The Western Howl – Page 21 – The Western Howl

The signs during Spring break:

Aries: CELEBRATING THEIR BIRTHDAYS RAHHHH

Taurus: Doing nothing but cooking, sleeping and recovering

Gemini: already in hot girl summer gear

Cancer: Thrifting a whole new wardrobe

Leo: Making friends with everyone at the beach

Virgo: passive aggressive spring cleaning

Libra: aggressive spring cleaning

Scorpio: cry.

Sagittarius: taking their free time out on others 🙂

Capricorn: trying to be an arsonist but isn’t succeeding

Aquarius: sleep.

Pisces: feet in the sand with a drink in each hand

The Western Howl

Home »

Spring Awakening

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers

Written in 1891 and adapted to Broadway as a rock musical in 2006, “Spring Awakening” is a story that is still relevant today. The musical goes back and forth between modern alternative rock and themes from the 19th century. The WOU Theatre Department took on this multidimensional musical and worked to create something special with it.

Every single show was ASL interpreted. There was a reason for this — the interpreters interacted with the actors, adding a unique dynamic to the production. Parts of the songs were signed by the actors themselves, which gave the story more depth and emotion, as well as accessibility.

“Spring Awakening” is not a story to be taken lightly. Topics such as suicide, sex and abortion can make the play uncomfortable for some, but it is still a crucial story to tell. Today, the main themes of the musical continue to resonate with audiences.

Jacob Fritts and Kelsey Wallace brought maximum energy to the stage as Melchior and Wendla. They captured the audience’s attention both together and apart. The dynamics of each character made the story intriguing and relatable.

Moritz, a tormented young man, was played by Frank Kern, a second-year at Western. “Spring Awakening is themed heavily around how we raise our kids today, how we teach and support them… I feel it is important to recognize the impact that my performance might have on the audience, particularly my peers… audience members see the character of Moritz through the lens of me, a transgender actor, which inherently added a level of delicacy to how I approached my portrayal of his journey,” Kern said. There wasn’t a single dry eye in the audience when Moritz passed away.

Maddux Gillett, a sophomore who played Georg, a classmate of Mortiz and piano player, said, “…Georg’s solo in ‘Touch Me’ is near and dear to my heart… it is so freeing to own the song and share that with the audience.” Gillett’s energy lit up all of Rice Auditorium.

Lexy Bolsinger, a senior at Western and “Spring Awakening’s” assistant director and fight choreographer, said, “My favorite part was bringing Hanschen and Ernst’s story to life. As a queer person, it is an honor to share all aspects of sex education. It was beautiful to hear audience members walking out feeling seen.”

All the cast and crew worked hard to make sure every detail was in place. Whether it was intimacy, fights or dance, each choreographed move was intentional. Each song and line was clearly rehearsed many times over. The WOU Theatre Department has once again impressed audiences with its talent and will continue to do so in the future.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home »

The rise of physical media

Written by: Lili Minato | Freelancer

In 2023, Best Buy announced that they were going to stop selling DVDs in 2024. DVD sales have also been declining for the past 16 years, but with the rise of fan culture, especially on social media, DVDs and other forms of physical media have the chance to make a comeback.

Social media has allowed people from around the world to build connections with one another, especially when it comes to the shared love of media like film and music. Within these communities, there is a presence of commercialism. Artists make merchandise to sell to adoring fans, and people post about their purchases such as the discovery of new or vintage items relating to the media. It’s a large part of the culture.

The urge to buy merchandise from favorite artists allows businesses like The Criterion Collection to rise in sales. Criterion is a company that makes special editions of classic and contemporary films. They sell DVDs with new covers and designs; their DVDs usually house exclusive commentary, merchandise and scenes from the director, which is a big selling point for fans.

Even with new companies like Criterion, the purchasing of brand-new DVDs is still on the decline; this may be because many fans are giving thrifted and vintage DVDs a new life. The more obscure the merchandise is, the better it is for enthusiastic devotees. It is also very cost-effective, considering many DVDs only cost a couple of dollars at a thrift store.

