Lifestyle – Page 31 – The Western Howl

How to prosper at your next interview

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Tuition, rent, utilities, groceries, internet — this just names a few of the necessary bills that many students pay consistently while trying to make being a student their priority. It’s no wonder that for some, getting a job is an unavoidable demand.

Being in a small town, it can be difficult to find work that will match all of your needs. However, it’s not impossible.

To get the opportunity to work, most times you’ll have to provide a resume, and often a cover letter, that can properly reflect who you are. When writing your resume, make sure that it is formatted in a way that will reduce the work for the person hiring you. Pick a font size that is easy to read and, likewise, pick a font that isn’t too decorative.

If you don’t have lengthy job experience, don’t let this deter you from providing a resume; name your accomplishments and volunteer experience, as well — but make sure what you mention will impress the right people. Whatever you emphasize should match the job you are applying for. Once everything is written out, try keeping it to one page.

Once you have the first draft of your resume written out, head to the Service Learning and Career Development office in the Werner University Center for further advice. There, they’ll provide help with editing, connect you to jobs, provide career advice and can even hold mock interviews. Allow them to look over your resume, and grab a handout that can point out every aspect that should be included. Make sure that your resume matches all the necessary requirements, and then include it while applying for jobs.

If all goes well, and the hiring managers are impressed with your application and/or resume, you may be called back for an interview. This is where you’ll make a real impression on the people you’ll potentially be working with; take advantage of it. Dress a step up from the job you are applying for. Always look put-together, wrinkle-free and bear a welcoming a smile that will make your interviewer feel comfortable, as well — remember, in many cases, they’re just as nervous as you are.

Basic tips for interviews include, “look them in the eye, and don’t deadfish them”, as noted by junior psychology major Kaylee DeBolt. Maintaining eye contact creates mutual respect, and a firm handshake is an impressive and necessary factor to most interviews.

Finding work, especially in a college town, is not always an easy task. Making use of the services at Western such as SLCD, can help ease that burden. Take advantage of it.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

The importance of a full night’s rest

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

“I maybe get five hours a night,” commented first-year pre-nursing major Stephanie Oseguera. “I feel really good in the mornings and then I just crash.”

This problem amongst students at Western is all too prevalent. With seemingly never-ending to-do lists and countless responsibilities, sleep can often fall to the back burner. Priorities are made and, for many, getting to bed on time isn’t one of them. Making this a part of your routine is far more than a nasty habit; it’s detrimental to your health.

Short-term sleep deprivation has many negative consequences: drowsiness, forgetfulness, high anxiety, high irritability and decreased awareness are among the few. Regularly having nights of poor sleep, though, will do far more than the simple next day irritability.

Without proper sleep, you’re putting yourself at risk for problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. It’s not just a want — getting a full night’s sleep is essential to living a full and healthy life.

According to a study done at Stanford University, the average sleep requirement for college students is well over eight hours. So, if you have an 8 a.m. class, and want to get up at least an hour before — which will also help you feel more awake and energized during class — you’ll want to be asleep by 11 p.m.

While getting to bed on time is definitely a good start, you’ll want to make sure that you’re actually getting a full night’s rest, rather than being fitful and never actually getting deep sleep. In order to do this, there are some simple steps to follow.

Do not drink caffeinated beverages four to six hours before you head to bed: no late night lattes, energy drinks, soda or even drinks such as green tea. Simply enjoy those well before bedtime.

Next — and this one is often the hardest for many — create a sleep schedule and stick to it. Unfortunately, this also includes your weekends. While it may be tempting to stay up until 3 a.m. when you know you have no responsibilities the next morning, you’re setting yourself up for failure when Monday morning rolls around. Do yourself a favor, and attempt to stick to a similar schedule everyday.

Put away all your electronic devices 30 minutes before bed; Instagram will still be there in the morning, you can check it after sending your Snapchat streaks when you get up the next day. It can wait. Dedicate those 30 minutes in bed before sleeping to unwind, relax and let your mind shut-off.

In the end, we are still human beings. Sometimes, those late night homework sessions are unavoidable. The best thing you can do to deal with sleep deprivation the next day is to make sure to stay fueled up and hydrated. Give yourself some breaks during the day. If possible, take a very brief nap. Make sure you aren’t napping too long though, or you’ll be stuck in the same cycle tomorrow.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Eating gourmet from a mug

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Whether you’re an on-campus student with the desire to stay in dorm or an off-campus student on a time crunch, or you’re simply out of clean dishes, now’s your chance to practice creating these microwave masterpieces.

