The Western Howl

A look at “Inside Black Mirror”

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

Darkly satirical and terrifying, the cult show “Black Mirror” is peeling back a new layer in the form of a book that will be released on Nov. 10. “Inside Black Mirror” will dive into the minds of creator Charlie Brooker and executive producer Annabel Jones to give us an oral history of the show. Fans of this British science-fiction series will be able to follow the show from inception to execution and rise to global hit. Also featured in detail will be the inspirations behind every season. Various directors and other creators are interviewed in-depth about their creative process. Key actors will discuss their experiences bringing the show to life. Behind the scenes stories that have never been told before will also be included; all this content will be supplemented with photographs exclusive to this book.

Netflix bought the rights to “Black Mirror” in the fall of 2015, and recently renewed the series. Season five is already under production, rumored to be released in late 2018. “Inside Black Mirror” will be a nice companion to the show and is sure to be a hit among fans of its eerie symbolism and cultural critiques. Anyone who needs a fix of contemporary, technological fiction should keep their eyes out for when “Inside Black Mirror” hits the shelves.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Netflix

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Getting served at Mundo’s Cafe

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

Something new has appeared in Monmouth, sitting quietly on Broad Street. A small white eatery, Mundo’s Cafe, which opened in June, is a petite restaurant specializing in breakfast foods. Curious about this new business and intrigued by the nicely decorated exterior, I decided to give the cafe a try and see what they have to offer.

I found the menu, which is posted on the front window, interesting in its variety. It includes classic American foods, such as pancakes and burgers, as well as some traditional Mexican ones such as enchiladas. I immediately decided on the enchiladas as they are one of my favorite dishes.

On stepping inside, I noticed right away that the subtle cross-cultural theme continued inside. The upper half of the wall next to where I sat is papered in various world maps, and over the wall on the opposite side are clocks showing the times of Tokyo, Athens, Mexico City and a few others. I was the only customer in the cafe.

As I took in the surroundings, I was greeted by the friendly waitress and ordered my food. I also asked if the owner was around and free to have a brief conversation with me.

The owner introduced himself as Reymundo Soto. It’s his name that really ties the whole idea of the cafe together. He told me his mother used to call him “Mundo” for short — hence the name of the cafe — and it so happens that “mundo” is Spanish for “world”. He also told me he hasn’t had many students in so far, which is not entirely unexpected since they are still settling in, but he hopes traffic will pick up soon.

A message he wanted to pass along was that he is open to customer feedback about whether he should expand on the menu.

“I’d like to, after two months or three, come up with new orders,” he explained in regards to him trying to get a sense of the customers in Monmouth. He also passed on the reminder that happy hour is from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Overall, I enjoyed my visit to Mundo’s cafe and the enchiladas he made, which came with a healthy serving of fried rice on the side. However, seeing that the menu focuses on breakfast for the time being, I would recommend it mostly for breakfast, lunch or brunch. My other comment is that while it’s also a dinner option, the drink menu is very limited. I do, however, appreciate the affordable prices as a student who can’t always splurge on a night out. Overall, I see myself likely to go back and try some breakfast foods and enjoy the unique atmosphere.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

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Must-see places in Oregon

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

Western students coming in from out of state, or even out of country, may have noticed that most Oregonians love our state. It’s full of diverse landscapes and natural beauty. While Oregon is full of extraordinary places to explore, there are a few that stand out — and with good reason.The following is a list of places that, in my opinion, everyone should make an effort to visit while they’re here and have a chance. Some are conveniently located only a few hours’ drive or less from Monmouth while others are a bit farther and better for a weekend adventure.

Multnomah Falls

This iconic landmark can be found along the Columbia River Gorge and is a popular spot both with residents and tourists. About half an hour east of Portland, the falls is home to the Multnomah Falls Lodge and features a hiking trail to the top of the 620 ft. drop.

