Mount Hood

Social Science Symposium

By: Jasmine Morrow
Staff Writer

Dean Braa, a professor at Western Oregon University and a socialist, ran for United States Senate in the ‘90s. On Mar. 2, Professor Braa held a Social Science Symposium to discuss socialism and how it can be helpful to the United States.

Professor Braa almost got one percent of district votes, but he fell short and didn’t win. He went as far as appearing on television and the radio. With the help of his colleague Ed Dover, they both discussed why people should be socialists and how it is helpful to the community.

Socialism is the belief in social rights and democratic order, as well as political rights.

Socialists want to empower the public and workers in the workplace so that entrepreneurs would benefit more. There are 2,000 companies that are owned by the workers and Socialists want more worker owned companies. The Western Europeans vote regularly for a socialist party and they have the highest standard of living.

With socialism, there would be a lot more worker ownership and public ownership to utilities. There also would be a better family wage, more job security, and not to mention free health care and education. Western Europe and Canada both have free education and free health care, and the socialist party wants the U.S. to be like that as well.

People want a new alternative party that will be more progressive and socialism could be just that. It wasn’t always easy for minor political parties to be on the ballots with the top political parties: Democrats and Republicans.

There was a petition that a large number of people had to sign so that socialists would be able to be on the ballots. When they finally got on the ballot, it was incredibly hard for them to stay on them. They needed one percent of the district and it was hard for them to get the resources they needed because they didn’t have as much money as Democrats and Republicans.

Professor Braa stated very clearly, “Working people deserve a break.” He also said that people deserve public rights and equality. The first universities were privately owned, and when public universities opened, it was supposed to be for everyone. Dean Braa and Ed Dover shared their views about socialism in a very professional way.

Contact the author at jmorrow16@mail.wou.edu

21 and up

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

This week’s 21 and up is for those who pride themselves in spending more than two minutes making a drink. For those of you who are aficionados in fancy cocktails, the “Little Fib” beverage is for you.

What you need:

.75 ounce Liquore Strega

.75 ounce Tequila Ocho Plata

.5 ounce Death’s Door gin

.75 ounce Dolin dry vermouth

.25 ounce Clear Creek muscat grappa

.25 ounce St. George Spirits Green Chile vodka

2 drops of saline solution or tiny pinch of salt

For Garnish:

One lime

Matcha foam

Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a coupe, express the oil of a lime peel and garnish with the peel. Top with matcha foam.

How to make Matcha Foam:

Whisk 10 grams matcha with 600 grams hot water. Divide the tea evenly into two plastic containers. While still hot, add .95 percent gelatin by mass to the first container and whisk. Allow the second container to cool, then whisk in two percent xanthan gum by mass. Combine the two containers, and whisk in 1 barspoon hydrated gomme. Whisk in 100 grams of simple syrup and a pinch of ascorbic acid. Place in an ice bath to cool completely. Fill an iSi canister with ice water to cool. After 15 minutes, empty the water and fill the canister with the matcha foam base. Screw on the lid, add charge, shake, vent, add second charge, shake, vent, add third charge, shake, vent.

Please drink responsibly and enjoy.

Recipe courtesy of Hastings Cameron from Liquor.com

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Events coming up on campus

Art Reception at Hamersly Library
Exhibit: “Meeting of Hearts in Monmouth”
Wednesday, March 1
4 – 6 p.m.

Social Science Symposium
“Socialist Politics in Oregon”
Thursday, March 2
Hamersly Library
12 – 1 p.m.

Trivia Fantastica!
Friday, March 3
Werner University Center
Willamette Room
7 – 8 p.m.
Food provided

Early Music Ensemble
German Baroque Music
Friday, March 3
Hamersly Library
7:30 p.m .
Free admission with student ID

WOU WAAM and Abby’s House team up

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western Accessibility Awareness Month, came to a close with the one of their last events held in the Werner University Center, where WAAM teamed up with Abby’s House. On Feb. 21, Abby’s House director, Aislinn Addington, Ph.D., and Nikki Wood, a volunteer advocate, addressed an audience with the intention of informing them on emotional, physical and sexual abuse in the disability community.

