Mount Hood

WOU food pantry continues to provide services despite COVID

Western’s Food Pantry remains open despite the year’s circumstances

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

At Western, there have been university-wide layoffs, budget cuts and projected program reductions. The Board of Trustees have coined the term “right sizing” for the university. Due to COVID-19, the “adjustment” has been amplified.

Despite the financial circumstances the university is facing, the Western Food Pantry has remained available to community members.

Back in March, when COVID was first documented in Polk County, grocery stores in Monmouth and Independence were cleared of sanitization products, personal hygiene goods and produce. Dissimilarly, Western’s Food Pantry shelves were filled with products for the community.

According to senior applied math major and student coordinator of the Food Pantry Josh Salsbury, the Food Pantry’s “source” — Marion Polk Food Share — donated enough food to roll over into fall term after Oregon’s Joint Special Committee on Coronavirus passed their fourth policy proposal. This proposal was designed to fund food banks. 

At the time of the food bank donation, students had mostly vacated campus; however, Food Pantry services are not exclusive to students. The Pantry welcomes all who are in need regardless if they live in Polk County or aren’t associated with Western, Salsbury explained. 

After Oregon released its COVID safety guidelines, Salsbury reported that the Food Pantry hastily adapted its services to abide by Oregon law.

“It was a really difficult transition,” said Salsbury. “To illustrate that, during winter term of last year, the Food Pantry had 30 weekly volunteers keeping it open and helping with our services. Due to COVID guidelines and because we weren’t really sure what COVID was going to look like because of how scattered the information was, we went from having 30 volunteers to having maybe four or five.”

In addition to reduced volunteers, it took two attempts to establish an effective COVID-compatible food acquisition system.

“At the start of COVID, the system we had at the time was very rushed because we were trying to make sure we had a COVID-compliant system,” said Salsbury. “We had prearranged bags or food boxes. We had three different options of bags to still accommodate the choice.”

Salsbury explained that the Food Pantry didn’t like the first system because of the fewer options a customer had when they chose from prearranged bags.

Around the beginning of summer, the Food Pantry switched to their final and current system that Salsbury referred to as the “restaurant style” system. When customers currently go to the pantry, instead of the pre-COVID “grocery style” system, they order food off a menu and a worker packs the requested food, rather than allowing the customer to peruse the shelves. This ensures social distancing and limits the amount of people touching the food.

Despite these unusual circumstances, customers have reported the Pantry is maintaining quality service during this time.

“The transition from normal to COVID was pretty smooth,” said community member Shannon Howard. “They did a really good job; I was impressed. They stayed open when I thought they would close.”

Howard reported that although the Food Pantry is receiving only 50% of its funding and reducing staff, he still has access to all the food he needs.

“(It’s a) real big help for me, especially the fresh milk, eggs and cheese,” said Howard.

Howard also commented that prior to COVID, the pantry was actually prepared, citing that the pantry provided sanitizer.

Going forward, the Food Pantry hopes to continue to provide for their community and destigmatize using the pantry. For information on Food Pantry hours and how you can donate, visit https://wou.edu/foodpantry/.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

 

Men’s rugby competes virtually in rugby competition

Men’s rugby participates in COVID-19 friendly competition

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, club sport organizations like men’s rugby are not able to function under normal pretenses.

However, the rugby team found a creative alternative to normal game play: a virtual competition against other rugby teams. 

In order to compete in the virtual “season,” men’s rugby earned points by performing various challenges in workouts and training. 

“We competed in competitions against other teams to see whose times were better, who had a better push up per minute, who had a better sit up per minute and it was just basically a statewide competition,” said freshman physical education major and men’s rugby flanker Sangato Letisi. 

In addition to the physical aspect of the competition, the virtual showdown awarded teams points for self promotion as well as community service. During the event, the rugby team reached out to Western’s Food Pantry after viewing their own promotional video, and asked if the team could make another one.

