Mount Hood

Somebody call 9-1-1, Men’s Basketball is on fire with third win in a row

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

Win, win, win — Western’s Men’s Basketball team is on fire, having won their first three games. 

From Nov. 15 to Nov. 16, the team held a four-game tournament consisting of the Concordia Cavaliers, the Hawaii Hilo Vulcans, the Warner Pacific Knights and the Western Oregon Wolves.

On Friday, Nov. 15, the Wolves took on the Knights during their second exhibition game of the season. The Wolves opened the game to a quick lead after the Knights took the first points. Western continued to score and got a seven point lead — never falling behind the rest of the game. 

Multiple three-pointers were made, a crucial tactic for the game. The first half concluded with the Wolves ahead, 40-25, a 15 point lead.

Western held their momentum throughout the rest of the game to bring home their first tournament win over Warner Pacific University, 85-68.

Western saw their second game, and the first regular season game, against the University of Hawaii Hilo, a team that made the Wolves earn every point. 

The play was a consistent battle back and forth — Vulcans ahead, Wolves ahead — keeping the players, coaches, fans and spectators eager and unsure of who was going to take the “dub.”

The first half ended with a tie, 31-31.

No. 25 of the Wolves, Darius Lubom, got the scoring started during the second half but turned it over to the Vulcans after a shooting foul. The Vulcans took advantage of this and converted the three point play. 

The play stepped up and the Vulcans took the lead after more three-pointers were made, 44-42.

Western wasn’t done; No. 2, Jaylyn Richardson, made for an acrobatic layup to narrow UHH’s lead by three.

Towards the end of the game, multiple timeouts were called, the energy intensified and the Wolves and Vulcans tried everything to finish the game ahead. With three minutes left in the game, No. 15 of the Wolves, Zach Baugher, broke the tie with a finished three-pointer.

Vulcans were in possession of the ball when Wolves guard, Lubom, stole the ball. The scoring continued to be both sided.

With 35 seconds left on the clock, No. 34 of the Wolves, John Morrill-Keeler, made a huge block to benefit the Wolves.

Only seconds remained on the clock as the Wolves attempted to run out the time — and the Wolves took home their third win in a row, 74-69. It was a tough battle, winning by only five points, but a win nonetheless.

The Men’s Basketball next home game is Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. against Corban University for their third and final exhibition match.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Hannah Greene

Salt and pepper battle leads to Wolves’ Volleyball loss

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

Women’s Volleyball hosted the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks and Central Washington Wildcats on Nov. 14 and 16.

In the first match of the weekend, the Wolves were put to the test by the Nighthawks. During the first set, the Wolves stayed behind, but kept fighting back, only being a few points behind. 

The second set was not the same; the Wolves allowed for a quick lead by the Nighthawks until Wolves’ defensive specialist, Sarah Crowell, stepped up to dish out some well placed serves — catching the Nighthawks off guard — and racked up some points consecutively.

There were many well-executed plays made by the Wolves throughout the match including one by middle blocker, Makenzie York, who barely tipped the ball over the net to score for the Wolves.

This wasn’t enough — the end of that set had the Nighthawks up 25-19.

The Wolves started the final set, determining the tempo by scoring first, but this didn’t last long. The Nighthawks quickly returned, but the Wolves remained enthused.

NNU took the lead again with multiple unanswered points from the Wolves due to the strong defense the Nighthawks continued to put up. Western kept the pressure high, with many hard balls over, but none were powerful enough to beat the Nighthawk’s blocks.

The Wolves began to gain some momentum, but with not enough time left in the game to recover and catch up. The final set came to a close and the Nighthawks took home the win 3-0.

Western Oregon returned on Saturday with a hunger and desire to beat the Wildcats and bring home a win. 

The games started and the Wolves were blazing, winning the first two sets and dictated the energy and play of the game. During the third set, the Wildcats woke up and brought the energy higher, challenging the Wolves. The battle was back and forth with a lot of great plays by the Wildcats and not enough by the Wolves to match them. 

The game went into a fifth match, which hadn’t occured between these two teams since 2016.

Unfortunately, the fifth and final match was not in the paws of the Wolves, leaving the “dub” in the fangs of the Wildcats. 

The Wolves now have a 4-21 record with only one win at home. Women’s Volleyball have two more games, their last of the season, on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. — come and support your Wolves’ Volleyball for their final matches of the season.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Mikayla Bruley

After news of low enrollment, the Student Health and Counseling Center struggles to meet the growing needs of students, sparking conversation about stigma and human connection.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

According to the 2018 Marion-Polk Community Health Profile, depression ranks as the most common chronic condition experienced in our community, and approximately 1 in 10 adolescents reported having attempted suicide in the last year. 

At Western, appointments to the Student Health and Counseling Center are booked until finals week. Director of the Student Health and Counseling Center, Beth Scroggins, said, “we are aware that it is an issue, we are aware that there are students who are just now getting an intake done and it’s going to be January before they will get to be seen.”

In Monmouth, students have few options for mental health services and their coverage depends entirely on insurance. Their student fees cover the cost of mental health services on campus, but therein lies the problem: “Everything that runs (the Student Health and Counseling Center) is only provided through student fees … funding keeps going down because of lowered enrollment, but demand for services goes up,” reported Scroggins. 

However, Scroggins divulged that she is “glad we have this problem and not the other problem — that students won’t come in.” She revealed that this year in particular, she has seen a rise in students accessing services and thinks that some of “the stigma has diminished.”

“We are looking at how we can accommodate more and what that is going to look like,” she said, but as of now they’re still in the planning stages.

