Mount Hood

Wolves’s rugby shuts out the Willamette Bearcats

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

The post-season was at stake for the Wolves as players took the field for Western’s last regular season rugby match. Willamette entered the game with the ability to slam the door on the hopes of a playoff berth for the Wolves. But Western had other plans.

Prior to the game, the Wolves sat at second place in National Small College Rugby Organization standings behind Central Oregon Community College. If they beat the Bearcats, the Wolves would clinch a second place spot. And if COCC or Western wins the bid to host the playoffs, the Wolves will extend their season into postseason. With this in mind, Western rugby knew this match was a must win.

The first minutes of the game were a defensive slugfest as neither team wanted to give an inch. Through the use of brute force, Western broke the stalemate, fighting their way down to score the first try and nailed the conversion to make it 7-0.

Time ticked away as both teams defenses refused to give an inch to each other. After another defensive chess match, Western broke out of a scrum and battered their way to another score with a conversion. After this, the floodgates were opened.

Back to back to back breakaway runs from the Wolves led to three more tries, bringing the score to a lopsided 33-0.

“We were really fluid and we had a lot of compatibility between us so we were just feeding off each other. We just had a strong connection through the game,” said senior exercise science major Riley Bardes on the offense’s play.

However, this utter domination from the Wolves offense perhaps overshadowed the stellar defensive play from the Wolves.

“I think we did better on defense than we did on offense,” said Bardes. “We held them to nothing.”

Western’s defense gave up zero points and never even let the Bearcats past the half.

Going into halftime, signs of the physicality of the game started to show. Willamette, who already had a small bench of reserve players, started to see athletes fall victim to injury.

After the half the referee announced that Willamette would be unable to finish the game due to their not having enough players healthy to field a full team. After this announcement, Western broke their huddle, looking at the scoreboard with smiles, knowing that the 33-0 shutout in the final game of the regular season may pave the way for the Wolves to the playoffs.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Western’s LGBTQ+ club holds their fall dance

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

While some people might have expected the middle of the term to involve overwhelmed college students staying in their rooms and eating instant noodles, this wasn’t the reality for all — a fact which Triangle Alliance recently proved. Dancing under a disco ball and playing card games with friends, the Western club hosted Pajama Jammy Jam on Nov. 2 as a time for LGBTQ+ community members and allies to come together and enjoy a night of wholesome fun in the Werner University Center.

With a fairly open structure to the event, attendees were free to socialize, dance, play games and enjoy a variety of refreshments. During the second half of the event, club members held a drawing and gave away five different prize bundles to those in attendance.

When asked what the goal of the event was, Triangle Alliance Club President Sam Shoemaker, a sophomore theater history major, said that their aim was pretty simple:

“It’s to get people from Triangle Alliance, our club, out and having fun on a Friday night where we would not normally be out and about and partying,” said Shoemaker.

Shoemaker shared that the club is always looking to involve new members. If someone goes to Pajama Jammy Jam who doesn’t normally go to Triangle Alliance, Shoemaker hoped that they would meet people and want to get more involved.

“If you like the people you should come to the club,” Shoemaker said. “It broadens the horizons of the club members and it gives more opportunity for people who might be like, ‘I don’t know if I would like this club’” to get involved.

In addition to social events like Pajama Jammy Jam, the Black and Red Ball and Triangle Alliance’s Annual Drag Show, Shoemaker expressed that there are also a number of informative events that Triangle Alliance has been hosting in order to educate its member about important issues in the LGBTQ+ community.

“Last Thursday (Oct. 25) we put on a talk with the LGBTQ+ class about the trans memo that came out that weekend about what President Trump allegedly might do in the trans community,” said Shoemaker. “There’s a really good quote that I heard from somebody: ‘Being gay is being political. Being queer is being political.’ And so, first thing for me this year with the club is that I don’t want to just be a fun social club — I want to talk about the issues.”

For anyone who might be looking for resources to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community, Shoemaker had a couple of suggestions for where to go.

“The Stonewall Center is the resource center for the LGBTQ community. Suse Doepken is the coordinator of Stonewall, and she’s amazing,” said Shoemaker. “If somebody wants to know about things, go to her. Also, Abby’s House is a great resource about advocacy and the feminist mindset.”

If Western students are interested in becoming involved with Triangle Alliance, Shoemaker advises that they start by going to Triangle Alliance’s Midnight Movies event on Nov. 16, which will be showing Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and looking out for auditions to be in the annual drag show, which will occur during Winter Term.

For more information, Sam Shoemaker can be reached at sshoemaker17@wou.edu and the club can also be contacted through trianglealliance@wou.edu. Triangle Alliance meets on Thursdays in Ackerman 141 from 4:30-6 p.m.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Humor: The eternal debate: do cats have elbows or knees?

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

CATS HAVE ELBOWS AND KNEES

Cats are quadrupeds, meaning they walk on all four limbs. Some mistaken people would argue that because they have four legs, cats have four knees. This, however, is not an anatomic fact.

Bridget Parker, a senior studying biology with an zoology emphasis and an intern at Wildlife Safari specializing in big cats, knows that cats have elbows.

“Cats have two sets of joints in their forelimbs: an ankle and an elbow. Their ankle is just above their toes and are fairly similar to human wrists. The second joint is their elbow and is located about midway up their forelimb,” said Parker.

A more in-depth look that the anatomy of feline limbs — discussed on pets.thenest.com — shows that they have two different types of joints: hinge joints and condylar joints. Hinge joints are like human elbows and ankles, and condylar joints are similar to human knees. Cat’s elbow and knee joints are located further up on their limbs than human limbs. Felines have a elbow-like hinge joint on each front limb and a condylar knee-like joint on each back limb. This means that a cat has two elbows and two knees. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Greg Martinez even acknowledges that cats have elbows in his videos on YouTube.

