2018 – Page 51 – The Western Howl

Eric Frey | Incidental Fee Committee Chair

Dear students, I wanted to write to you first to inform you of where we stand as a committee after the preliminary hearings and second to ask you for your input on where you think your fees should go.

Some background — every term students pay an incidental fee to support student-funded activities and organizations. This year the fee is $349 per regular term and $153 for summer term, with projected enrollment next fall being 4,745. We estimate to receive $4,402,604 in revenue if fees do not change. For summer, projected enrollment is 800 students and $123,000 in revenue if fees do not change. For the 2018-2019 school year IFC funded areas requested $4,515,310 for their budgets and an additional $429,896 in enhancements to their budgets — a total of $4,945,206 requested from the IFC. With the $542,602 difference between requested funds and projected available funds we have to find the balance between raising fees and lowering budgets.

Here is where we stand after preliminary decisions on the funding of the IFC-funded areas:

Abby’s House, Access, Creative Arts , Athletics, Childcare, Extraordinary Travel, Campus Rec-HWC, Campus Rec-Club Sports, Campus Rec-Intramurals, Student Engagement-LIA, Student Engagement-SAB, WOLF Ride, SLCD and the Computer Replacement Fund were all funded at the level requested.

ASWOU was cut by $28,000 with the intent to cut the Oregon Student Association membership, while the ASWOU cut package indicated cuts to Clubs & Orgs and travel funds. Student Media was cut by $3,229 with the intent to reduce printing costs in The Western Journal. Student Engagement Operations was cut by $3,887 with the intent to close the downstairs of the Werner University Center at 10 p.m. when the upstairs closes.

Five areas also requested enhancements to their base budget:

ASWOU requested $4,359 to support SVA National Convention Travel: Approved

Athletics requested $396,505 to fund travel, uniforms, equipment and pre-season expenses: $28,250 was approved — $2,500 for baseball helmets, $4,000 for Basketball Game Fees for not traveling to an opponent[ZS2] , $7,500 for volleyball uniforms, $5,692 for track to replace aging equipment, $2,148 for cross country meet fees for not traveling to opponent, $4,117 for cheerleading uniforms

Student Engagement-Leadership, Inclusion, Activities requested $3,759 to support Siblings Weekend and the Leadership Institute: Approved

Student Engagement-SAB requested $2,685 to fund new SAB location: Approved

WOLF Ride/SLCD requested $22,588 to fund a second driver/navigator and develop a WOLF Ride App: second driver/navigator approved for $17,292.

Overall IFC approved $56,345 in enhancements to the budgets

With the total of $4,536,539 budget and with the projected enrollment we are looking at increasing the Incidental Fee from $349 per term to $360 per term.

The summer budget was $133,674 — $3,975 less than last year, yet we need to increase the summer Incidental Fee from $153 to $167 due to lower summer enrollment projections.

Agendas, minutes, documents, forms and additional info can be found at wou.edu/ifc

Now that you have the facts, this is where I am asking for your input and help:

We want to hear from you.

How do you feel about the overall fee?

What do you feel strongest about in the budgets?

Do you think you benefit enough from the services provided by the fee? How?

What do you think could be improved in the Budget?

What budget item do you disagree with?

What would you like to tell the committee?

You can email the committee at ifc@wou.edu and ifcchair@wou.edu to give us your feedback or you can contact me personally at efrey15@wou.edu.

Thank you for taking the time to read through all this info, please take a few minutes to let us know your thoughts, because the more feedback we get, the better decisions we can make and together we succeed.

TL:DR We are looking to raise Incidental Fees to $360 to fund IFC-funded areas, looking to cut funds from ASWOU, Student Media and Student Engagement. ifc@wou.edu would like your input and thoughts.

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

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Wolves looking to sneak into last playoff spot

Morgan Swaim | Staff Writer

Six women’s basketball teams will be eligible for the GNAC conference championships at the end of the season that are to be played from March 1-3, and there’s only one spot available. The playoffs are now in sight for the Western Oregon women’s basketball team.

The reason the team is in this position right now is because of a strong showing last week. After squeaking out a 65-62 win against Concordia on Feb. 13, the team was able to generate newfound momentum. Facing a schedule filled with must-win situations, last Saturday’s game on Feb. 17 against GNAC championship qualifier Montana State Billings may have been the biggest win of the season. While trailing by seven at the start of the fourth quarter, with the season possibly on the line, the Wolves responded forcefully. Outscoring the Yellowjackets by 19 in the final 10 minutes, the team secured a 77-65 win.
Though the Wolves do have a shot at making the playoffs, they do not control their own destiny. A couple key games this week around the conference will be another deciding factor. Four teams are currently battling for the final spot with two games left. As it stands right now, if Western Washington wins both games next week, the three teams sitting one game back have zero shot of the final GNAC conference tournament.
The Wolves’s next game will be on the road against the Seattle Pacific Falcons on Feb. 22. After starting 16-3, the Falcons have hit a rough patch, going 3-3 in the month of February. On Feb. 24, the team finishes out the regular season against Saint Martin’s. This game may be the biggest one of the season. If everything falls correctly for the Wolves, the game against the Saints (3-15 conference record) will serve as a win or go home situation in their last chance to grab the 6th GNAC conference championship spot. With a conference record of 7-11, Western is currently trailing Western Washington by one game for the last conference tournament spot. With three other teams tied with the Wolves, the last few games will be crucial to earn a spot to play in the GNAC championships.Contact the author at mswaim16@wou.edu

