2016 – Page 15 – The Western Howl

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By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Homecoming week is here, and while I’m looking forward to all the fun activities planned, I can’t help but be a little upset over the lack of equal species representation in homecoming sports.

There’s powder-puff football and powder-tuff volleyball, but where is the inclusion of our dogs with powder-ruff soccer? Sure, they might just run around and not play, but that’s still adorable.

Even more so, there isn’t even a powder-fluff laser tag for our cats. It’s common knowledge that cats love lasers, so nothing would make them happier than an event full of them. Think about the cats.

Animals of Western brighten our days and make us feel happy, so why do we exclude them from sports that would be both fun for them and adorable for us? It’s unfair for everybody involved. I’ll be the first to tell you that my sweater-wearing cats are very upset about not being involved in this year’s events.

This is just one example of a much larger problem in today’s society; our animals want to be involved. Clothes and costumes for animals are a step in the right direction, but bringing them into our most exciting events should be the standard. Just take the annual Puppy Bowl each year on Superbowl Sunday. That is so far the biggest step forward to animal representation, and Western should try to follow its example.

I know that my cats and dogs and I aren’t the only ones upset about this. Western students with animals must feel the same way. We have the power to change things, along with our animals we need to stand up for equal species representation in homecoming sports, because not only are animals a part of Western, they’re a part of us.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

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The other side of Shkreli

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By: Darien Campo
Designer

The Daraprim price hike scandal was one of the most talked-about stories of 2015, cementing former Turing CEO Martin Shkreli as the “bad boy of big pharma.” Daraprim, a drug used to treat infections in HIV-positive individuals, was purchased by Turing pharmaceuticals in early 2015. In September of the same year, CEO Shkreli increased the market-price of Daraprim from $13.50 a pill to $750 a pill, causing a 5000 percent increase.

The price change was immediately criticized by pharmaceutical companies, running presidential candidates, and all of mainstream media. Through this long campaign of skewering headlines and viral media, Martin Shkreli has come to be known to the public as the new face of greed and the evils of capitalism.

It’s almost embarrassing how quickly everybody (including myself) accepted Shkreli as the bad guy and worked together to lambast him online. Mainstream media and clickbait headlines don’t tell the whole story, and so over the last year Shkreli has taken multiple opportunities to explain and defend his actions as the head of Turing. After taking the time to hear the story from Shkreli’s point of view, I found that my opinion on him did a 180. I’m not here to say that what Shkreli did was right, but if you hate the man, it should be based on fact and not sensationalism.

“I think the idea that I represent pharma is insane,” Shkreli stated in a January, 2016 Vice interview. “I don’t like most drug companies, I think most of them do a bad job-I think that I’m different.” He justifies his company’s decision, saying that the price hike only affects large corporations and not innocent users.

“We sell our drugs for a dollar to the government; but we sell our drugs for $750 a pill to Walmart, to Exxon Mobil, to all these big companies, and they pay full price because f— them, why shouldn’t they?” The higher price only applies to larger corporations whom Shkreli deems to be the true super-villains of the pharmaceutical world. Those profits are then used to fund Turing’s research and development division: developing newer, cheaper and safer drugs.

In fact, Shkreli brags that Turing spends more revenue on research and development than any other pharmaceutical company in the country: 60 percent of their revenue, in fact, versus the standard 15 percent. In an interview on CNBC Shkreli revealed that Daraprim is far from perfect and that Turing hopes to replace it with a more efficient drug.

Even after its price hike, Daraprim is one of the cheapest drugs on the market, even though it treats one of the rarest infections around. The illness that Daraprim treats is so rare that Shkreli claims most hospitals will never even need the drug but, just to be safe, Turing offers a smaller, cheaper bottle of the drug that hospitals can use to stock up with.

Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals have done everything they can to make Daraprim one of the most highly available drugs in the country. He claims that most of their stock of the drug is sold off for only one dollar; if somebody can’t find or afford Daraprim, all they have to do is contact Shkreli and he will personally give them a free supply of the drug.

Martin Shkreli does not regret his decision to raise the cost of Daraprim. “If that’s the price I have to pay to find a new medicine for dying kids, I’ll raise it even more.”

