Mount Hood

Spring reads

Written by: Jude Bokovoy

Reading gives one the ability to relax, calm the mind, enhance their vocabulary and learn depending on the book. Start this spring off fresh with a new book and reading spot. Fellow students gave suggestions on what to read and ideal reading locations now that the sunshine is out. 

Books

“The Pilot’s Wife” by Anita Shreve — A widow searches for an answer to why her late husband’s plane crashed. Was it an accident, intentional, or even worse?

“Verity” by Colleen Hover — A struggling writer accepts an exciting yet unusual job offer to get her out of her financial burden. 

“How Will You Measure Your Life” by Clayton Christensen — This book will show one how to maintain motivation at work, find happiness in the world and shift one’s focus to what is truly important.

“So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love” by Cal Newport — Western Oregon University Center for Professional Pathways book of the month is about finding appreciation within your work, instead of searching for work that fits your current passions. It often begs the question: is one’s mindset “what can this job offer me” or “what can I offer the world?”

Places to read in Monmouth, Corvallis or Salem. 

Parks — Take a moment to breathe in the fresh air, soak in some sunshine and read a good book. This could be on a park bench, in front of a view or on a blanket alongside a picnic. Parks not too far from campus include Riverview Park, Madrona Park, Bush’s Pasture Park, Riverfront City Park, Avery Park & Natural Area and the Riverfront Commemorative Park. 

Cafes and bakeries — What’s better than reading in a relaxing space while drinking or eating a handmade good? Sip and skim at these nearby cafes and bakeries: The Sippery, Starbucks, Rick’s Place, Brew Coffee & Taphouse, Panera Bread, Ovenbird Bakery, Karma Coffee Bar & Bakery and New Morning Bakery.

Libraries — Why not go to the home of books? Libraries on and off the Western campus include the Hamersly Library, Salem Public Library and the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

Video essay recommendations

Written by: Mikayla Coleman

In an ever changing and expanding digital space of content creation, the video essay has become a staple genre on video-sharing websites such as Youtube. 

A video essay is an essay in video form that aims to persuade, educate or critique and analyze a specific topic, theme, person or thesis. This open-ended definition leaves a lot of freedom for creators to artistically express themselves and their opinions in a unique way that can be as academic or as casual as one desires. 

Use this list as a jumping off point for getting into the diverse, fascinating and passionate world of video essays on Youtube.

Ro Rambdin — Ro Rambdin is a 20 year old Tiktok and Youtube influencer from Seattle, Washington who creates incisive commentary videos on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to present and past youth-cultural events. 

  • “Do We Need S*x Scenes? – Penn Badgley and Intimacy in Media” 
  • “Elon Musk and Grimes: A Retrospective” 
  • “Chick Tracts: An American Tragedy” 

Philosophy Tube — Created in 2013 by Abigail Thorn, a British content creator and playwright. , Philosophy Tube seeks to provide free lessons in philosophy after the 2012 increase of tuition in the United Kingdom. Thorn’s videos are inquisitive, hilariously scripted and visually interesting with different elaborate costumes and sets to match each video’s contents. Thorn has also documented their story of coming out as transgender and uses their platform to advocate for better health care and treatment of transgender people around the globe. 

  • “The Rich Have Their Own Ethics: Effective Altruism & the Crypto Crash (ft. F1nn5ter)”

  • “I Emailed My Doctor 133 Times: The Crisis In the British Healthcare System”

  • “Capital Punishment (& Prison Abolition) | Philosophy Tube”

Mina Le — Mina Le is a Vietnamese-American content creator whose work focuses on modern and historical culture of fashion and film. Le’s unique style dominates her videos, making the viewing experience not only intellectually stimulating, but incredibly visually appealing.  

  • “THE CULT OF CLEANLINESS” 

  • “‘toxic’ femininity: what’s up with girlbloggers, female manipulators, and femcels?”

  • “WHY EVERYTHING IS SO UGLY: The Curse of Modernism” 

Izzzyzzz — Internet personality Izzzyzzz, or simply Izzy, is a New Zealand-based video essayist who creates videos on modern and historical internet culture, pertaining mostly to childhood nostalgia. Izzy lightheartedly uses a combination of both subjects to deep dive into niche experiences of growing up while internet usage became more accessible, allowing viewers to be once again immersed in the fun and often-times clunky experiences of early 2000’s computer games and internet culture. 

