Mount Hood

Compassionate CPP

Written by: Jude Bokovoy

Finding one’s way in the corporate world can be hard. No matter where one is at — searching for a job related to their career, a job to gain experience or an internship — Western’s Center for Professional Pathways — CPP — is here to help. Staff members are equipped with the knowledge, experience and connections to guide students through their next steps. Think about where one is at in the process, then pick from the list of appointments below to continue one’s journey.

Career counseling — For those who are uncertain of what career path they should take or are overwhelmed with all of their options, this is a great place to start. In this style of appointment, one will meet with a career counselor to explore career options as well as major options if needed. Students will also learn strategies on how to move forward in their exploration.

Career assessments — If one still isn’t quite sure about their career path, this is a way to narrow the options down and find out about how one’s interests and abilities can be a part of one’s career. CPP also offers Strong Interest Inventory, StrenthsQuest and MBTI. An MBTI personality assessment highlights strengths and how you make decisions. On the other hand, Strong Interest Inventory helps people identify what their interests are and career paths depending on the score. 

Job search advising — This is when one starts to take action. Once settled on a career, the advisor can assist in applying for specific jobs in the field. This includes identifying and strategizing to get a job related to one’s interests and major.

Advanced resume and cover letter review — After having one’s resume looked over by a Student Career Advisor by drop in or appointment, the final step before applying is to make this appointment. During this time, the advisor will give assistance with editing, organizing and making educated suggestions. 

Mock interviews — Got a call back for an interview? Get some practice and feedback before the big day. 

Internship advising — Not looking for a job? An internship may just be the perfect opportunity to get experience without the pressure of a position. This appointment will secure one’s goals and strategize. If desired, the advisor will go over one’s resume and give a mock interview.                                                                                         Graduate school counseling — Brainstorm about one’s interests and gain insight to start looking into graduate schools with confidence. 

Graduate school search and application materials — Students will receive assistance in writing personal statements and other application materials, as well as in searching for graduate schools in one’s chosen field of interest. 



Volunteer advising — Search for volunteer opportunities on and off campus to assist in one’s education, community and career development.

Alternative Break advising — Interested in participating in an Alternative Break? This opportunity gives students the chance to volunteer in various ways over school breaks. Set up an appointment to find out all about it and what one will need to do. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

Video essay recommendations

Written by: Mikayla Coleman

In an ever changing and expanding digital space of content creation, the video essay has become a staple genre on video-sharing websites such as Youtube. 

A video essay is an essay in video form that aims to persuade, educate or critique and analyze a specific topic, theme, person or thesis. This open-ended definition leaves a lot of freedom for creators to artistically express themselves and their opinions in a unique way that can be as academic or as casual as one desires. 

Use this list as a jumping off point for getting into the diverse, fascinating and passionate world of video essays on Youtube.

Ro Rambdin — Ro Rambdin is a 20 year old Tiktok and Youtube influencer from Seattle, Washington who creates incisive commentary videos on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to present and past youth-cultural events. 

  • “Do We Need S*x Scenes? – Penn Badgley and Intimacy in Media” 
  • “Elon Musk and Grimes: A Retrospective” 
  • “Chick Tracts: An American Tragedy” 

Philosophy Tube — Created in 2013 by Abigail Thorn, a British content creator and playwright. , Philosophy Tube seeks to provide free lessons in philosophy after the 2012 increase of tuition in the United Kingdom. Thorn’s videos are inquisitive, hilariously scripted and visually interesting with different elaborate costumes and sets to match each video’s contents. Thorn has also documented their story of coming out as transgender and uses their platform to advocate for better health care and treatment of transgender people around the globe. 

  • “The Rich Have Their Own Ethics: Effective Altruism & the Crypto Crash (ft. F1nn5ter)”

  • “I Emailed My Doctor 133 Times: The Crisis In the British Healthcare System”

  • “Capital Punishment (& Prison Abolition) | Philosophy Tube”

Mina Le — Mina Le is a Vietnamese-American content creator whose work focuses on modern and historical culture of fashion and film. Le’s unique style dominates her videos, making the viewing experience not only intellectually stimulating, but incredibly visually appealing.  

  • “THE CULT OF CLEANLINESS” 

  • “‘toxic’ femininity: what’s up with girlbloggers, female manipulators, and femcels?”

