The Western Howl, Author at The Western Howl

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

Despite the pouring rain, two farmers’ markets have officially opened in downtown Independence. On Saturdays, you can now attend either one and find plants, produce, baked goods and handmade crafts, either behind Umpqua Bank or where the street meets Riverfront Park.

The first to open was the “original” Independence Farmers Market behind the bank, which served free coffee and cinnamon buns to celebrate the first day open for business. This market, which has been running since 1993 according to their website, offers a small variety of herbs, plants and flowers and also features a stand of affordable jewelry.

Near the river, the Riverview market offers a similar variety but has some unique features. The market manager Sue Barker explained that some vendors’ attendance depends on the weather. For example, textile-selling booths are less likely to be present when their merchandise is in danger of getting drenched by the ever present Oregon rain. Fortunately, a few attend rain or shine, so you can count on finding farm fresh greens, homemade jams, baked goods and even a blown-glass display.

Joshua Vincent of Vincent Glass Works brings a portable workshop to the Riverview Market, where shoppers can observe the artwork in progress. Vincent is married to a recent Western graduate who studied art, and therefore encourages any and all art students at Western to continue their studies.

“I would be proud to have (Western) students learning from me,” Vincent stated.

The Riverview Market has been open for seven years now and has slowly been growing.

As for the question as to what one should do if they are interested in selling their wares, Barker has a simple answer: “Come talk to me,” she said. Barker’s booth is easy to find — it’s the one with all of the brochures about local events.

The markets are a great way to support local farmers and businesses, as well as a great way to shop outdoors and enjoy the sun once it finally appears. The markets are both open from April to November, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy Rebecca Meyers

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Safety on campus and services provided to students

Karlene Curtin | Freelancer

When picking a school or place of employment, we hope that our “dignity, diversity and civil liberties are honored and protected,” as stated by Campus Public Safety. According to The National Council For Home and Security, Monmouth, Oregon ranks as the third safest city in Oregon. With Western’s population just over 5,000 students, safety on campus is critical.

Campus Public Safety officers care about Western’s students and faculty.

I had the opportunity to conduct an interview with the office manager, Kevin Thibeault, of CPS.

What are the benefits of having student workers at CPS? Is it only for those who want to pursue criminal justice?

Student workers provide many benefits for Campus Public Safety. CPS student workers help with traffic and event control during big events such as commencement, New Student Move-in Day, and sporting events. CPS student workers also help keep campus safe by providing after hour support while working dispatch for the university. CPS encourages students from all different backgrounds and educational degrees to work within our department.

How do CPS Officers honor the civil liberties of students and staff?

The following is our mission statement found on our website.

“The mission of the Campus Public Safety Department of Western Oregon University is to engender a sense of safety and security by providing an environment in which students, faculty, staff and visitors can learn, work, and live. This is accomplished by a professionally trained corps of officers and staff that honor the individual dignity, diversity, and civil liberties of all people.”
CPS also plays a role in WOU’s ongoing efforts to shape an inclusive university environment. We recognize the various dimensions of diversity, including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, age, religion/spirituality, size, abilities and disabilities, and gender expression/identity.
CPS has an obligation to treat all members of our campus community with courtesy and respect.

What services are provided to students and faculty?

CPS provides various services to Student, Faculty, and Staff. Some of the services that we provide include:
Vehicle Jumpstarts; vehicle access when keys are locked in car; will air up your tire if it is low; Loaner Gas Can Program; lost and found; safety escorts; First Aid/CPR/AED trainings; ALICE Trainings; loaner fatal vision impairment goggles (alcohol and marijuana)

For more information about services provided, visit wou.edu/safety, or contact their main office at 503-838-8481.

Contact the author at kcurtin14@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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The international student’s experience checklist

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

Every year, new international students are subjected to culture shock and the many confusing quirks and traditions the United States has. Many will be leaving Western with the rest of us after Spring Term. To those students, hopefully your adjustment has been easy and you’ve learned a lot about the community since your arrival. For those that haven’t already, here’s a few more essential experiences to add to your to-do list before you leave.

Visit a natural landmark. The United States is full of beautiful landscapes, and you don’t have to go far to find one. Wherever you’re from, there’s bound to be something new to explore; Oregon contains mountains, rainforests, coasts and deserts.

Go to a festival or fair. There’s always plenty of good celebrations; spring and summer will bring music festivals, county fairs, rodeos and other festivities to the area.

