Mount Hood

Western hosts GNAC Track & Field Championships

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

In both the temperature and in events, records were ready to broken at the GNAC Track & Field Championships. On Friday, May 10, ten schools came together to be deemed champions, competing in 87-degree-weather. Western, Alaska Anchorage, Central Washington, Concordia University, Montana State Billings, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin’s, Seattle Pacific, Simon Fraser and Western Washington all found themselves ready to race at McArthur Field.

In the first day, and at the peak of the heat, the events began at 2 p.m. But rather than letting the temperature bring the athletes down, it seemed to do the opposite. Several Wolves earned personal bests, and by the end of the day, Western found themselves qualifying eight individuals to advance to finals the next day: Codi Blodgett, Gabe Arce-Torres, Curt Knott, Max Carmona, Adam Alnazer and Ana Popchock. On top of this, Moana Gianotti earned All-GNAC honors by achieving 3rd in Women’s Discus. 

On May 11, the temperatures took a slight dip — slight, being five degrees — but the energy was still as high as it was the day before. The athletes came ready to set records. Another full day was ahead of them, and the ones competing continued to smash their personal-bests. With fans from all teams cheering from the stands and the sidelines, each race and field-event was nothing short of a show.

When the events came to a close later that night, four All-GNAC honors had been earned by Western. Darian Wilson earned 2nd for Women’s Javelin — for the second time in her career; Moana Gianotti earned 3rd for Women’s Discus; Grayson Burke, Bethanie Altamirano, Olivia Woods and Michaela Yonkman earned 3rd for Women’s 1600 Relay; and Gabe Arce-Torres, Lashaun Emile, Max Carmona and Curt Knott earned 3rd for Men’s 1600 Relay.

Western’s season will come to a close in Kingsville, Texas from May 23-25, as the Wolves head to the NCAA Division II National Championships.

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[fruitful_tab title=”Day One Results”]

Men’s

100: 4. Codi Blodgett, 10.87. 200: 17. Codi Blodgett, 22.92. 400: 4.Gabe Arce-Torres, 48.93. 800: 4. Curt Knott, 1:53.99; 5. Max Carmona, 1:54.09; 8. Adam Alnazer, 1:54.70; 9. Trey Reed, 1:54.87; 10. Justin Crosswhite, 1:55.06; 12. Neal Cranston, 1:55.50; 17. Zach Kanelis, 2:00.61. 10,000: 16. Sawyer Heckard, 34:11.04. Steeple: 9. Hunter Mosman, 9:43.41; 18. Simon Walsh, 10:22.37. Shot: 10. Sam Cole, 48-6 3/4 (14.80m); 11. Chris Steffey, 47-5 (14.45m); 12. Owen Collins, 47-0 1/4 (14.33m); 14. Karsten Collins, 46-2 1/2 (14.08m).Discus:8. Karsten Collins, 148-4 (45.21m); 9. Chris Steffey, 146-7 (44.68m); 12. Owen Collins, 138-3 (42.13m).

 

Women’s

100: 17. Logan Jackson, 12.78; 19. Hailey Sears, 12.85. 200: 16. Hailey Sears, 26.13; 18. Taryn Wilson, 26.22; 20. Logan Jackson, 26.37. 400: 11. Bethanie Altamirano, 58.94. 800: 2. Olivia Woods, 2:10.49; 16. Shayla Soloman, 2:24.31. 10,000: 9. Cassie McKinnie, 41:27.30. 100 Hurdles: 10. Ana Popchock, 15.44; 12. Natalie Legras, 15.59; 15. Michaela Yonkman, 16.07. 400 Hurdles: 8. Ana Popchock, 1:04.90; 9. Grayson Burke, 1:04.90; 11. Michaela Yonkman, 1:06.78; 11. Michaela Yonkman, 1:06.78; 12. Nicole Niskanen, 1:05.83; 14. Sarra Soladey, 1:07.90. Long Jump: 18. Lauren Berry, 16-2 1/4 (4.93m). Shot: 4. Moana Gianotti, 41-4 1/2 (12.61m). Discus: 3. Moana Gianotti, 136-1 (41.48m). [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Day Two Results”]

Men’s

100: 5. Codi Blodgett, 11.24. 400: 5. Gabe Arce-Torres, 48.97. 800: 4. Curt Knott, 1:55.35; 5. Adam Alnazer, 1:55.37; 6. Max Carmona, 1:55.52; 9. Trey Reed, 1:57.03. 1,500: 4. Justin Crosswhite,3:56.79; 7. Parker Marson, 3:57.79; 13. Hunter Mosman, 4:03.99; 14. Stephen Fey, 4:08.84. 5,000: 6. Tyler Jones, 15:07.35; 11. Parker Marson, 1516.92. Hammer: 7. Mont Child, 167-11 (51.19m); 8. Sam Cole, 165-10 (50.56m). Javelin: 12. Austin Goldstein, 173-9 (52.97m); 16. Kyle Wells, 165-9 (50.52m); 18. Mitchell Kruse, 154-6 (47.10m). 1,600 Relay: 3. Western Oregon, 3:17.87.

 

Women’s

800: 5. Olivia Woods, 2:12.62. 5,000: 7. Grace Knapp, 17:29.49; 13. Kaylin Cantu, 18:17.83. 400 Hurdles: 5. Ana Popchock, 1:03.69. Hammer: 6. Moana Gianotti, 138-9 (42.30m). Javelin: 2. Darian Wilson, 151-4 (46.13m). 400 Relay: 6. Western Oregon, 49.07.

1,600 Relay: 3. Western Oregon, 3:50.93.

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Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo by Caity Healy

Hannah Greene finds semi-pro success with CFC Atletica

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

Hannah Greene, a junior Spanish major, began playing soccer at 3-years-old. Right from the start, she fell in love with it.

“There was no trying to get me to do other things,” said Greene. “They put me in ballet, and I got kicked out … I couldn’t just sit there and move my arms. And gymnastics — I got kicked out of too … I had to have soccer.”

Looking to play for a semi-pro team, she began searching for ones in the area; she found that Capital Fútbol Club Atletica, a team under the Northwest Premier League Soccer, was holding tryouts in March. So, she contacted the one in charge and was invited to try out.

In late April, Greene found out she made the starting team. Although she hasn’t been on the roster long, she already loves it.

