Mount Hood

Gaze into new possibilities with stargazing

Get outside and find a new hobby in stargazing

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Enjoying the night sky gets easier as the nights grow warmer. Looking for a new hobby? Stargazing is accessible to most everyone, and extensive astronomy knowledge is not required. Follow these tips to start stargazing.

If totally new to stargazing, there are a number of apps that can help. I use “Star Chart” because it offers a red light mode; red light, unlike other colors, won’t affect the eyes’ perception of darkness. Other apps include “SkyView Lite,” “Star Walk 2” and “SkySafari” ⏤ all available on both the App Store and Google Play store. 

With a mobile guide in hand, it’s time to get outside; while stargazing is more exciting when away from city lights, it is perfectly fine to simply walk into the backyard and look up. The best nights to stargaze are cloudless, moonless nights, so check the weather forecast before heading out. 

Once outside, let the eyes adjust to the darkness for about 20 minutes so that as many stars as possible will be visible. Take a moment to become oriented with cardinal directions; all stars, planets and the moon rise in the east and set in the west.

There are a few types of objects that will be visible: stars, planets and satellites. Planets do not shimmer like stars do and tend to be brighter. Meanwhile, satellites tend to move slower and are much dimmer than airplanes across the sky. Track which planets or satellites will be out at what times online.

Now to identify some constellations. The Big Dipper, part of Ursa Major, is arguably the easiest constellation in the northern hemisphere to identify, and it’s in the night sky year-round — making it the perfect starting point. The two stars that form the end of the dipper’s bowl point upwards towards Polaris, the end of the Little Dipper’s handle. Following this same line leads to Cepheus, shaped like a house. Next to Cepheus is the “W,” Cassiopeia. In Greek mythology, Cepheus and Cassiopeia are husband and wife, so they sit together in the night sky. All of these constellations are circumpolar, meaning they are visible all year round.

Different constellations — like Orion, Pegasus and the zodiacs — will come out during different seasons, meaning something new awaits in the night sky every month. Use an app as a guide to learn which constellations are next to each other, and as an added activity, learn about the mythology of constellations online.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

Little things to make the days a little brighter

Six simple habits to add to the daily routine

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Life is busy for college students, and many may feel they don’t have time to pick up a new routine or add something to their already packed daily life. However, beneficial habits don’t have to take up much time at all. Try taking a few minutes to add some of these little additions to the daily routine that can help improve the day. 

Breathe: Take a few moments to simply focus on breathing; breathe deeply and mindfully. This is especially useful if in a stressful situation. 

Get up and move: Rejuvenate the body and energy by walking around or stretching for a few minutes. As recommended by createcultivate.com, for every hour of sitting, stand up and do some small exercises, whether it be a short walk, rolling out joints or stretching muscles. 

Sit up straight: Fixing one’s posture can prevent tension and help relax the body. Set feet hip width apart and flat on the floor, and straighten the spine. Relax shoulders down and back, and keep the head in a neutral position — adjust computer or chair height if needed in order to achieve this. 

Be grateful: Whether writing down moments of gratitude or simply taking a minute to think of things to be grateful for, appreciating life can be a wonderful mood booster. If stressed or frustrated, take a break to think about something happy that has happened recently. Or keep a gratitude journal which can be added to every evening; write down at least one thing that was good about the day. 

Drink more water: Staying hydrated is very important to keep the body healthy. The recommended amount of water to drink daily varies, so a simple goal to set would be to drink more water than yesterday. For example, if currently drinking one water bottle per day, try finishing one and a half bottles the next day. 

Practice grounding: Grounding is a technique used to help lower stress or panic in an overwhelming situation. A number of grounding techniques exist, but my favorite is to find one thing from each of the five senses that is in the environment. This can help one regain a sense of control over the things around them. 

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

Make these seasonal cocktails any season

Four mixed drinks for the four seasons

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that the passage of time can feel surreal. No matter what month it feels like, there’s a cocktail for that. Mix up one of these drinks inspired by the four seasons, and enjoy responsibly. 

 

SPRING BLOSSOM COCKTAIL

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Yields: 1 drink

1 ½ ounces cherry brandy

1 ½ ounces gin

½ lemon, juiced

Sparkling lemonade

Splash of grenadine

Edible blossoms, for garnish 

Mix brandy, gin and the juice of half a lemon with several ice cubes in a shaker. Strain into a glass, then fill the rest of the glass with sparkling lemonade. Add a splash of grenadine and place blossom garnish on top if desired. 

Recipe from blog.birdsparty.com

MALIBU SUNSET

Start to finish: 5 minutes

Yields: 1 drink

3 to 4 ounces pineapple-orange juice

2 ounces Malibu rum

Grenadine, drizzled

Maraschino cherries, for garnish

Pineapple and/or orange slices, for garnish

Add ice cubes to a glass, then pour in pineapple-orange juice and Malibu rum. Stir to combine. Drizzle as much grenadine as desired on top, then add garnishes and serve. 