Try different food. Our communities are various combinations of different cultures, and as a result you can find just about any kind of food here, from Chinese cuisine to Mexican dishes to Irish pubs. While most of these have been heavily adapted, there’s a few hidden gems that could be considered authentic. We know you’re already branching out quite a bit by moving far from home, but why not try a little extra something new?

Visit a big city. Western is a great place to learn, but it’s a relatively small sample size of both the United States and Oregon. Where better a place is there to learn about people of a new culture than a place where there’s a lot of them? Big cities are also usually home to many cultural hubs, such as famous icons, like the Space Needle.

If the opportunity arises, attend a tailgate. According to Culture Trip, this tradition, along with our enthusiasm for college sports, is largely unique to the United States. There may not be many opportunities left until fall, since it usually occurs during football season, but sometimes tailgating before other events, like baseball, will happen. While you’re at it, consider attending a game, whether at Western or elsewhere. Many people certainly have an enthusiasm for their team, and it makes sporting events an experience, not just an observation.

Attend commencement, even if you’re not graduating. According to dailyinfographic.com, some countries like the UK have similar traditions, but some have none at all or traditions that are very different. While it can sometimes last several hours, it’s a way to celebrate the success of your friends, or your own success if you will be joining.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar visits campus

Sean Martinez | Staff Writer

Ayad Akhtar has found success in many different creative spheres, including playwriting, book writing and film and television. On Tuesday, April 9, Akhtar visited Western Oregon University to talk about some of his most famous works. During a sit-down interview, Akhtar discussed his passion for literature as well as his thought processes as he wrote his plays.

Around the age of 15, Akhtar began to write, inspired by a high school teacher. Attending college to pursue his dream in theater, he knew he was destined to write a play, but he did not know where to start.

“I often say a good idea for a story is the meeting point between two or three ideas,” Akhtar said. He waited for his gathered ideas to converge before he began writing his most successful play to date.

“Disgraced,” which was released in 2012, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2013. The play highlights the conflicts that arise when identity interferes with religion.

“One of the reasons “Disgraced” ended up being (so popular) is because it foresaw what was happening politically in America before it happened,” Akhtar stated.

Akhtar’s goal when writing is to keep the audience engaged and thinking, which is why he rewrote the ending for “Disgraced” thirteen times to ensure it would. After audiences witnessed the complexity of the play, talkbacks were enforced so viewers could engage with Akhtar.

“I was constantly tweaking and shaping the play based on my experiences of seeing it with audiences,” Akhtar stated.

Later that night, Western’s Jensen Lecture Series hosted “An Evening with Ayad Akhtar,” as he continued to shed more light on “Disgraced,” as well as “A War Within,” released in 2005, and “The Invisible Hand,” released in 2015. He was interviewed live on stage by theater professor Kent Neely, who then took questions from the audience. Akhtar appreciated the uncertainty of the questions he was asked.

“I don’t need to see (the questions). I think the more spontaneous the dialogue is, the better,” Akhtar admitted. He proceeded to answer questions concerning his life experiences.

Despite all of Akhtar’s success, it never came easy. Even with encouraging parents, it took twenty-three years for Akhtar to finally feel comfortable as a writer. It was during Akhtar’s 20s when the real struggles started: his grandparents berated his parents for Akhtar not pursuing a career that was economically rewarding, and for not knowing what to write about. In his 30s, Akhtar realized writing was a way to express his beliefs.

“Getting perspective on your own experience and understanding what’s valuable in it for other people to know is a huge lesson,” Akhtar concluded.

Contact the author at smartinez17@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ayad Akhtar

The Rosa Lee Show

Rosa Lee performs a one-woman show that involves stories, poetry, video, and more, all in American Sign Language.

Location: Rice Auditorium

Time: 4:00- 6:00 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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Women’s rugby faces off against unplanned Alumnae/outside player team

Cora McClain | Copy Editor

There was a chill in the air on the drizzly morning of April 13 as Western’s women’s rugby took to the pitch against a team sporting very similar colors to our Wolves. An interview with club president Lexi Osborn after the game cleared up the confusion.

“Eastern cancelled on us Wednesday, so we sent out a mass Facebook post inviting any women ruger (rugby player) in the Oregon area to come out for our seniors’ last home game … most of them are alum,” Osborn explained.

The Alumnae and Wolves faced off for this exciting match. From the first blow of the whistle, the energy between the two teams was palpable, both giving their all. The experience of the alumnae was obvious from their expert passing and pushing against the Wolves as they held their defensive line. However, it couldn’t hold the Alums back from scoring the first try of the game. This was followed shortly by a quick play by the Wolves that won them their first try.

