Mount Hood

Simple DIY Thanksgiving decorations

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

As a child, you may have made Thanksgiving decorations in school, such as the classic hand turkey. Here’s some of those decorations that you can still use now.

 

Hand Turkeys

Hang a blast-from-the-past decoration that can be made into a chain. Start by tracing your hand onto a piece of paper and then cutting it out. Color the fingers to create feathers. Alternatively, trace your fingers on various colored paper, then cut and glue onto the fingers of the hand outline. Draw a face onto the thumb to make the head of the turkey.

To make the hanging chain, repeat the process as many times as desired. Take the finished hand turkeys and glue the head of the turkey onto another turkey just below the tip of the pinky. Hang where desired when finished.

 

Pinecone Turkey Centerpieces

Decorate your dining table with an easy-to-make centerpiece. Take a pinecone — which can be bought in bulk or potentially found outside for free — and glue googly eyes onto the front of it. Alternatively, eyes can be drawn on paper, cut out and glued on. Take some colorful paper and cut out oblong oval shapes to create feathers. Glue the makeshift feathers onto the pinecone near the back. Repeat this step to layer the feathers. Lastly, cut a small triangle out of orange paper and glue it on to make a beak.

 

Turkey Treat Bags

Organize your snacks and create a cute decoration in the process. Take a small plastic bag and fill it with Reese’s Pieces (or a different candy of your choice). Tie off the end with a string or hair tie. The end of the bag can be fluffed up to make a tail, or you can add to it by cutting feathers out of paper. Take an orange pipe cleaner and twist it to make a beak, leaving extra standing up in order to glue googly eyes on. Alternatively, you can use candy corn for beak and paper for the eyes. Take yellow pipe cleaners and twist them to create feet, or use paper glued to the bottom of the bag.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Rylie Horrall (hand turkey)

Photo by Cora McClain (pinecone) 

Photo by Trinity Phan-Low (treat bag)

Where to find late season apple picking farms

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

During the fall season, pumpkin picking isn’t the only autumn activity that’s available. Many farms offer a chance for customers to pick their own apples — whether it’s for recipes, or just a prime photo opportunity. While many have closed down for the season, here’s a few farms that are still open for apple picking.

Beilke Family Farm is located in Brooks at 4925 Rockdale Street NE, and is open through the month of November. The farm offers customers the opportunity to pick their own apples from a variety of 15 different varieties. They call their trees ‘dwarf trees,’ as they cut them to make sure they remain at a reasonable height for both adults and children to be able to reach. Twenty-five apples fill a bucket, and each bucket costs $12. If a visitor buys 10 buckets, the 11th one is free.

Currently, Beilke Family Farm is hosting an event called the Largest Apple Contest, where the customer that brings in the largest apple will win three free buckets of apples.

The farm is open on Monday–Saturday from 8 a.m.–6 p.m, and on Sundays from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. More information can be found on their website, beilkefamilyfarm.com.

Green Bridge Gardens, located at 3730 Jefferson Scio Dr SE in Jefferson, has not only apples available, but peaches, tomatoes, strawberries and peppers for customers to pick. Customers must bring their own containers to fill at this location, and availability of produce changes daily.

In addition to their u-pick produce, Green Bridge Gardens has a variety of jams, spreads and syrups for customers to purchase as well. They’re open daily from 9 a.m.–6 p.m., and can be found at their website, greensbridgegardens.com. The farm recommends following their Facebook page for updates on u-pick availability.

Three Cedars Farm has fresh apples each day for customers to pick up. Located at 5751 Wallace Rd NW in West Salem, their farm stand has apples available for $1 per pound, or a 20-pound box for $12. Additionally, they have fresh pressed cider obtainable for $8 a gallon or $5 for a half-gallon. Three Cedars Farm stand is open from dawn until dusk, and further information can be found on their Facebook page.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Step-by-step processes of fall inspired makeup

Ashlynn Norton | Digital Media Manager  Alyssa Martin | Freelancer  Cora McClain | Editor in Chief

 

Ashlynn:

Look #1 – The every day/night look to fall for

This is one of my go-to looks for fall. For me, it’s really fast and easy. I find that as a person with glasses, my makeup can get hidden by the shadows of my glasses, so going a little darker keeps my makeup from disappearing. 

 

Products:

MaryKay Eyeshadow: Auburn

Mary Kay Eyeshadow: Coal 

Milk Kush Mascara

 

Step 1: Take any copper color (I used Mary Kay’s “Auburn”). Put the color on your eyelid and take it a little above the lid.

Step 2: With black eyeshadow (I used Mary Kay’s “Coal”), take your finger and swipe the color onto your eyelid. I find that when applying a single color to your eyelid, using your finger really helps pack the color on, in comparison to using a brush. Alternatively, if you don’t want to use black, a dark brown would work just as good.