“There are some topics relevant to the disability community, where Abby’s House could be helpful in raising some of that awareness,” said Addington. “Children with disabilities are four times more likely to experience violence than children without disabilities. Adults with disabilities are on and a half times more likely to be victims of violence than someone without a disability,” she said, quoting The World Health Organization.

According to The U.S. Department of Human Services on women’s health, “The issue of violence against women: women with disabilities are more likely to experience intimate partner violence, as well as sexual abuse and report longer periods of that abuse than other survivors,” Addington stated.

Addington began the presentation with those sobering facts, not to make the audience feel down or upset, but to “… set the stage for why it’s important to talk about these issues, and why Nikki and I wanted to come here today and start talking specifically about communication, and start talking about talking, to bring these issues to the forefront,” Addington explained. “To take away some of that stigma or shame that can come with some of these issues that are difficult to talk about.”

To begin the powerpoint Addington and Wood very broadly discussed relationships, whether that be romantic, platonic or familial relationships. They discussed boundaries that are set in each relationship, and that boundaries are going to be different for every person. They then moved on to discuss warning signs to notice if you or someone you know might be in a manipulative or violent relationship.

Those warning signs include, “Jealousy, does this person want to be with you constantly? Are they accusing you of cheating? Are they following you? Do they call you all the time? Are they abnormally jealous? This can be a warning sign something is not right,” said Addington. “Controlling behavior, is another warning sign,” added Addington. “Instincts are so good, listen to yourself and listen to your friends, you’re probably right if something doesn’t feel okay.”

She continues to discuss warning signs such as: isolation, blaming others for problems, disrespectful or cruel to others, insensitive to others and a lack of empathy.

“It’s patterns and escalation, it’s not just one thing. These may lead to something dangerous down the road,” stated Addington. “We’re looking at this in terms of partners, but you can also look a this in terms of caregivers, one might see these patterns in caregivers or one might see it in close friendships.”

Addington and Wood concluded their presentation by expressing to the audience that Abby’s House is open to everyone and is willing to listen and help with problems that anyone may be facing.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Get to know a major

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western offers a wide variety of degrees that students can major in, many of which students don’t know are offered, or know next to nothing about. This week in “Get to know a major:” receiving a Bachelor of Arts in social science with a history focus.

Max Norr, a senior, is working towards receiving a Bachelor of Arts in social science with a history focus, and a minor in visual communication design.

“I want to work in a museum as a museum exhibit designer, like a graphic designer for a museum specifically,” said Norr. They came to Western because it was small and affordable, “I’m all about small schools because I like having that closer relationship with my professors, and being able to talk to them about things.”

Originally Norr was a history major but then later changed their mind. “I was a History major, but I switched because the social science with a history focus is non-thesis track. Social science has more anthropology and language classes. It’s more all encompassing than just focused on history,” said Norr.

Western’s social science major has many different foci that include: sociology, political science, history, geography, criminal justice and anthropology.

There are many career fields that social science can put students on the right track to pursue.

According to Western’s website, those careers include: social work, high school teacher, education and working with nonprofit organizations.

The major is described as, “A general social science perspective with a specific discipline focus. The program thus prepares graduates for a specialized field as well as giving mobility across fields.
Students learn the methods developed by their discipline to understand both the past and the present. Graduates apply these methods to resolving local, national, and international issues.”
Specifically, a focus in history “… not only explores the past in interesting and challenging ways, it also develops research, communication, and critical thinking skills. In our society of dramatic change, most people change careers numerous times during their lifetime. Historical imagination and research skills provide students with a variety of options as jobs and technology change. Those who learn to understand the clockwork of the past, can use this knowledge in planning for the future.”

When asked what their favorite class was that’s offered for their major, Norr responded, “There are a lot. The intro to historical research class is really, really good. They introduce you to all sorts of different ways of researching, like oral history, researching newspapers, researching monographs,” explained Norr.

“Basically all the things that go into research. That class was really, really good.”

But that wasn’t their only favorite class, “Right now I’m taking a museum studies class. This class is only one night a week and it’s from 4 to 8 p.m. at night but we go to all of these different museums. We’ve gone to five and we have one more to go to.”

Since social science is such a broad field, it gives Western’s students the opportunity to explore the different fields they can pursue while still being part of the social science major.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Bringing awareness to Western’s campus

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

The holiday Valentine’s Day is often filled with romance and tender moments between partners, but Western’s Abby’s House decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day a different way, with two different events on campus.

