Mount Hood

Sleep tips that will benefit ones life greatly

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

In the United States alone, 50 million people suffer from sleep disorders, while more than 100 million report getting an inadequate amount of sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for adults is 7-9 hours, which can seem virtually impossible for many of us. 

One may not realize it, but lack of sleep or an inconsistent sleep schedule, can lead to a variety of health risks. It can have daily effects such as trouble with concentration, mood changes, irritability, weight gain and lack of motivation. Long-term sleep deprivation can also lead to being at a higher risk of more serious health issues. This includes an increased risk of heart disease, anxiety, depression and a much higher likelihood of injury — such as car accidents. 

So what can one do to get a full night’s rest? Here are some helpful sleep tips:

Disconnect from electronic devices and give oneself 30 minutes of relaxation — Studies have shown that being on one’s phone or other devices before bed suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone that assists with sleep. Getting into this routine of a clear mind before bed will slowly help build back one’s melatonin. 

Invest in blackout curtains or a sleep mask — It seems obvious that, for most people, it needs to be dark to fall asleep, but there’s more to it than just that. The brain’s response to darkness is to produce more melatonin, encouraging the body to sleep. This can help one take naps as well — bonus tip, naps should never be longer than 20 minutes. 

Physical activity — Physical activity has tremendous health benefits overall, but another plus to physical activity is that it is known to improve sleep. This can be anything from going on a short walk, doing some sit-ups or even cranking out a few house chores. After 15 to 20 minutes, the heart rate slows, core temperature starts to fall and one may experience muscle fatigue: which all help facilitate sleepiness. 

Avoid eating before bed — The last tip on how to improve one’s sleep is to avoid eating in the last few hours before one’s slumber. It has been found that eating before bed contributes to poor sleep quality through gastrointestinal discomfort, heartburn and reflux. Eating food also encourages the release of insulin, a hormone that helps turn food into energy. This means that if one eats before bed, one’s body will produce insulin which will tell the brain to stay awake. Additionally, food doesn’t burn as effectively when the body is asleep and is therefore stored as fat leading to weight gain. Take those snacks out of the nightstand and get a good night’s rest. 

Try these tips and sweet dreams. 

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

Boiling and delicious

Written by: Taylor Duff | Staff Writer

Bag O’ Crab is a seafood boil restaurant that opened a new location in Salem, Oregon right off the Market Street exit. This restaurant offers an array of boil bags that can be customized, including sides, wings and drinks. 

I decided to go and try the restaurant for myself because of my proximity to their newest location. I decided to invite my mom and have a feast. We ordered a Combo 2 which included one pound of snow crab, ¾ pound of headless shrimp, two corn on the cobs, two potatoes and four sausage slices. 

We decided to add two boiled eggs and our flavor of choice was original cajun. On the side, we ordered six lemon pepper wings, two sides of rice and a Cajun fish plate. We ordered a Cinnamon and Pear Moscow Mule and a Mojito Smash for drinks. 

This was a lot of food, but everything came out fast and organized. The restaurant environment was clean and captivating because of the friendly robot that served the food. The tables all had white paper to prepare for the mess of the boil; we also got a bib, gloves and a wet nap, which was much needed. The staff seemed a little occupied as the restaurant was busy, but they got our items exactly as we ordered and checked us out with a friendly goodbye.  

First, we got our drinks which were both very balanced and smooth and chock-full of flavor. Soon after, our bag and rice arrived, delivered by our friendly robot. 

We poured our bag out and started with the crab, which was soft and cooked to perfection; the shrimp was tender and very flavorful. The corn, sausages and potatoes were complementary and gave us a full range of flavors. The rice was a perfect palate cleanser from all the spice. The wings were coated in dry rub that I wished were covered in a wet sauce alternatively, but they were still very full of flavor. The cajun fish was possibly the best fish I’ve had — it was cooked to perfection and a nice entree — if a boil isn’t one’s preferred choice. 

