Mount Hood

Transitioning to Monmouth from a big city

Suzana Carroll | Freelancer

The move from a big city to Monmouth is definitely a culture shock — there is not a Starbucks on every corner, no mall a short drive away, and there definitely is not as large of a variety of food. So, coming from a big city can be very difficult. I had severe homesickness and craved being home with a lot to do around me, but I had to stick with Monmouth and do my own searching for things that made me feel close to home and kept me occupied. Have no fear; Monmouth has pieces of the big city life in its small city surroundings.

You can score adorable boutique finds at The Find on Main Street, a small business that opened in 2013 and is dedicated to bringing Monmouth cute fashion as well as home decorations, such as hanging signs and candles. When you are shopped out, you can hop over to Java Crew for a good latte, tea, or any way you like caffeine. While Java Crew might not have the big city bustle, it is the perfect place to dive into your new book, or catch up on some old homework you have been procrastinating.

Big cities have a lot of food choices, while Monmouth’s choices are a little limited. However, it is not impossible to find good eats around town. There is a Subway and Papa Murphy’s that taste the same as they do at home, Koyotes, a local, quick, affordable Mexican restaurant, and even a Hawaiian food cart, Lonney’s Lunch Wagon. The different food variation really helps with being able to try different foods like one would in a city setting without having to go far for them.

Night life in a city is one of the perks of being in a big town, but Monmouth has a night life of its own, as well. Of course, there’s the Main Street Pub & Eatery on Thursday nights, and while it is not a big city bar, there are always people you know, a fun time, and a safe environment. For those that are not partiers, but want to enjoy a cocktail, Crush Wine Bar on Main Street is the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a quality cocktail.

With summer coming up, the thought of spending the vacation in a small town can seem underwhelming to big city people, but fortunately we have some events to keep boredom away. Main Street Park and Riverview Park host regular concerts, and Independence also has movie nights in the park during the summer.

While Monmouth is not a big city, and it definitely is hard to adjust from a big city life, there are slivers of a large city within Monmouth’s walls, which does make it a lot easier to adjust.

 

Contact the author at scarroll15@wou.edu

Photo by Ashlynn Norton

Letter to the Editor

To The Western Howl Editor,

“Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war.” –Maria Montessori

The Early Childhood Studies program faculty is compelled to express our concern regarding the June 4 speaker at the event being held on campus. Our Early Childhood Studies major mission statement highlights how our work is guided by fundamental commitments to educational equity, inclusion, social justice, reflective practice and the development of diverse learners in the field.  We are compelled to communicate our grave concerns for the safety of the diverse and inclusive Western Oregon University community of students, faculty and staff. We consider the invited speaker’s rhetoric to be a heartbeat away from hate.

We recommend our students avoid this event for their personal safety.  We ask that others in the Western faculty community join us in expressing dissent. We must speak out against any speech or inciting actions that threaten the safety and security of our community members.  If we truly are a university community that values inclusion and diversity, we must not quietly acquiesce to any speaker or group espousing hatred, violence or fear under the guise of free speech.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Nelson Mandela, “Long Walk to Freedom”

 

Sincerely,

Early Childhood Studies Faculty

Andrea Emerson, Maria Laine, Linda Craven, Natalie Danner, Cindy Ryan, Erika Lanning

“What Were You Wearing?” exhibit redone

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

Communications 436, a class titled Gender Power and Cultural Production, is described in the course catalog as a class to “examine the interplay between feminisms, queer theory and cultural production, focusing on how power manifests in ways that contribute to and constrain communication around gender and sexuality.”

As a final project, the class is recreating an exhibit titled “What Were You Wearing?” Originally created in 2013, the goal of the exhibit is to raise awareness about sexual assault and victim-blaming.

The event involves a room full of displayed outfits that show what sexual assault survivors were wearing at the time they were assaulted. A press release written by the class explained that the project’s goal is “to remind viewers that it doesn’t matter what you wear, sexual violence can happen. It also aims to call attention to the fact that no matter what you were wearing, you did not ask for it or deserve it.”

Sexual assault is a big problem in the United States. According to the press release, one in three women and one in five men have experienced sexual assault at some point in their lives. As reported by the National Sexual Assault Resource Center, eight out of 10 assaults are committed by someone the survivor knows.

Dr. Dana Schowalter teaches this Gender Power and Cultural Production class.

“We’ve done this event in the past here at Western Oregon University, and it has traditionally made a huge impact on everyone that has witnessed the displays. My students putting this project together have agreed that sexual assault and victim blaming needs to be directly addressed,” commented Dr. Schowalter in the press release, “and they are looking forward to getting a chance to bring awareness to the public. It is not easy talking about this subject matter, but we feel it is very necessary.”

The “What Were You Wearing” exhibit will take place on June 5, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Willamette room in the Werner University Center. For more information about this event, contact Jess Elder at 502-801-2900 or Never Retallack at 971-712-9712.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Extraterrestrial excitement in Oregon with UFOfest

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

Thursday, May 16 ushered in the 20th Annual UFOfest in McMinnville, Oregon. According to ufofest.com, a UFO fever set into the small town of McMinnville in 1950 when a family spotted a flying saucer over their farm. This sighting made national news. 50 years later in 1999, the very first UFO festival reignited the fever of 70 years ago. The festival is the second most popular UFO event, aside from the UFO festival that takes place in Roswell, New Mexico, according to the UFOfest website.

