Mount Hood

Beating the “0” dds

Written by: Jude Bokovoy

To WOU cheerleading’s knowledge, we have never competed at a competition, let alone on a national level. As someone who did competitive cheerleading throughout high school, I was content with the fact that my entire cheer career at Western would be supporting other teams in their sports. I never believed WOU cheerleading would have the chance to compete.

As a second-year cheer captain and senior, I am proud to tell the story of the WOU cheerleading team competing for the very first time from my perspective.

Although competing at nationals was announced at football season tryouts in May 2022, the team didn’t have the official word from our coaches until December, less than two months before the competition. It was frustrating to know that the teams we would be competing against would be practicing their routines throughout the summer, while being told that there was a 65% chance we would go. Then, out of the blue, Emilie Sass, a WOU cheerleading alumni from the season prior, completely took over all of the necessary planning to go to nationals as a managing coach. 

We had a lot of catching up to do. Firstly, we lost seven extremely valuable members of the team due to the “Will they or won’t they?” of the competition and unknown time commitment. 

The next obstacle was winter break. All of our first-years and other team members living in the dorms didn’t have the time or resources to stay over the break to practice. This led to us reassembling the team on Jan. 9, with only fourteen practices before nationals with doubleheader basketball games to cheer at nearly each week, some twice a week. Because of this, we had a lot of last minute practices and learned our second routine in only three weeks. 

On the week of nationals, one of our cheerleaders got concussed. Thus, we ended up completely reworking our band chant routine, changing the pyramid entirely, adding in an alternate and putting people in stunts that weren’t included prior. We ran through the new version of the routine with stunts three times before warm ups at nationals. 

Nationals was a blur. I woke up to a phone call from my mom saying that she surprised me by coming down to watch us perform. Getting down to the lobby, it all set in that this was the very last day that I was going to be a cheerleader, and my mom was able to experience it with me. I cried, in full make up and uniform. The team then endured walking 20 minutes in the pouring rain to the Anaheim convention center. A few teammates and I decided to spend a few dollars on Ubers. I can confidently say that I do not regret that decision. 

Anxiety was high when getting ready for warm ups. Since this was Western’s first time investing in our team to compete, the pressure to do well was daunting. Coach Sass gave us all an amazing pep talk, but we needed a bit more. I got out of my comfort zone and asked if it was okay if I prayed for the team. As we were seated in a circle, we held hands and I prayed. It was very moving and such a special moment. The prayer brought peace and watery eyes to the teammates that needed it most. 

Alas, the peptalk and prayer were not enough. Warm ups did not go well. Our pyramid was shaky, someone got hurt, formations were off and we were stressed. 

The good vibes were palpable while running onto the mat, complete with lights shining and a crowd ready to yell. Adrenaline completely took over my body and, as soon as I knew it, we were running off the mats to watch how we did on a television backstage. We were astonished. Not only was this our first time seeing our altered routine, but we didn’t have any mistakes. We hit “zero;” no deductions whatsoever. An hour later, we were up to perform our fight song routine. Now that we felt confident, we practiced once and hit the mat. Right after finishing our routine I rallied with a few kicks and then it was over. I felt emotional running off the mats and pulled myself together to watch our performance to see we hit zero once again. 

After our routines, we got our score sheets back to see that we scored in the 80’s for both of our routines. Scoring is similar to letter grades in school. It was hard to tell if a B was good or if   everyone who placed got an A or A+. 

Coming into nationals hoping not to come in dead last, placing was the last thing on our minds, but now it seemed tangible. When the time came, each college in our categories sat in clumps all over the mats. First to be announced was the fight song; the announcer read that there was a tie for fifth place, we held our breath wishing and praying to hear our name. Alas, Western Oregon wasn’t announced, though we clapped for the teams who received their trophies. On the other hand, Washington State cheer was sitting right next to us. When they received second place they frowned. Throughout the rest of the ceremony, their lack of sportsmanship really showed. This filled me with appreciation to be on a team that is grateful to be there and exemplifies good sportsmanship. 

That was it. My cheerleading career was over. I felt so much gratitude to be able to be a part of history, but it felt a little incomplete. 

When we received the rankings, we found out that we placed 7th for band chant and that we beat Portland State University by placing 8th in fight song. That felt good. PSU has such an amazing cheerleading program which led them to win band chant this year and place three times last year. Losing to them at an away football game that we cheered at, made placing over this division one school surreal. 

The team has much to be proud of. We hit zero. We did the best we could with the routines we were given. We placed top ten in both categories competing alongside huge division one schools full of male athletes who spent their whole season preparing for this moment. 