Silver Falls State Park

One of the best things about this park is that it’s less than an hour drive from Western. The state park’s entry near the south falls offers a view of the largest, more well-known waterfall from which there’s an option to keep walking onto the trail of 10 falls. The south falls are a must-see, however, because the short trail down takes you behind the waterfall for a unique vantage point.

Crater Lake

Oregon’s only national park can be found farther south of the state. The lake, located in the caldera of Mount Mazama of the Cascade Range, is famously a stunning, clear blue. Visitors from the Monmouth visiting overnight should be aware of the difference in climate and likelihood of much colder weather due to the altitude.

Bend

The town of Bend and the nearby towns of Sisters and Sunriver are near the famous Three Sisters Mountains. Located in central Oregon, the town is also where the Cascades meet the high desert of central and eastern Oregon and showcases some of the different landscapes the state has to offer.

Highway 101

There are many towns on the Oregon Coast that offer stunning views of the coastline. Highway 101 connects all of these and takes visitors along a scenic drive. The highway connects a number of popular towns to stop in and enjoy the coast, such as Newport and Florence. Newport is home to two lighthouses open to the public and the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Florence features the Heceta Head Lighthouse as well as multiple excellent locations to see tidepools up close.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of WolfmanSF

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Small-town transformations

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

Some returning students may have noticed differences in Monmouth and Independence this fall. The neighborhood was busy making changes while the students were away. Over the summer, Western’s town and its neighbor has gained and lost a few businesses – though more have been lost so far than gained.

Perhaps the most noticeable change is the one nearest to campus. Now gone is the familiar red Bobablastic truck on Main Street. The bubble tea selling truck, which sat across from Main Street Park, shut down some time after spring term ended and took with it the covered picnic table area. Lovers of bubble tea don’t have to worry, however – DIY, a tea shop that opened last winter, has quickly become a popular place to buy all sorts of drinks, including bubble teas.

Also lost is the Happy Dragon, the Cantonese restaurant in downtown Independence. The restaurant was once reviewed by Statesman Journal food critic Brooke Jackson-Glidden, who called their Peking duck a “must try”. For those willing to take the drive, the family that owned the restaurant has moved to Portland and hopes to reopen there. For lovers of Chinese food, Monmouth fortunately still has Sing Fay’s on the corner of Monmouth Avenue and Main Street.

Independence also lost another beloved eatery that previously sat on Main Street. The Three Legged Dog, an Irish restaurant and pub, had to permanently close its doors this summer due to lease issues and late rent, according to the Statesman Journal. The restaurant has always struggled with costs and ultimately had to cease operations, however it’s brunch Bloody Mary bar will be missed by many.

However, Monmouth gained a new business not far from Western. Mundo’s Cafe officially opened for business a few weeks after the end of last spring term.

The area of Monmouth and Independence may have suffered some losses while students were away, but their removal will likely allow for other businesses to take shape. Once the excitement of the start of term settles, students will have a chance to take a look at how the town has evolved since their return. Both returning students and those who never left will have a chance to see what is next for Western’s hometown in the coming months.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

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Defensive domination

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

The Wolves’ looked to extend their winning streak to two as they took on the Simon Fraser Clan at McArthur field on Sept. 20 for the first home game with school in session. Coming into this game, Western had been on the losing end for the majority of the season. The Wolves’ had yet to be in the winning column at home having lost the first three games of the year. On the road, the Wolves’s season had taken a turn for the better as they picked up the win against Humboldt State in the week leading into their game against the Clan.

Saturday’s game was over fairly quickly as Western jumped to a 54-6 lead at halftime. Western’s defense was nothing short of exceptional as the Wolves’ forced an astonishing 10 turnovers. Seven of these turnovers were interceptions which is a single game Western football record and tied the Great Northwest Athletic Conference record. Three of the turnovers resulted in touchdowns for Western.

The special teams took some inspiration from the defense as they scored some points of their own. With seven extra points, a field goal, a blocked a punt returned for six points and a blocked extra point returned for two points, the defense and special teams scored the vast majority of points.