“It wasn’t part of any specific task,” said senior exercise science major and men’s rugby lock Spike Ripley. “It was just we as a team decided to be more active in the community. We are actually trying to change how Western Oregon’s rugby team is looked at. This is a positive way (to) be active and participate in the community.” 

Since the rugby team published their video, the Pantry has received over $1,225 in donations, been shared 108 times (including by the USA Rugby National Team), viewed nearly 9,000 times and has reached over 20,000 people.

“My entire family … (was) asking me how they could help the Food Pantry,” said Letisi. “I told them food and money helps the Food Pantry and they said they would go donate real soon.”

In addition to helping our community, the team reported winning prizes from specific tasks they won during the competition.

“My favorite part, and I think the team’s favorite part, was winning new uniforms,” said Ripley. “We won the uniforms after giving the best answer for how we were able to stay in contact with rugby despite … COVID.”

Letisi added that winning anything during this season was motivational.

“We can’t have an actual season right now, but winning something gives us something to compete for.”

In totality, the team placed second of the 90 teams qualified to compete. Going forward, the team hopes to regain a sense of normalcy and play a real game of rugby after a vaccine is released.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Editorial: Current information keeps our staff and students safe

Increased communication is crucial to the community 

The Editorial Board

It has been a little over nine months since students from Western and around the world have adapted to a new, virtual lifestyle. All things considered, Western has done as much as they can to provide us with a safe environment. However, there is a need for more transparency with information regarding positive cases, and further precautions to be taken on campus.

Some of the controversies started when Western took a long time to announce that fall term would be taught virtually, leaving students abroad scrambling to prepare for another stressful term. And then, Western failed to be clear with their community about the number of COVID-19 cases. 

Information regarding the number of positive coronavirus cases has been notoriously hard to track down due to privacy concerns. However, the university can disclose these numbers while still respecting the patient’s privacy. Plenty of other universities disclosed their numbers to the community, all while respecting the boundaries of privacy. Oregon State University reported a total of seven confirmed cases as of Nov. 4; and, Southern Oregon University has 19 confirmed cases — they even specified if the individual lived on or off campus. Additional information is posted on both of the university’s websites, under “OSU-Cascades Dashboard” and “SOU COVID-19 Cases.”

Eventually, Western followed suit. Now, as of Nov. 16, there are less than 10 confirmed cases in the community. This information, while originally hard to find, is now updated and available at wou.edu/coronavirus/.

While it is reasonable to respect the privacy of positive patients, Western shouldn’t have left their community in the dark for as long as they did. These numbers inform whether or not safety protocols are working or if they need to change.

With those things out of the way, it’s safe to assume that some students of Western appreciate the improved effort. But now, a new problem has arisen in regards to COVID testing for both staff and students. When further researched, it is inconclusive if free testing is offered for staff. 

If you were to look on the COVID-19 webpage — which is ridiculously difficult to navigate by the way — they detail the steps you can take if you are seeking testing. However, the webpage doesn’t help you understand whether or not you should seek a test in the first place. How are students who may be asymptomatic supposed to know what to do? None of this is specified.

The problem is if you check “yes” on the CDC’s survey that you’ve been in contact with someone who tested positive, they will tell you to wait out the 14-day isolation, and if you develop symptoms at the end of that period, you go take the test. While there’s quite a bit of information regarding symptomatic cases, there’s not a lot of specification for asymptomatic cases, which leaves folks uninformed.

Western is a smaller school with already limited funding and budget cuts left and right, so we may be tight on funding, but that doesn’t mean that people deserve to be uninformed. Transparency with Western students and the greater community is what establishes a trusting and close-knit feeling for everyone, especially for a small town like Monmouth.

Students who are looking for information on testing can find it at wou.edu/coronavirus/students. If an appointment needs to be set up, call the Student Health and Counseling Center at 503-838-8313.