Despite that, Scroggins assured that the Student Health and Counseling Center will “always have crisis services available,” and emphasized the various new support groups on campus that have been created from student need and initiative. She also expressed admiration for the amount of “faculty, staff, students, and community members (who) do a great job of referring students to us,” and wanted to stress the importance of community involvement. 

Of the optional survey that students can complete after their visit to the counseling center, Scroggins asserted that she always reads “every single one of those,” and that they’ve “already made some changes to student services based on those, so (she) takes student feedback very seriously.”

And while she believes that stigma has reduced, “people are a lot more comfortable talking about depression, anxiety, self-care … when we start talking about PTSD, trauma, sexual assault, abuse, psychosis … people don’t know how to respond to that because lack of information or knowledge,” she said.

“People worry so much about saying the wrong thing … that they say nothing. Say something,” Scroggins urged.

As a community, we need to be “comfortable with hearing things that are uncomfortable,” and remember that, “people don’t have to be experts to be a support system,” Scroggins said. She followed up with that, sometimes, all it takes is noticing the differences in a person’s behavior or listening to someone and directing them towards help to make a difference. 

Regarding the student suicide that was reported in an email sent out on Nov. 6 by Western’s vice president of Student Affairs, Gary Dukes, Scroggins stated, “when there is a student death, it does affect everybody … I think that mental health is an issue for everybody; even if they aren’t directly experiencing it themselves, someone they know is.” Scroggins reminded all students to “give themselves grace,” count their support systems, engage in self-care and set healthy boundaries. 

“Things will be okay, and even when they’re not, they will be,” Scroggins concluded.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Health and Counseling Center 

(503) 838-8396

Psychiatric Crisis Center

1 (888) 232-7192

During the 2019 Oregon Special Election, Polk County passed a levy that would extend funding for educational programs

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

Approximately 30% of 959 eligible voters participated in Oregon’s Special Election — an election not part of the regular schedule — which took place on Nov. 5, according to oregonvotes.gov. Overall, there were nine state-wide measures to vote upon, and all aside from one passed. The measures primarily focused on education, environmental, and economic issues. 

In Polk County, community members were voting on a measure that would determine if the Falls City School District would renew a five-year levy that would otherwise terminate in June of 2020. According to the Polk County website, this levy would “continue funding for a music program, sports programs, extracurricular activities and FACES, or the Family Academics Community Enrichment for Success program.” Out of 297 votes collected for this particular measure, 180 were in support, and the measure passed.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Based on the theory of transformative justice, a Japanese Healing Garden has been established in the Oregon State Penitentiary.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

“Punishment doesn’t work … we need to find an alternative way to rehabilitate offenders,” said criminal justice professor, Miyuki Arimoto, during her talk, “Transformative Justice: Diminishing Boundaries through the Healing Garden Project at the Oregon State Penitentiary,” held on Nov. 13. The Healing Garden Project began five years ago as a grassroots effort combined with an inmate-led initiative centered around the idea of a “koi pond” being indoctrinated into the prison environment. 

“Prison is a boring, monotonous place,” stated Arimoto, “(the inmates) thought that nature might help to reduce altercations.”

Over time, the idea of creating a fully functional Japanese-style garden was formed. Inmates wrote grants and the project developed collective advocacy, resulting in approximately $500,000 being raised. Renowned Japanese garden designer, Hoichi Kurisu, donated his design and equipment to the project. He even advocated for inmate involvement in construction, saying that “this is (part of) the necessary process of healing,” according to Arimoto. 

Amassing a total of 13,000 square feet, the garden is only the second in the nation to exist within prison walls — the first being in Maryland — and 180 inmates spent over 12,000 hours developing it.

In a video shown during the presentation, an inmate named Johnny Cofer stated, “there was so much more at stake than just building something aesthetic; there was potential for building a space that could make a really impactful difference on the lives of people that live here … I can remember that the best times in my life were spent out in nature … this place … will be transformative.”

Professor Arimoto recalled a similar testimony, where one inmate she described as “macho” broke down after thanking her and telling her that he could not stop touching the trees and smelling the earth, after not having been able to for the past 40 years. 

“Past research suggests that exposure to nature improves certain conditions such as depression, anxiety and Alzheimers … the recovery process becomes faster,” Arimoto recounted.

Arimoto is a member of a team conducting an impact study on the effects of the healing garden on inmates and staff. Using both qualitative and quantitative research over the course of two years, Arimoto hopes to analyze not only psychological effects but also the effects of a transformative justice system. Arimoto defines transformative justice as an expansion to traditional restorative justice, which “recognizes the potential for human growth … and provides (inmates) with an opportunity to make amends.”

“They are paying back society by transforming themselves for the better,” said Arimoto.

However, Arimoto also admits that there have been some criticisms about the project, citing complaints about using the money for a garden rather than using it to help transition inmates back into society and fears of violence within the garden. 

Arimoto combated these fears, saying the garden will help “to create nice neighbors instead of angry neighbors,” and will assure that inmates must go through a strict screening process to be able to utilize the garden. 

“Without trying, we won’t know if it works or not,” stated Arimoto. “It might not be the solution, but it might help to reduce recidivism.” 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of Professor Miyuki Arimoto

Western alumni, Lisa Lowell, has become a prolific writer and teacher after achieving her masters. Here is her story.

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

Lisa Lowell has always been a writer. As a local Oregonian born into a family of artists who “don’t do competition,” Lowell said that writing became her niche. However, as a high school student, Lowell admitted that she “wasn’t a very good writer,” or rather, she held contempt for any type of writing which stifled her creative process. 

