Mount Hood

Volunteering Opportunities

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

Often as college students, we are busy preparing for life outside of school. Volunteering is an opportunity to do this, whether the purpose is to learn new skills, help out the community or even just add a line to a resume. Luckily, there are many opportunities to volunteer in or around Monmouth. I’ve listed some examples below to help spark an idea.

 

On Campus

Western has a food pantry that is open and free to members of the community in an effort to combat the food insecurity prevalent among students. It is run by volunteers, and needs them to be open during regular hours on weekdays. Contact them at foodpantry@wou.edu or at foodpantryvolunteers@wou.edu.

Western also runs a program called Alternative Break, where the school collaborates with other organizations to bring positive social change. The program takes place over spring break, is student run and has different options for locations. Applications are currently open, though students should note they close on the 28th of October. Students can apply or find out more at https://wou.edu/slcd/ab/

 

Off Campus

The Willamette Humane Society is located in Salem and has many volunteer positions that are perfect for animal lovers, from adoption ambassadors to kennel buddies. The Humane Society depends on having a large number of volunteers, meaning many positions have ongoing availability. For more information, visit https://whs4pets.org/get-involved/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities/

The city of Monmouth also has several volunteering positions available, some of which can potentially offer valuable job training and skills such as positions on city boards or commissions. Other opportunities include park and festival projects, the public library and the police department. For the full list, see www.ci.monmouth.or.us/

For those who are willing to make strong commitments to help communities, the cities of Dallas and Corvallis also have the option of being a volunteer firefighter. Volunteers do have to meet a certain fitness standard as well as attend the occasional mandatory training. More information can be found at www.corvallisoregon.gov/fire/page/volunteer-firefighter-information and https://www.dallasor.gov/163/Volunteer-Division

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Fall intramural leaderboards

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Volleyball

Co-Rec Competitive – Monday/Tuesday Evenings:

Gold Diggers

Mayjah Rayjahs

Orville Ready Blockers

Set for Life

Taco tuesdays

Block Party

Bumpin’

 

Co-Rec Recreational – Monday/Tuesday Evenings:

Hittas

Safe sets

AP Volleyball

I’d Hit That

That’s What She Set

Top Notch

Henkle Pancakle

 

Co-Rec Recreational – Thursday Evenings:

Just TRI Us

4C

Dutch Mafia

A1

Wolferines

 

Women’s/Men’s – Wednesday Evenings:

Humuhumunukunukuapua`azzz

Nolan’s Kane

Volley Kings

Heritage 2C

Hit Squad

Mas Hits

One HIT wonders

 

Flag Football

CoRec – Wednesday Evenings

The Abusement Park

Show Us Your TD’s

Off in the endzone

Spartans

 

Men’s – Sunday Evenings

Nothin’ but D

Regional Team

Bryce’s Team

Holy Ghosts

Mike G’s Team

Blue Mountain ST.

N.H.A.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Larsen’s picks of the week

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Western Football at Azusa Pacific

Prediction:

In their last meeting the Wolves fell to Azusa Pacific 17-28.

This game will be won or lost on the back of the Western offense.

The first half of the season was riddled with weak play from the offensive side of the ball. However, in the past few games the offense has found solid footing and has been able to consistently find the endzone.

If the offense for the Wolves continues their streak of success and the defense plays the way they have all season, the Wolves will have no problem with Azusa Pacific.

 

Western Volleyball vs. University of Alaska Anchorage

Prediction:

Earlier in the season, the Wolves lost a tight set, 1-3. While the score seemed lopsided, the matches were anything but. Western’s defense needs to step up in the upcoming games in order to edge out the Seawolves. Western has struggled in their last few matches to halt their opponents point runs. This has caused the offense to constantly need to catch up in order to win games. If Western’s defense slows the Seawolves momentum, the Wolves stand the best chance to win.

