Mast Media, Neeb Building, 12501 Park Avenue S, Tacoma, WA (2024)

05/26/2024

Hello, my name is Kateryna Savienkova. I am the General Manager of The Mast. Next year, I will be Editor-in-Chief, and I wanted to say a couple of words about this and the upcoming year.
The Mast was one of a few experiences that made my first year of college grounding, enlightening, and, honestly, worth it. It’s a combination of great people on our team with the tremendous job we have done that makes me so proud and happy when I look back at this year. I am excited to see what the future holds for us, friends.

I’m Kendan Bendt, and I’ve been at The Mast for many years now, and it’s become an important chapter in my life. I began to believe in myself and my ability to do things outside of my specialty major (opera, vocal performance). I’m grateful to have gotten to be a reporter, writer, editor, and eventually Editor-in-Chief. I’ve gotten a lot of great experiences over the years and am very happy to have been a part of this organization, and to leave it to Kateryna.

I’m Reanae Maleport, and I have been the Arts & Culture Section Editor. The Mast has quite literally given me a reason to get out of bed most days, not because I love what I do (although this is true), but because it’s an incredible group of people who pour themselves out into it. The Mast is one of the hardest-working student organizations I know, and I am so immensely proud to have been a part of it.

I’m Josiah Devine Johnson, and I am the Deputy Editor-In-Chief. The most important singular thing I did with The Mast was meet people in it and through it. People I admire, am inspired by and aspire to be like. People who have brought me into my final chapter of college and helped me know that if you put your mind to something, it might not happen, but it will inspire others to do more. The Mast strives to be more than just a college paper, and it is becoming that through its work with the community, and campus, and I am so incredibly grateful and proud of the people who have made that happen.

11/07/2023

Not Expected Turn of Events

On Monday morning of November 6th, students of Michael Artime's FYEP writing class gathered in their usual Xavier room 150 classroom only to find that it was broken into.
Room 150 is located on the first floor of the Xavier building, with windows facing the library square. One window was found to be ajar with the screen pulled out of it.
It became clear that something was wrong when Artime tried to turn on the computer and projector to begin the class, only to find none of the technology worked due to someone trying to remove it with some evident force.
Campus Security was called immediately and arrived within 10 minutes. The only thing that appears to be missing is a Windex spray bottle...
Several professors use room 150, so it often remains unlocked, making it harder to narrow in the range of suspects.
Students of the FYEP writing class successfully migrated to a different classroom to continue their studying while the question of what happened in room 150 remained unanswered.
Potentially more stories to come as this story develops.

11/05/2023

The Parkland community has been fighting since May of 2022 to save their beloved 115-year-old Parkland Public School (PPS) building on 121st and Pacific Avenue South. Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) set the bar for the low-income Parkland Community to purchase the building at $2.85 million.
If the money is not raised, PPS was set to be sold off by PLU, torn down, and replaced with middle-class family-style apartments.
Due to culminating factors, including poor quality of living, a low life expectancy, high unemployment, and overall poverty, the people of Parkland have struggled to find funding.
Of the $2.85 million needed, just over an estimated 18% of their total goal was reached, and only 35% of their required November 3rd goal of $1.5 million to hold onto their previously secured Purchase and Sale Agreement.
Today marks the first day after the November 3rd deadline has passed, leaving the fate of Parkland Public School in limbo.
More updates to come as this story develops.

11/04/2023

Join the PLU Opera and the Northwest Sinfonietta as they bring selections from Die Fledermaus and Trouble in Tahiti to life in Logerquist Hall this Saturday, November 4. In an emotional seesaw, you’ll go from singing a toast to “King Champagne," to seeing behind the closed doors of a couple’s “blissful” suburban life.
Put on your favorite formal wear and make your way to Mary Baker Russel at 7:00pm. Tickets for students with a LuteCard are $10 at the door, while tickets for regular attendees are $40.

11/01/2023

Caleb Uhl is dead.
At least that’s what Late Knight would have you believe leading up to their season nine premiere, which aired October 28th.
PLU’s first Late Knight episode of the year began with the breaking news story of the death of the show’s former host, Caleb Uhl. Garret Bretts filled the role for the night, lamenting the loss of “everyone’s favorite Ikea meatball,” who was “off the record… kind of a tool.”
From current pop culture references (of Swift and Kelce’s romance: “I mean, I don’t know my way around sports but I do know my way around a tight end”) to on-campus news of Campus Safety’s relocation (“Where the hell is Neeb? What is a Neeb?”), the show had the room ringing with laughter for a little over an hour.
As a testament to the creative and brave culture here at PLU, Late Knight is a cut above the rest: even the knowledge that the jokes being made on stage are being put on the internet for anyone to access is not a deterrent from making PLU president Larry Alan Belton the butt of a joke – or three.
The only miss of the night was the “MTV style roast” of Uhl (we get it, he can’t dress like a normal person), but overall Late Knight put on a good show. Zari Warden, a friend of the “late” Uhl, said that “as a musician, [they] love that [Late Knight] brings in local talent.”
Karli Kooi, a nursing major, said that “it’s fun to see students come together and bring [their] creativity,” and called it “one of the hidden gems of PLU.”
You can follow PLU Late Knight on Instagram at

