March 2017 – The Western Howl

Aries 3/21-4/19

Time to start spamming social media about how hard your one online final is going to be.

Taurus 4/20-5/20

Remember to renew your Amazon Prime membership, Taurus. Otherwise you’ll be looking at overdraft fees and will have no one to blame except yourself.

Gemini 5/21-6/20

It’s dead week. I don’t think you need me to tell you it’s not going to be fun.

Cancer 6/21-7/22

Leo 7/23-8/22

Cool it with the calzones, Leo. Just eat pizza like an American.

Virgo 8/23-9/22

The stars know what you’re thinking, Virgo, but quitting school to escape finals will only be a temporary relief. Keep on fighting that good fight.

Libra 9/23-10/22

Scorpio 10/23-11/21

You discover you have a new talent this week. Congratulations! But the heat in your veins suggests this is more than a simple parlor trick.

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21

Capricorn 12/22-1/19

If you watch too many sad shows on Netflix this week, chances are you’ll be wrist-deep in a pint of ice cream by finals.

Aquarius 1/20-2/18

Take some time off over break and hit the waves. The water will help relieve your stress.

Pisces 2/19-3/20

Start the upcoming term fresh; move around your furniture and soak up the febreze-laced clouds of spring.

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Campus Blotter

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How to find the best birth control

By: Shaylie Pickerel
Staff writer

On Thursday, March 9, Abby’s House hosted an event to inform students about birth control options. Although their guest, Jennifer King from a care provider at the student health and counseling center, was sick, they still gave all the information they had collected from her, as well as wrote down any unanswered questions that they will relay to her.

Aislinn Addington, the director of Abby’s House, stated multiple times that, “We are not licensed health care professionals, but will provide the best information we can.” When discussing curiosities about birth control, Addington responded with, “If you’re interested in birth control on campus at the health center, there’s no fee to talk about options and the cost for the actual birth control is case by case depending on insurance.”

Addington then went on to discuss the different types of birth control that are available. The different types of birth control are labeled on a five to one star effectiveness scale when “used properly,” as Jessica Fontaine, a Abby’s House volunteer stated. The five star methods include: nexplanon the arm implant, skyla and mirena IUDs and sterilization for men and women. The three star methods include: the pill, the patch, the ring and depo-provera the shot. And finally, the one star methods include: fertility awareness, the diaphragm and condoms for men and women.

The ones that are most likely to be available at the health center are the pill, the implant, IUDs, the ring and condoms. Condoms are the only form of birth control that protect from STIs and are best used with other birth control methods.

During the question and answer portion, they answered common concerns that most people have when thinking about sex or birth control. “It’s best to take the least amount of estrogen needed,” said Addington. She also explained the side effects of UTIs and yeast infections and that they, “… aren’t gender exclusive. You can also get a UTI if you have a penis and they can also be transferred between partners.”

In addition to the options on campus, Planned Parenthood in Salem is also a valuable resource. If one has any more in depth questions about birth control, contact the health center. If this causes stress and is uncomfortable, Abby’s House is willing to help make the phone call to schedule the appointment for whoever needs it.

Contact the author at spickrell15@wou.edu

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Winning weekend for baseball in Portland

By: Burke De Boer
Sports Editor

Wolves baseball busted out the brooms in a series sweep of Concordia, extending their conference record to 6-0 to start the season.

Western Oregon’s trip to Portland saw them win the first game 6-3, then pull off both halves of a double header 2-1 and 9-2.

The wins helped Western Oregon baseball climb back into the National Collegiate Baseball Writers west region poll, now ranked at number eight.

The winning pitchers were first year student Connor McCord, junior Craig Grubbe and senior Trey Smith. First year student Kade Mechals and junior Cam Walker both picked up saves for their late inning efforts.

The first game saw the Wolves go into the eighth inning trailing 2-3. Nine Western runners had been left stranded throughout the first seven innings.

Starting pitcher Brady Miller had been pulled and McCord brought on in relief. Since McCord took the mound at the end of the fourth inning, Concordia was held to their three points. McCord had surrendered no hits and struck out two. But the Wolves offense would need to close on scoring opportunities if the defensive performance was to garner anything.

The eighth inning opened with first year outfielder Torreahno Sweet, who had batted in one of the Wolves’ earlier runs, getting on base with a single. Junior Jay Leverett then slugged a home run over left field to take the lead.

The runs continued to pour in and McCord shut down Concordia, picking up a total of six strikeouts in his four and one-third innings.

“It felt great to help my team win this week,” Sweet said, after getting his first at bats of the season. “We worked hard at practice and the results showed.”

The Wolves never trailed throughout the Sunday double header as they powered their way to the sweep.

The first game of the day was a defensive match, as the Wolves won 2-1.

Craig Grubbe struck out five, allowed only two hits and gave up no runs in his six innings pitched.

The final game of the series was the most explosive for the Wolves as they put up nine runs on Concordia. Sophomore catcher Justin Wakem scored two runs and batted in a third. Junior third baseman Nyles Nygaard had three RBIs on the day.

“Once the game starts, it’s all about picking up your teammates and focusing on the little things to achieve our common goal,” Nygaard said. “Our coach emphasizes a term, ‘This pitch.’ If we focus on the pitch at hand, we will win every game because we are taking care of what’s present. We aren’t looking ahead at the what-ifs and we aren’t looking back.”

The six game win streak to open conference play sees Western Oregon on top of the GNAC standings and the only undefeated team in conference.

The Wolves are in Monmouth this week, hosting Corban on March 15 and Central Washington on March 18 and 19.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

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Spring into action

By: Alyssa James
Staff Writer

Winter term is coming to a close which means that after next week, spring break will be here. Oregon may not be the ideal spring break destination spot for most; however, Oregon offers various excursions that students can enjoy.

