Mount Hood

Holiday attractions opening soon

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

With winter approaching, fall festivities are beginning to meet with seasonal and holiday opportunities. The holiday season is often when people are looking for ways to get into the holiday spirit in anticipation of the upcoming celebrations. Thanks to this, many once-a-year opportunities to visit certain places or attend events happen during this time of the year.

 

Ice skating

The cities of Salem, Sherwood,  Ashland, Eugene and Portland all have ice skating rinks available to the public. Most open after Thanksgiving weekend. Some of these rinks, like in Eugene and Sherwood, are also home to athletes who play ice sports, so hours available to the public might be limited. In these cases it is advised to look up open skate hours on their website before going. The nearest rink, Salem on Ice, is primarily a recreational rink open to the public but can be rented out for groups as well. This attraction can be found at 200 Water St NE, Salem.

 

Seasonal lights

There are various locations in Oregon that have seasonal light displays. A particularly popular one can be found in Portland at the Oregon Zoo, where they have an annual ZooLights display. The Oregon Gardens also have a seasonal lights display known as Christmas in the Garden.

 

Wine cellar events

Thanksgiving weekend is when visitors to Arcane cellars in Salem, and Eola Hills in Rickreall can find annual wine tasting events. The city of Aurora hosts an annual wine and chocolate event on the first weekend of December, and a similar event can be found at Spirit Mountain Casino, which hosts a free admission, free samples included event.

 

Dallas Winterfest

Located on Main Street in Dallas, this festival on Dec. 7 will have vendors, food, holiday treats and music. The festival is free to visitors but will only be open from 5-8 p.m.

 

Holiday Tree lighting

There are multiple tree lighting events in the Salem area, often accompanied by holiday parades. One will be hosted here at Western on Monmouth Avenue on Nov. 30. Others can be found in Salem at the capitol on Nov. 25 or in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square on Nov. 23. Portland will also be hosting a Menorah lighting at Director Park on Dec. 2-9.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Tips for managing finances and credit

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

As many students are stuck in the limbo between living with their parents or guardians and becoming fully fledged adults out on their own, there are many life lessons they need to tackle between point A and point B. Of these lessons, learning how to manage personal finances and a credit score is one of them. This task can seem intimidating, but breaking it down into main points to deal with can help with avoiding a crisis.

Knowing the basics is an important first step in credit management. Future purchases, such as cars and houses, are affected by financial decisions made now. Student loans, for example, are one way that many students are faced with the need to understand personal finances and credit. This often leads to questions like the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans or which credit card to get, as most people at some point will apply for a credit card.

Plenty of scary stories about the dangers of credit cards have been passed around, but these stories are worth telling if it means those new to credit approach their finances with caution. Part of the above mentioned education on the basics should include the tip that it’s not necessarily a good idea to get a credit card with the intention of paying off only the minimum amount each period or of adding more expenses to daily life with the acquisition of a credit card rather than using it to help with existing expenses. It all has to be paid back eventually, and spending more than can be paid back immediately can be risky.

If there’s uncertainty still about financial and mental preparedness for adding more bills to the pile, reconsidering which are really needed can save some time and effort. If the main goal for getting a credit card is to build up good credit, keep in mind that there are other ways to earn a good credit score. Paying rent and making payments to student loans are both other ways that credit will build up without a credit card.

On the other hand, another thing to consider for those needing to apply for a loan or a credit card is that people with little to no credit will likely have trouble getting approved without a cosigner. This means, for example, that students needing an extra loan may not be able to get one unless a family member signs on, and that it would be a good idea to discuss plans early on.

Asking for help in situations like this may not be everyone’s first choice, but it’s not an uncommon necessity. When it starts to feel overwhelming, remember that, though it does take personal effort and educating to nail money management, there are plenty of resources to consult.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Illustration by Rachel Hetzel

Wolves women’s soccer club goalie gets honored

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Less than one year ago Western club sports added a new sport to its offers — women’s soccer. Starting out as just a collection of athletes wanting to play a version of soccer more competitive than just intramurals, Westerns women’s soccer club is now a dominant force in Oregon’s club soccer scene.

One of the stand out players from the roster is D-Dré Wright, junior chemistry major and the goalkeeper for the Wolves. In the goal, Wright may look like a season veteran due to her athleticism and ability to turn away a majority of the shots she faces. However, Wright hasn’t been playing for as long as some may believe.

“I started playing soccer practically last year. I did play 1 season in high school, my freshman year…but other than that just here in college recreationally,” said Wright. “I was interested in soccer in college because it was a way to get exercise on a (regular) basis while still competing against other schools.”

Joining the women’s club soccer team in its inaugural season, Wright seemed to gravitate toward the position of goalie for an unusual reason.

“I am very uncoordinated with my feet and I was well aware of this so I chose to play the only position that doesn’t really use their feet with a ball,” said Wright.

Despite this, Wright was a natural in the goal. On Oct. 20 the Wolves faced off against the University of Oregon Ducks. Before the game started, nerves were high. Wright and the rest of the team did their best to keep calm before the first whistle.

