Mount Hood

Watching anime can inspire, embolden and transform

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

Anime. Such a peculiar hill to die on. I think so too. I also think we all have some innate urge to share what is close to us, especially if it has a great impact on who we are as a person or changes the way we think.

Consumption of inspiring media, such as sports or shonen anime, can be of great benefit for personal growth. Many of my personal tales are centered around, and can partially be attributed to, beliefs and values I determined for myself while watching anime. 

In my senior year of high school, I read Haikyuu — a manga about high school volleyball players. I decided I wanted to play professionally — like the main character. “He who climbs the ladder must begin at the bottom” — Ittetsu Takeda. 

I played in community college for two years as the starting libero. I became an All-American. I was one of the top junior college liberos in the country — among other accolades. I flew to Nebraska to demonstrate in front of Division One coaches for a national conference. It was there that I met the Team USA Olympic Coach, Karch Kiraly. I walked up to him and told him, “I play at community college, I am going to transfer to university and then I am going pro.” 

I didn’t have any commitments or any prospects at the time. 

Regardless, he invited me to go to the national open program, so I flew to Colorado Springs to play with the top volleyball players in the nation. Then I flew to Connecticut to sign with Southern Connecticut State; only to be contacted by the coach shortly after canceling my recruitment. 

I felt that I had failed. I had no options. I laid in bed for a week. I watched Naruto. “A hero is not the one who never falls. He is the one who gets up, again and again, never losing sight of his dreams” — Rock Lee. I got out of bed. I sent emails. I received emails back. I ended up here, at Western. 

When I got here, I was overwhelmed with the intensity and difficulty of the program. I watched Demon Slayer. “If you are feeling disheartened, that you are somehow not enough, set your heart ablaze” — Kyojuro Rengoku. 

Last Tuesday, I was asked to share my quote for the week. I chose this: “It is only those brave enough… those bold enough… to follow the difficult, demanding path of competition, who have the right to reap the wealth of experience and memories it can bring. For today, you happen to be the defeated. But what will you become tomorrow?” — Haikyuu.

Anime is not just for laughs, and it isn’t pure entertainment. It can constitute the way of life one chooses to take, as well as the decisions one makes. It certainly did for me.



Contact the author at howllifestyler@wou.edu

Dorm Decor

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor

Western’s move-in day featured hundreds of Western students flooding their respective halls and clamoring into their dorms so they could hang tapestries, adorn their walls and prop their stuffed animals upright against their pillows.

Bookshelves were put to full use while some opted for vinyls over paperbacks. While some students hung lights over their private desk spaces, others added picture frames and fake flowers. Important letters, heirlooms and other homely items were set up in dorms to bring a semblance of home. 

Finding a theme was important to a lot of incoming students, corresponding colors from their blankets to picture frames. Others brought their favorite comfy items from home —one student having obtained a handmade quilt from her grandmother.
Cluttered desks showed off calendars, friendly faces, flowers and jars of pens. Each student’s personality and favorite pastimes showed through their desk design and personal item arrangement.

On the outside, resident assistants were welcoming their fellow student residents, having decorated their halls with themed adornings, interactive games and colorful lists of rules and guidelines for all residents. Some offered coloring pages, sticky notes with empowering words for the taking and introductory boards with helpful information regarding the local resident assistants.

Being fully settled into dorm life, residents may better function in a home-away-from-home as they progress through the Fall term.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Move-in Day: Freshmen here for Fall

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor

On Sept. 17, approximately six-hundred Western students brought with them their belongings and stood with their families outside of the dorm buildings — waiting to officially move in for the Fall term.

The move-in process was smoothly regulated by Public Safety — an integral part to Western’s systems of operation. Western staff and student workers kept busy cheering on and directing new students, assisting with move-in and renting out big red bins for students to fill with their belongings and lug upstairs.

First-year Resident Assistant Arianna Gsell participated in the productive day as a member of the set-up crew and pop-up helper for students, otherwise known as a ‘floater’, meaning she had no particular task to fulfill. “We started set-up for move-in day at 8 A.M. We had tables out front where a rotation of five RAs sat all day for check-in.” Gsell said.