Hosted by the company McMenamins, who owns various hotels, pubs and breweries, the festival took place May 16 through 18. This year’s UFOfest featured free-to-all activities such as vendors, live music, a 5k Alien Abduction Dash fun run and a pet costume ball. The festival also featured a lineup of experts and speakers in the McMenamins hotel that required the purchase of a day or weekend pass to attend.

Guest experts included Bob Lazar, a former physicist employed at Area 51; Joanne Clarkson, a hypnotherapist and tarot reader; George Knapp, a journalist and author; Commander David Fravor, who was a witness to a 2004 UFO sighting titled the “Tic Tac incident” and many other speakers.

Bands played at various locations around the festival, including the band Kirby Swatosh & The Moon Rock Patrol. The pet costume contest drew a large crowd who cheered on a goldfish decorated as a UFO — they won first place. Volunteers from Zero Waste McMinnville were posted at stations around the event, helping attendees sort their waste into different bins for compost, recyclables and garbage.

The main event occured Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Floats and marching bands paraded through downtown McMinnville, drawing audiences that lined the sidewalks four to five people deep. Lively music and intricately decorated floats representing local groups and businesses entertained bystanders for nearly two hours, and even sporadic rain showers didn’t damper their spirits.

The McMinnville UFOfest once again proved to be a lively event that brought together many different people to celebrate counterculture, conspiracy and a unique tradition that is classic to the Pacific Northwest.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos by Chrys Weedon

Students show their hard work through song

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

Every term, students from the music department have the opportunity to perform pieces they have been working on. On Thursday, May 23 at 11 a.m., the last student recital of the year took place in Smith Music Hall.

In a relatively short program, 10 students put their hard work on display to an audience of their peers, teachers and families. This recital provided one last chance this school year to perform in this setting. The performances were a mixture of piano, voice, guitar and one cello.

Julia Fruit performed “Prelude XII: Minstrels” by Claude Debussy on piano; Tristin Thomas played “Ben’s Song” by Richert on cello while accompanied by Jackie Morelly on piano; Songzi Li sang “Through the Night” by Korean musician IU while Kenneth Soh played the piano; and Virtue Velour and Nikita Williams gave a rendition of “Broken” by Seether joined by Trevor Fischer on guitar.

Velour explained why he chose to perform this song.

“As a classical musician who’s also a big fan of rock and metal, the song is really accessible for a concert format … I just knew that I wanted to do a duet with (Williams), because she has a great voice and I trust her musical instincts,” Velour said.

There were also two performers who played pieces of their own creation. Alex Lancaster played his song “The Night Forest” on piano, a complex piece rich with storytelling. Stacy Henle played guitar and sang “Neskowin Parade,” a song about a small town celebrating the Fourth of July, which she co-wrote with A. Lancaster.

Clocking in at less than an hour, this recital was one of the shortest this year, but contained just as much talent as any other student showcase. Velour explained what he learned from the experience: “Doing a duet is a really good opportunity to learn how to work with your peers. Trevor’s also a great guitarist … so he was fun to work with as well.”

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo by Ashlynn Norton

Updates on College Republican Club June 4 event

Update: June 3, 2019

ASWOU’s second statement, released June 3:

Students of WOU,

Since ASWOU’s last letter to you all on May 30, 2019, the situation surrounding Tuesday, June 4th’s controversial event has escalated. Third-party organizations not affiliated with WOU have begun targeting the WOU campus with calls to organize protests to the event. Also, WOU students have been targeted in social media posts from both supporters and protesters of this event.

Because of the aggressive nature of these supporters and protesters, ASWOU has serious concerns for the safety of any and all WOU students who attend either the event or it’s associated protest. As such, it is our recommendation that all WOU students stay away from the Werner University Center on Tuesday, June 4th. We strongly encourage all club meetings. advising meetings, and other events on this day be moved to a different University building, rescheduled, or canceled. While we hope that Tuesday evening’s event maintains an aura of basic civility, we cannot, in good conscience, advocate for any WOU student being in the vicinity of the WUC on Tuesday.

If you feel affected by this event, please utilize the services of the WOU Student Health and Counseling Center at (503) 838-8313. The Polk County Behavioral Health Monmouth office can be contacted at (503) 400-3550.

If at any point during Tuesday night you feel unsafe while traveling on campus, please contact Public Safety at 503-838-8481. If you witness an incident of bias on WOU’s campus please report it using the Bias Incident Report Form (https://wou.edu/student/bias-incident-report-form/). This form is used to report an incident of bias if it is an act of conduct, speech, or expression that targets an individual or group based on their actual or perceived race/color, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity/expression, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Please contact the ASWOU President via the email address aswoupresident@wou.edu if you have any other questions.