“I honestly get pretty nervous especially under pressure, but I try my best not to think and psych myself out. Instead, I just let my body go and do the actions it knows how to do. Ultimately, I just react,” said Wright.

As the game wore on, the Ducks kept testing the defense of the Wolves with shot after shot. But Wright and the Wolves stood tall.

“Although U of O did not score any goals, my defense (was) what made me look good. They always protect me at all costs,” noted Wright.

After the final whistle Western was victorious with a final score of 2-0. It was no doubt that the lights out play aided the Wolves to the win. In the week after the match, Wright was surprised to hear that her dominating play was being recognized. Western’s Club Sports named her as their “Player of the Week” and the Northwest Co-ed Soccer League as their “Player of the Week.” These honors showed that after only a short time in the goal, Wright is already making heads turn.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Matt Cornish

Cross country meet displays men’s continued strength

Lake Larsen | Sports editor

The echo of the speakers could be heard shouting out the colors the runners were donning. The wind seemed to calm and the seconds counted down to the start of the men’s 8000-meter GNAC Cross Country Championship. A tight group of Wolves bunched together in their white tops and red shorts, ready to fight the rest of the GNAC for long distance running supremacy.

At the 1000-meter mark of the race, Western was spotted splitting into two packs of Wolves, one fighting for the top spots, the other falling just a few meters behind. A group of University of Alaska Anchorage runners led the charge but the Wolves were hot on their heels.

The 2000-meter mark saw several single racers sneak their way to the front of the pack. The Wolves’s male runners started to split up as the leading group shrank smaller and smaller. By 3000 meters only two Wolves were spotted toward the front, surrounded by a team of Seawolves.

With the race halfway over, the leading pack of runners had shrunk to just 10 athletes. The Wolves had a single runner in the mix, but Simon Fraser University and University of Alaska Anchorage both maintained groups of three and four runners respectively at the top.

After the 6000-meter mark, the group of leaders grew smaller with every stride. The Seawolves and Clan were all that was left with less than 1000 meters to go.

In the final push the Seawolves and Clan shot to the top, but a group of well-placed Wolves finished not too far behind. As the results were compiled, the Wolves hoped their final push was enough.

The women’s 6000-meter mirrored the men’s race with the leading runners being a team of Seawolves. Unlike the men’s race, the Wolves’s women were unable to challenge the leaders, falling into a pack in the middle of all the racers.  

At the 2000-meter mark the Seawolves maintained their dominating lead. The closest Wolf to the front was nearly 50 meters behind. As the runners neared the 3000-meter mark a pair of Seattle Pacific runners stole the lead away from the Alaska Anchorage runners.

As the runners took to the straight away of the course again, the leading pack of four runners were all but gone as the next closest runner was over 70 meters behind.

After 5000 meters of running, the race was nearly over and the Wolves women were falling further and further behind. Only two Western runners were spotted in the top 30 as the runners neared the finish.

As racers crossed the finish line not a Wolf was in sight. Only three Wolves finished inside the top 50. While the women’s race left more to be desired, ending with a 7th place overall finish, the official placing for the men’s race showed Western had captured a 4th place spot.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

From the Sports Desk

Lake Larsen | Sports editor

In the weeks since my last installment of “From the Sports Desk,” I have received some comments and concerns about my coverage of the financial difficulties of the athletic programs on campus, my ethics as a journalist and my coverage of NCAA sports on campus. Because of this, I would like to take a moment to clarify myself and help resolve any questions other readers may have.

One of the most commonly mentioned criticisms I have received in regards to my columns are about my lack of mentioning the athletic accomplishments achieved by the student athletes at Western. While I do understand that my non-coverage of these facts may seem misleading, there was a purposeful intention as to why I did not include them — they are irrelevant to my story.

When I stated in “Opinion: From the Sports Desk” from Issue 4, that football was killing off the sports around it, my intention of this was to highlight how football was pulling funds away from other athletics, causing those other athletics to struggle financially. It was not meant to downplay the achievements of the other varsity programs.

However, these achievements play no part in my research for this story. In 1991, Western cut the wrestling program due to funding issues. In the final season of the wrestling program four members competed in the national championship. I bring this up because the size of the trophy case of a team means nothing if the team cannot afford to exist.

The other complaint I’ve received in regards to my coverage is how the sports section doesn’t cover enough of the NCAA sports on campus. This lack of coverage is also done for a reason.

The number of club sports being offered at Western is the same as the number of athletic teams yet the media coverage is nearly non-existent for club sports.

The argument that’s been voiced to me about needing to cover more NCAA sports has to do with the amount of work Western’s student athletes put into their teams. It has been told to me that they work very hard thus earning the right to be covered. However, this point is mirrored by the club sports on campus. Western’s club sports all work tirelessly to put together competitive teams and rarely a whisper is heard about them.

