Mount Hood

Western leaders react to hate speech in Monmouth

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

On the evening of Nov. 8, a demonstration of racist and hateful graffiti was found near Western’s campus on Southgate Drive. Within the graffiti, the responsible party had written “Proud Boys MAGA” and had drawn a number of swastikas on the road. Images of this nature are in direct opposition to Western’s official values of community, diversity, respect and empowerment, and it is crucial to the future success and safety of the university that students, faculty and staff are able to come together to take a stand against such forms of injustice.

With this particular form of hate speech, the vandals represented the ideals of the Nazi party as well as those of the Proud Boys — a hate group established in 2016 who denies any connection to the alt-right, but who claims to adhere to an “anti-political correctness” agenda.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that focuses on civil rights issues, the Proud Boys are a group known for creating misogynistic, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic propaganda, amongst other forms of hate speech.

Reacting to this display of hate in Monmouth’s community, the ASWOU executive board released a statement on Nov. 9 that announced and condemned the graffiti, offering support for Western students who are impacted by this event. The ASWOU senate also passed a resolution during their meeting which officially condemned the recent act of hate.

ASWOU Vice President and senior philosophy major Erik Morgan shared that ASWOU is in the process of determining what further actions should be taken moving forward.

“We… realized that unfortunately there was likely at least one student who did not feel safe on campus at this point in time,” said Morgan. “So, we started immediately brainstorming ideas about how we can reach out to those students, the community at large, the administration and the city council community leaders to make sure we can come together as a community.”

Morgan also encouraged students to reach out for support, and he said that ASWOU was a resource available to any student who would like to talk.

On Nov. 13, President Rex Fuller sent an email to the Western community which included a letter signed by President Fuller along with the mayors of Monmouth and Independence and the Superintendent of Central School District.

“As community leaders, it is our goal to ensure everyone is welcome and is provided with a welcoming community that allows each of us to thrive,” stated the letter.

If students would like to talk with someone in light of this event, there are a number of resources on Western’s campus they can reach out to such as the Student Health and Counseling Center at (503) 838-8313 and Abby’s House at (503) 838-8219.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Oregon’s election outcomes

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

 

National Offices

U.S. Representative District 5: Kurt Schrader (54.98% to 41.89%)

Democrat Kurt Schrader has been serving as a legislator since 1996. After working in both the Oregon House of Representatives and Senate, Schrader has been elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in six consecutive cycles. Congressman Schrader uses his experiences to serve of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

 

State Offices

Governor: Kate Brown (49.99% to 43.75%)

Governor Kate Brown was elected to serve her first full term as Oregon’s Governor after first assuming the position in 2015. In running for reelection, some of Brown’s major focuses included increasing Oregon’s high school graduation rate, ensuring healthcare access for Oregonians and protecting the environment for future generations.

State Representative District 20: Paul Evans (53.35% to 46.38%)

A candidate who graduated from Western, Democrat Paul Evans has been serving House District 20 since 2015. During his time working both as senator and as an instructor at Chemeketa Community College, Evans has pushed to pass legislation supporting higher education and veterans services.

State Senator District 10: Jackie Winters (53.98% to 45.81%)

Minority leader in the Oregon Senate, Republican Jackie Winters has been serving as District 10’s senator since 2003. In the 2017 legislative session, Winters served on the Transportation and Economic Development Committee and as Vice Chair on the Ways and Means Committee.

 

Local Offices

Monmouth Mayor: Cecelia Koontz (61.13% to 37.99%)

Cecelia “Cec” Koontz serves as Vice Chair on Western’s Board of Trustees and as business manager for the Central School District. After years of dedication to the town, Koontz has been elected as Monmouth’s first female mayor. Koontz priorities are to increase citizen engagement, economic opportunity and collaborative partnerships.

 

Monmouth City Councilors:

Roxanne Beltz (1736 votes)

Roxanne Beltz was re-elected as a Monmouth City Councilor after having been appointed in March 2018. Beltz has worked in the fields of transportation and marketing and her primary goal in running for city council was to ensure community livability for Monmouth residents.