Step 3: I like to finish this off with winged eyeliner and my favorite mascara by Milk.

Optional: I think this look pairs well with a nude brown lipstick, but would also go well with a dark brown or red.

 

Look #2 – The punk/more colorful autumn

I love super colorful makeup. I was inspired by the amazing fall sunsets to create a look that is a little more on the colorful side but is also still pretty simple. This look is great for pretty much everyone.

 

Products: 

BH Take Me Back to Brazil Eyeshadow Palette

Milk Kush Mascara

 

Step 1: For this look, you will want to use a lighter copper color and put that on your eyelid and a little above that. (Unfortunately, the palette I used doesn’t have names for the shades so I can’t tell you exactly what colors I used.)

Step 2: Using your finger, take a dark purple and apply that on your eyelid.

Step 3: Take a dark brown shade and put that in your crease to add dimension. 

Step 4: Again, I finish this look off with winged eyeliner and my Milk Kush mascara.

Optional: I really like to finish this off with a bright red lipstick, but this would also look good with a dark brown.

 

Cora:

Look: The just-out-of-the-oven-pumpkin

This is my first experimentation with warm-toned eyeshadow. What started as a fun, bright orange soon turned smokey with a touch of dark brown. Using a bold lip can help balance out the darkness of this look.

 

Products:

Elf Rose Gold – Sunset Eyeshadow : Auburn

Elf Rose Gold – Sunset Eyeshadow : Brown

Elf Rose Gold – Sunset Eyeshadow : Gold

Wet n Wild Matte Lip : A362

Loreal Paris mascara : Voluminous Original 

 

Step 1: Use a light matte auburn color as the base of this look. Cover your lid completely.

Step 2: To add some depth, take a matte dark brown and lightly add the color to the outer edge of your lid and along your crease. If it ends up outside of your eyelid, you can use concealer or foundation to clean up any mistakes once you’re done.

Step 3: Blend the two colors together; this should soften the harsh lines between the brown and auburn and soften the boldness of the brown. Usually this is best done with a soft brush with longer bristles, so I recommend using a blending brush.

Step 4: I like to highlight the middle of my lid in most of my looks, so I use a glittery dark gold to make my smokey eye pop. Highlighting the inner eye with this color can also make your look pop.

Step 5: Finish your eyes off with whatever mascara you like, either a black or brown color can work with this look. I generally like doing this instead of curling my eyelashes since it puts less stress on them.

Step 6 : Use a bold lip to balance out the bold eye, I used the “looking for truffle” color of Wet n Wild. 

 

Alyssa:

Look: The ‘Carmel Apple’ look is perfectly scrumptious to wear day or night……..

I am far from a makeup guru so this look is easy and quick. I like adding a more shimmering color as an accent but you can definitely do this look with a matte finish. 

 

Products:

Lashes – Lash Sensational by Maybelline New York

Lips – 120 Go Wild by Almay 

Eyes – Base: BB Cream-Nude by NYX 

Eyeshadow: A362 Looking For Truffle Velvet Matte Lip Color by Wet n Wild 

Accent Eyeshadow: Color Wonderland Palette (on the ‘Neutrals’ side) by Sephora 

 

Step 1: I use a small soft paintbrush to apply BB cream onto my eyelids but you can use your finger or whatever else works for you. Apply a thin layer of BB cream onto the desired area of the lid just enough to coat the entire area you want. This will help the color stay on the lid. 

Step 2: Dab the eyeshadow onto the base, evenly applying the color onto the lid. I am using a matte lipstick as the eyeshadow, but hey, when it works, it works. Continue applying the color onto the lid until you get the desired brightness. 

Step 3: Apply a small amount of BB cream at the inner corners of the lid and going until a little less than halfway across the lid. This will help the accent color pop out more. 

Step 4: Dab the accent eyeshadow directly onto the new BB cream and blend where the two eyeshadows meet.

Step 5: Apply mascara onto both the top and bottom lashes. 

Step 6: To finish the look, apply lipstick and you are done! Now you’ve got a look that can be both festive and cute. 

 

Contact the authors at amartin17@wou.edu & anorton17@wou.edu

Photos by Ashlynn Norton, Alyssa Martin, and Cora McClain

Catch a bite to eat at Greece Lightning Express

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Greece Lightning Express is located at 156 Catron St in Monmouth — specifically on the corner where Catron meets Jackson Street. It’s owned and operated by Pete Kalogeras, who chose to open a food truck due to their apparent popularity in Oregon.

The food truck opened on July 20, 2017, making it open for nearly two-and-a-half years. Kalogeras decided to open in Monmouth because of the town’s growing size, and chose to serve Greek food in respect  to his personal heritage.