From there, incoming students were divided into lanes directed toward the floor of their new residence. They signed room condition reports, were given their room keys and eventually shepherded toward their respective dorms.

Inside the dorm rooms, students got to work setting up their decorations, dividing up their belongings and meeting their roommates as well as their resident assistants and neighbors. Many roommates met for the first time on move-in day — the beginning of a long nine months of close contact.

“The only thing I saw go ‘wrong’ on my end of the day was we had a set of pegs for the bunk beds that got stuck in the beds and we had to have multiple RAs work at it with pliers,” Gsell said jokingly. “But we got it out.”

Each resident assistant took the residents of their hall to Valsetz Dining Hall for food and proper introductions in the evening at 5 p.m. After that, the groups attended their first community meeting with the Resident Directors of Heritage Hall and Ackerman.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Men’s rugby ranked 17 in Coach’s poll

Written by Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

For most, fall means back to school, football and pumpkin spice; for Western’s men’s rugby team, it means the start of a season. With an updated schedule having been released on Aug. 25, the team had plenty of time to prepare for their upper division matchups — four of their six posted matches are against division one schools.

However, the team feels no sweat going into the season. Coaches polls posted to Instagram on Sept. 21 by National Collegiate Rugby placed Western men’s rugby originally at 15, until revised polls posted Sept. 26 placed them at 12 on the national level. At the start of the 2022 15s season, the team was unranked, which means this is a huge jump in favor of the team this season.

This ranking additionally comes from a strong 2022-2023 full season of both 7s and 15s — these numbers denoting how many men are on the field at a time. In the National 7s Tournament, having taken place in Washington D.C. during the last weekend of April, they finished in the tenth spot nationally — after being knocked out of the tournament by Babson College, the current small college national leader. 

Western men’s rugby finished their 2022-2023 season strong, winning champion titles in 7s and 15s, and have high hopes to bring in two more titles this year. This high ranking from the start compounds their hopes, as it is a favorable position and they can continuously strive to move up in the rankings.

This Saturday, the rugby team faces off against Oregon State University at home on the turf fields. Coming off a 5-39 loss against Boise State, they hope to add a win under their belt this next week. Updated coaches polls posted on Oct. 3 placed them at 17, following their loss at Boise. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Volleyball team hits early lead with strong preseason

Western’s women’s volleyball team is currently off to a strong start to their Fall season with a record of 8-5. This week they were on the road, playing Central Washington University and Northwest Nazarene University. Western lost against CWU in three sets and won against NNU three sets to two, with a day in between for rest. 

Last week, they played Saint Martin’s University, but were unable to pull out the win. The team had a slow first set, hitting 0.044% with 11 successful hits out of 45 attempts. Western had one service ace and one block, but nine attack errors and two service errors. 

Both teams scored their first points off a hitting error, but it was an attack up the middle from senior Bella MacLellan followed by a service ace from sophomore Chloe Asciuotto that brought Western the energy they needed to rally with Saint Martin’s. 

The first set finished 21-25 in favor of Saint Martins, but the second set was a positive note for Western — ending 25-18. The team’s hitting percentage improved, rising to a .467% with 17 successful kills out of 30 attempts. Western started in a point deficit early in the second set, but kills and errors from Saint Martin’s aided their success. 

The third and fourth sets were not as successful for the wolves, with 0.21% and 0.225% hitting percentages and 12 and nine errors, for a combined 21. On the positive side, in the third set Western had 10 successful kills and two service aces, and 15 successful kills and one service ace in the fourth. 

Western kill leaders were junior outside hitters Bailee Hartsook, Sarah Strus and Madison Hornback. Hartsook had 12 kills, and Strus and Hornback both had 11. Strus was also a service ace leader, along with junior setter Laney O’Neil and sophomore middle blocker Chloe Asciuotto. Strus, Hartsook and Hornback were also point leaders for the night, scoring 13, 12 and 11.5 points. 

Western’s next home game is Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. against the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the New PE Building and will be streamed live on Western Athletics YouTube.