After being asked to follow a prompt for a class assignment — and failing miserably, preferring to add in her own flair of fantasy and magic — her teacher submitted her work to various scholarships unbeknownst to her. She received a scholarship to Brigham Young University, but ended up losing it as she wanted to pursue a career in teaching history rather than English, later being named the VFW Teacher of the Year in 2011. 

However, after realizing that “you can’t (become) a history teacher as a woman because they also want them to be a coach,” Lowell opted into getting a masters degree in English as a second language from Western Oregon University. 

Lowell called Western “very cooperative” in helping her basically design her own degree. Throughout this time, Lowell continued her writing, but after graduating in 2006, her husband went through a terrible accident, resulting in Lowell putting her art temporarily on hold. 

But after six years of contacting different publishers, she ultimately published three books in “The Wise Ones” series, and her fourth is set to come out in March of 2020. 

“The Wise Ones” is a fantasy series with each novel focusing on one or two stand-alone characters within the overall universe. It starts with the dragons — the keepers of the magic — going into hibernation, during which 16 Wise Ones are chosen to contain it. Lowell compared her writing to that of C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” series, in that it is “not full of smut and violence,” and “there is a higher-being” central to the plot, although the series is not “overtly Christian.” 

“Each Wise One has their own adventures focused around how they find and come into their magic,” Lowell said, “people think that it’s YA, but the characters are adults strictly controlled by their morals, or they can’t control their magic,” Lowell said.

For example, one of her characters takes the magic when he becomes 25, freezing him in time while his wife and children age in front of him. The moral issue central to the plot is him attempting to remain faithful to his wife despite prophecies of another woman being important to fostering his magic. 

Lowell’s work can be found on her website, magicintheland.com, which also includes a blog dedicated to informing not only readers about the world she has created, but also writers who might want to travel the same path as her. Her blog features book trailers, as well as videos about writing tips and the publishing process. She will also be attending the Dallas High School  Holiday Bazaar on Dec. 7, where she can be found selling her books. 

In regards to writing, she said that she enjoys it because “it’s a different kind of teaching,” and offered this advice to fellow writers: “if you’re not creating, entropy happens, and you’re going to fall apart.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of  Lisa Lowell

Cannon Gallery — a platform for stunning faculty work

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Cannon Gallery — Western’s very own art exhibit within Campbell Hall, opened its biennial production of faculty art on Nov. 13. The exhibition will be open until Dec. 13 and holds works from the following: Jen Bracy, Clay Dunklin, Jodie Garrison, Mary Harden, Rebecca McCannell, Peter Hoffecker Mejia, Sung Eun Park, Gregory Poulin, Daniel Tankersley, Diane Tarter, Garima Thakur and Jen Vaughn. 

The only art faculty member not showcasing in the exhibition is Paula Booth, who happens to be the gallery conductor; she and her team of interns and students displayed all the faculty’s pieces into a fluid gallery.

There was a very eclectic collection of art that faculty had submitted; these pieces were whatever the professors were working on since the last biennial showcase. Each professor used a different medium; Poulin used oil on canvas, Thakur created a video, Tarter used collage on blackboard and it goes on and on, with each faculty member showing their different specialties.

The flow of the gallery was interesting. Walking in, viewers made two circles around the perimeter before going through the middle.  Booth and her team strategically placed Thakur’s modern video next to Poulin’s classic still-life oil paintings. The stark contrast between pieces was pleasant as a viewer — the way each transitioned to a different faculty’s art was never predictable.

I am no art expert, and some of the pieces left me contemplating what their true meaning was, such as Park’s mixed media work — simple, yet complex. Dunklin’s piece, “Play On,” was a video that reminded me of a more positive episode of “Black Mirror,” featuring trippy visuals and quirky messages on the screen. A couple pieces that did stand out to me in their message were Bracy’s mixed media on wood pieces called, “Packing Heat” and “En Mass(e),” which show horrifying statistics of gun violence within the United States. 

Talking to Professor Rebecca McCannell about her three pieces, “Illumination,” “Chaos” and “Vertigo,” I was surprised to learn about the complexity of her artwork. Her method was that of reductive screen printing, a tedious process that requires precision when attempting to add colors to a piece layer by layer. McCannell went as far as changing the craft of screen printing to better suit her project. 

“I developed this method where I paint a piece of clear plexiglass with red paint, and then any area I want light to shine through I have to scrape away with a palette knife or exacto blade,” explained McCannell. 

McCannell’s pieces were based on photographs that she took underneath the Eiffel Tower which is a unique perspective — less glamour of the overall appearance, but rather the inner workings. 

This gallery was interesting to walk through; whether an art connoisseur or not, this exhibition showcases stunning art by Western’s faculty, and definitely deserves recognition and praise. 

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo by Mikayla Bruley

Opinion: Thanksgiving deserves just as much love as Christmas

Cora McClain | Editor-in-Chief

So it’s November, which means the most family-centric holiday is right around the corner. It’s a wonderfully festive time that brings people together through love and thankfulness. That’s right — it’s Christmas (and other winter holidays).

Almost as soon as the Halloween decorations come down, they are replaced with dreidels, kinaras and stockings. Nov. 1 seems to signify the changing of holiday seasons as Michael Bublé’s velvety pipes belt out “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot  Like Christmas” over the speakers in public places. November has turned into a month-long preparation for the winter holidays, specifically Christmas, and overlooks a special little day on the fourth Thursday of November, where families gather around and gorge on carbs and turkey. 