This trip was only possible with support from the Western community. Things can only get better for the WOU cheer team from here. 

To register for tryouts, follow @woucheerleading to find the link and more information.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu



Western’s accounting major pairs well with UO program

Written by: Dakota Gange

New to the liberal arts university is Western’s business and economics accounting major. 

As of 2023, students can now obtain their Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting. Students completing this degree track take a plethora of business, marketing, management, financial, accounting and taxation classes. 

However, in order to even sit for the Certified Public Accountant – CPA – exam, an exam one must pass in order to be a licensed accountant, one must have more credits than what is required for a Bachelor’s in Accounting. 

Representing the University of Oregon, Jessie Johnnes was tabling in the Werner University Center, talking to interested students about their Lundquist College of Business degrees. Those with their Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting can continue on to get their Master of Science in Accounting or Finance, all while satisfying the credit and knowledge requirements needed to sit for the CPA exam, through UO’s programs.  

Western does not offer any master’s degrees in accounting or finance, only a baccalaureate degree. Students who seek to further their education and get a masters in accounting or finance, can find a great program through UO.  

“Graduates from these programs (at University of Oregon) have a high first try pass rate of the CPA exam,” said Johnnes. 

UO’s Master of Accounting — MAcc — program placed in the top 10% worldwide in accounting research, according to Brigham Young University rankings in 2021. 

The master’s accounting program at UO allows one to accelerate their professional development through curriculum and culture, supporting a holistic understanding of accounting and business. 

Candidates can expect to gain skills in financial accounting and auditing, managerial accounting, tax planning and business analytics. 

MAcc candidate Meredith Thomas told UO’s Lundquist College of Business, “I chose the MAcc because it was the next best step to help me achieve my goal of passing the CPA exam as quickly as I can. Hearing that graduates from this program have a higher first try pass rate and classes directly tailored to the CPA exam materials made the decision easy. Working with a small cohort of students builds community and creates friendships that will last throughout my professional career.” 

97% of graduates of the MAcc secured a career within six months of graduation. The accelerated program takes 12 months to complete, or 45 credit hours.   

The Master of Science in Finance program — MSF— focuses on valuation and asset management, ideal for those who wish to have a coveted career as a financial analyst. 

The MSF program curriculum is CFA Institute-recognized, preparing students for the Chartered Financial Analyst exam. It is one of fewer than 150 participating universities worldwide and is designed to only take 12 months to complete, or 45 credit hours.  

85% of MSF graduates secured a career related position within six months of graduation.

MSF candidate Alejandro Hernandez Bustamante said, “I chose the MSF program at the University of Oregon, not only because of the university’s worldwide recognition, but also because it allows me to choose the courses I need to take my desired career path. Oregon is a powerhouse when it comes to innovation, resources for students are nearly endless, and support is always available. Class sizes are small and that allows for more personalized attention and learning. I like how accelerated and effective the learning process has been and all the networking opportunities that I’ve had.” 

Even at this top-tier university, the class sizes within the MAcc and MSF programs are small, allowing for more personalized and tailored learning. 

If either of the programs spark interest, more information can be found at business.uoregon.edu.

Contact the author at howlmanagingeditor@wou.edu

Judy Shepard speaks to Western on Mathew Shepard

Written by: Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

Nearing the 25th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, Western is honoring Shepard’s memory with the “Legacy of Matthew Shepard Project.” This project was brought to Western and sponsored by the Oregon Cultural Trust.

On Oct. 7, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a 21 year old, gay college student, was deceptively lured from a bar in Laramie, Wyoming by two men, who subsequently robbed and brutally beat Shepard. Shepard would die five days later at the hospital as a result of his injuries.

Shepard’s unjust murder drew national attention to the prevalence of anti-gay hate crimes, eventually leading to the passing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009 and the establishment of the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

The “Legacy of Matthew Shepard Project” is a collaborative, campus-wide effort with Western’s Creative Arts — Western Oregon University’s Music, Theatre, Dance and Visual Arts  Departments. 

The project transpires over two consecutive weeks, beginning Feb. 27 with the opening of “Catalyst: An Exhibit Honoring the Legacy of Matthew Shepard” — an exhibition featuring visual artwork centered around LGBTQ+ themes. The exhibit consists of a diverse selection of art forms from artists Pablo Cazares, Chelsea Couch and Andrew Campbell, including artwork from “The t4t Art Collective,” a collective by trans artists from Portland, Oregon. Located in the Cannon Gallery of Art, the exhibit will remain open to the public through March 24.

For a number of days, Western’s theatre department will present the performance of “The Laramie Project,” originally written by Moisés Kaufman in 2000. “The Laramie Project” is based on the true story of Matthew Shepard, detailing the aftermath of his murder in the town of Laramie.

