strap of my camisole and lean her closer to my chest. 
She begins to eat, grasping the moon pendant dangling from my neck in her tiny, 
chubby hand. 
She eats and I sing to her. A song I grew up with my mom singing to me. A classic earth 
lullaby. More pure and beautiful than any Alterian lullaby. 
Read the rest online... 
A Letter to a Greenland Shark by Madden Armstrong 
As much as I'd like to, I don't think I will ever lay eyes on you. I know you from photos, 
your blubbery skin a composite of mottled grays. You are Somniosus microcephalus, a sleeper 
shark with a tiny head and an even smaller brain. And still, you die if you do not keep moving, 
so you do not truly sleep. You don't have eyelids to close, but you are no insomniac. You rest as 
you glide through the Arctic waters, your tail beating the water behind you no faster or slower 
than necessary. Everything about your kind is slow. Our scientists watch intendy, noting down 
your maximum speed of two miles per hour. Upon dissection, we know that your fluids mingle 
with natural antifreeze; your heart doesn't beat fast enough on its own to keep your blood from 
turning to ice. 
The oldest Greenland shark we have found is four hundred years old, the envy of all 
other vertebrates. The other sharks struggle and strive all their lives, frantically chasing down 
their prey, racing to their fertile years to create more of their kind. They are governed by fear: 
fear of starvation, of stillness, of mankind. 
Though I envy your immaculate design, I find myself more like your distant cousins. It 
is far easier to live in fear than it is to live in peace. When I was a child I loved sharks for their 
sleekness, their slim and muscular bodies. I love you, too, even though you are not slim or 
muscular, because you are special. Your body is extraordinary; I love you because you were here 
long before me, and you will be here long after I am dead. You will not carry my memory. 
If only I could learn from you, learn how to move slowly, unceasingly, forward. If only I 
could learn how to carry on unbothered by time. 
Time still works on the bodies of Greenland sharks as it does with any other creature. 
When I admire your thick hide, I see the scrapes against icebergs and the nips from other 
sharks. Though your bodies remain intact with minor nicks, your eyes will not. The Greenland 
shark eyeball is a rich bed of exposed nutrients compared to the thick, fatty hide draping the rest 
of their bodies. It is easy pickings for parasites (Ommatokoita elongata) that nibble at the 
precious eyeballs. They prey on the pulpy matter behind the cornea and on the electric fizz 
spouting from the optic nerve. The prevalence of these parasites means that, sooner or later, 
nearly every Greenland shark faces blindness in their four-hundred-year life spans. 
The cloudy surface of your eyes reminds me of my grammie, the woman that secretly 
taught me to fear the natural effects of time on the body. She passed more than ten years ago— 
that is nothing to you, but it makes me strain trying to remember her face. Grammie's one eye 
was a milky cataract for as long as I had been alive, and I started to notice that tiny white 
speckles were creeping into her other eye as I grew older. I thought it was mold. 
Her wooden cane boasted a handle carved into the head of a dragon. It clenched a pearly 
marble between its teeth, reminding me of the cataract. We would go on walks and I would 
coach myself into walking slowly so the two of us could have girl time. I feared girlhood if it 
were to turn into magenta lipstick that clings to my cheek and the cloying smell of rose 
perfume. Girlhood was something sleek and slippery in my hands, requiring the constant 
chasing of youth and busyness. 
Read the rest online.. 


A Letter to a Greenland Shark

Miya, Ashley

Fragments 
Volume 66 Parallel Article 7 
2024 
Timeless trails & Emerald River & Tears in the Soul 
Ashley Miya 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments 
Recommended Citation 
Miya, Ashley (2024) "Timeless trails & Emerald River & Tears in the Soul," Fragments: Vol. 66, Article 7. 
Available at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fragments/vol66/iss1/7 
This Visual Art is brought to you for free and open access by the Seattle University Journals at ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Fragments by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. 
Timeless Trails by Ashley Miya 