Miseducated people may also say that since the front limbs bend in the same direction as the back limbs, they must all be the same kind of joint. These people are mistaken. What looks like the knee on the lower hind limbs of a feline are actually the tops of their elongated feet. Their actual knees are located closer to the hips. Therefore, the hind leg knee joint bends a different way than the front limb elbow joint.

Just because cats have four legs does not automatically mean that they have four knees — this would mean that each limb had the same kind of joint. This is simply and scientifically not true. Furthermore, cats have patellas, or kneecaps, on their hind legs. They do not have kneecaps on their front legs. This clearly proves that cats have two elbows and two knees.

Contact the author at cweedon16@wou.edu

 

Ashlynn Norton | Photo Editor

CATS ONLY HAVE KNEES

When you look at a cat, a lot of things come to mind. Such as “ball of anger”, “pure evil”, and “the furry animal that is cute, but could shred you to pieces” — just to name a few. There are many things about them that are odd. Cats could even have their own conspiracy theories centered around them because everything related to them is questionable.

It wasn’t long ago when I came to the profound conclusion that cats in fact don’t have elbows, and only have knees. When you watch a cat walk, their legs all bend in the same direction. If you look at a human, their knees and elbows bend in different directions. So who is to say that cats have both knees and elbows?

In my scientific research and opinion (from watching my cat) feline creatures only have knees. I mean, who just looks at a cat and says, “Yeah, that animal has elbows”? When I look at a cat, their appendages all appear to be knees. If you think of a knee as a weight bearing joint, then that proves my point of cats only having knees, instead of having both elbows and knees. People don’t call cat appendages “arms”, they’re called legs, and legs have knees. Therefore, again, CATS ONLY HAVE KNEES. It’s like arguing about cereal being a soup, or whether or not Lighting McQueen has car insurance or life insurance.

People who like to flex their researching skills would quote a person who is studying biology, or even veterinarians who post on YouTube. They would use quotes from these people who claim that cats have elbows, clearly spreading FALSE INFORMATION. We all know that false news is the worst.

It makes no sense, but also complete sense at the same time. I just have this deep gut feeling from being a “cat expert” (I have three cats, so I can give myself that title) that cats only have knees. You wouldn’t question a mathematician when they say that one plus one equals two. So why would you question me, the cat expert?

Contact the author at anorton17@wou.edu

 

 

Illustrations by Rachel Hetzel

The benefit to understanding Myers-Briggs personality types

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

In a world consumed with Buzzfeed quizzes like “Pick Some Donuts and We’ll Reveal Your Personality Type,” it can be easy to forget that there are real resources available to help you learn more about yourself, and they aren’t concocted by random people online. Amongst these resources, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, is a prominent and useful tool with the power to help people understand themselves and the ways that they interact with the world around them.

Being an advocate for knowing your MBTI type, it frustrates me to hear the way some people scoff at MBTI in a similar way that they might with astrology, since Myers-Briggs is determined solely by your self-reported psychological preferences, thereby serving as a descriptive tool and not a predictive one.

If you are interested in learning your MBTI type, there are a number of questionnaires online, which ask about attitudes and behaviors you have in different situations, that help to determine your type. In the end, the result will be one of 16 four-letter acronyms that stem from four letter pairings: Extraversion or Introversion; Sensing or Intuition; Feeling or Thinking; and Judging or Perceiving.

In my life, I have taken this test several times, and each time I have been categorized as an ESTJ — a type known for its dedication, honesty and organization, but also its stubbornness, difficulty relaxing and difficulty expressing emotion.

At first, I mostly thought, “Hey, that does sound like me. Cool,” letting the basic description of my type’s characteristics serve as the extent to which I used Myers-Briggs. In time, though, I found that the most fascinating part of this personality assessment for me was in learning more about the types of my friends and family.

The first people I made take the test were my parents, and it was enlightening to learn that my mom was the complete opposite type from me, being an INFP, but that my dad and I were both ESTJs.

Reading more about her type, a number of connections started to form in my head about why my mom and I approached things in such different ways, and it helped me put myself in her shoes in a manner I hadn’t before.

In alignment with my type, I am a realist — instinctively reflecting on things as they are, without putting a positive or negative spin on them… at least most of the time. On the other hand, INFPs are highly idealistic, so events normally impact people like my mom more deeply than they impact me. While I’m often inclined to laugh when someone posts a ridiculous opinion in social media, posts like this tend to affect her with more weight.

Once I realized that, I found it easier to be patient with both of us. We are wired pretty differently — but that’s okay.

In addition to the element of self-discovery, Myers-Briggs can also be helpful in trying to figure out what careers could mesh well with your strengths, or in evaluating relationships with friends and romantic partners. These things can be fascinating to ponder; however, I definitely wouldn’t suggest basing important decisions solely off of their insights.

One fun and easy way to get an idea of the personality types you naturally connect with is to create a list of friends and family’s types as you learn them. I have one that I add to regularly in my phone, and I’ve found that comparing people with the same types has helped me to recognize common characteristics of the different personalities.

With that in mind, there is certainly something to be said for the fact that there are more than sixteen distinct people in the world — no one is a stereotype, and I’m not suggesting that people be confined to their type’s typical qualities. Growth is always something that should be encouraged, but it can help to know where you’re starting.

At the end of the day, the most beautiful thing about Myers-Briggs is that it can be used in whichever of these ways are helpful to you.