  • “Exploring the Lore of Purble Place” 
  • “The Horror of Anti-Piracy Screens” 
  • “A Deep Dive into Animal Crossing” 

The Leftist Cooks — Formerly named “The Leftist Cook,” The Leftist Cooks is a collaborative Youtube channel between Irish creators Neil Farrell and Sarah Oeffler focusing primarily on leftist topics, including but not limited to LGBT+ and gender issues, workplace conditions and personal near-death experiences. 

  • “This is Not a Video Essay” 
  • “Polyamory and the Family” 
  • “Capitalism and the Body” 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu







Spring bops

Written by: Mikayla Coleman

“Spring Has Sprung” — Skegss

“Back Pocket” — Vulfpeck, Vulf

“Hutch” — Barrie

“Don’t Trust Me” — the booyah! Kids

“Where’d All the Time Go?” — Dr. Dog

“Golden” — Hippo Campus

“A Bird’s Last Look” — Macabre Plaza

“Cinnamon” — Palehound

“Back in Your Own Back Yard” — Sun Ra

“Vacation” — Honeywhip

“Running Wide Open” — Coma Cinema 

“Afternoon Of A Swan” — Speedy West

“Over the Hill” — Ginger Root

“Ladyfingers” — Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

“Oh, Pretty Woman” — Pomplamoose 

“Morning” — Azymuth 

“Prism” — Say She She 

“The Flower Called Nowhere” — Stereolab 

“Masterpiece” — Big Thief

“Linger” — The Cranberries 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

 

Sequel equals

Wrtten by: Gretchen Sims

A tale as old as time, a classic — but what happened before, or after, one’s favorite films? This is where sequels and prequels come in. Normally occurring in groups of three, movie franchises are becoming increasingly popular among filmmakers. 

Nearly every movie that does well at the box office is followed up with one or two movies that extend the storyline. However, it is well known that these sequels and prequels rarely live up to the original fan favorite. So are these additional movies just a cash grab for producers? Or are they genuinely produced with the writers and directors passion and with the fans in mind? 

Many larger movie-producing corporations have been repeatedly slammed for this. Producers can easily profit off of nostalgia and love that fans have for their favorite movies, though without living up to fans expectations. From a producing perspective, this can be seen as a win-win. Making a sequel to a popular movie is a fantastic way to make money and make sure fans are eating out of their hands. 

So why has there been so much backlash about these franchises? 

Mainly because the sequels and prequels are usually terrible. Not only are producers making these movies to turn an easy profit, but they also don’t seem to care about the quality of the film. No matter how terrible the movie is, fans will go see it.

However, audiences might be in for a significant change. Due to new streaming sites, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for companies to release low quality sequels and get away with it. Now that physical movie theaters are becoming less popular and many movies are released directly to Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+, producers can not rely on box office sales for their cash grab. If audiences hear a sequel is bad, they simply won’t watch it. 

While sequels in the past have been disappointing fans for decades, this trend may be coming to an end. As long as sequels lose their profitability, franchises will be prolonged in a way that excites fans and keeps them wanting more. Hopefully, the cash cow that fuels sequels will benefit both filmmakers and fans in the near future. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu   

Pedro Pascal, daddy of all

Written by: Gretchen Sims

By now, the entirety of the internet is aware that Pedro Pascal has been appointed the daddy of the internet. From memes to interviews, Pedro Pascal has seemingly appeared out of nowhere to grace his fandom with wild performances and out-of-pocket comments. Where has this daddy-ness come from? And why has Pedro Pascal gained so many children seemingly overnight? 

Pascal has been in the acting business for quite some time now. José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal was born in Chile in 1975 and worked small acting gigs for nearly two decades before rising to stardom with his portrayal of Oberyn Martell in “Game of Thrones.”  

Pascal also amassed fame for his role in the Netflix series “Narcos” before taking on his most popular roles as the Mandalorian in “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett,” as well as Joel Miller in “The Last of Us.” 

According to Pascal, his parents Verónica Pascal Ureta and José Balmaceda Riera, were devout followers of the socialist president, Salvador Allende. Their activity in the resistance against Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship led Pascal’s family to flee Chile when Pedro was just nine months old. Ultimately the Balmaceda’s would end up in Orange County, California.

Pascal was a competitive swimmer before he developed a love for acting and ended up attending the Orange County School of the Arts where he graduated from in 1993. Afterwards, he continued his education at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts — graduating in 1997 — to begin his acting career. 

In 1995, Pascal’s father was indicted by a federal grand jury due to a scandal at the fertility clinic he was employed at. Shortly after, the rest of Pascal’s family returned to Chile where his mother ended up committing suicide in 1999 — Pascal was his mother’s family name that Pedro took on professionally to honor her.  

