Mount Hood

This week in completely made up horoscopes

The signs during Spring break:

Aries: CELEBRATING THEIR BIRTHDAYS RAHHHH

Taurus: Doing nothing but cooking, sleeping and recovering 

Gemini: already in hot girl summer gear

Cancer: Thrifting a whole new wardrobe 

Leo: Making friends with everyone at the beach

Virgo: passive aggressive spring cleaning

Libra: aggressive spring cleaning

Scorpio: cry.

Sagittarius: taking their free time out on others 🙂

Capricorn: trying to be an arsonist but isn’t succeeding

Aquarius: sleep.

Pisces: feet in the sand with a drink in each hand 

Spring Awakening

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers

Written in 1891 and adapted to Broadway as a rock musical in 2006, “Spring Awakening” is a story that is still relevant today. The musical goes back and forth between modern alternative rock and themes from the 19th century. The WOU Theatre Department took on this multidimensional musical and worked to create something special with it.

Every single show was ASL interpreted. There was a reason for this — the interpreters interacted with the actors, adding a unique dynamic to the production. Parts of the songs were signed by the actors themselves, which gave the story more depth and emotion, as well as accessibility.

“Spring Awakening” is not a story to be taken lightly. Topics such as suicide, sex and abortion can make the play uncomfortable for some, but it is still a crucial story to tell. Today, the main themes of the musical continue to resonate with audiences.

Jacob Fritts and Kelsey Wallace brought maximum energy to the stage as Melchior and Wendla. They captured the audience’s attention both together and apart. The dynamics of each character made the story intriguing and relatable.

Moritz, a tormented young man, was played by Frank Kern, a second-year at Western. “Spring Awakening is themed heavily around how we raise our kids today, how we teach and support them… I feel it is important to recognize the impact that my performance might have on the audience, particularly my peers… audience members see the character of Moritz through the lens of me, a transgender actor, which inherently added a level of delicacy to how I approached my portrayal of his journey,” Kern said. There wasn’t a single dry eye in the audience when Moritz passed away.

Maddux Gillett, a sophomore who played Georg, a classmate of Mortiz and piano player, said, “…Georg’s solo in ‘Touch Me’ is near and dear to my heart… it is so freeing to own the song and share that with the audience.” Gillett’s energy lit up all of Rice Auditorium. 

Lexy Bolsinger, a senior at Western and “Spring Awakening’s” assistant director and fight choreographer, said, “My favorite part was bringing Hanschen and Ernst’s story to life. As a queer person, it is an honor to share all aspects of sex education. It was beautiful to hear audience members walking out feeling seen.”

All the cast and crew worked hard to make sure every detail was in place. Whether it was intimacy, fights or dance, each choreographed move was intentional. Each song and line was clearly rehearsed many times over. The WOU Theatre Department has once again impressed audiences with its talent and will continue to do so in the future.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

The rise of physical media

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer

In 2023, Best Buy announced that they were going to stop selling DVDs in 2024. DVD sales have also been declining for the past 16 years, but with the rise of fan culture, especially on social media, DVDs and other forms of physical media have the chance to make a comeback.

Social media has allowed people from around the world to build connections with one another, especially when it comes to the shared love of media like film and music. Within these communities, there is a presence of commercialism. Artists make merchandise to sell to adoring fans, and people post about their purchases such as the discovery of new or vintage items relating to the media. It’s a large part of the culture. 

The urge to buy merchandise from favorite artists allows businesses like The Criterion Collection to rise in sales. Criterion is a company that makes special editions of classic and contemporary films. They sell DVDs with new covers and designs; their DVDs usually house exclusive commentary, merchandise and scenes from the director, which is a big selling point for fans. 

Even with new companies like Criterion, the purchasing of brand-new DVDs is still on the decline; this may be because many fans are giving thrifted and vintage DVDs a new life. The more obscure the merchandise is, the better it is for enthusiastic devotees. It is also very cost-effective, considering many DVDs only cost a couple of dollars at a thrift store.

Still, some may find the purchasing of DVDs to be a waste of money because of the accessibility of movies through streaming services. For many others though, the ability to own their favorite movie heavily outweighs being able to easily watch it through Netflix. 

In contrast to the steady decrease in DVD sales, vinyl sales have been rapidly increasing. In 2023, Americans purchased 49 million vinyl records, which is 14 percent more compared to previous years. Vinyls have also outsold CDs consecutively in the past three years. Fans and social media have contributed to this increase. Exclusive vinyls with limited merchandise inside have enthralled followers of popular musicians. 

Taylor Swift sold the most vinyl albums in 2023. Swift’s fan base has been known to have an obsession with merchandise, official or not, and with the combination of that and Swift selling many limited edition CDs and vinyl that included many treasures inside — such as photos and posters — there’s no debating why Swift conquered the charts in that category. 

Physical media will most likely never regain its position above streaming services, but for fans of popular and alternative media alike, personalized ownership will always win over the convenience and availability of streaming platforms.

Contact the author at lminato22@mail.wou.edu. 

It’s a smash

Written by: Sophie Taylor | Designer

“F—–g Your Culture” — $uicideboy$

“I duckinf hatw u” — Ghostemane

“Floor 555” — XXXTENTACION

“CtrlAltDelete” — BONES

“G WALKIN’ ON YO COFFIN, Pt. 1” — Lil Boodang

“GENOCIDE” — Lil Darkie

“Memoirs of a Gorilla” — $uicideboy$

“Aftershock” — Pouya

“HDMI” — BONES

“Nightmare on the Northside” — Scrim

“Psycho Pass” — Xavier Wulf

“MARCELINE” — Lil God Dan

“Y’all Want A Single” — Korn

“Two Twelve Subwoofer” — 99zed, Saliva Grey

“Sacrilege” — Ghostemane

“You’re Now Tuning into 66.6 FM with DJ Rapture” — $uicideboy$

“AWKWARD CAR DRIVE” — Germ, $uicideboy$

“Heroin As a Recreational Activity” — DUCKBOY

“The 9th Circle” — MAKAVELIGODD

“Flesh” — Ghostemane

“4Peat” — XXXTENTACION, Ski Mask The Slump God

“Deadboy98” — REDZED

Contact the author at howldesigner@mail.wou.edu 

So much for (2our) dust…

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

On Feb. 28, Fall Out Boy kicked off the second North American leg of their “So Much for (2our) Dust…” tour in a sold-out show at the Moda Center in Portland. I had the opportunity to attend this show, something I have wanted to do since middle school. 