“With respect to Daraprim,” lawyer Benjamin Brafman told the press after Shkreli’s infamous congressional hearing, “I think you will see he has saved many many lives with his brilliance.”

Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu

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Dear Esmeralda

Dear Esmeralda,
I’m a freshman bisexual girl and I have a big problem with relationships. They make me feel awkward. I don’t like holding hands and the mushy-gushy stuff hurts my soul. I’m asking for help to come out to my parents and also what I should do about not liking relationships. Am I the only one like this? I told my friend once, and she was really confused.
Confused in the Closet

Dear Confused in the Closet,
You have written to the right drag queen on this kitty girl! First of all, there is no rush in coming out to your parents. This can be one of the hardest things to do! Take a deep breath and, if possible, talk to them in person. I know it can be harder than a go go dancer’s abs but it will make you a happier person in the long run, for better or worse!

As for not liking relationships, this is easy as pie! There are many layers to an LGBTQ+ identity (not unlike onions)! There is romantic orientation, sexual orientation and, finally, gender identity! For example, I have this friend, (they are kinda a goofball and annoying but I love them anyway) whose full-blown identity is panromantic-grey-asexual-genderqueer. This means they are romantically attracted to all genders of people but rarely experience sexual attraction. No tea, no shade, no pink lemonade hunty, but it sounds like you could be the flip of them. You could be an aromantic bisexual. Be very careful to note the difference between aromantic and aromatic. One means you don’t experience romantic attraction and one means you have a smell about you.

To wrap it up, you are never alone in your struggles. Visit the Stonewall Center on campus or attend Triangle Alliance.
Please, if anyone out there has questions about their orientation ask the folks there or even bug me about it! Best of luck my dear!

Esmeralda

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Campus Voices

By: Ashton Newton,
Entertainment Editor

Question: Would you go to Mars?

“ billyann-color Yes, because I might meet a Martian and we could have an epic love story and it would be great.”
Billyann Stempel, sophomore, education

“Yes I would like to go to Mars. I’ve always gael-color
een interested in other planets and Mars is one of the possible planets we could go to, so I think it would be kind of cool to check it out and see what I could do.”
Gael Marin-Valdez, senior, exercise science/pre-education

nathalie-bw “No, I’m very terrified of the unknown, I think. It would be a very cool life changing experience but I’d be too afraid to not come back that I wouldn’t.”
Nathalie Olds, senior, communication

“No because I don’t really know what’s out there. We can be told what’s in space but it’s not trusted.”
Karissa Torres, sophomore, criminal justice

“I actually signed up for the Mars colony program in 2005, unfortunately diabet
es disqualified me. Why, because frankly I’d like to get the hell off this planet and away from everybody.”
Devin Shill, senior, education

katelynn-color

“Probaly not because one-the time to get there, two-I have plans for my life and three-I’m not an astronaut.”
Katelynn Van Gelder, sophomore, English

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Erase the stigma

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On Monday Oct. 10, Western observed World Mental Health Awareness Day. In the Werner University Center, ASWOU had a booth to bring awareness to our campus about the stigma surrounding mental health. Their goal was to educate the masses by using trivia and pamphlets from the National Alliance on Mental Illness website. They printed out pamphlets on the most common mental illnesses that afflict Americans. The pamphlets state the facts below:
Obsessive compulsive disorder affects nearly 1 out of 40 people in the U.S.

Post Traumatic Stress disorder affects 3.5 percent of the of the U.S. adult population which is roughly 7.7 million people.

Self-harm or self-injury affects mostly teens and young adults which is a sign of emotional distress.

Schizophrenia affects 1 percent of Americans.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects nearly 9 percent of children between ages 3-17. Nearly 4 percent of adults are diagnosed with ADHD.

Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 40 million (18 percent) of adults and approximately 8 percent of children and teens.

Depression affects about 16 million (7 percent) of the U.S.
population. Young adults in the age range of 18-25 are 60 percent more likely to have depression than those above 50.

Eating disorders affect 1 in 20 people at some point in their lives.

The students of ASWOU would like to bring these facts to the attention of Western students, as well as support those who struggle with mental illness. ASWOU member Madison Harner, a junior international studies major, eagerly wanted students to know the resources that are available.

