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Mount Hood

Find a well-loved book at Second Chance Books

Local second-hand bookstore with cozy charm has a book for every reader 

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

To get out of the house and escape the cloudy weather that’s been filling the skies, head on over to Second Chance Books, a local second-hand book store that’s been in downtown Independence since 2005. They’ve accumulated an impressively large amount of books through the years, ranging across a dozen and a half genres available at various affordable prices. It’s not uncommon to end up leaving with a book or three, especially since they often have deals on oversized books. 

In the times I’ve visited the store in the past, I enjoyed exploring the packed bookshelves and getting some really unique finds. Plus, taking a few minutes to check out stores in the area can occasionally provide a much-needed distraction from the busy and long days — which I’m sure a lot of people are trying to balance right now as we head to the end of the year.

Although the pandemic has been a difficult time for many communities and local businesses, there are plenty of new and returning customers who come in for some book recommendations or to just roam the cozy stacked shelves — all while safely social distancing and soaking in the strangely comforting smell that only books have. 

Second Chance Books accepts book donations during their business hours, which are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday to Saturday, and 12 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. They are located at 307 S. Main St. in Independence, and if there are any questions for their team, they can be reached at (503) 838-5279 or check out their website. 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Go nuts for donuts at the Donut Bar

Monmouth’s Donut Bar serves up delectable treats

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

The Donut Bar has been serving fresh, handmade donuts to Monmouth residents since September of 2019. Since their one-year anniversary has passed, owner Eric Brown says their first year of business has gone very well.

“We’ve been really, really blessed,” Brown said. “Luckily, the community has been pretty awesome. They came through.”

Brown and his family first opened the Donut Bar as part of a lifelong dream. Monmouth’s need for a donut shop paired with the opportunity to help out his community at the Limitless Ministries church was what pushed Brown to create The Annex food truck lot and open for business. They are fulfilling their mission to serve the public in a number of ways, including hiring Western students, offering a space in The Annex for another local business, hosting Bible study groups Wednesday evenings — in person and over Zoom — and helping to fund their church.

“We’re fundraising the whole month of November for our church,” Brown said. They are selling $5 raffle tickets, one per customer, to enter a drawing for a free dozen donuts. “Without (Limitless Ministries), we’re not here,” he said.

The Donut Bar offers many services and great deals on top of giving back. They work with DoorDash to deliver their fresh donuts, and they fulfill pre-orders for all types of events. Stamp cards are now available, and anyone can receive a free donut on their birthday. Plus, for Western students, the Donut Bar offers a 10% discount with the presentation of a student ID card.

Not sure what to try first? The shop personally recommends the apple fritters, maple bacon donuts, Oreo donuts or s’mores donuts. Customers can even build their own donuts for endless flavor possibilities. If their extensive donut menu isn’t enough, they also offer a few different sandwiches.

Looking ahead to the future, Brown is planning to open another food trailer, The Loaded Grill, which serves deli-style sandwiches and barbecue. They hope to be open by the end of November. For The Annex, Brown has some ideas to upgrade the lot with ample seating and design it to create a hometown feel. Additionally, they have a long-term goal to open a permanent location Donut Bar cafe in town.

The Donut Bar is located at 191 Monmouth Ave. N at The Annex behind Limitless Ministries church. Visit them from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram to check out their daily specials, and pre-order some donuts through DoorDash, Facebook Messenger or by calling them at (503) 798-1328.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

A-plus study tips for upcoming exams

Ideas to improve your next study session

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Midterms are looming and finals always come upon us too quickly to prepare for. It’s probably a broken record by now that cramming is not the best way to study, but it’s true; according to bbc.com, one long study session generally does not help to truly memorize the information. Instead, plan ahead and utilize these study tips for that big exam.

Firstly, delegate time within the week or so before a test to just study. Find a few one-hour windows to sit down and only focus on the exam material. During these times, get rid of any distractions that might take away from studying, like getting up to snack or checking phone notifications. Take a ten-minute break halfway through the study session if need be, but be sure to come back to it and finish strong.

As for how to study the material, different strategies work for different people depending on their learning style. If reading out of a textbook, try taking notes and writing the information in a new way as opposed to simply copying it. Annotate the readings with highlights, definitions, questions and summaries.