10/31/2023

Starting off Monday with a set of old comics found in the Mast archive.
The first work is called “Monday Morning”
By Annee Bunch
September 11, 2015

10/29/2023

Tingelstad Parking Lot is Being Replaced With an Apartment Building

PLU has undergone many changes this year, from the removal of Saturday dinners in The Commons to the earlier and segmented closures of Names Fitness Center. Another important change has been the closure of the Tingelstad Parking Lot. The massive gate that stretched out on all four sides provided a safety net for students in areas where car theft is fairly common.
According to Planning Supervisor Rob Jenkins, the reason for the closure was attributed to the lease of the property expiring in 2018. “The private property owners approached PLU about swapping land,” Jenkins said. “The property owner decided not to renew the lease so that area was removed from the boundary of PLU.”
Jenkins followed with statements saying that the area where students used to park, the eastern portion, is owned by private property owners. PLU would receive the western portion that separates the two properties. Jenkins continued and said the plan of the owners is to build a “four to five story apartment building.”
Jenkins also mentioned the apartment will be a private commodity. So, it is possible that it may be available for PLU students to live in but not confirmed. When asked the timetable for construction, Jenkins responded that “the new parking lot has to be constructed before we issue site development permits for the developments of the apartment complex.” In other words, until a replacement Tingelstad Lot is built the construction will not begin.

10/29/2023

“What must it be like not to be crippled by fear and self-loathing?” - ‘Friends’

Matthew Perry, the actor who played the beloved Chandler Bing on ‘Friends’ has died at age 54 in his Los Angeles-area home, TMZ reports. First responders made their way to Perry’s home in response to a call for cardiac arrest, where he was found unresponsive in his whirlpool bath. Police say there were no drugs found in the home and no foul play is suspected.

Matthew Perry was born on August 19, 1969 in Williamstown, Massachusetts to John Bennett and Suzanne Perry. While he was best known for his role on the hit sitcom ‘Friends,’ Perry was also a director, writer and producer. His works include “The Whole Nine Yards,” “17 Again,” and “The Odd Couple.”

Last year, Perry published a memoir titled “Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing,” in which he recounted his struggle with substance abuse.

Rest In Peace

Reanae Maleport
Arts and Entertainment Editor

(Photo courtesy of Flickr)

10/29/2023

Tingelstad Parking Lot is Being Replaced With an Apartment Building

Pacific Lutheran University has undergone many changes this year, starting with the removal of Saturday dinners and the earlier and segmented closures of the gym. Another change that can be added to that list is the closure of the Tingelstad Lot which was very popular amongst students from lower campus. The massive fence that stretched out on all sides provided a safety net for students in areas where car theft is fairly common.
The reason for the closure was attributed to the lease of the property expiring in 2018. The owners of the property approached PLU to swap the land. PLU would receive the western portion of the land, and the owners would receive the east. The plan is to build a five-story apartment building on the former parking lot.
According to Planning Supervisor, Rob Jenkins, the apartment will be a private commodity but will be available for PLU students to live in. PLU is currently in the process of developing plans for the new parking lot on the west. According to the minor amendment, the proposal states that the apartments will not go under construction until the parking lot on the western portion of the lot is built, which means the former lot will be replaced before the apartment building is built.
Written by Elvis Ndungu

10/29/2023

Tingelstad Parking Lot is Being Replaced With an Apartment Building

Pacific Lutheran University has undergone many changes this year, starting with the removal of Saturday dinners and the earlier and segmented closures of the gym. Another change that can be added to that list is the closure of the Tingelstad Lot which was very popular amongst students from lower campus. The massive fence that stretched out on all sides provided a safety net for students in areas where car theft is fairly common.
The reason for the closure was attributed to the lease of the property expiring in 2018. The owners of the property approached PLU to swap the land. PLU would receive the western portion of the land, and the owners would receive the east. The plan is to build a five-story apartment building on the former parking lot.
According to Planning Supervisor, Rob Jenkins, the apartment will be a private commodity but will be available for PLU students to live in. PLU is currently in the process of developing plans for the new parking lot on the west. According to the minor amendment, the proposal states that the apartments will not go under construction until the parking lot on the western portion of the lot is built, which means the former lot will be replaced before the apartment building is built.

10/18/2023

Pro-Israel Organization Tables in UC

Those passing through the Anderson University Center (AUC) this morning may have seen ‘Christians United For Israel’ (CUFI), a “national campus organization committed to providing Christian high school and college students with advocacy training and fact-based educational opportunities about Israel”, according to their ‘Who We Are’ handout. There were numerous organizations present at this tabling event, including a representative from Turning Point USA, who stated unequivocally that they stand with Israel, and not Palestine.
Since Hamas’ invasion of Israel over 1,400 people have been killed and around 3,400 injured according to reporting done by ABC News. In Gaza, at least 2,750 people have been killed and 9,700 more injured according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, with those numbers expected to climb as the fighting continues.
When asked about what they thought of those that stand with Palestine, Manuelito commented that “[i]f you stand with Palestine, you stand with Hamas”. Manuelito later admitted that some that stand with Palestine truly do; reiterating afterwards that most stand with Hamas.
Manuelito believes that Hamas’s priority is to “wipe out all Jews'' around the world, not just in Israel. A common claim that Manuelito relayed is that around 40 Israeli babies have been decapitated by Hamas; this is a claim that has not been substantiated by Israel’s government.