Contact the author at bthompson15@wou.edu

Guest Editorial: ASWOU endorses ballot measures

Nathan Soltz | ASWOU Senate President

Two weeks ago, ASWOU became the first student government in Oregon to endorse on ballot measures. We recommend the following: YES on Measure 102 and NO on Measures 103, 104, 105, and 106.

Before the ASWOU Senate considered endorsing, I reached out to the Oregon State Legislature Legislative Counsel. Legislative Counsel is the team of attorneys who draft legislation and answer legal questions for legislators and their staff. As I work for Senator Frederick, I asked them during the September legislative days if a public university’s recognized student government was legally prohibited from taking positions on ballot measures and I was told, essentially, that there shouldn’t be a problem. After that, we received a legal opinion from the Attorney General also stating that student governments have the legal ability to endorse ballot measures (Department of Justice opinion no. 8289). The Attorney General’s opinion referenced an opinion from the Attorney General in 1985 which stated that student governments could not take positions on ballot measures; however, it continued that since then, Oregon law has changed and the law in question no longer exists. Therefore, student governments are no longer prohibited from taking these positions.

With this guidance, on Monday, October 15th, the Senate unanimously passed the resolutions. On Wednesday, I received an email from WOU’s general counsel telling me that it was illegal for ASWOU to take positions on ballot measures. I responded with the Attorney General’s opinion and he said, in effect, that he doesn’t care what the Attorney General says. I then met with the ASWOU President, Vice President, and Senate President Pro Tempore and we all signed a letter I wrote stating that we are proceeding with the endorsements, as is our legal right and ethical duty. On Friday, we met with the general counsel and during that meeting, he essentially conceded that yes, the law in question has been changed, but he is still upholding an old legal opinion even though the Attorney General’s updated legal opinion is directly contrary. So, after about an hour, we presented him with our letter.

The ASWOU government is steadfast in its defense of student rights. The WOU Administration has also taken the stance that our student clubs and organizations cannot take action on the ballot measures either. However, in the opinion of the State of Oregon, we do have that right. If your club or organization would like to take action, please do and reach out with questions. ASWOU is leading this effort and other universities are looking to follow suit.

More information on the election – including our recommendations on measures and neutral information – is available at the ASWOU table upstairs in the WUC and in the ASWOU office downstairs in the WUC. The ASWOU government is your student government. If you want further information, including any of the documents I’ve referenced, would like to get involved in Senate, or want to learn more about ASWOU, please don’t hesitate to contact me. And don’t forget to VOTE BY NOVEMBER 6th!

Contact the author at aswousenpres@wou.edu

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in guest editorials are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Western Howl.

Letter to the Editor

Nathan Soltz

I was glad to see the Howl covering the ongoing gubernatorial race. However, I became troubled when the column on Governor Brown very clearly pointed out what her “critics have complained about,” but nowhere did Buehler’s column state criticisms about him and one doesn’t have to look far to form a long list: wanting to repeal Oregon’s anti-racial profiling law, voting to take away health care from 430,000 Oregonians, and opposing increases in school funding are just a few of his umpteen questionable stances.

Additionally, Buehler’s column called him “a pro-choice candidate who both believes in climate change and supported the legalization of gay marriage.” However, both the Planned Parenthood PAC of Oregon and NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon have endorsed Governor Brown and unambiguously stated that Buehler, who voted against the Reproductive Health Equity Act and supports stripping access to safe and affordable abortion services from 350,000 Oregonians, is not pro-choice.

Regarding “believing in climate change,” accepting scientific consensus is a low bar for praise and it should be noted that Buehler voted against Oregon’s Clean Fuels bill to reduce carbon pollution and he opposed a moratorium on fracking. He also received an “F” rating from the Oregon League of Conservation Voters while Governor Brown received their endorsement.

While Buehler supports basic rights for members of the LGBTQ community, he is running against the country’s first openly LGBTQ governor and has even questioned Governor Brown’s commitment to supporting the rights of the LGBTQ community. Also note that Governor Brown has received the endorsement of the Basic Rights Oregon Equality PAC.

While voters should be informed about the gubernatorial candidates and I appreciate the Howl’s article attempting to do that, it’s important that voters know the truth about the candidates instead of just what one would like people to believe.

Central High School showcases “Mamma Mia!” in its west coast debut

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

“We are actually the third high school in the country to do (“Mamma Mia”),” said Central High School’s production director Jeff Witt, “the other two are east of Texas, so we’re the west coast high school premier.”

In May of 2018, Jeff Witt — the vocal and music director at Central High School — teamed up with co-director Wendy Boyack to make their vision a reality. The theater program was originally planning on showcasing an entirely different musical, “Tuck Everlasting,” until they were notified that the rights to the musical had been restricted. That same day, Witt was made aware that “Mamma Mia!” was available.

Witt sent in the school’s royalty application — which cost $3,000 — and received the good news that Central High would be putting on the first production of “Mamma Mia” on the west coast.

“(The students) would not stop screaming,” Witt chuckled as he recalled the moment he revealed the decision to his students.

Rehearsals started in mid-August of this year.

“We’re here every Saturday, sometimes Sunday, putting that set together,” Witt said as he pointed to the looming 24-foot revolve nestled on stage left. The theater department was able to acquire the same walls used in Broadway Rose’s production of “Mamma Mia” in Portland; the walls sit atop the revolving base and forms three separate scenes that can be changed via the attached motor. The program spent an additional $8,000 on new microphones for the show.