Jon Carey (1321 votes)

Jon Carey has served on the Monmouth City Council since 2008, he was Western’s Athletic Director from 1993 to 2010 and he has worked on the Minet Board of Directors for the last four years. Carey’s goal is to develop a comprehensive growth strategy for the community.

Stephen Howard (1317 votes)

As a member of Monmouth’s planning commission since 2011, Stephen Howard is a self-employed software developer who creates software for businesses and non-profits and is passionate about shaping a city that will prepare for Monmouth’s future needs.

 

Ballot Measures

Measure 102: Yes (56.77% to 43.23%)

Approving this measure amended the state constitution by allowing local governments to use bond revenue to support the construction of affordable housing without needing to retain full ownership of the projects. Advocates for Measure 102 claim that its passing will allow affordable housing to be built faster.

Measure 103: No (57.34% to 42.66%)

If Measure 103 would have passed, it would have preemptively barred taxes on the sale or distribution of groceries. Although its failing doesn’t mean that there will be any taxes on groceries at this time, it is possible that such taxes will be proposed in the future.

Measure 104: No (65.22% to 34.78%)

Measure 104 sought to make it more challenging for revenue to be raised in Oregon through means including taxes and changes in tax exemptions by requiring three-fifths, or a supermajority, of the vote. This measure was ultimately defeated because enough voters felt it gave legislators in the minority party too much power regarding the ability to raise revenue.

Measure 105: No (63.39% to 36.61%)

The “no” votes on Measure 105 led to the upholding of Oregon’s sanctuary state law, which has been in place since 1987. This law prohibits local officers from apprehending individuals whose only violation is being in the country illegally. This law is supported by many because they believe it reduces racial profiling.

Measure 106: No (64.44% to 35.56%)

The defeating of Measure 106 upheld Oregon’s public funding for abortion. This measure would have impacted government employees as well as those on Medicaid. In this way, many of those opposed to 106 argued that its primary effect would have been to deny access to low-income women.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Western students network at Career and Grad School Fair

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

After inviting recruiters to participate in Western’s annual Career and Grad School Fair, the staff at Service Learning and Career Development was eager to welcome students to engage with members of their community on Nov. 7. Inside the Pacific Room, 55 different organizations set up booths with flyers, business cards, and merchandise from their organizations — ultimately hoping students would come to them with inquiries and interest.

The Career and Grad School Fair is organized each year by Jennifer Hansen, the Career Development Coordinator at SLCD. Hansen reaches out to all of the employers who are currently associated with the university, then they are able to sign up to participate.

At the fair, a variety of fields — including law enforcement, education, health services, business and more — had recruiters who were excited to speak with students about their organizations.

Waiting to help students check-in, senior psychology major and SLCD Peer Career Advisor Ashley Johnston shared why this event continues to be hosted each year at Western.

“As we’ve been doing this more and more, we find that it’s super beneficial and that the students have given great feedback,” said Johnston. She added that, In the past, students have “met someone they eventually got a job with or (learned about) grad schools they didn’t know about.”

When asked what was the most beneficial thing that students could take away from this event, Johnston replied without hesitation: networking.

“Networking is huge — I think it’s the biggest thing,” said Johnston. Related to this, she emphasized how important it is to have the skill set “to talk to someone and make a face-to-face contact because a lot of people don’t do that. And it’s hard to do that outside of school, too, which is why it’s really important that it’s here.”

Additionally, Johnston stated that going to the Career and Grad School Fair gives students the chance to build connections in a manner that would be easier than if they were to approach these companies and schools elsewhere.

“People are here to talk to them specifically,” said Johnston. “They’re meant to be networking, so they don’t have to work as hard.”

Finally, Johnston wanted Western students to realize that there are number of reasons why employers are interested in hiring students, so there is no need to be scared to talk with them.

“Employers want (students) to reach out,” said Johnston. “I know we’re younger…but students are really beneficial employees in a lot of ways — fresh minds, being able to learn,” etc.

Although the Career and Grad School Fair has passed, Western students can make appointments to discuss careers or graduate school with SLCD, which is located in Werner University Center 119.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Bailey Thompson

Theater department produces “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche”

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

Opening on Nov. 8, “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” is Western’s fall production, and it has all the lesbians anyone could hope for.