Fall Out Boy was opened by Daisy Grenade, The Main and Jimmy Eat World. Even though Jimmy Eat World was an opener, Fall Out Boy, Daisy Grenade and The Main are all influenced by Jimmy Eat World, which was a cool experience for everyone. Starting at 6 p.m., each opening artist had 45 minutes to perform onstage, with Jimmy Eat World finishing their set at 8:45 p.m.

While waiting for Fall Out Boy to come on stage, the sound tech played various popular alternative songs, including “Dear Maria Count Me In” and “Dial Drunk,” before they capped it off with Fall Out Boy’s modern “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Immediately after, the intro played and out they came.

After playing “Love From the Other Side,” guitarist Pete Wentz gave a brief introduction and they launched into their set. Many of the songs were accompanied by pyrotechnics, smoke screens, fireworks and a fire-covered guitar, played by Wentz. 

During the portion of the show where they played “Sugar We’re Going Down,” “Uma Thurman” and “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More ‘Touch Me’,” the band had a puppeteered snail on stage, along with inflatable cacti and a crew member wearing a white rabbit suit. The rabbit vibed along with the music onstage, ultimately ending up headbanging with the snail.

The band also eventually brought out an inflatable Doberman head — which was controlled by the same person who wore the rabbit suit — and had a mouth that had full movement to open and shut. During “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” the mouth was utilized to sing “God d–n” with the audience. 

The setlist was mostly comprised of the band’s own songs from their “Save Rock and Roll,” “Take This to Your Grave” and “So Much (For) Stardust” albums; however, they did perform partial covers: “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne and “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. The latter was preluded by a piano medley of “Young and Menace” and “What a Catch, Donnie” — “Young and Menace” had not been played since Oct. 10, 2018. 

Overall, it was an extremely enjoyable experience. I have been a fan of Fall Out Boy since middle school, and it has always been on my bucket list to see them in concert. I was partially disappointed that they did not play more from their album “MANIA” or that they didn’t play the song “Save Rock and Roll,” but it was still an amazing experience overall. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Football championship accused of fraud

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

The recent Super Bowl match sparked more controversy than usual under the watchful and neurotic eyes of crazed pop star fans and disillusioned supporters of the sport. While most large, televised matches and championships typically garner a small minority of antagonistic outliers claiming that the competition was “rigged,” or that the referees were bribed to throw the game, the Super Bowl has gained an extreme amount of erratic misinformative hearsay on the topic. 

From the perspective of a non-athlete, it may seem feasible that this could be true, their inside knowledge being collected from viral internet videos like WWE and bad calls from referees. However, as an athlete, this is a gross misconceptualization of the processes behind large professional sports organizations, and it’s disrespectful to everyone involved in the administrative, coaching and athletic process. 

A player from Western’s football team, sophomore linebacker Kenny Brown, chipped in on the situation — “I did think it was super sketchy for a receiver to be left so wide open against one of the best defensive teams in the league, but it’s easy to get lost in the moment. Especially against a quarterback as special as Pat Mahomes. There were a lot of holding calls that went unseen for the Chief’s o-line, but they’ve never been called for holding in a championship game or higher. Which is kind of sketchy, but I thought San Francisco just choked in the end,” Brown said.

Any athlete would recognize that as hard as it is to correctly perform a game plan in a match, it would be even more difficult to maneuver an intricately scripted match. In a way, it would be similar to a dance performance. It’s hard to imagine pulling off a purposefully choreographed performance with five or six people, but illogical to think that is possible on a field with 22 players and six referees, much less on the national stage with a championship ring on the line. At the very least, this line of thinking is rather short-sighted and lacks perspective, and at its worst, it discredits the work of all the athletes and coaches in all teams across the league that compete for the championships, as well as disregards the administrative staff, trainers and other support careers that go into making the championships happen. Coach Cori Metzgar is the director of sports performance at Western, and had a few things to say about how these theories affect the people involved. “It completely discredits all the hard work they do, they put in so much effort, time and energy to be the best, I believe it makes a joke of all they do, which is the opposite of what they are. As a strength coach myself, if someone accused me of cheating or scripting the outcome of our season, I’d feel hurt and disrespected because I spend the majority of my life with the sole purpose of getting my athletes ready to compete at the highest level they can.” 



Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Pets of the paper

Written by: Taylor Duff | Staff Writer

At the Western Howl, we love many things from spicy chips, Dutch Bros, to Harry Styles and especially our Pets. 

Gretchen Sims, our Editor-in-Chief, has Leon, a cat, who is the king of Grinch toes and has never worked a hard day in his life. One of Gretchen’s family dogs is a female Lab/Pit mix named Wehya. She’s not hungry, despite what those eyes may suggest.

Ruth Simonsen, our digital media manager, has a Mixed Bombay Cat named Okra who isn’t very bright but is more than capable of choosing violence at three in the morning. 

Libby Thoma, one of our Staff Writers, had Sam, an Anatolian Shepherd who enjoyed protecting, herding and being a big boy — he will be missed forever. Libby also has Ginny, her orange meowing cat whom she considers her therapy pal. 

Jaylin Hardin, our Sports Editor, has two cats: Winnie, a tabby cat, and Samwise, an orange cat. Winnie likes to bite toes, meow for food to be filled even when it’s halfway full and gobble and shred cardboard boxes. Samwise is so chubby that the floorboards under him creak. 

Sierra Porter, another one of our Staff Writers at the Howl, has a tabby named Jake, who would kill anyone to have fried chicken, and Blaze, a border collie with pretty brown eyes–the biggest snuggle bug ever, but forcibly places her toys between your legs so that you have play with her. 

Addie Floyd, our Head Designer, has Kalypso, a lab mix wolf. She’s a ten-year-old princess. She thinks it’s funny to snap at her other dog siblings. Addie also has Mars, an orange tabby cat who is in love with Kalypso. He gives Kalypso back massages. When he’s not giving Kyp back massages, he is sneaking out and taking bus rides to the town over with homeless people. He no longer sneaks out; instead, he has a secure catio mounted to Addie’s window. 

Quinlan Wedge is our Photo Editor and has Squid, Scout and Harper. Squid is a black cat about one and a half, a cunning demon and a perfect angel. Likes to frighten people and sits outside the shower. Adores everyone, adores food, enjoys chaos and adores cuddling in warm and cozy blankets. Scout is a 13ish-year-old Akita dog and is an elderly woman who is full of kisses. Lastly is Harper, a Saint Bernard, the legendary golden child, age six, who was abandoned by a breeder because she was too “fugly” to produce offspring.