On Feb. 13, Abby’s House held an event in the Werner University Center called Palentine’s Day. This event was held for those who wished to show their love in a platonic way rather than in a romantic way to those they care for. Nikki Wood, a senior communications major and Abby’s House volunteer advocate who created the event, said she was inspired by the popular holiday, “Galentine’s Day,” from the hit television series “Parks and Rec” starring Amy Poehler.

“We wanted to be more gender neutral and include everybody for a celebration of friendship, so we called it Palentine’s Day,” said Wood. “I did the table during my office hours, and basically we just had hearts that people could write messages to their friends on and we had chocolate and stuff.”

This event was free to any who wanted to participate in making Valentine’s for those they care about.

“Celebrating friendship and platonic relationships is really important. We put a lot of emphasis on romantic love,” concluded Wood.

On Feb. 14, Abby’s House held the event, “1 Billion Rising: Revolution,” in solidarity against the exploitation of women. The event was held on the Werner University Center Plaza, and incorporated handprints to create a message of support and awareness for women’s issues including: physical or sexual abuse, human trafficking, reproductive rights, intimate partner violence and cultural appropriation.

“1 Billion Rising is an organization that puts on events on Valentine’s Day, to build awareness about different issues surrounding women,” said Hailey Wren, a junior elementary education major and Abby’s House volunteer advocate. “Specifically about how one billion, and rising, women are affected by assault sexually or if they’ve experienced violence in their lifetime. This year we’re talking about the exploitation of women around the world.”

When asked why she thought it was important to have events like this on Western’s campus, Wren answered, “Because it’s something that I feel like we think happens elsewhere, and we don’t realize that it actually happens here, it happens on our campus, happens in our state and in our country.”

Christina Garcia, a sophomore community health/public health major and Abby’s House volunteer advocate, explained why it’s important to hold an event like this on Valentine’s Day: “It’s very significant, because it gives students something to think about. People need to be aware of the issues that go on on campus and around the world,” said Garcia. “1 Billion Rising is something that happens around the world, but we like to hold this event on campus, so we can do a little extra.”

Abby’s House is located downstairs in the Werner University Center and is a open place for anyone to come if they need help or if they just want a place to relax. In the future, Abby’s House will be holding many more events on Western’s campus. If interested in future Abby’s House events, or looking for more information on Abby’s House, visit wou.edu/abbyshouse, call at 503-838-8219 or visit their office.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Time to dance your heart out

By: Shaylie Pickerel
Staff Writer

The students of Western asked and the Student Activities Board delivered. When planning events, SAB likes to take into consideration what students enjoy doing or attending to ensure optimal enjoyment. On Feb. 16, the “Love is in the Air Dance,” was SAB’s fun and creative way to providing an enjoyable event for students on Western’s campus. Pink and red hearts decorated the Pacific Room while the disco ball glittered off the walls and all the dancers.

Not only was there a live music performance by the Icarus Account, but there were also some throwback hits that created a nostalgic feel that everyone enjoyed. When asked what the reason for the event was, Matthew Ciraulo, the coordinator of the dance and a member of SAB, explained, “Freshmen were sad about not having a homecoming dance, so this was our effort to reach out.”

SAB concluded that this dance was a success. It was a very laid back event, with many people coming and going. Many students enjoyed the live music so much, that there was a line to get pictures taken with the band.

When asked about the music choice, Ciraulo said “When we went to NAKA (an event for SAB), they were playing and we were like ‘oh my gosh’ we have to have them.” His choice to have live music at the dance appeared to be a hit with those who attended.

The Icarus Account really stole the night and some hearts as well. Many students had the ‘dance like nobody’s watching’ attitude under the disco ball and there were participants dancing until the end of the dance. It was an event to remember and was just a peek at some of the fun events that SAB plans to put on.

If students have any ideas or thoughts on future events, or want events to happen more often, make sure to let SAB know. The SAB office is located downstairs in the Werner University Center. Make sure to check out flyers and posters around campus to see when SAB is putting on more exciting events hosted on Western’s campus.

