Mount Hood

Independence Cinema showings begin April 9

Independence Cinema reopening after COVID closures

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

In February, movie theaters in Oregon were permitted to reopen under the official Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. However, some movie theaters such as the Independence Cinema delayed their reopening, citing concerns for the new strains of COVID-19 and wanting more viable movies to showcase in the theaters.

“The hardest thing on a small business so devastated by these closures would be to reopen only to have to close down again,” said Independence Cinema in a Feb. 23 Facebook post. “We did it this fall, and we could not repeat that scenario and survive.”

However, on March 10 the local theater announced that it would be reopening its doors on April 9. 

“This was a very careful decision,” said a March 10 Facebook post, “with lots of planning, waiting and watching. We feel confident that everyone is ready to safely enjoy family entertainment again.”

The current plans for reopening entail operating daily with limited showtimes and adhering to industry-wide safety standards called CinemaSafe. Under these guidelines, all theaters are expected to require staff and patrons to wear masks, social distance audience members, increase ventilation where possible, provide hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content, disinfect the auditorium between showings, train staff on COVID-19 symptoms, make online tickets available for patrons and minimize cash transactions. In each state, theater capacity size varies depending on state governments mandates; in Oregon, it is contingent on a county’s COVID risk level. 

As of March 26, Polk County Health officials reported the county qualified for the moderate risk level by having a 2% positivity rate and 72.3 cases per 100,000 people over the course of 14 days. As a result, Independence Cinema will have a maximum capacity of 50%.

At this time, the theater does not have an official schedule for their showings, but according to their Instagram page, they plan to open with “Voyagers,” “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “Nobody,” “Chaos Walking,” “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Tom & Jerry.” 

To ensure patron safety, the theater is implementing an RSVP system that can be done either online at www.independencecinema8.com or in person at the ticket counter located outside the theater.

If patrons are not comfortable with watching movies in person, the theater is still offering to-go concessions.

For further information or questions, visit their Facebook page @independencecinema8 or their Instagram @indycinema.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Northwest Housing Alternatives finishes College Manor renovations and mural

Northwest Housing Alternatives hosts big reveal of Monmouth project

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

During Spring Break, Northwest Housing Alternatives ⏤ a not-for-profit developer of affordable housing in Oregon ⏤ completed the renovations on College Manor apartment complex.

Starting back in Aug. of 2020, the organization began revamping the interior design, mainly with the replacement of existing, domestic and wastewater systems and updating the bathrooms. External renovations included siding and window replacements on North and South elevations, exterior stairs and enclosure replacements, adding accessible ramps and walkways, mow strips, sealcoat and restriping the parking lot. 

“Affordable housing that is well cared for is an increasingly rare resource all across Oregon, especially in smaller/rural communities,” said Northwest Housing Alternatives housing developer Clayton Crowhurst. “Ensuring that this property continues to be … affordable for many years to come and isn’t sold to a market rate developer that will raise rents and let housing vouchers expire is critical.”

Over the course of the build, the update encountered setbacks, including a four-week delay due to COVID-19 and the Sept. Oregon wildfires, replacing moldy refrigerators and collecting funding.

“The most challenging part of any project like this is obtaining the funding to do it and then getting the many different funders and attorneys involved to all sign off on the project,” said Crowhurst. “The closing process occurred right at the start of COVID and came in right under the wire as several other projects had major funders pull out at the last minute due to fear about what the economy was going to do.”

However, the project was able to be fully funded by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, Housing Partnership Fund and a perm loan with Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credit. During COVID and the wildfires, Crowhurst stated the cost of materials rose significantly, causing a challenge to remain within budget. According to Crowhurst, the construction team of 80 to 100 people remained within budget, totaling $4,553,747 for labor and cost of materials. 

In addition to the construction, Northwest Housing Alternatives implemented a mural ⏤ painted by Portland artist Heidi Schultz ⏤ to showcase during their small presentation to the public. 

“The two of us just kicked back and forth a few different design ideas,” said Crowhurst, “and we really settled on the oak tree … It encompasses the themes of growing but also being sturdy and providing shelter during changing times. It captured a bunch of those things that embody our organization.”

Crowhurst explained that the organization is not out to make a quick dollar, and genuinely cares for its people. Being able to provide 3,000 Oregonians with a place to call home every single night ⏤ because housing is a human right and no one should have to choose between food, housing or healthcare ⏤ makes him proud to be affiliated with Northwest Housing Alternatives. 