While many of the comments I have heard in regards to my opinions have been negative, I welcome the feedback. The more I hear back from readers, the better I can educate myself and others. But it is important to remember that the opinions in my column are based on research into the finances of an athletics program, whose director himself referred to as underfunded.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Greek organizations rally in support of survivors

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Alpha Chi Omega sisters in black dresses and purple ribbons welcomed guests on Nov. 1 to their event with Kappa Sigma, “My Little Black Dress Doesn’t Mean Yes.” The Greek organizations joined together to raise funds for The Center for Hope and Safety, a domestic violence shelter in Salem.

“We help victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and stalking,” said Stephen Broncho, the Community Engagement Manager at The Center for Hope and Safety. “Last year, we had over 26,000 contacts to our program.”

Two Alpha Chi Omega members shared their personal experiences with domestic violence, and the President of Kappa Sigma and senior computer science major, Brandon Linton, conveyed a number of statistics about the prevalence of domestic violence in the United States, particularly amongst college-aged women. However, he also stated that there is no one type of person domestic violence targets.

“Domestic violence does not care about your age, your race, your skin color, your religion or your sexual orientation,” said Linton. “Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels.”

Linton then stated that the biggest problem survivors of domestic violence face is not being heard. Although survivors have many reasons for not reporting, he shared that some of the most common ones include not believing the police could help, not wanting to get the abuser in trouble, not feeling their experience was important enough to report and being afraid of retaliation.

“I’m here to tell you that there are people in this room and on this campus who care about you,” Linton said. “It is up to us to change the stigma and stereotypes about domestic violence and expose domestic violence for what it is. Too often these terrible crimes go unnoticed — unseen and unspoken — and the cycle of violence continues thriving.”

Although there is still a long way to go, Vice President Philanthropy of Alpha Chi Omega and sophomore ASL/English interpreting major, Serenna Galloway, shared that she has hope that events like this will make a positive change in Western’s community.

“It’s something that’s so prominent right now, and to have a fraternity join with a sorority and break the stigma of that is awesome,” Galloway said. “We hope that other survivors will be able to speak up, or if they need someone to rely on, they know that they can come to us and we’ll find resources for them…we know sometimes it’s harder  to come up yourself, so when you have support it’s a lot easier.”

Through their 50/50 and prize basket raffles, Alpha Chi Omega and Kappa Sigma ultimately raised $779 for Center for Hope and Safety.

If anyone is in need of resources provided by Center for Hope and Safety, their 24-hour hotline is (503) 399-7722.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Bailey Thompson

Polk County 4-H hosts 56th Annual Holiday Fair

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

Walking into the Polk County Fairgrounds and Event Center, a number of local children called names for door prizes and those involved with Polk County 4-H sat at a greeting booth in the entryway. Roughly 130 vendors gathered on Nov. 2-3 for the 56th Annual Polk County Holiday Fair — a time to share homemade items and help support the local 4-H program.

Paintings, dolls, holiday decorations, wooden items, jewelry and ceramics: all things that could be found at this year’s bazaar. Along a multitude of rows sat vendors of all ages, talking with prospective customers about the products they had made.

Back at the entrance to the fair, however, event organizer Suzi Busler sat and managed several volunteers in order to make sure that the event was a success.

“We’re a holiday fair that started before Christmas bazaars were the in-thing to be,” said Busler. “About nine years ago (an extension study group program) turned it over to the 4-H program. And we’ve expanded and added quite a few things to the program since then.”

In discussing the impact that this annual event has on the local 4-H children, Busler remarked that the holiday fair is one of their biggest fundraising events — drawing close to 3000 people from the community — and it also helps the kids to grow and develop in their leadership skills.

“This is an opportunity for them to be able to market and use those skills that they’re learning in the 4H program,” said Busler.

When asked about whether or not groups of college students are able to rent booths in future years, Busler responded, “Absolutely…maybe a college student doesn’t have enough time to be able to have enough product to staff their own booth, but a collection of students could easily join together to be able to have enough products to sell.”

If any Western students or organizations are interested in being a part of the Holiday Fair next year, Busler advised that they contact the Polk County Extension Office at (971) 612-0028 after information comes out next August. It costs $40 for crafters to participate in the fair, and this money goes to funding the Polk County 4-H program.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Update: The results of Oregon’s Midterm Election

Bailey Thompson | News Editor

[fruitful_tabs type=”accordion” width=”100%” fit=”false”]
[fruitful_tab title=”National Offices”]U.S. Representative District 5: Kurt Schrader [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”State Offices”] Governor: Kate Brown

State Representative District 20: Paul Evans

State Senator District 10: Jackie Winters

[/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Local Offices”]

Monmouth Mayor: Cecelia Koontz

Monmouth City Councilors: Roxanne E. Beltz, Jon Carey and Stephen Howard

[/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Ballot Measures”]

Measure 102: Yes

Measure 103: No

Measure 104: No

Measure 105: No

Measure 106: No

[/fruitful_tab]
[/fruitful_tabs]

[fruitful_alert type=”alert-success”] Stay tuned for more information on these results. [/fruitful_alert]

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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

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