The Western Howl, Author at The Western Howl

Never Retallack | Entertainment Editor

Galleries are a staple within the realm of art, but for those interested in seeing art and nature combined, the Portland Japanese Garden is the perfect solution.

The idea for the garden was conceived in the 1950s by Mayor Terry Schrunk and members of the Portland community, in an attempt to soothe the tension between the United States and Japan after WWII and provide citizens with a garden of serenity and beauty.

On portlandjapanesegarden.org, it says, “Our mission is to bring the ideals of Portland Japanese Garden to the world: art of craft, connection to nature, experience of peace.”

Professor Takuma Tono of Tokyo Agricultural University designed the Garden, and his plan included five different garden styles laid out on 5.5 acres.

It officially opened in 1967, and the next year they started construction for the Japanese Tea House — where they host events for people to visit throughout the summer.

It wasn’t until 1981 that they kept the gardens open all year round, and in 2015 the famous architect Kengo Kuma was enlisted to create a new visitors center, for the increasing amount of people coming each year.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Japanese Garden this month and the chilly weather did not hinder the experience at all. The intricate weaving pathways are interwoven with art features and an array of plants. There is a pond near a waterfall with large koi fish meandering within the depths.

The routes that are available allow visitors to choose how they want to approach the gardens; this was helpful when it came to avoiding larger groups of people, keeping the experience serene and personal.

Located within Pavilion Gallery and Tanabe Gallery an art exhibit, “Spirits Rising: ひろしま / hiroshima” by Ishiuchi Miyako, opening Jan. 18 until March 15. This is the 75 year celebration commemorating the end of WWII. The exhibit will showcase the tattered clothes and belongings of those who experienced the atomic bombing in Hiroshima; it’s meant to remember what was lost and spark conversation as well.

They are open Monday 12-4 p.m. and Tues.-Sun. from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; for students with ID, a ticket costs $13.50.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of japanesegarden.org

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Men’s Basketball soar and fall, during two GNAC games at home

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

During the first week back, the Men’s Basketball team held two home GNAC games.

Thursday, Jan. 9, the Wolves played against Saint Martin’s University.

The first quarter began and right away the Wolves took the lead and found their tempo. The Wolves continued their A-game from defense to offense, causing multiple turnovers from the Saints. From starters to bench players, every member of the Wolves were able to make an impact and even score. When the final buzzer rang, the Wolves brought home their third GNAC win, beating the Saints 108-73.

After winning a great game, the Wolves came back this past weekend to play Seattle Pacific University on Saturday, Jan. 9 — a battle that ended in overtime.

The Wolves and Falcons brought energy and desire to win, each team flipping the tables every quarter of the game. After ending the fourth quarter with a score of 76-76, the Wolves and Falcons entered overtime.

Though each time was on fire, the Falcons pulled away and were able to secure the lead to win the game. The Falcons flew home with a 10-point lead over the Wolves’ 88 points.

Up next the Wolves travel to play Simon Fraser University on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Kay Bruley

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This week in completely made up horoscopes

[fruitful_tabs type=”accordion” width=”100%” fit=”false”]

[fruitful_tab title=”Aries 3/21-4/19″] Okay, so out of my 326 News Years Resolutions, only about 2 are do-able, but then like who cares about resolutions anyway ?? I do what I want !! [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Taurus 4/20-5/20″] You’re a bull, not an octopus, don’t try to do so many things at once… So what if you fail right… NOT [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Gemini 5/21-6/20″] Scorpios were put into this world to create obstacles for you. So if you get into a fight with a Scorpio, no one will blame you. 😉 [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Cancer 6/21-7/22″] My New Years resolution was to be a more responsible student. But so far I’ve dropped a class and skipped the other two. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Leo 7/23-8/22″] Is your class workload overwhelming you? …lol rip go do your homework [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Virgo 8/23-9/22″] “WE WERE ON A BREAAAKKKK,” you scream, but it’s week 2 of classes and have you ever really taken a break in your life? [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Libra 9/23-10/22″] 2020 is turning out to be more like 2019 II [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Scorpio 10/23-11/21″] Does it feel like 2020 is gonna be your year? That’s cute. No really — adorable. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Sagittarius 11/22-12/21″] yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Capricorn 12/22-1/19″] New year, same you. Who says you have to change? Keep being your beautiful self. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Aquarius 1/20-2/18″] No one :