Another approach to try is making flashcards. This will allow for reviewing the key information all at once, and the process of writing or drawing the necessary terms will help the mind memorize them too. Students can also look over old homework, labs and assignments to see how the material was applied. Take the time to redo some earlier problems and questions from memory to identify what mostly needs to be studied.

If friends or family aren’t too busy, attempt to teach them the material. Explaining a concept to another person gives students the opportunity to organize their thoughts and information to help solidify the knowledge. This can be especially helpful for auditory learners to hear the information spoken aloud in a conversational format.

On the night before the exam, it is imperative to get enough sleep. During sleep, information gets consolidated or committed to long-term memory, meaning it can be recalled later on. Plus, fatigue makes it difficult to focus — exactly the opposite of what students need during their test. Study in the days before the test and head to bed early the night before in order to be best prepared.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

This week in completely made up horoscopes

The Western Howl Staff

Theme: Voting

 

Aries 3/21-4/19  

Don’t want to hear you whining if you didn’t vote.

 

Taurus 4/20-5/20

Are you ready to see another old white man as president again? 

 

Gemini 5/21-6/20 

no you can’t split your vote like your personality

 

Cancer 6/21-7/22

Hold onto your butts.

 

Leo 7/23-8/22

Just buy a few houseplants to like, help the vibe out, you know? 

 

Virgo 8/23-9/22

Don’t worry, next week’s issue will include destressing tips.

 

Libra 9/23-10/22

Wait, I was asleep. What happened? 

 

Scorpio 10/23-11/21 

If you didn’t vote, I hope you enjoy eternal darkness 🙂

 

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21

No matter what happens, we have each other — stay strong!

 

Capricorn 12/22-1/19

Ah, the elderly man contest, the most interesting time of year

 

Aquarius 1/20 – 2/18

By mail or booth, you best vote

 

Pisces 2/19 – 3/20

Vote, or else…

Halloween themed spirit week residents of Monmouth can participate in

Monmouth Business Association holds halloween themed spirit week for locals 

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

In years prior to COVID-19, local businesses in downtown Monmouth hosted a family friendly trick or treating event for Halloween. Due to health and safety guidelines currently in place, the event cannot be hosted. However, the Monmouth Business Association has come up with some week-long socially distanced alternatives so residents and local businesses can participate in the fun and spooky holiday.

 

Business decorating contest: Businesses of Monmouth are encouraged to decorate their establishments in family friendly Halloween decorations; all decorations needed to be up by Oct. 26. The business will be judged by a panel of judges, and the community will vote for People’s choice.

 

Halloween costume contest: This year, residents can upload pictures of their costumes to Instagram under the hashtag #monmouthhalloween. The contest will run from Oct. 26 to Oct. 31. The winner with the most likes will win some fun treats.

 

Scavenger hunt: On Oct. 27, the Monmouth Business Association will post on their Facebook page a list of items for people to find in downtown Monmouth. They can be found on Facebook @MonmouthBusinessAssociation.

 

This year the association is discouraging business from handing out candy this year, claiming in their flyer that they want people to stay safe.


Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Turning Point USA hosts viewing party for final presidential debate

Western students attend virtual viewing party of the final presidential debate

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

On Oct. 22, 63 million Americans tuned in to the final presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, according to nielsen.com.

Western students interested in watching the debate were invited to a viewing party hosted on Discord by Turning Point USA  — a bipartisan political club on campus. During the viewing party students could comment on how each political candidate addressed moderator  Kristen Welker’s questions about Fighting COVID-19, American Families, Race in America, Climate Change, National Security and Leadership. 

“The candidates were much more civil this time with a lot less interrupting,” said junior business major and Event Coordinator of Turning Point USA Joe White, “at least in the first half anyway. It did seem to kinda fall apart towards the end.”