Contact the author at spickrell15@wou.edu

WOUSPA holds Senior Center Sock Hop

By: Jasmine Morrow
Staff Writer

On Feb. 17, the Western Oregon University Psychology Student Association put on a Sock Hop dance at the Monmouth Senior Center. WOUPSA, a psychology club on Western’s campus, spends a large amount of time with the elderly at the Monmouth Senior Center. The club decided to put together this event in hopes that it would bring joy to the residents of the Monmouth Senior Center, as well as bring people together. The Sock Hop was a way for senior citizens to remember the past by listening to music, dancing, and socializing. WOUPSA also includes the Western Oregon University Chapter of Psi Chi, the honor society in psychology. They have done many events like this in the past; reaching out to different organizations for different supplies. Western students volunteer at the Senior Center all the time, so putting on an event was simple.

Austin Gehrett and Haley Morris are the volunteer coordinators of WOUPSA. They planned the Sock Hop with the help of many other volunteers. Dezarae Collins, a junior psychology/social science major and WOUPSA volunteer, took orders and served food at the event. There was food, sweets, drinks, cards, music and dancing. Handmade decorations were all over the senior center, and homemade cookies were placed on every table. There were enough cookies for everyone who attended, and they were the talk of the event. By the time it hit noon, which was when the Sock Hop began, residents began to file into the event.

It took awhile for participants to start dancing, but once they started, no one stopped. Some dancers took off their shoes to show off their fuzzy colorful socks, worn specifically for the event. Root beer floats were served at the event and most everyone had one of those delicious fizzy drinks. One of the senior citizens, Beverley Shonholtz, went to the event because she loves music and is frequently at the senior center. Shonholtz loves dancing and she danced a couple times, but she mostly danced in her chair with a couple of her friends, and new friends she made at her table. She talks to a lot of the Western students regularly, so she thought going to the event would be great. Participants got to socialize and dance for a couple hours, as well as enjoy some company from Western students.

The Sock Hop was filled with talks from the past and reuniting with friends. The Sock Hop was a great success, with everyone that helped set it up and everyone who came, it was an outstanding event.

Contact author at – Jmorrow16@mail.wou.edu

Education majors learn to become competitive for the classroom

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

The Pacific room of the Werner University Center was bustling with students the afternoon of Feb. 10, when Western held the Future Teacher Conference. Educators from across the state presented sessions on important topics for students who are studying to become educators.

“This conference is designed to help people prepare to enter the job market to get a job in education,” said Aeylin Summers, president of Oregon ASCD, “Mostly the participants are future teachers. The point of this conference today is to start to give future teachers information so they know how to organize, so when they have to go to job fairs they’re as competitive as they can be.”

The Future Teacher Conference was broken up into three different sessions, with six different choices of presentations participants could choose to go to in each session.

“They have to do with different aspects of preparation. How to think about the process of getting a job from the perspective of what a principal would want, how to think like a first year teacher, so you can prepare for a question in an interview. You can learn things from these sessions to help you organize your thoughts,” Summers said.
Western prioritizes its students and makes sure that events can be held to benefit them. This event brought in teachers and principals from all over Oregon to help students get a better idea of the field they’re entering. The Future Teachers Conference has been a long-standing annual event in Western’s history.

“This is the 12th year that this conference has been sponsored here at Western. It is the largest student chapter for future teachers in the nation, right here at Western,” added Summers. “And that’s because you have people here in your educational school that understand that for these people who are pouring their hearts and resources into becoming teachers, that [Future Teacher Conference] is a great step for them.”

This event was able to be at Western because it was sponsored by the Confederation of Oregon School administrators, the Oregon Education Association, the Western Oregon University Student Chapter of ASCD, formerly known as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and Oregon ASCD.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

“Out and Proud,” a time for the LGBTQ+ community to shine

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

The Multicultural Student Union and Triangle Alliance came together to create the event, “Out and Proud,” an event that is described on Western’s website as one that, “celebrates and explores the various cultures and ethnic backgrounds that are within the LGBTQ+ community and recognizes their challenges as well as celebrates their achievements and success.”

In the late morning of Feb. 8, there was a Queer People of Color panel in the Willamette room of the Werner University Center to create a discussion about queer people of color and the difficulties and achievements they face as a double minority.

That evening at 6:00 p.m., there was a dinner themed “Let Your Colors Burst,” with keynote speaker, Maria Peters Lake, who dubs herself a “Lesbian drag queen.”