“(‘Mamma Mia!’) fits the kids that I have. I always look for a show that fits the kids that I have, and when that happens they have a good time doing it,” director Witt commented.

The leading actors, Lillian Boyack as Sophie; Monique Eschette as Donna; and Seth Dickson as Sam Carmichael, definitely commanded the crowd’s attention. Each showed promising vocal skill and stage presence.

The secondary and tertiary characters also gave lighthearted, confident performances and cultivated an easy-going, fun-loving environment. The excitement of the whole cast throughout the show was palpable from the audience.

The production included disco choreography that is symbolic of ABBA’s career. There were a surprising amount of tender, teary-eyed moments along with the more frequent laughable ones.

There were a couple snafu’s and off-key moments, but considering that this show is a high school production, the performance was entertaining and proved to be a crowd-pleaser.

Future shows will be held November 1-3. Tickets are sold at the door or online on Central High’s website.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Three true crime podcasts to stream

Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor

“Criminal”

Launched in 2014, “Criminal” is an award-winning podcast that takes a holistic look at crime and how it intersects with sociology and history. The host, Phoebe Judge, has a journalistic style that always cultivates a profoundly human element in each episode. Judge’s voice is soothing, and her questions honest and vulnerable, carrying the listener safely through each story no matter how strange.

Where to listen: This podcast can be listened to anywhere podcasts are found, including thisiscriminal.com. There are original illustrations for every episode of “Criminal,” which can also be found on their website.

Photo courtesy of thisiscriminal.com

 

“True Crime Garage”

Co-hosts Nic and the Captain cover both solved and unsolved true crime cases on their podcast, launched in 2015. These two men conduct impressively in-depth research, and educate their listeners about every version of events and possible theory surrounding each crime they discuss. The tone of the show is more informal and comical, but the pair of hosts still remain respectful of the cases and their seriousness.

Where to listen: A complete anthology of episodes can be found of the Stitcher radio app. A select number of episodes are available for free on the website truecrimegarage.com and are available for purchase on iTunes.

Photo courtesy of truecrimegarage.com

 

“My Favorite Murder”

Similar to “True Crime Garage,” this podcast is self-described on their website as a “true crime comedy.” The newest of the three podcasts, “My Favorite Murder” was launched in early 2016 by Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff. The show is full of the host’s dry, blunt sense of humor and exhibits a number of female-centered stories. The co-hosts also include information about their personal lives, which balances out the heaviness of the true crime material and may be why they’ve made such a connection with their loyal fanbase.

Where to listen: This podcast can be found on iTunes, Stitcher radio, and Player FM.

Photo courtesy of myfavoritemurder.com

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Transportation options

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

College, on its own, is a stressful time for many. On top of this, some students have the additional problem of figuring out transportation. Those don’t own a car face the regular challenge of finding arrangements whenever they have need to get around or out of town. Though Western is conveniently placed near downtown, walking or biking may not be an option when the destination is farther away or later in the evening. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to do so that are available to Western students.

 

Wolf Ride

Wolfride is a free transportation service for Western students. All that’s needed is a current Western V number. Hours of operation are during afternoons and evenings. Full details can be found at https://wou.edu/student/wolf-ride/.

 

UCarShare

UCarShare is another option provided on Western’s campus. This service allows students to rent cars by the hour and include cards for purchasing gas if necessary. All that is required is signing up on the app, which is how students can pay for their rentals.

 

City Bus

Public transportation is another option for getting to locations in Monmouth or Independence. The city bus stops conveniently outside Hammersly library and takes riders through Monmouth and Independence. A full map and schedule is posted at the stop.

 

Amtrak and Greyhound

Amtrak and greyhound trains and busses, which can both be found in Salem, are inexpensive ways to do long distance travel. Their websites allow for reserving trips in advance and have various routes and schedules for each destination.

 

Contact the author at howlifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Tips for writing a cover letter

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

Many students are reaching a point in their life where they’ve begun to think about the future and their careers. Some, however, may still feel somewhat unprepared for the job of pitching themselves to an employer. The skill of writing a cover letter is an important tool both for students starting out in their career and students who just need to pay the bills until they get there.

The first point to remember is to make sure a cover letter isn’t just a repetition of a resume. Employers usually ask for both, so being redundant won’t help applicants stand out. Instead, try to add something that didn’t really fit in a resume but is still relevant, such as long term goals with the potential employer. This is especially important when applying without much experience relevant to the position. If the resume is lacking in experience, the cover letter is an extra opportunity to present oneself as a viable candidate.

Another thing to remember is to make sure it’s conveyed that the position being applied for is fully understood. If possible, address the letter to the person in charge rather than ‘hiring manager.’ Be sure to also mention specific aspects of the job that relate to the skills or experience listed in the resume.

If still unsure about how exactly a cover letter should look, it can be helpful to look up examples. There are various templates that can be used as a starting point. These can be adjusted according to the position being applied for.

Resume and cover letter writing is an essential skill for young adults. Tackling an application can be intimidating, but with the right starting point it can be easier than it seems.

For more help, students can visit the Service Learning and Career Development center (SLCD). Information can be found at wou.edu/slcd.

 

Contact the author at howlifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Western volleyball loses to Alaska Fairbanks

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Hopes were high for the Wolves coming into their final home game of the season. The season had been a rough road for Western as they had only found themselves in the winning column six times of their 23 games so far. Despite this, the Wolves looked to put on a show at home for the departing seniors.

Before the matches began, each of the leaving players were honored with a few gifts and words spoken about their athletic achievements at the school and hopes for the future. One of the players playing their last game in Monmouth was junior psychology major Morgan Haskett.

