Mount Hood

Western welcomes students back to a new year.

By: Amanda Clarke
Staff Writer

For Western’s New Student Week (NSW), which took place Sept. 20-26, first-year students were invited to walk the red carpet and learn more about WOU’s campus and their fellow students.

The theme of this year’s NSW was “HollyWOUd: Lights, Camera, Take Action!” Freshmen had the opportunity to learn more about Western through a variety of events held during the week.

Austin Davis, Peer Leaders Understanding Students (PLUS) Team Member and a sophomore Criminal Justice major, said that the theme for NSW was selected after vigorous brainstorming by the whole PLUS Team.

“There was so much you can do with this theme,” Davis said, “the theme we chose was very inclusive, we didn’t leave anyone out.”

The PLUS Team at WOU helps new students during registration, Summer Orientation Advising and Registration and NSW in order to ensure students feel more comfortable about starting college life.

Peer Mentors and PLUS Team members work together in order to help first-year students get to know one another. Freshmen were required to attend several events to teach them more about Western’s campus.

There were multiple hour-long sessions which helped students learn how to write essays, use DegreeWorks, and become certified in Leadership, as well as other events that involved other subject areas.

Some events promoted student bonding and teamwork, such as volleyball and capture the flag. There were also excursions to Portland and Lincoln City on Saturday.

Julianna Deckter, a freshman accounting major, said that the events on campus “have been fun. They’ve been very lively, and inclusive, and just fun in general.”

Students were also able to learn more about various clubs, job opportunities, and local businesses through several large-scale events, including the Welcome to Monmouth/Independence Fair in the Grove on Sept. 23.

The fair offered a wide range of free merchandise for students to take home including bags, posters, live goldfish, and food.

Allie Highberg, a first-year elementary education major, said, “I have really liked pretty much everything that we’ve done. All of the meetings we’ve had were fun and educational.”

Highberg also stated that she learned something new every time she attended events, of which there was a wide-variety.

Students also had a chance to sign their names on the sidewalk between the Grove and the Old PE building in Western’s colors: red, white, and black.

“It seemed like everybody so far has been very friendly, and I hope it impacts them to be more social and connect more,” Davis added. He said the week went well.

Some of the keynote events of the week included the Dating Doctor, David Coleman, a hypnotist, and the Variety Show, which took place on Saturday evening.

On the back of the New Student Session Booklets that were handed out, students were able to fill out a “VIP Pass” in order to have a chance to win a prize. Prizes included WOU swag, a TV, an iPad Mini, a GoPro, and a gift card to the campus bookstore.

The acts at the Variety Show included multiple dancers, an electric guitar performance, several comedy groups, a monologue from “Laughing Wild,” and a piano/voice performance of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

The PLUS Team also put together a video of the various events that occurred during New Student Week and had an additional dance performance that followed. Throughout the Variety Show, drawings were done randomly by a PLUS Team member to announce the winners of the “VIP Pass” prizes.

Deckter said she feels like this year is “going to go easy.” Adding, “I definitely feel like the community is very welcoming and you’ll have support no matter what.”

 

Changing of the Guard.

By: Megan Clark
Campus Life Editor

This past summer, Western Oregon University appointed a new university president, Dr. Rex Fuller.

President Fuller’s past positions include provost and vice president of academic affairs at Eastern Washington University (EWU).

During his time at EWU, he developed a long list of achievements and recognitions, all of which can be found on his WOU webpage. In addition to his other numerous accomplishments, Dr. Fuller was involved with developing student success and community college dual admission programs.

Hoping to bring his expertise to Western, Dr. Fuller said “WOU has a reputation of being student focused…we hope to continue to build on the success we’ve already had.”

He has also stated that Western will undergo an accreditation process to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of current academics according to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities standards, which will then be addressed in 2016.

When asked about implementing EWU programs at Western, Dr. Fuller pointed to the dual admission program saying that it could be implemented; especially given the existence of the Oregon Promise.

The Oregon Promise financially assists students seeking a community college education.

President Fuller has also been supportive of interacting with the local community, both at EWU and at Western. “I believe the university is a vital component of the greater area and the community, in particular the city of Monmouth, but also the city of Independence, as well as the mid-Willamette Valley,” said Fuller.

He also mentioned that students could get involved with the community through service learning projects or clubs.

Fuller is also reaching out to Western alumni, with plans to “invite them back into the wolf den.” Fuller said that through the alumni and their associations with organizations, Western students can find greater opportunities for internships and employment.

Looking to the future, Dr. Fuller hopes to increase “our academic array and presence in Salem” in order to help working professionals pursue their graduate degree through “hybrid opportunities that involve face to face meetings and other means.”

When they are not occupied with university related business or unpacking from their recent move, President Fuller and his wife, Susan, can be found around the Monmouth community, trying the local cuisine and wineries.

Getting reviewed: Associate Collegiate Press critiques The Journal.