Beginning March 24, the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm is putting on their annual Tulip Fest. With 40 acres of land to walk about with views of the mountains, this is an ideal place to visit to enjoy the start of spring. There is a $5 ticket cost to enter, but once inside there are a few different gardens to explore, food onsite from the Mt. Angel Sausage Company, a coffee cart and more. This may be just the way to kick off the spring season.

Over 21 and want something fun to do? The Cider Rite of Spring is taking place in Portland on March 25. According to nwcider.com, Cider Rite of Spring is an event that celebrates the “blossoming Northwest Cider industry” and is “an annual cider tasting event welcoming the return of Spring.” The event runs from 12 to 6 p.m. and costs $25 to attend. With entrance, attendees receive a complimentary glass and access to a total of 30 local cideries offering almost 100 different types of cider.

For someone who doesn’t want to spend a bunch of money over the week-long break, taking a trip to one of the numerous hikes within Oregon may sound like the ultimate way to spend one’s time. A few options that may be worth looking into are Silver Falls State Park, Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge and Multnomah Falls. One thing to always remember is that when going on a hike, staying safe is the top priority. Whether hiking, enjoying cider, or admiring tulips, there is something to enjoy for everyone during spring break.

Contact the author at ajames16@wou.edu

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Review: “Kong”

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

“Sometimes the most dangerous things are the most beautiful,” says Tom Hiddleston’s “Kong: Skull Island” character, explorer James Conrad.

A fitting quote for a movie of such monstrous proportions. It’s difficult to watch “Kong: Skull Island” without being constantly blown away by the beautiful South Pacific setting and the fantastic cinematography.

Each scene of terror is followed by a scene of beauty. The wonder of the uncharted Skull Island is shown throughout, causing smile-inducing scenes of beauty around every corner, which helps to make “Kong: Skull Island” an excellent adventure film.

Accompanied by music and outfits from it’s 1973 setting, “Kong: Skull Island” makes great use of the time period, set up to feel like a Vietnam War film.

The film makes great use of its cast. Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston and John Goodman all bring unique and compelling performances to the table. Working with an ensemble cast of well known actors can make for thin characters, but in “Kong,” everyone has their moment to shine.

Even Kong himself is an incredibly done character. Both terrifying and sympathetic, Kong’s special effects help to make him realistic enough to feel like a real threat to the viewer, rather than an animated joke like some “King Kong” movies in the past.

The film does fall into standard action movie tropes though. When the soldiers are focused on in the film, I found myself having heard the same dialogue and seen the same problems. “Kong: Skull Island” doesn’t do much to set itself apart from every other action film.

The plot is also weak. Two hours of “get from point A to point B with monsters” gets redundant and annoying after a while and would be a total bust without the accompaniment of great performances and excellent visuals.

With a great cast and beautiful cinematography, “Kong: Skull Island” is one of the best “King Kong” films ever made. Although brought down by action movie tropes and a weak plot, “Kong” is still a great, beautiful movie that definitely deserves a watch.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

¾
+ Great cast
– Weak plot

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Let my people go

By: Zoe Strickland
Managing Editor

I want to preface this by saying that I identify as being culturally Jewish rather than religiously Jewish. I was raised in an interfaith household; my mom is Jewish and my dad isn’t religious, though his family somewhat is.

That being said, I’ve always been closer to my Jewish roots than my Christian ones. I know the beliefs, prayers, history, holidays. Growing up I didn’t go to Hebrew school, but I went to synagogue on Fridays and celebrated the high holy days. I have Jewish family members who moved here as a way of escaping Hitler’s regime. I’m proud of my heritage and I’m proud of what we’ve survived.

So when I see that there have been over 150 bomb threats to Jewish community centers and repeated instances of vandalism to Jewish cemeteries, I get angry. I get angry that this has been happening for months, and that the president waited until Feb. 28 to address it. I get angry that the religion I was raised with, one that promoted nothing but kindness and acceptance, is now being targeted because people are somehow still stuck in the 1930s. It’s sickening.

All of this has been done before: the threats, the vandalism.

During the Nazi regime they would set up days that were fully devoted to toppling down Jewish headstones. We’ve seen this before, we have a general idea of what it leads to, but there isn’t an active effort being made to combat the threats that are being made. Having one speech that denounces acts of hate is great, but it doesn’t prevent anything.

According to CNN, the bomb threats have been happening in waves “On Jan. 9, 15 Jewish centers and schools received bomb threats. Since then, the threats have occurred in waves, with a series of threats on Jan. 18, Jan. 31, Feb. 20,” reported an article from March 1. These threats are premeditated, they’re clearly being timed and put out in a specific way.

The police caught one of the people who was making the threats directed at New York community centers, and he was perpetrating the threats as a way of setting up his ex-girlfriend because he was mad at her. Bomb threats against any place, religion or organization aren’t justified. They aren’t a ploy to use to get back at someone you’re mad at. It’s a form of targeted, misplaced retaliation.

This past weekend was Purim, a Jewish holiday that’s meant to celebrate the resistance against an ancient Persian king’s plan to annihilate the Jews. During Purim, there was another wave of threats towards Jewish community centers. According to the PewResearchCenter, Jews make up 1.9 percent of the United States. The bomb threats not only target a specific group of people, but they also threaten the safety of a minority community in the United States. Regardless of the community, religious or not, we should all be concerned when any group within the country is threatened.

So far, in the United States and Canada, there has been a combined total of 154 threats to the Jewish community. We’re nearly three months into 2017 and 72 years past the end of WWII; why is this still going on?

Contact the author at zstrickland14@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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This week in completely made up horoscopes

Campus Blotter

How to find the best birth control

Winning weekend for baseball in Portland

Spring into action

Review: “Kong”

Let my people go

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