Set in 1956, in a community center basement-turned-bunker, this sapphic comedy follows a group of “widows” who call themselves “The Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein.” The occasion: an annual quiche breakfast/bake-off.

Whisking the audience along, the five main characters — Vern, Wren, Lulie, Ginny and Dale — carry on with what seems to be a regular society meeting, although they have a cult-ish obsession with eggs. Each character seems to be driven by manic anxiety, along with the manners and passive aggressiveness of a classic ‘50s housewife.

Suddenly, these quiche-eating ladies are given quite a shock, as a bomb siren blares and the iconic flash of light overtakes the room. Soon, the women are left to decide what comes next for the sisters — all of whom will be trapped in the bunker for the next four years. Oh yeah, and they forgot all the quiche outside.

There is a large amount of audience participation and interaction, which keeps the energy high throughout the production. Everyone in the audience is referred to as “sisters,” and are brought into the story as it develops.
The director of this production is theater professor Kent Neely.

“I wanted to do something fun and something that had strong roles for women,” Neely said, “a friend in South Carolina had seen it at a theatre festival and told me about it. Once I read it, I thought it would be great to do.”

The cast and crew have been working hard on “5 Lesbians” since the first Monday of the term.

“It was fun because they are all such talented actors. I believe they developed a very strong ensemble and I had fun giving them suggestions that they could then take and run with,” commented Professor Neely.

The show runs for about 75 minutes. Future shows can be caught Nov. 14, 15, 16, and 17. Western students get in free with their student ID.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Evil Ackerman elevators

Cora McClain | Copy Editor

The spooky season might have passed, but something sinister seems afoot in Ackerman Hall. Though the elevators seem like a convenient way to get up and down from the residence halls on the upper floors, especially when living on the 4th floor, taking the stairs might be a better choice, and not just for your health.

Ask any student living in Ackerman, and they’ll tell you the elevators can do some pretty weird things, and a few swear these anomalies are caused by demon infestation, ghoulish haunting or a creepy presence. As for myself, a few events have led me to tend to choose a perilous four flights of stairs over equally perilous creepy elevator quirks.

Stepping into elevator 1 after grabbing some late-night tacos from Koyotes with fellow hall-mate Rylie Horrall, a freshman exploratory major, all was normal…until it wasn’t.

On our way up to the 4th Arbuthnot, the elevator stopped on the third floor, but the doors didn’t open. There was a still silence in the claustrophobia-inducing metal box as we looked to each other and thought that maybe someone had pushed the button on the third floor; but, as the seconds stretched on to a minute, we were worried that perhaps the elevator was stuck.

That was until suddenly the elevator began to descend. We both looked to each other with dumbstruck looks and frantically slammed our fobs and pressed the button for the fourth floor. Without hesitation, the elevator then switched gears as it reached the second floor, and we began ascending again, and proceeded to rush out of the elevator as soon as the gate opened. And thus, the elevator by the front desk was dubbed, “Demon Elevator” by Horrall.

However, it seems like the passengers of elevator 2 also undergo ghoulish activity as well. In passing, ther occupants of the fourth floor describe violent shaking when ascending, copious amounts of time taken for the elevator to land and the elevator beginning to descend before the gate closes. Even more chilling happenings have occured.

“I was on the fourth floor, going down to the first floor,” recalled staff member Chrys Weedon, “and all of a sudden it stopped at the third or second floor and the door opened. No one was there. It stayed open for longer than normal, and then it shut and we went back down.”

Later, after she had told me this story, Weedon texted me saying how after pressing the fourth floor button, “the door stayed open and the tone that’s played at every floor glitched…and kept playing the same tone like an alarm was blasting and then the doors closed and it beeped one more time and stopped.” She closed the statement saying, “def haunted.”

Whether you believe in ghosts or ghouls, there’s no denying that there is something strange going on in Ackerman’s elevators. However, take these stories with a grain of salt as they don’t occur every time the elevator goes up or down, carrying some stressed and overworked college students, who probably need a bit more sleep, but as off-chance anomalies. I will attest to the fact that the elevators of Ackerman are just as safe as any other elevator on campus, as the lighthearted jokes of the ‘Evil Elevators’ are akin to fun ghost stories to share with friends, and great motivators to stay healthy and take the stairs.