“Since I had just decided to graduate in three years, I feel pretty (bittersweet) about the whole situation. I’m pretty excited to be done with college and move onto bigger things, but I am so in love with so many aspects of the sport… so that’s going to be pretty tough to leave,” said Haskett.

The first match was utter dominance for the Wolves. Jumping out to a 3 point lead, Western looked unstoppable. University of Alaska Fairbanks trailed the entire first match. The Nanooks needed to take a couple of timeouts to attempt to slow the raging momentum of the Wolves, but this was to no avail.

After a dominating win in the first match, the Wolves momentum seemed to immediately die. The Nanooks took control of Western and led the entirety of the second match. Alaska Fairbanks warded off several comeback attempts and won the second match with ease.

The Wolves never saw themselves back on top for the rest of their matches. The Nanooks controlled Western’s offense and tore their defense apart.

“We started really strong and I just don’t think we played mentally tough enough to get the win that day,” said Haskett.

The Wolves continued fighting to tie up the score, but despite their best efforts they couldn’t get back into any of the matches.

While this isn’t the end the seniors were looking for, many will miss playing in Monmouth.

“I’ll miss playing at a place where a lot of my family and friends were able to come watch, they’ve been such a big part of my volleyball career,” said Haskett.

After this loss, the season looked to be over for the Wolves. Mathematically, Western stands a chance to make the postseason tournament. However, making the tournament would rely on other teams dropping matches; meaning, the postseason hopes of Western is not in their hands.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Wolves’s Lacrosse takes a loss in 2018 annual alumni game

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Familiar faces gathered together Oct. 27 for the annual lacrosse alumni game. Players from past years, of the last graduating class to those long graduated, strapped on their helmets to battle it out against Western’s newest roster.

With the first whistle it was evident that the older alumni were out to have have some fun while also wanting to show the younger guys who’s boss. In the previous years, the alumni team has been laden with players on All Conference and All American teams and this year was no different.

The alumni team quickly took advantage of the young Western team, bullying them around with powerful hits and lightning quick dodges. Despite the hard play, banter and light-hearted trash talk could be heard between passes. With every ball thrown wide of the goal or long sprint of an alumni, Western could be heard chirping the older players.

“It was fun to play against former teammates that you haven’t seen in awhile. It’s good to catch up (on) the field and maybe give ‘em a good whack,” said senior history major Alex Eidler, midfielder for the 2018 team.

It was a afternoon full of high powered offenses as the Wolves and alumni both scored whopping 15 goals apiece. By the end of regulation, the score was all tied up and both teams were ready for overtime.

With a strong defense effort from the Wolves, it was no easy task for the alumni to set up their offense. However, the alumni was able to dodge their way to a opening for a laser shot, ending the game in a 16-15 victory.

Even with the loss, the Wolves are hopeful for the upcoming regular season.

“I think this year the team is on the up with the new freshman. We got a lot of new talent this year that will help define this team for the next few years,” mentioned Eidler.

The Wolves fall season ends soon with one final game at the University of Oregon on Nov. 9.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Visiting lecturer Dr. Asoa Inoue discusses white language in education

Natalie Dean | Freelancer

Imagine if the pressure to perform to the highest standard in school was completely removed. An “A” could be earned through the amount of effort put into the material, rather than frantic memorization. A “D” was no longer reflective of things done wrong, but rather of the amount of labor put into an assignment. By exploring these alternative grading methods, Dr. Asoa Inoue, a professor at the University of Washington Tacoma argued, it is directly challenging institutionalized racism within education.

These are themes that Dr. Inoue spoke about on Oct. 29. As a professor and the Director of University Writing, Dr. Inoue is well-versed in the impact of unchanging grading systems. He elaborated that the current grading system is failing students — specifically students of color — through hidden white supremacist values. This is due to the fact that our grading policies for writing and linguistics prioritize enunciated speaking, formal tones and rigid dialects — and the opposite is seen as “uneducated” or lazy.

He explains this as a direct result of the colonization of the US, which favored white-centric ideals early on. Code-switching, the act of flipping from one language to another midway through during a conversation, such as from English to Spanish, has been looked down upon as a failure to fully assimilate into American culture. American culture is often referenced and made an example of in our education systems; language and culture hit the same vein.

Dr. Inoue reminds students that these values are not set in stone and that institutional change can happen. By analyzing where these expectations of writing and literature come from, it can allow for alternative grading methods, such as labor-based grading contracts.

Labor-based grading is an agreement between the students and professor that states if students meet specific criteria, they will earn a certain grade. It focuses on the content of the course and how it’s evaluated and “graded.” So if a student fails, they are held directly responsible for the effort put into the project.

With this method, students can take an active role in their learning, while fully understanding the work and dedication that goes into an “A.” When asked about students’ reaction to this program, he stated that 8/10 students are willing to at least try this alternative method and many have found it helpful for their writing overall.

“I’m going to go into High School Education for English,” said senior humanities major Madeline Hannah, who was in attendance. “And it definitely opened my eyes to some of the problems that affect a lot of students of color. I’ve been looking into different ways to assess and grade, and this gave me an option that could be more equitable for everyone.”

If students or faculty have any questions regarding the impact of white supremacist language in today’s educational systems, Dr. Inoue can be contacted at asao@uw.edu.

 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Math major profile

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Of the 52 majors offered at Western, sophomore Josh Salsbury has chosen to be a math major. After finding success and being awarded Outstanding Freshman in Mathematics last year by the Math Department faculty, Salsbury currently works as a tutor in The Math Center and as the Finance Director for Western’s Residence Hall Association — both positions that relate directly to his major.