“So far on this team, I’ve loved every second and I honestly hate having to leave practice, because I have so much fun out there,” said Greene. “All the girls are so welcoming … but they’re also such good players and want to get better, so it makes the whole atmosphere a prize to be around.”

Making this semi-pro team was another step in the right direction for Greene, as she hopes to continue on with soccer in life.

“I would love to get into the Women’s Premier Soccer League and play there, and obviously my end goal is to go pro,” Greene said.

But as of right now, making the CFC Atletica team not only proved her skill and likeliness to continue on with the sport, but it also proved her abilities to those who have doubted her before. After sustaining an injury while playing at Ventura College, she had an experience that almost ruined soccer for her.

“I was only going to be out for a short time, but I overheard (my coach) basically telling the other coach that I was worthless. And that completely crushed my soul, so I was done for a little bit,” said Greene. After that, it’s been a struggle to just get back into the game. She began playing for Western’s Club Sports team to try and find her passion and have fun with the sport again. She found that being in this environment with no pressure helped tremendously with her skills, preparing her to try out for a semi-pro team.

Greene’s next game with CFC Atletica will be away, against Thurston County United Soccer on May 18.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photos by Caity Healy

Opinion From the Sports Desk: Take the “I” out of team

Lake Larsen | Former Sports Editor

With both the NHL and NBA playoff races in full swing, whittling away teams to find the 2019 champions, something caught my eye. Maybe there is an “I” in team. By this, I mean that the whole of professional sports is seeming to drift away from the notion of “teams win championships” to the selfish idea of “individuals win championships.” This cultural shift became more evident to me as I flipped between watching the San Jose Sharks and Portland Trail Blazers fight for the next game in their respective series.

As a person with a love for both watching and playing sports, it pains me to see that the idea of being a part of a team no longer seems to matter. With the explosion in popularity of fantasy sports, viewers don’t appear to care about franchises anymore. Due to fans abilities to select single players from the entire league to belong on a pseudo all-star team, fans focus on single players instead of franchises. This has led to individual athletes falling under the assumption that they are more important than the team they play for, thus inflating player egos much larger than they should be.

As a fan of the NHL, I became accustomed to seeing players work together as a unit. It was commonplace to see athletes dive in front of shots and put their physical well-being aside to help earn their team a bid to the postseason. But with the soaring egos of athletes in other sports, it’s now a regular occurrence to see athletes throwing tantrums on Twitter over petty issues or franchise hopping with the hopes of snagging a ring and a nice paycheck.

Seeing players engulf themselves in social media drama shows younger athletes that only they matter, and that maybe there’s no I in team, but there’s an I in champion. I don’t believe individuality should be outlawed in sports, nor is that the point I’m trying to make. I just think leagues should try to reintroduce to players the idea of actually caring about the rest of the roster.

Having played team sports my whole life, it was instilled to me that sometimes the group is more important than the player — that it doesn’t matter what your stat sheet read as long as you did your job. That’s what I believe team sports are about. Not how many triple-doubles or hat tricks a player got, but instead, the final score.

According to Gallup, 72% of Americans aged 18-29 watch sports in some capacity. And with such an overwhelming majority of young viewers tuning in, I believe we should be shown that it’s okay to be a part of something bigger than you; not everything is always about standing out. In the words of Olympic gold medal winning hockey coach Herb Brooks, “When you put on that jersey, the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back.”

 

Contact the author at llarsen13@wou.edu

To publish a response, contact the editor at howleditor@wou.edu

International Night: Taking Western around the world in one evening

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

For many students at Western, while Monmouth or the surrounding areas may be where they live, it isn’t necessarily what they’d call their “home.” And for some of these students, “home” is somewhere outside of the U.S. To give these students an opportunity to not only share a piece of their culture, but to give them a way to feel home away from home, Western hosted its 48th Annual International Night on May 10.

Before the festivities could begin, International Club had to put in work to make the event as extravagant as it was.

“My team, friends and club officers have helped so much in planning and getting things together for the event,” said Berlyn Buncal, president of International Club. She also added that putting it on took “a lot of work, coordination, communication and trust.”

When the doors opened at 5:30 p.m., the Pacific Room in the Werner University Center began filling with the faces of students, families and staff from all over, ready to experience a night packed with dances, songs and socializing. Welcome to a meal consisting of food from several different countries, the audience grabbed their plates, found a seat and waited for the performances to begin.

For those involved, this night meant a lot to them. It wasn’t only a way for them to show what the club has been doing, but a way to feel connected to the places they call home.

“International Night is a night where I get to learn about different cultures all parts of the world,” said Buncal. “It is an important night to me because we all miss our home, I miss my home. I want to give a chance to all our friends and students a chance to experience home in some sort of way, and we do that with our foods, performances and fashion show.”

And from there, the show began. The audience was presented a show consisting of 10 different performances. Western’s African Dance class performed a dance called the kpanlogo; student Zeya Gao sang a solo performance of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”; Jay Archer performed a violin piece he titled “Ghibli Songs”; Ruijiaming Yang sang “Can’t Love You Enough,” accompanied by Kenneth Soh on guitar; Hawai’i Club performed a dance to “Lei Ho’oheno”; Binit Shrestha played guitar and sang “Kanchi Nani Blues”; Yilei Zhao sang “Eternal Love”; A group of four girls called Heart Dust performed an upbeat dance to “Kill This Love” by Black Pink; Hermanos Del Valle performed a dance titled “Marinera Norteña; and to finish it off, Fili and Family danced in a performance titled “Samoan Sivas.”

When the performances came to a close, the fashion show commenced. Strutting the stage donning the clothes of several different countries, the performers took to the stage in twos. Showing different examples of what each country’s traditional clothing looks like, including the apparel of Mexico, China, Ethiopia, Germany, Japan and more, the models kept the audience in all smiles.

Finally, as this event fell on Mexico’s Mother’s Day, each mother in the audience was asked to stand. Then, those involved in the event delivered a rose to each standing audience member, a gift from the International Club.

At the end of the night, there was a closeness felt amongst many in the Pacific Room, even if they were strangers only hours ago.