For the first presidential debate, the Commission of presidential debates received a lot of criticism from the American people regarding the lack of control the first moderator, Chris Wallace, had over the candidates remaining within their two-minute speaking time and their lack of civility towards one another. In White’s personal opinion — which he explains is not reflective of the club or the members associated with it — he felt the moderator in the final debate did a great job delegating each candidate’s talking time.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of interrupting from what I saw and it didn’t feel like two little kids fighting and having a teacher come break it up,” said White. “This time around, I felt the moderator was sweet, and she also had a spine; she wasn’t getting pushed around. It felt like she knew what she was doing but she also knew when to reclaim her time in a way.”

Although candidates were socially distanced and audience members were required to wear masks, in contrast to the vice presidential debate that utilized a plexiglass covering to protect candidates Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence, plexiglass coverings were not used in the final presidential debate despite Trump testing positive for COVID weeks prior.

 “You would think the more important a person is, the more you’re going to want to protect them,” said White. “I was surprised to not see plexiglass between them. I guess I didn’t really see a point unless they are facing each other. If they’re facing each other, I would understand it being there, but if they’re not then I would understand it not being there.”

In Oregon, it’s estimated by AP Election Research and Quality Control that the percentage of votes cast in advance compared to the General Election in 2018 is up 47.8%. It’s been estimated by Michael McDonald of the University of Florida’s Elections Project that around 52 million Americans have voted early as of  Oct. 27.

White hopes that after the election people respect who is voted in as president and respect the outcome of the election, whether it’s President Trump or former Vice President Biden.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Opinion: WOU students are treated like a joke

WOUmemes is more informative than WOUnews 

Stephanie Moschella | Digital Media Manager

It has been said many times before and needs to be said again: WOUnews is just a PR team that endorses the university. They have a couple of grown a-s adults sitting behind their computer and phone screens telling students how to wash their hands, when they should be informing them about what is actually happening on campus.

Rex Fuller leaving in a crisis, confirmed COVID-19 cases on campus, money being used to shut student run organizations up, upwards to a $1,000 added hidden fee, almost getting rid of the food pantry which feeds whole a-s families and WOUnews has said nothing about it. The only thing students do not have to pay for is the anxiety and depression that they will be too poor to get help for once WOU is finished draining students pockets. They siphon young impressionable students and their s—-y income to pay for their Netflix accounts and Amazon Prime. 

WOUnews is the official Instagram account for the university, but despite idiotically claiming this handle, they do not seem to post a lot of news. One glance at their mediocre feed displays the sheer lack of decency towards the students of Western, as they have posted nothing in regards to IFC, increased tuition, or the godforsaken online course fee. They do not respond to comments from eloquently spoken students expressing their concern and only reply to ones that blindly praise the school (most of them from parents). WOUnews forcibly bird feeds its students with posts about how campus looks during the fall and to bring “your own frisbee (and) try out the WOU disc golf course” all while ignoring the devastated students weeping in its corridors.

WOUmemes on the other hand, should have love letters pouring into their DMs as this is where students actually gather information about what is happening on campus. News about the COVID cases did not emerge until they openly and gallantly posted about it. They always respond to students who comment on their posts with questions — reaffirming and agreeing with their beliefs as well as consoling them in times of need — all while providing a spark of joy in unprecedented times. This student-run Instagram account, which only started a few months ago, has garnered more attraction and respect amongst students than the university’s legitimate account. 

Of course, The Western Howl has its own personal beef with WOUnews, as prior articles by Stephanie Blair stirred up controversy regarding the topic. But I am not talking about previous arguments or petty rivalry the school created to have its way, what I am saying is that this is not the first time this has happened. There has been a first, second and third, yet the school chooses to not do anything about it, to sit complacent and watch the students tick away the days left before they get to leave. A factory of students that is essential to it continuing; yet they act like we are all disposable, expendable, unnecessary.

WOUnews is not providing adequate information to their students. Students desperately need it during these uncertain times because they are already anxious about their livelihood due to COVID. WOUmemes is the one supplying more actual information that students care about whilst maintaining a humorous ease amongst students in comparison to the inadequacy of WOUnews. Right now, anxiety and depression in students are at an all-time high and WOUnews is not fulfilling its purpose at satiating the nerves of young students who have never encountered a worldwide pandemic. 

Anyways, go follow @wou_memes on Instagram.

Contact the author at smoschella20@mail.wou.edu

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