  • “WHY EVERYTHING IS SO UGLY: The Curse of Modernism” 

Izzzyzzz — Internet personality Izzzyzzz, or simply Izzy, is a New Zealand-based video essayist who creates videos on modern and historical internet culture, pertaining mostly to childhood nostalgia. Izzy lightheartedly uses a combination of both subjects to deep dive into niche experiences of growing up while internet usage became more accessible, allowing viewers to be once again immersed in the fun and often-times clunky experiences of early 2000’s computer games and internet culture. 

  • “Exploring the Lore of Purble Place” 
  • “The Horror of Anti-Piracy Screens” 
  • “A Deep Dive into Animal Crossing” 

The Leftist Cooks — Formerly named “The Leftist Cook,” The Leftist Cooks is a collaborative Youtube channel between Irish creators Neil Farrell and Sarah Oeffler focusing primarily on leftist topics, including but not limited to LGBT+ and gender issues, workplace conditions and personal near-death experiences. 

  • “This is Not a Video Essay” 
  • “Polyamory and the Family” 
  • “Capitalism and the Body” 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu







Spring bops

Written by: Mikayla Coleman

“Spring Has Sprung” — Skegss

“Back Pocket” — Vulfpeck, Vulf

“Hutch” — Barrie

“Don’t Trust Me” — the booyah! Kids

“Where’d All the Time Go?” — Dr. Dog

“Golden” — Hippo Campus

“A Bird’s Last Look” — Macabre Plaza

“Cinnamon” — Palehound

“Back in Your Own Back Yard” — Sun Ra

“Vacation” — Honeywhip

“Running Wide Open” — Coma Cinema 

“Afternoon Of A Swan” — Speedy West

“Over the Hill” — Ginger Root

“Ladyfingers” — Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

“Oh, Pretty Woman” — Pomplamoose 

“Morning” — Azymuth 

“Prism” — Say She She 

“The Flower Called Nowhere” — Stereolab 

“Masterpiece” — Big Thief

“Linger” — The Cranberries 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

 

Sequel equals

Wrtten by: Gretchen Sims

A tale as old as time, a classic — but what happened before, or after, one’s favorite films? This is where sequels and prequels come in. Normally occurring in groups of three, movie franchises are becoming increasingly popular among filmmakers. 

Nearly every movie that does well at the box office is followed up with one or two movies that extend the storyline. However, it is well known that these sequels and prequels rarely live up to the original fan favorite. So are these additional movies just a cash grab for producers? Or are they genuinely produced with the writers and directors passion and with the fans in mind? 

Many larger movie-producing corporations have been repeatedly slammed for this. Producers can easily profit off of nostalgia and love that fans have for their favorite movies, though without living up to fans expectations. From a producing perspective, this can be seen as a win-win. Making a sequel to a popular movie is a fantastic way to make money and make sure fans are eating out of their hands. 

So why has there been so much backlash about these franchises? 

Mainly because the sequels and prequels are usually terrible. Not only are producers making these movies to turn an easy profit, but they also don’t seem to care about the quality of the film. No matter how terrible the movie is, fans will go see it.

However, audiences might be in for a significant change. Due to new streaming sites, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for companies to release low quality sequels and get away with it. Now that physical movie theaters are becoming less popular and many movies are released directly to Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+, producers can not rely on box office sales for their cash grab. If audiences hear a sequel is bad, they simply won’t watch it. 

While sequels in the past have been disappointing fans for decades, this trend may be coming to an end. As long as sequels lose their profitability, franchises will be prolonged in a way that excites fans and keeps them wanting more. Hopefully, the cash cow that fuels sequels will benefit both filmmakers and fans in the near future. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu   

Pedro Pascal, daddy of all

Written by: Gretchen Sims

By now, the entirety of the internet is aware that Pedro Pascal has been appointed the daddy of the internet. From memes to interviews, Pedro Pascal has seemingly appeared out of nowhere to grace his fandom with wild performances and out-of-pocket comments. Where has this daddy-ness come from? And why has Pedro Pascal gained so many children seemingly overnight? 

Pascal has been in the acting business for quite some time now. José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal was born in Chile in 1975 and worked small acting gigs for nearly two decades before rising to stardom with his portrayal of Oberyn Martell in “Game of Thrones.”  

Pascal also amassed fame for his role in the Netflix series “Narcos” before taking on his most popular roles as the Mandalorian in “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett,” as well as Joel Miller in “The Last of Us.” 