Although there were renovations done to College Manor, current rents will not be increased. For more information about the organization, visit their website at https://nwhousing.org/#.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Here are a few simple pranks to pull come April 1st

These practical jokes are entertaining for everyone

Natalie‌ ‌Dean‌ ‌|‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌Editor‌ ‌ ‌

It’s no hoax — April Fool’s Day is nearly here. Traditionally, people pull lighthearted pranks and jokes on unsuspecting family or friends, most of which range in the surprise factor. There are many tried and true tricks, like using fake spilled nail polish on the carpet or the classic caramel dipped onion on a stick. If folks need some inspiration, consider attempting these silly April Fool’s Day antics:

  • Taping googly eyes to household objects is a simple way to provide some laughs through the day. Throw them on the lamp, the TV, on the outside of a coffee mug ⏤ anywhere is possible. 
  • Covering sensors on electronics, or removing the batteries, can be a harmless way to prank the household for part of the day.
  • Take dark colored paper and cut out an insect, then tape it to the inside of the lampshade to make it look like there’s a large bug lurking. Plastic toy insects work just fine in a pinch and are normally pretty cheap.
  • Scrape the filling from a few Oreo cookies, and replace it with white toothpaste. Leaving some of these cookies ready on a plate can help entice the prankee to fall for it.  
  • If there’s a near empty or fully finished jar of mayonnaise, rinse out the container very well and replace it with whipped cream, and then pretend to eat the “mayonnaise” right from the jar to see people’s reactions.
  • Replace photos in the house with random celebrity pictures or popular TV characters. Some examples people have used in the past are pictures of Danny Devito, Steve Buscemi and Shrek.  

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Honoring the experiences of BIPOC students across Oregon universities

This Instagram page holds Oregon universities accountable, one post at a time

Natalie‌ ‌Dean‌ ‌|‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌Editor‌ ‌ ‌

The college experience can be an exciting time for many students, and it can also be inherently stressful — the days are full of cramming study sessions, keeping up with assignments and too many late nights. Unfortunately, there are larger issues that have been running rampant across many universities in Oregon, ones that heavily impact Black, Indigenous and People of Color students and their ability to feel safe on campuses. 

One student at Western Oregon University saw the need for a space where BIPOC students can voice their experiences with racism and harassment, so they created the Instagram account @bipocatoregonuniversities. They post experiences that are submitted anonymously through Google Forms, it allows for students from Western Oregon University, University of Oregon and Oregon State University to submit their stories anonymously. 

The creator of this page first saw a need for a safe space over the summer of 2020. They felt compelled to make the account after being profiled for a second time during Winter term of 2021, when trying to buy food at the Valsetz Dining Hall. They recounted this experience, “To people it may not be a huge deal, but for me when the simplest task of getting food is met with bias and assumptions based upon how I look, it can be difficult to feel welcome in a place you pay thousands of dollars a term to attend.” 

After experiencing this racial discrimination on Western’s campus, they followed their gut instinct and created the page to share stories from other students of color, and the page has been active since March 1, 2021.

“The purpose of this page is to make sure that universities do not have any room to think they can silence students of color’s voices by creating policies and forms that statistically deter students rather than helping them get the help and resources they need.”

Since the page started, students across universities have reached out to safely share their experiences, with the creator of the account saying, “So far this experience has been nothing short of phenomenally amazing. I have received overwhelming support from students around the state, as well as faculty, department heads, staff, and employees. I have encountered a particular post that was extremely ignorant and simply uneducated. I made sure to make an example out of what this page was not created to publicize. This page is for students of color, this is a time for particularly white students, staff, and faculty to acknowledge and truly listen to what students on this campus have endured.”

Additionally, “There are always ways for universities to grow and provide support for BIPOC students, such as hiring students of color for student work and leadership positions, a well-funded diversity center and additional supervisors, advisors and counselors of color.

There are many ways white students and staff can uplift BIPOC students, by “understand(ing) why our country, and why our world is the way it is. If you see something that is wrong, don’t just stand there and let it happen. Speak up, and just do the right thing. It’s okay to make good trouble.”