Claire Philips is our Entertainment Editor at the Howl and has Finn and Clementine. Finn has a smart aura and an underbite that fascinates everyone. You, the couch, the walls and anything close to him will all be licked by him. He’s got all the answers, even how to make things slobbery. She also has Farley, who is afraid of his own shadow, loves to collect sweaters and can clear a dish of food like it’s no big deal. Then, there is Fiona, a country girl at heart who is only frightened of the car. She will make friends with all animals, regardless of whether it means carrying toads in her mouth. If you don’t glance at Clementine for ten seconds, she’ll yell at you. She’ll get furious with you if you don’t feed her within five minutes and meet the stereotype of the orange cat. 

Lili Minato, our fantastic Freelancer at the Howl, has Polly, her black cat. She’s about twelve and is extremely petty but also a knowledgeable old woman.

Hannah Field, our News Editor, has Lucy and Lily. Lucy is a grouchy, irritable, blind and deaf elderly woman who will also urinate on the carpet and cry out for help. Lily is a Chihuahua-Pinscher mix, who loves attention and has a fear of everything. She avoids the water. Kittens terrify her. She’s just scared. 

Liberty Miller, our Lifestyle Editor, has Cooper, a Purebred Aussie whom she claims is a felon — taken into custody for attempted murder and violence. Liberty claims Copper ran over my mother several times with just his body — a weight of 100 pounds — in all. He sports a blue eye known to us as, “The Crazy Eye.” He attacked me and several others, as evidenced by numerous videos. He’s big, fluffy and lethal. Liberty also has Lexi, who is the complete opposite of Cooper. She is a princess, head of the household and head of the global administration. She’s sassy and spotted, exquisite and flawless. 

Sophie is one of the Designers at the Western Howl and has a five-year-old Chico, also known as Cheeks, Chubbo, Chico Pants or Chico Pantalones, who is a West Highland terrier. Because he often curls up in the nook of our armchairs, we refer to him as our “armchair dog.” He is upset with the groomers, which is why he has a cut on his tongue. He notably dislikes Snoop Dogg and watches television. A true fatty, she also has an eleven-year-old Australian poodle Alex, also known as AlexBoBalex, who adores cheese. She loves strangers and my mom but hates the rest of the family. 

Lastly, there is me, Taylor Duff, a Staff Writer here at the Western Howl, and I have Bella and Cuba. Bella is my lazy half-English half-American bulldog who gives me a lot of attitude and is a real bed hog. Cuba is a half-Siberian Husky and half-Alaskan Malamute, is huge and thinks he’s a lap dog. He also loves to sing his people’s songs.   





Contact the author at: tduff23@mail.wou.edu

What do you choose for yourself

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

The world is rife with standards and expectations set upon people to act and look a certain way. With social media, these end up following us everywhere: our homes, work and into academic spheres — even the classroom is not safe from the barrage of content that tells us we have to be a certain way.

Men and women are expected to align themselves with society’s views on what defines their gender. Women have to be conventionally attractive and must always perform — for men and women alike. Men have to be masculine and never show their emotions, even if their world is falling apart.

The divide goes as far as men and women having different vocabularies to describe them. A man is strategic, a woman is calculated. A man can react, but a woman can only overreact. If a man has a high body count, he’s a player. If a woman has a high body count, she’s a s–t. If a man drinks a lot, he’s an alcoholic. If a woman drinks a lot, she’s a party girl. 

But these double standards and expectations are just as drastic when it comes to hair color or even age. If you’re a blonde, you’re dumb. If you’re ginger, you must be feisty. Young people must respect our elders, but they don’t have to respect us because they’re so much older and “wiser.”

Existing is impossible. In your twenties, it’s exhausting to try and be what everyone else wants you to be, while also trying to figure yourself out. You can’t be too loud or take up too much space, because “young people these days just don’t know how to act anymore.”

Who else is tired? Because I am. Even our generation has too many expectations for ourselves, and we are often seen as the generation that is breaking the mold.

Are you low visual or high visual weight? Are you fox or bunny pretty? Are you a clean girl or a dirty girl? Try this protein powder, it’s to die for. If you like this product you must be weird, because only weird people like it.

Even clothing trends and accessories cause a stir nowadays. If anyone wears a band shirt, they have to name three songs or all the members of said band. 

For example, I once wore a Led Zeppelin shirt to class, and someone asked me to name five songs, even though they didn’t even know who Led Zeppelin was. The dude thought they were a 2000s band. But why did he expect me to know? Because if I didn’t, that made me a fake fan, someone who was just wearing the shirt for the trend.

Even industries have different standards for the people within. Female nurses are so awesome because they’re taking care of people, but male nurses? They must not be smart enough to be a doctor. A woman in STEM? You must be joking, women aren’t smart enough.

The internet is just full of other people’s opinions and standards for how people should be, and we follow these trends. Why?

Psychologist, Robert Cialidini, says that people use heuristics, or mental shortcuts, to navigate their lives. According to him, people often use one heuristic when making decisions: “popular is good.” Humans are social — in our past we used groups to survive. 

“For an individual joining a group, copying the behavior of the majority would then be a sensible, adaptive behavior. A conformist tendency would facilitate acceptance into the group and would probably lead to survival if it involved the decision, for instance, to choose between a nutritious or poisonous food, based on copying the behavior of the majority,” Julia Coultas said, a researcher at the University of Essex. 

We, as humans, have the basic survival drive to follow and belong to a group. We want to feel like we belong to that group, even at the harm of someone who is an “outsider.”

One example of this — and not to be that person who always talks about Taylor Swift — is seen in the clash between fans of Swift — Swifties — and fans of the NFL or Kanye West. The majority of Swifties keep to themselves and often do not say anything bad about other fanbases or celebrities, with the exception of the occasional mention of “what the f**k is Kanye doing?” Fans of West and the NFL? They consistently drag Swifties, even if they simply like Swift’s music.

This is consistent throughout fanbases and other groups of society. One person from one group does not like someone or something, or they behave a certain way and the majority of the group they are in follows. This is seen in athletics, book clubs and even friend groups. If someone doesn’t meet the standards or expectations of a certain group, then there is something wrong with them.

So what then? What do we do? Do we try to change society? Well, yes and no.

Society and humans are not intrinsically bad. We adapt to cooperate in society and the groups we choose. As we change, so does society. It becomes more accepting, more cooperative with one another and with diversity. But still, how do we center ourselves in the world of beauty standards and consumerism?

The best advice I can offer to break from what society expects of us is music. Music feeds our souls, it feeds our minds. Sounds are steadily connected to our memories and can trigger emotions within us when we have those neural connections. The sound of a drill at the dentist might give you anxiety. A river rushing by might bring you peace. This is what you are taking control of from society: what sounds and music trigger what emotions and feelings within you. Society and its dumb expectations cannot take that away from you.