Me : Hey, did you know “?!” is called an interobang ?! [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Pisces 2/19-3/20″] It’s not too late to add a new class to your schedule! Or maybe it is? I’m not the expert. Don’t ask me. STOP talking ABOUT IT! [/fruitful_tab]

[/fruitful_tabs]

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Consider your own approach before cutting someone out of your life due to their “toxic” behaviors.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

New Year’s resolutions are a common trend in U.S. culture, and one of the more common resolutions I see is to “cut out” or avoid negativity and “toxic behavior.” While I believe that most people who have this as their resolution or general goal for their future don’t take it to the extreme, I find that the words “toxic” or “negative” are both conflated and overused as descriptors. Furthermore, that people would rather brand relationships or instances as one of the above instead of recognizing their own responsibility in a given situation or relationship is alarming to me. Wouldn’t people rather use their communicative skills to understand one another and mediate before cutting people out of their lives?

I would like to be clear about some things right off the bat. One, I am in no way addressing abusive relationships in this article; I am not an expert and while all abusive relationships are inherently toxic, not all toxic behaviors make someone abusive. Secondly, of course I believe that people can be toxic. Everyone has the ability to be toxic — and that’s something that we should recognize about ourselves. Everyone also has their own perspectives; what is your reality is not another’s and you might very well be the villain in someone else’s story. And yes, I believe that you can get to a certain point where having an individual in your life is no longer healthy or productive.

However, as I was researching this topic, I became increasingly aware that there is no specific definition of “toxic behavior,” yet there is a myriad of examples of that behavior — and I think that lends itself to some of the confusion.

Let’s imagine some scenarios for a moment. There is a difference between a friend who constantly puts you down and makes you feel insecure and a friend who can’t support you during your big presentation because they have other obligations. I’ve seen the latter framed as “toxicity” more than once when of course, it isn’t, and even regarding the former, wouldn’t you rather sit that friend down and discuss your feelings before dropping them or ghosting them? I think there is a shard of hypocrisy in calling something toxic in order to avoid growth and it’s awfully convenient that you’ve removed your own responsibility in what could have been a shared misunderstanding.

I believe that someone should have the chance to explain themselves in most scenarios. I also believe that it’s your choice whether or not to listen to their explanation. But maybe that friend you just labeled toxic isn’t aware of their behavior, or maybe they’re having a bad day, and maybe given a chance to change, they would.

I think that’s the biggest tell-all for if you can truly address someone as “toxic” — did they change their behavior? Remember, change takes time — it doesn’t happen overnight and it’s dependent upon reflection.

I’m not telling you how to feel, because everyone’s feelings are valid — I’m telling you to look at yourself and the situation holistically first. Maybe what would help your growth more isn’t avoidance and ostracization of the things that harmed you; maybe it takes vulnerability and effort to bloom.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

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Six nearby coffee shops for Western students

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Getting up in the morning can be a challenge, especially when the previous night lasted into the early hours of morning. For some people, the best pick-me-up for this is a cup of coffee, whether it’s brewed at home or picked up from a coffee shop. Here are some locations in the Monmouth-Independence area to try and start the day off with coffee.

On campus, students have access to Caffé Allegro — located in the Werner University Center — and The Press inside the Hamersly Library. Both have smaller areas for patrons to sit and do work, and have a container of sweets and breakfast goods for early mornings. Caffé Allegro is open 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri., and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturdays. The Press is open Mon.–Thurs. from 8 a.m.–8 p.m., and 8 a.m.–3 p.m. on Fridays.