Photo by: wouwolves.com

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Men’s team hopes to avenge early season loss

Morgan Swaim | Staff Writer

As the season starts to wind down, every game is bigger than the last one. This proves to be no exception this coming Thursday, Feb. 22, as it is a crucial game where the Wolves basketball team will be hosting Western Washington, the only team this season that has beaten the Wolves.
The Western Washington Vikings defeated the Wolves 85-58 back on Dec. 2. It was a game early in the season, and since then, the Wolves now have an 18-game win streak.
“We are a more focused and mature team now, and we are ready to take on WWU Thursday,” said senior forward Tanner Omlid. This game is another huge matchup, and the team is focused and prepared.
“Definitely treating this game a little different with them being the one team to beat us so far. With our competitiveness we have on the team, this is a huge game for us, just like any other game we’ve competed in this season, ” senior guard, Janvier Alaby said.
The two teams have ran away with top spots in the GNAC division. With two games left in the regular season, the Wolves can clinch the conference with a win on Thursday, Feb. 22.

Coming into the game, both teams stand out in key statistical categories compared to other conference foes. Both teams lead the league in scoring, point margin and field goal percentage. This game will be a great stepping stone to get over before a hopefully lengthy postseason run. The GNAC Championships is just around the corner, starting March 1. Afterwards, the NCAA Regionals will start to take place on March 8.
This past week saw the Wolves streak improve to 18 and received votes as the number one team in the nation this past week, but not without some worry. On Thursday, Feb. 15, the team withstood a huge second half performance by Northwest Nazarene, winning 70-67. This past Saturday, Feb. 17, Central Washington was dealt a 89-59 loss.
Due to his huge performances the week prior, senior guard Ali Faruq-Bey was named conference player of the week.
Faruq-Bey commented on the anticipated Viking match up, “I don’t think we’re going to treat this game any different than any conference game we’ve played, just … added emphasis because we don’t want a share of the conference title, we want it outright.”

The big matchup on Feb. 22 against Western Washington will be at home at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 24, the Wolves host Simon Fraser to cap their weekend, with tip off also being at 7 p.m.

Contact the author at mswaim16@wou.edu

Photo by: wouwolves.com

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Rising against sexual violence

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Feb.14 was a day filled with love and cherished relationships, but it also marked the anniversary of a powerful movement called One Billion Rising. Abby’s House spent the afternoon educating Western students on this campaign to raise awareness on violence against women.

According to onebillionrising.org, one in three women in the world will be a victim of sexual or domestic violence in her lifetime. This adds up to one billion women and girls across the globe. The One Billion Rising movement began when people around the world came together to express concern and awareness of the issues that affect a large number of individuals. According to their website, One Billion Rising is the biggest initiative to end violence against women in history.

Of the various issues that this movement addresses, Abby’s House advocates and volunteers chose three to focus on this year: refugee and migrant justice, gender-based violence and prioritizing education. They encouraged students to take action by writing one thing that they could do to further the movement on a balloon. The empowering balloons were displayed throughout the event.

Junior Kevan Maloney is an Abby’s House advocate and helped educate students on this movement. When asked why One Billion Rising is important, Maloney replied, “It’s super important because women make up half the population of the world. And almost more than half of them deal with problems like this every day. And that’s super huge because no one should have to live like that. Period.”

Volunteer advocate Jessica Lang addressed the importance of this event at Western. “It being out here and being presented like this, people who don’t want to come up and have been in these situations know that they’re supported.”

Go to onebillionrising.org or visit Abby’s House to get involved in the movement.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Photo by: onebillionrising.org

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Delectable dessert made vegan

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

In order to make a change this large in your diet and habits, it’s a good idea to start with a simple recipe that will match your diet without having to sacrifice any of the flavor you’re used to.

When making these brownies, I was at first a little skeptical that they would taste as delicious as the ones I typically eat. However, just by the batter, I knew they’d be amazing. And yes, I did end up eating far too much of the batter. Plus, the batter didn’t have raw egg in it so it was risk-free.

After I pulled them out of the oven, the center had that warm, gooey, chocolatey consistency that’s to die for. The texture was more dense than a normal brownie, and every bite had my mouth watering. This is definitely a recipe worth trying if you’re considering that transition into veganism; it’s both simple and delectable.

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of white sugar, ¾ cup of cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir the dry ingredients together until they are well combined.

To the dry ingredients, add 1 cup of water, 1 cup of vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. I added in ½ teaspoon of almond extract with mine as well, but you don’t have to do this.

Mix this until it’s well combined and there are no clumps in the batter. Spread the batter evenly into a 9×13 pan. I greased my pan by using vegetable oil on the bottom, then coating that with a thin layer of flour to avoid sticking.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until you reach your desired consistency. Personally I prefer mine a little more gooey, so I opted for about 25 to 27 minutes and it was perfect.

