Mount Hood

Suspicious activity alerts community

Paul F. Davis

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Two separate instances of suspicious activity within the same week alerted the Monmouth community in early December. One incident occurred on Nov. 29 when a woman reported that a man tried to enter her parked car near the intersection of Clay and Knox Street. Less than a week later on Dec. 6, another woman reported that a man approached and tried to grab her near her residence. The investigation of this incident is ongoing.

Although these circumstances occurred off campus, Campus Public Safety was quick to offer advice on keeping safe and taking the necessary precautions both on and off campus.

One service that Campus Public Safety provides is the safety escort service where a Public Safety officer will escort individuals around campus if they feel unsafe. If a student doesn’t want to walk with an officer, they also have the option to stay on the phone with an individual from Public Safety as they walk, or an officer could keep an eye on the student via campus cameras.

Although the safety escort program only offers assistance around campus, Wolf Ride is available for off-campus locations. If a student feels nervous or uneasy about walking around Monmouth or Independence, they can call Wolf Ride at 503-428-7238  for a ride from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily. Wolf Ride is not operational during winter break.

In addition to safety escorts and Wolf Ride, Director of Campus Public Safety Rebecca Chiles suggests following the most well-lit paths through campus, indicated by the white paw prints on the sidewalks. Emergency phones are available in various locations around campus that directly connect to Campus Public Safety in case of an emergency.

Chiles also offers an additional piece of advice for students: participate in bystander training.

“Any kind of training and information that you can get empowers you to make decisions to be able to interact and intervene when things like that are going on,” Chiles advises. “Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more you can react positively and be able to take care of yourself and keep yourself safe.” Contact Craig Wimmer at wimmerc@wou.edu for more information on Green Dot bystander training on campus.

Chiles advises to stay alert when walking alone. It’s common for students to browse social media while walking down the street or sitting in a car, but putting the phone down and being aware of one’s surroundings can prevent distractions that lead to unsafe situations.

Chiles wants students to know that Campus Public Safety is there to support and keep them safe. “Our department here on campus works hand in hand with Monmouth Police Department. Everything that we do is tied to the university’s mission and strategic plan to make this a safe place to learn, to live, to work, and to visit … We’re going to do everything we can to provide those safe environments.”

Students who are concerned for their safety can contact Campus Public Safety at 503-838-8481.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Survey campaign gives Western students a voice

Paul F. Davis

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

On Oct. 4, members of ASWOU and the Oregon Student Association could be found on campus sidewalks engaging with students about important issues that many college students face. This was part of a statewide survey campaign to get input from college students regarding what issues they want to see addressed on campus and in the state legislature.

The Oregon Student Association, or OSA, is a student-led non-partisan organization that works to advocate for student issues and concerns in Oregon. OSA represents schools ranging from Portland State University to Central Oregon Community College and serves over 110,000 individuals in postsecondary education.

“As we know, there are big differences in issues that impact students from a regional university like Western to a big university,” commented OSA Communications Director Devin Hutchings on the importance of representing a wide variety of institutions. “That’s why having a board is really important and to make sure that students from all different types of public higher education in Oregon are at the table and making decisions together.”

Every two years, OSA goes through a process of choosing which issues they will prioritize and work on in the coming years. OSA leadership students present and debate several proposals, and ultimately all students in OSA represented schools can vote on which topics they’d like to see addressed.

OSA partnered with ASWOU to bring the statewide student survey to Western’s campus and allow students to vote on the 10 proposed issues. At Western, 845 individuals gave their input and 17,081 students statewide participated in the survey.

According to the survey, the top five issues that students want to see addressed are tuition and textbook affordability, affordable and stable housing, increase mental health resources for students, student control over tuition setting and college governance and food assistance for food insecure Oregonians.

Focusing and working on these issues has led to changes in the legislature in the past. In 2015, one of the issues that OSA staff members focused on was sexual violence prevention and reform. Senate Bill 762, which exempts victims of sexual assault from prosecution for offenses related to the possession of alcohol by a person under the age of 21, was brought forward by the Oregon Student Association.

This bill was passed and signed into law this past summer.

“That is a victory that impacts quite a few students and was brought forward by students, was worked on a lobbied for, students went to the capital, and was eventually passed and is now a law,” Hutchings commented. “It was student-led the whole way.”

“We’re thankful for the students that participated in the survey and we really appreciate it,” commented Annie Broussard, ASWOU Director of State and Federal Affairs.

