Mount Hood

Review: “Rings”

By: Kiley Prom
Freelancer

Continuing the route of its predecessors, this unnecessary third movie in “The Ring” franchise follows the story of the girl who’s never used a brush, as she continues her murder streak through old pirated VHS tapes.

Updated for 2017, the characters make use of current technology such as quicktime files and cellular phones, as well as keeping to the roots by starting with the original VHS tape.

Fit with a stereotypical young love between a 26-year-old who viewers are supposed to believe is a freshman and a girl who can’t attend university for a reason they never care to elaborate on, this new installment is unnecessarily packed with plenty of cheesy romantic comedy tropes.

“Rings” follows what many horror movies have done before by casting an actress with tremendously bad acting and breathing problems, and an actor whose only memorable moments are the few times he takes off his shirt.

“There’s no hiding” from this strange plot that includes a random girl on the side of the road whose presence is confusing at best until the last 20 minutes of the movie.

The film also takes our main couple on a wild goose chase, sending them back and forth between the only three buildings in the small town of Sacramento Valley, in search of the decomposed corpse of Samara.

“Big Bang Theory’s” Johnny Galecki, or Professor Gabriel as he’s referred to in the film, makes his appearance as the occult leader of students who spends his freetime showing anyone willing to watch a film from a VCR he procured at a garage sale. His character turns the already far-fetched concept of a girl coming out of the TV into a science fair project.

Vincent D’Onofrio shows up in the latter half of the movie as the saving grace of the film, playing a very convincing role as a blind man whose character becomes much more memorable as the film goes on.

The filmography was well done, all things considering. The director, F. Javier Gutiérrez, incorporated heavy use of imagery that he featured in single framed shots throughout the film. Gutiérrez also included a lot of religious symbology such as a church, crosses, as well as a painting of the Virgin Mary that contrasted with the demonic nature of the film. The director also seemed to take some pointers from popular directors before him, cashing in on the dolly zoom effect utilized in Alfred Hitchcock’s film “Vertigo,” to create a feeling of disorientation.

The movie itself has no scary moments aside from a few jump scares you can see coming from a mile away, and some uncomfortable moments for the entomophobes in the audience.

Other than a few plot holes, such as the protagonists phone never running out of battery despite using it as a flashlight for over 30 percent of the film, and a confusing timeline, “Rings” is not bad. It’s not the best horror movie of all time, nor the best in the “Ring” franchise, but it did manage to keep me engaged for 100 minutes without falling asleep. However, the movie offers no rewatch value.

Contact the author at kprom15@wou.edu

3/4
+ Great supporting cast
– Unrealistic plot holes

Softball opens season

By: Burke De Boer
Sports Editor

Wolves softball traveled to Las Vegas for their first taste of competition in 2017. The season started hit-and-miss, and after three days of gameplay the Wolves are now at 2-3.

The first day was the hardest, as the Wolves suffered two losses. The first was a tight 1-3 to Azusa Pacific. In the second game, playing Chico State, Western Oregon went into the seventh inning with a 4-2 lead. But Chico State was able to capitalize on final mistakes, and won 7-4 in extra innings.

A high scoring second day saw Western Oregon win one and lose one. The win against Minot State came courtesy of a big fifth inning, where the Wolves scored three runs to take the lead and close out 5-4.

Senior Ashlee Lynch scored a homerun in the game, while first year pitcher Chandler Bishop recorded the win in relief.

The final loss came at the hands of Cal State San Bernardino, who scored the winning run on an RBI double in the home half of the final inning.

Senior Sammi Cadwallader pitched a shutout against Cal State Monterey Bay for the final win. Senior Kelsie Gardner scored the only run of the day in the first inning.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Creating an inclusive community

By: TK Layman
Staff Writer

Inclement weather and blustering winds showed a small but intimate turn out for speaker Kerani Mitchell’s community discussion “Exploring What Makes Us Oregonian.”