Allow brownies to cool for at least ten minutes before you begin cutting into them.

Recipe inspired by allrecipes.com

Contact the author at chealy16@mail.wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

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Easing into veganism

Aubrey Manculich | Freelancer

If you’re considering transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, here are a couple quick tips to follow to make it easier to you than it was for me. When I made my decision, I lived in a college dorm and with my only food being from the dining hall, my options were limited. I had to figure out what I could eat and when it was available for me. Also, my family was very unsupportive and a lot of other people were too. I struggled a lot at first; here are some small things to keep in mind to make the transition more seamless for you.

Do some research before trying or committing to a vegan lifestyle. Just get yourself familiar with the types of vegans there are, what a vegan diet can do for you and maybe look at some recipes to get inspiration. It’s also a good idea to try and have a transition week before where animal product consumption is limited rather than simply cut off immediately.

Plan a two-week trial run for where you eat a strictly vegan diet. Pay attention to how you and your body begins to feel, especially toward the end of the trial.

Always check the contents and allergens part of your food’s nutritional information to see if there are any animal products. It’s also a good idea to check through the whole ingredient list — and sometimes look up the confusing ingredients — but usually the contents list will tell you right away. There are often vegan sections in grocery stores near produce or frozen vegetable areas and many vegan products have a “V” on them to distinguish them for convenience.

Realize that it may not be the most convenient life to live; there are fewer options when eating out and fewer easy options at the grocery store. You will have to cook your own food more often and many times it may be from scratch. However, there are countless cookbooks, online recipes and blogs to help. Some of my favorites include “Vegan with a Vengeance” by Isa Moskowitz, and the YouTube channel “Cheap Lazy Vegan.” The vegan community is much larger than you may think and it’s incredibly supportive.

If veganism is right for you, it’s a rewarding lifestyle that can give you a better relationship with your food and your health.

The most important thing to know is that it’s completely a personal decision, meaning you can live it however you want. Within that, the way any person chooses to live a vegan lifestyle will be entirely dependent on the reason they went vegan in the first place. Personally, I became vegan because most research I’ve seen regarding nutrition has shown me that whole foods and plant-based vegan diets promote the healthiest eating habits. As a result, colloquially, I call myself vegan despite really being what I call a “dietary vegan,” since I still use animal products, such as leather, but do not consume animal products.

Someone may choose to adopt a raw vegan diet because it’s supposed to be healthier, while another may decide to eat vegan with a cheat day once a month to avoid developing an intolerance to meat or eggs. Everyone can take part in a vegan lifestyle, however strict their opinion dictates their commitment should be.

When someone offers me food I can’t eat, I politely decline without further information why, unless they ask. If someone wants to make it public that they are vegan, more power to them, but not everyone does. If you’re worried about nutrition, simply pay careful attention to what you’re eating to ensure you get everything you need from a variety of foods. The point is, again, that it’s all up to you.

Contact the author at amanculich16@mail.wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

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Review: “LONER”

Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

Social commentary should be hidden by danceable beats. At least that’s what Caroline Rose’s newest album “LONER” leads me to believe. The artist’s sophomore album is a far cry from the tracks she released four years ago, they’re brutally honest while being masked by a pleasant exterior.

“LONER” is harder than the moseying vibes put forth by Rose’s first album, “I Will Not Be Afraid.” If her first album was reminiscent of an upbeat version of The Wild Reeds, her second is a hazy Sleater-Kinney or Bikini Kill.

The first track on the album, “More of the Same Thing,” sets the tone of “LONER” to be dreamy and danceable. As the album progresses, the lighthearted nature of the first track shifts in a myriad of different directions. Somehow, Rose has created an album that, despite multitudes of different sounds, is blissfully cohesive.

“Money” is one of my personal favorite songs on the album. Rose’s lyrics are energetic and full of frenzy; the song is backed by loud synths that threaten to take over the track, but are no match for Rose’s commanding voice.

The energetic interlude comes to a pause with “Jeannie Becomes a Mom,” which brings the album back to its dreamy base. The song cyclically repeats the phrase, “now you’re in real life,” creating a whirlwind of surreal dissolution.

Throughout the album, the lyrics present an encompassing picture of Rose’s commentary on the society. Towards the end of the album, a 49-second song introduction titled “Smile! AKA Schizodrift Jam 1 AKA Bikini Intro” is a near-minute of repeated male voices urging the listener to smile. What follows in the track “Bikini” is a song of veiled misogynistic comments centering around the idea that success is related to dressing and acting the way people tell you to.

“LONER” is a catchy, intense album that’s more than what it appears to be upon first listen. The album hits the airwaves on Feb. 23.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo by: Carolinerosemusic.com

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
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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Open Letter to the students at Western Oregon University

Wolves looking to sneak into last playoff spot

Men’s team hopes to avenge early season loss

Rising against sexual violence

Delectable dessert made vegan

Easing into veganism

Review: “LONER”

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