“There are very few Greek food carts and (coming) from an ethnic Greek background I decided to open one up.” Kalogeras said.

The dish he recommends to first-time customers is a traditional beef and lamb gyro, and the truck’s signature meal is the Original Gyro. The Original Gyro consists of beef and lamb cooked with seasoning on a spit with tomatoes, red onions and tzatziki sauce all served on warm pita bread.

Greece Lightning Express also carries a Veggie Gyro, which comes with feta cheese, red onions, tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, tzatziki sauce and lettuce put together onto pita bread. Other than gyros, the truck additionally serves fries — regular and Greek-style loaded fries. Both are made from fresh-cut potatoes, but the Greek fries have feta cheese, Greek seasoning and lemon.

If customers want something sweet, the food truck offers Baklava, a dessert that’s made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey.

In addition to staying in Monmouth, Greece Lightning Express occasionally moves to Dallas and travels for events. Their hours of operation are 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in Monmouth, and the same hours on Tuesdays in Dallas in the parking lot of the “Some Things” furniture store. Kalogeras posts events that the food truck will be at, along with additional information on Facebook and Instagram (@greecelightningexpress).

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo by Cora McClain

Opportune locations for autumn photoshoots

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Autumn brings a prime opportunity to take some aesthetically pleasing photos, whether it’s for a holiday card or just for the perfect Instagram post. Here’s some locations that could provide great photo opportunities.

 

Outside of NS (bench) – On the edge of campus lies the Natural Sciences building. In addition to the bench right outside the building, the newly renovated pond provides an opportune photo.

Monmouth Ave Stretch – The street that runs through campus is lined with trees; the changing leaves will be perfect for your fall aesthetic.

Fountain – Near the center of Main Street in Independence, the water glistening from the fountain enhances your photo.

Park near waterfront – Just behind the fountain and near the waterfront lies Riverview Park. The changing leaves and amphitheatre are ideal for both portraits and group pictures.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Cora McClain

Spice up your pumpkin pie with this recipe

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Family recipes are something that are often protected and cherished – this is true for my family as well. Once fall rolls around, my mom takes the time to start baking fall inspired goodies for the next three months. One dessert she never fails to prepare is a delicious pumpkin pie, here’s the recipe she follows. Happy baking season.

 

PUMPKIN PIE

Start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes

1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust

¾ cup of white sugar

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of ground ginger

¼ teaspoon of ground cloves

2 eggs

1 (15 ounce) can of 100% pure pumpkin 

1 (12 fluid ounce) can of evaporated milk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F°

Combine the sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in a larger bowl. Stir in the pumpkin and the sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Pour the finished mixture into the pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F°. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Do not freeze — this will cause the crust and filling to separate.

 

To create a more festive Halloween pie, try using cookie cutters to create some spooky shapes to place on top of the pie, such as a ghost, bat, spider, or pumpkin. Cookie cutters in the shapes of various leaves are an alternative for a general fall look.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Pick the perfect fall pumpkin patch near Monmouth

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Need to grab some last minute pumpkins to carve? Want to get into a festive fall spirit and potentially decorate for the holidays? Check out these nearby pumpkin patches to satiate that gourd-geous desire. 

 

Davis Family Farm not only has pumpkins galore, but customers can also enjoy hayrides directly to the pumpkin patch and a trip through their corn maze. Located in Corvallis at 4380 NE Highway 20, the pumpkin patch stays open from Sept. 30 to Oct. 31, but stays open further into the year.

Various seasonal fruits and vegetables can be bought after pumpkin season has passed, and are available to be hand picked directly. In addition, it has cider and doughnuts available to purchase. 

Admission costs $4, and can be found on Facebook, on Instagram (@davisfamilyfarm.inc), and Twitter (@RussellDavis4).

 

Vince Woods Farm is located at 6435 62nd Ave NE in Salem and stays open for pumpkin picking during the month of October. Pumpkins, gourds, squash and wheat are available for low prices.

Along with their Pumpkin Forest, the farm has a corn maze and a caboose. The corn maze takes up two-thirds of an acre, and, according to their website, is deceptively simple. The caboose goes in hand with the Pumpkin Forest, and is supposedly “gently haunted,” according to their Facebook page.

Admission for this year is $1 for the Pumpkin Forest and an additional 50 cents for the corn maze. Vince Woods Farm can be found on Facebook and at their website vincewoodsfarm.com.

 

EZ Orchards, open year-round, is located in Salem at 5504 Hazelgreen Rd NE. Pumpkins are located across a field outside of their corn maze adorned with pumpkin-themed decorations.

A shop filled with produce and various Oregon novelties is located outside the field of pumpkins where customers can buy fresh, homemade pumpkin and apple cider doughnuts. Several seasonal crops are available for purchase during and after pumpkin season.