One of the planners for the event was, Katherine Macias-Torres, a sophomore nursing major, who is a campus advocate for the Multicultural Student Union. Their job is to work with other clubs and organizations on campus to see how they can work together to bring awareness to campus.

“‘Out and Proud’ is an annual event that we throw and it’s in cooperation with Triangle Alliance.” Macias-Torres stated, “It’s an important event because being a person of color within the LGBTQ+ community is like a double minority, it’s definitely something that is overlooked by a plethora of different groups. I really like the idea of having an ‘Out and Proud’ event because it’s like, ‘hey, we see you and we acknowledge you and you’re important.’ I think it’s important to bring that to light.”

After dinner was served, Maria Peters Lake took to the microphone to discuss what her life was like growing up gay in a family that didn’t acknowledge or discuss the LGBTQ+ community, and growing up to become accepted and loved by those around her. Lake is a big figure in the LGBTQ+ community and has served many different positions in the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court, one of Oregon’s oldest LGBTQ+ organizations. Lake also had various fundraising efforts to benefit the Audria M. Edwards Scholarship Fund: a scholarship for undergraduate students in the LGBTQ+ and allied community.

On Feb. 10, Triangle Alliance hosted the Black and Red Ball in the Pacific room of the Werner University Center to finish the “Out and Proud” event with a slam-bang finish. This event was to create awareness as well as to raise money for the Cascades AIDS Project.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Get to know a major: bachelor of science in exercise science

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western offers a wide variety of degrees that students can major in, many of which students don’t know are offered, or know next to nothing about. This week, in “Get To Know a Major:” receiving a bachelor of science in exercise science.

Kristin Miller, a junior, is working towards receiving a bachelor of science in exercise science with a minor in dance. Even though she originally came to Western for its dance program, she soon realized that she wanted to switch majors.

“I hope to go into occupational therapy, and exercise science was the most applicable major that I could do and I’m really interested in keeping people healthy, and the body, and how it works and the science of it,” Miller said.

Although she switched majors, Miller wants to keep dance a part of her life and try to use it in the field of occupational therapy.

“I’d like to incorporate dance into occupational therapy somehow,” said Miller. “I think a lot of people don’t see dance as a sport, but I want people to see it as a way to exercise and keeping themselves healthy.”

There are many career fields that exercise science can put students on the right track to pursue. According to Western’s website, those careers include: hospital cardiac rehabilitation and physical therapy assistance, corporate fitness centers, athletic and health focused fitness clubs, with organizations that provide fitness and activity programming such as YMCA and Boys & Girls Club, physical educators in public and private schools, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing and nutrition/dietetics.

Western’s website describes exercise science as, “the study of changes that occur within the human body in response to exercise and physical activity. Students of exercise science complete foundational coursework in general biology and human anatomy and physiology. Key areas of study within the major include biomechanics, motor behavior, nutrition, physiology of exercise, and social and psychological aspects of exercise and physical activity. Students learn how the human body adapts to various forms of movement and exercise, for purposes ranging from general health promotion and injury prevention, to rehabilitation and sports performance.”

Miller’s favorite class she took for her major was the anatomy series. “Even though it was a lot of work, I learned so much in the span of a year about the body, and I think it’s something that will help me a lot with my career.”

“Ever since I’ve changed my major, I’ve been really impressed with the exercise science major and all the professors, they’re all super nice. I think it’s a really good major for our current society, because health is such a pertinent issue and it’s a good field to get into right now because exercise is really on the rise,” concluded Miller.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Bump, set, spike, slide

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

To continue the beginning of WOU Accessibility Awareness Month, members of WAAM held an event in the gym of the Health and Wellness Center to play seated volleyball. Seated volleyball is a paralympic sport for athletes with disabilities. The rules and scoring aspects of the game are still the same as in volleyball. The court is the same size as a badminton court, and the net is lowered almost all the way to the ground. The ball can be hit with any limb as long as the buttocks is on the ground, the buttocks also includes laying on the back and shoulders. The movement of the sport consists of sliding back and forth across the court by using hands or elbows.

