Mount Hood

Spooky DIYs for Halloween

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Looking for cheap and fun ways to decorate for Halloween this year? Try out these DIYs to get prepped for the spooky season.

 

Witch’s Potions

Make some witch’s potions to set on a windowsill, at the front door or just miscellaneously around the house. Start by taking any old, preferably glass bottles lying around, such as a wine, cider or seltzer bottle. Fill the bottle with some sort of liquid — water dyed a different and/or unnatural color, juice, or something carbonated to give the potion a bubble-bubble-toil-and-trouble look. 

Take the witch’s potions up a notch by adding in various “ingredients”. Add in gummy worms to give an impression of living things being included, or some substance such as ketchup to thicken the liquid, increasing the murkiness and mystery.

 

Floating Ghost

Create a spooky ghost to hang from the ceiling using simple household items. Take a round object like a tennis ball to use as a head, then gather some spare cloth thats cut into a square — length of cloth may vary depending on desired decoration size. Glue the tennis ball to the center of the cloth and attach thread to the top once dried.

Googly eyes can be glued on to add a cuter spooky feel. Variations of the tennis ball could be a balloon, a stress ball or other ball. Cloth can be from old sheets, clothes or various fabrics.

 

Witch’s Spellbooks

Utilize old books that are no longer in use by transforming them into witch’s spellbooks. Head to a used bookstore and pick up some tattered books – or just use older books lying around the house. Cover the book in shabby cloth by either gluing or taping it on. Alternatively, painting the book also works, the goal is just to hide the cover.

Wear down the pages by dampening with water, or coffee to stain the pages to age the book further. Take a lighter or match to the edge of the pages – if the cover is paperback, this works too – to add to the wear and tear.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo Cora McClain (Witch’s Potion)

Photos by Caity Healy (Floating Ghost and Witch’s Spellbook)

Lonney’s Hawaiian food truck review

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Lonney’s Lunch Wagon is a food truck located at 152 Main St W in Monmouth. Opening at the tail end of 2018, Lonney’s serves Hawaiian-Asian style cuisine that comes in both smaller and larger sizes.

Lonney’s initially started out with owners Donney Ito and Leon Abrew selling lunch plates out of their houses as a way to earn money while attending Western. Eventually the two expanded and thought it would be a good idea to start a food truck business in town.

“(The) love and support we got from everyone here was too hard to leave,” the two explained over Instagram. Ito and Abrew wanted to provide a solid food option for the people in Monmouth and for the Western football team that supported the pair from the beginning.

The idea to sell Hawaiian food came from the fact that Abrew and Ito are both from Hawaii. However, according to Lonney’s, “We actually only have one ‘Hawaiian’ dish, (which) is our Kalua pig.” 

Their menu consists of many different mixtures of Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, and some Fillipino dishes, but just stick with the label “Hawaiian food” for simplicity.

The menu rotates every other day, with chicken, beef and pork options available daily, and seafood available on Saturdays. Lonney’s does not have a secret menu, but allows their customers to customise their meals with different sauce options they have for the day. If the Loco Moco is on the menu, any dish on the menu can become a “moco,” meaning that they will add over-easy eggs and gravy to your plate.

Abrew and Ito say their signature dishes are the Hurricane Katsu or Hurricane Chicken. Both dishes are drizzled with a mild spicy mayo, a sweet sushi sauce and are sprinkled with furikake on top. However, the dishes they recommend to first-time customers are the Loco Moco or Bulgogi.

“(We) recommend the Loco Moco or Bulgogi because so many people order the Hurricane every time that they don’t get a chance to try (them),” the two explained over Instagram. “Loco Moco is probably the most underrated plate that we have.”

The Loco Moco is homemade Hawaiian style hamburger patties with an over-easy egg and brown beef gravy, and the Bulgogi is homemade Korean teri-marinated beef.

Along with food, Lonney’s sells pop sockets and, in the past, t-shirts. They’re currently in the process of bringing more t-shirts in.

Lonney’s also advertises for customers to “leave their mark” on the back of their wagon by putting a sticker on it that represents home. 

When asked if they wanted to add anything else, Ito and Abrew had this to say.

“Thank you so much to EVERYONE for supporting us and welcoming us with open arms. There’s a lot of sacrifices we make to be able to run this business, but getting to provide good people with good food makes it all worth it.”

Lonney’s Lunch Wagon can be found on Instagram with the handle @lonneyslunchwagon and on Facebook. The business is open Monday–Friday from 11 a.m.–3 p.m., and on Saturday from 12 p.m.–3 p.m. Occasionally, Lonney’s holds “drunchies” hours, which usually occur from 11 pm–1:30 am. 

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Hannah Greene

Save the pumpkin seeds: My go-to festive recipe

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Instead of tossing the seeds after gutting a pumpkin, turn them into a festive, tasty snack for the fall season.

 

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Start to finish: 25-30 minutes

Servings: 1 ½ cups

 

1 ½ cups of pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons fine sea salt (and more for serving)

2 teaspoons of olive oil, coconut oil or nut oil (such as walnut)

2 teaspoons of favorite spice blend (such as curry powder, harissa and chili powder)

 

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 cups of water and season with 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil.