When asked about his motivation in becoming a math major, Salsbury reflected back on experiences he had before coming to Western.

“I had a really awesome calculus teacher when I was in high school,” said Salsbury. “It was that combined with learning that the way math is taught in schools isn’t a good reflection of what math actually is. Learning that there was a lot more to (math) really inspired me to learn more about it.”

In learning about math, Salsbury shared that there is more to the process than many people initially think.

“With a math major, it’s not just about being able to do math,” Salsbury said. “A lot of what it teaches you…is doing things efficiently or finding the best way to do something.”

According to the Mathematics page on Western’s website, there are a number of career opportunities that are available to a math major. Amongst them, a few options listed include computer scientist, cryptographer, business operations specialist, elementary and secondary math teacher and financial analyst.

Salsbury is still deciding which pathway to pursue within mathematics.

“I was originally going to go for a career in software engineering because I’m also getting a computer science minor…but I’ve been talking to a couple of professors and they think I’d make a really good professor…(and) it’s something I’ve been considering.”

Besides the future possibilities the major holds, Salsbury also values the Math Department for another reason: the people involved.

“The Math Department is one of my favorite communities on campus,” said Salsbury. “And that’s a combination of both the faculty and the students. It’s a small enough department that it’s really easy to make friends and get to know people.”

Salsbury also praised the math faculty who help make the program what it is.

“I don’t think I’ve met a group of professors so dedicated to getting to know their students and helping them succeed in life,” said Salsbury.

Whether students are interested in math or not, however, Salsbury offered a piece of advice:

“If you look hard enough you will find your community. There are always more places to explore, people to get to know. And, in my experience, it’s been really easy to make close friends. And the more you put yourself out there, the more likely you are to find those people that you really care about.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Abby’s House hosts Take Back the Night during Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Despite the rain pouring outside, a room full of Western students and staff came together on Oct. 25 —­ in the midst of Domestic Violence Awareness Month — to offer community and support to those affected by domestic and sexual violence. Paper hearts with messages of hope and Abby’s House Advocates dressed in blue vests were spotted throughout the room.

To open the event, Abby’s House Director Aislinn Addington and a number of the student advocates explained that Take Back the Night was first held in the United States in 1975 when a young microbiologist named Susan Alexander Speeth was murdered while walking home from work.

“Today, we know that attacks and assaults do not only happen in the night,” Abby’s House Advocate Gisela Ayala shared. “Data shows that women are at risk at all times of the day because women are most likely to be abused or attacked by people that they know, not just strangers in the dark. We also know that folks of all genders experience interpersonal violence and we are here to support all survivors.”

Then, advocates led the crowd in a silent reflection where attendees listened as a gong sounded every nine seconds — a sound that symbolized the amount of time that passes between each instance where physical violence occurs in the United States.

At this time, Addington introduced Carli Rohner, the Campus Advocate Coordinator from the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force.

“Violence is preventable, and we all have a role to play in that,” said Rohner. She shared that their goal is to figure out how to “build communities that…can respond and take care of each other better,” and to “make sure that (domestic and sexual violence) doesn’t have to happen.”

Rohner also encouraged those present to think about a reality in which violence is not rampant, although she acknowledged that this can be hard for many to do.

“Culture is not stuck,” said Rohner. “When we think about it over time, our humanity, collectively, has done some really wildly different things if we look back 40, 50, 60, 100, 200 years ago. We’re doing things differently now…and most of the change that we see, especially with in the United States context, is driven by students.”

If Western students want practical, tangible steps they can take, Rohner emphasized that most things that are interruptive of negative behaviors really don’t take long to do: go to a Green Dot training, share campus resources like Abby’s House or the Student Health and Counseling Center, support people with marginalized identities and don’t be afraid to take time for self-care.

The biggest and most basic things she suggested — to believe survivors who come to you.

“No matter what they tell you,” said Rohner. “I’ll give you two phrases: ‘I totally believe what you’re saying’ and ‘It wasn’t your fault.’ When folks hear that…they are 80 percent more likely to get help and assistance moving forward and much less likely to experience some of the bad things we talk about in terms of like PTSD and other effects of trauma.”

Following the talk, students were given the microphone and a platform to share their stories and experiences with violence. An emotional time for all, a number of students gave accounts that moved them and the audience to tears. For many, these memories were hard to share, but freeing to not carry alone anymore.

To conclude the event, marchers took up signs and glow sticks and chanted in unison as they walked through campus. With empowering statements including “we won’t take it anymore,” “violent acts have got to go” and “survivors unite,” they joined together to take back the night.

After marching, the group gathered in a circle, lit candles and shared why they wanted to end domestic violence — daring to dream of a brighter future.

If students would like to talk with someone about these issues, they can contact Carli Rohner at carli@oregonsatf.org or visit Abby’s House or the Student Health and Counseling Center on Western’s campus.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

The Western Howl staff pick their favorite Halloween-themed movies

Compiled by: The Western Howl staff

Chrys — “The VVitch” (2015). My favorite scary movie has to be “The VVitch.” I remember going to see it in theaters when it came out in 2016. This movie mastered the art of atmospheric horror. I can’t sit through this movie without squirming in my chair, and comfort is an impossibility. The film still remains spooky without excessive use of jump scares, which I really appreciate. The cinematographer Jarin Blaschke and director Robert Eggers have created a visual environment that is dark, anxious, and horrifying. Anya Taylor-Joy is truly at her best and her performance really enhances it to all it’s uncomfortable, horrible glory. I would strongly recommend this film.