Students deserve to feel safe and represented on their campuses, and Instagram pages such as @bipocatoregonuniversities provide a space for students to be heard until the colleges decide to take further measures to address racism at their own schools.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

‌Hop to it, Easter is just a few days away

Plan something fun for Easter with these suggestions 

Natalie‌ ‌Dean‌ ‌|‌ ‌Entertainment‌ ‌Editor‌ ‌ ‌

Easter get-togethers and egg hunts across the community will look a little different this year, but there is still an abundance of things to do come Easter Sunday. The day can be as simple as enjoying one’s own company ⏤ full of rest, relaxing and eating huge chocolate bunnies. Whatever people may have planned, here are a few things anyone can try to stay entertained:

 

  • For many people, dyeing Easter eggs is a must, although it can get messy. There are online tutorials that explain tips for beginners and ones that show elaborate designs. 
  • Easter egg hunts are a staple activity for people of many ages, and can also be a good way to keep kids engaged for a while. Try it with pets by putting treats in the eggs and hiding them in a place they frequent. 
  • The egg toss is perfect because all ages can participate in the competition. This is another messy game but it allows people to enjoy time outdoors and to practice their hand-eye coordination. 
  • It would be a shame to forget about the egg walk — which requires the player to hold a spoon in their mouth, while an egg balances in the spoon. Then, they walk a certain distance without dropping the egg in order to win. 
  • “Pin the tail on the rabbit” is an easy, interactive game to help entertain the youngsters. This will require a blindfold, a piece of paper, a pen to draw the bunny, some tape and a white cotton ball for the tail. 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Follow these steps to spring into clean

Bedroom cleaning hacks that will sweep you off your feet

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Having a clean and organized room can relieve stress and improve sleep and overall health, according to lifehack.org; and, with springtime comes the perfect opportunity for spring cleaning. Plus, for those living in the dorms, moving out at the end of the term will be made easier since there will be less to do. Start spring term off right with a tidy bedroom or dorm room by setting aside one day to follow these spring cleaning steps.

Begin by gathering laundry, including clothes, towels, curtains and bed linens. Run loads of laundry while cleaning the rest of the room to get two things done at once. While putting clean clothes away, consider packing up winter clothing to save space, or get rid of items that are never worn.

Next, clean off surfaces for dusting. While doing so, organize items into sensible groups, such as school materials, electronics and self-care products. Also consider what items are unnecessary; remove things that don’t belong in the bedroom, such as dishes, collect gently used items into a box or bag for donation and throw out old, unusable items. Dust off all surfaces, then organize items into containers and files before replacing them where they belong so that they are easily accessible for future use.

Clean the floors next. Shake out rugs, then grab a broom or vacuum to pick up dirt and dust. Even on hard surfaces, use the hose of a vacuum to remove built up grime from the corners and wall trim. If one is accessible, use a mop or carpet cleaner to get the floors shining.

Don’t forget to disinfect surfaces such as light switches and door handles, clean the windows and mirrors, throw out expired food and take out the trash. As a final step, air out the room by opening a window for a while.

If cleaning multiple areas of the bedroom all at once feels overwhelming, try tackling one area at a time. For example, start with a bookshelf, then move onto a desk, then clean the floors. Another option is to print off a spring cleaning checklist; checking off each box can be motivating and satisfying to complete.

Once spring cleaning is finished, consider setting up a more frequent cleaning schedule; cleaning a little bit each week will both save time and keep one’s room neat and tidy for longer.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

Learn all about adulting this spring term

Student Success and Advising hosts “#Adulting” seminar series

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

This spring term, Student Success and Advising is hosting a seminar for Western students called “#Adulting.” Starting on April 9 and recurring every Friday through week nine, different life skills will be explored over Zoom sessions. 

Each seminar will involve a discussion period of the week’s topic and a range of material, including worksheets and activities students can keep for future reference.

“It’s going to be interactive so we can make sure everyone is getting exactly what they need,” Academic Success advisor Gabbi Boyle added.

This series was originally offered as a first-year seminar class in 2020, but it was converted to be available for all students due to its success. Boyle said they are excited to teach any and all students some new life skills.

“Anyone can learn new things or new ways of approaching ‘Adulting’ from the topics we are covering,” Boyle said.

From skills such as time management and self-care, to major and career exploration, to financial information, the “#Adulting” series covers a wide variety of important things for college students to learn as they begin navigating through life. Aptly timed, the first seminar will cover time management as students jump into the new term. The final three weeks of the seminar — which cover finance topics like budgeting, debt and investment — will host a special guest financial coach to provide professional advice.

In the future, based on the success of this term’s seminar series, Student Success and Advising is considering hosting similar seminars and workshops in person as health guidelines permit.

The “#Adulting” seminar series will be held every Friday of weeks two through nine this spring term from 2 to 3 p.m. on Zoom. Find the full schedule of events on the Student Success and Advising page, wou.edu/advising. Contact Gabbi Boyle with questions a boyleg@mail.wou.edu.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

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