 

Contact the author at cmcclain17@wou.edu

Illustrations by Rachel Hetzel

Border wall encourages student participation

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

“You don’t have to be artistic to have a voice,” said senior Bachelor’s of Fine Arts student Eric Frey. Frey has a recent art installation that is a part of his thesis on discrimination and bias. His art piece is symbolic of any border wall: the Korean DMZ, the Berlin wall, the proposed U.S/Mexico wall.

“Right now we’ve got that ballot measure (Measure 105) talking about taking away sanctuary cities. And (building the wall) has been a hot-button issue since the 2016 election. So I thought this would be a good opportunity for free speech here on campus,” commented Frey. “For me, I’m not making a statement either way, pro-wall or anti-wall.”

Frey acknowledges that there is a large variety of students on campus, including those with conservative ideologies and those included under the DREAM act. This art piece was meant to start a dialogue about border security and border walls.

This piece is constructed with a 2×4 frame and cement and burlap banners. The top is adorned with faux barbed wire, handmade out of hemp twine. Students and community members are encouraged to interact with the installation with paint, stencils, or even a baseball bat. The only thing Frey asks is not used is biological waste, human or animal. This installation piece is completely funded by the artist, so it is important that participants take care not to damage the frame itself.

Eric Frey retired from the Army in 2016, and came to Western considering a business major: “I got pulled into the art program, and ever since then it’s just been that I’ve found my creative side.” The soon-to-be graduate has been to Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt and Israel.

Being a combat veteran, Frey believes that he has an unique perspective to bring to the art community.

“I’ve seen some of the worst in humanity, and the best in humanity. So those experiences definitely shape my art,” said Frey.

The wall will be up until Dec. 1, and Frey intends to show the pieces in local galleries for the rest of the school year once it’s taken down.

“As long as it’s on display it’s a living, breathing conversation,” Frey remarked.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

The Majestic Theatre opens “Catch Me If You Can”

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

On Nov. 2, the Majestic Theatre in downtown Corvallis opened their production of the musical “Catch Me If You Can.” This story, based on true events, follows the escapades of Frank William Abagnale Jr. Born in 1948 in New York; Frank Jr. ran away from home at the fresh age of 16 after his parents’ divorce.

Abagnale soon became the one of the most successful and famous con men in history. Frank Jr. posed as a pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor. In his criminal career, he cashed around $2.5 million in bad checks. Throughout the play, Frank is chased by tenacious FBI agent Carl Hanratty. Eventually, Frank Jr. is captured and spent years imprisoned in multiple different countries. When he was released, Abagnale started work as an FBI consultant and started his own fraud consultancy company. The Broadway musical was first performed in 2011.

The cast of this Majestic production was extremely energetic and talented. The choreography is intricate and clearly the work of a talented and dedicated choreographer. Despite some technical difficulties, the play was a big hit with the audience and continued without any major snafus.

The cast of this musical includes multiple Western Oregon University alumni: Lawrence Dannen, Laura Killip, and A.J. Saddler.

Saddler graduated in the Spring of 2018 from Western’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program, and this will be his second time performing as a graduate.

“The theatre program at WOU and the people who I came in contact with while studying (whether it be professors or students) has taught me how to be a professional theatre artist,” commented Saddler. “I have to give a shout out to the department and all those who run it for providing me with the opportunity to be able to move forward in my life as the artist I want to be.”

Future shows will be held Nov. 8-10, 15-17 at 7:30 p.m., with matinee performances Nov. 11 and 18 at 2:30 p.m. Students can purchase tickets at the discounted price of $16.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Review: “The Travelling Cat Chronicles”

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

At first glance, “The Travelling Cat Chronicles” is a sappy, sentimental novel told mostly from the perspective of a proud male cat named Nana. This may be true, but a closer look will reveal that this novel has many levels and tackles many important topics such as friendship, life and loss. The english translation of this Japanese novel was released on Oct. 23.