Find some cheesy and spooky entertainment on Netflix

Get thrilled and chilled with the latest season of “American Horror Story”

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

To the delight of “American Horror Story” fans, Netflix released the ninth season,, “1984,” on Nov. 13. Although FX released this series back in September of 2019, only now have the episodes been added to Netflix ⏤ just in time to provide some final screams for the fall season.

This latest spookfest pays homage to past horror movies like “Friday the 13th,” which are chock-full of slasher tropes; but like always, the show brings its classic twists. 

Over the course of nine episodes in this season of “AHS: 1984,” the audience follows a group of young adults from Los Angeles who have been tasked with spreading camp cheer as counselors at Camp Redwood — a location that was shut down after a grotesque murder spree in 1970. Over a decade later, after the camp has been reopened, the killer is set on returning to the scene of the crime. These five scrappy youths quickly learn that they must find a way to stay alive or face a grizzly ending. 

Among the twists and turns, people can expect to see some familiar faces in the returning cast ⏤ including Emma Roberts, Leslie Grossman and Billie Lourd. So, fire up the laptop, get some snacks and get those final fall thrills in.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Review: “Terra”

Review of the digital-only album from Eric Alexandrakis

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor 

A new digital-only album from Grammy-nominated musician, Eric Alexandrakis, is hitting the mainstream. “Terra” has been described by producer, Minoan Music, takes heavy influence from the 1960s psychedelic pop and new wave music. They also build off pop-styles from the late ‘70s and ‘80s. Take all this and mix it with a decent amount of Pink Floyd vibes, and there’s “Terra,” an alternative album that can be enjoyed by many. 

This 28-track album is jam-packed with plenty of alternative songs for anyone who wants to explore new music. The concept for “Terra,” as described by the artist, is inspired by his adventures while traveling and manages to weave in a compelling and poignant narrative of the artist’s life. Compared to his other albums, “Terra” has more of a unique feel with Alexandrakis’ use of an ancient 16-track machine. 

Along with this, the tracks are crafted with the help of bass player John Taylor of Duran Duran. In these multi-layered songs, Alexandrakis takes the listener on an emotional journey with his artistic lyricism — “Terra” will take you for a wild ride from start to finish. 

To follow some of the older stories Alexandrakis has produced, other albums like, “I.V. CATATONIA: 20 Years As a Two-Time Cancer Survivor” and “Hell On Earth” can be found on Apple Music. 

Overall Rating: 7/10, for the musical journey I went on. I would recommend this to people that enjoy exploring innovative music.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Review: “The Best of Me”

David Sedaris’ newest novel ranked second on Amazon charts

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

There’s no doubt a seemingly endless amount of new media is constantly being released; it can be hard to sift through all the latest content to find something meaningful. Plenty of worthwhile messages can be found in David Sedaris’ latest nonfiction book, “The Best of Me,” which gives the reader a peek into the years of Sedaris’ life and career, and his sense of humor.

These collections of stories and essays are arranged as selected by the author and cover various complex situations — the realities of wild family dynamics, encounters while traveling, losing a parent and his sister and how to heal from further hurt and loss. He utilizes his vivid, confessional style of writing to immerse the reader into these experiences, handling hard situations with a sense of humor and compassion. Within the first few chapters, Sedaris at one point quips, “If you read an essay in the Esquire and don’t like it, there could be something wrong with the essay. If it’s in The New Yorker, on the other hand, and you don’t like it, there’s something wrong with you.” 

Through the humor and hearty topics displayed in “The Best of Me,” and countless other popular works, like “Calypso” and “When You Are Engulfed In Flames,” Sedaris constantly displays his unique voice on topics that a lot of readers can relate to. 

Originally published on Sept. 29, the hardcover has been available on Amazon since Nov. 3, and ranked number two on Amazon Charts for “The Top 20 Most Sold & Most Read of the Week” the week of Nov. 8. 

The price of the book ranges from $16 to $26 on Amazon depending on the version bought. Other price points and ways to find his book are available on his website. To keep up with Sedaris and his latest adventures, visit his official site at davidsedarisbooks.com for more information. 