While the origins of Thanksgiving are not the best — and poorly represented — the meaning of modern Thanksgiving has come to signify the gathering of family. Sure, Christmas is about gathering family too (as it is an aspect of any holiday) but just because Christmas is branded better, with more celebrity cover albums than I can count and a crazy man who climbs down chimneys and eats cookies as a mascot, it shouldn’t overshadow Thanksgiving. If anything, Thanksgiving just hasn’t been given enough branding to make it any more than a fly-over holiday. 

I mean, are there any Thanksgiving-themed songs? Adam Sandler’s “The Thanksgiving Song” doesn’t count. What about Thanksgiving-themed movies? Even if there is just one or two, they can’t possibly outweigh the massive amount of Christmas-themed-and-adjacent movies, TV shows and other entertainment media. Without these forms of media, it becomes easy to skip over Thanksgiving, as if it doesn’t exist. However, Thanksgiving still deserves recognition and celebration.

From good food to appreciation, Thanksgiving has a lot to offer as a holiday. Whether the Thanksgiving table is filled with mashed potatoes and gravy or kimchi and jeon, just being around a table of good food, no matter the food, honors the holiday. More important than the food on the table (I know, nothing is more important than food) are the people around the table. 

Extended family, close family and found family in friends all make the holiday what it truly is. Spending quality time with people, whether in constant contact or only seeing them every-so-often, makes Thanksgiving a holiday worth celebrating.

Finally, the “giving thanks” aspect of Thanksgiving allots the holiday its own spin on the “family gathering” facet of every holiday. Just like how Christmas’ gimmick is giving presents, Thanksgiving is all about taking a moment to reflect on the good things in life. Reflecting on the positivity like this is something special that Thanksgiving is centered on. While it may not seem important, taking a serious look at all there is to be thankful for can be very encouraging in troubling times, and maybe people need a little more positive reflection. 

So, don’t just let Thanksgiving fall to the wayside as Michael Bublé plays from the speakers, remember the fourth Thursday of November as a day to reflect and gather and eat.

 

Contact the author at cmcclain17@wou.edu

Photo by Mikayla Bruley

Check out Grills Gone Wild for a variety of food

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Grills Gone Wild is located near the Donut Bar, behind the New Life Ministries church. The food cart, owned and operated by Toto Hall, opened last month on Oct. 17. 

The first food truck she had started was an espresso truck about 20 years ago; from there, her business grew and evolved into the food truck that’s currently in Monmouth.

Hall had lived in Monmouth back when Western was still known as the Western Oregon State College. She had decided to open a food truck here in town after hearing about the food annex from an old friend, and thought the location held a lot of potential and great people.

The food truck’s menu consists mainly of grilled sandwiches, many of which contain bacon.

“I love sandwiches and I love bacon so I decided to design bacon related sandwiches,” Hall explained.

Grills Gone Wild also carries a diverse selection of fries, gyros, desserts and various other dishes. The reason for the large variation and occasional changes to the menu is because Hall likes to modify the menu according to what her customers are craving. 

“I (have) specials weekly or so and keep modifying my menu to bring food(s) locals want to eat,” Hall said.

The signature dish for Grills Gone Wild is the deep fried peanut butter, banana, marshmallow and Nutella dessert sandwich, which can’t be found on the menu, but can usually be made if prompted. The dish Hall recommends to first-time customers is either the garlic parmesan fries, or any sandwich that has bacon on it. 

In addition, Hall is in the process of expanding the gluten-free options available on the menu. Currently, Grills Gone Wild has gluten-free burgers, Philly cheesesteaks and cheesy melt sandwiches. Hall is attempting to find gluten free pita bread for chicken gyros as well, and tries to carry gluten free chicken tenders when she can.

Once winter season rolls around, Hall hopes to add soup as well to the ever growing menu.

When asked if she had anything else to add, Hall had a sentiment she wished to share.

“I love this small town and I hope to find more hungry patrons I can serve and hopefully make them happy or happier one bite at a time.”

Grills Gone Wild is open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 12–6 p.m. The food truck can be found on Facebook by searching “WouHoo Grills GoneWild,” and is in the process of getting other social media accounts set up.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Mikayla Bruley

Apple themed dessert recipes

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Thanksgiving is a time of giving and spending time with loved ones. It’s also a time for a lot of food, including delicious desserts. Here’s some apple themed sweets to bake for that next holiday gathering.

 

APPLE PIE

Start to finish: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Serving size: 8 slices

1 unbaked pie crust

7-8 Granny Smith Green Apples peeled and sliced thin or chopped into small cubes

¾ cup of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of cornstarch 

1 tablespoon of vanilla

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

 

Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

Peel and slice (or chop) the apples and place them in a large mixing bowl. 

In a smaller separate bowl, mix brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon together.

Add the small bowl of ingredients to the apples, mixing and fully coating the apple slices.

Drizzle the vanilla over the apple mixture. 

Add apples to a prepared unbaked pie crust, top with pie dough or crumble. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

APPLE CRISP

Start to finish: 1 hour

Serving size: 4-6 pieces

6 apples — peeled, cored, and sliced

2 tablespoons of white sugar

1½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 cup of brown sugar

¾ cup of old-fashioned oats

¾ cup of all-purpose flour

½ cup of cold butter

 

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.

Toss apples with white sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon in a medium bowl to coat, then pour into a 9-inch square baking dish.

Mix brown sugar, oats, flour and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a separate bowl. Use a fork to mash the cold butter into the oats mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Spread over the apples to the edges of the baking dish and pat the topping gently until even.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and the sides are bubbling.

