Mount Hood

Hoop yeah, Men’s Basketball sleigh over break

Hannah Greene  | Sports Editor

Men’s Basketball held their final exhibition game on Dec. 14, against the Corban University Warriors. After a rough start to their GNAC conference, losing to both Alaska and Alaska Anchorage, the Wolves came home and dominated over their rival Warriors.

This game was no back and forth battle, but a high scoring game with long point streaks. 

During the second half, the Wolves were able to counter on every mishap the Warriors created, from turnovers to steals — scoring 21 points. 

The final score ended with the Wolves ahead by 20 points, beating the Warriors 91-71. 

This was the Wolves ninth consecutive win over the Warriors since 2002, and this game being won with the most points.

On Dec. 20 the Wolves took on #6 Dixie State University, with another blowout — beating them 91-75, a great sendoff into a New Year. The Men’s Basketball play Concordia next, on Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. at home.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Movie Review: Bong Joon Ho’s masterpiece “Parasite”

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

It’s hard to really capture the brilliance of the 2019 South Korean film, “Parasite” within one article, with the cleverly constructed dialogue written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, as well as the striking filmography and acting.

The plot follows the impoverished family of dad Kim Ki-taek, his wife Chung-sook, son Ki-woo, and daughter Ki-jeong living in a small semi-basement apartment where they struggle to make ends meet.

Ki-woo has a friend Min-hyuk who is leaving his tutoring job with a wealthy family to study abroad, and asks Ki-woo to take over for him. While he is not in a university and has no classical training, he gets the job by lying.

This is the start of the journey as the Kim clan infiltrates the influential Park family slowly, with an almost eerie precision. The stark contrast between how the Kim family lives versus the Park family calls into question issues of class in a satirical way. 

While the film feels generally unnerving, it takes a complete 180 to shock audience members and become completely unsettling and disturbing. The harmless and functioning relationship between the Park and Kim family becomes strained as judgment and ignorance pierces through.

The film does an exceptional job in showing the ways that those who are impoverished are treated poorly in subtle ways, and the effect that it has on them is greater than many would assume. The film also calls to question how money influences the way people behave and addressing the advantages it gives the wealthy.

After the film ended, I sat there wondering how realistic a plot like this would be in real life, the dramatic and violent turn it took was so shocking, but with the strain of poverty, wealth and social interactions it is a haunting tale of what people can be pushed to do.

Overall Rating: “Parasite” is now one of my favorite films I have ever seen, it was well-crafted, intelligent and kept me on the edge of my seat. Joon Ho takes current issues of socioeconomic class and put together an entertaining and shocking masterpiece. I highly recommend this film to anyone in need of watching something new with an exciting twist.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Heartworm, a dream pop group ready to release music

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

There are many interesting bands in the making, included is New Orleans based, Heartworm. I was able to grab an interview with musician Dani Kardon, who is originally from Portland, OR. 

 

Q: How long have you been practicing music? 

A: I’ve been playing music for about 12 years now, I’ve jumped around from guitar to vocals to piano a fair amount! 

Q: What got you interested in music? 

A: I think just being a kid and loving the act of being loud and making noise probably, I get more and more into it the more I play, I think the interest just feeds itself!

Q: How would you say your music has changed over the years? 

A: My music changes a lot with what I’m listening to definitely. I grew up on old soul, the motown collection, all that. But I cycle through musical phases and I think I just pick up little bits of everything that I like and shove ‘em into my songs.

Q: How did you and your band get together? 

A: Me, Eryn (Bass) and Sabrina (Guitar) work/worked at the school of rock Metairie together, and Hannah (Drums) was in a band with Sab before. We just kind of were like, “okay let’s jam on some songs” and then it turned into hanging out and playing music, and then it turned into “okay we definitely need to be a band.” I would just like to put on record that I f**king love them.

Q: What is your position in the band?

A: I’m just like the singer — whatever else needs to be done person. I play keys a lot for the band. I’m also one of the songwriters in the band! I’m also the baby, that is another role I play. But like, boss baby.

Q: What are the future goals for your band? 

A: I think just ride the wave as long as possible. If it works it’ll be amazing and if it doesn’t it will still be amazing while it lasts. All of us take it seriously but at the same time very much don’t take it seriously, does that make sense? I’d love to tour and release albums obviously, that feels like it’s way in the future, but we’ve already recorded enough for a small EP so I guess it’s not so mystical and far away.