Overall Rating: 8/10, it made me laugh and cry at the same time. I would totally recommend the book to anyone who enjoys hearty, make-your-eyes-tear-up nonfiction and quick-witted, dark humor.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu 

Addressing anxiety by being in the now

Join the Student Health and Counseling Center for weekly mindfulness meditation sessions

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

This fall term has brought a new service to Western students through the Student Health and Counseling Center: mindfulness meditation sessions are being held weekly over Zoom by counselors Emily Horak and Bliss Boutin.

Western’s administration requested that the Student Health and Counseling Center create a group in light of common stressors that students were facing, including concerns about COVID-19. Horak and Boutin volunteered to tackle these stressors.

“Mindfulness is something that we’re both really passionate about,” Horak said. “We heard that there was a need to start a group kind of like this, and the two of us volunteered to form it.”

During these mindfulness meditation sessions, students get time in a group setting to process the stress going on in their lives and understand ways of coping with them. Students not only learn about mindfulness, but they also practice mindfulness exercises. Horak and Boutin said they aim to utilize a combination of group counseling and mindfulness.

“With classes being online we’re really wanting it to feel less like a lecture and more interactive,” Horak said. 

She hopes they will achieve this by expanding their group. Students do not need to have prior knowledge or experience with mindfulness to join these sessions. The goal of this mindfulness meditation group is to help any Western students who may be experiencing stress. Horak and Boutin said there is no pressure for prospective students. 

“We just want it to feel very welcoming and inviting, and it’s not meant to feel formal for anyone,” Boutin said.

The mindfulness meditation group meets every Thursday at 3 p.m. until Dec. 10. It is free for students who have paid the fall term health service fee. Contact the Student Health and Counseling Center at 503-838-8313 if interested in joining.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

 

Say yes to yoga with a sun salutation

A yoga sequence anyone can try

Allison Vanderzanden | Lifestyle Editor

Yoga is a great exercise that can both energize and relax the body. According to healthline.com, yoga has numerous benefits, including decreasing stress and improving strength and flexibility. Try out this yoga sequence — a sun salutation — whether a beginner or a pro.

Take as much time as needed to perform the first and second cycles of the sun salutation. It’s more important to do each pose correctly than to finish the sequence as quickly as possible.

Warm up for a few minutes by sitting comfortably and just focusing on breathing. Stretch out by rotating the neck, wrists, shoulders and ankles. Once ready, slowly move to a standing position and begin the sequence.

SUN SALUTATION

Mountain pose: Stand with a straight spine and feet shoulder-width apart. Relax the shoulders while engaging the core.

Upward salute: Take a deep breath in and reach arms straight overhead. Keep pulling shoulders away from the ears.

Forward fold: Exhale while reaching fingertips down to the floor. Keep the back flat, and bend the knees if there is too much strain in the hamstrings.

Half forward fold: Inhale and place hands on shins while looking up and straight ahead. Engage the core to maintain a straight spine.

Lunge: On the exhale, move the left leg straight back and keep the right leg bent at a 90º angle to come into a lunge. Distribute body weight equally between each leg.

Chaturanga: Move into a push-up position on the inhale. With the exhale, lower down towards the floor ⏤ first the chest, then the pelvis. Come all the way to the floor if needed, and adjust the feet so that the top of each foot is touching the ground.

Upward-facing dog: Breathe in and press into hands to lift the whole body off the floor, including legs. Keep leg muscles active while pulling shoulders down and back from ears. Look straight ahead or upwards if it’s comfortable.

Downward-facing dog: Exhale and adjust the feet so that the soles are now touching the floor, then push up and back into an inverted V-shape. Straighten the spine and bend the knees if necessary.

Lunge: Take a breath in and move the left leg forward into a lunge.

Forward fold: Exhale and relax into forward fold.

Upward salute: Inhale and reach arms upwards.

Mountain pose: Return to an engaged standing position with an exhale.