Recipe from allrecipes.com

 

SWEET APPLESAUCE

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Serves 4 people

4 apples (preferably granny smith)

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons of white sugar

 

Cut and core the apples. If desired, apples can also be peeled, but it’s not necessary.

Take a medium sized pot and fill with about an inch of water. Turn stove top on between levels 4 and 6. Once it’s set, place apples into the pot as the water begins to heat up. 

Begin stirring after water begins to boil. Continue stirring until apples are soft, then start mashing with stirring utensil. Mash apples until desired texture and thickness.

Turn off the heat on the stove and add in the sugar and cinnamon. More sugar and cinnamon can be added as preferred. Stir until fully mixed in.

Serve once cooled, or store in a container for later. The applesauce can be kept in the fridge for about a week and a half, and can last up to three months in the freezer if packaged in a freezer bag.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Trinity Phan-Low (apples & applesauce)

Photos by Rylie Horrall (apple pie & apple crisp)

Simple DIY Thanksgiving decorations

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

As a child, you may have made Thanksgiving decorations in school, such as the classic hand turkey. Here’s some of those decorations that you can still use now.

 

Hand Turkeys

Hang a blast-from-the-past decoration that can be made into a chain. Start by tracing your hand onto a piece of paper and then cutting it out. Color the fingers to create feathers. Alternatively, trace your fingers on various colored paper, then cut and glue onto the fingers of the hand outline. Draw a face onto the thumb to make the head of the turkey.

To make the hanging chain, repeat the process as many times as desired. Take the finished hand turkeys and glue the head of the turkey onto another turkey just below the tip of the pinky. Hang where desired when finished.

 

Pinecone Turkey Centerpieces

Decorate your dining table with an easy-to-make centerpiece. Take a pinecone — which can be bought in bulk or potentially found outside for free — and glue googly eyes onto the front of it. Alternatively, eyes can be drawn on paper, cut out and glued on. Take some colorful paper and cut out oblong oval shapes to create feathers. Glue the makeshift feathers onto the pinecone near the back. Repeat this step to layer the feathers. Lastly, cut a small triangle out of orange paper and glue it on to make a beak.

 

Turkey Treat Bags

Organize your snacks and create a cute decoration in the process. Take a small plastic bag and fill it with Reese’s Pieces (or a different candy of your choice). Tie off the end with a string or hair tie. The end of the bag can be fluffed up to make a tail, or you can add to it by cutting feathers out of paper. Take an orange pipe cleaner and twist it to make a beak, leaving extra standing up in order to glue googly eyes on. Alternatively, you can use candy corn for beak and paper for the eyes. Take yellow pipe cleaners and twist them to create feet, or use paper glued to the bottom of the bag.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Rylie Horrall (hand turkey)

Photo by Cora McClain (pinecone) 

Photo by Trinity Phan-Low (treat bag)

Get to know the musician Kali Das on his college radio tour

Never Retallack | Entertainment Editor

Interested in hearing music from a unique artist? Check out Kali Das, a musician living in New Mexico, reaching out to universities on his college radio tour so that his music travels far and wide.

 

Q: Tell me a bit about yourself, how long have you been making music? 

K: I have been recording music for over ten years. I mainly play synthesizer and guitar although I am more well-versed in synth.

Q: What inspired you to start creating music? 

K: I initially started playing music as a part of my spiritual practice. I did a lot of chanting music but have transitioned from that to more mainstream music. I still try to put out conscious messages that I feel will help the audience or make them think. I think though I wanted to have some separation from my spiritual practice and my music although I guess they are still interlinked in a more subtle way.

Q: What is your goal when it comes to producing music? 

K: My main goal is to be in the moment and expressive of where I am at for better or for worse. Musicians are either praised or ignored, and of course there is everything in between, but I think a true artist tries to express his own unique voice regardless of whether that voice is popular or not.

Q: How would you describe your music or your style? 

K: It is multi-genre. Like many artists these days, I have so many influences that I do not particularly feel comfortable in a box. So I have done everything from hip-hop to world music.

Q: Are you part of a band? How exactly do you write and create your music? 

K: I bring in musicians as needed. In terms of the writing process, I pretty much always write lyrics first if the song has lyrics. I try to focus on what I am trying to say. Once I have the lyrics and message, it becomes much easier to add instrumentation to drive the point home.

Q: Are you working on anything else besides music? 

K: I am also a healer and have an energy/body work practice. I plan on getting a masters degree at some point but have been procrastinating.

Q: What are your implications with your new EP? 

K: The lead song of the EP “Don’t Vote 4 Trump” is a call to move our country in a more progressive direction. Trump and what he represents are not conducive to moving forward in a healthy way. The other songs are mainly love dirges. “So Beautiful,” for example, is a song about a guy who falls in love with his dentist, yet he doesn’t feel he’s good enough for her. That one is supposed to be funny. “Pale Blue Moon” was with regard to an epic heartbreak, epic for me, not necessarily for anyone else… “Learn to Fly” is about letting go of those we love when the time comes. The title of the album “Don’t Vote 4 Trump and other love songs” implies that even the first song is a love song because love isn’t always about a partner, but it’s also about your commitment to the world.

Q: Why are a couple of your songs on the EP purely instrumental, or rather, why no lyrics?

K: I just thought they were great songs. I feel music sometimes captures what words never can.

Q: What is the reaction you are hoping to receive from your EP? I am hoping it helps encourage people to be more open and expressive about who they are and to question the political process which has been dominated by money for decades now. Our political lobbyist and election systems need a total overhaul to get money out of politics, which I believe is possible, but there (are) a lot of powerful forces against change.