Q: How would you describe the style of music your band does? 

A: Lazy Punk and Dream Pop, what does that mean? Wouldn’t you like to know. We would also like to know. I dunno, just listen to us! People will figure it out.

Q: When can listeners expect music to be released? 

A: The middle of January! Like soon soon.  

Q: What is your favorite part about creating music? 

A: I love the song writing process, and what’s so amazing is taking a song to a band and watching it turn into the thing that you had in your head, or even better than what was in your head.

Q: Anything else you would like to add? 

A: Our merch is stupid cool, it was specially designed by a girl at Loyola named Maggie Chreene who is like a Goddess amongst women, and we’re working on an online store to buy it. Not to brag but a tik tok of her making the merch got like 10K likes. So yeah that’ll be something to watch for, because they really are gorgeous, we love Maggie. I’ll put the link in here. Also just thank you so much for interviewing me about my band, we love the interest people have been having in us and we’re so eager to share our music and lil band with everyone!

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Hit the slopes at these locations during winter break

Rylie Horrall  | Lifestyle Editor

With December comes the winter season, which in turn brings snow — albeit, rarely when in Oregon. During Western’s winter break, try visiting these places in Oregon with friends or family to get in some skiing or snowboarding during vacation.

Mt. Bachelor is located in Bend at 13000 SW Century Dr. It’s open every day, and has a live weather cam on their website to inform visitors about the current amount of snow that’s on the mountain. The conditions report can be found by clicking the “what’s open” option on the main home page, which then gives the viewer an update on the state of the resort. They have a variety of winter-related activities available to patrons, such as skiing, snowboarding and sled dog rides. In addition, for customers who do not have their own snow gear, there are rental options for equipment from helmets to snowboards. Rental packages vary from about $55 to a little over $200. 

Season passes can be bought in advance and work for the 2019-2020 winter season — which varies but is typically from November to May. Their lift opened Friday, Dec. 13, and is available to use from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The cafe they have available for use is open from 7:30 a.m.–4:15 p.m. The West Village Mountain Gateway Building is open from 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. More information in regards to passes, hours and rentals can be found on their website mtbachelor.com.

Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge offers lessons and various lodging options for guests; similar to Mt. Bachelor, Timberline also has a weather conditions monitor on their website. It provides updates on the temperature, snow levels and amount of fresh snow that has fallen, with pictures that are frequently updated to physically showcase the amount of snow in each area. From snow tubing to snowshoeing, it provides multiple options for winter activities for everyone. There are lifts scattered throughout the lodge along with two terrains for guests to roam. 

The operating hours for the Schoolyard and Thunder terrains are from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Multiple bundle packages for lodging and activities vary in price from around $100 to about $500. The season passes for adults is $439, and pass holders are able to gain discounts around the lodge and shops. Even more prices, deals and information can be found at timberlinelodge.com.

Hoodoo Ski Area in Eugene is not currently open for the 2019-2020 winter season, but will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, along with holidays, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. In the meantime, prospective customers can check on the current state of the mountain using the webcams and updating system on the website. Ski lessons will be available for groups, private or both, and the levels for each lesson vary by the individual or group skill level. In addition to skiing, there is snow tubing and a multitude of events for the public to attend. More information can be found at skihoodoo.com. 

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Get festive with these Christmas themed iced sugar cookies

Rylie Horrall  | Lifestyle Editor

Once the holidays come around, my household becomes filled with various sweets and treats for family dinners. An easy and fun recipe that I do with my mom is Christmas themed sugar cookies. Here’s the recipe she uses — try it out with friends or family members during this holiday baking season.

 

CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

Start to finish: 4 hours and 30 minutes

For the classic sugar cookies: 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cups (or 1 ½ sticks) unsalted, softened butter

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

⅔ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the basic royal icing: 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

MAKING THE CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the chilled dough, and put it directly on the work surface. Roll the dough ¼ inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut shapes in the dough, and transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until they are set but not browned. Remove from the oven and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

MAKE THE BASIC ROYAL ICING

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg whites and lemon juice until the mixture is completely smooth. The mixture should have the texture of a glaze. If the mixture is too thin, add a bit more sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of lemon juice. You can add a few drops of food coloring if desired, or you can divide the icing among many mixing bowls if you need more than one color.