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By: Megan Clark
Campus Life Editor

Last year, The Journal submitted a selection of its work to The Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), an organization that critiques and gives rankings to collegiate newspapers.

Recently, the critique was returned and The Journal was selected for a merit award, and given mark of distinction in the category of Photos, Art & Graphics. In the category of Photos, Art & Graphics, the ACP marked the paper at 145 out of 150 possible points.

The paper was given an overall honor rating of 701. The honor rating of 701 places the paper in the second-class rank, the third best rating in the scale.

According to their website, ACP “promotes standards and ethics of good journalism” by offering reviews and comments about college and university newspapers.

The critique was broken down into multiple categories; The Journal scored well in Layout & Design and Coverage & Content, though it scored highest in Photos, Art & Graphics.

According to the judge, Shawn Murphy, The Journal should “keep up the photo coverage. This is a strength.” Though The Journal received high marks, there is still room for improvement in others.

Conner Williams, The Journal’s editor-in-chief, has also been selected as one of ten finalists for Story of the Year in the Editorial and Opinion category. Williams was nominated for his April 2015 opinion piece titled “Up in smoke: The ethical dilemmas of a convenience store clerk”.

When asked about the paper’s direction for the new school year, the Editor-in-Chief said, “For this year, we’re going to increase our social media and online presence, conduct investigative reports, especially in editorial pieces.”

Williams also focused on “making sure all stories go through rigorous copy editing to make sure all stories are as accurate as possible.”

With the judge’s comments in mind, The Journal hopes to improve its scores in the other categories and rank even higher for the next ACP review.

Umpqua CC shooting leaves at least 13 dead

Updated at 6:50 p.m. PT

A shooting broke out on Umpqua Community College (UCC) campus in Roseburg, Ore. on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015 just before 10:40 a.m.

Reports say that there were at least 13 fatalities, and upwards of 20 people were injured.

The unnamed suspect, a 26-year-old male, was confirmed deceased by the Douglas County Sheriff at approximately 1:43 p.m. Officials did not confirm if the suspect was shot by law enforcement officers.

No law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

There are unconfirmed reports that the alleged shooter posted on the social media site “4chan” about his intentions the night before.

Agencies present at the scene included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the U.S. Marshals Service to contribute to the investigation.

The shooting at UCC is the second one to occur in Roseburg. The last shooting happened at Roseburg High School back in 2006, where one student was fatally shot by another using a pistol with hollow-point rounds.

While it is against the law for students or staff to bring guns and other weapons onto the campus of any public school in Oregon, those with concealed handgun permits are allowed to bring guns onto campus, but not inside buildings

Those interested can use the hashtag #UCCShooting to join in on the conversation.

This is a breaking news story. We will update this post with developments.

Photo Credit: Anna Reed, Statesman Journal
Photo Courtesy of the Statesman Journal, statesmanjournal.com

Letter to the Editor

The following letter was submitted with the intention of informing students about the dangers of drug use and to meet probation requirements.
Submitted by Nick [last name withheld]

As everyone told you before you entered a University, you’re going to have multiple opportunities to experience new things. A lot of these experiences can be great and leave a positive outcome on your life, like trying out a new sport you end up falling in love with, or joining a club that interests you and making a handful of new friends.

But, with the positive also comes the negative. New experiences usually come with the people you meet. Some of these people may not care about your well-being and may even just want your company. These people may introduce you to illicit substances, which can start you down a dangerous road.

The obvious outcomes people usually consider are skipping class to get high and your grades lowering as a result. But illicit and even legal substances can leave you with a worse ending. The most popular drug that people use on a college campus is, more than likely, alcohol.

Even this legal drug has awful consequences. Daily use can leave you with an addiction, an addiction that has the possibility to ruin your life. Even worse, an overdose of alcohol can end up ending your life.

There’s no fixing a mistake when you’re already dead.

But alcohol isn’t the only drug that people abuse. Anything from prescription medications to, the less likely, meth and heroin are taken. All of these drugs can land you with an addiction, in a jail-cell, or dead. A lot of students are also approached with the possibility of trying hallucinogenic drugs, and while these may be difficult to overdose on, death is still a possibility.

While being completely different in a variety of ways, hallucinogenic substances are just as dangerous as other drugs. Anyone has the potential to lose total control of their mind and body while high on them.

I mentioned it could happen to anyone, even those that have dabbled with the above-mentioned drugs.

Full-blown psychosis has the potential to occur at any moment while on them and one could easily be arrested or killed while in this state. These drugs are much less predictable than others, and possibly even more dangerous.

This is what happened to me.

Because I had taken LSD before, I thought I was familiar with the drug. I believed nothing bad could happen and I would enjoy myself.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

During my experience I went into a psychotic state. I lost control of my mind and body, which is a horrifying experience. I ended up yelling down the streets about how everyone should take acid. I threw my glasses off my head and tore my shirt off my chest. I ended up outside the pub on Main Street on a weekday night. There were a lot of people there, and I was shouting vulgar things at everyone, and even grabbed a hold of the bartender who came outside to try and diffuse the situation.