Repeat this cycle three to four times, then take a few minutes, either sitting comfortably or lying on back, to cool down and once again focus on breathing.

A demonstration of the sun salutation sequence can be found on our website, wou.edu/westernhowl, and our Instagram @thewesternhowl.

Contact the author at avanderzanden19@mail.wou.edu

 

This week in completely made up horoscopes

The Western Howl Staff

Theme: Midterms

 

Aries 3/21-4/19  

The mania that has set in from not sleeping in 3 days will never go away. 

 

Taurus 4/20-5/20

Going to sleep at 5am and waking up at 2pm seems to be working so why change it? 

 

Gemini 5/21-6/20 

Week 8. Is it over yet.

 

Cancer 6/21-7/22

The guy sure looks like plant food to me.

 

Leo 7/23-8/22

I’m going to Mcdonalds, you guys wanna tag along?

 

Virgo 8/23-9/22

The Sands Of Time Have Reached Their End. To Prepare For Your Finals, You Must Transcend.

 

Libra 9/23-10/22

If we all gather at the same time and day on Moodle, could we crash the site? Let’s put the team in teamwork. 

 

Scorpio 10/23-11/21 

Don’t cry because it’s over, cry because it happened

 

Sagittarius 11/22-12/21

Don’t mind. Don’t mind.

 

Capricorn 12/22-1/19

Spent all week catching up with my classes only to realize I forgot to do a project, lol what’s good y’all

 

Aquarius 1/20 – 2/18

Procrastinate, stress, cram, forget assignments, cry, rinse and repeat ⏤ it’s week 8 buckos.

 

Pisces 2/19 – 3/20

Week 8? More like breakdown 80. 

Veteran Resource Center participates in nationwide PAVE program

The Veteran Resource Center provides veterans and their dependents with specialized academic advisors

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

In America, the number of veterans and dependents interested in pursuing higher education rose 3% after the addition of Chapter 33: Post/9-11 educational assistance to U.S. Code Title 38—VETERANS’ BENEFITS, reported in a study by Liang Zhang of New York University.

To accommodate incoming veterans, in 2012 an organization associated with the University of Michigan known as M-SPAN — Military Support Programs and Networks — launched a pilot version of their initiative known as PAVE — Peer Advisors for Veteran Education — intending to ease the transition of student veterans from the military to college, increase student veteran retention rates and improve student veterans’ academic performance.

After their successful pilot, M-SPAN launched a nationwide campaign, gaining 42 campuses including Western Oregon University.

“I was initially interested in forming a peer advising program because I was witnessing the success of other mentorship programs,” said Western Veteran Resource Center Director Colin Haines.

Haines reported reaching out to fellow colleges that were already participating in the program; after receiving information on how the program functioned on their campuses, Haines determined that PAVE would benefit Western veterans and their dependents. Starting officially in 2019, the Veteran Resource Center began offering the services associated with PAVE.

“It’s a unique program,” said senior exercise science major and team leader of the PAVE program Adam Dryden. “Incoming veterans or dependents are paired with an upperclassman familiar with Western’s academics and the different Veteran Affairs benefits.”

In years prior, incoming first-year veterans or dependents were assigned to a general university advisor specific to their major. Dryden explained that VA benefits are different from most financial aid, so general advisors may not be as familiar with their structure compared to a member of PAVE.

Additionally, Dryden explained that while advisors are required to be upperclassmen and be a veteran or a dependent, candidates are required to go through a short certification program.

“I think it’s effective,” said Dryden. “It takes a few hours to complete. You run through scenarios and then you get a certification at the end.”

Despite the challenges imposed by COVID-19, PAVE has maintained 36 first-years using VA benefits. Dryden explained that while PAVE is meant to serve underclassmen, transfer students are also welcome to participate in the program.

“We want to help in any way that we can,” Dryden explained.

For more information or questions regarding PAVE, visit the Veteran Resource Center website at wou.edu/veterans/.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

 

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