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Next up for Western Athletics

Thursday, Oct. 5 

5 p.m. — Women’s Soccer @ Montana State University Billings

5 p.m. — Men’s Soccer @ Northwest Nazarene University

7 p.m. — Volleyball, HOME v. University of Alaska Fairbanks

Friday, Oct. 6

All Day — Cross Country @ San Francisco State Invitational

Saturday, Oct. 7

11 a.m.  — Men’s Soccer, HOME v. Saint Martin’s University

1:05 p.m. — Football, HOME v. Western New Mexico University

2 p.m. — Women’s Soccer @ Seattle Pacific University

2:30 p.m. — Men’s Rugby, HOME v. Oregon State University

7 p.m. — Volleyball, HOME v. University of Alaska Fairbanks

Thursday, Oct. 12 

12 p.m. — Men’s Soccer, HOME v. Western Washington University

3 p.m. — Women’s Soccer, HOME v. Central Washington University

Saturday, Oct. 14 

All Day — Cross Country @ Linfield George Oja Invitational

11 a.m. — Football @ Montana State University Mankato

1 p.m. — Men’s Rugby, HOME v. Central Oregon University

2 p.m. — Women’s Soccer, HOME v. Saint Martin’s University

7 p.m. — Volleyball @ Western Washington University

Sunday, Oct. 15 

12 p.m. — Men’s Soccer @ Simon Fraser University, British Columbia

Tuesday, Oct. 17 

7 p.m. — Men’s Basketball @ Portland State University (Preseason)

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Día de mudanza: los estudiantes de primer año están aquí para el otoño

4 de octubre del 2023 | Hannah Field | Editora de Noticias

El 17 de septiembre, aproximadamente seiscientos estudiantes de Western trajeron sus pertenencias y se reunieron con sus familias afuera de los dormitorios — esperando para mudarse oficialmente para el semestre de otoño. 

El proceso de mudanza fue controlado sin contratiempos por Seguridad Pública — parte integral del sistema operativo de Western. El personal y los estudiantes que trabajaban en Western se mantuvieron ocupados animando y dirigiendo a los nuevos estudiantes, ayudándolos con la mudanza y alquilando grandes contenedores rojos para que los estudiantes los llenaran con sus pertenencias y las subieran. 

Arianna Gsell, Asistente Residente de primer año, participó en la productiva jornada como miembro del equipo de montaje y ayudante temporal para estudiantes, también conocida como un “flotante”, lo que significa que no tenía ninguna tarea específica que realizar. “Comenzamos a preparar el día de la mudanza a las 8 a.m.. Teníamos mesas en la entrada donde cinco asistentes residentes rotaban todo el día para el registro.” dijo Gsell. Desde allí, los estudiantes entrantes se dividían en filas que los dirigían al piso de su nueva residencia. Firmaron informes sobre el estado de sus habitaciones, recibieron las llaves y, finalmente, los acompañaron a sus respectivos dormitorios. 

Dentro de los dormitorios, los estudiantes se pusieron manos a la obra para preparar sus decoraciones, repartir sus pertenencias y conocer a sus compañeros de habitación, así como a sus asistentes de residencia y vecinos. Muchos compañeros de habitación se conocieron por primera vez el día de la mudanza — el comienzo de nueve largos meses de contacto muy cercano. 

“Lo único que vi que salió ‘mal’ al final del día fue que teníamos unas clavijas para las

literas que se atascaron en las curvas y tuvimos que pedirle a varios asistentes residentes 

que las arreglaran con alicates,” dijo Gsell en tono bromista. “Pero logramos sacarlas.” Cada asistente residente llevó a los residentes de su residencia al comedor Valsetz para comer y las presentaciones correspondientes esa tarde a las 5 p.m. Después, los grupos asistieron a su primera reunión comunitaria con los directores residentes de Heritag Hall y Ackerman. 

Contacta al autor en howlnews@mail.wou.edu

A, B, Coffee: for your next coffee order

Curious about coffee? Wanting to spice up a routine caffeine run? Here are some options in a comprehensive, educational list to start the school year off right. 