Western’s theatre department offers seven performances of “The Laramie Project” for public viewing. The next performances take place on March 8, 9, 10 and 11. 

Additionally, the series includes the Oregon premiere of Grammy-nominated Fusion oratorio, “Considering Matthew Shepard,” featuring the combined voices of Western and Chemeketa Community College choirs. The oratorio was originally composed by Craig Hella Johnson — American choral conductor and composer, and Grammy award winner for Best Choral performance. Western’s choral director and chair of the music department, Dr. James Reddan, will be conducting the next concert on March 11, which is presented by the Smith Fine Arts Series.

On the special night of Monday, March 6, Judy Shepard — the mother of Matthew Shepard — spoke to the community about the death of her son and the prevalence of hate crimes, including the tear jerking recitation of the victim impact statement she gave in a trial hearing nearly twenty-five years ago in 1999.

Judy Shepard is the author of the best-selling book, “The Meaning of Matthew,” and played a critical role in the founding of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, alongside her husband, in 1998. Today, Shepard continues to advocate for basic rights for the LGBTQ+ community. 

“We’ve become a sickness; society — sick, silent, indifferent and complacent,” Shepard said, in a portion of her victim impact statement. “… my answer is this: educate, educate, educate. Bring understanding where you see hate and ignorance. Bring light when you see darkness, (and) bring freedom when there’s fear and begin to heal.”

Furthermore, during her original speech, Shepard encouraged the audience to rally for change.

She states, “We have to start being louder. We need to be the loudest. We need to vote. We need to run for office. We need to support people running for office. We need to partake in the system. Yes, it takes time. But it’s the only way things change. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Additional performances took place on Tuesday, March 7 as part of the “Legacy of Matthew Shepard Project.” Western’s dance department premiered two original dance pieces, choreographed by Samuel Hobbs and Keith Johnson.

As a reminder for future events, Western students receive free admission to all Rice Auditorium performances provided they show their student ID. However, students will still need to purchase tickets to reserve seating. For more information on the “Legacy of Matthew Shepard Project” and/or to purchase tickets, visit the Creative Art’s official page at http://wou.edu/creativearts/.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Western’s track teams take home double win

Written by: Nicholas Sarysz

Western’s Women’s track team closed out the 2022 spring track season with a conference championship in outdoor track. However, the team has  never won an indoor conference meet in the program’s history.

This changed when both the men’s and women’s track teams took home the trophy at the Greater Northwest Athletic Conference Championship meet on Feb. 21. It was also the men’s first meet victory since 2012.

The women beat the second place Western Washington University Vikings by a narrow margin of just five points. They were led by numerous strong first place performances coming from Jenelle Hurley, who scored a Western school record of 3,585 in the pentathlon, Ujunwa Nwokoma, who jumped a Western  school record 19-0 in the Long Jump and Ana Popchock, who won the triple jump with a distance of 38-2 3/4.

The men also narrowly beat Western Washington University for the top spot, winning by six points. They were led by Dominique Loggins, who took first with a time of 6.87 seconds in the 60m dash, Justin Conklin, who took first with a time of 0:8.33 in the 60m hurdles and Dayne Gordien who took first in the shot-put with a throw of 53-2 3/4.

“GNAC Indoor was a moment where we were all truly a team and not just competing in individual events,” stated Wyatt Smith, a sophomore who competed in the men’s second place Distance Medley Relay team. “There was not one WOU event where we were silent, and that electric energy carried into our performances. Everyone stepped up when they needed to and it all paid off with two team titles. Spokane is a great place to spend time in and it’s great that we will get to have our indoor champs there (in the newly constructed Spokane Podium) for the foreseeable future.”

Despite their historical efforts, competition in the GNAC this year was far weaker than many other NCAA Division II conferences and only Hunter Hutton was able to secure a bid to the NCAA national meet. Hutton currently ranks 13th in D-II in the mile with a time of 4:03.6 and will be competing for the top spot in Virginia Beach, Virginia on March 10.

Contact the author at howlsaffwriter@wou.edu

Alternative worship

Written by: Jude Bokovoy

Any time is a great time to listen to christian music — once a week during church does not have to be the only time. There is a whole world full of different styles and artists waiting to be heard. Below is a list of christian artists paired with possible activities to complete while listening to them. A few included artists have featured popular musicians that don’t typically produce christian music, so if one enjoys the featured artist, one may also enjoy the christian artist.