His attempt to get me to leave was nothing short of courageous. Dealing with someone literally out of their mind on drugs is an incredibly dangerous situation. The police were eventually called, and I wasn’t even aware they were on the scene.

While they were in the process of putting me in their custody, I spit in a Monmouth officer’s face. After I was put in cuffs, I was then brought to a hospital where I came down off the LSD.

I received the charges and in the end had to spend three horrible days in jail on a misdemeanor charge that was thankfully brought down from a felony. I’m currently on probation and still think about the situation some nights when I’m falling asleep. I made my future as a criminal justice major incredibly difficult as a result, and every day I wish I could take the choice I made back.

There’s no legal or illegal drug that’s completely safe to use.

Your mind and body can be seriously deteriorated with the use of drugs. Just remember that it’s true when people tell you that the habits you form early on construct you as a person in your later life.

It’s more than beneficial to start forming positive habits for your well being as a person early on in life, or you could easily end up in a less-than desirable situation like I described.

Exploring the inspirations behind different art forms

By Katrina Penaflor
 Campus Life Editor

The Northwest Passage celebrated the release of its spring issue Tuesday, May 26 in Hamersly Library. The party showcased students’ published work with a reading and was accompanied with music courtesy of KWOU radio.

Northwest Passage is a literary magazine equipped with creations of poetry, short stories, writing, art, and photography all submitted by members of Western’s community.

Emily Pate, a senior English major, was among the presenters. Her poem “The Fishwife” was inspired by a conversation she had with the Northwest Passage editor in chief, Bethany McWhorter, where they discussed a piece of Pate’s fiction that included the term fishwife.

“I realized that it is a very interesting word, and wanted to write a poem that explored potential meanings not usually associated with it,” she said.

“‘The Fishwife’ is about growing older, and how that changes someone’s perceptions, both about themselves and the world around them. Aging transforms both the body and the mind, so I wanted to depict that,” Pate said.

Poet and fifth-year elementary education major Emily DuMond presented powerful poems titled “You are needed” and “Bravery” that depicted the topic of suicide.

“I hope that my writing will reach those who need hope, that it will raise their spirits enough so that they think this life is worth living,” DuMond said.

After the poetry readings, a slide show showcased the art and photography that was published.

The work ranged from colorful screen prints depicting the effects of socially accepted vices to photographs of Haystack Rock.

Senior art major Jeanine Newsome talked about her untitled oil painting of an unmade bed. She said the piece reflected the “soft and calming nature when you go to sleep.”

The publication’s success is all thanks to students actively submitting their work and the editing work of English major and Northwest Passage editor-in-chief senior Bethany McWhorter.

“It has been a difficult process publishing issues this year, but I have been surprised by the turn out of creative works displayed by the talented students at [Western],” McWhorter said. “I hope that student involvement continues to grow in the coming year.”

She added, “it has been a wonderful experience working on the Northwest Passage and the wonderful staff of student media.”

Prepare for WOU Mania

By Amanda Clarke
 Staff Writer

The 11th annual WOU Mania will be held on Friday, June 5 at 7 p.m. in the Werner University Center. This year’s WOU Mania has a sports theme; students are encouraged to wear their “finest sports jersey” to the event. Students who RSVP ahead of time via Orgsync will be entered to win door prizes.

In addition to offering alluring free food, WOU Mania will also have multiple sports that students can participate in, such as one-on-one basketball and inflatable bouncy boxing.

This year’s WOU Mania will feature two comedians: Byron Bowers will be performing at 9:45 p.m., and Kendra Corne will be performing at 10:30 p.m.

Kya Rasmussen, a first-year early education major, said WOU Mania sounds “awesome.”

“I’ve never really been one for sports, but it sounds like a fun time,” Rasmussen said. She also mentioned her interest in the henna that will be offered at the event.

From its humble beginnings in 2004, WOU Mania has grown to be composed of multiple free events including a competitive eating contest, photo booth, caricatures, henna artists, a surf machine, and one-on-one competitive sports, just to name a few.

The event is sponsored by Student Leadership and Activities/Werner University Center with the intention of drawing students to participate in on-campus events.

WOU Mania was one of the Student Activities Board’s highlight events of last year, and in 2013 Mike Winfield, from Comedy Central, was invited to perform at the event.

“The mechanical bull [last year] was fun but really tough. It was better if you didn’t wear socks,” said Clifford Mullen, a junior social science major.

Previous years also included a Cat in the Hat photo booth as well as one-on-one competitive sports. Pictures from previous years are located on the SLA Orgsync page.

For more information, contact Ed E-Nunu at enunue@wou.edu.