Ten people total showed up to talk about community inclusion and how they can, as a group, share stories of how they have all felt included or excluded from their particular community, and explore options to help those who may not feel welcome to be a part of their surroundings.

Kerani Mitchell, a graduate of Seattle University with a degree in international studies, started the group by leading them through a quick reflection and having them consider what brought them to the discussion. By laying out the guidelines of creating a safe inclusive space and keeping an open mind, Mitchell got the audience thinking.

Introductions led way with participants stating their name and one thing they love about their community in Oregon.

During introductions, one audience member prompted the question, “When can someone call themselves an Oregonian?” As participants pondered on what makes someone an Oregonian, they all came to terms; an Oregonian is one who lives in Oregon.

Mitchell had the audience break up into two groups to discuss times they felt included in their community, and how they can identify ways to help others feel included in their daily lives.

One member, a teacher within the community, spoke about the difference between the “golden rule” and a different concept called the “platinum rule,” giving a description of treating others how they wish to be treated, rather than how one would want.

Mitchell ended the conversation with a recording of Maya Angelou’s poem “Human Family.”

By the end the group came back together to discuss ways they can help someone who may feel excluded from their community feel more welcome. Several of the ideas discussed included having themselves step outside their comfort zones and immersing themselves in a new culture, or searching for community involvement opportunities and above all treating everyone with human decency. As the conversation died down, the words of Maya Angelou resonated over the crowd: “We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

Oregon Humanities Conversation Project continues Thursday, Feb. 16 with the next installment, “The Space Between Us, Immigrant Refugees, and Oregon” by speaker Manuel Padilla. Starting at 7 p.m. in the Anderson Room at the Salem Public Library
Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

Editor’s picks

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Editor’s Recommendations

“Runescape” is a special kind of game. It’s one that has lasted the test of time, still going strong after 16 years. With over 80,000 players still actively playing, “Runescape” is still an increasingly popular game.
“Runescape” is an online fantasy game where your options are endless. You can take on almost

Photo from the episode “Wayne Dream Team”

any fantasy role imaginable, levelling up your many skills as you go. The game also features hundreds of quests to take players on journeys and adventures throughout the world.
Having played “Runescape” for over ten years on and off, I can fully recommend playing. Even in college, chopping some trees after class is a great way to wind down.
While Runescape’s playerbase has significantly decreased over the years, updates are still being made and new players are joining all the time.

Editor’s Disparagement

The new DC comics show “Powerless” on NBC has a lot of potential. Set in the DC Universe, “Powerless” follows the powerless employees of Wayne Security in Charm City.
The premiere was nothing but a tacky workplace comedy. With cheap jokes and poor performances, “Powerless” makes terrible use of its star studded cast, which includes Alan Tudyk, Vanessa Hudgens and Danny Pudi.
With every bad joke the show also threw in the name “Bruce Wayne” or “Batman.” Fully aware that the DC aspect is the only selling point, “Powerless” drowns viewers in poorly timed references.
Only the premiere has aired, but if the show doesn’t improve greatly, it’ll get cancelled in no time. For those curious about watching it, I’d say it’s a complete waste of time at this point.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Comedy comes to Western

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Western students have been hard at work on the upcoming theater production “All In The Timing.” Written by David Ives, “All In The Timing” is a set of six one-act plays that focus on wordplay. The play is directed by Western’s own, Dr. Kent Neely, and also stars six Western students.

Each one-act has its own characters and comedic style, so each actor gets to play multiple characters throughout the production.

“Each of the one acts heavily relies on the absurdity of language, specifically talking about [Universal Language] we literally speak gibberish for about half of it,” said Lindsay Spear, a junior in the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program and cast member.

The one-acts featured in “All In The Timing” include “The Philadelphia,” “Universal Language,” “Mere Mortals,” “Sure Thing,” “Words Words Words” and “Variations on the Death of Trotsky.”