“We’re supporting our students on campus and I think it’s important that students here know what resources they have, like the Student Health and Counseling Center and what services they provide,” said Harner.

Max Norr, senior history major, is also a member of ASWOU, is trying to get this knowledge to all who are willing to listen.

“The goal is to educate as many people as possible and the more educated people become, the less stigmatized it will become, because they’ll understand more about about mental illnesses,” said Norr. “Just trying to get the information out and letting people know that one, they’re not alone, and two, there are real reasons behind mental illnesses. It’s about erasing the learned discrimination and the learned internalized feeling towards mental illnesses. If we can work towards educating people and erasing that stigma, that’s our goal achieved.”

If you’re interested in learning more about the very real affects of mental illness visit www.nami.org for more information.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

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This week in completely made up horoscopes

By: Stephanie Blair, Ashton Newton and Zoe Strickland

Aries 3/21-4/19
Keep that pepper spray close, Aries. If you go back through your Snapchat story, you’ll notice that a clown has been following you around campus.

Taurus 4/20-5/20
Don’t get coffee this week, Taurus. I know you love it, but it doesn’t love you. It’s time to let your addiction go.

Gemini 5/21-6/20
Your lost twin is out there somewhere, Gemini. Just keep on singing your half of the Disney duet.

Cancer 6/21-7/22
This week, 50 Spongebob meme blogs will follow you on Tumblr. Are ya’ feelin’ it now, Mr. Crabs?

Leo 7/23-8/22
Be suspicious of everyone, Leo. There’s a 75 percent chance that the Libras in your life are lying to you.

Virgo 8/23-9/22
Have seen “Hocus Pocus”? Don’t light that black flame candle, you virgi- I mean, Virgo.

Libra 9/23-10/22
I know you love Halloween, Libra. Chin up, there’s only 19 days until the best holiday of the year.

Scorpio 10/23-11/21
You might as well throw out your birthday list, Scorpio. No one is going to buy you anything off of it anyway.

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21
It’s your world, Sagittarius. Let the “Happy Little Cloud” remix guide your week.

Capricorn 12/22-1/19
On Friday, your eyeliner will look great. But as soon as you leave your house, it will smudge and you won’t know for the entire day. Racoon eyes for life.

Aquarius 1/20-2/18
I’ll keep your secret, Aquarius. Nobody has to know that your favorite band is Phish.

Pisces 2/19-3/20
Sorry to break it to you, Pisces, but this is definitely all a dream. It’s not a good one.

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Don’t man up

By: Keith Mathew
Photo Editor

Man up. Grow a pair. Be a man. You’re not manly enough. We all hear those phrases said to men. What people do not understand is that these seemingly harmless phrases are destructive in nature and cause many problems in our society.

As a man, I absolutely detest the use of those phrases as it puts men in a nice little box where people want them. These comments are sexist against men, I even hear women say them. That’s right folks, sexism against men, there’s a new one.

We all hear about sexism against women but many of us overlook the sexism occurring against the other sex. I have seen my fair share of documentaries and articles about how these sexist phrases can cause men to commit crimes that many people associate with that gender.

Men are more violent than other genders because when we say, “man up” to a boy who is crying, they learn they cannot express sadness in that way. Then later in life through the social conditioning of society and media, they learn the only emotion that is expressed by their sex is anger. All these emotions, which become bottled up inside, stew until they morph into toxicity. This leads to the only outburst of emotion men are allowed to show: anger.

The box that society puts men into creates the monsters that commit horrible acts against other people. I have heard of many “fights” that have happened in high school just to show they are not afraid to punch another person “just because they can”. There is no reason for anyone to do that, it is just a feeble attempt to show you’re a “man.”

Just because it’s called the patriarchy, doesn’t mean all men have a better life. The patriarchy oppresses all people, sure it benefits men a lot more but only if you fit this mold they have made for you.

Every human being is different, so we should all treat them as an individual-not a stereotype or a generalization of their gender. In my book if you identify as a man you are a man, no matter what.

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.

No one lets the dogs out

The other side of Shkreli

Dear Esmeralda

Campus Voices

Erase the stigma

This week in completely made up horoscopes

Don’t man up

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