Lake Larsen, Author at The Western Howl

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

Who is Dustin Nading? In the flesh, “he’s a guy from Longview, Washington, currently running track and field, and studying exercise science at Western.” Here’s a runner, who in 2016 finished in either second or first for his team in five total meets. Then, in 2017, he was part of the Wolves’s indoor national championship team in distance-medley-relay. He’s also a student closing in on graduation with a goal of earning his doctorate degree in physical therapy, while looking towards a professional track and field career after Western.
He’s a son who admires his father Jeff Nading the most, and a reading and video game enthusiast among other things. “Obviously one of my main interests aside from running in general, is following and watching sports, even when I’m not participating. But reading is something I care tons about. You know: new literature, old literature; fiction, non-fiction.”
With allocation and timing being two important things in running, if there’s time for it, he’ll enjoy his leisures playing Fortnite, a video game. What is Fortnite? “So you start out by dropping into a map with 100 other people, you try to be the last one alive, and you get one life. It’s a pretty fun online game.”

The game has brought along with it a sort of bonding experience for Nading and many of his teammates who also play.
“Most of my hobbies revolve around things you can build relationships in.”
When not on the track or in the lounge, Nading’s in the lab applying science with athletic performance. A junior majoring in exercise science — his favorite course in the field? “Probably physiology of exercise. It really digs into what goes on when your doing different activities, aerobically or anaerobically,” he said. “A lot of times, you’ll go out and do a hard workout and you’ll feel this burning in your muscles, and you’re like ‘why does it hurt like that, why’s that happening?’ and a lot of what that class was was just getting to the cellular level and asking ‘How does your body respond to different kinds of exercises and why you feel the way you feel.’”

It’s all about figuring out the means to your end Nading explained. “So I think understanding things like that makes you not only a better athlete, or better academically, but makes you better at almost every other aspect of your life.”
Back on the track, Nading put that and everything into view this past Saturday, on Jan. 13 at the indoor track preview in Washington, his home state. He ran the 3,000 meters finishing sixth overall and set a new GNAC record time of 8.11.67. That bettered teammate David Ribich’s 2017 mark by two seconds; Nading received the GNAC athlete of the week award afterwards. There he was also guided by several teammates in multiple events. Overall, the team broke five records. It’s been quite a year for Nading and the Wolves. They’re fresh off competing in the Cross Country Nationals back in December, where the men’s team finished 21st overall. And after winning indoors in 2017, the Wolves look to repeat in the current indoor event. Looking back on the indoor meet last year, he took time to reflect on his championship teammates. “Those are people,” speaking about seniors Ribich and Joshua Dempsey “who’ve made great athletic performances and people I respect immensely.”
With sights always set on the track, he has a dynamic view of it. “There’s so many great athletes and role models to learn from. And one of the greatest things about it is is it’s so extensive. There’s a niche and place in the track world for almost everyone whether that’s running or watching which going back to the hobbies is something I enjoy because even when I’m not performing there’s always some performance you can learn from.”
For Nading, these are things and people he emulates and applies to improve his own performance and athletic ability.
“Every time I step on the line, I race for excellence. I’m representing my school but above all else, I’m representing my teammates and one thing going through my mind is I’m going to run to the best of my ability. I’m going to do all of the little things to get the big result in the end.”
Passing the baton, Nading gave advice for young up and coming runners, advising them to, “Believe in your teammates, and invest early in the sport because the sport will invest in you and that goes from paying attention to performances, watching, to working on your technique, to putting in the time for working out and bettering yourself … but if you invest in the sport in every aspect, you will undoubtedly get a return more than would you have expected.”

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

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Wolves Split Road Trip In Alaska

Morgan Swaim | Freelance writer

The women’s basketball team traveled up to Alaska to play two conferences games on Jan. 11 & 13, securing their second road win of the season in the process.

On Thursday, the 11, the Wolves were up against the conference leading Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves. The Wolves kept the game highly competitive to start, with the score being 23-17 at the end of the first quarter.

As the game went on though, the Seawolves proved why they are the sixth ranked team nationally. The Wolves surrendered a 23-9 second quarter, and were not able to get any momentum after, suffering a 85-53 loss.

Turnovers were a key issue in the game, as the Wolves coughed up the ball 24 times. Juniors Savannah Heugly–a forward and guard Kennedy Corrigan lead the team in points, with both topping double figures scoring 14 and 11.

The second game of the week was also played on the road, this time against the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Coming into the game, the Nanooks had struggled recently against conference opponents, losing all games against GNAC opponents.

The Wolves made sure that streak continued on Jan. 13, and picked up their second road win in the process. The play on the defensive end contributed a large part to the win, as the Wolves were able to grab 12 steals and hold Alaska-Fairbanks to 31.1 percent shooting.

Heugly was once again a key contributor. The junior scored 20 points, had 13 rebounds and stole the ball four times in the victory. Shelby Snook came in the game as a substitute to score 18 points, helping the team out score Fairbank’s bench by 16.