“They’re all really funny. David Ives was a smart guy and he really used that to create comedy. That’s a big part of it. It’s just a really enjoyable show,” said Nick Hulscher, a sophomore in the Bachelor of Fine Arts theater program and cast member.

Asked about working with the rest of the cast, Spear responded, “Everybody has brought their own style of comedy to it. Since we’re all playing different characters, it’s nice to see how everyone handles different characters and different one-acts.”

“There’s only six of us, so we were almost all there every night for rehearsals and since we all already knew each other and it was such a small group, we got close really quickly and that let us connect on more of a personal level in the scenes,” added Hulcher.

Recounting her favorite part of being on the cast, Spears adds, “‘Universal Language’ is probably one of the the hardest plays I’ve ever been in because I start off speaking English, but as it goes on I speak more and more of this gibberish language Unamunda and at one point we’re supposed to scat in this Unamundan language and the one day we finally got it right we both started screaming. It was so much fun.”

“It’s not a series show. You should go into it expecting to laugh. Don’t expect some serious tragedy because it’s really the opposite,” said Hulcher. He describes the set as a comedy club with a brick wall in the background.

“All in the Timing” runs in the Rice Auditorium Black Box studio Feb. 9-11 at 7:30 p.m. with an additional 2:00 performance on the 11th. Tickets are $14 or $8 for a Western student.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Bump, set, spike, slide

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

To continue the beginning of WOU Accessibility Awareness Month, members of WAAM held an event in the gym of the Health and Wellness Center to play seated volleyball. Seated volleyball is a paralympic sport for athletes with disabilities. The rules and scoring aspects of the game are still the same as in volleyball. The court is the same size as a badminton court, and the net is lowered almost all the way to the ground. The ball can be hit with any limb as long as the buttocks is on the ground, the buttocks also includes laying on the back and shoulders. The movement of the sport consists of sliding back and forth across the court by using hands or elbows.

Jennifer Taylor, an assistant professor in the Division of Health and Exercise Science, led the event. Although the event was small in numbers, those participating were smiling and enjoying the activity. To begin, Taylor had the participants run drills by sliding themselves through small cones so they could get used to the movement. Then, after explaining the rules, they jumped in for a few practice games. It began with only four players on each team, but as they played, a few people began to join making each team a little bigger. Although the group that attended the event was small, that did not affect the large amount of fun the participants had while playing Seated Volleyball.

WAAM is going to be having events all this month. To find schedules and to see posts made by WAAM follow them on instagram @wou_waam.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Get amped for baseball

By: Burke De Boer
Sports Editor

The Wolves were ranked second in the GNAC preseason poll, and pitcher Brady Miller was named an All-American as high hopes were extended to Western Oregon Baseball.

The college baseball season is upon us. It would already be here, but Western Oregon’s opening pitch was delayed on account of weather. Last weekend’s rain postponed a double-header against Corban.

And so excitement continues to build as the Wolves wait to get the 2017 season under way.

The preseason coaches’ poll placed Western Oregon second in the GNAC, with one vote for first place. Northwest Nazarene, the team that beat the Wolves for the GNAC championship in last year’s 8-9 title game, remain on top.

Then the National College Baseball Writers released their preseason rankings, where the Wolves and Northwest Nazarene tie for 10th place in the western region.

The Baseball Writers also named their preseason All-American rosters. Junior pitcher Brady Miller made the All-West first team and the All-American third team.

Miller was last year’s GNAC pitcher of the year, going 10-2 with a 3.14 ERA.

The Wolves will open their season this weekend in Fresno. After some time on the road, their first game at home is a double header on March 4.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

The women’s march doesn’t stop here

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

The past 19 days have been full of marches and protests. From the National Women’s Marches across the country to the Science March that’s being planned planned for Earth Day, people are trying to make sure that their voices are heard.

The National Women’s March was one of the largest marches in history; people of all genders and nationalities came together to express their opposition to the inauguration. Among those protesters was a large volume of white, able-bodied, cisgendered women. Hell, the hats that were being knitted for the Women’s March were essentially a representation of cisgendered genitalia.

