Mount Hood

Additions to your next game night

Sam Dunaway | News Editor 

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Game nights are often a cheap and exciting way to spend an evening with good friends. But, if you’re anything like me, you might be looking for new activities to add to your repertoire besides “Cards Against Humanity.” Read on for my personal favorite games and enjoy them at your next game night.

Codenames

This four to eight player game is one of my absolute favorites. A grid of codenames, or random words, are placed in front of the players. The group splits into two teams and elects a spymaster for each team. The spymasters are the only ones who know the secret identities of the cards and must try and get their team to guess the correct codenames to win. This game is a ton of fun and the random placement of the cards means that combinations are endless. And even better, “Codenames: Deep Undercover” is the mature version of the game and usually costs less than $20 at most department stores.

Photo by: Codenamesgame.com

Jackbox Games

Jackbox Games are probably my favorite way to spend a Friday night. With four party packs to choose from, Jackbox Games are easily downloaded from a Playstation, Xbox or Steam and each player connects to their game through their phone. Trivia games like “You Don’t Know Jack” provide you and your friends with the opportunity to battle it out to see who knows the most useless information. “Quiplash” generates ridiculous prompts and allows you to come up with your own responses. “Drawful,” similar to Pictionary, challenges your drawing skills and awards points to the players that guess correctly. For less than $25 a pack, these party games are versatile, convenient and not your average board game.

Photo by: Jackboxgames.com

Heads Up

Board games can be expensive, but this classic app provides hours of entertainment for only 99 cents at the App Store. With different decks such as Act it Out, Animals Gone Wild and Accents and Impressions, this charades-like game involves one player guessing what’s written on the hidden card by using hints from the rest of their team. This inexpensive and simple game can be played anywhere with family, friends, or coworkers.

Photo by: warnerbros.com

Ticket to Ride

This game requires at least an hour or two of invested time, energy and strategy. Players take turns attempting to claim railway routes that connect cities on a map of the United States, and the longer the route, the more points you can earn. But unfriendly players may choose to sabotage your routes in process. I’m the type of person that gets discouraged with intense rules and confusing plotlines but, fortunately, Ticket to Ride is fairly easy to learn and jump right into. This game is a little more expensive, usually $25 to $35 depending on which edition you buy, but it also provides hours of entertainment that makes it worth the price.

Photo by: daysofwonder.com

Dutch Blitz

Prepare to be stuck playing round after round of this addicting card game. Incredibly fast-paced and at times fairly challenging, the objective is to essentially get rid of all of your cards by creating “Dutch Piles.” Prepare to feel the stress of looking for that one card you need in time before someone yells out “Blitz!” which signals that they have beat you to the point. While the game is designed for four, expansion packs can also be purchased if you want to include more people.

Photo by: Dutchblitz.com

The Oregon Trail Card Game

For this game, we’re traveling back to 1848. It’s time to see if you and your party can hitch up your wagons and make it all the way to Oregon. This card game is based on the original computer disk game and will leave you feeling nostalgic with every “Broken Axle” or “You Have Died of Dysentery” card you draw. Pulling cards from the deck that will oftentimes frustrate you, this game can be a lot more difficult than one would assume.

Photo by: pressmantoy.com

Contact the authors at journalnews@wou.edu and chealy16@wou.edu

A glimpse from behind the counter

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Earlier this school year, for the first time, I decided to get a job working in the food service industry. It was the first real customer service position I had ever gotten, and it has already taught me so much.

In the few months I’ve worked this job, I have experienced a plethora of questionable interactions with people; I’ve had people come up to me at the front counter and pretend to “make it rain” with dollar bills, I’ve had a woman come up to me and scream in my face for something I didn’t do, I’ve had endless sighs and comments such as “really?”, or “you’ve got to be kidding” thrown at me due to the fact that I didn’t have specific food ready — that we don’t even advertise as having ready. Not to mention, numerous inappropriate comments about my appearance, prank calls and eye gazes have been gestured towards me.

I want, for just one second, any one of these people to step into my shoes — my incredibly uncomfortable, non-slip shoes, that is. Then they might understand why none of this is okay. They’d understand what I go through on a daily basis; I work anywhere between six to 10 hours in a given shift, my breaks are short, I’m running all over the place trying to get things done quickly and, all the while, I have to make sure that I have a smile on my face and that customers are being served very quickly. When you have the added factor of difficult customers that are for some reason “always right,” it can be exhausting.

In no way am I trying to throw myself a pity-party — I chose to take on this position and this workload. That being said, I honestly think that if at some point in everyone’s life they worked a customer-service job, I wouldn’t have to deal with these kinds of problems.

Working customer service is a great way to learn about several important aspects of life. You learn how to be more patient. Being on the other end of the counter teaches you how things work. There are times where I have 10 orders in front of someone, and they get upset if they have to wait 10 minutes. I’m sorry, did you want me to just magically make those tickets disappear? You have to wait your turn, and if you were in my position, you’d understand that.