Admission costs $3 per person, which goes towards a discount for final pumpkin pricing; EZ Orchards can be found at their website www.ezorchards.com.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Cora McClain

Spirits you don’t need sheets to see

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Haunted houses begin to pop up once October rolls around, just in time for Halloween. However, there are locations near Monmouth that stayed haunted year-round.

Western’s own Todd Hall is said to be haunted. The legend at Western says it’s haunted by the former Dean of Women and Dean of Dormitories and the namesake of the building, Jessica Todd. According to current and former students, she doesn’t like males being in the building since it used to be a strictly female residence hall.

People have reported hearing footsteps in the hallway and see the lights flicker on and off. Objects such as paper are supposedly moved when no one has touched them.

Todd is also said to move locations to the Cottage, which was where she lived while working on campus according to the Hamersly Library Instagram. Supposedly, she moves there to scare people who have stayed out past dark.

Travel to Salem and visit the Elsinore Theater at 170 High Street SE, where visitors are said to feel an eerie presence when entering the building. It’s considered a historic 1930s landmark, and is a popular location for many modern theater productions.

According to traveloregon.com, there’s a girl in a white dress that is frequently spotted on the upper balcony. She’s said to be the original owner’s daughter, and fell from the balcony where she’s seen. A ‘ghost light’ stays lit on the stage, and workers and visitors have said they see shadows when no one is walking across.

The Bush House Museum is another location in Salem that’s reportedly haunted by Eugenia, the daughter of Asahel Bush II, the one who built the mansion. According to hauntedrooms.com, she’s said to be keeping watch of the building, where her apparition is seen often. Visitors have reportedly said a disembodied female voice can be heard throughout the house.

Salem Ghost Tours offers official history walkthroughs of locations that are considered haunted throughout the year which take place on Friday and Saturday evenings. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for youth aged 7–17. More information and bookings can be found at their website salemghosttours.net. 

Independence hosts a Ghost Walk each year on Oct 5, which tours haunted spots such as the Pink House. Dallas has recently begun the History and Mystery tours of buildings that hold chilling stories throughout the town. It costs $25 a person and takes place Oct 1–Nov 1. Monmouth also hosted their first History and Mystery night this year where they talked about the ghosts of the town.

 NW Ghost Tours hosts a Walk with Spirits tour that takes place in Oregon City from June–December every year, and can be found at their website www.nwghosttours.com.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@mail.wou.edu

Find your muse in Monmouth with new costume shop “Dancing Muse”

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Looking for a costume for Halloween, a party, festival, faire or convention? Search no further than Dancing Muse.

Dancing Muse is a costume shop located at 281 Main St. E in Monmouth — easily identifiable by the giant inflatable dragon in front. Enter through the door on the left and climb the steps to reach the store.

Officially opened on Oct. 18, the store is owned and operated by James Martin and Mary Harper, who bought the original costume shop that resided in Monmouth. The original shop was only open once a week, but Dancing Muse is open seven days a week, all year. 

“We embrace Halloween year round,” Martin said. Dancing Muse is full of costumes that vary from Halloween to sci-fi related to pirate garb. More choices are available for those looking for Renaissance faire outfits or cosplay gear. The center spread of costumes in the store also changes seasonally.

In addition to their current selection, Dancing Muse makes custom costumes and accessories for their customers, and will even repair damaged ensembles that are brought into their store. Presently, Martin and Harper are repairing their sewing machines, which is delaying their current sewing availability.

The store uses the tagline “We Dress Naked People” on their business cards and social media sites to reference their business direction — meaning their business serves to get people fully dressed up for events they are attending. 

“Naked is a community term referring to someone wearing street clothes, rather than garb/costume at a convention or festival,” Martin said. 

Martin also stated that Dancing Muse uses a type of therapy that involves dressing up in costumes.

“Putting on a mask or costume at a party allows a person to become someone else, or to help hide fears and anxiety from others,” he stated.

Dancing Muse is open from 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday, and 12–5 p.m. Sunday and Monday. The store can be found on Facebook, Instagram (@dancingmusedist) and Twitter (@dancingmuseshop).

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Cora McClain

Six killer costumes on a budget

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor 

Caity Healy | Managing Editor

Halloween is just around the corner, and although college students may be a bit too old to trick or treat, one thing is for certain: one can never be too old to dress up. That being said, purchasing a costume isn’t always cheap — especially when they come directly from a pop-up Halloween store. Fortunately, making the switch from purchased to DIY can be both easy and fun.

To help with the inspiration, The Western Howl has compiled a list of potential costumes to get students started. We have included the prices of each costume — assuming the pieces don’t already live in the back of your closet — and where each item was purchased. Have fun with it, and happy haunting, Western. 