I get that people tend to feel attacked when you bring this up, but this is something that should be brought up. My problem with white cis-women showing up in droves to march comes when you compare the crowds at the Women’s March to the crowds at nearly every other protest or march around the country – crowds that get less attention because this section of the population isn’t there. The public are more likely to reflect positively about an event if white women are there; it makes no sense, but that’s institutionalized prejudice for you.

The amount of people marching across the country was massive; it was great. But where are those crowds of people during Black Lives Matter protests? Where are they during the uprise against the Dakota access pipeline? What are they doing to help the Flint water crises?

If you marched or wanted to march at the National Women’s March, remember to keep your views intersectional. Remember that there are people who may not have an identity similar to yours that still need to be supported. Transgender and gender-nonconforming people need to be supported. People with disabilities need to be supported. People of different races need to be supported. Just because a protest or march may not apply to you, doesn’t mean you can dismiss it and just not pay attention.

When you look at how many people protested in Portland after the election and then look at which of those people actually voted in the election, there’s a massive disconnect. The Oregonian reported that of the 112 people arrested at the protest, only 28 percent of them actually voted and that 32 percent voted but didn’t turn in their ballot.

Even though the Women’s March exists as a result of the anticipated anti-women policies of the current administration, CNN reported that 52 percent of white women voted for Donald Trump. This half-hearted attempt at showing discontent won’t get things done.

The people who are against the Trump administration and their policies have four more years- activist efforts shouldn’t be confined to just the months surrounding the election and inauguration.

All of these marches and protests mean nothing if you pick and choose which causes to support. Just because you obtain rights that you’re comfortable with, doesn’t mean the job is done; it just means that you are currently more privileged.

Protests and activism are a vital part of our rights as citizens – why not take advantage of that right? In our current digital age, you don’t have an excuse for not being an active member of society. If you can’t make it to a protest, you can still talk about it. You can still stay educated, you can still educate other people.

Contact the author at zstrickland14@wou.edu

Weekly update: IFC Meeting #3

By: TK Layman
Staff Writer

Friday, Feb. 3 the IFC meeting took place in modular 101 outside Rice Auditorium. After the committee saw presentations from all other campus organizations, the remaining – Athletics, Student Engagement and ASWOU, presented their budget proposals for the 2017-2018 school year.

Student Engagement included budget proposals for campus structures such as operations and student employment, leadership, inclusion and the Student Activities Board. With their proposed budgets for the year, they look to re-up their contract with OrgSync, the web application hosting all on-campus organizations.

Athletics holds the highest budget on campus and is looking to add safety improvements to the Women’s Softball field, adding an NCAA required safety netting to the dugouts. Their fear is that if the IFC cuts funds, they will have to reallocate funds to make sure equipment is kept up to date in terms of safety standards, as well as reducing the number of athletes who attend road games. Teams attending road games typically fly to their locations. The Athletics department stated if the budget was reduced, they would have to travel by bus, increasing the number of hours traveled and the amount of class missed for student-athletes.

Before ASWOU gave their presentation, they asked to reallocate funds from their non-specified account to cover their trip for Student Lobby Day, a day for student’s to speak with state representatives about their school experience and encumbrance of student loans. ASWOU asked for $500 to cover the travel costs, and it caused some trepidation from the IFC Committee. After discussion, the motion passed to reallocate travel expenses for Student Lobby Day 7-1-0.

The next meeting is Friday, Feb. 10 where the committee will make their preliminary decision on the budget before opening the floor to hearings.