Jennifer Taylor, an assistant professor in the Division of Health and Exercise Science, led the event. Although the event was small in numbers, those participating were smiling and enjoying the activity. To begin, Taylor had the participants run drills by sliding themselves through small cones so they could get used to the movement. Then, after explaining the rules, they jumped in for a few practice games. It began with only four players on each team, but as they played, a few people began to join making each team a little bigger. Although the group that attended the event was small, that did not affect the large amount of fun the participants had while playing Seated Volleyball.

WAAM is going to be having events all this month. To find schedules and to see posts made by WAAM follow them on instagram @wou_waam.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Don’t believe the myths, learn the facts

By: Jasmine Morrow
Staff Writer

The College of Education, the Spanish Department and the Bilingual Teacher Program at Western asked Kim Potowski, a professor of the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago, to present her session: “Spanish in the U.S.: Myths and Realities,” in the Richard Woodcock Education Building. On Feb. 3, professor Potowski began the seminar by asking the group of people attending five facts or myths about the Spanish language.The trick was that they were all myths. The questions/statements included: “The United States is the fifth largest Spanish-Speaking country in the world,” “Spanish is not recognized in the ‘Diccionario de la Real Academia,’” “Some things that people say in U.S. Spanish is ungrammatical,” “Spanglish is a random mishmash of English and Spanish and is destroying Spanish,” “The goal of Spanish teachers should be to eliminate ‘Spanglish’ and have students pass for monolingual.”

Professor Potowski then explained why these were all myths. To begin with, the U.S. is the second largest Spanish-speaking country. It’s impossible to be agrammatical when a whole community says it the same way, this is only possible with the first rule of grammar. Second, the first Spanish word was put in the dictionary on Sept. 30, 2012. Third, Spanglish is rule governed and there is code switching, word borrowings, extensions and calques.

People usually think of U.S. Spanish as ungrammatical because it’s not preferred. The reason why people who are fluent in both Spanish and English sometimes use both languages in a single sentence is because it is a marker of their identity. Sixty percent of the population is bilingual/multilingual and 20 percent of the bilinguals are in the U.S. Studies show that two-way bilingual is the better way to learn English and Spanish, they can also be better readers and speakers. Professor Potowski concluded the presentation by saying, “Respect the language and culture of U.S. Latino Communities.”

Contact author at jmorrow16@mail.wou.edu

Activism through education

By: Ashton Newton
Entertainment Editor

Western Accessibility Awareness Month started off with a presentation from Dr. Kathleen Bogart, assistant professor of psychology at OSU, called “Looking Beyond Face Value: The Psychology of Disability and Ableism.”

Dr. Bogart opened with a discussion of what disability was and ways that society views it. She asked the audience to imagine a community where everyone had the same disability and how society would then view someone without that disability.

Dr. Bogart went into talking about facial expression disorders. Having facial paralysis herself, Dr. Bogart has had the drive to study the psychology behind facial paralysis for most of her life.

Dr. Bogart has conducted and published research studies using focus groups to try pinpointing the emotions of individuals with facial paralysis.

One goal is to raise public awareness of facial paralysis and moebius syndrome, to teach people to see past it. Dr. Bogart talked about the idea of activism through education. Part of this idea is Moebius Awareness Day on Jan. 24, a day dedicated to educating and spreading awareness about moebius syndrome, a rare condition that causes facial paralysis.

The take home message of the presentation was to be both a thoughtful and an adaptive communicator to everyone everyday.

Contact the author at journalentertainment@wou.edu

Get to know a major

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western offers a wide variety of degrees that students can major in, many of which students don’t know are offered, or know next to nothing about. This week, in “Get To Know a Major:” receiving a bachelor of science in community health.

Maressa Milat, a junior, is working towards receiving a bachelor of science in community health with a minor in human biology. Although she didn’t come to Western for that specific major, she knew she wanted to come here. “I came to Western to attend a small school rather than a big state school,” Milat stated.

Originally Milat was going to major in nursing, but she didn’t like how competitive it was, so she switched her major to community health. “You can do so much with a major in community health,” she said. “There are a lot of careers available to someone educated in that field.” According to Western’s website, those fields include: medical care facilities, colleges and universities, public health settings, non-profit community health organizations, private businesses and building a foundation for beginning advanced/graduate level work.

“I’m thinking about taking more of a social worker job, that checks in on families, children and the elderly,” she said. “That’s something that I think is a really important job in our society.”