All of the food was incredibly delicious and made the whole experience worth it despite the busy atmosphere. We ate just about everything — with just a few leftovers— and our meal was fairly priced. For someone like me, who hasn’t tried a seafood boil before, it was a great experience. I recommend Bag O’ Crab for one’s next outing or date as the atmosphere and food were phenomenal. 

9/10.




Contact the author at tduff23@mail.wou.edu 

From construction workers to the suburbs

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

In 1913, inventor William Stanley Jr. fused vacuum insulation technology with steel in a portable thermos, and the Stanley company was born. The original Stanley cups of the early 1900s were built specifically with the working class in mind. Through World War I and II, the cups were used to hold soup, coffee and even transport human organs.

Between the variety of sizes and strength of the cups, Stanley has been a beloved brand for over a century. However, the company has skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years. After the new year, Target released a collection of limited edition Valentine’s Day Stanleys, and hundreds of people lined up outside, even got physical with one another, hoping for a chance to get their hands on one… or maybe five. 

A sea of Stanley fans were falling over each other in a frantic race to the stainless steel finish line. Some collectors were pleased with their pre-Valentine’s purchase, while others took advantage of the frenzy to resell the rare tumblers. On eBay, the Stanley cups are being resold individually for almost 300 dollars.

So, when did Stanleys stop being a cup for blue-collar workers and become the favorite brand of suburban moms, teenagers and college students? The first fact is that Stanley is a sustainable and reputable brand. Their products are designed to be durable and hold a multitude of substances.

The second contributing factor to Stanley’s popularity is the accessibility of the internet and its cycling trends. Other popular reusable water bottle brands such as Hydro Flask, Swell and Yeti have also made their way to the screen over the past few years. Stanley provides many pretty colors to collect, and, as seen already, the buyers go crazy.

The question many people have asked is: why does anyone need more than one reusable water bottle? Many use these cups daily for hot beverages, so they do get use out of them — but Stanley prides themselves on durability for a reason. The daughters of working men have taken to the internet to show off their “trendy dads” and the Stanley thermoses they have been proudly using for decades.

The issue of Stanley consumption cannot be solved by the answer — reusable equals good, plastic equals bad. When it comes to the material used to make one water bottle, it can take ten to twenty uses of a reusable water bottle to counteract the effects of a plastic one. Multiply that times a whole collection of Stanleys — one can only hope those water bottles will be used for a lifetime.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Journaling: for funsies and data

Written by: Ruth Simonsen | Digital Media Manager

As the New Year makes its grand arrival and the resolutions start to flood every social media platform, a popular choice continues to be journaling. Whether it’s for feelings, logging gym stats or to fulfill your emo poetry dreams, journaling provides a wonderful resource to many.

Amity Deters, a fourth-year and star athlete on the Western track team, is one such person who finds solace in journaling. Deters first took up this hobby after seeing it on social media and deciding to curate it for herself. 

“I was going through a lot of changes,” Deters said, “so I wanted to track how I was feeling about them in an unbiased, no-placebo way.” 

Deters explained she did this through tracking habits, changes to her lifestyle and sleep schedule, as well as other small parts personalized to her life. 

“I try to focus on topics that will help me, ones that will benefit me and not cause harm or hyper fixation,” Deters said after being asked how she went about choosing topics to track.

Journaling is fantastic for keeping track of habits, both good and bad, as well as things like finances, water intake and sleep schedule. Unfortunately, remembering to log all of this information can become tiresome and tedious, leading to many people deciding to drop this hobby. 

While Deters does not claim to be an expert, she gave tips on staying motivated to keep up with journal entries.

“To be honest, sometimes I forget about it for a couple days,” Deters said. “The most important thing is that you’re not hard on yourself, because journaling is what you make of it.”

She recommends sharing entries with friends and family, to show off the goals that were met and the data that was collected. She also shared that journaling before or after classes is an easy way to remember to log entries and stay motivated. 