Contact the author at tlayman16@mail.wou.edu

Don’t believe the myths, learn the facts

By: Jasmine Morrow
Staff Writer

The College of Education, the Spanish Department and the Bilingual Teacher Program at Western asked Kim Potowski, a professor of the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago, to present her session: “Spanish in the U.S.: Myths and Realities,” in the Richard Woodcock Education Building. On Feb. 3, professor Potowski began the seminar by asking the group of people attending five facts or myths about the Spanish language.The trick was that they were all myths. The questions/statements included: “The United States is the fifth largest Spanish-Speaking country in the world,” “Spanish is not recognized in the ‘Diccionario de la Real Academia,’” “Some things that people say in U.S. Spanish is ungrammatical,” “Spanglish is a random mishmash of English and Spanish and is destroying Spanish,” “The goal of Spanish teachers should be to eliminate ‘Spanglish’ and have students pass for monolingual.”

Professor Potowski then explained why these were all myths. To begin with, the U.S. is the second largest Spanish-speaking country. It’s impossible to be agrammatical when a whole community says it the same way, this is only possible with the first rule of grammar. Second, the first Spanish word was put in the dictionary on Sept. 30, 2012. Third, Spanglish is rule governed and there is code switching, word borrowings, extensions and calques.

People usually think of U.S. Spanish as ungrammatical because it’s not preferred. The reason why people who are fluent in both Spanish and English sometimes use both languages in a single sentence is because it is a marker of their identity. Sixty percent of the population is bilingual/multilingual and 20 percent of the bilinguals are in the U.S. Studies show that two-way bilingual is the better way to learn English and Spanish, they can also be better readers and speakers. Professor Potowski concluded the presentation by saying, “Respect the language and culture of U.S. Latino Communities.”

Contact author at jmorrow16@mail.wou.edu

Activism through education

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Western Accessibility Awareness Month started off with a presentation from Dr. Kathleen Bogart, assistant professor of psychology at OSU, called “Looking Beyond Face Value: The Psychology of Disability and Ableism.”

Dr. Bogart opened with a discussion of what disability was and ways that society views it. She asked the audience to imagine a community where everyone had the same disability and how society would then view someone without that disability.

Dr. Bogart went into talking about facial expression disorders. Having facial paralysis herself, Dr. Bogart has had the drive to study the psychology behind facial paralysis for most of her life.

Dr. Bogart has conducted and published research studies using focus groups to try pinpointing the emotions of individuals with facial paralysis.

One goal is to raise public awareness of facial paralysis and moebius syndrome, to teach people to see past it. Dr. Bogart talked about the idea of activism through education. Part of this idea is Moebius Awareness Day on Jan. 24, a day dedicated to educating and spreading awareness about moebius syndrome, a rare condition that causes facial paralysis.

The take home message of the presentation was to be both a thoughtful and an adaptive communicator to everyone everyday.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Record-setting weekend for indoor track

By: Burke De Boer
Sports Editor

The Wolves track and field team was named the GNAC team of the week after an incredible showing at the University of Washington Invitational.

The indoor track event saw Western Oregon break two conference records and five school records.

Junior distance runner David Ribich ran a mile in 4:02.30 to set a new record for both the school and the conference. It’s also this year’s first NCAA automatic qualifier coming out of the conference and stands as the fastest time in all of Division II so far.

Kennedy Rufener then finished the 5,000 meter race in 17:24.07, a new school record. Her time currently leads the GNAC.

School records were set in both the men’s and women’s distance medley relay.

First-year sprinter Grayson Burke arrived with a flash, joining the veteran 4×400 meter relay team to set the fifth team record.

Junior Suzanne Van De Grift was involved in both the distance medley relay and the 4×400 meter relay teams to get into the record books twice. She also ran a 2:14.10 to rank 16th in the nation in the 800 meters.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Dispatches from the sports desk

By: Burke De Boer
Sports Editor

The Washington Wizards opened the year terribly, going 2-8 but turned things around and have the best record in the east over the last two months.

Just last week, they dressed in all-black to put their rivalry with the Celtics to rest. And it was a funeral, beating the third-ranked Celtics 123-108. They followed it by thrashing the fourth-ranked Hawks 112-86.

Meanwhile, at the top of the Eastern Conference, the Cavs lost to the Blazers, the Pelicans, the Kings. LeBron made headlines saying his team is too top-heavy.