Timeless trails & Emerald River & Tears in the Soul

Bunker, Leila

Platt, Chloe

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
6-4-2025 
2025-06-04 Context and Responses to “Secret Life of Your RA” 
Leila Bunker 
Seattle University 
Chloe Platt 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Bunker, Leila and Platt, Chloe, "2025-06-04 Context and Responses to “Secret Life of Your RA”" (2025). The 
Spectator Online. 1542. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1542 
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 • June 4, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/06/04/context-and-responses-to-
secret-life-of-your-ra/
Context and Responses to
“Secret Life of Your RA”
Leila Bunker and Chloe Platt
Due to the author’s request to be granted anonymity for their letter, “The Secret Life of Your RA,” and as part of ensuring that The
Spectator does its due diligence to ensure that the claims made can be grounded in commonality between different experiences
that both corroborate and add context to the issues that are raised in the letter, we took it upon ourselves to speak with two former
RAs who were able to provide support for different claims made in this letter. Housing and Residence Life (HRL) was also given the
opportunity to respond. 
“All levels of HRL leadership insist that we are people first, students second and RAs third. The work the position requires cannot be
fulfilled if this is adhered to, however. I always felt like I had to be an RA before I was anything else if I wanted to stay employed and
housed,” Rhy Mack, a fourth-year creative writing major, wrote to The Spectator. 
Mack served consecutively as an RA for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years. They left the position before the
2024-2025 academic year due to health concerns and the impact of the RA position on their health. They specified that their direct
supervisors always had their best interests in mind, noting that they were often encouraged to prioritize both their physical and
mental health. However, Mack found that the structure and workload of the position were incompatible with efforts of support. 
“I was diagnosed with patellofemoral syndrome in 2024, a diagnosis I did not share with my supervisors. I did, however, not keep it a
secret that I had bad knees and experienced a lot of knee pain. This pain began not long after I began the position in 2022, when I
was conducting outreach in eight buildings per shift,” Mack wrote. “Many shifts and thousands of stairs later, my knees began to
deteriorate. I kept the pain to myself for a while, as I did not want to have to shift more work to my coworkers after one team
member left the position and another was seriously injured. When I did become vocal about my pain, my coworkers stepped up to
help me during rounds and did the stairs I couldn’t, but not much could be done that wouldn’t overburden them by higher-ups.”
During their time as an RA, Mack did not feel supported by the executive staff, going on to say that those in higher positions are so
removed from RAs by both time and salary that they felt they did not understand the amount of work required for the role.
Although HRL functions as a team, RAs have more frequent interactions with the senior team, who are grouped together based on
the buildings they are assigned to and the area in which those buildings fall. 
Genny Sheara, a former RA and Seattle U alumna, echoed Mack’s sentiment regarding the difficulties surrounding security and a
sense of comfort in the role. According to Sheara, many RAs apply for the benefit of provided housing, including themselves.
However, the fear of losing that benefit conflicts with the ability to comfortably voice discomfort with certain responsibilities or
frustrations.
“You put RAs in a difficult situation where they’re deciding between their ability to represent themselves to HRL if there is any kind
of conflict, and they’re putting up the risk of losing their housing for a year. I think that in the contract, at least, I was made really
nervous because I was like, you know, at this snap of a finger, I could lose my job, and then I would be homeless? I think the
supervisors were very understanding of that, but I think maybe the people who are making decisions about how the system is and
how that hiring process is, they just need to be cognizant of the fact that you’re primarily drawing from students who need you for
housing and because of that, they’re going to have a more limited ability to give feedback,” Sheara said.
When asked for comment on claims that students’ feedback was not being properly heard or implemented, and that the creation of
the student leader advisory board never came to fruition, HRL responded:
“The HRL leadership and senior team share the desire to return to a student leader advisory board. The invitation to apply to serve
on the HRL Student Leader Community Council (SLCC) went live in September 2025 with full details about the purpose, outcomes
and roles for engagement with the council. In addition to a follow-up email, Senior Team supervisors were asked to actively promote
the SLCC and consider exploring ways to identify two community representatives. Ultimately, four applications out of 115 student
leaders were submitted. Based on informal feedback from student leaders and Senior Team members, the HRL leadership decided
to explore different opportunities to remain attentive to the ideas and needs of student leaders. These insights are shared weekly
and, in some instances, daily, with senior HRL leadership partners. The HRL leadership remains open to ideas and proposed
solutions to challenges and works to make changes when possible.” 
When asked for comment on RAs’ disability accommodations and struggles, HRL responded: 
“When HRL becomes aware of accommodation inquiries, we partner with the Office of Disability Services. The professional staff in
the Office of Disabilities engage with students directly and consult with HRL to confirm specific departmental procedures and
essential requirements of the specific position. Accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis through an interactive
process as required under federal disability laws. As an essential function of the RA role, RAs are required to complete duty rounds
in pairs for safety and for proper incident follow-up. This has always been an expectation of the position within the department and
is outlined in depth during formation and training sessions in September when student leaders go over duty and outreach response.
Given this essential function of the position and for the safety of all students, we are not able to alter this expectation as it
fundamentally changes the essential functions of the position and is not considered a reasonable accommodation.”


2025-06-04 Context and Responses to “Secret Life of Your RA”

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
6-4-2025 
2025-06-04 An Editor-in-Chief’s Perspective: Seattle U’s 
Administration Does Not Support Student Journalism 
Chloe Platt 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Platt, Chloe, "2025-06-04 An Editor-in-Chief’s Perspective: Seattle U’s Administration Does Not Support 
Student Journalism" (2025). The Spectator Online. 1541. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1541 
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 • June 4, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/06/04/an-editor-in-chiefs-
perspective-seattle-us-administration-does-not-support-student-journalism/
An Editor-in-Chief’s Perspective:
Seattle U’s Administration Does
Not Support Student Journalism
Chloe Platt, Editor-in-Chief
During my tenure as editor-in-chief of The Spectator for the 2024-2025 academic year, I was repeatedly disheartened and, at times,
deeply frustrated by what I believe to be a blatant lack of support and understanding that Seattle U’s administration affords to
student journalism. 
At the beginning of the school year, I scheduled a meeting with President Eduardo Peñalver to introduce myself and to set up lines
of communication between his office and The Spectator moving forward. My hope was to have a productive conversation regarding
the ways that the administration could support student journalism and how The Spectator could effectively communicate with
higher-ups. This was not, in my opinion, the outcome of our discussion.
While the specific contents of the meeting itself are to remain off-record, I left his office feeling deeply discouraged, emotionally
rattled and as though my own character—and, much more importantly, that of The Spectator’s—had been called into question. 
After this meeting, I did not feel much hope that The Spectator would be able to obtain a level of support from the administration
conducive to preparing student journalists for the professional world. Throughout the year, whenever Peñalver was reached out to
with a request for comment, we were denied the ability to meet with him in person.
I am acutely aware that the responsibilities of a university president are demanding and time-consuming and do not wish to ignore
or negate this fact. I do want to state, however, that it is my opinion that showing up is a key element to showing support for your
students.
When we requested Peñalver to be a guest on Cherry Street Chat, The Spectator’s podcast, his response was that he would only
continue to interact with The Spectator via email. 
This was especially disheartening given that this has not always been Peñalver’s position. In 2022, The Spectator filmed a “13
Questions with The President” segment, where students filmed in his office. It is apparent, then, that he has changed his mind over
time. 
I would like to make it explicitly clear that what I would deem as a lack of support for student journalism is not only behavioral and
situational—but structural.
In Seattle U’s student media policy, it is stated that while the university believes “in an atmosphere of freedom and responsibility for
all members of the university in the search for truth and in the expression of personal opinion,” the university ultimately “reserves
to itself final authority in matters of policy, practice, and content.”
I am a firm believer in responsible journalism, and that students should be held accountable in instances where such journalism is
not practiced. I, too, believe that students ought to have the right to contest instances in which the administration seeks to control,
remove or edit content. 
There is no such process available to student journalists in the student media policy, and this opportunity has not been afforded to
me. 
In a meeting with a member of upper administration this autumn in which I personally felt there was a precedent of administrative
overreach being discussed, I calmly and repeatedly asked that I be directed to the appropriate bodies to discuss my worries about
this. I was continually denied the ability to do so and even called “defiant” by the member of administration—something that felt
demeaning to both myself and the rights of student journalists on campus.
Student media is, and always has been, fundamental to advocating for younger generations’ right to develop into, understand, and
shape the world around them. Additionally, it is key to holding academic institutions accountable for the manner in which they
interact with their student body and the community at large. 
It would be both my presumption and hope, then, that any university which claims to be dedicated “to educating the whole person,
to professional formation, and to empowering leaders for a just and humane world” would in turn be dedicated to supporting
student journalism. 
I personally have not felt that Seattle U’s administration has supported student journalism during my tenure as editor-in-chief.
In writing this, I acknowledge that I am opening my message up for both backlash and personal interpretation, and am doing so
willingly. I do want to be deeply clear, however, with my intentions in publishing this. 
My hope for the outcome of this article is to spur discussion on how administration can better support student journalists, and to
serve as a form of accountability for the ways in which I feel they haven’t. My intention is not to slander this university, the
administration, or President Peñalver.
Truthfully, I have a deep love for this university. I admire the community it cultivates, the Jesuit ideals it was built upon, and what I
hope it can someday be. 
A part of loving something is calling it to be better. 
Student journalism is deeply important to this university, to society and to the future of our country. I am asking that the university
review the manner in which it interacts with The Spectator, and student journalists more broadly, to help build a future where
students feel they are heard, supported, and protected from administrative overreach. 