“We get to draw closer as a family because we show so much respect for one another and we can represent that throughout the event and our lives,” explained Buncal.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photos by Caity Healy

Educators walk out for Student Success Act

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Rising early, joining together and donning red shirts, Oregon educators in Portland, Salem, Eugene, Medford, Bend and Klamath Falls made a statement on May 8, 2019. With thousands of teachers, students and community members going out into their neighborhoods throughout the state, their message was clear: pass the Student Success Act.

“The Student Success Act is a bill that is designed to start making up for the disinvestment in education that began in the early nineties with Measure 5. It would reduce class sizes, it would provide mental health care, it would provide pre-k funding — it would really do a lot to change our schools and to start to get them back to where they belong,” said Ben Gorman, English teacher at Central High School. “It’s not the end of the road … but this is a real excellent start for our students and what they need.”

On the day of the walkout, a large number of Central School District teachers got up early to stand outside CHS, then go to a larger event in Salem and finally come back to CHS at the end of the day. Community members honked continually in support for those holding signs.

As of May 8, this piece of legislation had passed through the Oregon House of Representatives; however, on May 13, it passed through the Oregon Senate, as well.

When speaking about the motivation for this school walk-out, Gorman shared the sentiment that had led many teachers to protest.

“So often teachers are just so exhausted by a very difficult job, and they say to themselves, ‘I need to focus on my own kids, and I can’t focus on politics of how to support my kids,’” said Gorman. “But we’ve gotten to the point where teachers are saying, ‘Enough is enough. I can’t possibly do this.’”

After educators had protested in a similar way on President’s Day without any reaction from the legislature, Central Education Association President and math teacher Laura Waight described the shift that took place.

“The conversation began to transition to ‘how do we get the legislators’ attention?’ And the only way: shut it down,” said Waight. “Shut it down and show them that we’re willing to take an unpaid day to show them how serious we are.”

While some people may be opposed to the Student Success Act for fear of their taxes raising, Gorman shared why this fear is unfounded.

“One of the things you’ll hear is ‘this is going to be a tax increase on the people in our state,’ and that’s just false. In fact, if it passes, this will be a tax cut for your average Oregonian,” said Gorman.

“What the Student Success Act has done, which is historic in Oregon, is to ask corporations that make a million dollars or more in the state of Oregon for a small tax on that money,” added Waight. “The same corporations which were against something like this (with bills in the past) are now for it — Nike, Powell’s, HP, and some other big Oregon companies are now saying, ‘please tax us because we see the result of having underfunded schools.’”

In the end, both Waight and Gorman asserted that support for students is something that should be a universal goal — not something considered partisan — even if you believe it should be done another way, as approximately 25% of teachers in the district do.

“We can’t say that standing on the street corner or going to Salem is going to change anything, but what we do know for sure is that if we continue not to do anything, then nothing will change,” said Waight. “We have to change the game.”

The final step before the Student Success Act is passed is for it to be signed by Governor Brown.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos by Bailey Thompson

Real Time Class Availability returns

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

While students may not think very much about the way that they find their classes on a daily basis, a significant percentage of Western students became upset when they learned that the Real-Time Class Availability feature had been removed from Western’s Portal.

Noticing this frustration among students, the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kathy Cassity, turned to Honors Program Director Gavin Keulks to get a feel for student approval or disapproval for the new system along with why.

“Our registrar’s office works extraordinarily hard to develop or reimagine processes for everyone’s benefit,” said Keulks, acknowledging the effort that went into the new scheduling system.

With that said, however, Keulks also noted that the way students responded to the new system was primarily negative.

“I think their intentions were in the right place with this change, but the regular real-time availability function is beloved by students, well formatted and easy to use, so that made changing it harder than anticipated,” said Keulks.

After sending out a survey at Dean Cassity’s request, 83.3% of students surveyed indicated that they either “strongly disapproved” or “disapproved” of the new system, citing ease of use, speed and layout as their primary reasons for disliking the new system.

With this information in hand, Amy Clark, the University Registrar, shared the news with students via email on April 30 that they would now have both options to choose from.

“The Real-Time Schedule View is back by popular demand,” said Clark.

Having delivered this update, Clark then shared with students some of the benefits that using the new system could have, if they were willing to learn the different format. With the new system, students can use the enhanced search feature to find classes based on location, instructional method, course attribute, title, days of the weeks, start and end times and/or credit hours.

Both of these options are now available for students to use on Western’s website.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Western’s Dance Department hosts 2019 Spring Dance Concert

Mikaela Wong | Staff Writer

Western Oregon University’s annual Spring Dance Concert commenced over the weekend, May 9-11, and with it, brought intricate dance routines incorporating styles such as ballet, neo-classical, and contemporary. The various dance styles were accented by bold costumes and makeup which further emphasized the themes of each piece.

One piece called “To Become Without Fear” consisted of black clothing, dark makeup and jerky movements which highlighted the theme of conquering one’s fears and hardships in hope for a better life. Ali McCarthy, a senior English major, expressed the difficulties she faced portraying a much more intimidating style of dance.

“I’m so used to doing ‘pretty’ kind of dancing which is more flowy, has proper movements and is a lot of fluid (movements),” said McCarthy. “This is more scary, edgy and like possessed kind of dancing so it got me out of my comfort zone.”

Sharon Oberst, one of the main choreographers, announced her retirement after 32 loyal years in the school’s dance department. Her piece, “End Pointe”, captured both the beauty of the pointe dance technique and the sentiment of the end of her legacy at Western. Pointe is a form of classical ballet and is a technique that requires the dancer to support all their body weight on the tips of their fully extended feet whilst wearing specific pointe shoes which have special material in the front to support them.

Eva Batenhorst, a junior pursuing a double major in dance and biology, was the soloist in Oberst’s piece and expressed her gratitude to the soon-to-be-retired choreographer.

“This the final dance that she choreographed for it and she blessed me with a solo in it, so that’s awesome,” said Batenhorst. “I haven’t done a pointe (piece) since senior year in high school and this will also be my last time doing a pointe piece.”

The final piece of the show was called “Into the Mystic” and seized the attention of the audience through mesmerizing light-up props and baton spinning while telling an enticing love story. The intricacy of the movements along with the long duration of the piece itself made the skills of the dancers even more palpable.

Throughout the show, various dancers in different costumes performed expressive pieces that showcased not only their physical capabilities, but also their ability to portray emotion through facial expressions, interactions between dancers and purposeful body movements. The variety of dances included dancers from all kinds of different backgrounds and experiences, while the clean-cut dance routines and articulate costumes reflected the hard work and practice that the dance department had invested in the last six months.