The world around you might be loud, but take a moment. Listen. What’s there for you under the screams of expectations and standards? A birdsong, perhaps. On campus, I often hear the squirrels barking at each other, a “muk-muk” sound if you will. 

You pay attention to what you hear, not what you are told to hear.

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

The death of creative writing

Written by: Gretchen Sims | Editor in Chief

Writing for fun is something that many of us have dabbled in sometime in our lives; though, for most, this hobby may have died off early on. However, as someone who entered college with a love of the written form of the English language, I have had the unique experience of watching the suffocation of creativity — while even my love and passion were slowly drained. 

While school itself can be draining, a unique phenomenon to higher education is the smothering of the creative spark. Many students leave college burnt out and reject the creative practices they once engaged fervently in.

I have not seen more stifling of creativity than in creative writing classes. One would think that this is where a student’s passion for writing would be encouraged or nurtured, but this could not be further from the truth.

I hate to say this, but it is an honest observation: professors, while they are the experts, think too highly of themselves and their work. They neglect the fact that each student will have their own style and writing process. Creative writing should be just that, but many professors force students to conform to their specific style of writing — glazing over the fact that, perhaps, their style is not the only one. 

Each student brings their own context and unique experiences into a writing class. This affects the way they tackle the project and, more importantly, shapes their writing. Professors also have their context and experiences, however, going to grad school does not automatically make their context more important. 

I have not been in a creative writing class where the professor encourages students, through their actions, to be creative with their writing — all assignments, if you want to do well, have to be written in the style and method that the professor, while often unstated, desires.

This is enough to kill even the most passionate student’s love of writing. When professors cram students into boxes, they become mindless robots, typing away on lifeless pages: this is a phenomenon I have seen far too often. 

This is not something unique to the Western writing department. Anywhere art is taught, creativity tends to be stippled out of students. By placing a grade — level of worth — onto a creative piece, the student gets a measure of “how good” they are. This can lead students, who do not conform to the professor’s idealistic standard of said art form, to become disheartened and lose passion for that which they once loved. 

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

Women’s basketball faces turmoil

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

The Western women’s basketball team had their season cut short amidst allegations of abuse and fraudulent activity from the coaching staff. Head coach Jessica Peatross entered her first season at Western in 2023, after coaching at Division 2 school, Salem University, where she held a 14-17 record. Assistant coach Demetrius Marlow also previously coached at Salem University alongside Peatross. 

The team will not be competing in the last six games of the conference season and holds a record of three to ten in the regular season with a .231 winning percentage. In a press release statement from University President and Athletic Director Randi Lydum, it was announced that “The decision to cancel the season aligns with the highest standards of integrity and accountability within our program.” No additional information has been provided from the athletic department about the cancellation of the season, and it is uncertain whether players will retain their year of NCAA eligibility. 

A total of six sources have agreed to release statements to “The Western Howl.” All but one have chosen to remain anonymous for safety reasons.

Jessica Peatross was the Associate Head Coach at Delta College, where she eventually became Interim Head Coach before transferring to Salem University. Peatross claimed to have received a scholarship to play golf, basketball and participate in track and field. However, there are some discrepancies in the information provided in press releases concerning Peatross’ experience prior to joining the coaching staff.

An anonymous source stated that “The head coach lied on her resume that she played division one basketball when she didn’t.” Further investigation shows that the introductions for Coach Peatross into both Salem University and Western Oregon University included that “Peatross received a Division-1 scholarship to play golf, basketball and track at Chicago State University” — however, there are no digital records of Peatross ever competing or being on the roster of the Chicago State women’s basketball roster between 2010-2014, when she attended the university; there are records of Peatross competing at Chicago State in track and field and golf. 

Jack Watford, communications director for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, released an official statement to the Howl, stating that “The WBCA is aware of the announcement made on Friday by Western regarding its women’s basketball program. Other than confirming that Western Oregon head coach Jessica Peatross is a member of the association, the WBCA has no comment at this time.” 

An anonymous source who played on Salem University’s women’s team, under Peatross, stated, “I don’t think she deserves to be coaching at all — especially because she didn’t even play college basketball.”  

More allegations against Peatross include, but are not limited to, verbal abuse, threats, yelling and a lack of regard for mental health. One player claimed to have a complex relationship with Peatross, stating, “Honestly, it was very bipolar. I think her bad outweighs the good sometimes. She wasn’t a bad person at all, and we found times where we could laugh and joke around with her. But then again she was rude and I sometimes feared talking to her. I never knew what to say sometimes.” 

Another Salem University source alleges that “Coach P told one of our girls she would ruin her life if she did anything.” Another source claims that Peatross and Marlow “Threatened to cancel our season if we kept mentioning the things they were doing to their bosses.” The exact cause of the cancellation of the Western women’s basketball season, and whether or not the cancellation was a team, coach or administrative decision has not been released. 

Demetrius Marlow, also known as DJ, was previously an assistant coach with Warner University women’s varsity basketball team as well as the head coach for their junior varsity team. Marlow was also the head coach at the Tenoroc High School varsity women’s basketball team for two years. Marlow began coaching with Peatross during her stint at Salem University, where he was the assistant coach during the 2023 season. Multiple sources from Salem University shared their perspectives on Coach Marlow, particularly concerning his relationship with Peatross. 

One of the sources stated, “It was a very different vibe with only Coach Marlow. He is very capable of running a basketball team by himself, very down to earth — he is a different guy around Coach P.”  

Sorimar Morales, a Tenoroc High School basketball player who played under Marlow voiced her support, stating that “Coach DJ is someone who’s trustworthy and dependable. He’s also someone who was hard on me and my teammates but for a good cause. He’d always spread positivity, always telling the truth with his speech before and after practice.” 

Other sources conversely claim that he was unsupportive and constantly made racial remarks towards the girls within the program. Three sources stated that he regularly referred to them as “black girls” instead of their names, allegedly telling a player that she was “not supposed to be around the black girls — we’re segregating ourselves.” One other source claims that Marlow called her a “…privileged white girl — that I will never know what it’s like to be a black woman or black male, that I have it so easy.” Two of the sources from Salem University claim that Marlow called them a “waste of space,” as well as “a waste of breath” after a game; additionally, one of these sources claimed that Marlow attempted to “force a relationship between us and a boy on the (men’s basketball) team.” 

Furthermore, there are numerous allegations of physical abuse that occurred within the Salem University and Western basketball programs under both Peatross and Marlow.