2025-06-04 An Editor-in-Chief’s Perspective: Seattle U’s Administration Does Not Support Student Journalism

Dumlao, Diego

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
1-22-2025 
2025-01-22 Growing Hobby Brings Thousands of Collectors to 
Greater Tacoma Convention Center 
Diego Dumlao 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • January 22, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/01/22/growing-hobby-brings-
thousands-of-collectors-to-greater-tacoma-convention-center/
Growing Hobby Brings
Thousands of Collectors to
Greater Tacoma Convention
Center
Diego Dumlao, Volunteer Reporter
If you grew up during the 80s and 90s, you probably have
memories of going to your local gas station and buying a
pack of baseball or Pokémon trading cards, then proceeding
to go home and open the pack, hoping to pull your favorite
player or character’s card. For most people, this hobby
ended with throwing cards in a shoebox and forgetting
about them. But for others, their collections grew, and so
did their love for collecting. At the turn of the century, the
memorabilia collecting hobby began to lessen in popularity,
leaving those boxes of cards sitting in the back of closets,
collecting dust, for decades.  
Fast forward to 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During this time, the hobby exploded with more people
becoming interested in collecting. But with the growth, also
came rising card prices. This benefited the resellers but made it hard for the true collectors to stay involved with the growing hobby.
Due to the pandemic, transactions happened almost exclusively online. However, once the country began to open again, card shows
grew in popularity, with collectors going out to these shows to buy, sell and trade with vendors.  
For many years in Washington, the only card shows were held by Twin Oaks Shows. These shows typically took place in shopping
malls all around Washington state. But as the hobby grew, a new competitor emerged. 
Every three months, hundreds of vendors and thousands of collectors come together at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center for
the Front Row Card Show. Over two days, collectors gather to buy, sell and trade various types of memorabilia, ranging from sports
cards to Pokémon cards, to comic books, along with so much more. The company first came to Washington in August 2024. This was
the first Front Row Card Show in the Pacific Northwest, with previous shows being in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Pasadena, Calif.  
Since August, there have been three Front Row Card Shows in Washington, with each show having a consistent growth in
popularity. The first show in August had significantly less vendors than the two that proceeded in November and January.  
These shows also brought collectors from all around the country to Tacoma, ranging from just hours away in Ferndale, all the way to
Chicago. Sam Lee began collecting as a child and is a vendor at Front Row Card Shows.  
Diego Dumlao
Banners outside the Greater Tacoma Convention Center display
various forms of memorabilia on display at Front Row Card
Show’s January 19 show.
“This show was like 200 tables eight months ago and now it’s 275, next time I wouldn’t be surprised if it was like three hundred
plus… It’s cool to see a show with a couple hundred tables and see the community really come out,” Lee said.
A large attraction to the Front Row Card Shows, as opposed to just purchasing memorabilia online, is the unique social aspect and
the community that the shows create. These shows allow collectors from all walks of life to come together and bond over their
shared interests. Logan Sosa, also known as “ThatSportsCardGuy” on YouTube, has been collecting since he was just 10 years old.  
“It’s a great place to just meet other collectors and just enjoy the hobby with everyone. At the end of the day that’s what it’s all
about,” Sosa said.  
The growth of collecting can partially be credited to many older collectors coming back to the hobby, but with this also comes a new
generation of collectors. Many younger children are starting to become involved in the trading card hobby, a lot of which are tagging
along with their parents who were once previous collectors. Aaron Volkman has been collecting sports cards for almost 25 years
and began going out to shows with his dad when he was a child.  
“It kind of reminds me of when I started… I think a lot of parents that are late 30s, early 40s, remember when they did it in the late
90s. It’s cool to see dads and sons coming to [trade and sell cards], because that’s how I started doing it,” Volkman said.  
The next Front Row Card Show in Washington is set to take place once again at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center April 12-13
and just like the previous show, Front Row will host 275 vendors and thousands of collectors. As the hobby goes on to grow in the
state, the popularity of Front Row Card Shows will continue to rise, drawing in both newcomers and seasoned collectors. These
shows provide an inclusive and unique environment for collectors and whether you have been collecting for years, or you are
interested in getting started, this is an event that you do not want to miss.


2025-01-22 Growing Hobby Brings Thousands of Collectors to Greater Tacoma Convention Center

