2016 – Page 28 – The Western Howl

By: Stephanie Blair
Copy Editor

Every time I walk down the toiletries aisle of a store I am bombarded with products that proclaim “FOR MEN” or “Women’s ______.” It took me longer than I care to admit to realize that one costs more than the other.

So, I went searching for prices to demonstrate this inequality. What I found wasn’t super surprising to me: women’s products cost more. Often a non-gendered product was the cheapest, though some would argue that some scents are inherently male or female.

Basically, if y’all don’t want to smell like a particular gender, decide first if it’s worth the extra money. This is college: we’re all poor and no one cares if you smell like “cocoa butter kisses” or “thunderstrike flashfire.”

Products:

Winco generic brand, Laxatives. (Everyone poops, get over it.) I checked, there’s no difference in ingredients!
Non-gendered: $1.94 for 25 (7.8 cents per pill)
Women’s: $3.60 for 30 (12.0 cents per pill)

Speed Stick, Deodorant.
Men’s/default gender: $1.98 ($0.66 per ounce)
“Lady Speed Stick:” $2.15 ($0.91 per ounce)

Bic Pens (on Amazon), blue ink, retractable ballpoint
Ungendered: $7.67 for 12
“BIC for her:” $7.49 for 2

Gilette, Shaving cream.
Standard/Ungendered: $2.69
“Venus”/Women’s: $3.24

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What fourth estate?

By: Alvin Wilson
Staff Writer

Thanks largely to the actions of politicians, press freedom is an issue that countries around the world currently face.

In countries such as China and North Korea, both at the bottom of the Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index (WPFI), practicing journalism means repeating what the government wants the press to say.

The WPFI ranks countries based on how free their press is, taking into account anything from journalist killings and kidnappings to laws that prohibit criticizing the government.

America is regarded as a free nation—one in which journalists are treated well and allowed to practice their profession freely. This has been historically true and, to an extent, it still is. But since 2010, the U.S. has dropped from number 20 on the WPFI to number 41. That puts us just behind South Africa and just ahead of Botswana.

Press restrictions are real in America, and they creep up nearly undetected. The way journalists are treated by their country’s politicians can shed light on their country’s press freedoms.

For example, in American political campaigns it is normal for journalists to be confined to a “press corner,” where they are secluded from the candidate and the audience. It’s also not unheard of for journalists covering protests, such as the ones in Ferguson, to be arrested.

Our most renowned politicians, by being complacent with these practices, are facilitating the creation of more press restrictions.

Hillary Clinton received backlash early in her campaign when she roped off reporters during an Independence Day parade. She came under fire again last month when CBS reporter Stan Bush claimed she was using a white noise machine to prevent reporters from hearing her from outside a fundraising event.

Donald Trump has been especially insulting to the press. Here’s a list of some news outlets he has attacked and what he said about them, according to the New York Times:

The Associated Press: “… reporting is terrible and highly inaccurate.” “… always looking for a hit to bring them back to relevancy—ain’t working.” “… has one of the worst reporters in the business.”
Politico: “… considered by many in the world of politics to be the dumbest and most slanted of the political sites.” “… if they were legit, they would be doing far better.”

Univision: “… too much debt and not enough viewers.” “… controlled by the Mexican government?”

You get the point.

When politicians marginalize, demonize, and try to delegitimize journalists who are just doing their jobs, it makes it easier for them to justify restricting press freedoms. When politicians invent new ways to hide things from the press, they’re opening the door for others to do the same.

With political leaders such as ours, where will America’s press freedom rank eight years from now?

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Bringing culture to the arts

By: Rachael Jackson
Campus Life Editor

Among friends, peers, and colleagues, four visiting scholars from China took the Smith Hall stage to showcase their talents. The scholars were a handsome group: two sopranos, Xin Zhang and Xue Chen, Tian Cao on trumpet, and Wei Jiang on the piano.

The four hail from the Guangxi Arts Institute in the city of Nanning. They are on campus as part of the Visiting Scholar and Faculty Program, and are here for tutelage and for the experience of a different culture.

Isabel Martinez, senior early childhood education major, made it out so she could support the parents of her students. It was surprising to see how skilled the performers were.

“I think they did really great. It is interesting to see them every day and then on stage. I had never thought they would be that talented. I mean, I knew they would be, but just … not like that,” Martinez said.