“We try to take it as professionally as we can and not a lot of people realize how much we really put in,” said McCarthy. “Everybody has a place here which is nice because you can have any level and someone is going to find a place for you.”

 

Contact the author at mwong16@wou.edu

Photos by Paul F. Davis

This week in completely made up horoscopes

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[fruitful_tab title=”Aries 3/21-4/19″] The star dog Cooper graces you with his presence and wishes you the best. He knows you need it. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Taurus 4/20-5/20″] Sorry Taurus, the stars are busy right now, please leave a message after the beep. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Gemini 5/21-6/20″] Time to plant your garden, Gemini. Get it done now, and your odds of harvesting one salad’s worth of vegetables by the end of the season will be likely-ish. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Cancer 6/21-7/22″] Listen, I don’t even know what I am having for dinner. How am I going to help you with your crappy life. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Leo 7/23-8/22″] The mitochondria is the alpha of the horde. Don’t touch it because it will bite you. Ow. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Virgo 8/23-9/22″] ~live, laugh, love~ “Ugh yas, that honestly represents me so well like tbh you just wouldn’t get it.” [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Libra 9/23-10/22″] The stars would like to thank caffeine for sponsoring this week’s horoscopes. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Scorpio 10/23-11/21″] P E T T H E D O G [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Sagittarius 11/22-12/21″] Girls are great. Treasure the ladies in your life, Sagittarius. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Capricorn 12/22-1/19″] In six months it’ll be October. Happy half birthday-month, Pumpkin King. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Aquarius 1/20-2/18″] YEEAASS END OF THE TERM!!! Wait what? We’ve still got three weeks to go? Oof. Hold in there, Aquarius. [/fruitful_tab]

[fruitful_tab title=”Pisces 2/19-3/20″] I know, I know… I am sorry we just have to end things…. It’s been four years, Western. It’s hard for me to … but I just need to leave. You’ll find someone else, don’t worry. [/fruitful_tab]

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Guest Opinion: Western should accommodate for all the different student study needs

[fruitful_alert type=”alert-Info”]Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in guest opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Western Howl.[/fruitful_alert]

Suzana Carroll | Guest Contributor

We all know someone that does their best work late at night, but does Western accommodate them? Hamersly Library closes at 12 a.m., and does not reopen until 7:30 a.m. the next day, with only one small space open for 24 hours. Students who live on campus have the lounges in their respective dorms that are available to them at all hours, but what about those that cannot focus in the lounges or at home?

There needs to be more 24-hour study space available to individuals that live both on and off campus. There does not need to be an entire building dedicated to being open 24 hours but there definitely needs to be more than one room that is available; perhaps the bottom floor of Hamersly Library, so students can have tables, whiteboards, books/computers available to them and most importantly, a place where they feel they can focus and be productive.

By opening a bigger study space more student jobs could be created, and it would cater to those students who are more functional in the night hours. It would also allow for them to work on whatever they need to get done. Western has approximately 6,000 students, and only having one small 24-hour study space is very limiting and does not seem very inclusive to those who need to leave their living space to do their homework during night hours.

With Monmouth being a small town, late-night study spots are very limited. I interviewed a student who I saw was working in the 24-hour room and they said, “We need a bigger space on campus that can hold more than 30 people maximum because sometimes it gets pretty loud in the room and it becomes harder to focus on what I need to get done”.

The 24-hour room is open to anyone in the Monmouth/Independence area who wishes to use it. Opening a larger space would ensure that everyone who needs to use the resources that Western provides has a chance to and does not feel that the hours limit their abilities. Like most things, opening a space for a longer period of time results in higher costs. However, the library lights do stay on all night long, and the 24-hour room does not have constant supervision. While there would probably be added costs to student payroll to keep the floor supervised, it would only add up to about $80 per shift before taxes. There are many students that are night owls and would love to make the extra money while being able to do their own work. This idea has been implemented at various state universities such as Portland State, Oregon State and University of Oregon.

While there is a higher cost for student employment, keeping a larger study space open for 24 hours will most likely benefit and accommodate a large population of students and others who utilize the Western Oregon library because it allows for those individuals to have a quiet, constructive study space at night.

 

Contact the author at scarroll15@wou.edu

To publish a response, contact the editor at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo by Ashlynn Norton

Opinion: Major keys of physical activity

Paul F. Davis | Managing Editor

As college students, some of us often wish we could switch our major (wouldn’t it be nice to be an art major for a day?), but for obvious reasons, that usually isn’t possible. But if you could, in a short period of time, know the most important pieces of information from a specific major, why would you not learn those things? Well, now’s your chance. But more importantly, I believe it’s the duty of each student to learn as much as you can about as many subjects as possible, because it could get you out of a bad position. Here’s an opportunity to learn about a major that you might not be involved with.

I am a graduating senior from Western’s Exercise Science Program and I have learned about all the main fields that have anything to do with exercise. I have built multiple research-based exercise programs; I know how to most effectively teach a person how to do a novel task; I can help anyone make long term change happen in their fitness and nutrition habits; and most importantly, I can tell you if protein powder will actually get you yoked.

First things first: no, protein powder will not get you yoked alone. Hypertrophy, the scientific name for muscle growth, only occurs when you overload your muscles. This overload then stimulates the process of repair. This process of repair is what eventually leads to yoke-ness and in order to repair, materials to rebuild are needed; in this case, this requires protein. Protein, which is uptaken from your diet, will then be passed along to areas of overload. The key here is that muscle growth is linked to overload or the amount of exercise you do, not the levels of protein consumption or the type of protein you are consuming. However, if you struggle to meet your base levels of protein needs, your body will not grow. It will instead stay the same or even atrophy, the opposite of hypertrophy. So, if you struggle to consume enough protein from diet alone, then you should definitely supplement with protein powder.

When it comes to trying to change our diet or our exercise levels we are often told the exactly wrong things to do. Diet-wise, we are often told to diet, which cuts out all carbs, or we are told to just eat cabbage soup for a week. Exercise-wise, we are told that one 90-day program will get us “RIPPED” or “toned.” But these changes are too extreme for most, and most in turn lose no weight or don’t change their activity.