    Scoop seeds from a pumpkin while water is boiling. Add the pumpkin seeds to a bowl filled with cold water and swish them around until the seeds float and are mostly clean.

    Add the cleaned seeds to the boiling salted water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and pull away any remaining pumpkin attached to the seeds.

    Scatter the seeds onto clean dishcloths and pat them very dry. Mound the dried seeds onto the prepared baking sheet. Add the oil and any spices on top then toss until well coated. Spread the seeds into one layer. Bake, stirring the seeds at least once until fragrant and golden around the edges, 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Caity Healy

The Cascadia Chamber Opera: A group more focused on the art than the money

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

I should start by saying, I have never been to an opera before. Whenever this artform was mentioned before, I pictured a huge theater, an audience full of wealthy people with little binoculars and people on stage yelling so loudly that they could shatter a glass. On Oct. 6, my mind was changed: The Cascadia Chamber Opera surprised me entirely with their stunning performance.

The Cascadia Chamber Opera was founded in 2009, compiled by a group of local and regional musicians presenting opera in a concert format rather than a full performance. A concert format is a more laid back version; the singers are dressed nice, but not in costumes, and they only have a pianist accompanying them, rather than a chorus and full band. They performed songs from different pieces, creating a more diverse performance.

This format allows the group to travel, which is far different from most opera houses that typically stay stagnant due to their large stage props. 

The Cascadia Chamber Opera is a unique group that aims to disrupt misconceptions about opera — such as the idea that it is an elitist artform. They keep all of their tickets low in cost, and often free for students to reinforce their motto of accessibility. 

“Our mission is to bring opera to more people, accessibility is key,” said Bernie Robe, a board member for the group.

This was apparent from the start, with their low prices: $8 for general public, $5 for seniors and students, and completely free for Western students. They are an all English opera group, which they decided to do to make their performances feel less intimidating for people who don’t have experience with opera.

Their performance was from the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, victorian composers who based much of their music on mocking British society, according to the artistic director Bereniece Jones-Centeno. Jones-Centeno guided the performance at Western, introducing the plot before each song that way anyone could enjoy, regardless of their previous knowledge of that piece.

With the guidance from the artistic director, I was able to sit back and enjoy the lively performance by the singers. While there were no costumes, nor set pieces, the artists delivered with their spectacular voices and expressive faces.

Each new character that was introduced was properly conveyed from the way the singer would interact with the audience, winking or scowling while belting notes with perceived ease. 

While there were around 20 songs sung, stopping at around nine for intermission, the show felt fast paced and engaging—  never a dull moment with the playful lyrics and energetic performances from the singers.

Before their performance I interviewed Jones-Centeno who discussed the importance of opera.

“The main idea with opera is that it is all encompassing, using the expression of the human voice, opening it up and telling a story through singing it… telling the human story,” Jones-Centeno said.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos by Never Retallack

A comparison of Batman’s arch nemesis: The Joker

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

“Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight?” This quote from “Batman” (1989)  will ring true with the Joker, a character from the DC Franchise first introduced into the Batman comics in 1975 as a supervillain. His character is quite complex and has been interpreted many different ways throughout time. I will analyze each Joker that has been represented in film from as early as the 1960s.

“Batman” (1966): In this classic Batman TV series, Cesar Romero plays the devious Joker. The way this Joker was portrayed was quite comical; Romero was dressed in the typical makeup and green hair, but his evil plots often failed and he couldn’t even beat Alfred, Batman’s butler.

“Batman:The Killing Joke”(1988): This animated movie was based off of the comic of the same name, and starred Mark Hamill as the voice of the Joker.

This was a darker version of the character, shooting and paralyzing Batgirl before stripping her naked and taking pictures of her. Joker also says something that insuates he went as far to rape her afterwards as well. This appalling behavior was the first hint that the Joker wasn’t just a simple trickster. The writer, Alan Moore, says he regrets writing the comic, as the public outcry over this behavior towards Batgirl caused a large backlash for him.

“Batman” (1989): Jack Nicholson was known for his crazed character in “The Shining” (1980), and this equally crazed portrayal of the Joker followed the comics quite closely. The villain starts off as a normal man— that is until he falls into a vaut of chemicals — transforming him into a ruthless and cunning criminal. Nicholson’s Joker was unnerving but still followed a twisted humor, yet was not quite intimidating.

“The Dark Knight” (2008): As stated by the LA Times, this film is a turning point for the Joker, with Heath Ledger’s twisted performance of an unhinged villain who wreaks chaos and terror on the city of Gotham. Ledger’s Joker hinted at a sign of mental illness, never revealing his backstory in this film, but hinting at the terrors he’s faced throughout his life. The past Jokers were portrayed as silly and angry characters, resenting Batman and the wealthy, but Ledger’s often slipped into a crazed madness —  not quite angry, but seemingly calm in his destruction.

“Suicide Squad” (2016): Jared Leto’s interpretation of the Joker led to a lot of backlash when first released; this modern day gangster version was bizarre in the world of Joker. Leto also received criticism due to his method acting, even going as far as to send used condoms and dead rats to his castmates. This showed the mentality of this Joker; a twisted man who enjoyed to cause discomfort, and that is what was delivered in “Suicided Squad.”