Contact the author at cweedon16@wou.edu

Caity — “Halloween” (1978). This movie will never not be my favorite horror flick. It set the precedent for what a slasher film would be, and ushered in a decade of holiday-centered horror films that tried to imitate what this classic did. No matter how many times I watch it, the haunting — but simple — score, matched with the heart-racing scenes, are enough to make this the most memorable scary movie I’ve seen yet. Introducing Jamie Lee Curtis, as director John Carpenter’s nod to Curtis’s mother Janet Leigh, star of “Psycho,” the film helped create the scream queen of slasher flicks. While this movie is a horror masterpiece, the sequels don’t even come close to the original, so I’d recommend only watching the first installment.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Bailey — “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993). This Disney flick is an innovative story that serves two genres: Christmas movies and Halloween movies. Now a cult classic, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” combines the creative mind of Tim Burton with the musical stylings of Danny Elfman to create a movie that the whole family can enjoy. In fact, there’s even a ride at Disneyland that is made-over with a “ The Nightmare Before Christmas” theme every year. And this year, the lovably misguided Jack Skellington, “Pumpkin King” of Halloween Town, is getting re-released on Blu-ray as a celebration of the film’s 25th anniversary. This funny and frightening tale made over 75 million dollars in the box office, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone.

Contact the author at bthompson15@wou.edu

Kyle — “Hocus Pocus” (1993). During one night of Halloween, three villainous witches made their way back from the dead to bring us the Disney film, “Hocus Pocus.” This cult classic became my favorite Halloween-theme movie when I was a child. It includes the right amount of comedy, horror and music. No matter how many times I watch it, I can never get enough of the Sanderson sisters. It’s as if they put a spell on me. Although meant for children, the director was able to sneak jokes that only adults can understand, so I would strongly recommend this movie to anyone.

Contact the author at kmorden17@wou.edu

Rachel — “Sleepy Hollow”, starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton, is my favorite Halloween movie. It is based on the legend of the Headless Horseman. It’s a gothic supernatural horror film, although I didn’t find it too scary. It’s about Ichabod Crane, a police constable, who is sent to solve the mystery behind the murders taking place in the town Sleepy Hollow. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes dark themed movies, without a lot of scares.

Contact the author at rhetzel18@wou.edu

Ashlynn — “Corpse Bride” (2005). “The Corpse Bride” is another classic Tim Burton animation that is perfect for Halloween. It’s not a scary movie, but it does have the right amount of creepiness to celebrate this spine-tingling holiday. This lighthearted movie is perfect for anyone who is like me and loves a good laugh and a happy ending. It is a sweet story of a soon to be groom who gets the jitters. He unknowingly proposes to a corpse and has to figure out how to reverse what he has done. It’s a spoopy film that I always watch on Halloween and highly recommend to others.

Contact the author at anorton17@wou.edu

Becca — “Hush” (2016). What I liked about this movie is that it doesn’t fall into the usual scary movie tropes of having main characters who make terrible decisions that have you yelling at your screen. The main character in this movie is a young Deaf woman who is being stalked in her house by a killer. Unlike many other horror movies, in this one she actually makes smart, methodical decisions and the movie is full of constant suspense. The ending was also unexpected for me. While I usually find myself leaning towards supernatural when watching horror movies, this one stuck out to me.

Contact the author at rmeyers17@mail.wou.edu

 

Cora — “Halloweentown” (1998). Witches and goblins and skelies, oh my! No Dylan, we’re not in Cleveland, we’re taking the bus to St. Helens, Oregon, a.k.a. “Halloweentown.” Watch as future head of the Cromwell line, “I’m 13…I’m practically a grown-up” Marnie, stumbles through finishing a spell her not-so-responsible grandmother started (before literally walking into a trap) to reverse the evil magic seeping its way into the heart of Halloweentown. Don’t worry about Marnie being the most inept witch ever, her seven-year-old sister Sophie saves the day; and like a true hero gets none of the credit, leaving community health major senior Keith Mathew to cry “what about Sophie?!” With a dash of 90s radical slang, spoopy Halloween hijinks and a wholesome the “true power is love” moral, “Halloweentown” (and its three sequels) should appear in everyone’s Halloween movie marathon.

Contact the author at cmcclain17@mail.wou.edu

Paul — “Scared Shrekless” (2010). Our favorite childhood meme team is back at it again competing to see who can stay in Lord Farquaad’s old castle the longest by telling spooky stories. This short contains three sections that are told as separate stories. Gingy, our lovely little sentient gingerbread man, tells us about how his tumultuous love life led to him getting eaten by a zombie lover. Our friend Boots then tells us about his worst fear which is too intense to mention in such a short review. Finally, Shrek tells us about his experience with Pinocchio’s demonic possession and the mild psychosis that came along with it. Overall, if you need some fun short goofs with your favorite childhood characters you’ll really enjoy this show.

Contact the author at pfdavis14@wou.edu

 

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Humor: Night of the living dead mascots

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Western has never been good at commitment. In the 156 year history of the school, Western has been called by six different names. While the name changes actually represented the changes in the school’s curriculum, Western’s changes in other areas show an attempt to try to be “hip” and “cool.”

These were the changes of the mascot on campus. But calling these creatures “mascots” is kind of a disgrace to the term, as Western’s previous attempts at a mascot can best be described as terrifying and hellacious.

Prior to 1980, the only thing resembling a mascot was a stuffed wolf with terrifying fangs. Typically a mascot is cute, fun or strong. Instead, the students at Oregon College of Education were represented by a hellhound that would more likely be seen tearing the face off a child than cheering on a sports team.