On a morning drive

  • Antonie Bradford, featuring indie soul singer-songwriter Shua on “Seasons Change (Feat. Shua).”
  • Gatton
  • Nick Smith
  • Isla Vista Worship
  • Jonathan Ogden 
  • Sarah Juers

While painting

  • Darla Baltazar
  • Issac Wheadon
  • Sean C. Johnson

While cleaning or studying

  • Khamir Music
  • Hillsong Instrumentals

To sing one’s heart out 

  • Elevation Worship, their latest album was released in both English and Spanish.

  • Jesus Culture
  • New Life Worship



When getting ready on gameday

  • Lecrae, featuring artists such as John Legend, Ty Dolla $ign, Tori Kelly, YK Osiris, Marc E. Bassy, Jozzy, DaniLeigh, BJ The Chicago Kid, Gwen Bunn, Nija, Verse Simmonds, Jawan Harris, Jon Keith, Jordan L’Oreal and PJ Morton. 
  • Hulvey, features artists Forrest Frank, Torey D’Shaun and SVRCINA.
  • KB, featuring Latin multi-genre artist Tommy Royale on “Libre (feat. Tommy Royale).”

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

“Cocaine Bear” review

Written by: Mikayla Coleman

Content warning: this article contains spoilers and mentions of drugs

Directed by Elizabeth Banks, the comedy horror movie “Cocaine Bear” has taken theater-goers by storm. The narcotics-filled thriller, which was released Feb. 23, 2023, tells the story of those who encountered a black bear residing in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest who had consumed millions of dollars of cocaine. 

The film included a large cast including some familiar faces. Margo Martindale dazzled as Ranger Liz, taking a literal claw to the a–. Jesse Tyler Ferguson played Peter, a wildlife activist inspecting the conditions of the forest, who suffered one of the many brutal death scenes. O’Shea Jackson Jr. was Daveed, a fixer who when searching for the lost cocaine came face to face with the cocaine bear. “Cocaine Bear” was the last movie of Ray Liotta, who died on May 26, 2022, shortly after filming wrapped. 

The true events that inspired “Cocaine Bear” are much less thrilling than that of the movie. On Sept. 11, 1985, drug smuggler Andrew C. Thorton II, after dumping packages of cocaine for a drug ring via plane, realized he was being followed by authorities in the air. Thorton and a partner abandoned the plane by jumping out of it and Thorton became caught in his parachute, causing him to freefall and die within minutes of meeting the ground. 

On Dec. 23, 1985, local authorities discovered a dead black bear who had consumed a large amount of the lost cocaine. That is where the story ends. 

“Cocaine Bear” was a humorous and horrific depiction of what might have happened if the real cocaine bear — dubbed by fans and historians as Pablo Eskobear — had not immediately died from overdosing. There were a lot of plot lines to follow, which made things a little overwhelming, but it certainly kept things interesting enough to keep my attention.

There was a lot of gore — some might even say too much. A lot of it was warranted, considering the massive bear was under the influence of very strong drugs, but there were moments that felt unnecessary. Viewers should be cautious if they have a weak stomach.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the exploration of the bizarre and tangible concept. It was very humorous, but also very disgusting. Proceed with caution. 

7/10.

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

“Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” review

Written by:  Nicholas Sarysz

“Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” is a film  that takes place in the magical world of the Hundred Acre Wood, where Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends reside. However, unlike the classic children’s stories that we’re all familiar with, this movie takes a much darker and grittier turn — exploring themes of loss and violence.

Only a small percentage of reviews found the British independent slasher film produced by Rhs Frake-Waterfield to have any quality, and critical reception has been overwhelmingly negative. The movie has a pitiful approval rating of 5% based on 37 reviews, with an average rating of 2.3/10 on the aggregate review website Rotten Tomatoes.

Many shortcomings of the movie have been pointed out by critics, including a weak screenplay, subpar production qualities, lack of humor and an inability to connect with the fundamental source material. Several critics have commended the movie’s gore and intrinsic grotesqueness, yet, even these glowing assessments point out what they view as serious problems within the film.

Despite the negative reviews, the film’s producer revealed that a sequel is currently in development, as well as  two additional horror films, “Bambi: The Reckoning” and “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare” — based on the beloved children’s stories “Bambi, a Life in the Woods” and “Peter Pan.” Frake-Waterfield further revealed in Feb. 2023 that Jagged Edge Productions intends to include crossovers starring the various characters.

I personally love horror movies and had high hopes as I walked into the Independence Cinema to watch the film. While the plot annoyingly consisted of typical bad decision-making from the main characters, it was far better than any critic had described it. The concept of the film is not only easy to understand, but provides an alternative ending to the friendship beloved by many. Certainly, nothing good can come of Christopher Robin leaving his friends to fend for themselves, right?

8/10.

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

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