Stipkovits, Caleb

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-5-2025 
2025-02-05 How Is Seattle U Protecting Non-Citizen Students? 
Chloe Platt 
Caleb Stipkovits 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • February 5, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/02/05/how-is-seattle-u-
protecting-non-citizen-students/
How Is Seattle U Protecting
Non-Citizen Students?
Chloe Platt and Caleb Stipkovits
Seattle University and its vulnerable populations are
presented with great unease as, following an order
President Donald Trump signed on Inauguration Day,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers now
have the authority to make arrests in formerly-sensitive
areas, including on school campuses.
An uncertain and threatening tension has cast a shadow
over universities across the country as they prepare for the
unsettling prospect of ICE presence on school grounds.
Seattle U is no exception. In a Jan. 24 email, the institution
outlined its plan to support non-citizen students. The
directive, shaped by the Office of University Counsel
(OUC), advised all faculty and staff to refuse ICE officers
from entering private areas of campus, even if they have a
warrant, subpoena or other legal document. 
Instead, OUC recommends faculty and staff direct ICE officers to call OUC at (206) 296-2043. Private spaces include classrooms,
residence halls, apartment rooms or faculty office areas. Public spaces include the student center, Lemieux Library and upper and
lower malls. 
OUC also offered guidance in the case that ICE officers ignore faculty and staff members attempting to prevent them from entering
sensitive parts of campus.
“If ICE agents proceed into nonpublic areas without having received permission, faculty and staff should remain polite and, if
possible, document ICE’s activities,” a spokesperson from OUC wrote to The Spectator.
Third-year Environmental Studies and Public Affairs Major Sabrina Castro believes that Trump’s policies are contrary to the reality
that immigrants strengthen every sector of the U.S.
“It’s very heartbreaking,” Castro said. “It’s upsetting to see how this country relies on immigrants in a lot of ways, and seeing [Trump]
take into office and being that [mass deportation is] the first of his priorities, it’s really upsetting.”
When asked for direct commentary on Trump’s recent immigration policies and how they may affect the Seattle U community,
Seattle U President Eduardo Peñalver wrote that the institution intends to support its undocumented students and students from
mixed-status households.
“Throughout our 130-year history, Seattle University has broadened our understanding of that founding vision by extending
Ahmed Abdirashid Abdullah
educational access to people of all beliefs, backgrounds, and identities. Caring for migrants therefore lies at the very heart of our
Jesuit values,” Peñalver wrote. “In keeping with those values, we will do everything in our power and consistent with the law to
protect and support our non-citizen students during this uncertain time.”
Missing from Seattle U’s Jan. 24 email was advice on how students should react if they spot ICE officers on campus. In an email to
The Spectator, OUC gave students similar guidance that was recommended to faculty and staff. 
“Students should follow the same recommendation the Office of University Counsel issued to faculty and staff on January 24:
Remain polite but document the activities you observe. If students have specific questions about their rights when interacting with
ICE, students should attend the ‘Know Your Rights’ event in Pigott on February 11, which many areas of campus are jointly
sponsoring,” a spokesperson from OUC wrote.
The Housing and Residence Life (HRL) leadership team also briefed student employees on how to react if ICE officers attempt to
enter nonpublic parts of campus. Student employees were given the same instructions as faculty and staff: to ask ICE agents to
contact OUC at (206) 296-5590 first.
An anonymous source, a member of HRL, works closely with resident assistants and other members of hall communities. With
many undocumented students living in residence halls, they expressed that there is widespread concern for protecting students
against ICE.   
“A lot of folks have been sharing where they have been seeing ICE officers, just to get that information out. The more we can tell
others, the better,” the anonymous source said.
While the anonymous source noted that HRL is not able to advise misdirecting ICE in written communication or through formal
channels, there has been heavy insinuation that they encourage staff to lead ICE away from vulnerable students. 
“I may also be seeping in my own political views, but I have had senior team staff tell me ‘Yeah, tell [ICE] to go [to incorrect places].’
It’s been on the heart and mind, at least for Residence Life, whether it’s RAs or students. But I have this hope that we won’t have to
address it,” the anonymous source said.
As members of HRL are actively working through different ways to offer safety to undocumented students, other spaces on campus
are providing resources as well.
In an effort to better serve Seattle U’s undocumented students, the MOSAIC Center offers a training program called UndocuAlly.
The program is available to faculty and staff and aims to educate participants on the undocumented experience and how to better
support undocumented individuals through this uncertain time. 
Michelle Kim, the director of the MOSAIC Center, discussed the content of the UndocuAlly program.
“The training covers broad history of immigration, relevant immigration policies, definition of terms, highlights common experiences
of undocumented students and skills required to be an effective ally,” Kim wrote.
While the program has been running since last school year, UndocuAlly trainings may soon be expanding. Kim mentioned that
MOSAIC is in the early stages of developing UndocuAlly training for students, in partnership with the Student Government of
Seattle University (SGSU).
Although she hadn’t heard of the program before, Castro believes that expanding UndocuAlly trainings to students would be
beneficial. 
“I think it’s not too bad of an idea because it’s engaging students and bringing awareness to the issue, also since there are a lot of
students whose parents are undocumented, it’s probably nice to get that information and bring it home and share it with their
families,” Castro said.
Another project the MOSAIC Center is working on to help serve Seattle U’s undocumented students is the “Together We”
campaign. The campaign’s goal is to show love and solidarity for undocumented students and mixed-status families through art,
advocacy and social justice. “Together We” bears the symbol of the monarch butterfly, a symbol of immigration and migrant
courage, justice and freedom. Art from the “Together We” campaign hangs across campus, including on the third floor of the student
center.
“We want to communicate to our students that in this time of uncertainty and anxiety, the MOSAIC Center remains steadfast in our
commitment to creating an inclusive campus community where all students are beloved and supported,” Kim wrote.
Overall, Kim highlights that MOSAIC’s undocumented support initiatives are constantly being strengthened in collaboration with a
web of professionals across Washington state and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) network. As one of
Seattle U’s premiere entities for creating inclusion and community on campus, attention to detail has been critical in MOSAIC’s
support for undocumented students.
Seattle U’s School of Law has also ramped up support programs for undocumented students and allies over the past month. The law
school held the first Know Your Rights (KYR) presentation Jan. 13, which educated participants on immigration protections,
upcoming changes to work authorizations and more legal tips. The next KYR session will be Feb. 11. 
According to Visiting Assistant Professor of Law Zaida Rivera and Associate Professor of Law Paul Holland, KYR presentations will
continue to be offered to interested students, faculty and staff.
“We will continue to provide KYR presentations throughout campus to provide updates on policies and executive orders that
impact noncitizens,” Rivera and Holland wrote to The Spectator. “Seattle U’s faculty and staff are [also] encouraged to attend or
request [KYR] presentations for their departments.”
Rivera is working with Seattle U departments to hold office hours for students to drop by and receive general information. Non-
citizen students also have the opportunity to meet with law students for a consultation about their immigration status.
“At the consultation, students will receive preliminary advice from an attorney and, where appropriate, assistance with filling out
forms or taking other basic steps to protect their own rights,” Rivera and Holland wrote. “When possible, the clinic will refer
students who need further assistance to volunteer attorneys.”
While Seattle U is offering several resources for undocumented students and their allies, some students believe that more needs to
be done to make those resources known. 
“Mainly, my concern is [whether Seattle U] is doing enough to advertise these resources. I don’t think email is enough, I think they
should bring this into classrooms,” Castro said. “I would like to see how professors are taking that information [about resources] and
sharing it with their students. Me personally, I don’t think I’ve seen that yet with my professors.”
With the influx of Donald Trump’s unsparing immigration policies, non-citizens across the country are actively and unscrupulously
having their livelihoods, safety and personhood threatened. It is the responsibility of the Seattle U community to protect and uplift
students, faculty and staff who are most vulnerable at this time. 