To find out more information on OSA, visit orstudents.org.

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

Staying fit outside of the gym

Pexels.com

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Last school year, for the first time in my life, I found myself in a workout routine that worked for me and was incredibly effective. Then, the school year ended, and I was left without the Health and Wellness Center, or access to any gym. I wanted to maintain my level of fitness that I had worked toward, so I began doing at-home workouts.

With the start of winter break, many students are heading home. For students who are staying in Monmouth, the HWC is closed for a good chunk of break, which can throw you off of your game. Coupling this with the fact that this break tends to be associated with endless holiday cookies, candy and gingerbread, you might feel like you’re struggling to find time to worry about fitness.

If you’re in this boat, don’t despair — at-home workouts can be incredibly beneficial, and can adhere to any level of fitness. Using just your bodyweight, any weights you may have or even just using jugs of water as weights, you can still perform challenging exercises that will help you maintain a good level of activity.

 

Cardio:

-Running: It’s simple, and you can alter how long or how fast you run to match your fitness levels and goals.

-Stairs: Running or walking on any stairs you have access to for whatever duration of time you find appropriate will provide good cardio, but also hits your quads, calves, and glutes.

-Zumba/Dancing: To break a sweat while having an incredible time, opt for some type of dance to get you moving.

-Ice Skating: Doing this activity with friends may not seem like a workout, but soon you’ll be sweating, while laughing so hard that it turns into an ab workout, as well.

 

Legs:

-Squats: Doing squats with added weight will provide a challenging workout. Add jump squats or box jumps into your workout and your legs will be on fire.

-Lunges: Walking lunges, side lunges or jump lunges all provide a hard exercise that you can do for whatever amount of time or reps that you desire.

-Kickbacks/Fire hydrants: Doing these will leave your glutes and quads on fire, basically guaranteeing that you will be sore the next morning.

-Calf raises: These can be done with or without weight, on flat ground or on stairs. Do them for high reps and you’ll definitely feel it.

-Pistols/Single Leg Squats: An incredibly challenging movement that will build muscle quickly are easily done at home. If need be, use a chair to help you balance.

 

Upper Body:

–Overhead Press: Using whatever weight you have, doing this will provide a challenging workout for your shoulders.

-Pull-ups: You can do this exercise assisted if you are unable on your own, but they are a foolproof way to hit your entire upper body, and can be done anywhere with a high bar, like a park.

-Crab Walk: This movement will hit your core, shoulders and back. While you might feel silly doing it, it’s a multi-functional workout. Plus, you’ll get to feel like a kid again.

-Curls: If you have some sort of weight, doing regular curls or hammer curls will isolate your bicep.

-Tricep Dips: This simple workout hits your triceps hard, and can be made easier or harder depending on your position.

-Pushups: Close grip will hit your triceps, while regular will work your chest. Altering your reps and sets can make it more or less difficult, matching any goal.

 

Abs:

Ab workouts are incredibly easy to do at home. Some examples that don’t require weight at all are: bicycle crunches, sit ups, crunches, overhead sit ups, sprinters abs, reverse crunches, supermans, etc. You can always look up more ab workouts for more inspiration, as the choices are endless.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Western welcomes annual holiday festivities

Zoë Strickland | Managing Editor

On Friday, Dec. 1, the lights on the giant sequoia will be turned on for the 50th consecutive year.

Despite it being the 50th annual tree lighting, the first time the tree was adorned with lights wasn’t 50 years ago. In 1940, lights were put on the tree as a way of celebrating then-faculty member John Scott. However, the next time the Sequoia saw lights was Nov. 27, 1967.

The effort to bring the holiday spirit to Monmouth was student-run. An article from the Nov. 9, 1967 issue of The Monmouth Herald stated that it was the women of Todd Hall, a residence hall at the time, that kickstarted the process of incorporating holiday festivities; “Girls from Todd hall were present to get council approval for a project to light the sequoia tree on the OCE campus as a community Christmas Tree.”

A follow-up piece from Nov. 23 reported the council’s approval: “What has been billed as ‘The World’s Largest Living Christmas Tree’ will be lighted on the OCE campus on Monday evening. The tree, a 122 foot tall sequoia located in front of Campbell hall on the campus, will be lighted in a 7 p.m. ceremony.”