Liz Halligan, along with her husband, have been offering a place at their dinner table for visiting scholars every Friday night as part of the outreach program International Students Inc.

“The students that come, they are either in business or accounting or computers … to have this many artistic performers is exciting,” Halligan said.

It is new for most people of the western world to see anyone other than white opera performers.

“It was really great to see the different cultures come out. It isn’t something you see a lot of. I was impressed by the piano player,” said Shelby Morgan, employee of The Research Institute.

Though many songs were operetic, that is not all the singers performed. Zhang sang “Rejoice” by George Handel and a Chinese folk song titled “A Glass of Beautiful Wine,” while Chen gave a lively performance of “Glitter and Be Gay” from “Candide”.

The night was carefree and fun as the four played for a room of friends, but it was also inspiring to see what the international students are bringing to the university. It is a reminder to take part and see what students are doing around campus.

“I think the school is really taking good care of their international students. They are interested in them, and care about them, and support them. But international students always want to make more friends, they want Americans to reach out to them. They can get lonely,” Halligan said.

Contact the author at rjackson13@wou.edu

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Humans of Western

By: Zoe Strickland
Staff Writer

Stevie Lamica, English Writing major, fourth-year.

“I have a dog. His name is Walter, he’s a black miniature schnauzer. He’s a puppy, so he’s six-months-old and learning how to be potty-trained. Because I live in Dallas and go to school here, I constantly come home to little doggy turds everywhere … I think I’m a cat person. I have a cat, he’s a Persian. He’s really cute. Everyone says he’s really ugly, but they just don’t know what’s cute. He’s like my little world … Edgar. Edgar and Walter. I almost got a cat two weeks ago, but the boyfriend talked me out of it.”

“The boyfriend and I have been together for four years, and we just moved in together last year. So it only makes sense to have a plan, because we grew up together and he was my best friend my whole life. We’re that high school sweetheart thing … his family is friends with my family, his brother grew up with my brother and they’re best friends. So we’ve always been comfortable enough to talk about marriage and having kids and we’re both on agreement.”

“[Writing] is one of the few things people have always encouraged in me. I’ve always known that I’m decent at it, I wouldn’t say I’ve been great at it. But it makes it so it makes me more confident about it, because my confidence was built up about it, it made me want to do it. And then I realized ‘oh, this makes me happy’ and ‘oh, look it I can change things with this’ and ‘make other people happy with it’… It makes me happy to write in my pastime, but if I wanted to support a family off of it one day, how much stability would it provide me with? [Poetry] is probably my favorite thing to write. I would like to write novels, but I don’t have time … it’s hard. I’m addicted to working, so that doesn’t help.”

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Dear Esmeralda

Dear Esmeralda,

I am an aspiring drag queen and would love some makeup tips! Since you seem to know what you’re doing anything you’d care to share? Thanks in advance!

Made up in Makeup

Dear Made up in Makeup,

HAHAHA! I literally know nothing much … just like Jon Snow! I usually go with the “mess-around with-it-until-it-looks-good” approach.

What I can say is this: colors matching your skin tone are important. As I started my performance career on stage I did my foundation a couple shades darker than my skin tone. Make sure you hit your neck and get a good even coating. Also, if you’re showing some body-ody, blend the color down to your neckline.

As for colors for eyeshadow and lipstick, there is literally no color drag queens can’t wear. Go crazy with it!! Fuschia and lime? Heck yeah! Mauve and taupe? Sure! Have fun with it!

Another pro-tip: don’t buy fancy makeup to start. Walmart brand works just as well! If you’re looking for a more serious tutorial on different makeup things check out my drag sister’s makeup channel: Fabulex Makeup. She knows makeup better than anyone! The best thing you can do is experiment and find your own style! Get it, girl! Hope to see you beating your face and serving fish!

XOXO
Esmeralda Dharma LaChance

Contact Esmeralda Dharma LaChance on Twitter @miss_ezi or find her on Facebook with your questions on love and life!

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Western hosts third annual Black Graduation

By:  Amanda Clarke
Staff Writer

Coming June, Western will be celebrating its third Black Graduation.
The event will be put on by John Wilkins from Campus Life and Student Activities, along with Lavender Graduation, according to Courtney Briscoe, junior psychology major, the current president of the Black Student Union. The Black Student Union on campus will cosponsor the event.

Black Graduation is rooted in African and Black cultural traditions, and is open for all participants who not only identify as African American, but also identify with other culturally Black backgrounds.