Still, some may find the purchasing of DVDs to be a waste of money because of the accessibility of movies through streaming services. For many others though, the ability to own their favorite movie heavily outweighs being able to easily watch it through Netflix.

In contrast to the steady decrease in DVD sales, vinyl sales have been rapidly increasing. In 2023, Americans purchased 49 million vinyl records, which is 14 percent more compared to previous years. Vinyls have also outsold CDs consecutively in the past three years. Fans and social media have contributed to this increase. Exclusive vinyls with limited merchandise inside have enthralled followers of popular musicians.

Taylor Swift sold the most vinyl albums in 2023. Swift’s fan base has been known to have an obsession with merchandise, official or not, and with the combination of that and Swift selling many limited edition CDs and vinyl that included many treasures inside — such as photos and posters — there’s no debating why Swift conquered the charts in that category.

Physical media will most likely never regain its position above streaming services, but for fans of popular and alternative media alike, personalized ownership will always win over the convenience and availability of streaming platforms.

Contact the author at lminato22@mail.wou.edu.

The Western Howl

Home »

It’s a smash

Written by: Sophie Taylor | Designer

“F—–g Your Culture” — $uicideboy$

“I duckinf hatw u” — Ghostemane

“Floor 555” — XXXTENTACION

“CtrlAltDelete” — BONES

“G WALKIN’ ON YO COFFIN, Pt. 1” — Lil Boodang

“GENOCIDE” — Lil Darkie

“Memoirs of a Gorilla” — $uicideboy$

“Aftershock” — Pouya

“HDMI” — BONES

“Nightmare on the Northside” — Scrim

“Psycho Pass” — Xavier Wulf

“MARCELINE” — Lil God Dan

“Y’all Want A Single” — Korn

“Two Twelve Subwoofer” — 99zed, Saliva Grey

“Sacrilege” — Ghostemane

“You’re Now Tuning into 66.6 FM with DJ Rapture” — $uicideboy$

“AWKWARD CAR DRIVE” — Germ, $uicideboy$

“Heroin As a Recreational Activity” — DUCKBOY

“The 9th Circle” — MAKAVELIGODD

“Flesh” — Ghostemane

“4Peat” — XXXTENTACION, Ski Mask The Slump God

“Deadboy98” — REDZED

Contact the author at howldesigner@mail.wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home »

So much for (2our) dust…

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

On Feb. 28, Fall Out Boy kicked off the second North American leg of their “So Much for (2our) Dust…” tour in a sold-out show at the Moda Center in Portland. I had the opportunity to attend this show, something I have wanted to do since middle school.

Fall Out Boy was opened by Daisy Grenade, The Main and Jimmy Eat World. Even though Jimmy Eat World was an opener, Fall Out Boy, Daisy Grenade and The Main are all influenced by Jimmy Eat World, which was a cool experience for everyone. Starting at 6 p.m., each opening artist had 45 minutes to perform onstage, with Jimmy Eat World finishing their set at 8:45 p.m.

While waiting for Fall Out Boy to come on stage, the sound tech played various popular alternative songs, including “Dear Maria Count Me In” and “Dial Drunk,” before they capped it off with Fall Out Boy’s modern “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” Immediately after, the intro played and out they came.

After playing “Love From the Other Side,” guitarist Pete Wentz gave a brief introduction and they launched into their set. Many of the songs were accompanied by pyrotechnics, smoke screens, fireworks and a fire-covered guitar, played by Wentz.

During the portion of the show where they played “Sugar We’re Going Down,” “Uma Thurman” and “A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More ‘Touch Me’,” the band had a puppeteered snail on stage, along with inflatable cacti and a crew member wearing a white rabbit suit. The rabbit vibed along with the music onstage, ultimately ending up headbanging with the snail.

The band also eventually brought out an inflatable Doberman head — which was controlled by the same person who wore the rabbit suit — and had a mouth that had full movement to open and shut. During “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” the mouth was utilized to sing “God d–n” with the audience.

The setlist was mostly comprised of the band’s own songs from their “Save Rock and Roll,” “Take This to Your Grave” and “So Much (For) Stardust” albums; however, they did perform partial covers: “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne and “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen. The latter was preluded by a piano medley of “Young and Menace” and “What a Catch, Donnie” — “Young and Menace” had not been played since Oct. 10, 2018.