An anonymous source from Western alleges that “(The) coaches have physically and mentally abused (the team) from the start of the season, having practices going over 2.5 hours and over (NCAA) rules -– ” as well as claiming that the “assistant coach even hurt (a player) so badly she had to get surgery before the season started.” 

An anonymous source from Salem University recounts their experience of physical abuse last year, alleging that “We actually had one big incident that took place — Coach Marlow was playing with (the players), and actually pushed one of the girls into a door, where she hit her head really hard. He tried to say another girl had pushed her, but he was the only one there.”

Alongside physical abuse, there are also accounts alleging that Peatross and Marlow verbally abused their players — ranging from accusations regarding invasive questions about their sexuality to demeaning language. An anonymous source from Salem University alleges that “Coach Marlow yelled at a girl during a game to the point where she hyperventilated, and after one game, Coach Peatross yelled at a girl and got in her face looking as if she wanted to fight the girl.” Sexually charged comments were allegedly repeatedly made by Peatross, with one source divulging that “Jessica would constantly ask about our sexualities, constantly asking if we liked boys or girls.” 

The allegations claim that there was irreversible damage done to the players and their season.

The anonymous source from Western claims that “Not only were we stripped of our season but we all struggled immensely and not a single person in the athletic department helped us (except) for the (athletic) training staff.” 

A Salem University source spoke about the damages inflicted on them and disclosed that “They broke down our mental health to the point where we had no repair, no uplift in any situation at all. It was kill or be killed to the point where a lot of the girl’s first years in America were ruined because they didn’t give them the proper treatment or experience. They traumatized us. Broke our bodies. We were disciplined because we were scared of what they may do, not because of how good of coaches they were. No one heard us when we seeked help, it was all turned back on us and it made us even more scared and worried about what they may do to us.” 

An official statement from Western President Jesse Peters to the Howl announced that “We remain committed to upholding the highest standards within all of our athletics programs. To that end, we have opened an investigation into these matters, and we remain committed to creating a positive and productive environment for everyone in the WOU community.”

Randi Lydum, Jessica Peatross, and Demetrius Marlow did not answer our request for comment.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Psilocybin facility

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor

At one point, licensed facilitator Patrick Winczewski was the only full-time facilitator in the state of Oregon — one of two states able to provide legalized psilocybin, a psychedelic mushroom, for clients. Now, Winczewski is no longer the only one.

Inner Guidance, located in North Albany, allows for individuals or groups to experience psilocybin, which, according to the pamphlets offered in the lobby, is “A naturally occurring compound found in many species of fungus… and has been used by humans for spiritual and ceremonial purposes for thousands of years.”

Psilocybin contains psilocin, which closely resembles serotonin, both as a molecule and the effects it has on the brain. It allows the brain to maintain neuroplasticity — which develops new neural connections, creating new habits for individuals or stimulating mental growth.

“If you imagine you’re sledding down a hill, and if you always slide down the same route, that route — that rut — is going to get really deep and it (can be) really hard to get out of it,” said Winczewski. “The metaphor is that (psilocybin) is like a fresh blanket of snow to help you pick new routes, help you get out of the rut you were in and find a different pathway. So if you’re wanting to work on yourself, wanting to process trauma, get over whatever addiction concerns you have — that’s the time to do it.”

At the location in North Albany, the mushroom is offered in three variations: capsule, powder and its natural growth. The powder is most popular, since it may be mixed in with applesauce or other substances, and the effects occur quicker in comparison to the other options.

“It’s interesting because I think a majority of the people who do psychedelic mushrooms do have an excellent time,” said Winczewski. “A lot of people that we see are looking for a supportive space because they have things they’re needing to work on. They have trauma they need to process and they want to do it in a supportive environment. We don’t like to use the term ‘bad trip’ because even if an experience is challenging, which a lot of them are, that doesn’t mean it’s not productive.”

Winczewski is a facilitator — a far different job from a therapist. In his position, Winczewski sits with the clients “journeying” and does not interject. Individuals are free to follow their experience without his influence, but facilitators will offer support when necessary alongside their non-directive approach.

The facility offers various rooms — Earth, Sand, Water and Space — with instruments, coloring books, stuffed animals and more displayed for use. Clients may sit in comfy, reclining chairs, indulge in music or eat snacks. 

During preparation, the first appointment for any client, clients disclose their medical information to Winczewski and learn about psilocybin and the main goal of a facilitator, which is to make the client feel comfortable.

It is the second appointment — known as administration — that the client will experience the effects of psilocybin. Clients must be dropped off and picked up before and after the appointment, which ranges for hours, with the highest dosage being a minimum of a six hour stay.

“A lot of people think we’re guides. We know a lot about it obviously, but I think some people expect to have more answers given to them, and interpretations given to them, but we’re required not to do that,” said Winczewski.

The final appointment, which is optional, exists to provide consultation regarding the experience. Clients may meet with their facilitator to go over the event, something facilitators believe every person should have the opportunity to do. Winczewski recommends waiting a week before meeting for the integration appointment, leaving time to collect, reorganize and apply what they’ve learned to their day-to-day life.

Facilitators are required by Oregon state law to pass an Oregon Health Authority curriculum-approved training program, which, for Winczewski, took six months. The training consisted of indigenous presentations from Shamans on the drug, neurochemistry lessons, counseling, comfort training and ethics. The War on Drugs is evaluated alongside history surrounding psychedelics.

Winczewski hopes that Oregon having legalized psilocybin in certain circumstances will allow for a reformed system across the nation. “It’s a natural medicine. It has profound effects that no other pharmaceutical drug has or does. It’s been used — it’s proven safe. It’s proven effective,” said Winczewski. “This really connects people with their past, their ancestors, their earth, to their God, in a way that other medical systems do not.”

Winczewski admits he is a big fan of mushrooms — that a substance like psilocybin may cure America’s lack of emphasis on preventative and natural medicine and change lives.

“I feel like my soul is on fire after a really good session,” said Winczewski. “People work through so much stuff. We have group sessions and they all just love each other so much — there’s a camaraderie that’s built.”

Psilocybin is still a vastly unexplored tool, with clients not always understanding the true nature of the plant. “Part of my job as a facilitator is also to reduce people’s expectations. You can read one hundred different books on psilocybin journeys — most of them written by white men — but you’re not going to get the answers for what your session will be like by reading all these stories,” said Winczewski. “Because yours is going to be unique, but also beautiful, and we’re here to support you in any way that is necessary.”