Q: What is the most important element of creating music for you? 

K: Authenticity. There are a lot of talented people. A lot less authentic people. I have met a lot of people who will say something to your face, but something totally different is going on inside. I strive not to be that way. I strive to be authentic.

Q: Where can people find your music? 

K: On my website kalidasworld.com or gottaimpeach.com It will also be on Spotify and Youtube and all major digital platforms on the official release date November 15. 

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photos by Kali Das

Western dancer and first-time choreographer gets involved in the arts community through an award-winning rock musical

Caity Healy | Managing Editor

With Western Oregon’s Creative Arts Division as robust and successful as it is, with several programs and departments, students involved in it often choose to get involved in the arts in their community beyond the ways they are offered on campus. One such student is Noah Nieves Driver. 

Nieves Driver is a senior at Western, currently in his second year of the ASL/English Interpreting Program. On top of this, he has been a dancer for nearly as long as he can remember. 

“I started dance when I was three. And I continued with that all the way until I was 9-ish, then I got back into it when I was 13,” Nieves Driver explained. While he can’t pinpoint the exact reason he stopped at age nine, he can remember exactly what inspired him to start again at 13.

“I saw Alvin Ailey perform in my hometown, Tacoma, Washington, and I was like, ‘I want to get back into this,’” Nieves Driver recalled.

While his history with dance has been long and extensive, an opportunity for him to do something new came up in the summer of 2019: choreograph a show titled “Next to Normal” — this was his musical choreography debut.

“I choreographed a play in high school … and I took the choreography sequence here at WOU, so I learned how to choreograph for myself,” Nieves Driver said. “But show-wise, this is the first actual show I’ve choreographed.” 

Nieves Driver has been involved in local theater in the neighboring communities to Monmouth for awhile, and when he heard that the Majestic Theatre in Corvallis, Oregon was putting on “Next to Normal” —  a show about a suburban household coping with mental illness, delving into the ways a mother navigates her illness and the treatments that go along with it, as well as the impact it has on her family — he contacted the director, Ruth Mandsager, to see if she’d be interested in him doing the choreography.

“I love the show, I love the people who are a part of the production, and I just had this vision for it and I was like, ‘I want to see this come to life,’” he added. Mandsager gladly accepted his offer, and they got to work. Nieves Driver explained that the songs are very grounded in reality, and therefore wanted to make sure there was a purpose to the choreography that he was planning.

“I just listened to the songs a lot … I tried to understand what the characters were feeling,” Nieves Driver said. “I was working with the music,” he added, asking himself things like, “‘okay what is the music doing here? Oh, it’s accenting that. Let me follow that or let me do the opposite to create some contrast with that.’” 

As a choreographer, Nieves Driver felt elated by how this process went, and explained that, ideally, this is just the beginning.

“I’m hopeful that I can get in — at least in this area — as a prominent choreographer, and then hopefully become a director so that I can cast more people of color in traditionally white roles,” he explained. “In this area, there aren’t a lot of opportunities for people like me, like black people, to get cast in stuff … so with traditionally white roles … why is it traditionally white? Is it connected to the story? Is it about race? If not, then why does that matter? So, there wasn’t a lot of work here for me as a dancer, so that’s kind of why I went into choreography. But I think I’m going to focus more on that, and less on the dance aspect.”

“Next to Normal” does have a content warning under the Majestic Theatre’s website, as it includes subject matter and language regarding depression, self-harm, drug abuse and suicide. 

For those interested in seeing the show, there are still a few more opportunities. It runs Nov. 13–16 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 17 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 for students, $18 for adults, and only $10 for those that go Thursday, Nov. 14. 

“Support local theater, we really need it,” Nieves Driver commented. “Everybody has been putting their full heart into this show and I think you can see that from just watching it.”

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of Mark Hoffman (play)

Photo by Caity Healy (headshot)

Thanksgiving is not always traditional, Hulu’s “Into the Dark: Pilgrim” proves a much darker version

Never Retallack  | Entertainment Editor

Thanksgiving — a holiday with an iffy history at best, but an excuse to gorge oneself on all the delicious food one can imagine. It usually includes an immense amount of family time — wanted or not.

Hulu released their latest movie in their horror series, “Into the Dark: Pilgrim” (2019), written and directed by Marcus Dunstan.

This twisted tale introduces the audience to a dysfunctional family: a father who is always on his tablet, a stepmother who is seemingly cold, a daughter who struggles with abandonment issues and a charmingly naive young son. 

What could possibly go wrong when the stepmother, Anna, decides to hire a group of pilgrim reenactors to stay with them for Thanksgiving? Cody, the daughter struggling to accept Anna as her stepmom, is immediately hesitant to jump on the bandwagon, and expresses her discomfort.

The arrival of the Pilgrim reenactors is immediately disconcerting. Ethan is the Pilgrim in charge, seemingly cool and collected, while delivering each line with a gentle smile on his face. 

The impersonators are unsettling throughout, the female Pilgrims unwavering in their praise of Ethan and how he changed their lives with a sort of reverence that is similar to cult followers.

The movie builds tension, alluding to a sinister side of the Pilgrims’ plans, leaving the audience feeling uncomfortable and on edge for most of the movie.

While I don’t want to spoil the movie for those who have not seen it, I’ll tell you the goal of the Pilgrims in the plot. 

Ethan wants the family to appreciate what they have: food, shelter and each other. The means to which he teaches this lesson are unconventional and horrifying.