Journaling can be fun and a great way to destress and track health. Deters encourages everyone to find a comfortable, enjoyable way to journal for themselves. 

“Don’t try to make it too perfect or extravagant,” she said. “Get pretty markers and pens, go online for inspiration, get creative with your entries and don’t take it too seriously. It’s all for funsies and data.”

Contact the author at howldigitalmediamanager@mail.wou.edu

Hello 2024, didn’t see you there

Written by:  Taylor Duff | Staff Writer

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2024 and to all the possibilities this year will bring. With the new year here, many are just starting to pursue their 2024 goals. These goals range from becoming a better cook, committing to more cuddle time and even trying hydrotherapy. This list describes the top five things to add to resolutions for 2024 to improve ourselves and our lives. 

Improve clutter — Everyone wants a space that is calm and collected as much as it is organized. After the holidays especially, decluttering your space feels extremely rewarding and gets the new year off to a fresh start. Take the much-needed time and go through old boxes, sorting items no longer used or organizing to be more efficient. 

Pick up more hobbies — Each year individuals want to incorporate something new to try such as painting, pottery or dance classes. Picking up new skills improves mental health by reducing anxiety and expressing gratification.  

Build a better budget — Americans have struggled with finances throughout history but possibly even more so in the past four years since the pandemic and inflation have taken a toll. Budgeting income helps ensure bills and finances are taken care of which allows security. It can be difficult to cut back on things sought after and sit down to make the proper list of funds but once done, the guessing is over. 

Get rid of toxicity — This can be getting rid of alcohol, nicotine or even toxic relationships. As people, we accumulate habits that might not seem to be as harmful to us as they appear. The small changes made by releasing toxic habits and people who don’t serve us anymore can help improve our lives immensely.   

Become a better person — This goal includes many ideas of self-improvement such as working out, reading more and eating healthy, but we can also include mental health awareness and seeking therapy. We, as people get caught up and get stressed out with our lives, and the first thing we let go of is ourselves, but for 2024, let’s focus on ourselves first. The better we take care of ourselves, the better the environment we create which in turn makes all of these resolutions we set more achievable.   

The most important takeaway as we continue 2024 is to take it one day at a time. We live busy lives, taking care of responsibilities, and some of us are taking care of others and might not have the time. Overall, set attainable goals that make the fulfillment worth it for 2024, and let’s prosper. 




Contact the author at: tduff23@mail.wou.edu

Waste increases dramatically after the holidays

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

The holidays can induce many feelings of happiness through eating good food, giving gifts and seeing your family. Although, one thing the holidays are also notorious for, that is less joyous, is the fact that waste increases dramatically over the holiday seasons. 

Waste and trash increases by at least 25% after the holiday season when individuals throw away about 81.5 pounds of clothes at the end of the year. Instead of chucking everything in the trash bin, Oregon has many donation sites that offer a better, more sustainable option than throwing away unwanted holiday gifts.

Clothes/Furniture/Decor

Goodwill — and other local thrift stores are always great options to give unused clothes and furniture — being that they are in decent condition of course. Donating to these types of stores allows them to continue to provide job opportunities and contribute back to the community. 

Habitat For Humanity Restore — is another community knit organization that can pick up one’s donations, or one can drop them off anytime from 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. — no appointment needed. They accept donations consisting of furniture, cabinets, exercise equipment, home goods and tools for a variety of jobs. 

Food

Oregon Food Bank — offers tremendously different options on how to donate food and money, volunteer and even set up one’s own food bank for communities near you. The goal of the Oregon Food Bank is to eliminate hunger one step at a time and to bring the community closer together to increase awareness of these organizations. Visit the Oregon Food Bank website to see the variety of ways you can help, or if you know someone who is in need of resources, the site provides locations of places one can pick up free groceries and resources. 