Bugles Espresso is a drive-through coffee shop located at 444 Pacific Ave S. It’s a small establishment that’s located in a private parking lot, and their menu changes monthly. For the month of January, some of the drinks offered are The Avalanche, the Icicle White Mocha and the Frosted Chai — the beverages being a play on the cold weather usually experienced during this time. Bugles Espresso is open 6 a.m.–6 p.m. on Mon.–Fri., 7 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sundays. More information can be found on their Instagram @bugles_espresso and on Facebook.

Java Crew is a sit-down establishment near Western, just off the corner of Main Street and Monmouth Avenue. In addition to regular coffee, Java Crew offers premium drinks that contain a large amount of caffeine — their coffee containing between three to six shots. The menu has a few basic drinks with an extensive list of flavors that customers can add in, and a variety of ways to drink the beverage, such as hot, iced or blended. It’s open Mon.–Fri. from 7 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Additional information can be found on their Instagram @javacrewmonmouth and their website javacrew.com.

Brew Coffee and Tap House, located at 211 S Main St. in Independence, has both indoor and outdoor seating for patrons, and serves food in addition to coffee and drinks as the name suggests. Founded in 2016, the business provides an extensive menu to choose from, with their coffee taking up one page on it’s own. Their social media pages — Instagram @brewcoffeeandtaphouse, Twitter @BrewCoffeeTap and Facebook — show the lively atmosphere the site appears to have. Brew Coffee and Tap House is open from 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 7 a.m.9– p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.–8 p.m. on Sunday, with more information found on their website brewcoffeeandtaphouse.com.

Rick’s Place is a coffee franchise that has been open since 1995, and can be found at 123 Main St. E. Along with a diverse selection of flavors for their espresso, they have many different sandwiches, salads, soups and bakery sweets to grab on the go. If a customer comes in on their birthday, they can receive a free $3 drink if they have their I.D. as proof. It’s open Mon.–Fri. from 7 a.m.–3 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m.–11 p.m., and can be found on Facebook.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Kay Bruley

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Study areas available on campus to Western students

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Want to start studying but aren’t sure where to go? Western has multiple areas on campus for students to comfortably do classwork. From residence halls to the public buildings, here are some areas to check out.

Hamersly Library is located in between the Old Education building and the Richard Woodcock Education Center, and has three floors available for students to study. The main floor contains small study areas along with a small computer lab. In addition, the Press is located towards the back for students to grab a cup of coffee before working on homework. People can talk at a normal volume on this floor, while the second and third floors are reduced to whispering and total silence, respectively. Both floors have open areas to sit and work and tables with desktops, as well as private study and conference rooms that can be reserved for larger groups. For late night studiers, there’s a 24-hour computer lab area near the front entrance.

The Werner University Center is near the center of campus; the top floor consists of a few dining options for students as well as the WolfStore, but the lower level has a large area for students to lounge and study. The bottom floor has many couches and chairs situated around tables in clusters of four to six. There’s also taller counters sprinkled around, along with smaller tables pressed against the walls. The upper floor does provide a little group of couches and chairs to study, and students are free to work on assignments in the Wolf Grill dining area.

The RWEC, located next to the library, serves as the building for most of the ASL and education classes, but also has compact study areas at each end of the building on both floors. At the front entrance, there are couches near a fireplace, so students can stay warm and cozy while studying. Upstairs, there is a large wooden table for bigger study groups to gather, swinging egg chairs to sit in and a little corner nook with a wrap-around couch and a table — great for secluded studying. At the far end of both floors, there are couches, tables and chairs placed miscellaneously around for use.

Various residence halls on campus — such as Ackerman Hall and Heritage Hall — have multiple study areas for students living in the building. For instance, Ackerman’s lobby area has private rooms that people are free to claim for individual studying or for groups, and can be accessed when the residence hall is unlocked for those who don’t live there. The doors lock at 10 p.m.

Try exploring the other buildings on campus as well, as there can be other areas students find ideal for studying that aren’t mentioned.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

First photo by Cora McClain

Second photo by Rylie Horrall

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Which WOU Instagrams to follow

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

DISCLAIMER: There are some Instagrams I may have missed, so this shouldn’t be treated as a completely comprehensive list. I also opted to not use pages that have not been updated within the last year or so.