Overall, it was an extremely enjoyable experience. I have been a fan of Fall Out Boy since middle school, and it has always been on my bucket list to see them in concert. I was partially disappointed that they did not play more from their album “MANIA” or that they didn’t play the song “Save Rock and Roll,” but it was still an amazing experience overall.

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home »

Football championship accused of fraud

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

The recent Super Bowl match sparked more controversy than usual under the watchful and neurotic eyes of crazed pop star fans and disillusioned supporters of the sport. While most large, televised matches and championships typically garner a small minority of antagonistic outliers claiming that the competition was “rigged,” or that the referees were bribed to throw the game, the Super Bowl has gained an extreme amount of erratic misinformative hearsay on the topic.

From the perspective of a non-athlete, it may seem feasible that this could be true, their inside knowledge being collected from viral internet videos like WWE and bad calls from referees. However, as an athlete, this is a gross misconceptualization of the processes behind large professional sports organizations, and it’s disrespectful to everyone involved in the administrative, coaching and athletic process.

A player from Western’s football team, sophomore linebacker Kenny Brown, chipped in on the situation — “I did think it was super sketchy for a receiver to be left so wide open against one of the best defensive teams in the league, but it’s easy to get lost in the moment. Especially against a quarterback as special as Pat Mahomes. There were a lot of holding calls that went unseen for the Chief’s o-line, but they’ve never been called for holding in a championship game or higher. Which is kind of sketchy, but I thought San Francisco just choked in the end,” Brown said.

Any athlete would recognize that as hard as it is to correctly perform a game plan in a match, it would be even more difficult to maneuver an intricately scripted match. In a way, it would be similar to a dance performance. It’s hard to imagine pulling off a purposefully choreographed performance with five or six people, but illogical to think that is possible on a field with 22 players and six referees, much less on the national stage with a championship ring on the line. At the very least, this line of thinking is rather short-sighted and lacks perspective, and at its worst, it discredits the work of all the athletes and coaches in all teams across the league that compete for the championships, as well as disregards the administrative staff, trainers and other support careers that go into making the championships happen. Coach Cori Metzgar is the director of sports performance at Western, and had a few things to say about how these theories affect the people involved. “It completely discredits all the hard work they do, they put in so much effort, time and energy to be the best, I believe it makes a joke of all they do, which is the opposite of what they are. As a strength coach myself, if someone accused me of cheating or scripting the outcome of our season, I’d feel hurt and disrespected because I spend the majority of my life with the sole purpose of getting my athletes ready to compete at the highest level they can.”

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home »

Pets of the paper

Written by: Taylor Duff | Staff Writer

At the Western Howl, we love many things from spicy chips, Dutch Bros, to Harry Styles and especially our Pets.

Gretchen Sims, our Editor-in-Chief, has Leon, a cat, who is the king of Grinch toes and has never worked a hard day in his life. One of Gretchen’s family dogs is a female Lab/Pit mix named Wehya. She’s not hungry, despite what those eyes may suggest.

Ruth Simonsen, our digital media manager, has a Mixed Bombay Cat named Okra who isn’t very bright but is more than capable of choosing violence at three in the morning.

Libby Thoma, one of our Staff Writers, had Sam, an Anatolian Shepherd who enjoyed protecting, herding and being a big boy — he will be missed forever. Libby also has Ginny, her orange meowing cat whom she considers her therapy pal.

Jaylin Hardin, our Sports Editor, has two cats: Winnie, a tabby cat, and Samwise, an orange cat. Winnie likes to bite toes, meow for food to be filled even when it’s halfway full and gobble and shred cardboard boxes. Samwise is so chubby that the floorboards under him creak.

Sierra Porter, another one of our Staff Writers at the Howl, has a tabby named Jake, who would kill anyone to have fried chicken, and Blaze, a border collie with pretty brown eyes–the biggest snuggle bug ever, but forcibly places her toys between your legs so that you have play with her.