This record-breaking effort was met with a dysfunctional Western offense. The offense of Western found the endzone the same number of times as their defense, totaling three touchdowns. However these scores came at a cost as they turned over the ball five times, one of which resulted in a Clan touchdown. While this game will go down as a 54-13 victory for Western, it was anything but for the struggling Western offense.

Contact the author at llarsen13@mail.wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

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Home-field advantage

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

In recent seasons, Western softball has been littered with canceled practices and delayed games. While rain delays can be common occurrence in softball, especially in Oregon, these delays weren’t at the hand of the weather but instead the result of unfavorable conditions of the field. Due to these conditions, the playing surface has finally received a much needed renovation.

Over the previous summer, the softball field was transformed from an unplayable mess to a top of the line facility. The new field features a modern drainage system in the grass outfield to help lower the possibility of rain delays. It also has an entirely-turf infield complete with Western logos.

While the new playing surface is a welcomed change, the most exciting change for Western’s new field is simple: it will be able to host home games again.

“Two years ago we didn’t have any home games at all, we had to travel everywhere,” said senior first baseman Jenna Kelly.

“It’s hard to gain fans, too, when we’re not even here to have (home games),” added senior second baseman Raynne Whitaker. Because of the lack of home games for the previous seasons, the players greeted with open arms the ability to host games again.

“It’s a privilege to be a part of this, to be able to experience with my senior class,” noted senior catcher Nicole Miller.

Looking beyond the excitement of the new field and being able to host games again, the gift of the renovations are not forgotten by the team.

“(President Fuller) came and watched one of our home games last season when we had to tarp the field multiple times and we were out here doing fieldwork in between,” explained senior utility Cheyanne Rimer as to why the field was renovated.

“He came and watched that and realized this isn’t really how it’s supposed to be. (We’re) supposed to be here for game day, and not worry about loading bags of dirt onto the field and making sure that the field is playable. So I just wanted to really make sure that he knows that were thankful for him,” Rimer added.

The opening of the new field will allow Western Softball to no longer endure the headache of constant field management paired with the anxiety of not knowing if a game will need to get canceled due to conditions.

Contact the author at llarsen13@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

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A league of change

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

IMLeagues has taken over the Western Oregon Intramural and Club Sports scene. After becoming a large part of the school in the previous school year, the scheduling and managing website now controls all aspects of Intramural and Club Sports. If students wish to join or play any sports this year, it’s important for them to familiarize themselves with the site.

Intramural and club sports are very popular activities among the student body at Western. With the integration of IMLeagues, participation in these have never been easier.

“You don’t have to go to 12 different places to be able to see if you can join this club, or that club, ‘can I play intramurals?’ It just lays it out for you.” said Andy Main, Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Intramural and Club Sports.

“Once you’re in, (for) any club that you’re interested in joining you can see: ‘does it fit with my schedule?’” added junior early education major Brianna Jones, who is also the Club Sports Supervisor. “It’s easy to access and see their practice schedule and their game schedule.”

IMLeagues allows students the ability to plan out their game schedules to make the experience as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Visiting IMLeagues gives the user access to many more features used by both Intramural and Club Sports.

“Once you’re in, it’s a very intuitive program. It lays it all out for you, makes it easy to invite friends. It’s easy to join a team, it’s easy to find your schedule… Once you get the quote unquote difficult part out of the way, which is creating the initial account, it makes participation and organizing your life around intramural activities a lot easier,” added Main. Everything a student athlete might need, no matter what level of competition they are playing at, is laid out on the site. Overall, the experience within the app makes playing Intramural just about the sport and gets rid of the headache around running a team.

Joining IMLeagues is the first and biggest step a student can take to get involved with Campus Recreation. Students can join by visiting IMLeagues.com/wou.

Contact the author at llarsen13@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of IMLeagues.com

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.

A look at “Inside Black Mirror”

Getting served at Mundo’s Cafe

Must-see places in Oregon

Small-town transformations

Defensive domination

Home-field advantage

A league of change

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