2025-02-05 How Is Seattle U Protecting Non-Citizen Students?

Damjanac, Milan

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-26-2025 
2025-02-26 Theatre Department Resists Lee Center Demolition 
Decision Made Without Their Input 
Milan Damjanac 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • February 26, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/02/26/theatre-department-
resists-lee-center-demolition-decision-made-without-their-input/
Theatre Department Resists Lee
Center Demolition Decision
Made Without Their Input
Milan Damjanac, Staff Reporter
In a sudden decision announced by Seattle University in
early February, the school’s Lee Center for the Arts is
planned to be demolished and replaced with a new teaching
museum that will house the $300 million Hedreen Art
Collection Donation. 
University administration, heavily influenced by the
donation and potential merger with Cornish College of the
Arts, made the decision to place the new museum in the Lee
Center’s current location without input from any theatre
faculty or students. Both groups have been critical of the
university and are mobilizing to fight the demolition.
The Lee Center for the Arts, located across from the Sinegal
building on the corner of 12th and Marion, is a space that is
integral to Seattle U’s theater program. It houses a black
box theater, scene shop, green room, costume shop, sound
and lighting booth and dressing rooms. The building is relatively new, built in 2006.
For the students who use the Lee Center, the space feels like home. Its role in fostering community and providing the access
students need to put on performances is vital to the quality of productions and instruction.
In addition to highlighting many of the technical functions that the Lee Center provides, First-year Theatre Major and Actor Eiryn
Kilroy emphasized its impact on the theater community.
“It’s a home for a lot of the theater majors, and people just involved in the theater,” Kilroy said. “We have people who hang out there,
even when they’re not actively called or working, and it really is an important space to all of us. It holds a lot of memories.”
Shay Rutherford, a fourth-year film major and actor, echoed this sentiment. 
“The Lee Center is a place that has been a second home for me. It is one of the most significant buildings, just in terms of being a
place I’ve spent the most time in on campus,” Rutherford said.
The Lee Center is a unique theater space because it is a black box theater, which offers a different viewing experience and more
versatility in format than a traditional stage does. Without the Center, the theatre program would lose access to many of these
Matthew Mai
options.
The Lee Center also employs students on campus. Students get paid for a variety of positions within the center, providing them with
a source of income. Continuing the Lee Center’s role as a teaching space, many of the technical jobs also give students skills that are
applicable outside of the program.
“I have learned so many professional skills that I have carried with me into jobs outside of campus … that would be literally
impossible if we did not have that space,” Isabelle Schunk, fourth-year theatre major and sound assistant, said.
The Lee Center is also used by other programs for classes like UCOR Fashion Lab and certain nursing courses. It’s additionally used
by outside organizations and artists, with some utilizing the space to conduct workshops and others putting on theatrical, poetic
and musical performances. The center’s proximity to campus also makes it easy for students who are not theater majors to still
explore the arts and participate in the theatre program.
In an email to The Spectator, Provost Shane Martin explained that the decision to demolish the theater was made in the wake of
Seattle U’s prospective plan to acquire Cornish College of the Arts.
“The relationship with Cornish will offer enhanced opportunities for our students and faculty in the arts. As addressed above, there
are options for theater facilities within the Cornish footprint,” Martin wrote.
Originally, there were a few plans for the Lee Center and teaching museum, which included alternative options, such as different
locations and the possibility of having the two spaces coexist.
Aly Bedford, the academic program coordinator for visual arts and performing arts, recalled initially learning of a potentially
combined Lee Center and teaching museum facility.
“The conversations that we had never mentioned the complete demolition of Lee, and in fact, at one point there was a conversation
of, ‘Oh, this will be great. We can have the Lee Center connected with the museum,’” Bedford said.
The conception of the Cornish acquisition provided additional context for the administration to change the plan without input from
any theater faculty or students. In a joint email to The Spectator, the theatre program’s faculty and staff criticized the decision.
“I think a lot of people did take offense to the fact that higher admin, the board, or somebody up there making all the decisions were
deciding what was a good space or not,” they wrote.
The university’s goal is to solve both the theater program’s need for performance venues and to find a space-conscious location for
the new teaching museum. However, the plan to demolish the Lee Center and shift the theatre program to Cornish’s campus raises
new challenges.
Cornish’s facilities are more than a mile away from Seattle U’s campus, which means that students would need to find
transportation to get to their classes. 
The distance would create scheduling challenges for students who are not theatre majors or have other classes, creating a barrier
to entry for students not already entrenched in the program. Additionally, it poses a safety issue for students getting out of
rehearsals or class late at night who need to find a safe way home.
The Lee Center is not a union theater, which means that shows are much cheaper to produce in comparison to unionized
performance spaces like the Cornish Playhouse. Bedford noted that putting on a production at the Cornish Playhouse is more
expensive, even for Cornish itself.
All of those issues are dependent on the Cornish merger going through, which is not guaranteed. The administration is still early in
the process of the acquisition, meaning that the decision to build the new museum in place of the Lee Center could leave Seattle U