You also learn how kindness can go a long way. A nice comment or a “keep up the good work” can actually put a genuine smile on my face. And finally, you learn why you should be understanding and respectful of the people who are serving you.

On the other hand, customer service can offer so many other great things. You learn about the lives of people that you otherwise wouldn’t have known. For instance, I’m beginning to learn the names of several regulars and about the many things that go on in their lives. Just asking “how has your day been?” has led to several conversations with random people, and often times it really brightens their day to have someone to talk to. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

While I have had several experiences that make me question why people are the way they are, I’m beginning to notice a pattern. Most of my frustrating experiences have been with people of an older generation. The younger ones are typically more respectful and willing to wait and work with me rather than just immediately get upset and throw a fit. It almost feels as if the older generation has become so removed from what it means to work a customer service job that they have higher expectations than what can actually be met. However, the consideration coming from the younger customers seems like a positive sign to me; the future is bright and the younger generation has a more empathetic attitude that is understanding and respectful towards customer service employees. I hope that carries on over time.

As for everyone else, you may want to consider picking up a customer service position at some point. Maybe then you can begin to understand why things happen the way they do, and why you shouldn’t be blatantly impolite toward the people who are serving you. But, hey, if you’re going to be disrespectful, at the very least, could you leave a tip?

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

Letter To The Editor

Nathan Soltz

In response to Eric Frey’s editorial published Feb. 28:

Thank you for your letter to the student body regarding the IFC process; however, I do have quite a few concerns. For the sake of length, I’m not going to address all of them as in-depth as I would like to, but I am going to make a very specific concern known for the sake of the student body.

Your letter makes it sound as though the timeline for cutting ASWOU began with the IFC telling ASWOU that the budget was going to be cut $28,000 for OSA, and then ASWOU deciding that they would, instead, gut clubs and organizations with that cut.

Simply put, this is factually inaccurate. The IFC mandates that all the IFC-funded organizations present what a 5 percent and 10 percent cut package would look like. In ASWOU’s 10 percent cut package, it was made very clear that the only flexible budgets for a cut that significant would be the clubs and organizations that it funds. All along, the IFC knew that a 10 percent cut would be devastating to Western’s clubs and it, at its sole discretion, decided to make that cut.

The way the IFC has been representing this process to the students of Western Oregon University has been misleading, deceitful and displays a gross aberration for the democratic processes that the IFC members are supposed to be upholding. Trying to pit the students of Western against ASWOU because the IFC has decided to slash funding to their clubs is irresponsible and egregious.

I’ve seen all of the publicly-available responses submitted by students regarding the preliminary budget and I am aware of several more which have been sent directly to you by students who have expressed their concerns to me. The clubs which you are gutting know very well what your budget does and will not be fooled by the red herring explanation the IFC has given regarding the cuts.

In an annual budget which represents an overall budget reduction of 0.3 percent, a net reduction of $12,644, your cut to ASWOU — and, by extension, the clubs and organizations of Western — is roughly 10 percent. The cut to ASWOU of $28,000, a net of $23,103, is near twice the next largest net cut — $12,374 to Creative Arts, which the department itself asked for.

As a percentage, the ASWOU cut is more than double the next largest cut. Not to mention that ASWOU aside, the average cut, to those organizations which were cut, was 1.8 percent. Perhaps more strikingly, half of all the budgets stayed completely unchanged, including over $1 million allocated to Athletics —$1,284,159 to be exact — the single largest line-item in the IFC’s budget. Note that Athletics also receives funding from both the general fund and the Foundation — the only department or organization on campus to do so.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is quoted as saying “budgets are moral documents.” Maybe you were totally oblivious to the grave impact your proposed ASWOU cut would have on the clubs and organizations on our campus and the students they represent — I dare not infer what the IFC’s thought process was if you were aware of this impact and proposed the cut anyway.

Now that there is no way you can still claim ignorance to the consequences of this action, I have faith that the IFC will reconsider this gross neglect of duty to the students it alleges to represent. I have faith that the IFC will not cut the Associated Students of Western Oregon University and, by extension, every single student on this campus. This is a moment of truth. When the dust settles, where will the IFC stand: with students or against them? As it is now, the IFC is looking pretty alone.

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

A Guide To Instagram

Paul F. Davis | Photo Editor

We live in an era where your Instagram aesthetic and prowess is almost as important to who you are as a person as how you dress or do your makeup, and we all want to look good, so here are some recommendations from your local Photo Editor, Paul F. Davis.

 

  1. Adventure: take a walk and take some time to find a spot that you can call your own. Look for a spot that frames your subject so that the eye is naturally attracted to you or your model.
  2. Candid: ever see a friend or friends that just looked like they radiated light? Take a picture and save that moment. Wait until your friend cracks a smile or looks at the camera to capture a moment that will be much more powerful than a pose.
  3. Perspective: a picture taken from below will make that person look powerful and dominant, and a picture from above will make them seem small and submissive. It’s as simple as getting dirty and laying on the ground or getting on top of a chair and taking a picture from above.
  4. Light: have your model look into the light to make them feel connected to a higher power, and visa versa to convey the opposite feeling. This is easiest to do on a very bright day or find a very dark space and let a ray of light come in and hit your model’s face.