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Laken Riley

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Content warning: this article contains mentions of murder and gun violence

Laken Hope Riley, a 22 year-old nursing graduate of the University of Georgia, was found dead on Feb. 22 after going for a run on campus. Riley graduated from the University of Georgia in 2023 and was continuing her studies at Augusta University, an academic medical center. 

After a steady rise of campus violence nationwide, students and their families are concerned for their safety. Many are wondering what they can do to keep themselves safe and more importantly, what their schools can do to protect them as well.

On Feb. 16, a student at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs was killed in his dorm by his roommate. Multiple reports of conflict between the roommates were made, but there was no effort by university officials to remove the suspect. More recently, on Feb. 24, a student was found strangled in his dorm room at Campbellsville University in Kentucky. 

Additionally, at the University of Georgia on Feb. 16, a student was held at gunpoint in a campus mugging, and the school concluded there was “no ongoing danger” to the campus. Less than a week later, Riley was murdered on the same campus.

Laken Riley was a beloved daughter, sister and future nurse. She received her honorary white coat in August, 2023, “…symbolizing humanism, compassion, and the start of her nurse’s journey,” the nursing college of the University of Georgia stated on Facebook.

Lauren Phillips, Riley’s sister, stated on Instagram in a memorial post: “The best sister and my built in best friend from the very first second… I’m not sure how I’m going to do this but it’s all going to be for you from now on.” Hundreds of comments poured in supporting the family and reiterating Laken Riley’s good qualities. 

Laken Riley did everything right. She was running in broad daylight, in a popular running area on the University of Georgia campus. Riley had her phone on her, and she gave her friends her location. Yet, she was still failed by those around her. How does this happen?

The University of Georgia had installed emergency blue lights in the 1980s but removed them in 2004. The school claimed that not enough students utilized the lights during the 20 years they were active, and a new technology change to the lights was too costly to keep them around. 

Many speculate whether or not campus authorities are using their power to protect the students who attend their schools. No matter how desperately college students try to protect themselves, the system still finds a way to fail them and their families — their only crime was pursuing their education. All these students should still be alive today.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Funding uncut

Written by: Hannah Field – News Editor

The Incidental Fee Committee held its seventh meeting on Monday, Feb. 12.

Otherwise known as the IFC, the group consists of nine members. Three of them were nominated by ASWOU President Hunter Hall, another three were nominated by Western’s President Jesse Peters and the last three were nominated in a general student election. During the meeting on Feb. 12, Hall acted as the chairman, where they discussed different topics relating to funding for the upcoming school year.

The first matter of business was the incidental fee charges for students. 

The on-campus fee for students was $415 and the fee for off-campus and online students was $210. The committee debated between dropping the fee or keeping it as is but settled on keeping it as it is so funding remained the same for student clubs and other IFC-funded organizations. The summer charge was unchanged as well.

The IFC motioned to accept Abby’s House base budget request, including the Food Pantry, with unanimous approval from the committee.

The athletics department also received their base request with four positives and one abstain due to a conflict of interest. Campus Recreation, Access or ODS Services, Childcare, Computer Replacement and Creative Arts all were granted what they asked for.

Extraordinary Travel received their base request of zero dollars.

Student Engagement Operations, Leadership Inclusion and Activities, Student Activities Board, Student Media and Wolfride all received their base requests — meaning all boards received their base request, as granted by the IFC.

In regards to budget enhancements, Hall confirmed that all enhancements, so far, have been decided upon by the IFC — but has been clear that final decisions have not been made.

“But as far as we’re concerned right now, (they’re all) being approved, but it could still be changed,” said Hall. “I believe the fee will probably stay where it’s at, just because we’re up in enrollment for the first time in a while.”

The expected effects won’t be seen until the budgets are implemented in the Fall of 2024, but the funding increase will likely encourage student employment and generate more events on campus.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu.

At-risk population relocation

Written by: Libby Thoma | Staff Writer

Due to the struggle with homelessness and mental health, different cities have tried to brainstorm solutions to solve this foreboding problem. One of these solutions consists of sending the homeless and those with severe mental health issues to a different city with a one-way bus ticket –- for free. This is known as greyhound therapy, which is technically forced relocation. Some places even ban these individuals from returning to their place of origin, such as Key West, Florida. Most of these people who were shipped off remained homeless and faced the same problems; it did not solve the underlying problem.

States including Oregon contain the highest per capita number of homeless, and Portland, as of 2016, began relocating homeless people to other cities. Relocation occurs all over the United States, and the bus service travels all over the country as well.

Ideally, this system is meant to relocate at-risk populations to somewhere they can find a support system. It also appears, though, that cities, such as San Francisco, are partaking in this system to lower their at-risk population percentages. This raises the question — are cities doing this to help these populations, or are they doing it to have better homeless percentages? To answer this question, it is important to address whether or not this system works for underserved populations. According to the Guardian, this system does not attempt to address the root cause of homelessness, therefore not solving the problem. Most homeless and mentally ill stay in the position they left their previous city in. 

It is important to address other ways to help at-risk populations, rather than having them sent off to a different state or city. On an individual level, one can volunteer with aid groups; donate food, clothing and other essentials; make kits to give to the homeless on the street and more. On a governmental level, the government should supply federal housing assistance, which has been proven to be helpful, and supply safe homeless shelters. 

Homeless and mentally ill populations are people too, and deserve a life and shelter where they choose to be as much as any other citizen does. If you want to take action, here are some places that are safe to donate to: Oregon Community Foundation’s Online System and NAMI.

Contact the author at @ethoma23@mail.wou.edu

False spring

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Most Americans know who Punxsutawney Phil is, and it’s not just for his dashing looks. Every year on Feb. 2, the Pennsylvanian groundhog makes an appearance to predict the weather. However, Phil only has a 39% success rate, but he still has an almost cult-like following.

Fox Weather claims Phil drinks a magical elixir — a secret recipe — to help him live forever, so he can predict the weather for eternity. The weather magician lives in a climate-controlled, light-regulated burrow adjacent to the Punxsutawney Memorial Library.

The months between February and April are an unpredictable time. Especially throughout the Pacific Northwest, both snow and sun, in addition to the usual rain, can be expected at this time of year. Many lean on Phil in an attempt to forecast the upcoming season.

This February, Phil predicted an early spring. After the ice storm that hit Oregon in January, it’s refreshing to see some warmer weather come to town — especially in an area that lacks vitamin D. However, a secret season occurs before real spring — known as false spring.

False spring refers to the period before the spring equinox when weather conditions become unusually warm, before returning to a regular bitter winter state. Not only does false spring trick people — and Phil the groundhog — into believing the mild season has begun early, but even vegetation can come out of dormancy.