The best way to ice sugar cookies is with a pastry bag fitted with a small or medium tip. First, outline the cookie or design, then fill it in. Let the icing harden before serving.

The cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to three days.

Recipe from “BAKED: New Frontiers in Baking” by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Square Inch Arts: A small gallery with a substantial amount of talent

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Nestled neatly in the neighborhood of Sellwood in Portland, Oregon is the Square Inch Gallery owned and ran by artist Gia Whitlock. The gallery showcases the art of five other artists that Whitlock knows including Gigi Reavis, David Frediman, Sharon Greenwood, Jill Mayberh and Kat Perkins.

The gallery had a grand opening in the summer of 2019, but didn’t have regular business hours until October of this year. Whitlock opens the gallery from 10 a.m. to 5p.m. on Saturdays.

To enter the gallery, you walk alongside a house, like one might go to enter the backyard, and when you walk through the door, the name Square Inch Arts couldn’t be more fitting. The cozy gallery is small in size, but doesn’t leave viewers feeling claustrophobic. The space originally was a waiting room for a chiropractor, but the brightly colored walls and eye catching art opens up the space, leaving a more intimate feeling. 

Most of the artist’s work is in a specific spot, except for Whitlock’s paintings which are sprinkled throughout the gallery, this pattern creates a flow for viewers to follow easily. The art is for sale and quite reasonably priced, and for those who cannot afford a painting, there are smaller knick knacks such as postcards, puzzles, journals and small prints available by a couple artists.

The variety of art available is appealing such as mugs, paper cut outs, large oil canvases, realistic drawings, mixed media, embroidered hoops and several other pieces which leave viewers with plenty to look at in the quaint space.

Whitlock, who began painting in 2007, stated that, “I used to do intuitive paintings and try to have all these ideas, and they all just ended up like birds. I need to look at something.” I predominantly all her paintings are based off of flowers that she looks at, intermingling collage bits and other mediums to make it more than just a still life painting. Whitlock offers Paint Days at her gallery. Her studio is within the building of the exhibit, where those who are interested can pay to paint their own floral still life with Whitlock guiding and helping them throughout the process.

Whitlock says that, “The idea is to eventually have group shows, Sellwood has lots of shows throughout the year … I think it would be fun to bring some art in to those.”

Those who are interested in viewing art for free should swing by the cozy gallery at 1330 SE Malden St. in Portland, where sweet treats and tea are available while taking a look at the diverse art exhibited.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Review of the 2019 remake, “Black Christmas”

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

“Black Christmas,” a mystery slasher film centered on the murder of a sorority sister, was originally created and directed by Bob Clark in 1974. Clark later directed “Christmas Story,” a great balance of genres. In the original he relied heavily on the shrouded identity of the killer, and in the end, never revealed the villain.

The 2006 remake, directed by Glen Morgan,  went the opposite route and made it pretty obvious who the masked killer was, leaving little for the audience to think about.

Sadly, the 2019 remake directed by Sophia Takal followed suit and all the twists and turns that happened were obvious from a mile away, leaving no mystery for the audience and ending up quite a basic horror film.

A key difference in the plot, however, with the 2019 remake is the feminism aspect and spotlight on sexual assault issues on college campuses. 

Mysterious hooded figures with weird black goo on their faces are murdering members of a sorority, and the main protagonist Riley, played by Imogen Poots, is left to try and discover who is after her friends. Riley does not trust the authorities to help her after she was raped on campus and her rapist went unpunished. 

While there was some bad acting in the film, and a general predictability, I think that including a character who has gone through a trauma with no justice reflects current day issues with sexual assaults, especially on college campuses. The villains in the film want to put women back in their place, and reclaim male dominance in society, which reflects the toxic masculinity and sexism that is also prevalent today. 

Overall Rating: While I wouldn’t necessarily say that a second remake was needed of the Canadian horror film, and the acting wasn’t quite believable, the underlying feminism and attention to #MeToo was an interesting twist and brought something unique to the film. The “who done it” aspect was not available, because the killers were quite obvious in the film, but the motives for their rampage was different than I expected. All around, not a bad horror film; for those that prefer something a little more sinister on the holidays, “Black Christmas” is entertaining enough and touches on more serious issues.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

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