The community health major is described on Western’s website as a program that, “… prepares students to work with individuals, groups, and communities to promote health and prevent disease and disability. Students develop professional skills and competencies that include: assessing individual and community needs, planning and implementing health education programs, evaluating the effectiveness of health education programs, coordinating health education services, acting as a resource person for reliable and valid health information,advocacy and communication of health needs and information to multiple audiences in socially and culturally appropriate ways.”
When asked what her favorite course she had taken so far was, Milat replied, “Human sexuality is my favorite so far. I like how open everything is and there’s no judgement.” She added, “Most of our classes are taught in a lecture style, and our class size is fairly small, so it’s easy to communicate with other students and my professors, I like that a lot too.”

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Club spotlight: Black Student Union

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Student organizations are a very important part of a college education. They allow students to branch out and find their passions, as well as meet new people and make new friends. They teach students how to organize events and meetings as well as how to work as a team.

The Black Student Union is an organization on campus that is part of Western’s University Diversity Committee. Recently, they helped end Western’s MLK Celebration Week with a slam poetry event held in Café Allegro.

Courtney Briscoe, a senior psychology major, has been a part of the Black Student Union for three years and is now president of the organization.

“The Black Student Union is a student organization that works to promote diversity around campus as well as social issues. It is meant to be a fun and welcoming environment where all members of [Western] can go to to talk,” said Briscoe.

She wanted to be very clear that this club is not exclusive, “One thing I want people to know about BSU is that you do not have to be black to be a part of it. Being part of a small ethnic group here we like to see other members of the [Western] community attend. It’s nice to feel supported by our fellow peers.”

Black Student Union has meetings every Tuesday, located in the Klamath room of the Werner University Center at 4:00 p.m. Feel free to attend to learn more about Black Student Union and your fellow peers.

“BSU is important to me, because it gives me an environment to talk to people I identify with either ethnically or socially,” said Briscoe. “It’s a place where I feel welcomed and excited to go to every week! It’s a place where I feel I can talk about issues that are dear to me and the community I am a part of, without feeling like my opinion is invalid.”
To learn more information, visit Western’s website and search University Diversity Committee.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Gain the confidence to go after the jobs you want

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On Western’s campus, there is a wide variety of jobs and volunteer work available to students. Not only is it convenient, but also easy to access, because the work is on campus. Building up job experience or volunteer work can be difficult to manage when also going to school full time, but Western offers many positions that work with and for its students.

Cheyanne Burt, a senior interdisciplinary studies-health education major has been volunteering for Abby’s House as an advocate volunteer since fall term of this year.

“The past director of Abby’s House came into my violence and public health class the spring term of 2016, and was talking about Abby’s House,” said Burt, “I just got really interested and I wanted to make an impact as well, so I applied to be an advocate. After summer training I started fall term.”

When asked why it’s important for students to work for their school, Burt replied, “I think it’s a great experience in a controlled environment. So we’re gaining that experience, and gaining that work experience, and volunteer experience, with people who are willing to help us, people who are wanting to see us succeed. They provide us with the tools to do that when we graduate.”

If thinking about whether to work for Western or not, Burt says, “The more experience you have the better. All the work and volunteer work I’ve done at campus will help me to pursue the careers I want to, and have that confidence in what I have done the last four years to get a good job.”

If interested in looking for work or volunteer work at Western, visit Service Learning and Career Development downstairs in the Werner University Center. They have job applications for part-time and full-time jobs, as well as volunteer work opportunities.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Get to know a major

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western offers a wide variety of degrees that students can major in, many of which students don’t know are offered, or know next to nothing about. This week, in “Get To Know a Major”: receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater.

Natalie Doerfler, a sophomore, is working towards receiving a BFA in theater with a focus in acting.

“Originally, I had gotten a scholarship to St. Mary’s, in Minnesota of all places. But, my twin sister, Meghan, wanted to come visit Western, so I tagged along with her,” said Doerfler. “As soon as I got on campus I knew that I wanted to go here. It’s small, and I thought, this is a place I could call home nine months out of 12.”

Once Doerfler learned more about the BFA program from the theater professors, she was ready to start her college years at Western. The Western website describes the program as, “a rigorous and competitive program of study for students interested in pursuing careers in the professional theater. This pre-professional program is designed to combine intensive training with a liberal arts education. All aspects of theater—art, craft, business and education—are examined, with a focus on theatrical production.”