The sequoia that once stood at 122-feet is now estimated to be between 125 and 130-feet tall. “We may have to lengthen the top piece, the satellite, that the lights are attached to, to accommodate the growth of the tree,” said Kevin Hughes, Landscape Maintenance Coordinator.

Though the sequoia is no longer touted as the world’s largest Christmas tree, the tradition has persevered through tumultuous times. The tree was not available to comment on its dethroned title.

Over the years, the responsibility of planning the events has shifted. When originally proposed by a residence hall, students were in charge of coordinating the ceremonies. However, non-student run entities of the institution eventually took the reigns.

In 1992, the school was unsure if they had the funds to continue the tree lighting ceremony. As a result, the community banded together to continue the event.

“In response to Western’s pleas for help, the community will be picking up a lot of the financial burden of this holiday fixture, but not all of it. The Incidental Fee Committee recently met to discuss the options available to them … this year’s expenses are estimated at $6500 … to lessen the stress of this annual holiday expenditure, the Incidental Fee Committee began fundraising,” reported a 1992 article of the Western Star.

Western’s tree lighting tradition is one that members of the Western community look forward to, “Driving through campus at night when the tree is lit, trying to spot it on highway 99 while coming to work,” Hughes said when asked about his favorite thing about the tradition.

The best thing that students can do to keep this event going is showing their support, “Keep the excitement and process going. Generations are enjoying the celebration. It started out as a community event and it will continue to bring people back to our WOU campus. When we install the lights on the tree, I have a sigh of relief and know that in approx. 1 month, the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year celebrations will begin,” Hughes added.

This year’s events will kick off at 6 p.m. with a holiday parade that will head from Monmouth Library to the main drag of campus. The parade includes floats by different student groups around campus and Monmouth, as well as an appearance by Santa Claus. 7 p.m. is double booked with both a local school choir concert, and a wine and music gathering at Gentle House.

The Werner University Center will be open during the night, and will have indoor programs such as a holiday cookie bake-off, tree decorating contest, live music from KWOU and an area for people to get their photo taken with Santa.

 

Contact the author at journalmanaging@wou.edu

The effects of word choice this season

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Pop quiz, which of the following would be the least offensive for the majority? A, “merry Christmas,” B, “happy Christmas” or C, “happy holidays.” If you answered A or B, you’re likely not thinking of others and what they might celebrate this winter season. If you answered C, then congratulations, you clearly care about others and their cultures.

While it may seem easy to just say “merry Christmas,” as many of you probably have for years and already have the tendency to do, you need to realize that you’re excluding several different cultures and religions. And while many who experience this may not speak up about it, they may just not feel comfortable enough to say that what you’re doing is wrong or potentially offensive to them.

December is a month of multicultural holiday celebrations. The variety of different holidays celebrated ranges widely between Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia Day, Boxing Day, Yule, Omisoka and the list goes on. So to simply say “merry Christmas” means you’re actually leaving out a plethora of different minorities simply because you were unaware, or you’re simply being ignorant.

Doing this is in no way okay. If it’s something you’ve done in the past because you don’t know any better, then now is the time to start changing your speech. Just switch to “happy holidays,” as it includes everyone who celebrates anything, not just the ones who celebrate this one holiday.

However, if you have been saying “merry Christmas” to everyone simply to make a point or to avoid the so-called “war on Christmas,” then you are undoubtedly in the wrong. Choosing to ignore groups of people and discredit everything they believe in and celebrate is offensive and just plain rude.

How anyone can be so careless and inconsiderate of other cultures honestly blows my mind. When it comes down to it, saying “happy holidays” requires essentially the same amount of effort as saying “merry Christmas” does. And guess what? It still includes Christmas. It’s a win-win. You aren’t offending anyone, and you still get to include the holiday that you choose to celebrate.

If you still want to continue saying “merry Christmas” in 2017, then you also need to accept the fact that you are someone who chooses to be offensive on purpose. Accept the fact that you are someone who disregards other cultures or looks at them as less-than. Accept the fact that if someone chooses to say “happy Hanukkah” to you, then you have zero right to be offended. Are you willing to accept all of these things about yourself?

Rather than looking at saying “happy holidays” as an inconvenience, look at it as an opportunity to be appreciative and respectful of all cultures. It’s honestly amazing to look at other cultures and see everything they believe in and stand for — appreciate the differences that make us who we are. December is a month for us to grow culturally and be accepting of others. Choose to be on the right side of this shift; when the opportunity arises, choose “happy holidays.”

