Mount Hood

DIY Tea and Beyond surpasses expectations

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Sitting off of Monmouth Avenue and Main Street is a small, contemporary styled restaurant: DIY Tea & Beyond. Serving a variety of different teas and snack-sized foods, the eatery makes an ideal location for studying, or just a place to sit back and relax for awhile.

Upon hearing of its opening, I was immediately thrilled; I grew up near Portland, Oregon which was full of tea bars, so I’ve always loved milk teas. Of course, I had to try DIY and see if it could bring me the same enjoyment that I used to get from bubble tea shops around my hometown.

Once you arrive, you walk into a modern looking room designed with large windows, charging stations around the walls, stools, couches, tables — even bean bag chairs. The dark wood used throughout the location contrasts sharply with the natural light flooding the room, creating a pleasant environment. I wanted to try a few different things, so my friend and I ordered the lavender milk tea with tapioca balls, as this was my favorite at home, the passion fruit tea with passion fruit jellies, cuttlefish balls, french fries and egg pudding.

The two teas were amazing; since we ordered them for there, it was served in a cute Mason Jar with light ice. Honestly, I’ve been craving the lavender milk tea everyday since originally ordering it. One thing I did learn the hard way, though, is while it may be tempting, do not drink it too fast as you will end up with an awful stomachache. The passion fruit tea was sweet and satisfying, as well.

As for the food, the cuttlefish balls were delicious. I loved every single bite. The french fries were pretty good, but nothing too special. I had never tried egg pudding before so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but I actually really enjoyed it.

While we were eating, the worker brought us out some rose petal tea to try, and I drank the entire pot. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and every sip was as good as the last. He kept coming back to make sure that we were satisfied; the service was top-notch and you could tell they genuinely cared about their customers.

This restaurant is something I’d definitely recommend to anyone. Perhaps you aren’t familiar with the type of food on the menu, or you don’t like tea — they have options for you. It’s a chance to branch out and try something new, or stick with something you know you’d like. Whatever you choose, I’m almost certain that you will enjoy it.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Review: “The Defiant Ones”

Kevin Reed | Entertainment Editor

“The Defiant Ones” is a documentary based series on HBO, directed by Allen Hughes, centered on the story of Andre Young (Dr. Dre) and Jimmy Iovine starting “Beats by Dre.” The audience gets to see how they both started out in the music business and watch as they go through a rollercoaster of ups and downs on their way up.

Viewers see real videotapes from their early music days and interviews with a huge number of stars and executives to get an in depth look at their lives.

Dr. Dre is one of the godfathers of hip hop. His story starts in Compton, California. He was one of the people who started N.W.A. and went on to produce for some of the best hip hop artists ever. He helped Eazy-E, Snoop Dogg and Eminem start their careers, but his legacy has inspired rappers like Kendrick Lamar.

Iovine started the hugely successful record label, Interscope Records. Throughout his career, Iovine has managed artists like Eminem, U2, Nine Inch Nails, Gwen Stefani and Rico Suave. His influence on the music industry still is relevant to this day. Throughout the series it’s shown that Iovine has a fascination for the stranger artists and believes that what makes an artist strange is their creativity. This was unlike most other record labels at the time who felt their artists should adhere to what society considers normal. In “The Defiant Ones” Steve Berman, the vice chairman of Interscope Records describes a conversation he had with Iovine about the direction of the label: “I walked into Jimmy’s office one day and he said, ‘Steve you know what you problem is?’ And he drew a straight line. ‘That’s you, and you know what we need to bring into your life?’ And he squiggles. ‘We gotta get some of that.’” Iovine had never felt his label never needed to follow the status quo, he even preferred it didn’t.

Many artists make appearances throughout both Dr. Dre’s and Iovine’s stories. My personal favorite introduction of a specific artist was the establishing scene of Eminem. This scene tugged at my emotions because I always saw Dr. Dre and Eminem as the Batman and Robin of early 2000 hip-hop.

Dr. Dre’s career was suffering and the board at Interscope wanted him gone. Then, he discovers a young freestyle rapper Marshall Mathers in Detroit and decides to sign him. Against Intescope’s executives opinions, Iovine trusts Dr. Dre and they sign Eminem. Within a year of signing he released “Slim Shady LP” which destroyed the charts. Watching this scene, and seeing the actual moment on tape where Dr. Dre and Eminem first clicked made me feel like I was there and I could feel the magic happening right in front of me.

This miniseries is nothing short of motivating to me. It follows the story of two visionaries who climb from the bottom all the way to the top. They climb and claw their way up through hard work and obsession with their work. Seeing that I felt driven to work that hard in anything I do.

“The Defiant Ones” is an in-depth and immersive documentary that gives the viewer an up-close look at the lives of Doctor Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Throughout each episode, viewers get to know the events of their lives through authentic videotapes and pictures, as well as interviews of the artists and people they interacted with throughout their lives.

After watching this you feel as if you were there in the moment. Both of these men worked relentlessly and ended up changing the world of music entirely. You can feel the emotion in every up and down that goes on in the course of the story. Allen Hughes put this together magnificently and made it personal for the viewers. I highly recommend this series to anyone and it is one of my favorite documentaries.

Contact the author at kreed17@mail.wou.edu

Photo by: www.hbo.com

How to start a club

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

While Western provides over 60 chartered clubs and organizations for students to get involved in, students have the ability to create a new club at any time during the school year. Whether it’s an academic science club or a recreational video game club, there are only seven simple steps to establishing an official club on campus.

 

Step 1: Get a staff advisor

A staff advisor is someone that advises and oversees the club. They can be directly involved in meetings and club events or they can just be there for guidance. The club advisor must be a Western faculty or staff member.

 

Step 2: Find at least five members

Every new club on campus needs at least five members to begin the registration process. These members must be current, active Western students that are participating in the organization.

 

Step 3: Elect officers

Every club must have a president and a financial officer, such as a treasurer. Other club positions can be discussed within the organization.

 

Step 4: Write a constitution

A constitution is a document that lays out principles that the club abides by. This includes the purpose of the organization, the titles and duties of officers within the club and how students can gain membership in the club. A full list of requirements for the constitution can be found in the Statute for Chartered Organizations on ASWOU’s OrgSync portal.

 

Step 5: Register on OrgSync

Registration, or chartering, on OrgSync begins the process of making a club official. The registration must include:

  • The organization’s full name
  • The purpose or mission statement of the organization
  • The selection process for new members
  • The meeting time, day and location
  • Contact information for at least five officers or general members
  • The name of and contact information for the advisor

 

Step 6: Wait for approval

ASWOU administrators will review the charter and the constitution for any missing components before approval.

 

Step 7: Plan meetings and events

Once approved, the club is considered an officially chartered organization and is able to reserve rooms, hold events, advertise on bulletin boards around campus and recruit new members.

 

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

 

Wolves rise to the peak of John Knight Twilight

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

The track and field Wolves ran, dashed, hurdled, threw, jumped and vaulted to six victories overall, 30 personal records and a first place score of 163 points by the men’s team on April 6.

In the first home event of the year, the weather was clean and sunny as a crew of four runners bloomed to 22 points for the men in the 800-meters. First-year Neal Cranston’s 10 point, first place win led the pack, and earned himself an all-time best — 1 minute, and 55.42 seconds.

More help was on its way as the 1500-meter runners matched that total, with sophomore Justin Crosswhite tallying another 10-point score and first place finish of 3:54.7. The time bettered his goal to finish in 3:55, according to Crosswhite.

The men’s team wasn’t done racking up points though, as sophomore Jalon Fields helped jump his team even further ahead with 10 and a first place measure of 13.91 meters in the triple jump.

Then, it was first-year Jackson Stallard who vaulted his team higher, earning the pole vault title with a height of 4.35m.

Despite a finish of 99 points for the women’s team, second to Concordia’s 149, many outran their previous personal records, while two runners earned titles. 10 points were added after Kennedy Rufener went ahead of the field in the 1500-meter in a time of 4:38.79. In addition to the overall team score, 29 earned in the 400-meter was the second-highest earned total in an event that day, after Concordia’s 31 in the hammer throw. Junior Olivia Woods outran the 400-meter field, her personal best and school record — 56.40 — in a time of 56.01. Woods ended up receiving the GNAC athlete of the week for her performance.

“Going in, I didn’t really have that much expectations. The main focus was having fun with it since it was a home environment and just trying to race well,” said Woods. Three more Wolves trailed right behind her in the same 400: seniors Megan Rose, Suzanne Van De Grift and sophomore Grayson Burke. Rose and Van De Grift both saw improved personal times in 57.19 and 57.24.

The two teams also had a field day of PR’s off the track along with more scores added. In the throw, sophomore Hailee Korff scored three and distanced her throw at 130-2. First-year Darian Wilson, who turned in a sixth place run in the 100-meter hurdle, had a PR in the javelin throw of 144-5, good for third place, and added six.

Rounding out the men’s field with a score of 18 were hammer throwers Logan Barker, sophomore; first-years Mont Child and Owen Collins; and junior Nick Sieber. Barker launched to 143-10 feet, a PR, while all the other four competitors also reached PR’s.

The Wolves track and field teams will switch gears and change direction when they touch down in Portland, Oregon in the Lewis & Clark Invitational on April 14.  

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Women’s rugby is all in

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

A sign read in giant, bold letters during a 2016 Western club fair: “NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.” Scanning the message was current junior Sabra Duarte, channeling that message was the Western Oregon women’s rugby club. Their worlds eventually collided and two years later, with plenty of experience to her name, Duarte is now the vice president and forward on the team that will soon be playing in a small-schools tournament in Seaside, California. Duarte may have been the fresh new face on campus, the upstart, or the first-year who’s full of curiosity and relative naivety, but when the opportunity presented itself, she seized her calling.

“I asked the president at the time,” said Duarte. “‘Is that legitimate? I can know nothing about (rugby) and still play?’ She said ‘Yeah! That’s what I did. I came in, knew nothing, and now I love it.’”

Some found the blank line and punched in their name like Duarte. Others, like assistant coach and senior Emily Applegate were simply asked to join during an occasional workout at a place like the health and wellness center.

Duarte is now one of those recruiters, who’s set up tables and helped give the word out on Western’s campus.

“I’ve just asked about every girl I know if they’re interested in playing rugby,” Duarte commented, “I’m often surprised by who’s actually interested in coming out and trying a practice.”

Duarte formed a liking to the sport during her Cleveland High School days in Portland, Oregon, and grew to love the sport more because of “Invictus” — the famed rugby film starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman — and has now found the hammer and nail to the sport.

With a new set of skills and knowledge that has helped drive her to love the sport even more, she went into detail: “you really have to be able to trust the other girls on your team and know that they’re going to be there for the tackles so that you can stay in the defensive line ready if the ball gets moved out.”

She’s also formed a new personality on the field.

“Sabra is mostly,” referring to herself in third person, “trying to nail everybody. She’s trying to nail her tackles, nail her jumps and just give 100 percent.”

Rugby is a growing sport, and much can be attested to the inclusion of its seven’s competition in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil — a first for the sport since 1924. Right on Western’s campus, Duarte, Applegate and the rugby organization has extended its outreach.

Just like Duarte, there are now close to a dozen on the rugby team who have recently stepped on the scene with little to no experience and are following along in her footsteps. Miranda Busch, a junior, who just started playing last term, has seen herself in that transition.

“Coming in and not knowing anything, the coaches have been really understanding and really took the time to work with you and explain things step-by-step.”

“To play a sport,” said Alexis Osborn, a junior, who started playing at the beginning of 2018, “where you can focus and get things done while still having a great time is the best feeling. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t play Rugby. I have found my sport and my team that I always want to be a part of.”

When asked how they were first hit with the decision to take up rugby, many said through word-of-mouth or from a friend who was already on the team.

“I found out through Emery (Roberts),” mentioned Osborn. Roberts joined the team at the beginning of fall term.

Now, for Duarte, and the veterans on the team, it’s a matter of getting the new arrivals up to speed. Just down the road, on April 14, Western will be tasked with competing for the small college rugby organization championship in a first-round matchup with Cal-State Monterey Bay.

Duarte spoke of her teammates, like senior lock Madison Fagnani, whose experience has led to greater support of the first-timers.

“(The vets) have been really amazing. They’ve been able to give the younger players and rookies tips on how to improve their form. But even off the field they’re really good at getting people to feel like they’re connected and part of the team and supporting people through academics.”

The team, although it has a handful of younger players, does most of its recruiting process early in the school year and has had time through the long rugby season to draw them into their culture.

To the next recruit, Duarte says: “Be ready to learn and give it your all. Rugby can be very daunting, confusing, and scary for people starting out but it’s totally worth it figuring how to tackle people.” Sabra said tackling in of itself is a huge confidence booster. First-year Josephine McGee who began playing in February agreed and said, “it’s a huge stress reliever.”

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

New general education will replace LACC

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Most Western students are familiar with the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum, or LACC: the set of degree requirements designed to build a solid foundation of knowledge for students as they work toward obtaining their degree. But the LACC course work is facing major changes involving an entire reconstruction of the general education program, effective as soon as fall of 2019.

The LACC guide that outlines categories such as creative arts, literature, social science and laboratory science will be replaced by a framework created by the General Education Task Force. This group, comprised of faculty members from various departments across campus, set out in spring 2017 to reimagine the general education at Western and ensure that students are getting the most out of the classes that they take.

Instead of categorizing each class based on area of study, the new general education framework separates requirements based on the skills obtained from taking the class. For example, students would be required to take a minimum of three credits that satisfies the category of Critical Thinking, three credits in Communication and Language and three credits in Citizenship, Social Responsibility and Global Awareness.

“We took data, we took what WOU is good at, and we tried to make a system that will be a little bit more flexible and a little bit more student-friendly,” explained Dr. Breeann Flesch, co-chair of the General Education Task Force. “We’re also hoping the students have a better understanding of why they’re taking those classes and the general education.”

A new addition to Western’s general education program is the implementation of First Year Seminars, which Flesch explains will help develop skills for traditional first-year students. 72.2 percent of first-year students returned to Western as sophomores in 2017. Flesch also hopes that the class will strengthen connections between students and the university and increase the likelihood that they continue their education at Western.

The general education framework was approved by Faculty Senate on March 13. The next step, Flesch explained, is creating a complete list of classes that satisfy each skill category.

Flesch noted that she hopes this new general education program will increase student success and remove barriers to graduation and retainment, explaining: “We hoped to make it a little more flexible and a little less complicated.”

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Attaining fitness goals through IIFYM

 

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

A recent trend that has been gaining more visibility is a type of dieting called IIFYM — if it fits your macros. Seen and often advertised by fitness enthusiasts and professional athletes, it’s a diet that revolves around providing the right amount of nutrients that your body needs, down to the exact gram.

Often displayed by fitness accounts on Instagram, the diet for many is regarded as the one that finally worked for them — it’s the flexible eating that allowed many to see the results they want in and out of the gym. It can be adjusted to match any need and will help you get to where you want to be.

Essentially, this dieting revolves around three main macronutrients: your protein intake, your carbohydrate intake and your fat intake. By calculating your fat percentage and describing your fitness goals, which is either to lose, maintain or gain body fat and muscle, you can determine what your macros should be. You can also determine how many calories you should be consuming a day. In other words, you’re figuring out how to reach the appropriate amount of each macro, and the amount of calories you should be aiming for in your consumption of these macronutrients.

IIFYM is an ideal option for those who are serious about trying to attain specific goals in the gym. “It can work for anyone who wants to use that mode of motivation to reach their goals,” commented sophomore exercise science major Mikaela Wong. “If your goal is to become more aware of what you’re eating and what you’re putting in your body, macro counting is an option to do that.” You break down the food you’re eating and know the ways that each type of nutrient affects your body. It allows you to be more flexible in your eating and can also make meal prepping a simple task, as you know exactly what you should be consuming.

That being said, it’s also a difficult diet for many to follow. As a student at Western, if your only option is Valsetz, prepping for this type of diet will take far more planning and time than if you were shopping for yourself.

Speaking from my own experience, I tried planning meals for a while under the IIFYM diet, and I struggled greatly. It was a lot more work than I had anticipated, and I truly just didn’t have the time or the resources to eat like that. Instead, I just focus on aiming for what would be the right amount of protein, carbs and fats for myself. I don’t focus on hitting an exact mark, I just eat in a way that hits close to where I should be.

Ultimately, this diet is meant for those who have the time and resources to be dedicated to it.  If you have those options, then this diet is an effective one that is tailored to your needs and your body’s composition. But if you’re someone who lacks the ability to follow through, or you simply don’t have the right tools to do it, then you might want to consider another nutritional path. “If you want to have a successful macro-counting diet, then I’d say go for it, but set realistic goals.” Wong added. “And if you’re going to do it, think long-term. Because if you only go through a three-week dedicated phase, it could potentially hurt your body by going into extremes. Just choose something realistic for you.”

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photo by: stocksnap.io