The game was in the paws of the Wolves for a large portion of the 74-54 victory. The Wolfpack hope to make something of a run in the next three games, all at home. Next on tab are the Montana State Billings Yellowjackets in a red out game. Tipoff is set for 5:15 p.m.

Contact the author at mswaim16@mail.wou.edu

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Wolves gain and maintain

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

A fierce Wolves team clawed their way to two wins this past week on Jan. 11 and 13. Improving their win-loss mark to 15-1 overall and 8-1 in GNAC play, they first played at Saint Martin’s, getting the decisive victory, 79-71. They maintained their successful week in Seattle defeating Seattle Pacific, 83-79.
Marching in first were the Saints with a 10-4 record, ranked fourth overall in the GNAC. Leading the charge, was Saints’s guard Luke Chavez with 17.2 points per game while forward Tavian Henderson is shooting 78 percent on the season, a top mark in the GNAC.
Senior forward Tanner Omlid led the Wolfpack, however, running the score up to a 41-30 lead after a 15-0 run early in the first half.
The Saints came back in the second half and kept biting at the lead, cutting the margin to as low as three at one point.
A 19-point, six-rebound, three-assist, two-block and two-steal stat line on the night by Omlid as well as 24 points in bench production kept the Saints at bay.
In front of the Saints in the GNAC standings is the Seattle Pacific Falcon squad that landed on Jan. 13 sporting a 5.6 rebounding margin versus its opponents.

Omlid again was everywhere on the stat board. The second game was a mirror image of the first as the Wolves led by double-digits for most of the half and pinning the Falcons, 51-40. The Falcons were a different team, however, and managed to pull ahead, 79-78, with a minute remaining in the game.

Wolves forward JJ Chirnside came up big on the defensive end grabbing two clutch steals and a block in waning seconds. Omlid finished the night with 20 points.

The Wolves head back home, first in a red out night opposite Central Washington on Jan. 18 and an alumni night game against Northwest Nazarene on Jan. 20.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

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Flag football hits the big stage

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

It was on Jan. 5 through Jan. 7 in Pensacola, Florida, that the Wolves flag football club earned their shot at competing for a national flag football championship.

The result, however, went unfavorably for the team, unable to grab wins in pool play for tournament seeding. They entered play first against Tennessee Tech in a losing effort, 14-19, before their historic season concluded against Central Florida, 12-21.
On the experience of playing at a large platform in Florida, a rarity for Western, junior quarterback Cody Chimienti viewed it as a learning tool, “I didn’t have super-high expectations being that none of us had ever been there before … but now that we’ve had a feel for the sort of competition there, we’re looking forward to returning.”
In the same way that the Wolves competed against bigger schools with a larger crop of athletes in and around the Washington-Pullman area, so was the case in Florida. But if anything, the teams in Florida were larger. Teams like the previous ones, Rutgers University and Loyola-Marymount are all division one schools, and this tournament had more of them.
Getting their first piece of the competition, Western struck with a rainbow pass for the beginning touchdown against Tennessee Tech. After trading scores, and with three minutes left in the second half, Tennessee scored the go-ahead touchdown to seal the game.
Versus Central Florida, Western again jumped out early, scoring a touchdown on the first drive. After scoring again late in the second half on an 80-yard play, they couldn’t adjust to the unique attacking offense of UCF, going down.

“For our first time as a team,” said Chimienti, “for Western, going to Pullman and Florida, I think it was a pretty big accomplishment.”
Speaking on the significance of the season and on the accomplishment, Chimienti spoke optimistically for the future commenting “I think it’s going to open doors for the future and potential athletes to want to come join us.”

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

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What does anxiety look like to you?

Mikaela Wong | Freelancer

I had my first panic attack when I was 8-years-old. I wasn’t able to understand the reality of what it was until I was 19 and started getting them more regularly. The feeling was always familiar: my chest got tight, my throat closed up, my eyes widened and my breathing started getting quicker and shorter. I felt as if I was drowning; I had no control.
To me, anxiety is the constant feeling of being on-edge or fidgety that never goes away, but just varies in levels and extremeness. It can sometimes get the better of me when I’m overwhelmed by responsibilities, if I’m surrounded by too many people and become socially exhausted or sometimes for no apparent reason at all.
In my specific case, my problem is that I have a high-functioning personality, meaning that I am very good at hiding my problems and feelings. Instead, I use it to fuel my motivation to accomplish or achieve things. Not that I believe that accomplishing things is bad, but using it to distract or deviate my mind and others’ from what is bothering me can be. It reached a point where I was achieving so much and had everything that I thought I would need in order to be happy, yet I still asked myself why I felt empty inside.

While there are many ways in which people choose to deal with their mental disorders, I chose to start seeing a therapist when I noticed the behavioral patterns heading in a negative direction.
I was diagnosed with major depression and extreme anxiety. My therapist told me that achievement was a common way of coping with deeper issues, as if my self-worth was dependent on how much I could get done. But that in reality, I just needed to be and exist without needing to prove myself to anyone, including myself.
In order to do that, I had to practice being “mindful”. This meant teaching myself to be in the moment and forcing myself to observe things I directly saw instead of worrying about what it meant, or letting my mind wander into the hypothetical world or over-analyzation it tended to go to whenever my anxiety would rise. “What if I didn’t study enough for that test? What if my friends are just pretending to like me? What if my life doesn’t look like how I want it to in 10 years?”