Cleveland will get back on track; LeBron teams always do. But if this Washington team stays on form I’m seeing a new candidate for sheriff in the east.

John Wall has scored right around 30 points a game for two months. He’s averaging 23 points and 10 assists this season. That’s an average of a double-double.

Otto Porter and Bradley Beal have also found themselves. The young core that Washington spent a few years developing is now paying off.

Coming off the bench, Kelly Oubre is a defensive machine and Trey Burke sometimes shows flashes of lightning. If the Cavs are worried about depth, the Wiz may be the stuff of nightmares.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Weekly update: Incidental Fee Committee

By: TK  Layman
Staff Writer

Week two of the Incidental Fee Committee took place on Jan. 27 for on-campus programs to present their proposed budgets for the upcoming school year. The committee heard presentations this week from three organizations: Creative Arts, Student Media and Campus Recreation.

The previous week’s presentations included proposed budgets for accessibility through the Office of Disability Services, Abby’s House, Childcare through the Children’s Development Center, WOLF Ride and Service Learning and Career Development. Of the organizations who have presented, they’ve proposed their internal budget in relation to on and off-campus events to take place, as well as compensation for the workers involved in the departments.

Week three begins on Feb. 3 with the final round of budget presentations for student organizations: Athletics, Student Engagement and ASWOU. Following the final set of presentations, the Incidental Fee Committee will make their preliminary decision of the proposed budgets and the fee for the 2017-18 school year on Feb. 10.

For students looking to keep up with proposed budgets for on campus groups and organizations they are encouraged to go to wou.edu/ifc.

Contact the author at tlayman16@wou.edu

Individualism in a state of togetherness

By: Kristin Norman
Copy Editor

Being in a healthy relationship can help someone learn about themselves and what they need from another person. As a young, recently married person, I have a lot of growing to do despite my personal relationship. In what many call a process of self-actualization, I will spend the rest of my life working to love and know myself more.

While it is great having someone hold me accountable for my actions, challenging me to be a better person and encouraging me in my efforts, the bottom line is that only I can decide to change.

Nobody else can do the difficult task of self-improvement for me. I’ve witnessed far too many people my age seek out self-fulfillment in others while forgetting that they are not who they date.

That being said, I don’t agree with the idea that people should only try dating as a means to understanding who they are and what they want. This way of thinking implies that singledom is something to be overcome instead of embraced.

It may sound overly cliché coming from a married person, but there are times when I miss the independence that comes with being single. Singleness provides the opportunity to explore avenues of life without the influence of another person. However, I also believe it’s possible to be with someone who doesn’t hinder your ability to explore those avenues.

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, remember that being in college is a masterful balancing act that involves the process of self-actualization. If you’re single: be empowered and take the opportunity to know and love yourself. If you’re in a committed relationship: find time to better yourself with the help of someone you love.

Please contact the author at keck14@wou.edu.com

Loving thyself

By: Keith Mathew
Photo Editor

When do we think of ourselves as good people? Do we even think that at all? As a society that thrives on self-deprecating jokes, we start to believe the jokes we create for ourselves on a subconscious level. I see a large majority of people I know who don’t think they’re good people, or at least to the level of everyone else around them.

I am one of those people who doesn’t think highly of themselves. It has taken me a long time to get to the point of starting to improve myself. It takes an immense amount of effort to start the process and to continue it. The most common thing people say is “fake it until you make it.” It’s kind of true; having fake confidence in one’s self is a trial run of the ultimate goal. Fake confidence is the start of getting comfortable with the idea and feeling or acting confident.

I feel the reason most people have low self-esteem or a lack of confidence comes from the tendency to compare ourselves to other people: I’m not as smart as them, I’m not as cool as them, I’m not as masculine as them, I’m not as fit as them. These comparisons are harmful. They put us down because we aren’t at the level of another person. We think that because we aren’t at the same level we are lesser than, thus creating a negative self-image.

