Mount Hood

Goodbye Styrofoam

Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor

With 2024 in the rearview mirror, Oregon made its own New Year’s resolution. Starting Jan. 1, food vendors could no longer use Styrofoam containers. Oregon lawmakers first passed Senate Bill 543 in 2023, and it was finally put into effect the first day of 2025. 

Oregon has joined 11 other states that have banned polystyrene foam through statewide legislation. Many cities in Oregon already banned Styrofoam food containers. Portland has had them banned since 1990. 

Polystyrene foam, more commonly known as the product Styrofoam, is a non-biodegradable plastic that often ends up as litter in the ocean, since most products made of polystyrene foam are meant to be single-use. 

Commercial Styrofoam products would have been able to be broken down by the combination of oxygen and light, however they have chemical additives to prevent that from happening. The littered Styrofoam is often eaten by animals, potentially causing serious health complications. 

Senate Bill 543 has three main components. The first component bans food vendors from using single-use polystyrene foam containers, specifically to-go containers. The second component prohibits the selling and distribution of polystyrene foam packing peanuts and polystyrene foam containers. It does not apply to products such as a Styrofoam cooler, which is not single-use. The third component strays away from Styrofoam, instead banning the selling and distribution of foodware containers that have perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances — PFAS. These chemicals, like polystyrene, aren’t easily broken down, causing problems for wild animals and the environment. 

If any food vendor still serves customers food in Styrofoam containers, they will be fined up to $100 each day they are in violation of the new law. Any person who sells or distributes Styrofoam packing peanuts, Styrofoam containers or foodware containers with PFAS will be fined up to $500. 

The banning of Styrofoam containers is predicted to have a positive impact on the environment, however the impacts on businesses and the consumers may be less than ideal. Recyclable to-go containers cost more money, which means that many restaurants will have to raise their prices. It may also impact owners of small businesses, who might not be aware of the ban or who might not be able to afford switching to recyclable containers. 

Businesses and customers alike will have to wait to see how Oregon’s new law is enforced and the extent to which it affects restaurants. 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu 

New year, new “WOU”

Written by: Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Western, in light of the new year, has made multiple additions to the face of the school.

Nov. 8, Western reported that it had made history by becoming the first public university to join the Tri-Alpha honor society, which is specifically for first-generation students in college. Nearly half of Western’s student body identifies as first-generation, meanwhile Oregon State University recognizes one quarter or less of its student body as first-generation.

Dana Nunez-Silva, first-generation coordinator at Western, will assist with and advise for Tri-Alpha and provide resources for first-generation students, spreading encouragement and support in a tight-knit community. Tri-Alpha hopes to become part of the Western experience and provide countless benefits and opportunities for deserving students.

Western launched a new initiative titled “Provost Faculty Fellows,” announced Dec. 16 to the Western website, to recognize faculty’s commitment to academic leadership and their contributions. The 2024 faculty fellows included Patricia Gimenez-Eguíbar, Ph.D., David Szpakowski, Ph.D., Feier Hou, Ph.D., Kristen Pratt, Ph.D. and Melanie Landon-Hays, Ph.D.

Each fellow is expected to help highlight Western’s commitment to faculty and student success alike through projects such as faculty mentorship, utilizing artificial intelligence in academic and work settings, developing external partnerships related to research for the National Science Foundation and re-envisioning the college’s student course evaluation instrument. Fellows will work with Academic Affairs leadership for two terms before delivering a report with recommendations based on their work and research.

Dec. 2, Western announced a $650,000 Latinx Student Success Grant, awarded from the Oregon Department of Education. The grant will help expand and provide resources and programs in the Monmouth and Independence area for bilingual education, with partnerships mentioned with Central School District. 

The range of initiatives within Central School District were announced as follows: equity-centered professional development, an advisory board establishment, a peer mentoring program, community events, coaching in ESOL and bilingual education, policy evaluation, MECHA programming expansion, after-school literacy support, post-secondary connections and bilingual educator programs. 

“This grant represents a significant investment in the future of Latiné students in the region and reflects Western’s commitment to fostering an inclusive educational environment,” shared professors Jessica Dougherty, Marie Lejeune and Mandy Olsen, all co-PI’s who will manage the grant. One named goal has been to empower Latiné students through impactful strategies.