 

Western Women’s Soccer at  Saint Martin’s University

Prediction:

Saint Martin’s and Western have played once before this season. In that game the Wolves edged out Saint Martin’s University 1-0. With their final meeting marking the last game of the regular season, this game is a must-win for Western if they want to end their season on a high note. Saint Martin’s offense is weak, not being able to score a single point in their last two games. If Western’s offense is able to put up points, this will be an easy win for the Wolves.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Homecoming on the gridiron for the Wolves

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

It was a beautiful sunny day as the Wolves took the field for the 2018 Homecoming game. Western had just come off a sizable loss to the Central Washington Wildcats and looked to bring their record back to .500 with this home match.

In the last meeting between the two teams, the Wolves had walloped the Humboldt State Lumberjacks in Arcata, California with a score of 38-13. Hoping to duplicate those results, the Wolves snapped on their helmets and were ready to play.

On the opening drive of the game the Wolves were all business. A touchdown pass set up Western to quickly jump out to a 7-0 lead. The rest of the quarter was filled with defensive stops from both teams, ending with no more points being scored.

Humboldt State put themselves on the board and showed that they were ready for a fight, tying up the game 7-7 in the 2nd quarter. After a score by Western’s offense, the defense showed they could score too with a huge interception that was returned for a touchdown. Going into the half, Western was on top 21-7.

After the announcement of the homecoming court, Western looked to have lost a bit of momentum. Humboldt State kicked a field goal and later scored a touchdown to bring the game to 17-21. However, right before the end of the 3rd, the Wolves were in the endzone once again.

The 4th quarter was gearing up to be anyone’s game. The Wolves’s score late in the 3rd helped them maintain a lead, but the relentless Lumberjacks held the Wolves to a field goal. Both offenses fought hard to give their teams an edge. Western’s defense helped maintain the lead and the addition of two more touchdowns for the Wolves cemented the lead. Western brought the homecoming festivities to a close with a huge 45-24 win.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Bailey Thompson

Wolfie’s Bowl action

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

For the 2018 Homecoming week, the ladies were the first to step foot on the gridiron for the Wolves. The 39th Annual Powerpuff Game: Wolfie’s bowl was gearing up to be a powerful start to this year’s homecoming football festivities. With female students lining up for the On-Campus team and Off-Campus team, this year’s participants were ready for a fight.

The first half of action was a defensive struggle as neither team gave the other an inch. Blows were traded back and forth but neither team found the endzone.

“I was worried because I had class until 6 (p.m.) in Corvallis and I didn’t get here until halftime, but I knew we could hold them off,” said junior criminal justice and exercise science major Mikaela Wong on the Off-Campus team.

Within minutes of the start of the second quarter, Wong torched the defense on a trick play, finding the endzone to put the first points on the board. Due to tight officiating, the points ended up coming off the board. Forcing a turnover, the On-Campus team took possession and marched their way down the field.

Off the power of junior chemistry major D-Dré Wright’s arm, the On-Campus team was the first to put points on the board.

“I just know I’m throwing to the left half of the field. I don’t aim or anything, I just put it up and let my receiver get the ball,” said Wright on her touchdown bullseye.

After falling behind, the Off-Campus team knew they needed to score.

“We called a Mac-Daddy 3, that’s the name of the play. I knew (the ball) should be going to me, I just (have to) streak down the field (and catch it),” explained Wong on how the play was to be executed.

Wong sprinted past the defense and caught the game-tying touchdown pass. After a successful one point conversion, the Off-Campus crew led, 7-6.

Defensive stops came back and forth, but after a missed first down, the Off-Campus team kneeled out the clock to mark their third straight win. Hoisting the trophy high, the crowd cheered and made their way to the bonfire pep rally.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Caity Healy

A new governor for Oregon

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

With the 2018 Midterm Elections approaching fast, Oregon voters have a limited amount of time before Nov. 6, the day they must elect Oregon’s next governor. Although Oregon has not had a Republican governor since 1987, Knute Buehler’s moderate social views have recently made this race a toss-up, according to Real Clear Politics and the Cook Political Report. On the other hand, Gov. Kate Brown, after being elected the first openly LGBTQ+ governor of a U.S. state in 2015, is looking to be elected for her first full term.