The most effective way to change long term is to make small changes in everyday life to create healthy habits. Instead of going on that cabbage diet that will ruin your mood, start by eating the same foods and reducing portion size. Instead of working out while some overly-aggressive man screams at you through the TV, go on a walk and jog consistently to build a workout habit. For those that don’t eat healthy and don’t workout because their habits say so, change your habits with small changes and then your body will follow.

What should I do when I build a workout program? Well, the American College of Sports Medicine gives a few specific tips to maximize your workouts. To get better at running or biking, you should try to run or bike at least 20 minutes, but optimally more, three times a week — but five is best in order to be more fit. For weightlifting, you should be lifting weights two to three days a week with 24-48 hours of space between workouts at two to four sets of eight to twelve reps.  

So much more could be said about so many different subjects in the world of exercise science but hopefully this article helps to satisfy your desire to learn about new subjects and gives you tools to be a healthier human. If anything, you should remember that if you want accurate information about how to be more healthy, don’t trust that fitness model or celebrity, trust exercise professionals because like any subject that can be studied in college, it’s complicated.

 

Contact the author at pfdavis14@wou.edu

Mother’s Day at Western: Showing appreciation for moms who are students

Caity Healy | Editor in Chief

Mother’s Day: A time to celebrate the maternal figures in our lives who have helped us reach the point we are at now. Whoever that person is for you, an important date is coming up. Falling on May 12 this year, this holiday gives us an opportunity to thank mothers for all that they do.                                                                                                                                         

It’s no secret that being a mother is a difficult thing to be. Add student to the job title, and the position just became all-the-more demanding — and all-the-more rewarding. Three mothers shared what it’s like to be both a student and a mom, and discussed some of the obstacles they’ve overcome and experienced to reach the point that they’re at now.

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Demeter Finch

Demeter graduated high school in 2001. Since then, she’s been trying to get her bachelor’s degree, going to school off and on for 18 years. For the past six years, she’s been married. About four years in to her marriage, the two took notice of something.

“We started asking … ‘Why do we have no babies yet?’ And we were told … I couldn’t have kids,” said Demeter.

So, she continued pushing forward with school. However, about one year ago, she received news she didn’t think she ever would: “I found out I was 16 weeks pregnant,” said Demeter.

“The same week I found out I was in the Interpreting Program, and the same week I got accepted to Seabeck, I found out I was pregnant.”

When speaking with Demeter, the amount of love she felt for her daughter, Persephone, was obvious.

“She still doesn’t sleep through the night. She’s a mommy’s-girl,” said Demeter. “She’s very opinionated — she’s just my mini-me.”

Being both a mother and a student, Demeter has faced some obstacles as she attempts to finish out her final year at Western.

“For all of her firsts, I don’t necessarily want to miss those but I know I have to keep coming to school and finish what I started for her,” said Demeter. “So definitely, as a mom, the guilt of leaving her at home … sometimes it’s not always easy. Especially with the added idea that I didn’t think I would ever have her … she’s super special so I need to be there.”

But despite all of the struggles she faces, the thing that helps her pull through is her perseverance.

“I think that people think ‘oh it’s not possible’ — but it is possible. You just have to pick and choose what your priorities are,” said Demeter. “If you have something that you want to do, just hold on to it. You can get it no matter what, just keep pushing.”

Photo courtesy of Liz McClellan

[fruitful_sep]

Arianna Stone

Arianna’s story began by her moving to Australia after graduating high school in 2008 to work, save money, and practice her photography. When she moved back to the US in 2011, she became a full-time photographer. After difficulties keeping her photography business alive with Patrick, her then business-partner, now husband, the two began facing even more obstacles.

In 2013, the home they were renting burned down. From there they’d couch hop, until they moved in with parents to save money. In 2014, they got married, bought their first home, and Arianna became pregnant with their first child, Eleanor. When she was born, Arianna became a stay-at-home mom.

Soon, Arianna and Patrick realized they weren’t making enough to save for important life events. Due to that, paired with several other reasons, they decided to go back to school. Arianna attended Chemeketa Community College where she earned her associate degree and had her second child, Henry, in 2018. Now, she is in her junior year at Western.

With her and her husband both attending school, there are certainly some challenges.

“Scheduling is so much harder when you have little people to take care of,” said Arianna. “I can’t just take whatever classes I want to take, whenever I want to take them.” On top of that, she added that getting care for her two children can be very expensive — so much so, that she had to pick up a full-time job while being a full-time student to pay for it.

Struggles aside, there are several reasons that Arianna feels that her experience is rewarding, as well.

“My daughter got to be at my community college graduation … and that made me so proud,” she said. “My daughter will see me do this, and know that nothing is impossible for her.”

Arianna made it clear just how important her children are to her.

“We all have our reasons for attending college, and my kids are a big part of mine,” she said.

Photo courtesy of Arianna Stone

[fruitful_sep]

Liz McClellan

In 1991, Liz graduated high school and began her college education at Chemeketa Community College, planning to go into teaching. After a couple of years, she left, started working, then came back — this time at Portland Community College, where she got a degree in dental hygiene.

For 21 years, she worked as a dental hygienist. During these years, she had her daughter, Annika, and her son, Liam. But, eventually, she was ready to go back to school to continue her education in teaching, taking one year online at Oregon State University, and the rest at Western Oregon.

As a single mother, an obstacle she faced was trying to figure out how to support herself to go back to school. But luckily, she has a huge support system. So much so, that she keeps a list of all of the people who have been a support to her over the years.

“I have a little notebook, and anytime I get help from someone or even a kind word — and my kids are on that list, too … as well as their dad, and step-mom — they go on the list, and the list is very long,” said Liz. “It’s not a solo journey.”

Having the support of her children was incredibly important to Liz. When she was transitioning back into being a student, her whole family sat down to figure it out. The response she got from Annika and Liam made the transition easier.

“I got their support to do this, so that really helped. But it’s hard to miss things,” said Liz. Her decision was not only supported by her children and family, but also by other moms.

“A lot of moms who had had children were like, ‘You should just go for it, and don’t worry about what anyone says.’ And I just got some really good encouragement from other women. So that’s what I want to do,” said Liz. “Go for it, you can do it.”