There is a common thought process for people with low self-image that they should be working on themselves before they start to date another person. It annoys me because it takes a lot to work on yourself and another person may actually help. Another person may open the mind to improving and the love of another person can help heal, repair, fix and improve.

The love of another person pushes the other to try and to become better. I bet no one was 100 percent confident in themselves when another person came along. That line of thinking just doesn’t help, having another person is not bad, it is good for loving one’s self.

With my experiences of low self-image, friends and family try to make me feel better by complimenting me however, because of the compliments I feel bad for not feeling better about myself. The problem is not whether I know I’m good or not, it’s the feeling. I know that I’m smart, I know I’m nice, I know that I’m amazing but the feeling is not there to back it up.

It is my goal this term to improve myself and to have real confidence, not just the fake kind. The best way to improve is to have a mantra, a saying to tell yourself how great and amazing you are. Sounds cheesy but it does help. Self-love is a process and it’s hard work.

Contact the author at kmathew14@wou.edu

Get to know a major

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western offers a wide variety of degrees that students can major in, many of which students don’t know are offered, or know next to nothing about. This week, in “Get To Know a Major”: receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater.

Natalie Doerfler, a sophomore, is working towards receiving a BFA in theater with a focus in acting.

“Originally, I had gotten a scholarship to St. Mary’s, in Minnesota of all places. But, my twin sister, Meghan, wanted to come visit Western, so I tagged along with her,” said Doerfler. “As soon as I got on campus I knew that I wanted to go here. It’s small, and I thought, this is a place I could call home nine months out of 12.”

Once Doerfler learned more about the BFA program from the theater professors, she was ready to start her college years at Western. The Western website describes the program as, “a rigorous and competitive program of study for students interested in pursuing careers in the professional theater. This pre-professional program is designed to combine intensive training with a liberal arts education. All aspects of theater—art, craft, business and education—are examined, with a focus on theatrical production.”

The program offers many classes, from Theater History to Acting for the Camera.

“Some of the classes are more intensive in just acting, and learning and doing and performing. There’s classes like stage combat that you can take, it’s not required, but you can take them. It’s really cool, and I know how to properly fight with a broadsword now,” she said.

When asked what her favorite class was, Doerfler replied, “Movement II, because I got to study an animal, and see how animal movements can influence a character’s movement. You want your character’s movement to be different than how you move. Otherwise it’s not a full performance.”

“The BFA theatre program is almost all acting classes, and it’s less generic things. It’s specifically if you want to be an actor, and want to pursue it as a job,” continued Doerfler. “I’m glad I am able to be a part of it.”

Natalie Doerfler is currently in the Black Box production of “All in the Timing,” which performs on Feb. 9, 10, and 11 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on the 11th at 2:30 p.m.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Helping the environment: don’t just talk about it

By: Jade Rayner
News Editor

Many people talk about the importance of helping the environment but few know where to start. For those wanting to put their words into action, the Luckiamute Watershed Council is there to help.

“We’re a non-profit and our mission is to engage and assist landowners in restoration of the Luckiamute and Ash Creek Watersheds,” stated Kristen Larson, Council Coordinator of the Luckiamute Watershed Council in our interview at the council’s Burgerville fundraiser on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common body of water; Ash Creek Watershed starts in Dallas, travels through the Polk County communities of Monmouth and Independence and drains into the Willamette River.

When asked what the council does in the area, Larson explained that they, “do things like controlling invasive weeds to allow the native vegetation to thrive; we plant native trees and shrubs along stream banks and the rivers. We do restoration projects to help fish habitats …”

Volunteering for the Luckiamute Watershed Council can include a variety of jobs.

“We participate in the Fourth of July parade, and help clean up the litter after the parade: we always need help for that. In the summer season we have field opportunities to help with our temperature monitoring program, and also weeds, so in our planting areas there’s often times we can use people helping us clip weeds so they don’t drop seeds and spread,” added Larson. “We have space on our committees, and on our board and we’d love to have student engagement and organization itself.”

