Mount Hood

Leadership Awards honor standout scholars

By Jack Armstrong and Madison McCammon
 News Editor and Freelancer

The Student Leadership Recognition Awards were held Tuesday, May 12. This awards ceremony is an annual event on campus.

“This was the 25th year of these awards here at Western,” said Gary Dukes, vice president for student affairs.

This year’s ceremony entitled “Lead Long and Prosper,” was presented in a classic Star Trek theme, and even provided party-goers with the opportunity to utilize a photo booth featuring Kirk and Spock.

The awards themselves are focused on recognizing students who display great effort and achievement in both their on campus, and off campus activities.

“Students can be nominated by anybody on campus, although it is usually faculty,” said Dukes. “Then, once a student has been nominated, there is a committee of faculty and staff who makes the final decisions.”

Some of the awards were campus-wide nominations but some were department or club specific.

“Each department has their own process for award determination. Some are peer-selected, others are staff-selected and some are selected directly by the university committee,” said Megan Habermann, assistant director for student leadership activities.

Kylie Roth, recipient of the Julia McCulloch Smith Outstanding Graduating Women Award, said she felt “very honored and grateful” to be given the award. Roth, a senior psychology major, also received the Karl Amspacher award and a Who’s Who certificate.

Roth has been chosen to be one of the speakers at commencement as a result of receiving the award. Roth said she still is not certain what she intends to speak about.

“In general, I plan to talk about the things that stood out to me during my four years at WOU and encourage all graduates as we move forward with our lives,” she said.

Two other graduating students were selected to speak at commencement ceremonies after receiving their awards.

Eli Zachary was announced as winner of the Delmer Dewey Outstanding Graduating Men Award, and Erica West Oyedele was announced as winner of the 2015 Outstanding Graduate Student Award.

Oyedele was recognized by her supervisory professors for her work on her thesis entitled “Persistence of African-American/Black Signed Language Interpreters in the United States: The Importance of Culture and Capital.” She was also recognized for her commitment to complete her program remotely from California.

“I don’t know exactly what they saw in me,” said Oyedele, “but they saw something, and for that I am grateful.”

Even though the award ceremony lasted much longer than expected, winners and attendees left happy.

“It was a special, fun night, and my congratulations go out to all of the deserving winners,” said Roth.

Saudi international students restricted by registration requirements

By Jack Armstrong
 News Editor

The registrar’s office at Western has seen a rise in the number of international students from Saudi Arabia requesting enrollment in online and hybrid classes.

For some, this is no problem, but for Saudi students who receive grants or scholarships from the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM), enrollment in online classes is strictly forbidden if there is a classroom option available.

According to their website, the Saudi Cultural Mission was created by the Saudi Arabian government in 1951. Along with several other programs created at the same time, the SACM is designed to create and administer programs and policies to aid Saudi students studying abroad in the United States.

One of the programs strictest polices concerns students enrolling in online or hybrid courses.

“Online degree programs are strictly forbidden,” states the SACM policy handbook. This means that Saudi students are required to attend traditional brick and motor colleges.

While attending traditional U.S. universities, SACM students are also limited in how many online or hybrid courses they are allowed to take, and must limit these classes to special circumstances.

Western Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Stephen Scheck said this policy is in place to ensure SACM students experience the full spectrum of what it is like to be an American student during their time abroad.

“SACM wishes for the students to have face-to-face engagement with professors and other students in the class,” Scheck said. “This allows them to gain as much exposure to American culture as possible.”

According to the policy handbook provided by SACM, students are allowed to enroll in online classes if the course is required and a face-to-face option doesn’t exist, or if it doesn’t otherwise fit into their current schedule.

“If a face-to-face class offering exists, we would not wish for a SACM student to enroll in the online section,” said Scheck, “but recently we have experienced an increased number of inquiries from the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission about why students enrolled in on-line courses.”

As a result of increased scrutiny on the part of the SACM, Western’s registrar’s office has been instructed to increase their diligence when enrolling Saudi students in online sections.

SACM students will now be automatically prevented by a BannerWeb hold from registering for online or hybrid classes.

According to the new Western policies, “holds will be removed if the student provides the International Education and Development Office documentation that SACM has approved enrollment into a specific on-line/hybrid course.”

“We are being more proactive to ensure that students stay in compliance with scholarship requirements — hence the additional steps Saudi students must fulfill to enroll in online coursework,” Scheck said.

Despite the extra steps now required of both Western faculty and Saudi students, Scheck remains confident that SACM’s policies are beneficial to the international scholars.

“[SACM’s] oversight is a resource for students and their families adjusting to life in the United States,” Scheck said. “This is just like other students on scholarship, restrictions may be applied that must be met such as maintaining a minimal GPA, or making progress toward major completion requirements.