Photo by Caity Healy

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Fanny packs: utility you can make stylish

Cora McClain | Copy Editor

Fanny packs — they’re not just for great Aunt Martha, they can be for you too. Just look around campus and I’m sure you’ll see these trendy packs popping up on the waists of students. As a huge advocator for fanny packs, it appals me to see people hating on what is obviously the most ingenious invention humanity ever stumbled upon.

Keeping your hands free and back or shoulder painless, this waist-slinging pack allows you to do more while still holding all of your important items. And there’s another thing, with a limited amount of space — though some can be quite spacious with many pockets — you only take the necessities with you wherever you go and are not bogged down by unnecessary things.

However, some people feel adversed to these glorious little hip pouches due to their cringe-factor. But guess what; like all trends, the fanny pack trend is coming back around.

Celebrities are highlighting just how viable these little utility packs are. “The Cut” attributes the explosion of fanny pack fashion to Kendall Jenner and her vast collection of fanny packs.

Whether on the street like Rihanna, or on the red carpet like Jimmy Kimmel, a fanny pack can enhance any outfit. Have a nice black dress? Pair it with a sleek black fanny pack. Want something a little more out there? Try out a clear or iridescent snake skin pack. You can even wear them over your shoulder or across your torso to up the trend factor! The options are endless and relatively cheap if you order on Amazon. If you’re wanting to go a little more fancy, can even get designer fanny packs from Louis Vuitton or Prada.

Give these trendy little packs a try, and you might just become a fanny pack fannatic too.

 

Contact the author at howlcopyeditor@wou.edu

Photos by Paul F. Davis & Ashlynn Norton

Campus voices: LACC edition

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

“I really like intro to fiction ‘cause there’s a lot of really good discussion. Also, even though I’m usually not a science person, I really liked Earth Science.”

-Rowan Hammer, sophomore economics and criminal justice major

[fruitful_sep]

“Theater with Ted Dechatelet.”

-Casey Brown, junior business major

[fruitful_sep]

“Jazz history if you like music.”

-Mateo Batista, sophomore biology and chemistry major

 

“Choir is a lot of fun … I love choir and it’s a one credit class you can take multiple times. Or Philosophy with Perlman…or Earth Science with Dr. Wade.”

-Conner Price, senior political science major

 

Photos by Rebecca Meyers

The Coming Out Monologues return to Western

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

On April 30, 1997, Ellen DeGeneres came out on her sitcom, “Ellen.” In an episode titled “The Puppy Episode” when she tells her therapist, played by Oprah Winfrey, that she is attracted to women, making “Ellen” the first sitcom to feature a gay main character.

In honor of this landmark, Western’s SafeZone program puts on a biannual performance titled “The Coming Out Monologues.” The Monologues are performed on or around SafeZone’s birthday, April 30.

“On April 30, 2000 was the Millennium March on Washington for LGBTQ Equality. That’s why we picked that date for the SafeZone birthday,” said coordinator CM Hall. Hall, with the help of Ted deChatelet, manages the show every two years.

The SafeZone program started at Western in 2006, and according to their website, “seeks to form an allying network of students, faculty and staff committed and trained to provide safe, non-judgmental and supportive contacts for all WOU community members regarding LGBTQ+ issues.” This program provides the campus with community events and Ally trainings. SafeZone partners with Abby’s House, Stonewall Center and Triangle Alliance to produce the Monologues.

“I was a queer student during a very different time at Western. The early/mid-90’s — when the faculty, admin, staff, and students were silent or hostile and there just weren’t many of us, or any out faculty or staff to gain support from,” commented Hall. Since Hall returned to Western as a staff member in 2006, she has been working to change Western’s community for the better.

“Western feels entirely different. It’s become such an affirming and supportive place for folks who have different sexual and gender identities … It further validates and normalizes our lived experiences,” Hall said.

The Coming Out Monologues are stories authored and performed by Western students, staff and faculty. The stories are funny, serious and often heartbreaking.

“They are a representation of the diverse and unique experiences of people who identify within the LGBTQ+ community and/or as straight allies,” described Hall.

This year’s performance included six student performers: Aeron Esch, Hannah Bachelor, Hannah Hardcastle, Maria Bercerra, Max Groshong and Tyler Martin. Staff members performed as well: Annika Joy Barnett, Chrys Burcham, Rebecca Chiles and Chad A. Ludwig.

The first show took place in 2015, then was performed again in 2017. The turnout is always substantial, and it’s commonplace to need extra chairs on standby.

“The most fulfilling part for me is audience response and reaction. How folks really connect and resonate with someone’s story — even if that audience member isn’t LGBTQ,” said Hall, “there’s an electricity and bond in the room as we watch folks share their stories. Their truths. We all feel let in on someone’s journey and it’s a really special and sacred experience.”

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo by Ashlynn Norton

Musical guest, Deac Guidi, and staff serenade Smith Hall

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

On April 30, 1997, Ellen DeGeneres came out on her sitcom, “Ellen.” In an episode titled “The Puppy Episode” when she tells her therapist, played by Oprah Winfrey, that she is attracted to women, making “Ellen” the first sitcom to feature a gay main character.

In honor of this landmark, Western’s SafeZone program puts on a biannual performance titled “The Coming Out Monologues.” The Monologues are performed on or around SafeZone’s birthday, April 30.

“On April 30, 2000 was the Millennium March on Washington for LGBTQ Equality. That’s why we picked that date for the SafeZone birthday,” said coordinator CM Hall. Hall, with the help of Ted deChatelet, manages the show every two years.

The SafeZone program started at Western in 2006, and according to their website, “seeks to form an allying network of students, faculty and staff committed and trained to provide safe, non-judgmental and supportive contacts for all WOU community members regarding LGBTQ+ issues.” This program provides the campus with community events and Ally trainings. SafeZone partners with Abby’s House, Stonewall Center and Triangle Alliance to produce the Monologues.

“I was a queer student during a very different time at Western. The early/mid-90’s — when the faculty, admin, staff, and students were silent or hostile and there just weren’t many of us, or any out faculty or staff to gain support from,” commented Hall. Since Hall returned to Western as a staff member in 2006, she has been working to change Western’s community for the better.

“Western feels entirely different. It’s become such an affirming and supportive place for folks who have different sexual and gender identities … It further validates and normalizes our lived experiences,” Hall said.

The Coming Out Monologues are stories authored and performed by Western students, staff and faculty. The stories are funny, serious and often heartbreaking.