Briscoe said the Black Student Union contributes to Black Graduation “to recognize those students who identify as Black and their success of graduating from a four-year university. It is also important because these students are attending a predominantly white campus, and by contributing, BSU is meeting our goal of promoting Black excellence.”

“Black Graduation is an event for the African American community to come together embracing our culture through the celebration of our success in graduating,” said Thelma Hale, a member of the Black Student Union on campus.

During the event, participants can expect a keynote speaker, as well as the opportunity to speak. In the past, participants have received stoles from the Black Student Union.

An award that may be given is the “kente cloth,” which is a symbol of “history, philosophy, ethics, oral literature, religious beliefs, social values, and political thoughts,” Briscoe said. Briscoe also said students will receive awards which “recognize their efforts on campus.”

Black Graduation is expected to take anywhere from one hour to an hour and a half.

“[It] is usually a small event, but the students who are graduating invite their family and friends to come celebrate with them,” Hale said.

“This event does not replace traditional [graduation], but it is an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends,” Wilkins said.

Black Graduation will take place June 10 at 3 p.m. in the Willamette room of Werner University Center.

Students who wish to participate can register on the forum on OrgSync by 11:59 p.m. May 29. Anyone is allowed to attend; however, Black Graduation is typically an intimate event between graduates and their families.

“Usually we would like to keep this reserved for the students, their families, and their guests,” Briscoe said.

For more information about the event, contact John Wilkins at wilkinsj@wou.edu.

Contact the author at amnclarke@gmail.com

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Oregon Senator cosponsors campus sexual assault bill

By: Conner Williams
Editor-in-Chief

A bill formed last year addressing sexual assault on college campuses is being urged in part by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 34 other cosponsors to be passed by the Senate immediately.

After being idle for about nine months, the bill, titled the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, would “ensure campus sexual assault cases are handled with professionalism and fairness to better protect and empower students, and would provide colleges and universities with incentives to solve the problem of sexual assault on their campuses,” according to a statement from Hank Stern, Wyden’s press secretary.

“Ensuring the most basic protection – safety – for young people trying to get an education ought to be foremost in our minds,” Wyden said in the statement.

Of the bill’s 35 cosponsors, 22 are Democrats, 12 are Republicans, and one is an Independent. The bill is being pushed as a strongly bipartisan effort to address many of the issues relating to sexual assault on college campuses. The bill was originally introduced to the Senate in February 2015, was then reviewed by a committee in late July 2015, and has since gained some headway in being brought back into the spotlight in hopes of being passed.

If passed, the bill would do the following: establish new campus resources and support services for student survivors, ensure minimum training standards for on-campus personnel, create new transparency requirements, require a uniform discipline process and coordination with law enforcement, and establish enforceable Title IX penalties and stiffer penalties for Clery Act violations.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that college campuses reported more than 6,700 forcible sex offenses in 2014. However, a study from the Department of Justice claims that that figure may be underreported by at least four times the true amount.

For Western, data shows that there were five occurrences of rape on campus in 2014, and one case of rape in on-campus student-housing facilities.

Rebecca Chiles, director of Campus Public Safety at Western, said that the main goal to combat sexual assault is to provide tactics that address preventative measures, rather than simply resources for after the fact.

“We have so many resources available for people here on campus,” said Chiles. “We want it to be confronted before it happens and to be stopped, we don’t want it to just be a resource place for after it happens.”

Chiles also noted that if a student reports an instance of sexual assault to Public Safety, the department cannot legally report it to the local law enforcement agency.

“The victim has to say, ‘I want this reported.’ They have to decide if it will be reported to the police or not,” said Chiles.

Chiles said that Public Safety works with student leaders on campus, including Resident Advisers, PLUS Team leaders, and Summer Bridge leaders, among others.

“It’s about education, and it’s about encouraging people to report [instances] that may not rise to the level of sexual assault, but could still be considered inappropriate,” said Chiles.

“I would encourage people to speak up and speak out, and to not let this stuff go unnoticed,” said Chiles. “Call out people’s behavior that is inappropriate, unhealthy, and, especially, criminal.”

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu or on Twitter @journalEIC

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.

The price of pink

What fourth estate?

Bringing culture to the arts

Humans of Western

Dear Esmeralda

Western hosts third annual Black Graduation

Oregon Senator cosponsors campus sexual assault bill

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