Mount Hood

Incidental Fee Committee makes preliminary decisions

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

The Incidental Fee Committee held their preliminary budget decision meetings for the 2017-2018 school year on Friday, Feb. 10 and Friday, Feb. 17. As of now, the projected incidental fee cost for the 2017-2018 school year is $345 per term, a 1.17 percent increase from the current school year. As part of that fee, the Health and Wellness Center cost per term will remain unchanged at $67.

Incidental fees are used to pay for on campus organizations including, but not limited to, Abby’s House, Athletics, WOLF Ride and Service Learning and Career Development. A total of $4,376,199 will be made from those fees for the 2016-2017 school year, and it is estimated to raise up to $4,437,195 for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Preliminary decision meetings consist of the IFC setting the tentative budgets for on-campus organizations and events before open hearings begin. Once open hearings begin, individuals can make a case on behalf of their organization for additional or continued funding, if necessary.

In addition to setting the base budgets, enhancements were also discussed. When a club or organization on campus is asking for an enhancement, they are requesting additional funding beyond their budget for a specific event, trip or job that is needed.

The largest projected budget cut for the upcoming academic year is going to ASWOU, with a 10 percent decrease, which is much smaller than a previously proposed 18 percent cut. Part of the reason behind the large budget cut is the confusion about what exactly ASWOU accomplishes for students through their day to day operations. The cut will be reflected by taking their requested budget of $294,821 down to $265,339.

Another organization whose necessity was discussed was the Creative Arts department, specifically the Smith Fine Art Series. IFC members criticized the program because of the imbalance between how much students are paying for the series and the lack of student attendance at the events. The series will be facing an 11 percent cut, which will take the $329,541 budget they asked for and leave them with $322,891.

Organizations that are proposed to receive enhancements are ASWOU, specifically the Student Veterans of America, Campus Recreation and Student Engagement.

Students who would like to make a case to the IFC on behalf of a club or organization may do so at the second open hearing this Friday, Feb. 24 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. in the Werner University Center. The first open hearing took place on Tuesday, Feb. 21 from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. Individuals are allotted three minutes to speak; groups receive five minutes.

More information about the IFC process, including policies and meeting minutes, can be found at wou.edu/ifc.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Monmouth community and Western students join to create a safer city

By:Jade Rayner
News Editor

The movement to declare Monmouth, Oregon a sanctuary city is one that began roughly two months ago by a concerned member of the community and has gained a growing amount of support since then.

HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 16: Demonstrators including students from local high schools as well as a college rally in front of Homestead City Hall against President-elect Donald Trump and are asking that the city be used as a sanctuary city and their respective schools be sanctuary campuses on November 16, 2016 in Homestead, Florida. Mr. Trump has said he will crack down on so-called Òsanctuary citiesÓ or cities that donÕt help federal authorities seize undocumented immigrants. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

There is no concrete definition for what it means to be as sanctuary city; it varies from place to place. For a city to declare sanctuary status, it’s stating that it will protect its citizens from unlawful prosecution from federal immigration, relating to the Oregon law ORS 181A.820 that states: “No law enforcement agency of the State of Oregon or of any political subdivision of the state shall use agency moneys, equipment or personnel for the purpose of detecting or apprehending persons whose only violation of law is that they are persons of foreign citizenship present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.”

According to information provided by Western student Hector Virgen-Marquez, the proposal to make Monmouth a sanctuary city was brought to Monmouth City Council by Patty Dixon, a concerned member of the community that was trying to help other community members. She was met by a motion from city council member Laurel Sharmer, but it was not met with a second. Therefore, the proposal did not pass.

Upon hearing about this, Virgen-Marquez explained that, “Marshall Guthrie the director of the Student Enrichment Program had heard of this, and rallied a few students together to make a second proposal. He contacted students from MEChA de WOU, and UNIDOS and brought six motivated students together to propose, for a second time, that Monmouth declare sanctuary city status.” The students involved were Evelyn Guzman, Sandy Estelle, Juan Navarro, Jaime Hernandez, Aminadab Diaz and Hector Virgen-Marquez.

Additionally, Western student Erika Azua and Dr. Maureen Dolan, Professor of Sociology led an outreach committee to reach out to other members of the community, Western administrators, businesses and clergy leadership.

During the Feb. 7, 2017 Monmouth city council meeting, the six Western students brought up the sanctuary city proposal. Much like the first time with Dixon, the proposal was met by a motion from council member Sharmer, but no second was offered by the remaining city council members. “Needless to say, this was a great defeat, as we had failed to prove to our council members that this is an important topic that deserves discussion in a public setting such as this. But regardless, that only helped fuel energy to push us to try again,” Virgen-Marquez stated.

