Catching up with Dining
Seahawks to the Super Bowl
page 3
page 10
Heated Rivalry Has Us In Heat page 11
January 29, 2026
Vol. 133 NO. 2
NEO-NAZI FLYERS FOUND ON CWU CAMPUS, STUDENTS RESPOND “ IF YOU SEE THESE
TAKE THEM DOWN. CENTRAL DOESNT FUCK WITH NAZIS! ” Brandon Mattesich Editor-In-Chief
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ultiple racist Neo-Nazi flyers, allegedly created by a group called “Washington White Pride,” were found around the CWU campus last Friday, leading to mass sharing and outrage on Instagram by students and ASCWU student leaders alike. The flyers shared inaccurate and racist sentiments targeting minority communities in the larger state of Washington. They also listed a contact line and a call to action featuring a “Celtic Cross,” a symbol originally adopted by the Nazis which has since been re-adopted primarily by American neo-Nazi organizations, according to a list of hate symbols published by the US Marine Corps. Lee Banford, fifth year geology major, was the first person to find the flyers and share them on Instagram with the caption, “DISGUSTING. IF YOU SEE THESE TAKE THEM DOWN. CENTRAL DOESNT FUCK WITH NAZIS.” Their story posts were later reposted and shared across dozens of student accounts at CWU. “I found the pamphlets outside Discovery Hall on the red tables facing the SURC,” Banford said. “My initial reaction was stomach drop disgust. It is really a horrible feeling finding things with hateful speech like that, it’s disgust but also so much anger. It’s really hard to wrap my head around that kind of mindset that people can have, the lack of empathy.” Students across social media pledged to take down the flyers if seen, with various captions being shared across Instagram condemning the actions of whoever put them up. Some students responded to the posts on social media, stating that these types of
hateful posters affected their feeling of safety on campus. “They absolutely affected my sense of safety. I know Ellensburg is a conservative town, but I have often felt a sense of solace and inclusivity at CWU. I have no reason to believe that Central encouraged or endorsed these flyers, but the fact that they were/are posted around so prominently is deeply troubling. “It reminded me of the hatred people can hold against each other when we’re afraid,” Kay Martin, a 4th year psychology major, said. “I hope that more students join things like MOCA, THRIVE, all of the great advocacy groups on campus. I hope that there will be events about how to properly stand up for yourself in today’s world, in a safe and strong manner. I hope that campus security catches whomever is putting up those signs.” Banford’s posts were also shared by multiple members of the ASCWU community, including ASCWU President Hondo Acosta-Vega, who echoed the sentiment shared by Banford in their original posts. “ASCWU has been made aware of the flyers placed on our campus and are aware campus police are looking into them. Any and all flyers we find will be given to them in order to preserve the safety of the student body,” Acosta-Vega wrote in an email to The Observer. “All students have the right to feel safe on campus. We are the lifeblood of Central, and we will make sure any information we have or flyers we find will be given to them (the police). We are also aware any and all flyers are being taken down immediately upon discovery, and we fully support this, and will do our parts to help ensure hate is not welcome here on campus.” ASCWU leaders weren’t the only students to share the posts on their social media chan-
nels however, as students from across campus reposted Instagram stories, adding their own captions and repeating Banford’s original post. “When I shared it, people had the same reaction as me,” Banford said. “It seemed to be the same thing of disgust, anger, shock. A couple people couldn’t believe it was at CWU that this was found. Which I felt really goes to show that this truly can happen anywhere.” Martin themself shared a similar statement to Banford, expressing their frustration at the hatred being posted up on campus. However, Martin argued that the existence of the flyers should not drive students apart, but rather serve as a reminder that students are stronger together. “I think now more than ever, politicians and ‘the system’ and all the things we’re scared of will win by splitting us apart. Times like these are when we really need to come together and stand against this kind of thing. People are worthy of love and respect, period,” Martin said. The Observer reached out to CWU Associate Director of Strategic Communications David Leder to ask if there was any comment from the university on the flyers. Leder explained that campus police are aware of two reports of these types of flyers being distributed on campus, but that they stated “no crime has occurred.” Aside from the reports, Leder stated, “neither the CWU Police nor the administration will have any additional comments at this time.”