“They are a representation of the diverse and unique experiences of people who identify within the LGBTQ+ community and/or as straight allies,” described Hall.

This year’s performance included six student performers: Aeron Esch, Hannah Bachelor, Hannah Hardcastle, Maria Bercerra, Max Groshong and Tyler Martin. Staff members performed as well: Annika Joy Barnett, Chrys Burcham, Rebecca Chiles and Chad A. Ludwig.

The first show took place in 2015, then was performed again in 2017. The turnout is always substantial, and it’s commonplace to need extra chairs on standby.

“The most fulfilling part for me is audience response and reaction. How folks really connect and resonate with someone’s story — even if that audience member isn’t LGBTQ,” said Hall, “there’s an electricity and bond in the room as we watch folks share their stories. Their truths. We all feel let in on someone’s journey and it’s a really special and sacred experience.”

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo by Ashlynn Norton

Review: “Endgame” is a fan service film

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

Even as someone who got into “The Avengers” franchise relatively late and has yet to watch all of the movies, I was super impressed by “Infinity War.” Naturally, then, I was very excited as the “Endgame” release date got closer and closer. I researched theories online, and even created a few of my own in anticipation of the film. By the end of premier night, though, I found that I had lost all my previous enthusiasm. In fact, I was fairly disappointed.

It seemed as though all the wonderful suspense built up in “Infinity War” crashed and burned within the first half-hour of the newest film. From the beginning, every “plot twist” seemed like the most convenient one to explain why the story progressed the way it did. All of a sudden, Thanos had morals. Scott Lang shoots out of a van and has the answer to the biggest plotline Marvel has been building up to in the past 10-or-so years. And Thor is fat now.

It’s not that the movie itself lacks intricacies, it doesn’t. The intricacies are just predictable. Time travel has been a theme repeated in multiple movies less successful than the Marvel cinematic universe. Although “Endgame” tackled time travel in a comprehensive way, and it was something that a fair amount of people anticipated, the way this movie arrived as time travel as a solution seemed a little rushed and I was left wondering why no one had thought of it earlier. This feeling intensified after Tony found the “secret” of time travel within 20 seconds of trying even though it was mentioned earlier in the film to be nearly impossible.

Another disappointment was how the most powerful avenger factored into the storyline. The “Captain Marvel” movie was released so soon before “Endgame” that I was sure that she would have a prominent role in this film as well. Captain Marvel got very little screen-time, and was only used as a last-ditch, “oh yeah, there she is” plot device.

Overall, “Endgame” wasn’t a completely terrible movie. The fight scenes were done well and creative, per usual. Also, I love the Hulk so I wasn’t too sad about the amount of screentime he received. But for a three hour movie, it felt fairly empty plot-wise and most of the big events were predictable, especially in the last big fight scene.

 

Overall Rating: “Endgame” is an enjoyable movie, but I found it was more enjoyable if you don’t go in with any kind of expectations.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of marvel.com

Meet your Western Oregon Rugby Pacific Coast All-Stars: Caver and Treat

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

It began on April 13, as four Men’s Rugby players took to the pitch after being invited to try out for the Pacific Coast All-Star team: Joey Caver, Matt Cornish, Kai Segundo and Trever Kahunahana. After Caver had been pulled aside and asked to join the team on the spot, the three others patiently awaited to hear whether or not they had performed at the level the coaches were wanting. May 1 was the day they’d hear the news, but before they could, another player was met with a surprise.

On April 29, senior Alex Treat was asked if he wanted to join the All-Star team. He wasn’t one of the original four invited to try out, so when he was contacted, he didn’t exactly see it coming.

“From what I gathered, they were watching film on some of the other guys, and while they were watching film they saw me playing … and then they decided they wanted me on the team,” said Treat. “I got a text from the head coach, and basically he said ‘hey we want you on our team. We want you to come play with us in Houston.”

Upon receiving the news that he was now an All-Star, he couldn’t help but feel eager.

“I was incredibly excited. I felt very honored to be selected and to go and perform,” said Treat. “I kind of thought my season was done, but I’m glad it’s not.”

On May 1, after weeks of waiting, the names of who would be on the team were released — out of the four Wolves who tried out, Caver was the single name presented to represent Western, with Treat added on, as well. Now, they’re preparing for what’s to come.

“I am running and working out, doing drills, practicing some skills stuff — just trying any way I can to be in the best shape possible to perform,” said Treat.

On May 11, Caver and Treat will be flying out to San Diego for a rugby camp. There, they’ll get to know their new teammates and learn how they play, as well as how their coach wants the team structured.

“I’m nervous, but I’m more excited than nervous. I’ve been training for this since I started playing rugby, and I’m just happy for the opportunity to go out and play … I couldn’t have gotten here without my teammates,” said Treat.

Catch the two in action on May 23, as they’re heading to Houston, Texas for the All-Star tournament.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo by Caity Healy

Athlete Profile: Staying on track with Rachel Bayly

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

“It’s such an integral part of my life, and I don’t know how it got to that point. I can’t imagine my life without sports,” said Rachel Bayly. A cross-country and track athlete in her junior year as a Wolf, Bayly has been involved in some sport — either cross country, track or basketball, and at times, all three — her entire life. So accustomed to that setting as part of her everyday life, it altered the way she experienced her time her at Western.

“Coming here … the team was such a family. So it made that transition to college so much easier,” commented Bayly.

But on top of the close-knit community she built with those around her each day, it changed her college experience in other ways, too.

“It teaches me time-management,” said Bayly. “It’s just this understanding that … I’m going to go to school but I’m also going to take on this other thing.”

Bayly grew up in Moscow, Idaho. A small town with a population around 25,000, according to census.gov. Although there’s often an idea that small towns leave teens with nothing to do, Bayly always kept herself busy.

“I was a three-sport athlete back in high school,” said Bayly. “So, definitely a lot going on. There was a one-day break between cross-country and basketball. I was always going.”

Aside from athletics, Bayly maintained a full schedule.

“My mom owns a daycare back in Moscow, so I worked at the daycare … So I’d get out of school, go and pick kids up from elementary school, take them back, do homework with them, then I’d go to practice,” said Bayly.

Any free time that Bayly came across usually happened during the summer. When she had it, she took advantage of it.