An early spring also means early allergies. Many suffer from grass and pollen allergies as the beautiful flowers of spring begin sprouting. These seasonal plants may be seen as early as January or February, because of the false spring phenomenon. Always keeping allergy medicine on hand may be a good idea.

The underlying cause of false spring is, of course, climate change. Between winter and spring, fluctuations in weather patterns may be detrimental to the environment. Could Phil have predicted this?

Sophia Espinoza, a Western biology major, spoke on what the changing weather means for the future. “This decreased season time… may be inconvenient for us when we have to pack away our sweaters earlier each year, but these rising temperatures are a warning signal for the collapse of many natural resources… that are vital to maintaining a healthy biosphere on earth,” Espinoza said.

Warm season lovers can look forward to daylight savings time on March 10. It may not be time to break out sun hats and bathing suits, but the time will come soon enough. If Phil says spring is on its way, it must be true.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Hateful protestors at universities

Written by: Libby Thoma | Staff Writer

On many college campuses, a phenomenon that excludes Western, some preachers hold signs expressing hateful, sexist, racist, homophobic and other problematic words — backing their religious beliefs. These signs can include anything from anti-abortion harassment to informing those who are gay, masturbators, gossips and more that they are sinning and hell awaits them. 

Protestors also loudly attest that judgment is coming and to repent. Additionally,  protestors wave signs saying that abortion is murder or a sin. This list goes on and on, commonly revolving around religion in one way or another. 

These signs and the people holding them can be extremely hateful and disrespectful, and when confronted, they generally justify their rhetoric by citing that campuses allow freedom of speech.

Although campuses do allow freedom of speech, these protests can often lead to people feeling unsafe and unwelcome, and there have been times when the university’s campus public safety has had to intervene to ensure everyone’s safety and push back against violence. 

So, there are two arguments universities face: allowing freedom of speech — which means allowing hateful speech or stopping this type of protesting due to it being hurtful and uncomfortable for the students and faculty it targets. 

The First Amendment of the Constitution allows freedom of speech no matter how offensive the speech is. However, the Constitution does not permit hate speech, libel or slander, although the parameters of hate speech are not specified. This does not extend to behavior or speech that is threatening, harassing or creates a hostile environment. This translates to universities as well; freedom of speech is vital to education.

This is problematic because it is subjective whether these protesters are harassing or threatening people, and most would consider them creating a hostile environment. Another problem is that even if the protesters themselves are not participating in violent behavior, the hateful messages that they are spreading can, and seemingly do, create violent situations in which public safety has to intervene.

This may lead to confusion about what material can be defined as hateful and what is an opinion. Stating that someone is going to hell generally comes across as hateful, and stating a political or religious opinion such as “abortion is wrong” is generally considered disrespectful as well. It is also important to consider that these protestors can make it hard for students to get to class, as the crowds that surround the protestors can get in the way. This can lead to the idea that these protestors get in the way of university student’s education, which is important to consider in this topic. The question universities have to consider is what is the line between opinion and hatefulness, and whether hateful speech should be allowed on campus. 

Hallee Ocana, a University of New Mexico student, has experienced these preachers and protestors firsthand. “These protestors a lot of the time are very docile and are just old people who don’t receive a lending ear in their personal lives, so I view them as quite pitiful. The younger or more active ones like this man I’ve seen around campus have made it a bit of a living nightmare trying to get to class. These are the ones I walk a bit faster for and genuinely look behind me just in case.” 

Hallee continued, “While I consider it free speech, I’m not positive that this is what our founding fathers meant by it. Speech is supposed to be critical and open, not hateful and potentially dangerous. When their voice uses weapons and their hands it is no longer the free speech our forefathers envisioned. I do believe that our campus should have policies against this sort of thing. While a student can face an academic disciplinary committee if they disagree too much with a student on a discussion board, there should be regulations and countermeasures to these protestors.”

Haille explained, “I identify as bisexual Latina who doesn’t mind pot and believes that women deserve bodily autonomy. So in the case of this man’s statement, I deserve to burn in hell? What good do villainizing labels do for anyone to make the world a better place?” Hallee said. “Like I’ve said, some of them are funny and pitiful in their efforts, however, ones like him who will hit you with their sign or chase you to class if you speak up are wrong,” Hallee said.

When asked if the protestors aligned more with opinions or hate speech, Hallee said, “It would depend on the circumstance in which they choose to state their beliefs. This man uses hate speech, while others simply will say, ‘hey, stop that, that’s wrong.’ There’s a difference between a conversation versus a hostile dynamic and most of these individuals like to twirl on that fence. Civilized conversation is an opinion, attacking those you’re against is a hate crime.”

Hallee alleged, based on her experiences, that freedom of speech has gone too far and has gotten in the way of her safety and her education. 

Protesters talking about abortions, racist speakers and more, affect most universities. It may be time for universities to decide on what qualifies as hateful and unsafe speech versus free speech and what is allowed on campus. 

Contact the author at ethoma23@mail.wou.edu

A plan of action that works

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

I truly believe that there is no better source for good advice than someone who has already made all of the wrong decisions. I’ve been through more than enough academic overtime to share what worked for me, what not to do and how to go about surviving school.

The first word of advice — it is normal to get overwhelmed, feeling like chores, homework and everything else slowly pile up. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it is that even the smallest steps towards a goal can make a world of difference. Here are five tips, a few of which have psychological and scientific evidence backing them, that will help one get out of an academic slump.

The Five-Minute Rule — The five-minute rule is a lifesaver for many people who struggle with ADHD and other psychological roadblocks when getting simple tasks done. It is a cognitive behavioral therapy technique that only requires one to spend five minutes doing the task they are dreading. After that five minutes is done, if the task is really that horrible, they are free to stop. However, after five minutes pass, most people find themselves still performing the task and continuing until completion. Take it from someone who used this rule to finish dishes and laundry last night — it works. 

My favorite: The To-Do List — The To-Do List is a marvelous invention that decreases anxiety, provides structure and keeps the writer accountable for their day-to-day life. It’s versatile; anything from a “boring Sunday morning” schedule to a “seven due assignment” schedule will benefit from the To-Do list. My version of the list accounts for every hour and timeframe of events, including what time I wake up and every little detail of my morning routine. I’ve found that it eases my anxiety, as someone who constantly forgets things, because I don’t leave any room to forget any small part of my schedule. Write it all down.