Kate Brown

Oregon’s current governor, Kate Brown, is the Democratic gubernatorial candidate who is also endorsed by the Working Families party. During her time in office, Brown raised Oregon’s minimum wage, signed a law to phase out coal power and signed the bill for Oregon Promise, among other things. The main issues Brown emphasizes on her official website: economy and jobs, government efficiency, healthcare, education, the environment, public safety and strong communities.

Brown has a background as a family law attorney, but she has also held a number of governmental positions such as representative, senator and secretary of state.

According to an Oregon Public Broadcasting article, however, Brown’s critics have complained about her time in the governor’s office, stating that “the state faces massive problems, yet…the governor hasn’t articulated a clear vision or unveiled a comprehensive plan to solve them.”

Her supporters, on the other hand, assert that Brown simply has a different leadership style that isn’t as assertive as people are used to seeing in a governor.

Knute Buehler

Republican candidate Knute Buehler hails from Bend, Oregon and has, until recently, worked as an orthopedic surgeon. In 2015, Buehler was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives, where he has since served two terms. The four issues that Buehler lists on his campaign site are education, health care, homelessness, and bridging Oregon’s rural/urban divide.

Even though, in many ways, Buehler’s fiscal conservatism aligns with popular expectations for Republican candidates, some of his progressive social beliefs have taken some voters by surprise — in both positive and negative ways. Buehler, unlike some traditional Republicans, is a pro-choice candidate who both believes in climate change and supported the legalization of gay marriage. While these views are may be a deterrent to a number of conservative Republicans, there are others for whom this is a selling point. For instance, according to the Oregonian, Nike co-founder Phil Knight — who has supported both Republicans and Democrats in the past — has contributed $2.5 million to Buehler’s campaign, which breaks the record for a single political donor in Oregon’s history.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Western’s trustees compare retention strategies

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

At their Oct. 17 meeting, the Western Board of Trustees wrestled with a number of critical issues to Western’s future success. Regularly featured in these meetings, the Board heard reports from groups such as Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, ASWOU, President Rex Fuller and numerous university committees.

One thing that was unique to this meeting, though, was the October discussion theme: enrollment.

Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Gary Dukes, presented on this topic, sharing with the Board that Western enrollment is down by three and a half percent this year, mirroring the trends of other Oregon universities. He also informed the Board about steps currently being taken to improve in this area: the university aims to attract more first-year students by improving affordability, more transfer students by reaching out to those in the Oregon Promise program, more graduate students by developing new programs and more international students by adding new countries to Western’s outreach.

Dukes also discussed a number of other strategies that Western is implementing to increase retention and new enrollment.

After the meeting, Board of Trustees Faculty Representative Dr. Gavin Keulks, English professor and Honors Program Director, shared his theory about the cause of enrollment decline.

“There just aren’t as many people going to college because…some people who can go to the job market are choosing to do that,” said Keulks. “Also, the tuition promise with community colleges means that more people are going to community colleges and then transferring in…and our enrollment has been going down.”

Commenting on the gravity of the situation, Keulks continued by saying, “I don’t think it’s an alarm, but it’s certainly not a little thing because this is where it impacts students. If enrollment keeps going down…there will be pressure to increase tuition.”

In the end, however, Keulks remarked that “everyone (on the board) has a deep love of the university and a genuine to concern that the university is thriving,” meaning that “if we fight about something, it’s because we want the school to make the right choice.”

If students are interested in learning more about this meeting, Keulks suggested looking on the university’s website, as there are a number of documents and statistics that can be reviewed far faster than it would have taken to attend the entire six-hour meeting.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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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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