In solidarity,

2018-2019 ASWOU Administration   

2019-2020 ASWOU Administration

[fruitful_sep]

A link to President Rex Fuller’s official statement can be found here: President Rex Fuller’s official statement

President Rex Fuller’s Statement:

Dear Campus Community,

As you might know, the College Republicans, a registered student organization on campus, has invited Joey Gibson to speak on campus on June 4.

As an institution of higher education, Western Oregon University supports free speech and open inquiry, which are essential to a comprehensive university experience and for students to form their own viewpoints and perspectives. At WOU, all student clubs and organizations follow an approved protocol for bringing speakers to campus and reserving space, which includes a review of the event and a contract with the proposed speaker. As a public entity, WOU may not deny access to meeting space on the basis of viewpoint.

The University’s obligation to the freedom of speech is animated not only by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, but the even-broader Article I, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution. It states:

“No law shall be passed restraining the free expression of opinion, or restricting the right to speak, write, or print freely on any subject whatever; but every person shall be responsible for the abuse of this right.”

This clause has been interpreted many times to require tremendous breadth in ensuring and upholding the freedom of expression in Oregon—a role a public university must embrace to remain relevant in our changing times.

Upholding core freedoms—including the freedom of speech—does not mean, however, the University must turn from its values. WOU’s Strategic Plan outlines eight essential values that guide our practices and decisions. The Plan expressly includes: Diversity and Respect: Equity and inclusion; a fundamental basis in human diversity; appreciation for the complexity of the world; strength drawn from our variety of backgrounds, abilities, cultural experiences, identities, knowledge domains and means of expression.

Our values are who we are—we can be a place of diversity and respect, as well as a fierce defender of the freedom of speech and expression at the same time.

Thank you.

Rex Fuller, President

[fruitful_sep]

A link to ASWOU’s statement can be found here:

Instagram: @aswou

Twitter: @ASWOU

ASWOU’s statement can also be found below:

 

ASWOU’s statement recommends students attend other events happening the evening of June 4. A full listing of events can be found on students’ OrgSync accounts.

Link to College Republican Club’s response to ASWOU statement — statement can be found in comments: @woucr

 

College Republican Club’s response to ASWOU’s statement:

“Our speaker is multiracial and our event is open to all people regardless of their race, gender, religion, or nation of origin. We encourage all students to challenge the information that is being spoken around campus by seeking out their own information. Search Joey Gibson on YouTube and you will find that he has never said a hateful or racist word. In fact, he preaches often about Unity and having Love in your heart for all people, even those you absolutely disagree with.”

[fruitful_sep]

More updates from The Western Howl regarding this event will be coming soon.

Contact the editor at howleditor@wou.edu

Western Rugby All-Stars reigned victorious

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

On the weekend of May 25-27, three Western Oregon Rugby All-Stars headed to Houston, Texas to battle it out and see which regional team would come out on top. A week prior to this game, the men were already aware that seniors Alex Treat and Joey Caver would be two of the All-Stars. However, another surprise arose just days before they were set to travel to Houston: senior Matt Cornish, who originally tried out, was invited to join.

Although he didn’t make the team initially, upon review, they decided he would be an asset to the team. So, he accepted. Cornish, Treat and Caver were ready for what was to come. But, they weren’t the only representation Western had. Their head coach, Sean Pomeroy, was invited to help coach for their Pacific Coast All-Star team. All four faces of Western headed out to Houston.

Streamed live, friends and families were able to watch the game from the comfort of their homes. Taking place at Aveva Stadium, which is the home of the Major League Rugby’s Houston SaberCats, fans were able to keep up with the action as the boys headed to the pitch.

The first match that the Pacific Coast Grizzlies played in saw the Grizzlies taking on South. At half, the game was tied 7-7. But ultimately, Pacific Coast came out on top, 29-7.

The second game that the Grizzlies played in had them matched up against Mid-South. Once again, the Pacific Coast team proved themselves winners, shutting out Mid-South completely, 36-0.

The temperature was heating up along with the competition as the Grizzlies took on the North East Rhinos next. The Rhinos couldn’t hold their own against the Grizzlies, and in the end, Pacific Coast came out victorious, 39-7.

Up next, the Grizzlies had to face the Lonestar team — whoever came out on top here would be sent to the Championship. The game was close; at half, the score was all tied up at 0-0. But, the Grizzlies pulled through, shutting out another team, 17-0. This meant that they’d be a finalist in the Championship, where they’d be paired against the Rhinos once again.

Last year, the All-Star Championship saw the Grizzlies versus the Rhinos. For the second year in a row, the two teams took the pitch. From the start, the game was neck and neck. At half, the Rhinos had the upperhand, sitting at 10-7. However, the Grizzlies weren’t ready to give up. They managed to hold the Rhinos to that same score until the end, bringing the final score to 40-10 — the Grizzlies were victorious.

The Pacific Coast All-Stars are the 2019 NSCRO National All-Star Tournament Champions; Treat, Caver and Cornish, along with Coach Sean, were able to come back to Monmouth knowing they made their hometown proud.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Malina Foley

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