Addie Floyd, our Head Designer, has Kalypso, a lab mix wolf. She’s a ten-year-old princess. She thinks it’s funny to snap at her other dog siblings. Addie also has Mars, an orange tabby cat who is in love with Kalypso. He gives Kalypso back massages. When he’s not giving Kyp back massages, he is sneaking out and taking bus rides to the town over with homeless people. He no longer sneaks out; instead, he has a secure catio mounted to Addie’s window.

Quinlan Wedge is our Photo Editor and has Squid, Scout and Harper. Squid is a black cat about one and a half, a cunning demon and a perfect angel. Likes to frighten people and sits outside the shower. Adores everyone, adores food, enjoys chaos and adores cuddling in warm and cozy blankets. Scout is a 13ish-year-old Akita dog and is an elderly woman who is full of kisses. Lastly is Harper, a Saint Bernard, the legendary golden child, age six, who was abandoned by a breeder because she was too “fugly” to produce offspring.

Claire Philips is our Entertainment Editor at the Howl and has Finn and Clementine. Finn has a smart aura and an underbite that fascinates everyone. You, the couch, the walls and anything close to him will all be licked by him. He’s got all the answers, even how to make things slobbery. She also has Farley, who is afraid of his own shadow, loves to collect sweaters and can clear a dish of food like it’s no big deal. Then, there is Fiona, a country girl at heart who is only frightened of the car. She will make friends with all animals, regardless of whether it means carrying toads in her mouth. If you don’t glance at Clementine for ten seconds, she’ll yell at you. She’ll get furious with you if you don’t feed her within five minutes and meet the stereotype of the orange cat.

Lili Minato, our fantastic Freelancer at the Howl, has Polly, her black cat. She’s about twelve and is extremely petty but also a knowledgeable old woman.

Hannah Field, our News Editor, has Lucy and Lily. Lucy is a grouchy, irritable, blind and deaf elderly woman who will also urinate on the carpet and cry out for help. Lily is a Chihuahua-Pinscher mix, who loves attention and has a fear of everything. She avoids the water. Kittens terrify her. She’s just scared.

Liberty Miller, our Lifestyle Editor, has Cooper, a Purebred Aussie whom she claims is a felon — taken into custody for attempted murder and violence. Liberty claims Copper ran over my mother several times with just his body — a weight of 100 pounds — in all. He sports a blue eye known to us as, “The Crazy Eye.” He attacked me and several others, as evidenced by numerous videos. He’s big, fluffy and lethal. Liberty also has Lexi, who is the complete opposite of Cooper. She is a princess, head of the household and head of the global administration. She’s sassy and spotted, exquisite and flawless.

Sophie is one of the Designers at the Western Howl and has a five-year-old Chico, also known as Cheeks, Chubbo, Chico Pants or Chico Pantalones, who is a West Highland terrier. Because he often curls up in the nook of our armchairs, we refer to him as our “armchair dog.” He is upset with the groomers, which is why he has a cut on his tongue. He notably dislikes Snoop Dogg and watches television. A true fatty, she also has an eleven-year-old Australian poodle Alex, also known as AlexBoBalex, who adores cheese. She loves strangers and my mom but hates the rest of the family.

Lastly, there is me, Taylor Duff, a Staff Writer here at the Western Howl, and I have Bella and Cuba. Bella is my lazy half-English half-American bulldog who gives me a lot of attitude and is a real bed hog. Cuba is a half-Siberian Husky and half-Alaskan Malamute, is huge and thinks he’s a lap dog. He also loves to sing his people’s songs.

Contact the author at: tduff23@mail.wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home »

What do you choose for yourself

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

The world is rife with standards and expectations set upon people to act and look a certain way. With social media, these end up following us everywhere: our homes, work and into academic spheres — even the classroom is not safe from the barrage of content that tells us we have to be a certain way.

Men and women are expected to align themselves with society’s views on what defines their gender. Women have to be conventionally attractive and must always perform — for men and women alike. Men have to be masculine and never show their emotions, even if their world is falling apart.

The divide goes as far as men and women having different vocabularies to describe them. A man is strategic, a woman is calculated. A man can react, but a woman can only overreact. If a man has a high body count, he’s a player. If a woman has a high body count, she’s a s–t. If a man drinks a lot, he’s an alcoholic. If a woman drinks a lot, she’s a party girl.