According to Pascal, his parents Verónica Pascal Ureta and José Balmaceda Riera, were devout followers of the socialist president, Salvador Allende. Their activity in the resistance against Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship led Pascal’s family to flee Chile when Pedro was just nine months old. Ultimately the Balmaceda’s would end up in Orange County, California.

Pascal was a competitive swimmer before he developed a love for acting and ended up attending the Orange County School of the Arts where he graduated from in 1993. Afterwards, he continued his education at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts — graduating in 1997 — to begin his acting career. 

In 1995, Pascal’s father was indicted by a federal grand jury due to a scandal at the fertility clinic he was employed at. Shortly after, the rest of Pascal’s family returned to Chile where his mother ended up committing suicide in 1999 — Pascal was his mother’s family name that Pedro took on professionally to honor her.  

Early on, Pascal worked smaller gigs in well known TV franchises such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The Mentalist,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “The Good Wife,” “Homeland” and “Graceland,” before making his big break in “Game of Thrones.” 

Besides acting, Pascal has written and produced works as well. He even performed on Broadway — debuting in “King Lear” in Feb. 2019. 

In the end, his charismatic personality and ability to maintain relevance among younger generations — despite his age — has made audiences everywhere fall in love with him, waiting to see what he will do next.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Creating chore charts

Written  by: Mikayla Coleman

Whether one is a college student with multiple roommates trying to maintain a clean apartment, a spouse sharing the load with their partner or a lone ranger holding down a studio, most can agree that completing chores is a universal struggle. To organize and conquer one’s chores, use the tips listed below to create a customized chore chart tailored to one’s personal living situation and needs. 

Consider one’s space. What chores one needs to complete will differ based upon the space in which one lives. Some questions to consider include:

  • Does one live in a dorm, apartment or house? 
  • Does one have multiple roommates, a spouse or family members? If one shares a space, it is a good rule of thumb to split chores evenly among each individual. 
  • Does one or any of the space’s inhabitants have pets or service animals? Animals that live indoors come with their own set of cleaning responsibilities that need to be completed each day. 
  • Does the space have carpet or hardwood flooring? Depending on the floor type, one may need different tools in order to keep the space clean, such as a broom, vacuum or mop. 

Consider how much time one has. Look at how one’s schedule fluctuates. Some time commitments to consider include: 

  • When does one have class? 
  • When does one have appointments? 
  • When does one have shifts or time set aside to work? 
  • When does one plan to go to the gym? 
  • When does one plan to rest? 
  • When does one need to set time aside for self-care? 

Consider how often a chore needs to be completed. It is very likely that one does not have the time to deep clean their space every single day. To ensure chores are completed and repeated as much as one desires, consider: 

  • What chores need to be completed daily? Some examples include making one’s bed, washing dishes, picking up one’s mail, wiping down kitchen or bathroom counters or taking out the trash. 
  • What chores need to be completed weekly? Some examples include doing one’s laundry, vacuuming and sweeping all floors, throwing out old food from the refrigerator and thoroughly cleaning one’s toilet and shower.
  • What chores need to be completed monthly? Some examples include wiping down baseboards, wiping down windows and mirrors or cleaning out one’s dishwasher or garbage disposal. 
  • What chores need to be completed seasonally? Some examples include cleaning out closets and dressers, organizing one’s hygiene or cosmetic products and cleaning under bigger furniture. 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu







Western’s Model United Nations Trip

Written by: Gretchen Sims

Recently, from Feb. 23 — Feb. 25, members of Western’s Model United Nations club took part in a well-established academic tradition — the London International Model United Nations. 

Model UN is a popular activity for students interested in political science and allows participants to simulate the proceedings of an actual United Nations conference. 

Each participant is assigned a committee that replicates an actual committee in the UN. In that committee, the student represents a randomly assigned country — sometimes this can be a specific person, but this is quite rare.

Once these committees are assigned, students are given a real-world topic and are tasked with accurately representing and bolstering their country’s interests.  

Two Western MUN members were assigned to the United States on the Security Council. This was an interesting predicament for these students, as being assigned to the state from which you originate is rare and did not sit well with other participating schools. 

While Western delegates did not win an award, members did exceptionally well. The delegates were working on energy security and the energy crisis, and went against the grain. While most focused on the energy pipelines and creating a singular energy grid, the U.S. Security Council felt ignored and decided to take action. mozambique, an elected member of the Security Council, was trying to start a resolution paper — one of three circulating the General Assembly — however, it kept getting looked over and shut down. 