without any theater facility if the merger falls through. 
According to the theatre program’s faculty and staff joint statement, they were not included in any of the decision-making
processes.
“Assumptions were made on the part of the administration that were incorrect, leading to their quiet decision to demolish the Lee
Center. Had they reached out to any one of us at the start of their planning, we could have guided them to better decisions,” they
wrote. “We could have told them at the start that this approach wouldn’t work (for various reasons), had they consulted us. To our
knowledge, there still isn’t a solution from them at this point should the acquisition fall through.”
When asked about the theater program’s involvement in the process, Seattle U President Eduardo Peñalver wrote in an email to
The Spectator about his plan to involve the theater program in the future.
“The views and expertise of the students, faculty and staff impacted by this move—which includes the Facilities team also located in
the Lee Center—will inform the development and enhancement of substitute spaces to ensure the affected programs can continue
their important work on behalf of Seattle University and our students,” Peñalver said.
The decision to demolish the Lee Center was shared with the students in a program-wide meeting Feb. 5 and sparked immediate
outrage across the entire department. Many people in the meeting voiced their frustrations as the weight of the decision set in. 
Kilroy believes that this decision is antithetical to the school’s values. 
“To have grown up with the Jesuit and Catholic values, and to see my university, which promised to uphold them, so blatantly
disregard them is deeply disappointing,” Kilroy said.
Several students felt similarly to Kilroy. Aubrey Thompson is a fourth-year theatre major who spoke to the heartbreak that this
decision has caused.
“[Administration] doesn’t have any attachment to that space, and just forcibly migrating us out of that space is them just tearing out
the soul of this Theatre department. And I think it’s very telling that I have not met a single person in the Seattle U Theater
department who is amicable to this decision,” Thompson said.
Rhy Mack, a fourth-year creative writing major and theatre minor, discussed how the decision amplified existing fears around
creative expression. 
“It was a combination of anger and dread, because it just felt like just the cherry on top of everything else that is happening
politically and the devaluing of the arts in general that I really thought was not happening at SU,” Mack said.
Rose Lindsey, a fourth-year creative writing major and theatre performance minor, positioned this decision as one that disregards
students.
“[Students have] come to the school with the expectation of being able to get the education they want to in the theater. To then have
a space quite literally ripped away from them is something that completely impedes that goal of [Seattle University’s],” Lindsey
shared. “They’ve essentially thought with their wallets more than they have with their hearts about what matters to people… [the]
CFO in the conversation with theater faculty didn’t even know what street corner the center was on.”
Hearing the announcement sparked a sense of unity and mobilization within the theatre program. In the Feb. 5 meeting, students
started working together to find ways to save the Lee Center.
In a subsequent follow up meeting, theatre students organized committees and made plans to start raising awareness and standing
up for the Lee Center and for the program.
“It very quickly became clear that this was not a decision any of us were going to take lying down, that we were going to protest this
decision, that we were going to call for action,” Kilroy said.
Robin Wheeler, a fourth-year theatre and arts leadership double major and a stage director for the program, has been one of many
students to step up and help lead student mobilization.
“Every single student I have talked to, which at this point has felt like hundreds, has been in shock and in devastation that the Lee
Center is being destroyed,” Wheeler stated. “We pay so much money to be at the school. and I would like to see my money be used
for what I want to do. I don’t want it to be going towards destroying what I love.”
Wheeler helped lead the follow-up meeting, where students collaborated to outline their goals and guiding principles. In an email to
The Spectator, Wheeler sent a mission statement that the students created.
“We will follow the guidelines for free speech and engagement that pertain to SU campus and any other businesses, organizations,
or public spaces where we conduct advocacy activities. We will speak about the situation using specific, accurate information to the
best of our knowledge. We will not attempt to personally attack or unfairly criticize any SU leaders, trustees, or employees,” the
statement read.
Faculty, alumni and community members are also planning to encourage the administration to reconsider their decision. Both
program alumni and former faculty who helped to build the Lee Center plan to send letters to the administration voicing their
dissent.
In the face of the University’s decision, the theater department is hoping to secure a future in which the school’s Jesuit values and
artistic programs can not just coexist, but thrive.
“We are not fighting for nothing. We understand why the museum is important, but it can coexist. You can’t make more art by
destroying it. We can have all the art in the world. I just hope they really understand that the Lee Center is our home. and there will
be consequences in demolishing it,” Wheeler said.
The theater department’s winter quarter production, “Scratched Out,” was the first public showing of student resistance to the
decision. At the box office, a petition with ‘SAVE THE LEE CENTER’ in bold letters was offered to theatergoers. Partway through the
show, a showcase of scenes and songs prepared by both theatre and non-theatre students, two students gave a speech imploring
university administration to reconsider the demolition.
It is too late for administration to have consulted the proper parties before announcing their decision. However, it is not too late for
community resistance to have an impact on the future of the Lee Center. 