 

Couples Costumes 

 

#1: You and Your Boo

 

Jack and Wendy from “The Shining”

 

What you’ll need:

 

Wendy: 

Brown jumper dress — Amazon, $13

White tights — Ross, $2

Turtleneck — Goodwill, $3

Green flannel — Walmart, $8

Brown boots — Goodwill, $8

Baseball bat — Goodwill, $3

Total: $37

 

Jack:

Red shirt/jacket — Goodwill, $5

Old jeans — Goodwill, $5

Dark shoes/boots — Goodwill, $8

Fake axe — Goodwill, $3

Total: $21

 

#2: Friends ‘til the End

 

Spongebob and Patrick from “Spongebob Squarepants”

 

What you’ll need:

 

Spongebob:

Brown leggings — Goodwill, $6

White vest — Goodwill, $5

Yellow long-sleeved shirt — Old Navy, $6

Red bandana — Amazon, $4

White socks — Dollar Tree, $1

Black sneakers — Goodwill, $7

Total: $29

 

Patrick:

Purple and green patterned button up — Goodwill,  $6

Pink shirt — Old Navy, $4

Pink pants — Goodwill, $7

Pink vans — Goodwill, $7

Total: $24

 

#3 Dead Man’s Best Friend

Elliot and ET from “ET”

 

What you’ll need:

 

Elliot:

Red zip-up hoodie — Amazon, $10

Old jeans — Goodwill, $5

White sneakers — Target, $10

Total: $25

 

ET:

Old white blanket/sheet — Goodwill, $3

Total: $3

 

Extra points: An old bicycle and a basket big enough for your pet

 

Hot Costumes of 2019

 

#1: Season 3 Eleven from “Stranger Things”

 

What you’ll need:

 

Oversized ‘80s shirt — Goodwill, $7

Suspenders — Amazon, $5

Black pants — Goodwill, $5

White socks — Dollar Tree, $1

White shoes — Target, $10

Scrunchie — Dollar Tree, $1

Fake blood for nose bleed — $5

Total: $34

 

#2: Joaqin Phoenix as the Joker from “Joker” 

 

What you’ll need:

 

Face makeup — Amazon, $10

Green hair spray — Amazon, $6

Red jacket — Goodwill, $5

Green shirt — Goodwill, $3

Yellow vest — Amazon, $6

Total: $30

Alternatively, you can just do the face makeup to scare all your friends.

 

#3: Wednesday Addams from “Addams Family”

 

What you’ll need:

 

White collared shirt — Amazon, $10

Black long-sleeve shirt — Goodwill, $6

Black skirt — Goodwill, $7

Black tights — Target, $6

Black flats — Goodwill, $5

Total: $34

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Caity Healy

The Donut Bar provides another cheap food option for students

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

The Donut Bar is a sweet-treat food truck located at 191 Monmouth Ave. N, just a ways away from the annex of food trucks across from City Hall. It’s a relatively new addition to the plethora of food trucks located in Monmouth, having only opened on Sept. 21.

It’s owned and operated by Eric Brown, who decided to start selling in Monmouth due to his church, Limitless Ministries, and family being located here. The Donut Bar’s target customers are the Western students.

Initially, the idea to sell doughnuts at a food truck was to help with funding the church he attends. The actual decision to start the food truck was based on Brown impulsively buying a trailer he had seen while on a trip to the coast.

The Donut Bar’s menu consists of many featured flavors to try, such as the maple bacon doughnut, the Reese’s doughnut, and a create-your-own doughnut option. The truck’s options are not limited to what is posted on the menu, and customers can inquire about other available flavors.

“We are a full kitchen so we can make (a lot) of things,” Brown said. “(There’s not) really a secret menu but there’s things that are not on our window menu.”

For first time customers, Brown recommends trying the Caramel Apple Pie doughnut or any option with peanut butter as a flavor. He claims their signature doughnut is the Apple Fritter with maple bacon and peanut butter.

The Donut Bar’s menu also rotates seasonally, which gives customers various new flavors to try. Currently, the truck has many fall flavors like the Pumpkin Pie doughnut.

Brown doesn’t plan to stop at the food truck, however, and plans to open a full doughnut shop in Monmouth. 

“My father owned 2 (doughnut) shops growing up,” Brown said, “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

The Donut Bar is open from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5:30–10:30 p.m. on Saturdays. They can be found on Facebook by searching “The Donut Bar”.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Brittany Figueroa

WolfStore sells backpacks to help families in need

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

The WolfStore at Western has recently obtained new stock from the brand Adventurist Backpack Co. Adventurist Backpack Co. is co-owned and founded by the wife/husband duo Matilda Sandstroem and Kelly Belknap.

Sandstroem and Belknap have teamed up with Western to sell their minimalist backpacks on campus in an effort to raise awareness about students and families in need. For every backpack purchased, 25 meals are provided to families in need through their partnership with Feeding America.