For those interested in learning more about the Luckiamute Watershed Council, meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.; locations of the meetings vary and can be found on www.LuckiamuteLWC.org. Volunteer interest forms can also be found on their website.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Community gathers to discuss race in Oregon

By: TK Layman
Staff Writer

“Racism is an emotion filled topic,” Willamette University sociology professor Emily Drew began her lecture. “If we’re aware, we are feeling something.”

The night began as attendees gathered in the Anderson Room of the Salem Public Library for the first installation of Oregon Humanities’ “Conversation Project:” a series of lectures given by community leaders to engage members in a thoughtful discussion of the world around them.

Drew led the night discussing Oregon’s image on race in her presentation titled “Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon.”

The first discussion began with a quote by W.E.B. Du Bois, “The problem of the 100 years ahead of us,” Drew repeated, “is a problem of ‘the color line.’” With that quote in mind, the groups engaged in thoughtful conversation about perceptions of race during the Civil Rights Era to today.

Throughout the night the audience broke off into small groups to discuss with their peers about several topics including ideas such as the prevalence of “Sun Down Towns” within Oregon. Drew cited a study conducted by James Lowen and a team of graduate students that found a collection of “Sun Down Towns,” or a town within the state where minority groups may feel unsafe or unwelcome. The groups got together and expressed their surprise and concern with the list of Oregon cities seen today as “Sun Down Towns;” Drew led the discussion back toward the community, tied it into Portland’s presence not on the list and their vision of diversification.

A common perception of Portland has sources, such as The New Geographer, believing it has a lack of racial diversification. Drew, unshaken, proved otherwise stating recent studies.

“The Coalition of Communities of Color studying Multnomah county,” Drew said, “1-out-of-3 people living in Multnomah county are people of color.”
Before the final group discussion, a U.S. Census Data report was displayed for the audience to see the diverse makeup of those living in Salem and had audience members engaged thinking critically of the identities of those on the census.

Drew closed out the discussion looking for community thoughts on how to create a more equitable and inclusive community, prompting more group thinking and reflection. Each group shared their insights as they worked together toward a common goal of creating a holistic environment for all.
The Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project continues their series on Feb. 2, with speaker Kerani Mitchell and her presentation titled “Where Are You From?”

For those interested in being a part of the community discussions, the event will be held at the Salem Public Library, Thursday Feb. 2 beginning at 7 p.m. in the Anderson Room.

To learn more about Oregon Humanities’ Conversation Project, go to www.oregonhumanities.org/programs/conversation-project

Gain the confidence to go after the jobs you want

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On Western’s campus, there is a wide variety of jobs and volunteer work available to students. Not only is it convenient, but also easy to access, because the work is on campus. Building up job experience or volunteer work can be difficult to manage when also going to school full time, but Western offers many positions that work with and for its students.

Cheyanne Burt, a senior interdisciplinary studies-health education major has been volunteering for Abby’s House as an advocate volunteer since fall term of this year.

“The past director of Abby’s House came into my violence and public health class the spring term of 2016, and was talking about Abby’s House,” said Burt, “I just got really interested and I wanted to make an impact as well, so I applied to be an advocate. After summer training I started fall term.”

When asked why it’s important for students to work for their school, Burt replied, “I think it’s a great experience in a controlled environment. So we’re gaining that experience, and gaining that work experience, and volunteer experience, with people who are willing to help us, people who are wanting to see us succeed. They provide us with the tools to do that when we graduate.”

If thinking about whether to work for Western or not, Burt says, “The more experience you have the better. All the work and volunteer work I’ve done at campus will help me to pursue the careers I want to, and have that confidence in what I have done the last four years to get a good job.”

If interested in looking for work or volunteer work at Western, visit Service Learning and Career Development downstairs in the Werner University Center. They have job applications for part-time and full-time jobs, as well as volunteer work opportunities.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu