Mount Hood

Two champions, every runner all-American

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

Seven final runs for the indoor track and field season were completed by Western on March 9 and 10, as seven Wolf individuals took away all-American honors in the NCAA DII Indoor National Championships. Junior Dustin Nading ran to first place in the men’s mile, while his distance-medley-relay team also ran ahead of the field for first in the relay final.
The DMR win is a repeat of last years championship — a .001 photo finish victory. This year’s championship run was won by a few more strides.
“Emotions were put aside and we knew for a fact we were capable of doing it again. Physically we knew we were fit, capable and ready,” said senior David Ribich, who also finished third in the men’s 3k.
Emotions, last year’s win and other relay teams were all set aside. With seven runners out in front, Ribich led the Wolves’s anchor leg in a mile time of 3:55 and slowly picked off each runner ahead of him. In the miraculous climb from eighth to first, Ribich rallied his team of Nading and seniors Aaron Whitaker and AJ Holmberg, to the finish in 9:41.40 — just a few feet ahead of runner-up Colorado State-Pueblo.
After crossing the finish line, Ribich immediately ran over to hug his teammates who were ecstatic.
“Winning a national championship is one thing but defending it is a whole lot harder. We knew that so going into this weekend we tried our hardest to stay composed and confident because we had the targets on our back. Crossing that DMR finish line has been the most surreal one yet,” said Ribich.
The flare of the DMR win set in motion several more events that followed.
Senior Kennedy Rufener ran to an all-American finish, her first in the indoors, and two school records in the women’s 3000-meter and 5000-meter. For Rufener, the personal and school records have been piling up one after the other throughout the indoor season, and she set anew yet again with times of 16:49.68 in the 5000-meter and 9:41.54 in the 3000-meter.
The Wolves team continued collecting all-American honors as senior Suzanne Van De Grift got to the line in seventh for the women’s mile and, for her third all-American run in the women’s 800-meter, junior Olivia Woods finished sixth.

“Each accomplishment my teammates earned at Indoor Nationals was incredible and to be able to be there, watching the events unfold, was unforgettable,” said Woods.

“Last years accomplishments in the 800 gave me confidence that I could do it again,” she continued. “For me, one of the greatest highlights of the weekend was watching my teammate Kennedy fight to the end to receive her first All-American honor. Seeing more WOU athletes achieve to that level just further give recognition to where it is deserved.”

“Last year,” said Van De Grift, “I thought it was pretty amazing that 6 people competed and 6 people came back all Americans. Now this year 7 people competed and 7 people came back all Americans.”  
Ribich compiled another all-American run for the Wolves team in his third place finish in the men’s 3k with a time of 8:01.55
Finally, it was Nading, who stayed poised for the win in the men’s mile. After accomplishing the eighth best time overall in the prelims, it was good enough to get him into the final.
“My mile win was really about patience, running the best race in the field that day, and trusting in the things we do everyday at practice, which is run fast and enjoy doing it,” said Nading.

Nading soon picked up more speed in the final bell lap. 40 meters down the stretch, Nading paced the rest of the competition for gold in a time of 4:13.30.

“At that very track two years ago, nearly precisely where I kicked to win, Coach (Mike) Johnson and I stood and had our very first discussion — a discussion about taking responsibility and achievement here at WOU track and field, and the resounding belief that each and every one of us has the possibility of great achievements and that it lies within our grasp to accomplish,” said Nading.

“Both DMR championships mean an incredible amount and this one specifically because it remains proof of the possibilities yet to come.”

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: wouwolves.com

Student voices are heard by the IFC

Sam Dunaway | Sam Dunaway

The results of the Incidental Fee Committee’s final decision took a turn as the committee departed from their previously established preliminary budget allocations. Notable changes to the budget include a complete funding of both ASWOU and Student Media, which were preliminarily subject to a budget cut, and increased enhancements for Athletics.

This change of decision, stated by multiple IFC members, was influenced by over 100 students voicing their opinions on the proposed budget via open hearings and feedback forms. Additionally, the IFC chair Eric Frey voiced his opinions in a statement to the rest of the committee showing support for both ASWOU and Student Media, two of the three departments that were proposed cuts in the preliminary budget.

The ASWOU budget was approved for full funding, with a recommendation by the IFC that a referendum be added to the spring term ASWOU elections. This allows the student body to vote on whether they’d like to stay or leave the Oregon Student Association, the main topic of the proposed cut.

The IFC approved fully funding all departments with the exception of a 0.3-percent cut to Student Engagement Operations to reduce the evening hours of the Werner University Center. Enhancement requests from Student Engagement, Student Activities Board, ASWOU and Wolf Ride were granted. Several enhancement requests for the Athletics department were approved by the committee including new helmets and uniforms for the baseball team, hurdles and poles for track and uniforms for the volleyball team.

After the approval of these budgets, the total Incidental Fee for fiscal year 2019 is $363 for fall, winter and spring, and $167 for summer term. This is a 4.01-percent increase from 2018.

While increasing the overall fee is difficult for many already struggling students, Frey believes that this can be resolved by an increase in enrollment.  He explained in a statement to the committee: “If we all can reach out and bring more enrollments to the university we can continue to fund these areas and hopefully ensure that all IFC funded areas receive the funding required to sustain the community our university has created.”

Students made their voices heard throughout this process and ensured that the Incidental Fee Committee made decisions that best represent the needs of Western students.

 

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Giving back to Western students

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

In a time of rising tuition rates and unpredictable government funding for higher education, several departments on Western’s campus rely on donations from outside sources. Western’s Giving Day on March 6 played an important role in fundraising over $40,000 for Western students and programs.

Giving Day is an annual event sponsored by WOU Foundation that aims to collect donations from Western alumni, donors, staff and students. The donation goal set by Annual Giving Coordinator Emily Swart was $34,500, mirroring Western’s address at 345 N Monmouth Ave. This was nearly $13,000 more than was raised in 2017, but Swart was confident that the campus-wide event would be a success.

“We had donors out there that wanted to support Western, we just needed to reach them in the right way,” she explained.

WOU Foundation set out to achieve this goal by reaching out to alumni as well as individuals that had supported Western in the past. Additionally, activities such as Java Match — where staff and students we asked to match the price of their coffee from The Press — and Giving Day Happy Hour — where the Alumni Board increased all donations by $18.56 — promoted the philanthropic nature of the day.

Giving Day donations were gifted to a multitude of different departments, from Abby’s House to Athletics. Swart expressed excitement that many individuals donated to unrestricted scholarships. This allows Western to award scholarships to a wide range of students without academic restrictions. She emphasized that every dollar donated on Giving Day is going back to students.

Swart’s passion and excitement for Giving Day was instrumental in making it more successful this year than ever before, but she attributes the achievement to each individual that came forward to enrich student life at Western.

“I have this feeling that faculty, staff, students – we walked a little taller that day and we were a little prouder of our university,” said Swart. “At the end of the day, it was all about Western Oregon students.”

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Grain Station Brew Works remodels familiar venue

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

For any student of Western or individual who has resided in Monmouth,  the name “J’s Cafe” is a familiar term. An ideal spot for Sunday morning brunch and catching up with friends, the restaurant offered both comfort and appetizing meals. That is why in 2017 when the location was temporarily closed, there was confusion and worry. To the joy, and continued confusion, of many, the restaurant was reopened and renamed “Grain Station Brew Works”.

A full remodel including a center-stage bar, new lighting, some re-painting and flooring all took place to alter this well-known location. The hours changed as well. Previously closing early in the afternoon, this new restaurant now stays open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekends, offering those in search of late night bites another option to add to their list.

Being fond of J’s Cafe and all they had to offer, I was a little wary about a complete change of restaurant. That being said, I decided I should probably try Grain Station and see if I would enjoy it half as much as I enjoyed the original eatery. They did not disappoint.

I love the new interior; the lighting is bright and welcoming, the bar makes the restaurant more appealing across generations and the best part is the menu has much of the original fare.

I decided to order the Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast. Not long after my order went in, the waitress came back with a smile on her face and a plate carrying my huge meal.

I thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast. The combination of the berry and cream cheese flavors sitting on top of perfectly prepared french toast was phenomenal. The waitress checked back frequently enough to make sure that everything was served to my liking and always made sure my glass of water was full.

I was extremely satisfied with my visit to Grain Station Brew Works. While I will always love J’s Cafe and the feeling I had when I would sit in one of those booths, I am excited about the modernization of the new restaurant and how it was able to still stay true to much of their original menu. Overall, it was an exceptional dining experience and I would recommend it to anyone who has been hesitant to check it out.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photos by: Caity Healy, Paul F. Davis

Music from the unknown

Darien Campo | Designer

As an insufferable music snob, my hunt for even more obscure artists to listen to never ends. Over the years I’ve padded my iPod collection with a large collection of albums from unsigned and little-known bands. From indie artists to solo bedroom producers: here, I’ve collected some of my favorite albums that deserve much more attention than they get.

“You and I, Animals” – Black and White Envelope

Black and White Envelope is a solo artist from Connecticut, recording music in his own bedroom studio. “You and I, Animals” is a fun-filled record of bright pop-rock and catchy-as-hell tunes. His music sounds so much like a collection of lost Vampire Weekend tracks, a comparison he gladly boasts on social media. The upbeat rhythms, angular melodies and bright instrumentation make every track fun composition. So, if you’re looking for more Vampire Weekend-style Baroque pop, Black and White Envelope is there for you.

Recommended track: “Conversation Aviation”

Photo by: Blackandwhiteenvelope.bandcamp.com

“Anywhere That’s Wild” – Adventure Galley

The Portland-based group Adventure Galley bring an energetic mix of synth-pop and dance-rock to the table. “Anywhere That’s Wild” perfectly mixes the best parts of upbeat rock music and cool synthesizers. With a cutting punk edge to the lyrics and vocal delivery, Adventure Galley is what the Arctic Monkeys would sound like if Alex Turner had grown up listening to nothing but synth-pop. The powerful dance beats and enormous harmonies are sure to get anybody moving.

Recommended track: “Diane”

Photo by: Adventuregalley.bandcamp.com

“The Coast is Never Clear” – Beulah

Though Beulah is no longer together, they are one of my all-time favorite bands and there’s no way I could leave them off a list like this. The Elephant Six rock group brings punk eclecticism along with dense orchestration, poetic lyricism and infectiously catchy choruses. Where most bands use orchestral instruments as flavoring for their track, Beulah has an almost cinema-like quality in their use of brass and strings that makes their music feel totally massive. “The Coast is Never Clear” is an album of winners, with not a single filler track to be found.

Recommended track: “A Good Man is Easy to Kill”

Photo by: www.beulahmania.com

“Nostalgia” – Wren

Photographer and poet Cody Weber’s side project, Wren, has released some great experimental music over the years, but, for me, “Nostalgia” is his most powerful record. “Nostalgia” makes use of a bizarre twist on alternative hip-hop and trance that feels utterly unique. The samples are strange and otherworldly, the synthesizers are gritty and warped and the beats pound you in the chest with every hit. I completely credit this record with opening my mind up in high school to more experimental and electronic music. “Nostalgia” is uncompromising and powerfully personal.

Recommended track: “The Shakes”

Photo by: Iamwren.bandcamp.com

“Sincerely, Future Pollution” – Timbre Timbre

Canadian freak folk group Timbre Timbre released their newest album “Sincerely, Future Pollution” in the spring of 2017, and it’s a great starting point to their haunting, groovy sound. Timbre Timbre sound like a scary twist on Bowie-like pop with a great focus on atmosphere. Filthy instrumentation, drenched in reverb, with hauntingly beautiful atmosphere to wash over it all – Timbre Timbre is worth a listen if you’re looking for a stranger, slower burn of a record to explore.

Recommended track: “Grifting”

Photo by: Timbertimbre.bandcamp.com

“Tsunawatari” – Hako Yamasaki

Hako Yamasaki’s 1976 record “Tsunawatari” is a strange journey through a world of psychedelic folk-pop. Yamasaki channels the singer-songwriter power of artists like Bob Dylan on this album, with gorgeous acoustic ballads that give way to oddly textured folk tracks. Even as a native English speaker, I can still feel the strength in Yamasaki’s soaring vocal hooks and skillful lyrical rhythms. “Tsunawatari” is a subtle record that invites you to intimately explore it’s musical complexities.

Recommended track: “Himawari”

Photo by: www.albumoftheyear.org

 

“Dialects” – SNOWMINE

Brooklyn five-piece SNOWMINE have their own take on what pop music should sound like; they strike a perfect balance between electronic soundscapes and soaring orchestral strings. Singer Grayson Sanders’s smoky tenor deftly handles the complex poetry of SNOWMINE’s lyrical content, leading to music that is sometimes hard to sing along to, but always easy to get stuck in your head. “Dialects” is SNOWMINE’s sophomore effort, and an incredible triumph for such a young band.

Recommended track: “Plans”

 

Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu

LGBTQ+ activist encourages honesty and bravery

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

“Find something that scares you just a little tiny bit, do that thing, and then repeat steps one and two. And pretty soon you’ll find yourself doing extraordinary things.” This advice was just a small portion of the empowering and genuine speech given by LGBTQ+ rights activist and founder of United Equality Consulting, Shannon Scott.

Scott visited Western to discuss topics including her own personal life story, actions individuals can take to create a more trans-affirming space and her struggles and triumphs in life as a transgender woman.

Born and raised on a ranch in Montana, Scott struggled throughout her teenage years and near 12 years in the United States military with her gender identity. She noted that once she decided to take the first step in being honest with herself about her identity, she was moving in a direction of authenticity.

“For each terrifying step I took, I felt a little bit more complete,” Scott explained. “After years of lying to the world around me about who I was, I was able to finally set down that burden of lies and replace it with the ease of honesty.”

Scott began her work in human rights advocacy after moving to Portland in 2011. She started volunteering with the Human Rights Campaign, the “largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization” according to hrc.org. Now as a member of the Board of Governors, Scott is responsible for planning Human Rights Campaign activities in Portland. Additionally, Scott founded United Equity Consulting, an organization that provides LGTBQ+ education and training for companies and their employees.

Three pieces of advice were given by Scott to support the LGBTQ+ community in schools and workplaces: first, she advised everyone to add their pronouns to the signature line of their email, as this demonstrates personal and organizational support of diversity and inclusion; second, Scott noted the importance of having a safe location where everybody can go to the bathroom, emphasizing inclusion for all, not only transgender-identifying individuals; and, third, she advised that students and employees find out if there’s a written transgender inclusion policy at their school, work, or other organizations that the student is involved in.

Sam Fennell, Stonewall Center coordinator on Western’s campus, described the importance of having Scott tell her story for students.

“Shannon Scott was a crucial person to bring to campus because of the representation she brought,” Fennell explained. “Her story is one of hundreds of stories of transgender people who have faced discrimination because of their identities …  For a lot of people struggling with their identity and how to overcome similar obstacles, seeing someone who has accomplished so much gives them the drive and support to continue being their true authentic selves.”

Scott closed the speech with a request from the audience of students: “I want you to see yourself and everybody in here as exactly what you are,” she encouraged. “You are the leaders of equality. You are the agents of change. And together, you will lead this organization into the future.”

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

 

Western’s intramural sports shine

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

The quick-paced and game-to-game action in Western Oregon’s intramural soccer and basketball recreational leagues concluded in championship triumph on Feb. 28 and March 1.

IM playoffs in women’s indoor basketball were played on Feb. 28, while the men’s basketball and indoor soccer culminated the very next day on March 1.  

Tournament play in indoor soccer was scheduled throughout the day and an anticipated first round matchup between We Like It Messi and The Republic started things off. The two squared off a month earlier, on Feb. 1 as We Like it Messi one-upped The Republic in their full-throttled first meeting, 5-4.

In bad timing, We Like It Messi, named after professional soccer athlete Lionel Messi, forfeited for the second time because of an inadequate number of players with three. The Republic didn’t budge for their opponents misfortune and optioned to advance. Every indoor soccer team must have four players in play or they’re disqualified.

“They were scared,” said We Like It Messi’s junior striker Hatim Alhamdin, commenting after The Republic’s decision.

A fourth player arrived later, but The Republic had already made their decision. Nonetheless, the fact that The Republic advanced was due to its togetherness all season.

“The strong point of our season was that we were real supportive of each other,” said senior goalie Keegan McMurry.

But The Republic’s team play wasn’t enough to outdo No. 1 in the division Unreal Madrid — a name in reference to the professional soccer club Real Madrid — who awaited them in the final. Unreal Madrid had not been conquered once, and waited in the final after earning a bye round in the semi-final. Madrid scored the most points on the season and showed for it, and won in penalty shots, 5-4.

Intramural basketball championships in the women’s and men’s competitive leagues were also finalized on Feb. 28 and March. 1.  

On Feb. 28, Cool Name won the title in the women’s competitive field after defeating The Bouncemasters, in a revenge match, 42-21. The two met twice before and split the meetings, 45-33 and then 48-37. Both also had significant point differentials against their foes as Cool Name owned a 72 point difference while the bouncemasters totaled 49. But the 5-2 bouncemasters couldn’t bounce 6-1 Cool Name in the final grudge match.
In men’s competitive, two teams came into the finals with 5-0 records. Both Strong to the Hole and FreeBallers, had significant margins over their competition. But there’s a reason Strong to the Hole inched ahead of the Freeballers in the final, 71-70, and that’s from the scoring output versus their opponents. Strong to the Hole outscored their counterparts all season by nearly 25 points per game, and won only one game by a single digit outcome. That more than doubled the Freeballers’s 11 ppg margin.

IM title games in co-rec soccer and basketball, as well as men’s regular recreational basketball, finish up on March 7.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

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