The program offers many classes, from Theater History to Acting for the Camera.

“Some of the classes are more intensive in just acting, and learning and doing and performing. There’s classes like stage combat that you can take, it’s not required, but you can take them. It’s really cool, and I know how to properly fight with a broadsword now,” she said.

When asked what her favorite class was, Doerfler replied, “Movement II, because I got to study an animal, and see how animal movements can influence a character’s movement. You want your character’s movement to be different than how you move. Otherwise it’s not a full performance.”

“The BFA theatre program is almost all acting classes, and it’s less generic things. It’s specifically if you want to be an actor, and want to pursue it as a job,” continued Doerfler. “I’m glad I am able to be a part of it.”

Natalie Doerfler is currently in the Black Box production of “All in the Timing,” which performs on Feb. 9, 10, and 11 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on the 11th at 2:30 p.m.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

For better or for verse

By: Jasmine Morrow
Staff Writer

During MLK Celebration Week, Western held many events to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. To finish, the MLK Celebration Week ended with Slam Poetry. The event was held at Café Allegro, so volunteers could perform a poem or short story of their choice.

Slam poetry, which is known for being powerful, meaningful and artistic, brought many students together to honor the late Dr. King. The audience filled café Allegro with support and applause. Some of the pieces performed were originals written by the performers, while others read some of their favorite poems from other authors. Although a handful of people performed, there were two performers who took the microphone more than once.

Nathan Mirles, who has been interested in slam poetry for 11 years, performed two original poems named “Flowerbud” and “TWO GAY DUDES AND THE BEACH.”

“Being able to share with other people is fantastic,” said Mirles, who had been to a few other MLK events earlier that week to become more culturally literate and to be educated and to learn about diversity. Mirles has been to many other slam poetry performances, such as: Voice in New Mexico, Hillsboro High School, here at Western Oregon and frequently at the Insomnia Café.

Another performer, Courtney Briscoe, read poems by her favorite poet, Maya Angelou. Briscoe has been doing slam poetry since high school. This event meant a lot to her because, “It’s a great way for BSU to interact, and it is a safe space to share thoughts and feelings.” When she isn’t performing slam poetry, Briscoe is involved with the drag show here on campus.

The slam poetry event was a slam-bang finish to the end of MLK Celebration Week. There will be more slam poetry events around campus throughout the year so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

Contact author at jmorrow16@mail.wou.edu

The celebration of free speech

By: Shaylie Pickerel
Staff Writer

Free speech, politics and a step back into 1962 pop culture, is what covers the walls of Western’s Hamersly Library. On Jan.18 Hamersly Library held the opening of a new art exhibit including works done by James Masnov. Masnov has curated the exhibit named “Free Speech Culture, Politics and the Art of Expression Then and Now.” It all started with his passion for free speech and the importance of the right Americans have to express differences of opinion.

When asked why free speech is such an important concept, Masnov replied, “Defending someone’s free speech right is not the same as defending their views.” He continued, “I defend people’s free speech right even if it’s a topic I don’t agree with, which is what Ellis Stebbis had done.”

Ellis Stebbis, the interim president at Western in 1962, allowed Gus Hall, the general secretary of the Communist Party of the United States, to speak on campus. Although Stebbis did not agree with what Hall had to say, he believed in his right to freedom of speech and agreed to let him speak if both the democratic and republican parties on campus agreed.

This event inspired Masnov to research what transpired at Western when Hall spoke, and draw creativity from politics, pop culture and modes of expression from 1962.

Masnov’s exhibit has the history of Stebbis and Hall, as well as all the hate mail Stebbis received for his actions. He displays other historically significant events that also deal with the matter of free speech in chronological order. The exhibit also includes displays of art and pop culture events relevant to 1962 to give the viewer an idea of what was going on in society during the event at Western.

This exhibit underlines the importance of free speech and the opportunity for people to advocate for their rights. It also reminds viewers how far we’ve come as a society and how important it is to keep advocating for free speech.

To learn more about this event, more key events in history and everything that 1962 had to offer, find the exhibit on the second floor of Hamersly Library until March 9.

Contact the author at spickrell15@wou.edu

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