Contact the author at pfdavis14@mail.wou.edu

Photos by: Paul F. Davis

Women’s team falls just short of conference championship

Morgan Swaim | Staff Writer

After losing two tightly contested games, 73-68 to Seattle Pacific and 73-66 to Saint Martin’s, on Feb. 22 and 24, the Wolves found themselves ninth in the conference standings as the season ended.

Coming into this week with impressive back-to-back wins, the Wolves had a chance of grabbing the sixth and final spot for the GNAC conference championships. With four teams fighting for the final remaining spot, the margin for error was minimal. After losing by five against Seattle Pacific, the team’s postseason chances were out of their hands. They needed to win their final game, and for other conference opponents to lose their remaining scheduled games on the last day of the season.

Saturday’s game against St. Martin’s was the last for the Wolves season and for five seniors on the team —  Jasmine Miller, Kennedy Corrigan, Shelby Snook, Savannah Heugly and Sydney Azorr are all leaving after this year.

The results of the game did not matter in terms of grabbing the last championship spot, as the Simon Fraser Clan was able to grab the final championship berth, finishing the season on a three-game winning streak. This season, the Wolves finished with a 11-15 overall record, going 7-13 against conference foes. That is a three-game improvement from the 2016-2017 campaign.

Next year, the team will be faced with the task of replacing a large number of minutes, with the previously mentioned seniors all leading the team in minutes played. Heugly, Snook and Azorr were huge contributors this year, all averaging double digits in points per game. The team will most likely rely on underclassmen such as first-year guard Keyonna Jones and sophomore forward Natalie DeLonge to play even bigger roles next season, after having both average over 15 minutes this year.

The final stretch of this season may have provided a large amount of experience heading into next season, as the team played with their backs against the walls for a large portion of the second half. Even though the team did not find a postseason berth, the Wolves found themselves in the mix in a jumbled conference and just narrowly missed the cut but will hope to build on the momentum generated at the end of the year for the 2018-2019 season.

Contact the author at mswaim16@wou.edu

Photo by: wouwolves.com

Wolves clinch GNAC regular season title as streak climbs to 20

Morgan Swaim | Staff Writer

For the third time in the last four years, the Wolves have won the GNAC regular season title.

On Feb. 22, Western took on Western Washington, the only team that stood in the way of a perfect season.

Many players understood how big the situation was, including senior forward Tanner Omlid,

“We’ve been waiting for Feb. 22 since Dec. 2.”

On Dec. 2, Western Washington handed the team their first loss of the season, 85-58.

The past 18 games going into Thursday showed that the Wolves quickly recovered and still have their sights set on a long postseason run.

From the start of the game, it was clear that the Vikings would not be able to be anywhere near

as successful this time around. With a lead as large as 29 in the second half, the Wolves dominated this revenge game, winning 89-73.

This game was a polar opposite to how the team played in December, and senior guard Demetrius Trammell was able to share his thoughts on beating Western Washington, “It’s a good feeling to get back at the only team that beat us this year. We wanted to get the

GNAC regular season championship outright,” he said.

As the season continues, the team will be playing a constant set of elimination playoff games, starting with the GNAC conference championship tournament beginning March 1 in Anchorage, Alaska. There the team will await to play a winner of a first round matchup, and play their first conference championship game on March 2.

“The team is the MVP every night,” said Omlid. “We’ve had five, seven or eight guys lead in scoring, five or six guys lead us in rebounding, or blocks and steals. Anybody at any moment can go off.”

On top of clinching the regular season conference title, the Wolves may move up in the national rankings. The no. 2 team in the country ended up losing this past week, leaving the opportunity for the team to leapfrog into the top three.

Contact the author at mswaim16@wou.edu

Photo by: Amber Holland

Meet the Dean

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

How long have you been at Western?

“28 and a half years.”

 

What’s your favorite part of your job?

“The favorite part of my job is getting to know our students and I also work with an amazing staff.”

 

What are your favorite hobbies outside of work?

“I love spending time with my dogs. I like to do outdoor activities of any kind, whether it’s working in the yard or playing an organized sport or going on a walk … hanging out with friends is another, and just going on adventures.”

 

What’s your favorite movie?

“‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ That’s probably my all-time favorite movie because it’s the message in the movie that I think I can relate to and believe in.”

 

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

“I love Mexican food, I love authentic Mexican food. And there really isn’t a dish that I don’t like … If I had to choose one food within Mexican food, I’d have to choose tacos.”

What’s your secret talent?

“I can spin a basketball on my finger for an extended period of time.”

 

What’s your favorite dessert?

“Anything related to ice cream. I love ice cream and I love frozen yogurt … It’s versatile. You can eat it plain, you can add toppings to it, you can mix stuff in it.”

 

What’s one job you’d never do?

“President of the United States. I’d never go into politics.”

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

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