My invention: Academic Rehab — When the homework keeps piling up, the assignments and due dates overlap and the professors continue adding readings and lectures to the canvas home page, it’s time for Academic Rehab. This is especially helpful if the professor doesn’t grade assignments immediately and it would be useful to know one’s hypothetical academic standing. Categorize all classes — write down the grade percentage currently posted and the projected grade with all of one’s hypothesized scores, as well as the top grade one can score in the class if they turn in all of their assignments for the rest of the quarter. Write down all of the assignments for the next week, month or quarter according to one’s preference and any lectures, textbook chapters or other content the professor posted into Canvas. Once everything is out in the open, plan to get a few things done daily from each class, chronologically organized so that assignments are finished before the due date. By the end of the week, one will have made considerable progress on assignments and classes. Celebrate by watching TV or getting a sweet treat. 

Find a reliable friend to study with — Not a best friend. Not a partner. Find someone willing to be held accountable and hold others accountable. They could be a classmate or bookworm acquaintance — or that one introverted friend who is just happy to sit in silence. Whoever is going to actually do homework is one’s best bet to get things done. Find a nice coffee shop and prepare with sweatpants and a water bottle, fuel up with protein and carbs, purchase a 24-ounce latte and be ready to spend five or six hours grueling over homework. 

Have some grace for oneself — It is so easy in college to have that feeling of drowning and not being able to do anything but doom scroll on TikTok. Be kind to oneself, and focus on taking small steps and gaining momentum along the way. Whatever happens, time will pass and in five years that human anatomy class will be obsolete. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Giving the play-by-play

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor

The Gate River Run, the US National 15k championship, is scheduled for Saturday, March 2, in Jacksonville, Florida with at least one Western student in attendance.

Wyatt Smith will graduate from Western at the end of the Spring term of 2024 as a Political Science major. Commentating for the upcoming event is another huge step in Smith’s future.

“Commentating is what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Smith. “I’ll be in the back filming the race, and then every mile we’ll be checking in. I’ll be discussing main storylines of the race, the prize money, the USATF pool, who’s in the lead, who’s falling off, expected winners — that sort of thing.”

Listed on gateriverrun.com, the website boasting the event alongside Smith’s employer Runnerspace, is a prize fund of $58,000. 2024 will be the 30th year of Gate River Run hosting the event — which Smith will be in attendance for thanks to Runnerspace.

Smith, with a history of directing race events, will still be jumping headfirst into new territory with his first commentary ever on the world-class event.

“I’m pretty invested in the sport,” said Smith. Smith himself is a track athlete — running the 15 and 8.

The first pro athlete to win first place in either the women’s race or the men’s race will win a grand prize of  $12,000, decreasing in funds until tenth place at a prize of $500. All finishers in the 15k will receive a medal.

The event will not be hosted live, but snippets will be uploaded afterward to www.usatf.tv.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Oregon coast hot spots for beach babes

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

One of the best things about living in Oregon is living in a coastal state and having access to beautiful beaches. Along with the sandy seasides come delicious restaurants, nifty thrift stores, crystal shops and loads of locally owned businesses. Next time one feels like being a beach babe, check out some of these beachside hot spots. 

Visions Rock Shop — Visions is located in Lincoln City in an extremely adorable barn-type building, amongst other stores and shops. They have a variety of crystals, rocks, towers, spheres, fossils, thundereggs and gems. Visions even provides classes on how to make your own pendant to wear as a necklace. 

Garibaldi Portside Bistro — Garibaldi is only 10 minutes away from Rockaway Beach and stands as an excellent family-owned portside bistro right next to the water. The bistro offers a cozy environment with live music, welcoming beach decor and a variety of food items perfect for anyone. It is an excellent place to stop and fill bellies with delicious food, along with fast and efficient service. 

Pick of the Litter — Pick of the Litter is a thrift and consignment store located in Newport. They provide a variety of vintage clothes, movies, furniture, cookware, accessories and more. The best part is that Pick of the Litter is run completely by volunteers from the community, and the money raised at the thrift store goes directly to the Lincoln County Animal Center. Visiting their store will ensure high-quality products and contribute to helping with the care and love for animals in the community. 

Eleanor’s Undertow Cafe — Eleanor’s Hot Pink Cafe is located in Lincoln City, just a few minutes walk from the beach. Vibrant colors and the classic ice cream parlor look is just another bonus to the yummy food and sweet treats. The “sweets and cool stuff” served include but are not limited to shakes, banana splits, malts, sundaes, ice cream sodas and the infamous Granny’s ½ pound chocolate chip cookie that can be topped with any of their sixteen ice cream flavors. 

Explore and have fun, beach babes. 

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

Spring term is upon us

Written by: Taylor Duff | Staff Writer

Spring term is upon us, and many of us have so many choices for courses offered in the new term. There are a few hidden courses that many don’t know about because they may be unconventional or not talked about. Here are some ideas if one is exploring their options for the Spring Term. 

A 210-Art for Health — This course investigates the known connections between various creative pursuits and their positive effects on health. The curriculum includes journaling and assessment of art-making activities and other habits, goal-setting for art-making as a physical exercise and good mental health habits and stress-reduction strategies through art-making.

BA 310-Consumer Behavior — This course investigates the conduct associated with finding, purchasing and using goods and services. Analysis and discussion are held regarding the behavioral concepts’ significance for both strategic and tactical marketing activities (e.g., personality, motivation, perception, cultural effects, decision-making process, satisfaction, learning, persuasion, etc.).

BI 425-Ornithology — This course examines the biology, ecology, diversity, behavior, anatomy, physiology and conservation of birds. The curriculum focuses on the ecology and avian evolutionary links. The focus of the lab will be on fieldwork techniques and bird research methodologies, as well as observations of both preserved and living species.

COM 410-Communication and Event Planning — Students will create, plan, organize and execute a significant event for the chosen organization in collaboration with a school or non-profit community group liaison. At the end of the term, students will turn in a portfolio showing the assignments they have completed.

CSE 469-“Hey U Up?”: Tech, Culture, and Maybe Love — This course examines dating apps and how they affect our perceptions of relationships, technology and culture. The objective is to gain a deeper understanding of how technology affects human connection, behavior and interactions as well as how human behavior. Interactions and ideologies influence the usage, development and production of technology. We will participate in scholarly and popular discussions about dating apps, interview users and examine apps to take into account issues with prejudice, security, and safety. Identity relationships using a rhizomatic approach to research, observation and analysis. The class will attempt to comprehend and make clear the hazards and advantages of dating app use, as well as how they are built and used. 

EXS 426-Sports and Exercise Nutrition — This course studies the relationship between nutrition and the demands of competitive sports and exercise. Particularly focuses on how different demographic groups have different needs and how diet and exercise relate to good health.




Contact the author at: tduff23@mail.wou.edu

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