Saudi students seeking assistance in enrolling in these classes have been asked to contact Ambre Plahn in the International Office at 503-838-8434 or plahna@wou.edu.

Western celebrates Arbor Day

By Katrina Penaflor
 Campus Life Editor

An Arbor Day celebration was brought to Western’s campus, Wednesday, May 20, thanks to the university’s arboreal advisory committee.

Arbor comes from the Latin words meaning tree, and the purpose of the day was to plant, honor and protect trees.

The celebration consisted of a tour around campus to three different memorial trees: Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Honor for WOSC parents, and Dr. HR Montana Walking Bull.

The arboreal advisory committee put on the event to fulfill part of the requirements for Tree Campus USA—which was created by the nonprofit, Arbor Day Foundation. Tree County USA, recognizes two-year and four-year colleges that show dedication to the upkeep of the environment.

The tour was led by the committee and students from Biology 321, systematic field botany. Presenters spoke about the history and origin of the trees, as well as their characteristics.

The first tree was in memory of Sharon Christa McAuliffe, and is a Kwanzan Cherry. Student Michael Calhoun said the purpose of the tree is to “inspire future educators,” to “reach for the horizon.” The tree produces flowers in shades of pink and white, and keeps a short trunk with long dense branches.

Junior education major Jacob Howard said the Kwanzan Cherry “does bloom very beautifully when you get a chance to see it.”

The second tree was a Katsura Tree, and is dedicated to all parents. Biology major Alexander Heenan discussed how the tree can grow up to 60 feet tall. It also cannot survive in long standing dry conditions, a problem not faced in Oregon.

“When the [leaves] fall, they put off a sort of caramel scent,” Heenan said.

The final tree on the tour was a giant Sequoia, which can grow to over 300 feet, presented by biology major, Joseph Reeder. The Sequoia is dedicated to former teacher, Dr. HR Montana Walking Bull. He was a member of the Cherokee tribe and his poem “Wolf Bird” was read by Calhoun during the tour.

The tour concluded with an inaugural tree planting in the grove with the help of Kevin Hughes, Western’s landscape supervisor. He prepped the tree for planting by scoring the edges of the hole was dug in preparation and trimming the lower branches of the tree. Both are tips he recommended for anyone planting trees.

The tree is a Mountain Hemlock that blooms cones instead of flowers, biology major Adam Jensen, said.

The tree “will be a great complement to our campus,” Jensen added.

Nuestra Fiesta Latina

The Multicultural Student Union organized a Nuestra Fiesta Latina or “Our Latin Party” celebration, Friday, May 15. The event featured live salsa, merengue, and bachata music in the plaza by performers Conjunto Alegre, along with games and a photo booth. Following was a speech about bilingual education by assistant superintendent of the Oregon Department of Education, David Bautista. The night concluded with a dinner, dancing, and more performances by Mariachi Calavera and Ballet Folklorico Tlanese.

“The Voyage of the Hokule’a”

By Jenna Beresheim
 Staff Writer

Students and Monmouth community members recently attended a trip through the Polynesian islands, eating authentic meals and watching traditional dances, all for under $20.

Saturday, May 16, Western’s Hawai’i club hosted their 9th Annual Lu’au, in tandem with the Nesian Club.

The Lu’au hosted over 20 dances ranging from Tahiti, Samoa, Aotearoa, and more. The evening started off with a dinner full of traditional foods such as Kalua pork, Poke, Mac Salad, and coconut cake.

Between rounds of dances, volunteers were called to the stage to participate in fun games, such as trying to pronounce Pidgin – an accent based off of English with its own Hawaiian flair.

“Performing at this year’s Lu’au was a really great experience for me, especially as a first year student,” Erica Sanchez, first year dance major, said. She choreographed three dances for this Lu’au.

Other choreographers were Kamaka Keawekane, Tolu Tafai, Nikki Ki, Tavae Sina, Melody Andrada, Kaua Kauahi-Daniels, Courtney Costa, and Gianne Pabustan.

“I feel that we did great, but the main thing is that we had fun,” said Tafatolu Naea, a junior pre-fire service administration student and president of the Nesian Club. “It’s always a pleasure to show others a taste of our Polynesian culture and dancing is a big part of it.”

Naea has participated in both Lu’aus the two years he has attended, saying that, “I’m glad we got to represent some of the different Pacific Islands such as Fiji, Aotearoa, Tahiti, Hawai’i, but especially my home land and the heart of the pacific islands, Samoa.”

The club’s energy and passion was showcased in smiling faces and powerful dancing, even with a few whooping “Cheehooos!” from the crowd and dancers alike.

“Shout out to a good friend Alyssa Carvahlo who’s a senior and in the Hawai’i club,” Naea added. “She played a huge role in putting the Lu’au together. You the one!”