After, the aggressive teams struggled up and down the sideline. Their bodies slammed together, each team pushing as the rain began to pour. The raw power of the Wolves gave them the ability to crawl along the sideline to their next try, making it through the uprights for the extra points, taking the lead. However, the Alumnae retaliated with their fast passing to earn their next try.

This struggle continued as the cheering of supportive fans rang out as the Wolves found a break in the Alumnae’s defensive. Sprinting down the center of the field to a slide through the uprights earned the Wolves their final try for the half. The hard work of each team displayed in the final score of the half, 24-20 Wolves.

The second half saw the teams come back with even more energy than before. A battle that traveled from sideline to sideline ensued, with injuries sustained from both the Wolves and Alumnae as the later pulled ahead with decisive passing and power pushing them into a lead. However, as the clock had 16 minutes left, the teams broke and gathered together into a huddle. Hip-hip-hoorays rang out over the field as the sun peaked out from the clouds.

After the seniors were presented to the crowd of cheering fans, each sporting a crown of flowers, Osborn explained that it was the Wolves’s final home match for the season.

“We wanted to give the seniors a good send-off,” Osborn said. When asked about the future of the club, she explained that half of the team are rookies who started just two weeks earlier.

“We have a lot to learn,” Osborn said. She explained how they were going to have to work on their defense for future games.

The Wolves will be taking to the pitch once again on April 20 to face off against University of Portland.

Contact the author at cmcclain17@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

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Western Oregon host Northwest Club Basketball Championship, takes first

Shariff Youngblood | Freelancer

On a typical Pacific Northwest cold and gloomy day, five teams battled for the Northwest Basketball Club League Championships. A trophy was on the line, and there was only one team that was going to go home with it.

On April 13, the Wolves, University of Portland, Seattle University, University of Oregon and a second Western club team, which was added due to a team dropping out, came together. Western students gathered around the gym to show support for the home team.

The first game of the tournament on April 13 saw the Wolves take on the University Of Portland Pilots. The Pilots came out scoring in the first half, and kept hitting shots in the second; they ended up closing out Western, 71-52.

With a game under their belt and a loss on their record, the Wolves responded by coming out on fire versus the University of Oregon as they built a comfortable halftime lead of 47-32. The University of Oregon would not go quietly as they hit three-pointer after three-pointer and cut lead down to six with about five minutes remaining, but it was all Wolves from there as they pulled away late with a final score of 96-77.

After every team played two games, the tournament playoffs began. The Wolves were matched up against the Pilots. Western’s second club basketball team was matched up with Seattle University. The Wolves had revenge on their mind as they looked to knock the Pilots out of the tournament; Western’s second club team was looking to advance to the championships.

Western’s second club team played a close game all the way through the second half. The deficit was cut to three points in the closing seconds. Seattle University stepped up late and made four free throws to close out the game, 47-41.

The Wolves started their game against the Pilots by hitting six threes in the first half. However, the Pilots were determined to make it a close game and cut the lead down to single digits with the score being 35-28 going into the second half.

The second half proved to be a physical game with both teams trading buckets until the last four minutes, when Western held to the win. Both teams fought hard, but the Wolves hung on with a 54-44 win to advance to the championships versus Seattle University.

The championship game was finally here. The Wolves were matched up against the undefeated Seattle University team. Western came out fired up and was able to build a double-digit lead in the first couple of minutes. The teams traded baskets but the Wolves were leading 38-23 going into the second half.

The second half was a completely different game as Seattle University started making shots. They fought their way back and cut the lead down to four points with about six minutes to go. With his team needing to extend the lead, the Club Sports player of the week Joey Gaylord took over. Gaylord started the runoff by hitting back to back deep threes extending the lead to 10 in the closing minutes.

However, Seattle University would not let up, and cut the lead down to six with about 40 seconds of play left. The Wolves made their free throws and closed out the game 54-46, capping off a 3-1 finish and earning the title of Basketball Club League Champions.

“This championship is really big for WOU with us being such a small school. We have about 6,000 students and were playing against D1 schools and we have proven ourselves as one of the top D2 schools out there,” said Gaylord.

Contact the author at syoungblood16@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

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.

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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.

Where to find farmers markets in Independence

Safety on campus and services provided to students

The international student’s experience checklist

Pulitzer Prize winner Ayad Akhtar visits campus

Spring entertainment: campus events that will keep boredom at bay

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Women’s rugby faces off against unplanned Alumnae/outside player team

Western Oregon host Northwest Club Basketball Championship, takes first

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