“There’s not a lot to do in Moscow,” explained Bayly. “But I’d go downtown with friends. I have a lot of family in Moscow … so weekends with family, barbecues and stuff like that.”

The small town charm that Bayly found with Moscow actually played a part in why she ended up coming to Western.

“Monmouth reminded me of Moscow. The farm fields all around, the trees… it’s really nice,” said Bayly. She also added that she came here because, “it was kind of the size of the school I was looking for … and then also the fact that the coach asked me to run on the cross country team was really exciting.”

Now a student at Western, Bayly’s major is interdisciplinary studies with focuses in early childhood education and social science. With that, she hopes to go into policy making to help low-income families afford high quality care for their children. But her absolute dream job goes even deeper than that.

“It’s hard because I’ve always had this vision of every kid in the United States having access to high quality early care … and every kid is loved and cared for in an awesome environment — I have no idea how to make that happen,” said Bayly. “So maybe my dream job would be a CEO of a nonprofit that’s doing amazing things for kids, or maybe a really influential policy writer … So I don’t know, I’m still figuring out the path.”

As a student in a town that’s 419 miles away from where she calls home, Bayly still manages to find ways to keep herself busy outside of her sport of the season.

“I like to read. I’m reading “Game of Thrones” right now so I’m avoiding social media because I don’t want spoilers from the show,” said Bayly. “I like hikes and being outside … my sister and I just went on a backpacking trip over spring break … And, of course, working with kids whenever I can.”

For those curious, Bayly’s favorite hike she has ever been on was to Opal Creek, when she went early in the season with her roommates last year, and her favorite book of all time was either “Kite Runner” or “Lord of the Rings.”

As for her future as an athlete, Bayly expressed emotion towards one sport that she has been neglecting in recent years.

“I really miss basketball, and I’m hoping to get into a rec-league or something,” she said. As for running, though, her plans for the future are clear.

“I love running,” Bayly said. “I can’t imagine my life without running, so I’ll definitely keep that up.”

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo by Paul F. Davis

Spring Intramural leaderboard: The top teams of each sport

Softball:

 

Co-Rec Sunday Night League

Broke Bat Mountain 4-0

Benchwarmers 3-1

Always Going Deep 3-1

Swingers 2-1

Misfits 2-2

Masterbatterz 1-2

Dunder Mifflin Inc. 0-4

Wait for it…. 0-4

 

Co-Rec Thursday Evening League

Basic Pitches 2-0

Soft balls 2-1

The One Hit Wonders 1-1

Bad Apples 1-2

Rolling Bunts 0-2

 

Men’s Monday Evening League

Opihi Lickahz 2-0

Rippin Magoos 1-1

Dirty Ball Bags 1-1

Blue Ballers 0-2

 

Soccer:

 

Co-Rec Tuesday/Thursday Evenings

Los Linguistas 3-0

Look ma, no hands 1-0

Head Game Strong 1-1

Your Goalie’s Nightmare 1-1

Dunder Miffln 1-2

Grace & The Funky Bunch 1-2

Team World 0-2

 

Volleyball:

 

Co-Rec Competitive

Killah Hawaiians 5-0

Bumpin’ 2-2

Meow Down 2-3

Wait for it…. 0-4

 

Co-Rec Recreational Monday/Tuesday Evenings

Incomprehensibilities 5-0

Scott’s Tots 5-1

Work for sets 2-4

I’d hit that 0-4

 

Co-Rec Recreational Wednesday/Thursday Evenings

The Agents 3-2

Spiked Tea 2-2

S.S.F.F.F.A.F.F. 0-4

NO VOLLEYBALL FINAL 0-0

 

Men’s/Women’s

Joey’s Men’s VB Team 4-1

Ball Busters 3-2

Bumping balls 2-2

Meet the Blockers 2-3

Mas Hits 1-4

Celebrating Earth Day

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

With crowds of people moving from station to station — enjoying the warmth of a sunny Saturday in the Grove — Green Team members and volunteers in blue t-shirts helped explain the many activities that were included in Green Team’s Annual Earth Fair on May 4. Although Earth Day may have passed a couple weeks ago on April 22, the members of Green Team were still eager to share their knowledge and enthusiasm with the Western community at large.

As one of the organizers of the event and Green Team’s Treasurer, Liv Geisler-Wagner shared some of the things that were featured in this year’s Earth Fair event. A few of the just-for-fun elements included tie dye t-shirts, volleyball, food, Sibling Weekend stations, face painting and henna tattoos, but there were also a number of stations with practical crafts that attendees could use in their day-to-day lives as well.

“We have reusable dryer sheets, which are basically just old t-shirt scraps you can make at home,” said Geisler-Wagner. “You put a couple drops of essential oil in a jar with some vinegar, and then we put t-shirt scraps in there. You just throw one in with your laundry when you put it in the dryer — the exact same as a dryer sheet. Then you can reuse them as many times as you want.”

Geisler-Wagner also mentioned a couple of other easy, creative things that students could do with their old household items.

“We also have plastic bag bracelets, which is a good way to reuse your plastics since a lot of plastics, including the bags, can’t be recycled,” said Geisler-Wagner.

In order to test student knowledge on recycling, Green Team also concocted a game which asked students to determine which items from a given set were able to be recycled.

And on another practical note, Green Team also chose to coordinate efforts with the Physical Plant in order to plant flowers on campus — right on the edge of the Grove.

While students who attended the Green Team Earth Fair received a number of specific strategies they could use in the future, Geisler-Wagner shared that there are other simple resources that those who didn’t attend can use to get involved as well.

“Google is your friend,” said Geisler-Wagner. “Most of what we do is Googling ‘sustainable crafts’ or ‘how can I reduce my plastic consumption’ or ‘how can I be greener in a dorm?’”

Students also have a fitting resource in Green Team themselves, and Geisler-Wagner conveyed that there are a number of ways that students can be in contact with them

“Our office is in Heritage. So, if you’re in Heritage and you’d like to stop by, if the door’s open, we’re there,” said Geisler-Wagner. “We have our office hours poster on the door… And if they don’t live in Heritage, they can also email us, and we can let them in if we know they’re coming.”

In addition to this, interested students can also contact Green Team on their social media accounts, and Geisler-Wagner can be reached directly at ogeislerwagner16@wou.edu.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo by Ashlynn Norton

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