In 1981 Western Oregon State College attempted a real mascot. Emphasis on the term “attempted.” The head of the beast named Waldo was made from paper maché and the lost soul of a demon. His body looked closer to a cross between a gorilla and freakishly large dog. Thanks for the nightmares, WOSC.

1987 to 1991 saw the best mascot ever to bequeath the campus in Monmouth. It was a real live Alaskan Malamute. He had two different colored eyes, a gorgeous coat of fur, and, while I didn’t personally know him, can only assume he was the goodest boy.

1988 was the return of nightmare fuel on the WOSC campus. The next version of Waldo looked more cuddly than before and actually had a cute face with light grey fur. However, don’t look too closely into the eyes of this demon in disguise. His eyes are as black as the void and probably are home to the students of past years that never made it out of finals week with their sanity.

1994 took a turn for WOSC and instead of designing the mascot after the embodiment of fear, they went for pure stupidity. Waldo 3.0 had an enormous snout with a foot long tongue hanging out of the side of its mouth. Looking at the bright red, floppy tongue only brings up one question: “why?”

1999 brought home a mascot that honestly wasn’t awful. This new wolf was still roaming around the campus nearly 20 years later.

However, by 2015 Wolfie had definitely seen better days. His fur looked closer to a shag carpet that had been worn out for years. His eyes were matted over and were as dead as every student in an 8 a.m. class.

2016 was the birth of the current Wolfie. This Wolfie is actually cute, not terrifying. Strong, not stupid. Fun, not horrifying. So, I guess, thank you Wolfie for actually being normal and not a demon or a dunce.

 

Contact the author at llarsen13@mail.wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Denise Visuaño

Students display their jack-o’-lanterns

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

Halloween is here, and for many this means their pumpkins have become jack-o’-lanterns. Western students are no different and have been busy getting creative, making everything from classic spooky jack-o’-lanterns to nontraditional works of art. They’ve drawn inspiration from multiple different sources, such as social media and their passions for art.

Those looking for last minute ideas have similar options as far as sources of inspiration. For senior Michelle Soutar, her spooky jack-o-lantern served to help create the atmosphere for her halloween party. For junior Jackie Shepherd, her pumpkin was a way to use her artistic strengths, which happen to be painting. Others like junior Madison Gaylin and myself simply browsed Pinterest until they found the idea that spoke to them most.

In addition, I’ve assembled a compilation to display their carved creations and hopefully bring more ideas for those still looking for the perfect one.

“Happy Halloween” by Jackie Shepherd, junior, education major.

“I really love to paint flowers, so I saw this as an opportunity to incorporate beautiful fall colours into my favourite subject.”

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Meyers

 

“Pokemon” by Megan Bricco, junior, education major

“Gengar was just the first thing I thought of.”

Photo courtesy of Madison Gaylin

 

“Carved Flower” by Madison Gaylin, junior, education major.

“I saw other floral pumpkins that inspired me to make this one.”

Photo courtesy of Madison Gaylin

 

“Classic jack-o’-lantern face” by Michelle Soutar, senior, communications major.

“I originally wanted to put a fog machine behind it…I saw a similar face done…and thought it was spooky so I attempted it.”

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Meyers

 

“Bats” by Rebecca Meyers, senior, international studies major.

“I usually do the usual Jack o lantern as a face, so I wanted to change it up this year.”

Photo courtesy of Rebecca Meyers

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

Nightmare on Monmouth Avenue: A look at sports that have made it to the Western athletics graveyard

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Western Oregon has existed as a school of many different names for 156 years. In this over a century and a half, the school has seen the birth and death of many different sports.

Since these sports departure the fields they called home have since been abandoned and forgotten. Welcome to the Western sports graveyard.

Tennis 1923-1990s

Tennis was first spotted on the Oregon Normal School campus as early as 1923. The program was split into a men’s team and women’s team and over the years these teams saw varying levels of success. There are years with no recorded mention of a tennis team, but its spirit lived a full life in Monmouth, finally seeing its death of an unknown cause in 1990.

Women’s Field Hockey 1925-1980s

The mysterious women’s field hockey team seemed to elude the history books for the better part of the 20th century. Pictures can be found of Oregon Normal School students playing field hockey during the 1925 school year. Skip forward 45 years and women are seen playing again. Their last sighting was in the early 80s, and not much is known since.

 

Golf 1920s-1980s

Another granny of the campus, along side the tennis program, golf has been spotted on the campus of Oregon Normal School, Oregon College of Education and Western Oregon State College. Perhaps the golfers would rather play a few holes than take a picture as records of the team are hard to come by. Lost on the back nine, the team seemed to fade from existence in the 80s.

Wrestling 1927-1991

Wrestling saw its first official team in the year of 1927. The wrestling team saw years of wins, losses, close-matches and eventually some national championship contenders. Wrestling is the only sport in the graveyard with a true murderer however. The team met a cruel fate after their 1990-91 season with the new Measure 5 ruling that defunded and killed the successful program after 64 years.

Swimming 1927-1980s

Splashing into pools for the first time in the late ‘20s, Oregon Normal School’s swimming team was host to all sorts of aquatic shenanigans. The death of the swimming program is lost to time as the history books have no clear answer to why they never made it out of the 80s.

Gymnastics 1971- 1980s

Blink and you’ll miss it, the gymnastics program was only alive for a short 10 years on the campus of Oregon College of Education. The team never saw much success in the gym, as noted by the Lamron staff never seeming to report on a match that was won. Evidence of the team can still be found on the walls of New PE showing off the teams of yesteryear.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of previous Western yearbooks: “The Norm” and “The Grove”

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