The narration of this heartwarming story alternates between Nana’s perspective and third person omniscient perspective of the cat’s owner, Satoru, and his various friends and family. Nana’s voice carries readers through the story about half the time.

The reader is blessed with many different cat maxims that will bring any cat-lover a good chuckle and a softer heart.

Initially a stray, Nana — named after his hooked tail that resembles seven in Japanese — gets hit by a car and finds help when he arrives at Satoru’s Tokyo apartment. They live in happy symbiosis for several years, when for an unknown and sudden reason Satoru begins searching for someone to take care of Nana when he is no longer able. The pair begins a journey around the country to visit four of Satoru’s childhood friends.

With every visit comes a different reason that the friends aren’t the right fit to take care of Nana. Most of the incidents that cause Satoru doubt about giving his cat away are usually connived by Nana himself. As the story unwinds, Nana begins to realize, with the help of other pets he encounters along the way, that Satoru is getting closer and closer to the end of his life due to an aggressive illness.

We see throughout the story that despite many hardships, Satoru remains genuine and loving. He is also truly a cat lover, which is clear from the very first chapter, but is solidified with every page and every journey he takes with his beloved Nana.

This book is truly a tear-jerker and is guaranteed to make any cat-lover bittersweetly content. Being a cat lover isn’t a requirement either; any animal lover should find this story endearing and thoughtful. It shows true, loving companionship that is unique between human and pet.

 

Overall review: I would highly recommend this book.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

A look into Eola Hills Wine Cellar

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

Located in the small town of Rickreall, just north of Monmouth and Western, is Eola Hills Wine Cellar. If the name sounds familiar, it’s may be because their bottles can be found in local stores alongside other names from the Willamette Valley. To find out more about this local winery, we had an interview and brief tour with winemaker Steve Anderson.

Standing just outside his office, the end of the hallway that leads to the large warehouse containing hundreds of barrels is just visible. Inside where we met, the space is more cozy; a regular office except the top of the walls are lined with medals.

My first questions had to do with the actual process of making wine, and how Anderson had become interested in it. The short version is simple: grapes are picked, pressed for the juice, and have yeast added which converts the sugars in alcohol through fermentation. Red wines are left with the solids for longer to keep the hue. Anderson’s years of experience have taught him that, in his words, “Happy yeast (means) happy wine.” Also, rather than a process of trial and error, he likes to call it “trial and success.”

His experience in winemaking stretches several years. Anderson can recall the exact date at which his official career in winemaking started — as he puts it, when he began getting paid for doing so — as well as earlier attempts. Anderson, who holds a degree from Oregon State University in horticulture, made his first wine as a teenager, inspired by stories of his elderly neighbors’ success at doing so. 

“It wasn’t about making alcohol so much as a science project,” said Anderson. The result of said science project was about what one would expect from a first attempt at wine; it was sweeter than most and didn’t have the clear hue most wines have.

“Compared to what I make today, I would say it wasn’t very good, but my family and neighbors who tried it enjoyed it, so in that sense it was still a success.”

Before the tour of the actual cellar, Anderson told us a little about some of the awards hanging on the wall. Since its founding by Tom Huggins in 1982, the winery has acquired an impressive collection of awards. On one side are five identical ribbons, representing the five years in a row Eola Hills won at the Bite of Oregon event in Portland.

Directly inside the warehouse is where the barrels of wine are stored. Stacked high and labeled, the barrels wait to be shipped out around Oregon and California, the main markets of Eola Hills wine.

Like many other wine producers in the Willamette Valley, Eola Hills grows a lot of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Anderson explains that they’ve sold wine in 24 states, but that doesn’t mean that those sales were necessarily large quantities and that the majority of their wines stay in the Pacific Northwest.

Further in, Anderson showed us where the fermentation happens. In the front are large vats containing the pressed grapes floating on their juice while they separate. The juice is then transferred into holdings where the yeast can ferment, and the solid parts of the grapes are recycled as compost for the rest of the grape plants, and the cycle completes.

Eola Hills will be hosting some events over Thanksgiving weekend. For more information about visiting, the wine and the team behind it, visit eolahillswinery.com.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

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