Western was also awarded a $2 million Workforce Ready Grant to assist with training more counselors and behavioral and mental health professionals through June 2026.

According to Western, “Similar to the shortages of teachers and medical providers, there is a severe lack of counselors and behavioral health professionals who can work with clients in both Spanish and English. The program will recruit bilingual undergraduate students, provide them with tuition assistance and offer opportunities to work with Polk or Marion county in an earn-to-learn setting. Students placed with the counties will work part-time, gaining valuable experience and supervised clinical hours while addressing the acute shortage of counselors in the community.”

The program is launching in early 2025 and is inviting interested individuals to a dinner event to learn more about careers in behavioral health and scholarships, which will take place Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m. in the Werner University Center Pacific Room.

In December, Western announced the launch of its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, “Wolves Rising: The Campaign for Western Oregon University.” The campaign aims to continue Western’s legacy of ensuring a personalized learning community. Funds raised through the campaign will support scholarships, a new turf field for men’s and women’s soccer, student success through the newly-built Student Success Center and resources for basic needs.

Western looks forward to new additions to the educational opportunities offered, such as potential new graduate programs.

As of Dec. 14, the Wolves Rising campaign boasted $17 million toward their goal of $20 million, all in efforts to further foster Western’s welcoming culture and empower students.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

Jumping into January

Written by: Isabelle Jones | Lifestyle Editor

As we come into 2025, many people are looking forward to their yearly tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions — a way to promise to make change for the better. But why are we always trying to make ourselves better? Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to change when the new year comes by? 

New Year’s resolutions are an annual global celebration of personal reflection and the need for improvement. Although the resolutions set in January are well-intentioned, many struggle to continue to reach their goals after a month. According to Idaho State University psychology professor Alison Phillips, “Around 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February.” This astronomical statistic leads me to wonder why so many people fail their resolutions. Why do our goals of self-improvement have such a high failure rate and how can we create lasting change for the betterment of our lives? Before we look into how to create lasting resolutions, we need to dissect the reason for their failures. Here’s four reasons why New Year’s resolutions often fail.

1. The resolution is too big and too vague

Let’s take the most popular resolution, “I want to save more money.” It’s a great goal — everyone wants to save money —but we have to ask ourselves a series of questions. Are we decreasing our spending? How much money do we want to save? When a resolution is too big and vague, many people can feel unsure about where to start. Jennifer Kowalski, a licensed professional counselor at ThriveWorks, weighs in on resolutions: “When we set big overwhelming New Year’s resolutions, we also set up the expectation that we’re going to turn over an entirely new leaf on January 1st.” This can make many feel overwhelmed when our goal forces us to hit the ground running. 

2.  Expecting immediate results

Change is hard. It’s even harder when we expect our goals to be accomplished easily. Our results are our accomplishments. It’s hard to want to continue working towards a goal when we are not seeing the results we are expecting, but we should remind ourselves that our actions and inactions have a profound effect on how much closer we are to getting to our goal. 

3.  Having too many goals

Sometimes life gets the best of us. Having to juggle multiple goals on top of our daily responsibilities can make us feel as if we’re being pulled into too many different directions. Having too many goals will not allow us to give 100% of our effort and attention. The optimal number a person should make is one, but it should also be no more than three. The number of goals does depend on their scope. 

4. Not being ready to change

Sometimes one is just not ready and that’s okay. There’s no unspoken rule stating that it’s necessary to make a New Year’s resolution every year. In order to make lasting changes, we need to have the drive that encourages us to continue working towards our resolution, even when we don’t want to. 

This doesn’t mean that every New Year’s resolution will fail, but it can help anyone who wants to understand the ‘why’ behind their abandonment. 

Consider these three helpful hints for holding on to a resolution throughout the year.

1. Grab a buddy

Grabbing a friend and working towards completing a goal together makes the journey easier. They can encourage each other when things get tough and hold each other accountable until the dreadful feelings toward change shift to enjoyment of the journey. 

2. Use a tracker app

Technology should be used to our advantage, since most of us keep our phones on wherever we go. Keeping a habit tracking app can help a person continue their journey of self-improvement. A habit tracker can be set up to send consistent reminders to stay on track and celebrate mini-milestones. It can also share progress among others who have similar goals. 