Early on, Pascal worked smaller gigs in well known TV franchises such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The Mentalist,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “The Good Wife,” “Homeland” and “Graceland,” before making his big break in “Game of Thrones.” 

Besides acting, Pascal has written and produced works as well. He even performed on Broadway — debuting in “King Lear” in Feb. 2019. 

In the end, his charismatic personality and ability to maintain relevance among younger generations — despite his age — has made audiences everywhere fall in love with him, waiting to see what he will do next.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Celebrating women through novel and film

Written by:Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

March is Women’s History Month — a time dedicated to the celebration of the contributions, triumphs and progress of women throughout history. To celebrate, here is a list of recommendations for movies and novels featuring many of the beloved and strong female characters of generations.

Films

“Hidden Figures” (2016) — The story of the three genius African-American mathematicians who turned the tides of the space race. The movie was inspired by the New York Times bestseller novel of the same title.

“Lady Bird” (2017) — “Lady Bird” follows the life of a spontaneous high school senior, as she navigates a tremulous relationship with her equally ardent and strong willed mother. 

“Wonder Woman” (2017) — A remarkable movie detailing the consequences and loss faced by war, through the eyes of the Amazonian warrior, Wonder Woman.

“The Woman King” (2022) — Based on a true story, “The Woman King” tells the story of the tribe of female warriors, Agojie.

“Frida” (2002) — “Frida” details the real story of iconic and surrealist Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo.

“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) — Based on the worldwide bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, the movie centers around Rachel Ru — a native New Yorker — as she navigates the relationship between her and her long-time boyfriend’s East Asian family.

“Jackie” (2016) — A movie that tells the tragic story of the United States’ First Lady, Jackie Kennedy, after the death of her husband.

“Legally Blond” (2001) — Based on the novel of the same name by Amanda Brown, this film journeys through Elle Woods’ life, the sorority girl and aspiring lawyer at Harvard Law School.

Books

“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott — A coming-of-age story following the lives of four sisters, Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg as they learn about love, strength and womanhood.

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas — A young woman grapples with identity, racism and discrimination after witnessing the fatal shooting of a childhood friend at the hands of police.

“The Radium Girls” by Kate Moore — A novel detailing the incredible yet tragic true story of the “Radium Girls,” the female factory workers who contracted radiation poisoning as a result of corporate greed.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood — “The Handmaid’s Tale” details the story of a woman forced to live as a concubine in a futuristic world struggling with a fertility crisis.

“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by Victoria E. Schwab — This fiction novel details the story of a young woman who makes a deal with the “devil,” which begins her endless journey through time.

“I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy — The debut memoir by Jennete McCurdy, as she details her struggles as a former child actress, demonstrating resilience and strength through mentality.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Kyra Marcotte shows how art gives a second chance

Written by: Gretchen Sims

The featured senior artist for the month of March is Kyra Marcotte. “Revive,” the exhibit in the Werner University Center, is the result of a renewal of passion in Marcotte, as an aspiring teacher turned artist explores their turmoil and joy in a post-pandemic world. 

Q: What does art mean to you?

A: “To me, art is self-expression, in a way that you don’t have to conform to society’s rules and expectations. Even though you can go to school and study the principles of design and composition (which are still very important), you can break free from them and explore infinite ideas and realities. And to me that is really beautiful, especially in a world that has so much pressure and expectations thrown on you from an early age.”

Q: What first got you interested in art?

A: “I never thought I wanted to be an art major or do anything in art. But my love for art was actually first sparked in middle school, when I met my best friend Precious. They always carried a sketchbook with them everywhere and they inspired me to do that as well. I didn’t realize until college that I wanted to pursue a career in the arts, but they were the one to spark that passion in me.”

Q: What would you like others to take from your art?

A: “The main takeaway I want people to get from my art is the healing and therapeutic power of art. During the pandemic, creating these pieces helped keep me sane, and helped me process what was going on around me. I went from feeling lost and hopeless to seeing a bright future ahead of me. I used art to create a new life for myself.”

Q: What inspires you?

A: “I take a lot of inspiration from existing media around me. I love finding found images/videos and creating something new. Two of the videos in my show were made using found footage, that I edited together to create a new meaning. Same with the magazine collages. I love how taking multiple images/videos from different sources and putting them together can create something more interesting with more depth, but yet is also slightly jarring. I hope when people see these collages I created, they question what the deeper meaning is created by putting them together.” 

Q: What is your “why”? (what makes you the artist you are today)

A: “Self expression is extremely important to me. And my artwork is my favorite way to express who I am as a person and communicate that to the people around me. Through art, I can communicate myself through bright colors and interesting textures, and that brings me joy that is hard to match.”

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

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