Instead, when presented with a situation where I felt my anxiety sneaking up on me, I focus on my body and observe which parts of me are feeling tight and rigid. Then as I slowly and consciously relax that muscle, I visualize the stress leaving my body and become more aware of my posture and position. I will take five minutes to ground myself and become aware of my breathing while observing colors, shapes and textures, before continuing to proceed with my day.
Mental disorders and self-care are going to be different and look different to everyone. Asking for help isn’t a weakness and finding out how to take care of yourself isn’t a waste of time. Life is a process for you, not a presentation for others. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. You can visit the Student Health and Counseling Center for a confidential appointment, free to any student registered with six or more credit hours.

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Dining out of town for date-night

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

While Monmouth offers several delicious quick-bites, if you’re looking to go somewhere a little fancier, your options are limited. I knew that I wanted to take my boyfriend out for a slightly more elegant dinner to thank him for helping me move — to be honest it was mostly because I had just purchased a really cute dress and needed an excuse to wear it out — and I found myself looking out of town, but still fairly close by for a nice eatery.

After some research, I decided I would take him to Bentley’s Grill in Salem. The reviews looked promising, the menu had my mouth watering and the prices looked doable for a college student budget, while not being as cheap as some chain restaurants. We set our reservations for 7 p.m. on a Friday, a typically busy day, and they were still able to get us a nice table for exactly when we requested.

Once we arrived, we found the restaurant in an extravagant looking lobby in the Grand Hotel. Immediately, we were greeted and seated by smiling faces who gladly took our drink orders — we had many options as the location also had a full bar — and were given our menus.

I started by ordering their calamari with lemon roasted garlic aioli. My boyfriend isn’t a huge fan of seafood, but we both still very much enjoyed the appetizer which came out to us quickly. The serving size was perfect for a starter and it was fried perfectly.

Not too long after, we were brought our dinners. I ordered their Fulton New York cut steak with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a vegetable side. My boyfriend ordered their special of the day, which was ribs with arugula, rice and a sun-dried tomato salad. My steak was cooked perfectly medium-rare, and his ribs were incredibly tender. Everything was cooked just as we had ordered it.

The waitress was checking up on us frequently, making sure everything was served to our liking. She was always incredibly kind and genuinely seemed as if she wanted to make the best experience for us as possible.

We finished our dinner by somehow making room in our incredibly full stomachs and ordering a crème brûlée dessert. This was probably my favorite part, as this is my absolute favorite sweet. My boyfriend didn’t love it quite as much, but he also had never had crème brûlée before and wasn’t sure what exactly to expect.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire night. The service was top-notch, the food was all cooked to perfection, and the atmosphere and ambiance was both comforting and appealing. I’d definitely go here again if I’m looking for a more elegant dining experience.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

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Meal-prepping made easy

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

A new and increasingly more common trend amongst many, especially those who are health-conscious or ones on a budget, is food prepping. Cooking the meals that you will eat throughout the week and storing them in containers offers a simple way to keep you prepared, and can lead to more discipline in what you choose to eat if you’re focusing on your health.

The problem that many people can run into when eating healthy is that it’s not cheap. Purchasing fresh produce and high-protein meals can tend to get expensive. This is especially true when you purchase more than you can actually use, and it goes bad before you even have the chance to use it. However, with some proper meal planning, this can be easily avoided.

Before shopping, know what you want your meals to be. To do that, try to think of what meals would most closely reflect the diet that you’re trying to consume. Make sure that whatever you choose is of the right amount of calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat and whatever other nutrients you’re trying to reach. Once you map out your meals for the allotted time that you’re prepping for, you can compile a grocery list that you’ll stick to once you head to the store.

While shopping, it’s a good idea to buy things in bulk, as you’ll typically use most of it while prepping everything and it’ll offer you the cheapest option. For example, if you’re planning for chicken breasts to be part of your prep, your best bet would be to purchase a bag of frozen chicken breasts as it costs far less than unfrozen and can go further.

Another thing to think about when shopping is if you’re trying to stick to a budget, are there cheaper things that you can replace items with? Certain meats are equally as high in protein but cost far less; some vegetables last longer and therefore will be cheaper in the long run as you won’t have to throw anything out.

When cooking, cook all of one item at a time. Cook any meats together all at once, all vegetables together and so on. Then, once everything is done, you can separate everything you’ve cooked based on how long you’re prepping for. Be reasonable; only prep for the days where you know you won’t be cooking.

When everything is all prepped and put into containers, you’re ready to go. Just make sure that you don’t prep things too far ahead of time. For instance, cooked chicken only lasts about four days in the fridge. Make sure that what you’re choosing to cook will stay fresh.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.eduIMG_3729

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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Running with Dustin

Wolves Split Road Trip In Alaska

Wolves gain and maintain

Flag football hits the big stage

What does anxiety look like to you?

Dining out of town for date-night

Meal-prepping made easy

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