“The Joker” (2019): This film has received some concerns similar to the movie, “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” that showed the notorious killer Ted Bundy as a family man —  a character to sympathize with. There was similar concern with “The Joker,” starring Joaquin Phoenix, as it led audience members to try and sympathize with the classic villain and even view Thomas Wayne (Batman’s father) as the antagonist. 

Phoenix played the saddest version of the Joker: losing his access to medication, living with his ill mother, being mugged several times and being ridiculed for his dream of being a stand-up comedian. This doesn’t take away from the horrendous crimes he commits, although the audience is left wondering whether what they see is reality or all part of his delusion. 

“The Joker” was not for the faint of heart, containing far more graphic scenes than ever used before, often leaving audience members gasping in horror and watching with mouths agape.

 

Overall, the classic villain, the Joker, has been a prominent member of the Batman franchise, and he has been portrayed in a variety of different ways since the 1960s. His origin story was based off the comics for several of the earlier Batman films, where a struggling crook frustrated with society falls into a vat of chemicals and becomes a disfigured and devious monster. 

Ledger and Phoenix’s portrayal were outliers among all the films released; Ledger’s Joker was shrouded in mystery, never revealing his origin story, while Phoenix’s was void of a chemical influence. Both of these Jokers were more twisted than the others, showing unmistakable signs of mental illness, and rather than the comedic Romero or cruel Nicholson, they were shown as sad men driven to madness.  

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of dccomics.com

Review: “Creepshow” hits the macabre-mark with Shudder’s new collection

Caity Healy | Managing Editor

I remember when I was little — probably far, far too little — I sat down with my dad and watched “Creepshow.” I remember being enthralled by the collection of short 15-minute stories, which were just the right length for my adolescent brain to focus on; the eeriness to each tale had me glued to the screen. Of course, I had to watch the sequel, “Creepshow 2,” which had me just as intrigued. 

Now that I’m older, it’s easy to understand why I was so mesmerized by these films. It was Stephen King’s screenwriting debut, which pretty much explains everything — I love his work. It’s clear to see how his childhood of watching B-list horror movies and reading countless scary stories, as he explains in his memoir “On Writing,” had an impact on the way these films were written. It was also directed by George A. Romero, the director of “Night of the Living Dead” — another clear reason I fell in love. And, lastly, the special effects makeup was done by Tom Savini, one of my current-day horror-makeup idols. Oh — and Ted Danson is in it, so that’s probably what really drew me in. 

Having loved this 1982 horror-comedy anthology film for so long, I was both elated and nervous when I heard that Shudder, a horror-only streaming service designed for scary flick-fanatics with its several subgenres of horror, was creating a 12-part series with the same title. So when it was finally released on Sept. 26, I sat down to watch with a myriad of expectations and nerves, and began the first episode.

Episode 1 was comprised of two stories, “Gray Matter,” which was directed by Greg Nicotero and was a direct homage to the short story by the same name written by Stephen King, and “The House of the Head,” which was directed by John Harrison. But before either could begin, the much-loved creature from the original, The Creep, sat down to introduce the story the viewers would soon witness. Full of all the campiness of the original, and the practical effects to match, I immediately fell in love.

“Gray Matter” began with too many Stephen King references to count — everything from the announcement of the missing Grady twins from “The Shining” to a missing dog poster for “Cujo” and a missing cat poster for Church from “Pet Sematary” could be noticed. Diving into the story, everything about it felt nostalgic; it was truly like the original. However, nothing compared to Part II. 

The second story, “The House of the Head,” involved a dollhouse. That was enough to terrify me. But wait — the dolls move on their own. And to top it off, there’s a demonic head of an evil doll that haunts the dollhouse family. Without giving too much away, I’d say this one replicated the comedic-horror that the first film captured so flawlessly. It had me creeped out, laughing and genuinely enchanted by the story. 

Overall Rating: I highly recommend this series to anyone who, like me, loved the original, or loves the feel of practical effects and ‘80s nostalgia.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Shudder

IMa create a league of my own and compete in IMLeagues

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

Ever wanted to be the leader of a team? The creator, the all mighty powerful emperor of your own squad? IMLeagues is a good way to do this. Every quarter there are multiple teams one can either join, create or even be a free agent — where any team can add you/pick you up.

“Intramural (IM) Sports program offers opportunities for the Western Oregon University community to participate in a variety of team and individual sport leagues,” explains the Western Oregon University Intramural Handbook. 

IMLeagues is accessible through the IMLeagues website, using Western Oregon University as the school and your regular school email as your login. From there, students will create a password and fill out some paperwork and then voila — free to roam and play all the sports or join multiple teams.

As of right now the sports offered are: flag football, volleyball, badminton and a powerpuff team for Homecoming weekend. The teams include different sections like co-recreational, competitive, all men’s or women’s.

Join now, be a part of a team, have fun and step into the community of Western Oregon University Intramurals.

Anyone identifying as female can still join the Powerpuff team before 11:59pm on Oct. 16.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

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