Their story began while backpacking around the world in 2017. After witnessing many families struggling with hunger, the pair decided they wanted to take action.

“Wanting to do what we could to help, we prepared meals each morning and filled up our backpacks, handing the meals out to anyone in need throughout the day,” they stated on their website. Adventurist Backpack Co. was founded upon their return to the U.S. They were able to fill up their backpacks with 25 meals each, hence why 25 meals are provided to families in need with each purchase of a backpack.

The backpacks have a minimalist design, and are made with high-quality all-weather materials, along with minimalist elements from Sweden — Sandstroem’s home country.

Belknap and Sandstroem, after successfully integrating their backpacks into Urban Outfitters, have begun partnering with other universities around the country by selling their backpacks in campus stores.

“We partner with university hunger programs in order to donate a percentage of net profits from each backpack sale to help provide “meal swipes” so that food insecure students are able to eat at the dining halls on campus and also have access to a mobile food pantry, or to local food banks,” Belknap said.

Adventurist Backpack Co. has a goal of providing over 250,000 meals by the end of their third business year. Nearly 100,000 meals have been provided to families in need across the world since the business began in 2017.

“We aim to be at the forefront of brands using business to do something larger than just provide a great product or service, but to help change the world for the better through entrepreneurship,” said Belknap.

More information on Belknap and Sandstroem’s story can be found in the WolfStore and on their website http://www.adventuristbackpacks.com. They can also be found on Instagram at the handle @adventuristbackpacks, and can be reached at hello@adventuristbackpacks.com for any questions.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@mail.wou.edu

Spooky DIYs for Halloween

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Looking for cheap and fun ways to decorate for Halloween this year? Try out these DIYs to get prepped for the spooky season.

 

Witch’s Potions

Make some witch’s potions to set on a windowsill, at the front door or just miscellaneously around the house. Start by taking any old, preferably glass bottles lying around, such as a wine, cider or seltzer bottle. Fill the bottle with some sort of liquid — water dyed a different and/or unnatural color, juice, or something carbonated to give the potion a bubble-bubble-toil-and-trouble look. 

Take the witch’s potions up a notch by adding in various “ingredients”. Add in gummy worms to give an impression of living things being included, or some substance such as ketchup to thicken the liquid, increasing the murkiness and mystery.

 

Floating Ghost

Create a spooky ghost to hang from the ceiling using simple household items. Take a round object like a tennis ball to use as a head, then gather some spare cloth thats cut into a square — length of cloth may vary depending on desired decoration size. Glue the tennis ball to the center of the cloth and attach thread to the top once dried.

Googly eyes can be glued on to add a cuter spooky feel. Variations of the tennis ball could be a balloon, a stress ball or other ball. Cloth can be from old sheets, clothes or various fabrics.

 

Witch’s Spellbooks

Utilize old books that are no longer in use by transforming them into witch’s spellbooks. Head to a used bookstore and pick up some tattered books – or just use older books lying around the house. Cover the book in shabby cloth by either gluing or taping it on. Alternatively, painting the book also works, the goal is just to hide the cover.

Wear down the pages by dampening with water, or coffee to stain the pages to age the book further. Take a lighter or match to the edge of the pages – if the cover is paperback, this works too – to add to the wear and tear.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo Cora McClain (Witch’s Potion)

Photos by Caity Healy (Floating Ghost and Witch’s Spellbook)

Lonney’s Hawaiian food truck review

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Lonney’s Lunch Wagon is a food truck located at 152 Main St W in Monmouth. Opening at the tail end of 2018, Lonney’s serves Hawaiian-Asian style cuisine that comes in both smaller and larger sizes.

Lonney’s initially started out with owners Donney Ito and Leon Abrew selling lunch plates out of their houses as a way to earn money while attending Western. Eventually the two expanded and thought it would be a good idea to start a food truck business in town.

“(The) love and support we got from everyone here was too hard to leave,” the two explained over Instagram. Ito and Abrew wanted to provide a solid food option for the people in Monmouth and for the Western football team that supported the pair from the beginning.

The idea to sell Hawaiian food came from the fact that Abrew and Ito are both from Hawaii. However, according to Lonney’s, “We actually only have one ‘Hawaiian’ dish, (which) is our Kalua pig.” 

Their menu consists of many different mixtures of Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, and some Fillipino dishes, but just stick with the label “Hawaiian food” for simplicity.

The menu rotates every other day, with chicken, beef and pork options available daily, and seafood available on Saturdays. Lonney’s does not have a secret menu, but allows their customers to customise their meals with different sauce options they have for the day. If the Loco Moco is on the menu, any dish on the menu can become a “moco,” meaning that they will add over-easy eggs and gravy to your plate.