03/01/2023

Sean Patrick Burke, a Tacoma-based movie and television producer and director, will be the featured guest speaker during a PLU Student Media Meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. this coming Thursday, March 2, 2023, in Ingram 100.

Burke produced "As You Are," which had its domestic release in the American Drama competition at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2016 where it won a special grand jury prize award for its excellence. Here is his website: https://www.222pictures.com/sean-burke

If you are interested in the entertainment industry as a fan, or possibly as a career, please come prepared to listen, learn and engage in conversation about the movie and television industry.

02/07/2023

Our first spring semester meeting with all student media outlets is in TWO days! We’re welcoming all past student media members, and all those interested in hearing more about and . Send us a DM if you have any questions, and we look forward to seeing you all!

01/27/2023

Story by Mia Ruhoff
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Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. So, let’s talk about one of the most known figures of the Holocaust.

When thinking about the Holocaust, Anne Frank's name and picture may come to mind.

A young girl who spent two years hiding with her family to avoid N**i persecution, tragically she and her family were found out and taken to Auschwitz.

Anne, along with six of the eight members she hid with, died in the concentration camps. Only her father Otto Frank survived. After the war, he would publish the diary she kept as Diary of a Young Girl.

Anne's diary would captivate many, inspiring countless books, films, plays and other adaptations.

However, there is much less of a focus on Anne’s Frank’s intellect and writing skills.

Here are four quotes that convey Anne Frank's genius best:

Anne describing how she felt about being trapped in the Annex. (Monday, Nov. 8, 1943)
Anne reflecting on differing approaches to the situation she's in. (Tuesday, Mar. 7, 1944)
Anne talking about war, capitalism and the systems that support them. (Wednesday, May 3, 1944)
Anne on gender, inequality and sexism. (Thursday, Jun. 13, 1944)

12/15/2022

Our final print issue is out and circulating around campus! Our staff and writers have worked so hard this semester, and none of this would have been possible without them. Check out all these news articles, and we want to thank all our readers for your support! We also welcome all feedback whether it’s in our DM or comments, so we look forward to your thoughts.

10/11/2022

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day!
Pacific Lutheran University Indigenous Scholars in the 2019 Native American and Indigenous Studies interconnections class shared what being Indigenous means to them.
Last year, President Joe Biden was the first president to formally recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
For decades, the second Monday of October has been known as Columbus Day, with Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaiming Columbus Day as a national holiday in 1937. Today both holidays are still celebrated on the same day, by different people.

09/15/2022

The Mast visits Minneapolis over summer for a journalism conference
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With society slowly returning back to “normal” after the drastic lifestyle changes due to the pandemic, some of Pacific Lutheran University’s students made a summer trip to Minneapolis for a student journalism conference.

The Mega College Media workshop was hosted by the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), and took place in the University of Minnesota. The Mast staff members Sarah Fox, Monroe Torkelson, and myself (?) all resided in Comstock Hall during the three day conference. Unfortunately, Nolan James, our editor-in-chief, contracted COVID and was unable to attend.

The conference gave students the option to choose from one of many tracks to focus on when signing up, all led by professionals across the country. Our lutes enrolled in the multimedia track and the design track.

Before breaking into individual tracks, all attendees of the conference, which totalled around 170 students, attended orientation. During the orientation, student journalists listened to journalist Rochelle Olson and photojournalist Mark Vancleave discuss their experience covering “One Week in Minneapolis,” which covered the death of George Floyd and the aftermath.

Amy Devault and Sara Quinn, the leaders of the multimedia track, shared many free and accessible apps to help create content, and gave students prompts to explore the apps. The multimedia track students also got to meet with Anna Marie Boone who designed the layout of the “One Week in Minneapolis” story.

Read the full story online!

09/02/2022

You’re all invited to join us next week in Ingram for our student media kick-off meeting. In student media, students are the ones making the decisions. If you're interested in any kind of writing, video and audio production, acting, photography, radio, or trying something new, you'll want to be there.

05/12/2022

🚨Print edition is out!!!🚨Look out for our last print edition of the school year! They are located all around campus in the newspaper stands!!!

05/10/2022

As the year comes to an end we are saying goodbye to both our Editor-in-Chief Brennan and Sports Editor, Nik who are graduating this spring! We wish them the best in the future and will miss them next year!

05/05/2022

As the year comes to an end we are saying goodbye to both our Editor-in-Chief Brennan and our Sports Editor, Nik. We wish them the best in the future and we will miss them next year!!