It was then that Russia decided to back mozambique’s paper — a big deal due to the P5, one of the five permanent members on the security council, state’s veto power.  Sharon Mann and Max Laine decided to beat Russia at their own game and back mozambique’s paper as well. This left the rest of the states in deep trouble because, with the backing of two P5 states, the previously overlooked resolution was protected by two veto powers.

Immediately, the U.S. Security Council delegates were the center of attention — with everyone suddenly begging the U.S. to work with them. However, the U.S. used its veto power to its full capacity and shut everyone down in true American style. 

However, at the end of the day, this was a huge accomplishment for Western. 

Mann, one of the two students on the Security Council, said that “All the schools that went to this conference were big-name schools internationally. Universities from France, Spain, lots from London — I think there was a delegation from Oxford there… It was big! We were one of the only American schools — I think there was one other one from New Jersey — but we were Western Oregon. At this huge conference that thousands of people went to, and it wasn’t like U of O going, or even Stanford.”

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Western makes major department deductions

Written by: Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

The Incidental Fee Committee has concluded open hearings and discussions regarding the incidental budget allocations for the 2023-24 academic year. 

On Mar. 10, the IFC released the finalized budgetary allocations for Western’s departments, as well as the student incidental fee application.

For the 2023-24 academic year, students can anticipate a flat fee of $415 per term for on-campus courses, and $210 for courses fully online/off campus — including the Salem campus — on their student bill. Students taking courses in the summer of 2024 will be charged a fee of $150, regardless of course modality. The final incidental fee decision for 2024 reflects an increase of $43 from the previous academic year.

All departments are to face a reduction in funding, with the largest of the budget reductions targeting Athletics and Student Media. 

The final budgetary reductions are: 17% to Abby’s House, 0% to Access, 17% to the Associated Students of Western Oregon University, 19% to Campus Recreation, 21% to Student Activities Board, 26% to Student Media, 18% to Creative Arts, 19% to WOLF Ride, 26% to Athletics, and 23% to Student Engagement: Leadership, Inclusion, Activities. 

The preliminary decisions for the IFC budgetary plans were released in early February, with the incidental fee charge positioned at $390 for on-campus courses, $210 for online courses, and $150 for courses taken in the summer. The majority of departments — such as Student Media, Campus Recreation, Student Engagement — saw a preliminary budget cut of 25%, and many other areas saw an increase by a range of up to 28%.

Budget requests for the fiscal year’s incidental allocations totaled at $4,367,953, while the preliminary decisions estimated a total of $3,229,883. However, available allocations totaled at $3,500,454, which guaranteed lower allocations in the final decisions.

In the finalization meeting on Friday, Mar. 10, the committee discussed student comments collected from the open forum and three open hearings. The committee observed student concern primarily in the Campus Recreation Department.

In their preliminary decision, the committee proposed a major budget cut of 26% to the Campus Recreation Department, a decision which would result in the removal of the swimming pool as an element included in the budgetary cut. However, the student body strongly opposed this preliminary decision. The committee and ASWOU have rejected the proposition.

The funds from IFC provide an avenue of opportunity for student employment. Additional student concerns stemmed regarding the impact of preliminary funding on on-campus organizations and job employment, with a large majority of the open hearings consisting of student athletes and student swimmers. 

Unfortunately, with student enrollment continuously decreasing, Western is expected to continue facing challenges regarding incidental budget cuts. This year, this challenge was illustrated in the decrease in available budget allocations.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Spring into spring break

Written by: Jude Bokovoy 

Spring break is rapidly approaching. Some students have been awaiting it for months with a full itinerary of what they want to get accomplished over the week. Others are just looking forward to having a break from classes. No matter what category one falls in, here are a few ideas of what one could do during their break depending on their location and mood. 

Hometown spring break: Everyone has different feelings towards their hometown. Here are a few things to do to bring back some memories and make the most of one’s break. 

Monday — Unwind at one’s favorite coffee shop and read a good book.

Tuesday — Spend time with a family member doing a nostalgic activity.

Wednesday — Have a picnic at a lookout or park.

Thursday — Window shop through downtown to see what’s new.

Friday — Catch up with family members.

Saturday — Do an activity that one is unable to regularly do,  such as skiing or windsurfing.

Sunday — Take a drive through town to see what has changed and what has stayed the same.

Lowkey spring break: This is for those who want to spend their break taking a break. 

Monday — Call a loved one. 