This was the final year of Carvahlo’s participation as a Western student, as she will be graduating in a few weeks with the class of 2015. Carvahlo even created a dance as tribute to all of her friends and connections as a parting gift to the club.

Not your average fairy tale

By Katrina Penaflor
 Campus Life Editor

Hamersly Library will host a book signing and reading of Kate Ristau’s young adult novel “Shadowgirl,” Wednesday, May 27, from 4-6 p.m. in room 107.

Ristau is a former writing instructor at Western who has always harbored passions for teaching and writing.

Some of her former works include a collaboration with multiple professors from the English and writing department on the coffee-themed anthology Coarse Grounds, and the book Commas: An Irreverent Primer, which she wrote with literature and writing instructor Maren Anderson.

Ristau said she enjoys writing young adult and middle grade fiction and loves incorporating her background in folklore into her work.

“Shadowgirl” was originally published by Lycaon Press and later by Parenthetical publishing. It was released May 21.

The novel is a young adult fantasy with incorporated elements of Irish folklore, and tells the story of a fey named Áine, whom Ristau said “crossed over from the fairy world to our world.” The book follows Áine’s journey to finding the truth about her family and past.

“It’s not a light fairy tale,” Ristau said and adding that the novel’s tagline is “this is not a fairy tale.”

Ristau said the novel raises the question: “if a fairy came to our world what would it really be like?”

Ristau’s “stories are tight and have a forward momentum that makes them fast, exciting reads,” Anderson said.

“Shadowgirl” is already raking in rave reviews on Amazon. One reader, Pam Killebrew, wrote in her review, “I inhaled this book — from the first chapter I was hooked; I couldn’t put it down. Interesting setting, intriguing characters, and a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.”

Aside from the upcoming signing in Hamersly Library, Ristau will also be at Annie Bloom’s Books in Portland May 28 from 7-8 p.m.

Ristau’s advice for students and writers is to continually write.

“Get a draft and get something out on the page,” she said. The next step is “you have to revise and edit,” and then: “you have to send it out.”

She added: “after you send something out, keep writing more.”

Ristau is currently drafting a sequel to “Shadowgirl,” and has two other novels in submission.

For more information about Ristau’s work, go to her website http://kateristau.com/

100 Years of Never Ceasing to Learn

By Elizabeth Lowry
 Freelancer

Withstanding the test of time, Western’s Information Technology Center is celebrating its centennial this year.

In 1882, the Oregon State Legislature — according to John C. Almack’s History of Oregon Normal Schools — passed a law that created state normal schools. Derived from the French term ecole normale, normal schools were institutions that provided training programs in the “norms” of teaching.

Western, named Christian College at the time, renamed to Oregon State Normal School. Four other normal schools were opened in the cities of Ashland, The Dalles, Weston and Drain.

However, 16 years later in 1898, legislature would pass The Daly Bill which took away the power to grant teaching certificates from both denominational and state normal schools. While the plan was to eventually give authority back to state schools, in 1909 state funding was pulled completely and all five normal schools closed.

Through the support of the Monmouth, Independence and Polk County communities, the Monmouth school was able to open its doors once again, renaming to Oregon Normal School (ONS) in 1911.

With the new lack of normal schools, ONS found itself in the predicament of raising student enrollment and decreasing space.

With only four classrooms in their model school, dubbed “the Patch School” due to its differing colors of exterior paint on its original floor subsequent addition of a second floor, ONS approached the Oregon State Legislature to request funds for a new training school.

In 1915, Legislature awarded ONS $50,000 and development for the Monmouth Training School was put on the fast track.

Under the supervision of skilled state architect John Virginius Bennes and Corvallis contracting firm Snook and Traver, construction for the two story building, which included a basement, began on Aug. 11, 1915. Using many Oregon-based materials, including stones mined from Oregon quarries, the Training School officially opened Feb. 14, 1916.

The finished building was comprised of a 210-seat auditorium, 7 classrooms with attached recitation rooms, restrooms, administrative offices and a 2,000-book library. The basement contained two playrooms, domestic science and art rooms and a children’s lunch room.

As the campus population continued to increase, the Training School went through several major changes in its 100-year history, including the addition of its northeast and southeast wings for increased classroom space in 1949 and 1959 respectively. In 1964, the Training School changed its name to Campus Elementary School (CES) to avoid confusion with the new Monmouth Elementary School. By 1986, CES had closed and the building underwent a structural remodel before being repurposed as the Instructional Technology Center (ITC).

Currently the ITC is home to Western’s computer and audio/visual centers. An architectural staple, the ITC holds a rich historical past and a bright indispensable future to Western’s campus.

The ITC exhibit “100 Years of Service: Never Cease to Learn” exhibit is located on the second floor of Hamersly Library and is available for viewing until June 30.

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Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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