But these double standards and expectations are just as drastic when it comes to hair color or even age. If you’re a blonde, you’re dumb. If you’re ginger, you must be feisty. Young people must respect our elders, but they don’t have to respect us because they’re so much older and “wiser.”

Existing is impossible. In your twenties, it’s exhausting to try and be what everyone else wants you to be, while also trying to figure yourself out. You can’t be too loud or take up too much space, because “young people these days just don’t know how to act anymore.”

Who else is tired? Because I am. Even our generation has too many expectations for ourselves, and we are often seen as the generation that is breaking the mold.

Are you low visual or high visual weight? Are you fox or bunny pretty? Are you a clean girl or a dirty girl? Try this protein powder, it’s to die for. If you like this product you must be weird, because only weird people like it.

Even clothing trends and accessories cause a stir nowadays. If anyone wears a band shirt, they have to name three songs or all the members of said band.

For example, I once wore a Led Zeppelin shirt to class, and someone asked me to name five songs, even though they didn’t even know who Led Zeppelin was. The dude thought they were a 2000s band. But why did he expect me to know? Because if I didn’t, that made me a fake fan, someone who was just wearing the shirt for the trend.

Even industries have different standards for the people within. Female nurses are so awesome because they’re taking care of people, but male nurses? They must not be smart enough to be a doctor. A woman in STEM? You must be joking, women aren’t smart enough.

The internet is just full of other people’s opinions and standards for how people should be, and we follow these trends. Why?

Psychologist, Robert Cialidini, says that people use heuristics, or mental shortcuts, to navigate their lives. According to him, people often use one heuristic when making decisions: “popular is good.” Humans are social — in our past we used groups to survive.

“For an individual joining a group, copying the behavior of the majority would then be a sensible, adaptive behavior. A conformist tendency would facilitate acceptance into the group and would probably lead to survival if it involved the decision, for instance, to choose between a nutritious or poisonous food, based on copying the behavior of the majority,” Julia Coultas said, a researcher at the University of Essex.

We, as humans, have the basic survival drive to follow and belong to a group. We want to feel like we belong to that group, even at the harm of someone who is an “outsider.”

One example of this — and not to be that person who always talks about Taylor Swift — is seen in the clash between fans of Swift — Swifties — and fans of the NFL or Kanye West. The majority of Swifties keep to themselves and often do not say anything bad about other fanbases or celebrities, with the exception of the occasional mention of “what the f**k is Kanye doing?” Fans of West and the NFL? They consistently drag Swifties, even if they simply like Swift’s music.

This is consistent throughout fanbases and other groups of society. One person from one group does not like someone or something, or they behave a certain way and the majority of the group they are in follows. This is seen in athletics, book clubs and even friend groups. If someone doesn’t meet the standards or expectations of a certain group, then there is something wrong with them.

So what then? What do we do? Do we try to change society? Well, yes and no.

Society and humans are not intrinsically bad. We adapt to cooperate in society and the groups we choose. As we change, so does society. It becomes more accepting, more cooperative with one another and with diversity. But still, how do we center ourselves in the world of beauty standards and consumerism?

The best advice I can offer to break from what society expects of us is music. Music feeds our souls, it feeds our minds. Sounds are steadily connected to our memories and can trigger emotions within us when we have those neural connections. The sound of a drill at the dentist might give you anxiety. A river rushing by might bring you peace. This is what you are taking control of from society: what sounds and music trigger what emotions and feelings within you. Society and its dumb expectations cannot take that away from you.

The world around you might be loud, but take a moment. Listen. What’s there for you under the screams of expectations and standards? A birdsong, perhaps. On campus, I often hear the squirrels barking at each other, a “muk-muk” sound if you will.

You pay attention to what you hear, not what you are told to hear.

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home »

The death of creative writing

Written by: Gretchen Sims | Editor in Chief

Writing for fun is something that many of us have dabbled in sometime in our lives; though, for most, this hobby may have died off early on. However, as someone who entered college with a love of the written form of the English language, I have had the unique experience of watching the suffocation of creativity — while even my love and passion were slowly drained.