While this movie was surprisingly dark and twisted, it was equally amusing. Dunstan managed to weave humor into many scenes, whether through utilizing slow-motion fight scenes, or Cody delivering dark jokes, there were numerous times where I caught myself chuckling.

Overall rating: I highly recommend this unique horror-comedy; it is the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit — watching a family unite together to fight the evil that hounds them.

The end was not quite a twist, but did leave the audience wondering whether or not this movie was more supernatural than it appeared. 

This movie reminds people of what is truly important— appreciating the good things in life and accepting that families aren’t always perfect.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Wolves chomped down on the Bearcats in their last home game

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

The night left the morning grass tickled with water, making for a slick game, the skies filled with gray — it was a perfect day for some soccer. The Western Oregon Women’s soccer team hosted Central Washington on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 11 a.m. for their final home game before leaving for GNAC Championships.

The first half consisted of a tough battle, both opponents doing whatever they could to keep the ball out of their half. Three minutes before the half concluded — Alyssa Tomasini, a junior forward, scored her second goal — a goal that defeated all odds, driving it in from a corner kick, Wolves ahead 2-1. 

Leading by only one, the Wolves’ defense began to play frantic and only kicked the ball forward creating multiple 50/50 chances, rather than playing the ball from side to side to maintain possession. The Wolves’ offense stayed knit and kept up the pressure to make for more shots on goal, testing the Wildcats goalkeeper.

The second half started with Western and Central giving the crowd more of a kickball game with the ball switching from end to end, no passes to feet or connection among either team. Many opportunities were generated, but no finishes. 

At 28 minutes, Central made consecutive substitutions to give their team fresh legs against the worn Wolves; this had no impact.

A few minutes later, the Wolves switched the ball to Isabelle Creighton, a senior forward, who then beat the Wildcats’ defenders to cross the ball into Kennedy Clay, a junior forward, who headed the ball into the back of the net — Wolves ahead 3-1. 

Central kept up their attack even though Western had all the momentum. Many chances were built up from the Wildcats’ defense, but their offense couldn’t find a finish. The Wolves’ defense held strong and stopped numerous attacks, creating a harder wall for the Wildcats to break through.

The countdown began: five, four, three, two, one — Western Oregon Wolves finished their final conference game with a 3-1 win in the bag.

The Wolves leave for Seattle to finish off their season in the GNAC Championship tournament on Nov. 14 to play Seattle Pacific University — a team they played twice during conference. The Wolves are returning to the tournament after a six year gap.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Hannah Greene

Knapp out of sight, cruisin’ into the NCAA Cross Country Championships

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

On Saturday, Nov. 9, Western Oregon University held the NCAA Division II West Regional at Ash Creek — both the men and the women competed for the Wolves racing to get top positions overall.

The final results of the race were not as expected with Grace Knapp, a senior in her last cross country season, taking the sixth overall spot out of 187 other racers — only eight seconds away from placing second. The men on the other hand didn’t have a single finisher in the top 10, and their first racer, Andy Muha, a transfer junior, came in 45th place overall — just four seconds away from finishing in the top 40.

The women’s team placed 17th overall while the men placed 13th overall, out of 27 teams.

Knapp has officially qualified for the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Nov. 23. 

This was the final race for both the cross country teams, but the training doesn’t end there; with indoor track season on the horizon, the cross country team will hang up their running shoes and flex their spikes.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Women’s basketball bounce back from home opener, brings home first win of the season

Hannah Greene | Sports Editor

Women’s basketball started their season with a tough loss, but prepared for their next home game against California State University, East Bay on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 3 p.m.

One year ago exactly, the Wolves matched up to the Wildcats, bringing home a loss.

This year, Western Oregon came back ready to win with a lot of depth within their team.

Testing the waters throughout the first quarter, a back-and-forth battle ensued with no scoring. But minutes later, the Wolves bagged their first points and jumped themselves ahead.

Western Oregon continued to push the ball forward, and took every opportunity, earning them a lead against East Bay.

East Bay started to come back and score, but not enough to catch up.

For the majority of the first half, the Wolves finished most of their chances —  East Bay, on the other hand, missed multiple opportunities, which caused many fouls against Western, and gave them even more points.

The Wolves’ guards, including sophomore Tresai McCarver, sophomore Rachel Rogers, junior Olivia Denton and junior Keyonna Jones, showed great ball skills and movement to stay open and finish plays.

Continuous subbing from both teams gave fresh legs to the court, keeping the speed of play fast and intense.

The first half concluded 37-21, the Wolves ahead by 16 points.

Coming into the second half, the Wolves brought more finesse and more points, staying up and not letting their guard down. Points continued to stay in their favor, leading to their first win and first win at home.

The game concluded with Wolves winning 65-49, keeping their 16-point lead from the first half. McCarver and Jones finished with 17 points each, making up almost half the score.

The Wolves’ next home game is Friday, Nov. 29 at 4 p.m. versus Texas A&M International University.

 

Contact the author at hgreene18@wou.edu

Photos by Max Carmona

Western hosts first speaker for the FEM-in-STEM series, representing women and underrepresented groups in STEM education

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

“The skills that I’ve learned in getting a degree in chemistry have really helped me know how to break down problems into smaller pieces,” said Valerie Rippey, representing the first speaker for Western’s FEM in STEM series on Monday, November 4. Currently, Rippey is a Product Manager in an interior design company, where she uses her skills of organization and persistence — which she gained through her STEM education — to succeed and inspire future generations of STEM graduates.