3. Keep a positive attitude

Many times when goals are taking longer to achieve than usual, we go into a negative cycle mindset. We compare ourselves to the accomplishments of the past and shrink when we don’t live up to our expectations. By keeping a positive mindset, we highlight the actions we’ve taken along our journey while also acknowledging how we don’t have to guilt ourselves into success. Reminding ourselves that each small success keeps the ball rolling will in turn boost  confidence and morale.

New Year’s resolutions are more than just personal promises. They are opportunities to grow and challenge ourselves to change for the better. Reflection and growth can help us to create a fulfilling year that is aligned with our goals in life. Remember to stay patient, focused and most importantly we need to be kind to ourselves as we work to achieve our goals. Good luck, “Wolves.”

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

This week in entirely made-up horoscopes…

The Signs’ New Year’s resolutions

Aries: Try to listen better… only if everyone agrees I’m right first

Taurus: Actually socialize

Gemini: become a hotter but worse person

Cancer: get. it. together.  

Leo: Doesn’t even bother making any, because there is no possible way to be more perfect

Virgo: touch grass

Libra: Embracing that work life balance

Scorpio: collect more shiny things

Sagittarius: global domination

Capricorn: deciding next year’s resolution

Aquarius: Stop spending over $100 at Trader Joe’s

Pisces: Becoming the best version of myself

“War of the Rohirrim” review

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers

When “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” debuted, it had been a decade since Middle Earth had been seen on silver screens — “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” was still running in theaters.

“The War of the Rohirrim” is set 183 years before the events of “The Lord of the Rings.” It follows Héra, voiced by Gaia Wise, as she and her father, the legendary Helm Hammerhand, defend their people from Wulf, a ruthless Dunlending lord, voiced by Luke Pasqualino. The film is narrated by Miranda Otto, who played Éowyn in the original trilogy.

When Helm kills Wulf’s father in a brawl and exiles Wulf, the man swears revenge against the people of Rohan, especially those who live in the village of Edoras. He kidnaps Héra, and she learns of his plan to lay siege to Edoras, eventually escaping to tell her father and brothers. The Rohirrim prepare for all-out war but must flee to the Hornburg when they are betrayed by one of their own. 

There, the Dunlendlings continue to lay siege upon the Hornburg, with Helm Hammerhand dying in defense of the keep. Now the last of her house, it is up to Héra to lead her people to victory against Wulf and the Dunlendings. 

The film is a vibrant return to Middle Earth, as well as a return to animated films in the Middle Earth cinematic universe — “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” movies of the late seventies were both animated.

Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, the film blends detailed scenery with characters animated in a way reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films. However, not all fans are happy with this choice of animation. The film has received poor reviews, mostly in relation to the art style rather than the plot. At my showtime, one man walked out when he realized it was animated — when there were only seven in the theater to begin with. 

Despite poor reviews, the film has grossed $15 million at the global box office so far, earning $4.5 million in just its opening weekend. 

“War of the Rohirrim” is certainly not for everyone. As an avid fan of the franchise myself, I enjoyed it thoroughly. The characters were well-fleshed out and fit into the world of Middle Earth beautifully, especially considering the chronicles of the war are only in J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices at the end of “The Return of the King.” However, if one is not as well-versed in the world of “The Lord of the Rings” or does not enjoy anime, then this film could be skipped or will be best viewed at home when released to streaming services. 

9.5/10.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Fighting raccoons in the woods