2025-02-26 Theatre Department Resists Lee Center Demolition Decision Made Without Their Input

Truog, Daniel

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
3-12-2025 
2025-03-12 Who’s Right To Ref? Intramural Rules Raise Eyebrows 
Daniel Truog 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • March 12, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/03/12/whos-right-to-ref-
intramural-rules-raise-eyebrows/
Who’s Right To Ref? Intramural
Rules Raise Eyebrows
Daniel Truog, Sports & Opinion Editor
A seemingly niche rule of Seattle University’s University
Recreation (UREC) intramural basketball program is
drawing criticism from players who feel it promotes bias in
recreational sports officiating.
The rule in question permits referees, who are all student
employees of UREC, to participate in intramural basketball
while also officiating. This means that in a single
tournament, a referee can officiate one game and play in
the next. This can be frustrating to players, such as one who
requested to remain anonymous.
“A lot of these people work very closely together, so they
know each other really well… but when you’re a team
coming in that does not work for UREC it’s almost
intimidating and also feels a little bit more, I would say
biased in a way,” the anonymous player said.
Being critical of officials is a common thread throughout
sports at all levels, with some sports fans taking a more conspiratorial bent than others towards close calls. Clark Hayashi, a third-
year business analytics and marketing double major, is in his third year as an official for UREC. Hayashi wasn’t always an official,
though.
“As a player, I always had hate for the refs,” Hayashi said. “I always made fun of them for not seeing correctly, not doing their job
right.”
Of the roughly 25 referees and managers at UREC, Hayashi estimated that half play in some form of intramurals. In the co-rec
basketball league, one team called “Da house” is made up of UREC managers, some of whom live in the eponymous house together.
Trace Seaton, assistant director of competitive sports at UREC, doesn’t see an issue with this policy in a league he has overseen for
years.
“Intramurals is an inclusive environment for all students, faculty and staff. So just because you work as an official doesn’t mean you
don’t get to play,” Seaton said.
Seaton has also worked at the University of South Carolina and Stephen F. Austin University, both of which allow student officials to
participate in intramurals.
Daniel Truog
The unmistakable referee shirt worn by all UREC intramural
officials sits in front of a UREC logo at the Eisiminger Fitness
Center.
Seaton shared that officials receive roughly 10 hours of training before donning the striped uniform and hitting the court.
“When I actually became a ref and I ended up doing that job, I came to the realization that their job is hard. And the hate they get is
almost sometimes not as deserved as it should be,” Hayashi said.
An intrinsic part of officiating is making close calls that can determine the outcome of a game, Hayashi explained. In a casual
environment with none of the instant replay trappings that professional referees have come to rely on, student officials have to rely
on their own observations.
“We’re not officiating the NBA or the NFL or MLS or anything like that. We’re officiating intramurals and it’s okay to come out and
not know what you’re doing and learn and make mistakes,” Seaton said. “It’s not that deep.”
Beyond who is allowed to play in the league, UREC also has a rule in its Co-Rec league that has been met with some skepticism and
caused on-the-court conflict. Co-Rec basketball is similar to the open league in that players of all genders are permitted to play, but
Co-Rec teams are required to have two female-identifying players and three male-identifying players on the court. If teams cannot
meet this requirement, they may forfeit or play with only one female-identifying player and two male-identifying players.
Co-Rec’s player requirements are a source of frustration for players, including another student who requested to remain
anonymous.
“Inherently women are, by the rule, officiated differently than men, and I think that just leads to problems, especially when you have
refs that are new,” the student said. “It’s almost set up systematically to be like ‘women are not as good as the men.’”
Currently, if a man wants to guard a woman in Co-Rec, their movement during blocking is restricted.
“Men can absolutely guard women. We do have a goaltending rule for Co-Rec where men have to be straight vertically and can’t
jump to block a shot, but they’re 100% allowed to guard a female,” Seaton said.
In practice, this rule leads to a significant amount of goaltending fouls in games. The anonymous student noted that in cases of
significant height differentials, men are frequently given fouls even when they feel they followed the rules.
Even if officials make the right call in a consequential scenario, be it in professional or casual sports, sports fans throughout history
have shown great resolve in their vehement opposition of referees. At the intramural level, especially at a close-knit university like
Seattle U, these close calls sting even more when they come from someone who might have been an opponent in a different
bracket. 
UREC seems unlikely to change the policy, given its prevalence across the intramural field and the high number of UREC employees
involved with intramurals. So if you’re an intramural player and your team is pitted against “Da house,” it looks like you better not
fold.


2025-03-12 Who’s Right To Ref? Intramural Rules Raise Eyebrows

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
5-7-2025 
2025-05-07 Redhawks Men’s Golf Take Home WAC Championship 
and Head to Regionals 
Diego Dumlao 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
The Spectator • May 7, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/05/07/redhawks-mens-golf-take-
home-wac-championship-and-head-to-regionals/
Redhawks Men’s Golf Take
Home WAC Championship and
Head to Regionals  
Diego Dumlao, Staff Reporter
For the second time in program history, Seattle University
Men’s Golf has come out on top in the Western Athletic
Conference (WAC) Championship for the team division.
The Redhawks shot a combined 20 over par (884) over the
54-hole, three- round, tournament, never losing the lead
throughout the entire event.   
After claiming this title, Seattle U will make their second
NCAA team regional appearance since they last won the
WAC in 2017. The Redhawks will be staying close to home,
as this past Wednesday, April 30, they were selected for the
Bremerton Regional at Gold Mountain Golf Course in
Bremerton, Wash. Gold Mountain is a very familiar course
for many of the athletes on this Seattle U squad. Michelle
Duan is in her second year as the assistant coach for the
men’s and women’s teams.  
“I think we’re all very excited to be at home. It’s nice to have, quote-un quote, home field advantage, if you will… I think our guys are
hungry and we’re excited for the opportunity,” Duan said.  
On the individual side, Sophomore Kevin Li, the previous individual WAC champion in 2024, was just one hole away from going
back-to-back. If Li achieved this, he would’ve been the first athlete in over twenty years to have won the WAC individual title in two
straight years. Li finished the tournament one under par (215), tied with Dane Huddleston of Utah Valley. The two would go on to
play two playoff holes, where Huddleston came out victorious.  
“I had a good feeling about the team since the beginning of the year. I know we have a strong team this year and there are a lot of
hard workers on the team, we all kind of grinded throughout the year,” Li said.  
Another Redhawk individual who had a lot of success during the championship was Freshman Walker Lamb. In his first conference
championship, the Seattle native finished the tournament tied for fourth place, shooting one over par (217). 
“It was a pretty incredible week, just to do it with the guys too, it was really special as a freshman on the team,” Lamb said.   
Both Li and Lamb commented about there being some additional pressure throughout the tournament, causing nerves that could’ve
been detrimental to their performance. 
Sarah Finney
Seattle U Men's Golf - NCAA Selection Show - April 30, 2025.
Photo credit: Seattle U Athletics
“I definitely had some unnecessary pressure the whole week, just because I won the individual title last year, and I definitely had
some thoughts about defending the title, and honestly, that was not helpful because when I overthink, it will shift my focus away
from competition… But I was still able to manage to hang around and help the team as much as I can,” Li said.  
“I get super nervous before events, believe it or not… I think especially in a conference championship, your desire to perform is
really high, so I’ve learned that your desire doesn’t really change your performance, so I try to calm those as much as possible, but
you gotta try to stay up from there,” Lamb commented.   
Despite both athletes describing the effect that nervousness could have on their game, the two were still able to put on excellent
performances, doing their part in helping the team secure the title.  
The Redhawks will be joined by Arizona State, Florida, Utah, South Carolina, South Florida, Colorado, Charlotte, Kansas, Colorado
State, Kansas State, Elon, Coastal Carolina and Oral Roberts. With the likes of ASU being ranked in the top five in the nation, as well
as Florida winning the NCAA Championship in 2023, Seattle U will be surrounded by some of the best competition in all of
collegiate golf. Though there is the possibility of added pressure when facing off against tough competition, Head coach Marc
Chandonnet has a saying that he tells all his athletes: 
“The golf ball doesn’t know who’s hitting it, the most important thing is don’t get starstruck about who’s there, you’re going to play
golf on the golf course in just the same place as these people,” Chandonnet stated. 
The Redhawks are slated to compete in the regional tournament May 12-14. The top five teams, as well as the low-scoring
individual from each of the six regionals, will advance to the NCAA Championships at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad,
Calif. May 23-28. With a strong team full of hard workers, along with the advantage of course familiarity, this Redhawks squad has a
real chance to make their first NCAA Championship appearance.  