Recipe from averiecooks.com

CARAMEL APPLE MANHATTAN

Start to finish: 10 minutes

Yields: 1 drink

2 ounces bourbon

2 ounces apple cider

½ ounce apple liquor

½ ounce sweet vermouth

Apple slices, for garnish

Melted caramel candies, for garnish

For garnish, melt as many caramel candies as desired in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Dip apple slices into melted caramel, then place on a plate with parchment paper. Let chill in the fridge. 

For cocktail, combine bourbon, apple cider, apple liquor and sweet vermouth in a shaker with lots of ice. Strain into a chilled glass, then add garnish on the side of the glass. 

Recipe from recipegirl.com

PEPPERMINT WHITE RUSSIAN COCKTAIL

Start to finish: 15 minutes

Yields: 2 drinks

⅛ cup vanilla frosting

¼ cup peppermint candy bits

½ cup Kahlúa coffee liqueur

¼ cup peppermint flavored vodka

½ cup half-and-half cream

Apply a thin layer of frosting around the rims of two glasses. Add the peppermint bits to a shallow bowl. Dip the rims of each glass into the candy and chill for 10 minutes. 

In a shaker, add the Kahlúa, vodka and half-and-half cream and shake to combine. 

Fill the chilled glasses with several ice cubes and pour in the cocktail mixture. 

Recipe from homecookingmemories.com

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

Booze & Reviews: “Shaun of the Dead”

A scary but heartwarmingly funny movie in the perspective of two and a half reviewers

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor
Sydney Carpenter | News Editor
Rylie Horrall | Managing Editor

TW: Alcohol consumption

While it’s not the type of horror movie that’s actually scary, “Shaun of the Dead” was able to give us some good laughs for a drunk movie review. Be cautious of spoilers, and please drink responsibly.

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

I’m just going to start b ysaying that I had no idea what even genre we were watching going in it was so much dry humor that i was confused because i thought we were watching a horror movie??? Sure enough it’a spooky half way through, people are dying, people are moaning and groaning and also dying, and more people are dying cuz they’re killing ebveryone. Horror movie indeed. 

ANyway it actually got emotional and i looked it up and it has a 92% on rotten tomatoes??? Again, not what I expected but i must agree that the mix of horror and comedy was actually impressive ive never experienced such a movie btu it was cool. I dont think horror movies that have zombies are ever that great but like i said, it was cool. GG shaun and the dead. And liz. And the other lady who saved them. OH AND ED WHO”S STILL IN THE SHED. gg to him too. Hahhaha. Ed in the shed. New title for the movie. JK SPOILERS


Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Welcome to part two of sydney gets drunk what a wild ride folks all i have to say is i fell a sleep during the move and have absolutely not recollection of what actually happened that right ladies gentlemen i fell asleep and i have no regrets anway from what i remmevver that actually had toilet paper evern though dead peope were weeveyr where like wtf like we ran out of toliet paper 3 dayin into a pandemic and then on top of it they didn’t even run out of power anyway im exhausted and i’ve learned my limit is two because holy moly     we are not having it plz and thank you rip my tinder messages peace out girl scouts


Rylie Horrall | Managing Editor

Okay FIRST my man ed was so great, he shaped up his act and was so chillbeat th e end they played games together still!1 he was shooting zombies as a ZOMEBI thats whats the jiikd wird uhhh intraceptive? Idk but lso RIP MOOOOOMM :(((( i knew she was bitten but like SAADADA. Oh and f–k the one guy david? The four eys t–t, david i think he died and that wasnt sad, he was a d—-e so kike theswe things happen to d——-s

I actually didnt liek hate th e moveiw but i don’t think it woudlbt have the same eefect if sober, it was p bad but bad in a good terrible way, theers another i thinking which THAT wukd be fun, like did liz stay with shaun even thoug his bf is deade in the garage? Probably, shes a nice lady i liek her ans she was GOREGOEU FR NO CAP

In conclusion, rip my man ed, well be  asd ab trmom as always, and f–k david d—–g

This week in completely made up horoscopes

The Western Howl Staff

Theme: What are the signs favorite thing(s) about the Earth?

Aries 3/21-4/19  

Coca-Cola

Taurus 4/20-5/20

Whatever will get me the drunk the fastest.

Gemini 5/21-6/20 

Dog water

Cancer 6/21-7/22

Mimosa, hold the champagne

Leo 7/23-8/22

We will be SOBER hit em with a limeade

Virgo 8/23-9/22

Is straight Fireball a cocktail?

Libra 9/23-10/22

Vodka in a plastic water bottle

Scorpio 10/23-11/21 

rooster

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21

AMF AMF AMF AMF AMF AMF CHECK OUT OUR YOUTUBE VIDEO

Capricorn 12/22-1/19

Anything that i can add maraschino cherries to

Aquarius 1/20 – 2/18

Juice … just juice

Pisces 2/19 – 3/20

Love me a sex on the beach 😉