Books/music

The Book Corner — located in Beaverton, accepts donations of items including books, CD’s, vinyls, comics and more. The Book Corner accepts donations Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.. All donations must be free from smoke stains, water stains and foul odors and need to be decent in quality. 

Ethos Music Center — accepts musical instruments and equipment to donate to local children passionate about music. Ethos takes any instrument from drums, violins and woodwinds to equipment like reeds, guitar racks, strings and even computers or tablets. Simply fill out a donation form and a staff member will reach out. 

Don’t waste this year, donate. 

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

Pursue one’s dreams and become a business owner

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

One of the greatest attractions Oregon has to offer is its large variety of unique, locally owned, creative businesses. These include businesses like food trucks, soap companies, haunted tours, bake shops, handmade items like clothes, jewelry and so much more. With a little bit of incentive and a lot of determination, one can turn their biggest passions into a career. Who wouldn’t want to be their own boss? 

One of the benefits of starting one’s own business is having full creative freedom and connecting with the community through that creativity. In recent years, there have been increasing opportunities for those who have a passion for arts and handmade crafts. 

Though one may not have their own store or permanent location to sell their products, there are numerous options to put oneself out there. Oregon has many seasonal/holiday markets, sporting events, local events and festivals that are open to local artists that allow them to get a chance to sell their wares. 

Getting a business on its feet can be a daunting task and renting out a spot in these types of events may not be accessible to all; don’t worry, there are ways to get one’s business out there without worrying about the starting costs. For example, the Oregon State Fair offers various types of competitions that do not require an entry fee and can provide an opportunity to get one’s name out there. Competitions like these create an opportunity for the public to learn how businesses are made and how they work — it can even give one an opportunity to sell their products to locals. 

Arts and crafts are not the only self-made business that is popular right now. Food trucks have also been increasingly popular throughout the years. It’s not necessary to go to culinary school or train under a star chef to be an amazing cook with creative ideas. 

Again, with a little initiative and determination one can take their favorite cuisine to the next level in their own food cart. As someone who personally works for an artisan grilled cheese truck, believe me when I say it is possible to do anything one loves to do. 

Regardless of what business one would like to pursue, there are many opportunities and benefits that come with all of them. Being one’s own boss means having the ability to create a schedule that is flexible and caters to one’s needs. If additional funds are needed, one can book more events; if one needs a break, they can give themselves a grace period that won’t affect any fiscal earnings. Overall, running a local business has so many positives for the owner and those working for the business, as well as the people in the community. 

Don’t just take it from me— hear some insight from the real self-made business owner of SoCheesy food truck, Gary Cooper. 

Cooper created his food truck business, So Cheesy, in 2016 and it has done nothing but grow since then. The best part, Cooper says, is “…putting a smile on customers’ faces – with the abundance of negativity in today’s society being able to provide a moment of comfort, peace and joy is rewarding.” 

Cooper gave the Howl some valuable tips to share with those wanting to start their own business. He admits it can be scary and, “You never know what tomorrow will bring (so) move forward with courage.” 

Cooper also recommends that it’s helpful to maintain a traditional job to cover financial needs — a young business has financial pressures so having another source of income in the beginning will be beneficial in the long run. His final tip was a simple but important one:

“Constant reinvestment is a key to growing your business.” 

The longer one has a business the more changes will come related to trends, increasing demand, increased opportunities as well as learning what customers preferences are. Reinvestment to cater to changes like these will guarantee your business to grow. 

Cooper encourages students to pursue their own businesses after college and says it’s a “…wonderful opportunity to exercise your potential.” 

The ability to create a career of one’s own, based on individual creativity and passions, is something most desire in life, and it may not be as impossible as one may think. 

Figuring out what to do after college is extremely intimidating and many students have an innate fear that they’ll be stuck in a job they hate for the rest of their lives. Starting a self-owned business has many responsibilities but the benefits are all worth it. Doing something that’s easy to love every day, creating connections with others, and having the freedom to make all the decisions sounds pretty awesome to me. 

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

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