While school itself can be draining, a unique phenomenon to higher education is the smothering of the creative spark. Many students leave college burnt out and reject the creative practices they once engaged fervently in.

I have not seen more stifling of creativity than in creative writing classes. One would think that this is where a student’s passion for writing would be encouraged or nurtured, but this could not be further from the truth.

I hate to say this, but it is an honest observation: professors, while they are the experts, think too highly of themselves and their work. They neglect the fact that each student will have their own style and writing process. Creative writing should be just that, but many professors force students to conform to their specific style of writing — glazing over the fact that, perhaps, their style is not the only one.

Each student brings their own context and unique experiences into a writing class. This affects the way they tackle the project and, more importantly, shapes their writing. Professors also have their context and experiences, however, going to grad school does not automatically make their context more important.

I have not been in a creative writing class where the professor encourages students, through their actions, to be creative with their writing — all assignments, if you want to do well, have to be written in the style and method that the professor, while often unstated, desires.

This is enough to kill even the most passionate student’s love of writing. When professors cram students into boxes, they become mindless robots, typing away on lifeless pages: this is a phenomenon I have seen far too often.

This is not something unique to the Western writing department. Anywhere art is taught, creativity tends to be stippled out of students. By placing a grade — level of worth — onto a creative piece, the student gets a measure of “how good” they are. This can lead students, who do not conform to the professor’s idealistic standard of said art form, to become disheartened and lose passion for that which they once loved.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home »

Women’s basketball faces turmoil

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

The Western women’s basketball team had their season cut short amidst allegations of abuse and fraudulent activity from the coaching staff. Head coach Jessica Peatross entered her first season at Western in 2023, after coaching at Division 2 school, Salem University, where she held a 14-17 record. Assistant coach Demetrius Marlow also previously coached at Salem University alongside Peatross.

The team will not be competing in the last six games of the conference season and holds a record of three to ten in the regular season with a .231 winning percentage. In a press release statement from University President and Athletic Director Randi Lydum, it was announced that “The decision to cancel the season aligns with the highest standards of integrity and accountability within our program.” No additional information has been provided from the athletic department about the cancellation of the season, and it is uncertain whether players will retain their year of NCAA eligibility.

A total of six sources have agreed to release statements to “The Western Howl.” All but one have chosen to remain anonymous for safety reasons.

Jessica Peatross was the Associate Head Coach at Delta College, where she eventually became Interim Head Coach before transferring to Salem University. Peatross claimed to have received a scholarship to play golf, basketball and participate in track and field. However, there are some discrepancies in the information provided in press releases concerning Peatross’ experience prior to joining the coaching staff.

An anonymous source stated that “The head coach lied on her resume that she played division one basketball when she didn’t.” Further investigation shows that the introductions for Coach Peatross into both Salem University and Western Oregon University included that “Peatross received a Division-1 scholarship to play golf, basketball and track at Chicago State University” — however, there are no digital records of Peatross ever competing or being on the roster of the Chicago State women’s basketball roster between 2010-2014, when she attended the university; there are records of Peatross competing at Chicago State in track and field and golf.

Jack Watford, communications director for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, released an official statement to the Howl, stating that “The WBCA is aware of the announcement made on Friday by Western regarding its women’s basketball program. Other than confirming that Western Oregon head coach Jessica Peatross is a member of the association, the WBCA has no comment at this time.”

An anonymous source who played on Salem University’s women’s team, under Peatross, stated, “I don’t think she deserves to be coaching at all — especially because she didn’t even play college basketball.”

More allegations against Peatross include, but are not limited to, verbal abuse, threats, yelling and a lack of regard for mental health. One player claimed to have a complex relationship with Peatross, stating, “Honestly, it was very bipolar. I think her bad outweighs the good sometimes. She wasn’t a bad person at all, and we found times where we could laugh and joke around with her. But then again she was rude and I sometimes feared talking to her. I never knew what to say sometimes.”

Another Salem University source alleges that “Coach P told one of our girls she would ruin her life if she did anything.” Another source claims that Peatross and Marlow “Threatened to cancel our season if we kept mentioning the things they were doing to their bosses.” The exact cause of the cancellation of the Western women’s basketball season, and whether or not the cancellation was a team, coach or administrative decision has not been released.