2025-05-07 Redhawks Men’s Golf Take Home WAC Championship and Head to Regionals

https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/barrow.production.bepress.com/24621964_2025-06-13-2020354589/files/2025-04-30%20A%20Night%20in%20Djo%E2%80%99s%20Garden%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Spectator.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAYVUS7KB2IXSYB4XB&Signature=AMHtToumMWwym0kOBOt2h9UMrtw%3D&Expires=175243800

Baltimore, Nicole

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
4-30-2025 
2025-04-30 A Night in Djo’s Garden 
Nicole Baltimore 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Baltimore, Nicole, "2025-04-30 A Night in Djo’s Garden" (2025). The Spectator Online. 1518. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1518 
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 30, 2025 • https://seattlespectator.com/2025/04/30/a-night-in-djos-garden-a-
concert-review/
A Night in Djo’s Garden
Nicole Baltimore, Volunteer Reporter
Alongside the release of his new album, “The Crux,” Djo kickstarted his “Back On You World Tour” in the Pacific Northwest, arriving
in Seattle April 8. The concert took place at the Paramount Theatre on Pine Street. Fans lined the sidewalks in excitement and
anticipation for the doors to open.
The show opened with a stellar performance from Chicago band, “Post Animal,” a psychedelic rock group that Djo was formerly a
member of. “Post Animal” was a unique opening act that had audience members energetically dancing and in awe of their various
guitar and drum solos.
Djo is the stage name for musician and actor, Joe Keery, who is most known for his 2022 song, “End of Beginning,” which has over
1.4 billion streams on Spotify, and his role as Steve Harrington in the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Djo released his first album,
“Twenty Twenty,” in 2019 and defined his artistic persona and distinct sound. Djo’s music tends to blend psychedelia and synth-pop
with indie rock tones. 
Djo’s setlist blended older releases from his previous albums “Twenty Twenty” and “DECIDE,” playing long-time fan favorites like
the songs “Chateau” and “End of Beginning,” while also including plenty of new tracks from “The Crux” like “Basic Being Basic.”
Other songs featured in the setlist are “Runner,” “Fool,” “Lonesome Is A State of Mind” and “Gap Tooth Smile.”
Djo’s new album, “The Crux,” shows his love of retro rock sounds like that of The Beatles or Queen, while still remaining authentic to
his electronic sound that can be heard in his previous album, “DECIDE.”
Noelle Lee
DJO performing at the Paramount Theater in Seattle.
DJO playing his guitar to his song “Gloom.”
First-year Creative Writing Major Ava Norlander described how she feels listening to Djo’s newest album, “The Crux.” 
“It’s just so twangy, it sounds like I would just be sitting in a cottage listening to it,” Norlander said. 
Certain songs from the album really embody that bright twang and coziness, such as “Potion,” while other songs have a richer, full-
bodied sound like “Fly” or “Golden Line.” The latter half of the album really emphasizes Djo’s appreciation for the rock sounds of the
60s and 70s. Djo includes lyrical references to Queen’s frontman, Freddie Mercury, in “Gap Tooth Smile” or the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely
Hearts Club Band”-esque instrumentation and “Octopus’s Garden” inspired lyrics on “Charlie’s Garden.” Throughout all of these
tracks, however, Djo’s signature synthy sound is still present. “Egg” and “Crux” blend Djo’s familiar electronic sound from songs like
“Roddy” or “Gloom” with his new, more acoustic sound.
Djo’s performance quality was captivating and the atmosphere was mystifying. The sound quality was clear and Djo’s instrumental
and vocal skills were incredible. Djo formed a connection with the audience as he guided them on an emotional journey through the
setlist. 
First-year Chemistry Major Adilia Hjelle described the atmosphere of Djo’s concert as safe and comforting. 
“Going to a concert can be a very emotional experience, and this felt like one of those places where it wouldn’t be weird to really
like, feel those emotions and stuff,” Hjelle said. “It felt very safe and everyone seemed very nice. The sound quality was really good, I
love Paramount, so the venue was really fun to go to, especially floor seating since I had never done that before.” 
From the moment the concert-goers entered the Paramount, there
was a mutual respect for the space and everybody in it, creating an
enjoyable experience. 
Norlander agreed that the atmosphere of the concert was
comfortable and pleasant. 
“It was super fun. I went with my friend. When we were in the crowd,
we were pretty close, and all the people around us were dancing,
everyone was singing along and we would always be talking about
Djo with someone. The atmosphere was pretty fun,” Norlander said. 
Djo’s concert gave fans and music lovers the opportunity to
experience a genuinely passionate performance in a safe space, free
of judgment or harm to just enjoy good art. 
First-year Chemistry Major Renee Ng also enjoyed the concert.
“Sometimes Seattle audiences are stiff at concerts, but Djo was definitely an exception to that and I’m excited to continue exploring
live music in Seattle,” Ng said.
At the end of the night, Djo left a remarkable impression on the stage of the Paramount and positively impacted his audience.
Audience members had exciting and touching experiences, gaining a new appreciation for the artist. Despite not being familiar with
every song on “The Crux” before attending the concert, Hjelle says that the unfamiliarity with some of the songs greatly contributed
to their experience of the concert. During the show, Hjelle heard Djo’s new song, “Fly,” for the first time.
“It was one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. I’m very glad I heard it live… It showed me that maybe it’s sometimes good to
go in a bit blind and not know everything,” Hjelle said. 
Djo’s impact on his audience is outstanding and rare, he is a performer with a striking presence, an authentic appreciation for his
fans and a true dedication to his craft.
DJO singing into his mic with fog surrounding him.
(Noelle Lee)


Seattle University

Not a member yet