November 2016 – Page 8 – The Western Howl

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

The first time I listened to an audiobook was when I had a job that allowed me to listen to music as I worked. Getting bored of hours of music, I decided to listen to Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods” on audiobook, and it took over my life. I found myself listening to it when I was driving, when I was walking, when I was working and even while doing homework. I found it so easy to be productive while thoroughly enjoying this story.

Despite how busy life can get while in school, there is a lot of leisure time. Whether it is an hour in between classes or a lazy Sunday afternoon, time spent doing almost anything can be enhanced with an audiobook playing.

This is why I think that audiobooks are a college student’s best friend. Not only are audiobooks great, but there are also audiobooks for almost every major text you’d need to read for an English class. It’s a much better experience listening to “The Odyssey” when Sir Ian McKellan is reading it to you while you’re on a run or playing video games. Plus, I’ve found that listening to audiobooks doesn’t take away from reading at all, instead, I don’t zone out or skip long passages, like I have the habit of doing.

Finding audiobooks is extremely easy too. Spotify has a huge library of audiobooks in all genres. There are lots of short stories and novels available to listen to for free. Another good source of free audiobooks is YouTube. You can find almost any classic work there, so it’s a really good place to find books for English classes.

My favorite place to listen is Audible. All you need is an Amazon account and $15 a month and you can get two audiobooks a month. This is a great way to get more recent books. While spending $15 on audiobooks a month is pretty high, you can always cancel the subscription if you think you won’t finish the book in time.

A lot of skepticism surrounding audiobooks relates back to boring readers. It’s uncomfortable listening to anyone read a book to you, but if the reader’s voice is monotone and boring, it can be a struggle to listen to. My first audiobook, “American Gods,” was a full cast audiobook, so there were many different voices throughout the book which made it very pleasant to listen to.

I’d recommend finding an audiobook of a book you’ve either already read or that you’re extremely interested in just to get a feel for audiobooks. After listening to “American Gods,” I listened to “Star Wars: Bloodlines” by Claudia Gray, which I got really into because I’m fascinated with the “Star Wars” universe.

Listening to short stories is also great because they don’t have a huge time commitment and they’re easy to balance into everyday actions. Spotify also has lots of free short stories in their library, from classics to horror. They can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, so they’re great to listen to while walking from class to class or at the gym. The best short story audiobook that I’ve listened to is HP Lovecraft’s “Call of Cthulhu,” but it’s a pretty scary one.

Audiobooks are a great way to kill time and keep your mind entertained and sharp. The options of what to listen to are endless with free content all over the Internet. Next time you have a break between classes or a long car ride, consider trying out an audiobook. You might not like it, but if you do, your options are virtually endless on books to listen to.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

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Nintendo switches things up

By: Matthew Oldfield
Freelancer

For quite a while Nintendo has been secretive over their new gaming console, for a while calling it the “NX” system and keeping everything quiet. Slowly, news outlets rolled out information about what Nintendo’s been up to: stories of their patenting screen and controller designs. Now the secret is out and the Switch is here.

On Oct. 20, Nintendo held an event to showcase their new console and all it can do. Aside from the usual function of a gaming console, the Switch comes with a modular like controller that can slide out of its holder and attach to a portable screen that allows you to keep playing your game, similarly to the Wii U.

Along with their technical display, Nintendo has announced some games that would be available for the system, such as “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild,” a new unnamed “Mario” title, “Skyrim: Special Edition,” “Pokémon Sun and Moon,” as well as future titles from third party developers like Activision, Sega, and Capcom.

Not much else is known at this time about what the new system is fully capable of. Nintendo has met with criticisms from consumers from the limited information, but with a demo presentation slated for Jan. 12 and the console releasing March of next year, there’s not much longer to wait.

Contact the author at moldfield14@wou.edu

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Expressionism on the stage

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western theater students took to the Rice Auditorium stage to rehearse for the 2016 fall show, “Machinal.” Despite the fact that the set remains unfinished, the students are eager to begin rehearsal to make this show as polished as possible.

As stated by the Internet Broadway Database,“Machinal,” written by American journalist and playwright, Sophie Treadwell, premiered on the broadway stage on Sept. 7, 1928. Written in the style of expressionism, “Machinal,” brings an interesting and eccentric form of storytelling to the stage.

According to the University of Delaware Library, expressionistic plays are known for their “unconventional” ways of showing the inner workings of the human psyche. Often employing the use of strange dialogue, unrealistic movements, distorted scenery and stylized acting.

“The simplest way I could describe it (expressionism) is the idea of the individual being crushed by the machine of society,” said Gabriel Elmore, a junior in the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program and supporting castmate.

“It’s not so much about the dialogue, as it is about the feeling that the dialogue invokes, from the audience and the actors. My character is trying to be as real as possible, but she’s failing miserably at it, because, she has all of these societal pressures that are coming down on her.” said Meghan Doerfler, a sophomore in the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program and lead in the play.

When asked if she faced any challenges while taking on the role of, “Young Woman,” Doerfler responded, “I really enjoy working on it so far, because it’s my first lead role here at Western, and that in itself has been a challenge for me.”

“It’s such an expressionistic play, and that’s something that I don’t think any of the actors in the show have ever done before, so it’s getting used to a whole new style of acting while still trying to act it,” she added.

“Machinal” is performing in Rice Auditorium Nov. 10-12 and 16-19 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 13 at 2:00 p.m.