Written by: Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

“Break Stuff” — Limp Bizkit

“King for a Day” — Pierce the Veil

“Devil” — Shinedown

“Inside Out” — Five Finger Death Punch

“Are You Scared of Me Yet?” — Daisy Grenade

“More Human Than Human” — White Zombie

“Custer” — Slipknot

“Down with the Sickness” — Disturbed

“The Kids Aren’t Alright” — The Offspring

“Dance With The Devil” — Breaking Benjamin

“Last Resort” — Papa Roach

“The Vengeful One” — The Disturbed

“Headstrong” — Trapt

“You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” — The Offspring

“Riot” — Three Days Grace

“Deadwood” — Really Slow Motion

“All American Nightmare” — Hinder

“So Far” — Buckcherry

“Kryptonite” — 3 Doors Down

“I Miss the Misery” — Halestorm

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Women’s soccer

Written by: Quincy Bentley | Sports Editor

Western’s women’s soccer team recently wrapped up their 2024 season, finishing with a solid record of 6-6-8. Under the leadership of a talented roster and dedicated coaching staff, the Wolves proved to be a force in the Great North American Conference, earning respect as a team that never gave up, no matter the challenge. From close victories to standout performances, the 2024 season was filled with unforgettable moments that will stay with players and fans.
California native Lauren Rose, a junior midfielder for the Wolves, was a key factor for the program this season. Since her first year, Rose has been an essential part of the team, and her dedication both on and off the field embodies the spirit of soccer at Western. With plans to return for her senior season in 2025, she remains a cornerstone of the program.
Rose’s love for soccer began at the age of four, and her passion for the game has only grown over the years. When asked why she plays the sport, Rose said, “What kept me in it this long was how much I loved the game. I’ve met so many people through soccer, and it has brought so much into my life.”
A typical day for Rose starts with early morning weightlifting sessions, followed by classes and a mid-day break to recharge before practice in the afternoon. Her evenings are spent with her roommate, cooking dinner, relaxing or catching up on homework.
On game days, her schedule shifts to focus entirely on mentally preparing for the task at hand. Rose’s pregame routine starts by taking a morning walk, partaking in classes and then getting ready by heading into the program’s clubhouse to get hyped up with her go-to tracks, including Kanye West’s “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and Drake’s “Headlines.” Rose truly embodies the balance required of a student-athlete. Her daily routine during the season reflects the discipline and commitment it takes to compete at the collegiate level.
Outside of soccer, Rose spends her free time hanging out with family and friends, snowboarding, shopping and staying in shape. “Since I’ve been involved in a sport my whole life, working out is something that just comes naturally to me,” she said. These hobbies give her a healthy balance to the intense demands of her life as a student-athlete.
For those looking to follow in her footsteps, Rose offered some valuable words of wisdom. “You’re blessed to even have an opportunity to become a college athlete. No matter what level you’re at, you truly get out what you put in. Every opportunity you have to grow — take it.” For anyone seeking to pursue and succeed in their sport at a high level, Rose’s advice should be taken into consideration.
When asked about the dynamic of this year’s team, Rose said, “Our success this season wasn’t just built on talent, it was built on trust and a strong team culture. We prioritize team bonding a lot, spending time with each other on trips and always making an effort to support other teams at (Western) by showing up to their games. At the end of the day, it’s really about building each other up.” This culture has created a sense of family that helped the Wolves push through the ups and downs of their season. From cheering each other on during practices to making memories on the road, it was evident that the team had a close-knit nature.
Senior goalie Sophia Pierce, who also works for “The Western Howl,” contributed heavily to the Wolves’ defensive game this year. Pierce had a breakout season, earning a spot on the all-GNAC Second Team, as well as multiple Defensive Player of the Week Awards. In just six games of play, Pierce was able to rack up an impressive 16 saves and two shutouts, earning her notable recognition throughout the conference. Other standout players on the team include Jada Foster, who was selected first-team all-GNAC, as well as Ciara Garcia and Lula Sadler, who were both selected second-team all-GNAC.
One of the most memorable games in the 2024 season included the Wolves’ dominant win over Saint Martin’s University. Western put on an offensive and defensive clinic, showcasing their ability to control all aspects of the game. Juniors Olivia Johnsrud and Emma Smith each scored a goal of their own, while first-year Kameron Wilmsatt added the final blow with a penalty kick, pushing the score to 3-0 in the Wolves’ favor.
It is safe to say that the 2024 season was a testament to the strength and potential of women’s soccer here at Western. With a roster of talented players and coaches, a supportive team culture, and the return of key leaders like Lauren Rose, the Wolves are destined for even greater achievements in 2025.
While the season is over, the memories, lessons and bonds formed throughout this year will continue to shape the program for years to come. As the team reflects on their journey, one thing is clear — the future is bright for Western’s women’s soccer.

Contact the author at howlsports@mail.wou.edu

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