Tuesday — Pack a picnic to take to a local park. 

Wednesday — Go out to breakfast with a friend. 

Thursday — Watch one’s favorite movie.

Friday — Cook oneself a nice dinner. 

Saturday — Have a self care day.

Sunday — Create a mood board.

Reset spring break: This schedule is for those who need to reset their atmosphere and headspace.

Monday — Put on a face mask, paint one’s nails and take a bubble bath.

Tuesday — Go to the library or a bookstore to find a book to read throughout the break.

Wednesday — Clean one’s space.

Thursday — Visit a coffee shop to read and sip on a delicious drink.

Friday — Bake muffins to have for breakfast.

Saturday — Paint something to hang up in one’s living space.

Sunday — Deep clean one’s place to take on spring term fully reset.

Adventurous spring break: This is for people who live around the Monmouth area that are itching to go out and explore with a companion. 

Monday — Spend the day in Lincoln City.

Tuesday — Go to an aquarium.

Wednesday — Explore the outskirts of Portland. 

Thursday — Go on a hike.

Friday — Watch the sunset at Pacific City.

Saturday — Go to the Portland or Corvallis Saturday market.

Sunday — Walk around a museum.

Vacation spring break: Some people don’t have their vacations all planned out yet, use these suggestions for some inspiration.

Monday — Try a new restaurant.

Tuesday — Look up places to explore throughout one’s stay. 

Wednesday — Take a long peaceful walk at sunrise or sunset.

Thursday — See what downtown has to offer.

Friday — Spend some time with the people one came with. 

Saturday — Rent a bike or scooter to zip around the area.

Sunday — Make a Tik Tok to commemorate one’s vacation. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu




Disney as adults

Written by: Jude Bokovoy

Everyone has a different level of appreciation for Disneyland. Some couldn’t care less about it, others are full blown “Disney adults.” This article is for those who like the idea of Disneyland and are curious about what there is to do after the childhood glamor wears off. 

One’s company — Who one decides to go with can affect what one ends up doing throughout their time at Disneyland. For instance, if one is with family, one should do things that appeal to a variety of ages and interests. The size of one’s party comes into play when getting into rides with limited seating.  Recently, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go to Disneyland with the entire WOU cheerleading team. We were able to split off into groups and mine had eight people. This way we were able to take up entire roller coaster carriages and carts for bigger rides. This also allowed us to break into smaller groups if our interests differed at certain parts of the day. 

Rides — The only “kiddie” ride I recommend going on is “Mad Tea Party” — commonly known as the “Tea Cups.” The ride is completely outdoors, follows the theme of “Alice in Wonderland” and is the perfect place to take pictures. Other than that, the fast rides are the way to go. We started out our journey with Space Mountain, the infamous roller coaster in the dark. Another ride one cannot miss is Matterhorn Bobsleds. An angry yeti follows as one’s bobsled weaves in and out of the mountain, ready to give a jump scare. The bumpy ride filled with waterfalls, sharp turns and loud noises will give participants a smile and whiplash. Lastly, my favorite ride —that we were able to go on twice— was “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.” The realistic characters, enthusiastic employees and interactiveness left me, as a non Star Wars fan, in awe. This ride will keep one guessing as they go from location to location. I do want to keep this one a secret for those who haven’t had the chance to attend. Just know that the bigger the party the better because taking up a cart with one’s friends is much more fun than sitting with strangers on this thrilling ride. 

Food — When spending the day walking around, standing in lines and having a fluctuating heart rate from thrilling rides, it’s good to be honest with one’s group when one is hungry. Chances are  there’s more than one person who needs a meal. Disney is known for their unique snacks and desserts which are great to eat, just don’t forget to have a full meal. Being hungry and not getting a balanced meal can affect one’s mood in “the happiest place on earth.” I do have to say, my favorite food item was actually during our second day in Downtown Disney. A little stand called Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs sells a creative spin on the classic. Another cheerleader and I got pickle corn dogs. It was a hotdog inside of a pickle, battered, dusted with panko, fried and served with creamy peanut butter. It sounds crazy, trust me it was, but it was actually pretty good. All the other cheerleaders that thought we were weird for getting them turned out to like them as well. They were huge, if one ends up getting one, keep in mind that it could feed up to three people as a snack. 

Overall Disneyland is a great place to go on rides, eat interesting food and take in the scenery. No matter one’s age, there will always be something to do — just try to have it thought out before entering the park. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

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