Abrew and Ito say their signature dishes are the Hurricane Katsu or Hurricane Chicken. Both dishes are drizzled with a mild spicy mayo, a sweet sushi sauce and are sprinkled with furikake on top. However, the dishes they recommend to first-time customers are the Loco Moco or Bulgogi.

“(We) recommend the Loco Moco or Bulgogi because so many people order the Hurricane every time that they don’t get a chance to try (them),” the two explained over Instagram. “Loco Moco is probably the most underrated plate that we have.”

The Loco Moco is homemade Hawaiian style hamburger patties with an over-easy egg and brown beef gravy, and the Bulgogi is homemade Korean teri-marinated beef.

Along with food, Lonney’s sells pop sockets and, in the past, t-shirts. They’re currently in the process of bringing more t-shirts in.

Lonney’s also advertises for customers to “leave their mark” on the back of their wagon by putting a sticker on it that represents home. 

When asked if they wanted to add anything else, Ito and Abrew had this to say.

“Thank you so much to EVERYONE for supporting us and welcoming us with open arms. There’s a lot of sacrifices we make to be able to run this business, but getting to provide good people with good food makes it all worth it.”

Lonney’s Lunch Wagon can be found on Instagram with the handle @lonneyslunchwagon and on Facebook. The business is open Monday–Friday from 11 a.m.–3 p.m., and on Saturday from 12 p.m.–3 p.m. Occasionally, Lonney’s holds “drunchies” hours, which usually occur from 11 pm–1:30 am. 

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Hannah Greene

Save the pumpkin seeds: My go-to festive recipe

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Instead of tossing the seeds after gutting a pumpkin, turn them into a festive, tasty snack for the fall season.

 

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Start to finish: 25-30 minutes

Servings: 1 ½ cups

 

1 ½ cups of pumpkin seeds

2 teaspoons fine sea salt (and more for serving)

2 teaspoons of olive oil, coconut oil or nut oil (such as walnut)

2 teaspoons of favorite spice blend (such as curry powder, harissa and chili powder)

 

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 cups of water and season with 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil.

    Scoop seeds from a pumpkin while water is boiling. Add the pumpkin seeds to a bowl filled with cold water and swish them around until the seeds float and are mostly clean.

    Add the cleaned seeds to the boiling salted water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and pull away any remaining pumpkin attached to the seeds.

    Scatter the seeds onto clean dishcloths and pat them very dry. Mound the dried seeds onto the prepared baking sheet. Add the oil and any spices on top then toss until well coated. Spread the seeds into one layer. Bake, stirring the seeds at least once until fragrant and golden around the edges, 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Caity Healy

Alternative Break information

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Looking for a way to spend spring break for this year? Check out the Service Learning and Career Development’s Alternative Break program.

Alternative Break is a project that gets students out and helping different communities ⏤ both global and/or local ⏤ through different volunteer and community organizations. According to the program’s mission statement, “(it) connects students with transformative hands-on experiences.”

The program is designed to help students grow personally and professionally, while giving them hands-on experiential learning, which involves using reflections on what a person has learned before, during and after participating in an event or activity.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to go out and do good somewhere else,” stated Jennifer Hansen, the career development coordinator at the SLCD. “(Many) students come back from them and go ‘That was life changing’ and … I would definitely agree with that statement.”

Applications to sign up for the Alternative Break program during spring break 2020 open on Oct. 7 and can be found on the Western website. Type “Alternative Break” into the search bar for quick access. Grad profiles of students who had previously signed up and participated in the program can be found with more information on the site. According to Samantha Dunaway, a previous attendee from 2017, “It was a one of a kind experience. It helped me understand and explore an entirely new culture while giving me the tools to help at-risk youth in the community of La Carpio, Costa Rica.”

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Sam Dunaway

Deals available to Western students

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

College is a wonderful but financially painful time for many students. When all of the bills are released and the bank accounts become borderline empty, it’s nice to be able to go to a location that gives students a little break. Maybe a discount?

Two locations in Monmouth and the neighboring town Independence offer students a deal at their places. The Tap Station in Independence offers a dollar discount to Western students who have their school ID, while Main Street Ice Cream Parlor has a double punch card deal.

The Tap Station is located at 87 S Main Street in Independence, the establishment being an old gas station turned restaurant and bar. Wednesday is known as “Western Wednesdays,” which involves an all-day happy hour with $1 off of the final tab if students come in with their Western ID. 

The deal applies to not only drinks at the bar, but also works with non-alcoholic beverages for underage students as well. The “Western Wednesday” deal also applies to cowboys. Students of all ages are welcome in the establishment, and the folks running the Tap Station hope to see more students come to grab a bite or drink.