In 2017, Breeann Flesch, an associate professor of computer sciences at Western, organized a lunch with students, faculty and staff who were all in the sciences. The purpose of that lunch, said Leanne Merrill, an assistant professor of math at Western, “was to just start a conversation and create a community.” The meeting led to an interest in having an organization which supports women in STEM majors at Western, and after obtaining a WOU Foundation grant for that specific purpose, the FEM in STEM speaker series was established. 

According to Western’s website, “FEM in STEM works on the Western Oregon University campus to connect and support female, non-binary, and other underrepresented and ally students in STEM fields. Our focus is on education, support, and community connection to tangible STEM role models who have a variety of careers and career paths.” 

“I think a lot of students at WOU are interested in Med school or grad school, but then there’s some who just want a bachelors degree and don’t necessarily want to continue on in academia,” said Merrill, regarding the importance of Rippey’s representation as someone who did not necessarily continue on in their field of study. 

However, the importance of FEM in STEM connections go beyond portraying the impact of STEM fields on career choices; Merrill affirms that, “women (and femmes) seeing other women in positions of power, leadership, and success is really useful,” and “gives people tangible role models.” This is important because while, “a lot of progress has been made … the fact is that there is still a gap in achievement at the post-grad level and beyond,” said Merrill, referring to the fact that more than 50% of Biology majors are women but don’t progress throughout their career as an example. 

Currently, the FEM in STEM series is set to host a minimum of one speaker per term, but there have been “discussions about having panels … and tentative plans for a peer-mentoring system and bigger-name speakers” in the future, according to Merrill, who also wanted to stress that these events are geared toward a general audience. 

“We are particularly excited to see male colleagues and male student allies at these events … part of changing the culture is teaching people to be better allies,” said Merrill, who concluded by saying “everyone can benefit from this.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Sage Kiernan-Sherrow

Western hosts a free speech discussion for open communication between students and the administration regarding last year’s controversial speaker, Joey Gibson

Compiled by Alyssa Loftis | Freelancer  &  Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

“Hate speech is not free speech,” assured Western Oregon University’s President Rex Fuller, during the Nov. 7 event titled “Free Speech on Campus: Controversial Speakers, University Preparedness and Legal Considerations.”  Following a brief statement from President Fuller, ASWOU’s current President, Erik Morgan Jr., and Ryan Hagemann, Western’s Vice Chancellor of the Legal Counsel, allowed the audience to voice their questions and concerns. Most of the questions and concerns were regarding the controversy that stemmed from the College Republican Club inviting Patriot Prayer leader, Joey Gibson to campus last June, which was approved by the administration, despite student retaliation.

Much of the retaliation was due to concerns over safety. At the time of the presentation held on June 4, Gibson — who calls himself a “conservative activist” — had multiple court cases filed against him for inciting violence. Additionally, Gibson’s ideology clashes with Western’s student government values as portrayed through ASWOU’s statement released before the event. What’s more, students were told about the event on May 30, giving students little time to process and causing polarizing tensions to rise quickly. 

This was addressed during the free speech discussion, when one student asked: “you mentioned over and over that you had those weeks in advance of knowledge. You know that something like this is coming, and you know that there are going to be students that don’t feel welcomed … what is the administration going to do specifically to present a much stronger stance rather than just sending out a letter that sort of has these platitudes about how we value diversity (and) ensure that there is a fail safe resource available for students?”

On the day of the event, some professors urged their students to “stay at home,” in fear of violence ensuing. As anticipated, protests against the event — and against the administration who allowed it — occurred shortly thereafter, although they remained nonviolent. 

Director of Public Safety Rebecca Chiles defined her role here at Western, in addition to shedding light on the decisions and planning that goes into preparing for emergencies. Regarding future events like the one featuring Gibson, Chiles said, “we move forward with safety being our number one priority … always. The safety of our folks on campus is going to come first.” She later added that, “we need people to attend those things; first aid, CPR … get certified … that’s the best way to move forward, with all of us collaboratively to be a disaster-resilient university.”

For information regarding the June 4 event, refer to the previous article on wou.edu/westernhowl.

 

Contact the authors at aloftis18@wou.edu and howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Mikayla Bruley

Monmouth Senior Center hosts first ever community Thanksgiving open to Western students unable to go home for the holidays

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow | News Editor

For students unable to go home for the Thanksgiving holiday, or for those struggling with food insecurity in the community — the Monmouth-Independence Rotary Club is hosting a free Thanksgiving dinner at 1 p.m. in the Monmouth Senior Center on Nov. 28. The Monmouth Senior Center is located at 180 Warren St S.

Dubbed “Here for the Holidays,” the meal is a brand new service which, “started last spring when a local artist, Pam Sierra Wence” contacted Dr. Robert Troyer, an associate professor of linguistics and the Director of International Student Academic Support here at Western. Wence wanted “to see if there was any way to set up some kind of program for students who are here … and can’t go home to their families,” added Dr. Troyer.

While the original plan was designed to partner students up with community members, “the logistics of that were just … really difficult,” said Troyer, and thusly both he and Wence recruited Laurel Sharmer’s involvement in the project. Sharmer, who is the president of the Monmouth-Independence Rotary Club, applied for a grant to offset the costs of the event and, after receiving one, made the dinner entirely free to the community. 

All students have to do is confirm their interest in the event by filling out a form on the Academic Student Support website by Thursday, Nov. 21. This gives the Rotary Club an approximation on attendance in order to ensure that enough food is available.

For students who will be missing a feeling of community during the holidays, Troyer calls the event, “one of those rare things that is just simple and good.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Sage Kiernan-Sherrow

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