Americano — Espresso and hot water

Affogato — Espresso over ice cream

Cafe au lait — Espresso and warmed milk

Cafe Misto — Half drip coffee, half steamed milk

Cappuccino — Equal parts espresso and milk foam

Cortado — Espresso shots marked with steamed milk

Drip Coffee — Its coffee b—h

Espresso — Simple espresso shots served hot or iced 

Flat White — Ristretto shots with lightly foamed steamed milk

Latte — Espresso with steamed milk

Long Black — Ristretto with more espresso, less hot water

Macchiato —  Steamed milk with espresso shots poured on top

Mocha — Latte made with chocolate

Red-eye/Shot in the Dark — Drip coffee with a shot of espresso

Ristretto — Smaller, sweeter espresso shots

Traditional Macchiato — Espresso shot ‘marked’ with milk

Contact the author at howldigitalmediamanager@wou.edu

Decoración de Dormitorio

4 de octubre del 2023 | Hannah Field | Editora de Noticias

El día de la mudanza de Western, cientos de estudiantes inundaron sus respectivas residencias y entraron a sus dormitorios para colgar tapices, decorar las paredes y apoyar sus peluches contra las almohadas. 

Las estanterías se aprovecharon al máximo, mientras que algunos optaron por vinilos en lugar de libros de bolsillo. Mientras que algunos estudiantes colgaron lámparas sobre sus escritorios privados, otros añadieron marcos de fotos y flores artificiales. Cartas importantes, reliquias familiares y otros objetos hogareños se colocaron en los dormitorios para crear un ambiente hogareño. 

Encontrar un tema era importante para muchos estudiantes de nuevo ingreso, ya que los colores correspondían desde las mantas hasta los portarretratos. Otros trajeron sus artículos de confort favoritos de casa — una estudiante consiguió una colcha hecha a mano de su abuela. Los escritorios desordenados mostraban calendarios, caras amigables, flores y frascos de bolígrafos. La personalidad y los pasatiempos favoritos de cada estudiante se reflejaban en el diseño de su escritorio y la disposición de sus objetos personales. 

En el exterior, los asistentes residentes daban la bienvenida a sus compañeros residentes, habiendo decorado sus residencias con adornos temáticos, juegos interactivos y coloridas listas de normas y directrices para todos los residentes. 

Algunos ofrecían páginas para colorear, notas adhesivas con palabras inspiradoras y tableros introductorios con información útil sobre los asistentes residentes locales. Al estar completamente adaptados a la vida en la residencia, los residentes podrán desenvolverse mejor en un hogar fuera del hogar a medida que avanza el semestre de otoño.

Contacta al autor en howlnews@mail.wou.edu

 

Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna turn around and dessert you

Written by: Gretchen Sims

Sometimes as a college student, it feels like there is no time in the day that one can take for themself. Between class, homework and a job, it is hard to find enough time to sit down and eat, much less enjoy oneself. However, it is at these times that it becomes the most crucial to keep up with the things one is passionate about. 

I started college with a dream — I wanted to be a writer. I wrote poems, journaled and poured my philosophical soul onto the page at least twice a day, but as soon as I started college that all changed. The spark I had was quickly lost to the sea of chaos that has unfortunately been my life for the past two years. 

I tried desperately to hold on to my love for reading and writing, but because reading was at the bottom of my priority list, and I was so incredibly busy, I let that go. And, as soon as I started writing as a job, whatever joy I found left in writing ultimately turned into a chore. 

What once was my sole joy in life quickly became a burden and I lost all the love I had for reading and writing. 

Recently, I have been trying to reconnect with the passions that made me want to go to college in the first place. I have been trying to pick up a book every once in a while, and I have been writing for my own prowess as well. However, this has not been easy. Once one has fallen out of love, it can be difficult to find it again.

My advice is not to give it up. If I have learned anything from my struggle these past few months to reconnect with my spark, it is that the longer something is put aside, the less likely it is to become a priority once again. 

Seeing all the bright first-years in my English classes with so much light in their eyes and hearing them discuss the books they are reading encourages me. The most important time to read and write for fun is in college and seeing their joy brings me hope that others are not repeating my mistakes. 

However, if this situation sounds familiar, pick up a book, start writing a poem or even pick up that dusty journal from the bedside table. Get out there and reconnect with the creative spark that got you to where you are today.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

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