Demetrius Marlow, also known as DJ, was previously an assistant coach with Warner University women’s varsity basketball team as well as the head coach for their junior varsity team. Marlow was also the head coach at the Tenoroc High School varsity women’s basketball team for two years. Marlow began coaching with Peatross during her stint at Salem University, where he was the assistant coach during the 2023 season. Multiple sources from Salem University shared their perspectives on Coach Marlow, particularly concerning his relationship with Peatross.

One of the sources stated, “It was a very different vibe with only Coach Marlow. He is very capable of running a basketball team by himself, very down to earth — he is a different guy around Coach P.”

Sorimar Morales, a Tenoroc High School basketball player who played under Marlow voiced her support, stating that “Coach DJ is someone who’s trustworthy and dependable. He’s also someone who was hard on me and my teammates but for a good cause. He’d always spread positivity, always telling the truth with his speech before and after practice.”

Other sources conversely claim that he was unsupportive and constantly made racial remarks towards the girls within the program. Three sources stated that he regularly referred to them as “black girls” instead of their names, allegedly telling a player that she was “not supposed to be around the black girls — we’re segregating ourselves.” One other source claims that Marlow called her a “…privileged white girl — that I will never know what it’s like to be a black woman or black male, that I have it so easy.” Two of the sources from Salem University claim that Marlow called them a “waste of space,” as well as “a waste of breath” after a game; additionally, one of these sources claimed that Marlow attempted to “force a relationship between us and a boy on the (men’s basketball) team.”

Furthermore, there are numerous allegations of physical abuse that occurred within the Salem University and Western basketball programs under both Peatross and Marlow.

An anonymous source from Western alleges that “(The) coaches have physically and mentally abused (the team) from the start of the season, having practices going over 2.5 hours and over (NCAA) rules -– ” as well as claiming that the “assistant coach even hurt (a player) so badly she had to get surgery before the season started.”

An anonymous source from Salem University recounts their experience of physical abuse last year, alleging that “We actually had one big incident that took place — Coach Marlow was playing with (the players), and actually pushed one of the girls into a door, where she hit her head really hard. He tried to say another girl had pushed her, but he was the only one there.”

Alongside physical abuse, there are also accounts alleging that Peatross and Marlow verbally abused their players — ranging from accusations regarding invasive questions about their sexuality to demeaning language. An anonymous source from Salem University alleges that “Coach Marlow yelled at a girl during a game to the point where she hyperventilated, and after one game, Coach Peatross yelled at a girl and got in her face looking as if she wanted to fight the girl.” Sexually charged comments were allegedly repeatedly made by Peatross, with one source divulging that “Jessica would constantly ask about our sexualities, constantly asking if we liked boys or girls.”

The allegations claim that there was irreversible damage done to the players and their season.

The anonymous source from Western claims that “Not only were we stripped of our season but we all struggled immensely and not a single person in the athletic department helped us (except) for the (athletic) training staff.”

A Salem University source spoke about the damages inflicted on them and disclosed that “They broke down our mental health to the point where we had no repair, no uplift in any situation at all. It was kill or be killed to the point where a lot of the girl’s first years in America were ruined because they didn’t give them the proper treatment or experience. They traumatized us. Broke our bodies. We were disciplined because we were scared of what they may do, not because of how good of coaches they were. No one heard us when we seeked help, it was all turned back on us and it made us even more scared and worried about what they may do to us.”

An official statement from Western President Jesse Peters to the Howl announced that “We remain committed to upholding the highest standards within all of our athletics programs. To that end, we have opened an investigation into these matters, and we remain committed to creating a positive and productive environment for everyone in the WOU community.”

Randi Lydum, Jessica Peatross, and Demetrius Marlow did not answer our request for comment.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@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.

This week in completely made up horoscopes

Spring Awakening

It’s a smash

So much for (2our) dust…

Football championship accused of fraud

Pets of the paper

What do you choose for yourself

The death of creative writing

Women’s basketball faces turmoil

Tools

Resources