When asked what it would mean to the Western community for Monmouth to declare itself a sanctuary city, Hector Virgen-Marquez replied, “… it will show the students at Western that the city they live in also cares about them, and for those who are currently under a degree of fear – it shows that they are able to go out to the city without feeling uncomfortable and anxious of federal prosecution.”

These students will be bringing the proposal to the Monmouth City Council again on Feb. 21, 2017.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Listen up

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

Unlike other forms of entertainment that are popular amongst the college crowd such as television, music and movies, there is one that is under-appreciated: the podcast. Podcasts can cover a wide variety of topics, from news to technology to history. For students, there are plenty of podcasts worth checking out.

One such podcast is “Modern Love” through WBUR. It is based off the New York Times column and explores the rollercoaster that is love. The premise of the podcast is sharing stories about love, whether they are truly happy stories or more trivial. A new podcast is released every Thursday and can be found on www.wbur.org/modernlove.

“Reply All” is a podcast with a different focus: the internet and technology. However, according to Nick Quah from Vulture, “Despite the name, ‘Reply All’ isn’t a podcast about technology – it’s a podcast that tells gorgeous, painfully human stories that happen to have bits of technology sprinkled in.” To find out more about this podcast or to subscribe to it, visit www.gimletmedia.com/reply-all/.

For a more well-known podcast, TED Talks are available to listen to through the TED radio show, co-produced by NPR and TED. TED Talks discuss creative ways of thinking, new inventions and out-of-the-box ideas. At www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/, there is more information about where to listen.

Whether hanging out in a dorm, driving around or waiting for another next class to start, listening to a podcast can be an entertaining way of spending one’s time.

Contact the author at ajames16@wou.edu

Review: “A Cure for Wellness”

By: Kiley Prom
Freelancer

From the director who has brought us modern-day classics such as “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “The Ring,” comes a poor excuse for a horror movie set in an isolated spa in the Swiss Alps.

The story follows the young protagonist, Lockhart, an executive at a financial institution in New York City, as he travels to the Swiss Alps to retrieve his company’s CEO from his extended vacation. From the moment Lockhart reaches his destination, he can already tell that it wasn’t an ordinary day spa. After being told the history of the grounds by a sketchy cab driver, he walks into the spa with the full intention of bringing back the CEO in no-time-flat. Sadly, his retrieval mission doesn’t go as planned and he begins to learn the true secret behind the secluded wellness center.

The first 40 minutes of the movie are very well done. The aesthetics are absolutely stunning and add to the suspense and intrigue of the film. The story is just engaging enough to keep the audience interested. Once the movie hits about the middle mark, however, the quality quickly goes downhill.

With the way the first half went I expected there to be a big climax, but it never came. The beginning of the movie gives a sense of excitement, but by the third act, the excitement is gone because there are no answers.

The story seemed to be at a stand still and had me glancing at the clock wondering how there was still over an hour left. Honestly, I felt like I could have walked out of the theater halfway through and came back for the last five minutes without missing anything.

The number of plot holes and unexplained phenomena going on were almost laughable as the director, Gore Verbinski, tried to throw in as much randomness as he could just to get a reaction out of his audience. Verbinski also decided to make viewers uncomfortable by turning the film into a worse “50 Shades of Gray,” complete with awkward sex scenes and nudity, but with a repulsive incestual twist.

There was the potential for a good film, but it fell just short of what it was trying to accomplish. The cinematography was beautiful, and the score was one of the best I heard in a film as of late, but it was too long, making it hard to stay invested especially with no climax. This is the kind of film where waiting for it to come out on Netflix isn’t a bad idea. At least then there’s the possibility to fast forward through the mundane parts.

Contact the author at kprom15@wou.edu

1/4
+ Great cinematography
– Squandered ending

Wolves impress at ​GNAC Indoor Track Championships

By: Burke​ ​De​ ​Boer
Sports​ ​Editor

Wolves athletes traveled to the conference indoor track championship at Boise State’s Nampa facility. They came home with conference titles, new school records and NCAA qualifiers.

Junior David Ribich won two conference titles, claiming top spot in both the mile race and the 3,000 meters.

“After last year’s finish, I got second by 0.01,” Ribich told GNAC TV. “I just wanted to come out and run my own race. If I was going to come out and get second or third it was going to be because of me.”

Senior Josh Dempsey recorded another Western Oregon championship, winning the 800 meter contest.