“Machinal is about your average Jane trying to survive in this society that she doesn’t know how to behave in.” Doerfler said, “She wants to find love, and everyone is telling her that is an impossible concept”

For purchasing tickets and additional information contact Rice Auditorium’s box office at 503-838-8462.
Box Office Hours: 12:30-4:30 p.m. weekdays, reopening at 6:00 p.m. night of performance.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@mail.wou.edu

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Editor’s picks

community-colornbc-com

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendations:
“Community” is a show about a study group at a community college who go through all kinds of trials and tribulations. It’s absolutely hilarious. Anyone associated with a college campus relate to a lot that goes on in the show. The characters deal with difficult classes, love, friendship and the occasional school-wide paintball battle. “Community” was created by Dan Harmon, who also created “Rick and Morty.” There are six seasons now streaming on Hulu and for years fans have been petitioning for a movie to be made.

Editor’s Disparagement:
Movie trailers that give away major plot details infuriate me to no end. There are some things in movies that should be kept a surprise. The best example of this is in the trailers for “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice”. Doomsday’s reveal would’ve been so cool if they hadn’t tacked it onto the end of the trailer. The trailer for “Suicide Squad” does the same thing by showing almost every major Joker appearance. If I had better self control, I’d boycott watching the trailers altogether. The best movie trailers are the short ones that simply give a feel for the movie, rather than giving all the details of it away.

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Abby’s House

Our name: The name Abby’s House was chosen in honor of Abigail Scott Duniway, who fought for women’s right to vote and to own property in Oregon and nationally. She was the first woman to register to vote in Oregon.

Our mission: To provide the WOU community with educational programming, information, and referral services designed to promote equity and non-violence. We embrace a feminist model that empowers all people to actively stand against all forms of violence, harassment, verbal abuse, discrimination, and hatred.

Our services:

Resource and Referral Center

Resource and Gender Studies Library

Educational Programming

Located: Werner University Center

For more information: 503-838-8219 – abbyshouse@mail.wou.edu – wou.edu/abbyshouse

Weather your home is half a block away or half a world away, everyone can use a home away from home. That’s what Abby’s House is about. It’s a place to relax with a cup of tea, to meet with a group or to find the resources to overcome obstacles.

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“Together we fight to take back the night”

By: Shaylie Pickerel
Staff Writer

Oct. 25 was the annual Take Back the Night event held by Abby’s House on the bottom floor of the Werner University Center.

This event is held on campus every October, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Take Back the Night began with an informational piece about the origins of this event.

The first Take Back the Night rally started in 1975 in response to the murder of Philadelphia-based microbiologist Susan Alexander Speeth, who was stabbed to death while walking home alone.

During the event, a gong is struck every nine seconds, representing how often women are beaten in the U.S. During this everyone is silent-showing respect and reflection for the event and victims lost to domestic violence and sexual assault. The power of the silence intensified after every gong ring.

Western’s President, Rex Fuller, was invited as a guest speaker. He expressed his feelings on the subject and shared some statistical facts surrounding campus safety and reported attacks. “Only 70 percent [of students] know where to go or what resources are available [after an attack],” said President Fuller.

Mary Ellen Dello Stritto, the coordinator for Abby’s House, also spoke about her opinion on the matter and how domestic violence and sexual assault affects Western students. She shared details about Green Dot and the training information that Campus Public Safety receives. Dello Stritto also shared educational facts about on-campus resources, including the three sexual assault nurse examiners on campus.

During the speaking portion, we also learned about the fears of the dark and human tendencies to blame victims. Following this, they had a portion called the speak out. The speak out is to give those who came to the event the chance to share their opinions or personal experiences.

Domestic violence and sexual assault are things that impact people’s lives and can be next to impossible to overcome. Take Back the Night participants marched through campus holding signs and candles to break the silence and to take back the night. “We are women, we are men. Together we fight to take back the night,” chanted students.

Aislinn Addington, the director of Abby’s House, discussed some of the actions that Western students can take to break the silence surrounding domestic violence. “The most important step is bystander intervention,” said Addington, “the incident [any form of domestic violence or sexual assault] doesn’t just affect the immediate parties, but all of us. It’s our job to talk about it and raise awareness.”

Take Back the Night occurs on campuses across the nations and serves as the, “hallmark event of Abby’s House.” Addington recommends that all students should, “take the pledge to take action.”

Contact the author at spickrell15@wou.edu

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Election Day 2016: take measures to be informed

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

Election Day is coming up fast and many Oregon voters have already been and will continue to receive their ballots in the mail. The key to voting for both first-time and experienced voters is taking time to read the Voter’s Pamphlet and do some additional research in order to make informed decisions on your ballot.

Measure 95 is one of those decisions that could potentially have an impact on students, therefore it would be beneficial to research all sides before voting on it. As stated in the Oregon Voter’s Pamphlet, Measure 95 is a proposed amendment to the Oregon Constitution that, “allows investments in equities by public universities,” in order to try to reduce financial risk and increase investments to benefit students. The measure would allow all seven of Oregon’s public universities, Western Oregon University included, to invest in stocks which is currently prohibited by the Oregon Constitution. Summarized on oregonvotes.gov, the measure itself would place zero financial requirements on the state or local government; it would be the responsibility of each individual university to invest or not as they see fit.

According to Michael Shill, Edward Ray and Tom Insko, Presidents of University of Oregon, Oregon State University and Eastern Oregon University, the goal of the measure is to, “create more opportunities for middle-class Oregonians to access a college education,” by using investments to minimize tuition increases and reducing the amount of student debt. Currently there are no officially stated oppositions to Measure 95, but there have been reports of concern about risky investing and whether or not tuition costs would actually be lowered.
It is important that you do your research and make your own decision when it comes to voting on any issue. Make sure to find reputable resources and look at all sides before sending out your ballot this week.

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
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.

Accessibility Public Records Privacy Student Consumer Information

WOU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by WOU.

Give audiobooks a chance

Nintendo switches things up

Expressionism on the stage

Editor’s picks

Abby’s House

“Together we fight to take back the night”

Election Day 2016: take measures to be informed

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