Instagram is a very commonly used app for people, businesses, schools and more. This applies to Western as well, as the university has many different handles it uses for multiple things that occur on campus. Here is a list of the Instagram handles that Western has.

@wounews : the official Instagram page for Western
@westernoregonuniversity : Admissions Office
@wouhonors : Western’s Honors Program
@aswou : Associated Students of Western Oregon University
@woualumni : a page for Alumni to receive information on reunions and throwback posts
@woucampusrecreation : Western’s campus recreation
@woumail : Western’s mailroom and services
@woulibrary : Hamersly Library
@wou_shcc : Student Health and Counseling Center
@wouwolfstore : WolfStore
@wou.bites : Western’s Campus Dining
@thewesternhowl : Western’s newspaper
@nwponline : the Northwest Passage, Western’s art and literary journal
@wou.plusteam : information on PLUS Team, SOAR and New Student Week
@wouwolves : official Instagram for Western Athletics
@wouclubsports : official page for Western Club Sports
@wou_imsports : Intramural Sports
@woucheerleading : Cheerleading Team
@woulax : Men’s Lacrosse
@westernoregonmensrugby : Men’s Rugby
@wou_xctf : Cross Country and Track and Field teams
@wou_soccer : Soccer Team
@wou_danceteam : Dance Team
@wouwsocclub : Women’s Soccer Club
@wousoftball : Softball Program
@wou_mens_clubsoccer : Men’s Club Soccer
@wouwbb : Women’s Basketball
@woumarchingband : Marching Band
@woucolorguard : Color Guard
@wou_internationalclub : International Club
@unidoswou : Unidos Club
@mechadewou : MEChA de WOU
@woubsu : Black Student Union
@wou_environmentalclub_garden : Environmental + Garden
@wou_mun : Model United Nations
@woumitu : Monmouth-Independence Tenants Union
@wouhawaiiclub : Hawai’i Club
@wousab : Student Activities Board
@wougsa : Gerontology Student Association
@woumathclub : Math Club
@d.r.e.a.m_wou : Disabilities Rights Empowerment Awareness Mentoring club
@woucr : College Republicans
@wou_byte_club : Byte Club
@cruatwou : CRU Club
@wouasl : ASL Club
@msuwou : Multicultural Student Union
@wou_ta : Triangle Alliance
@woudanceinfo : official page for Dance Department
@woudance_dept : student based page for Dance Department
@wou_psychpac : Psychology Peer Advising Center
@westernoregon_arotc : AROTC
@wouband : Wind Ensemble
@wouinterpretingstudies : Interpreting Studies Program
@woufinearts : Smith Fine Arts Series
@thewestofus : The West of Us A Capella Group
@wou_knights : Omega Delta Phi Fraternity
@kdchibetadelta : Kappa Delta Chi Sorority
@wou_axo : Alpha Chi Omega Sorority
@wou_kappasigma : Kappa Sigma Fraternity
@woufsc : Fraternity and Sorority Council
@wourha : Residence Hall Association
@wouhousing : University Housing
@heritage_wou : Heritage Hall
@ack_pack : Ackerman Hall
@wou_veterans : Western’s Veterans
@wou_lab : Latino Advisory Board
@woumssp : Multicultural Student Services and Programs
@wousva : Student Veterans of America
@wou_sep : Student Enrichment Program
@wougreenteam : Green Team
@wou_tac : Tree Advisory Committee
@wouserve : Western’s Alternative Break
@student_engage : Student Engagement
@wounationalstudentexchange : National Student Exchange
@wouslcd : Service Learning and Career Development

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

Accessibility Public Records Privacy Student Consumer Information

WOU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by WOU.

Become captivated within the stunning views the Portland Japanese Garden has to offer

Men’s Basketball soar and fall, during two GNAC games at home

This week in completely made up horoscopes

Consider your own approach before cutting someone out of your life due to their “toxic” behaviors.

Six nearby coffee shops for Western students

Study areas available on campus to Western students

Which WOU Instagrams to follow

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