Sophomore Dustin Nading was second in the mile, behind teammate Ribich. Ribich crossed at 4:10.01, while Nading finished right behind him at 4:10.93.

Dempsey was joined by two Western Oregon runners on the 800 meter podium. He won the race with a time of 1:52.47, and was followed in short order by Nading at 1:54.32 and sophomore Michael Chin at 1:54.94.

Sophomore thrower Brandon Bowen posted a personal best in shot put with a throw of 14.9 meters.

The points racked up by the Wolves lead the men’s team to a second place finish, pulling 82 points on championship Saturday.

The women’s team also performed well, totaling 25 points on their way to winning ninth place.

First year student Grayson Burke, sophomore Olivia Woods and juniors Megan Rose and Suzanne Van De Grift made up the 4×400 team that came in fifth place and set a new school record time of 3:51.18.

Van De Grift also had an NCAA provisional time in the women’s 800 meter, finishing at 2:13.92 for fifth place.

The Saturday finals came after a Friday of qualifiers, in which Van De Grift set a new school record at the 800. She ran it in 2:10.88, coming in second place, on the first day of competition.

Junior sprinter AJ Holmberg also set a Western Oregon record, running the 400 meter in 48.40.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Protesting in peace

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

On Sunday, Feb. 19, an estimated 1,010 people gathered in front of the Oregon State Capitol building in Salem for the Immigration Rally: part of the Immigrants’ March on all 50 State Capitols protest that took place on President’s Day weekend.

According to the event’s Facebook page, the purpose of the rally was to empower all citizens, foreign or native, and to stand “in unity and solidarity with all immigrants.”

In contrast to the pouring rain and heavy wind that lasted for the duration of the event, both the speakers and attendees alike held their heads and their signs high to spread the message that they, immigrants, weren’t going anywhere.

Western students Gabe Heredia, a senior community health/education major, and Madelyn Hay, an interdisciplinary studies major were two of the many students attending the rally. When asked what brought them to the event, Hay replied that, “One of the biggest reasons we wanted to come is Gabe’s family is actually immigrants … that’s something that kind of struck with us. Like if this had happened 50 years ago, we never would have met … they were given their chance and we think everyone deserves their chance.”

Salem resident Taylor Emery was also among the many who stood in protest.

“I’m here today because this is something that I passionately believe in, and I wasn’t able to go the Women’ March … so I’m here to support the immigrants that supported me at the Women’s March,” Emery explained.

“I want to try and be involved as I can … this is just something that I think shouldn’t even be an issue. Diversity is needed.”

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

What are your pronouns?

By: Keith Mathew
Photo Editor

Students or members of Western’s community have most likely heard the query, “what are your pronouns?” Students may immediately respond, some may freeze in confusion. The question is referring to whether a person uses he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs or any number of other options.

In my social circles asking for pronouns is a typical thing to ask, but for some it may be a weird question. In an effort to create inclusivity for trans individuals, the asking of pronouns has become a common occurrence in most LGBTQ+ spaces, however, we must remember not everyone knows what it means.

For those that do not know, pronouns are what are used in place of a thing, in this case a name. I use the pronouns he/him/his or they/them/theirs. Even though I am a cisgender male I accept they/them/theirs because it is a way to move towards gender inclusivity and gender neutrality.

A lot of the time, pronouns “match” the gender of the individual but not always. For example, a woman can use she/her/hers most of the time but that does not mean other pronouns cannot be used. A person who is neither a man or a woman can use they/them/theirs or the lesser known xe/xem/xir, however, like in all cases the individual can choose whatever pronouns they want.

Using correct pronouns is important in all cases because it makes the person feel respected and it avoids misgendering. Assuming people’s pronouns based on looks can also lead to misgendering. Misgendering is the misuse of a person’s pronouns. This typically happens to trans people because they may not have the typical “look” of their gender.

Misgendering is like when two siblings where the parents use the wrong name for each child. When the wrong name is called often the child will be upset because they were not called the correct name. That is what misgendering feels like, except worse.

From stories trans people have told me, asking for pronouns is one of the best questions they can be asked. Asking shows caring and interest into wanting to know the person and to be respectful of them. Messing up on pronouns shouldn’t be a big deal though; the best thing to do is to not make a scene and just correct yourself.

Pronouns are becoming a more popular topic to talk about and are being more involved in schools, like here at Western. Knowing the uses of personal pronouns and why they are important can get you far. Hopefully people will become more understanding and observant to pronoun use and no more will you be frozen in confusion when asked, “what are your pronouns?”

Contact the author: kmathew14@wou.edu

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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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