Main Street Ice Cream Parlor is also located off of Main Street but in Monmouth ⏤ 109 Main Street E, within walking distance of campus. The business offers a punch card program, and gives two stamps for the price of one on Mondays. This is applicable to Western students and others from surrounding universities. Once the punch card is full, the holder gets their ice cream for free and the option to start the cycle over again. This offer was made for students to get a benefit for being at the ice cream parlor⏤ along with a chance to get free ice cream quicker.

Main Street Ice Cream Parlor also offers other deals for those that follow their Instagram page.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

Photo by Caity Healy

WOU-Hoo: Getting pumped for Homecoming

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

This year’s homecoming game is readily approaching, and with it comes Homecoming week, filled with fun events and activities for students to participate in every day.

The Kickoff Carnival is filled with fun games and prizes to win, including this year’s Homecoming t-shirts. At this time, students have an opportunity to take part in the “Paint the Wolf” event, a tradition that has gone on for years, as another way to leave their mark.

Students can get pumped up with the “Paint the Town Red” event, which involves partnering with local participating businesses to make Monmouth more festive for the week.

The decorating continues with various offices being wildly decorated around campus. While checking those out, students will have a chance to win prizes if they show their spirit by decking out in Western gear.

The hoedown allows students to fully participate in this year’s theme – Wild Wild Western. Students have a chance again to get a free t-shirt and have a fun time at the themed dance.

The Bonfire Pep Rally gathers Western’s students around to chat and have a good time before the “W” burns, a tradition that happens the night before the Homecoming game that most students enjoy being a part of.

The energy continues right before the Homecoming game with the All Student Tailgate, where students get pumped up and spirited before entering the stadium. 

Get prepped for the big game throughout the week by attending events and gaining prizes. Students can get ready for the game by decking out in Wolf gear from the WolfStore ⏤ take advantage of the 30-70% off sale. If students choose to really go all out and paint their faces, be sure to use paint that can go on skin.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

Photo by Paul F. Davis

Overview of new food trucks in Monmouth

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

College is often a major transition for students. You’re suddenly living on your own, paying your own bills, and, on top of all of this, you have to pay for your own food. It takes a lot of mental energy to figure out what to eat each and every day ⏤ energy that could be better spent studying or ignoring your homework ⏤ because let’s face it, we’ve all been there. Although Western provides a dining hall on campus, Monmouth itself is filled with many other food establishments within minimal walking distance from campus.

As soon as Main Street comes into view, it’s surrounded by assorted restaurants with small businesses sprinkled in between buildings. There are quick bites like Yang’s or Koyote’s, or sit-down restaurants such as Yeasty Beasty and Sing Fey’s. However, Main Street isn’t the only area where incredible food can be found.

This year has provided an influx of food trucks, both new and not. Currently, there are a few that are parked across from City Hall all day and night with a few more in different areas throughout town. They provide an easy food option that is full of diverse dishes and, best of all, it’s affordable.

Most provide their locations for the day or week across various social media platforms, so customers always know where exactly to flock to for some great food for even greater prices. The food trucks have their individual hours posted on websites and social platforms along with their menus.

Across from the Academic Programs Support Center off-campus, an annex will be opening up where more food trucks can group.

I plan to go to the various food trucks located here in this lovely little town and provide a more in-depth review of each of them. Each week will provide an opportunity to learn about the food they have at their establishments, what the staff recommends, links on where to find them, and even some background information on each of them. Be sure to check out next week’s issue for an overview of Tucky’s and its southern style food.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

SOLVE your summer volunteering problem

Cora McClain | Copy Editor

Now that summer has rolled around and class is out, a good bit of relaxation is in order. However, if the extra time might be a bit too boring, then give volunteering a try. From the local library to the community garden, there’s bound to be a plethora of opportunities for volunteering. But if you’re looking to do something a bit bigger than shelving books, perhaps cleaning up your local environment is more up your alley.

It’s easy to say that the earth has a few problems — trying to solve those problems is a bit more challenging. Luckily, there is an organization that makes solving these problems a little easier.

SOLVE is a volunteering opportunity organization that is dedicated to “taking care of Oregon.” On their website, solveoregon.org, there is a simple search engine that allows anyone to search for local volunteer opportunities in beach, city-wide and creek clean-ups as well as invasive plant removal and native tree and shrub planting. The easy-to-use platform also gives you the date and location of the event, and even a contact for the organizer of the event to answer any questions. Often, the volunteers are provided with gloves, safety vests, trash bags and even lunch on-site.

So, if you decide that you want to take an afternoon to help out the environment, try SOLVE and see if there are any clean ups in your area. If not, any interested person could also organize a clean-up through SOLVE’s site. Visit solveoregon.org/create-your-own-event to learn more.

 

Contact the author at howlcopyeditor@wou.edu

Photo by Cora McClain

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