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

How to make the most of the holidays

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

With so much to get done this holiday season, you’ll have to prioritize what you should use your limited time on. While some traditions are impossible to rid yourself of, that doesn’t mean you can’t add new, fun and memorable experiences to your to-do list. To help you get that list started, I compiled a group of must-do’s to get you started on making the most of this winter.

 

  • Play in the snow. If you have the option to play in the fluffy, cold snow, engage in a snowball fight or build the world’s best snowman: take it. Your freezing cold fingers and toes will forgive you later.
  • Go ice skating. Maybe you aren’t the most coordinated, graceful or athletic person. That’s okay; ice skating provides a fun time for even the biggest klutz — on a personal note, I’m talking about myself.
  • Make holiday cookies. Who doesn’t enjoy a warm cookie during this time of year? Plus, getting the chance to make and ice them with people you love makes for an even more fun — and messy — time.
  • Watch your favorite holiday movie or special. The holidays often are associated with that nostalgic feeling you get when thinking of it. The best way to stir up that feeling, in my experience, is to watch old specials that bring you back. For ideas on what to watch, check out the entertainment section.
  • Visit those who are important to you. With emotions heightened, memories being resurfaced and warm and fuzzy feelings all around, this is the best time of year to remind the people you love why they’re so important to you. Take some time to deliver your undivided attention to them.
  • Treat yourself. Remember, this is your winter break. You just worked your butt off for the last term, give yourself a second to relax by doing something you love.
  • Drink way too much eggnog. Admittedly, this is a little biased because there are few things that get me more jazzed than seeing that eggnog is back in stores. But, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be consuming an entire carton this season.
  • Decorate. For whatever holiday you celebrate, or just for winter, make your living space reflect the aspects that you love most about it. For a better experience, deck the halls while listening to your favorite holiday tunes.
  • Give back. This holiday season, remember that there are people who aren’t fortunate enough to receive anything at all. Give what you can, even if it’s just your time. The smallest things will go a long way.

 

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Alumnus advocates for trans rights

Sam Dunaway | News Editor

Many Western alumni have moved on to accomplish extraordinary things after graduation. One notable individual is Mason Dunn, whose advocacy and dedication has led to major policy changes for transgender rights and won him the 2017 Leadership Award by the Equality Federation.

Dunn graduated from Western in 2007 with a degree in criminal justice. During his time here at Western, he was president of Triangle Alliance, served as the executive diversity coordinator for ASWOU and helped found and open the Stonewall Center. Dunn also sat as co-chair for the Oregon Students for Equal Rights Alliance at the statewide level.

After graduating from the University of New Hampshire School of Law in 2012, Dunn worked as an LGBTQ rights organizer with the New Hampshire ACLU. Soon after that, he was hired as executive director at the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and has held that position since 2013.

As executive director at MTPC, Dunn works as a lobbyist, advocate, administrator, educator and speaker. He follows the organization’s mission to stop gender-based discrimination with political advocacy, education and community empowerment.

“Trans rights are human rights,” Dunn said in an interview with the Journal on Nov. 18. “When the rights of a marginalized group are under attack, it has an impact on us all. As a result, we should all work towards and for equal rights for all people.”

Dunn and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition played a critical role in advocating for trans rights. He advocated for transition-related healthcare coverage, simplifying the process for changing names and gender markers on Massachusetts birth certificates and adding legal protections in public spaces for transgender individuals. All of these issues were won by the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition and signed into law. In 2018, statewide non-discrimination laws will be up for a referendum vote and mark the first time that transgender rights will be on a statewide ballot.

Dunn received an award by the Equality Federation, a national organization that supports and collaborates with state-based LGBTQ organizations. He was the recipient of the 2017 Leadership Award in honor of his advocacy for nondiscrimination protections for gender identity and expression.

Dunn has worked as an LGBTQ rights advocate for over a decade, but he encourages everyone to get involved in some capacity; “Whatever you do, and in whatever capacity, get involved and stay involved. It will take all of us to address inequality in our world.”

“You don’t have to be on the front lines in this work. You may not have the capacity to march, or organize, or speak out,” Dunn said. “But sharing articles on social media, speaking up when friends or family show bias towards marginalized groups, fundraising for a local nonprofit, or even volunteering once a month – all of these are ways to be involved in the work for equality.”

 

Contact the author at journalnews@wou.edu

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