What’s better than a meal in a mug? It’s effortless to eat while binging Netflix in bed, or perfect if you’re on the go. Made with ingredients that are cheap and easy to keep in a mini-fridge, these recipes are foolproof for any student.

Simple Scramble

Crack 2 eggs into a mug. Add about 1 tablespoon of milk and stir. Microwave for 1 minute. Add any toppings you would like — cheese is a must — and cook for another 30 to 60 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

Inspired by a recipe found on spoonuniversity.com

Straightforward French Toast

Mix ¼ cup milk, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, cinnamon and 1 egg in a mug. Take 1 slice of bread, butter 1 side if possible and rip it into bite size pieces. Submerge this in the egg mix. Microwave for 2 minutes, pausing every 30 seconds. Allow to sit 1 minute before eating. Optional: add chocolate chips for a really sweet treat.

Inspired by a recipe found on prettyprudent.com

Manageable Mac n’ Cheese

Put ½ cup of macaroni noodles in a mug and pour in about 1 cup of water. Microwave for 8 minutes, checking every couple of minutes, until the noodles are soft. Add ½ cup of a cheese of your choice to the mug while there’s still a small amount of water. Heat for another minute, and stir until the cheese is melted.

Inspired by a recipe found on madebymonique.com

Cheap Chocolate Cake

Purchase 1 box of chocolate cake mix. Take out about 2 tablespoons and mix with 2 tablespoons of soda — cola or cream soda are recommended — and microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Weird, I know, but I promise it works. Plus, you can save the rest of the cake mix for a future mug cake.

Inspired by a recipe found on spoonuniversity.com

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Dear Ezi

Dear Ezi,

I’m a freshman here at Western and I was really blasé with how I dressed in high school. I am kinda working on doing a bit of a makeover! Any tips?

-New Year, New Me

Dear New Year, New Me,

First, it’s so great to be back and writing these! Now your Q: you should not change yourself a ton, be who you are and be proud of that! There is only one you and they are wonderful!

When revamping one’s style, one should always make sure one is comfortable and happy with it! With fall coming, scarves and sweaters are always a win; also cute layers work wonderfully! When slayage time is here, serve it queen! Serving it is all about confidence; half of the time I only look good because what I’m wearing is a ton of confidence! Make sure you keep a good balance in your style. Try something new from time to time, but keep it practical! Don’t go too crazy — leave that for us drag queens!

Slay it gurl!

XO Esmeralda

Got a question that you’re dying to ask Ezi? Send them to chealy16@wou.edu.

New food truck adds variety to Monmouth

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Once the summer heat began to subside and students made their way back to Western, they were given a warm welcome with a sweet treat. Just down the road from campus, off the side of Main St., sits a soon-to-be student favorite: Bobablastic. Serving everything from boba tea to spaghetti and meatballs, the small truck could satisfy any craving.

With locations in Portland and Aloha, Oregon, as well as Vancouver, Washington, the restaurant wisely decided to open up shop just a block away from Western; students undeniably appreciated the proximity.

“I think it’s a good location,” commented junior exercise science major Joely Yaptangco. “There’s not a lot of good options in Monmouth (for) people who don’t have cars and it’s walking distance.”

With this newly added eatery, students now have another option to add to their list of ways to satisfy hunger. Offering numerous flavors, a wide menu, competitive prices and fairly quick service, there’s no reason not to give it a try. So, once you find time for a study break, make a quick trip to Bobablastic and indulge yourself in Monmouth’s newest tasteful addition.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Searching for love at Western

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

It’s that time of year again; the sound of leaves crunching is all around, the smell of pumpkin spice brewing is strong and the breeze of crisp Monmouth air is making it just cool enough to throw on our beanies and scarves. That’s right: cuffing season is officially in full swing.

For those who are unaware, cuffing season is when, as Urban Dictionary defines it, “people who would normally rather be single or promiscuous find themselves, along with the rest of the world, desiring to be ‘cuffed,’ or tied down by a serious relationship. The cold weather and prolonged indoor activity causes singles to become lonely and desperate to be cuffed.”

So, essentially, it’s the time of year when everyone begins keeping their eye out for their next one true love.

Students at Western are no exception to this season; like all others, we have that desire to find someone to spend the holiday season with.

For your benefit I am using my platform to provide advice from one student to another on how to find the right one just in time for sweater weather and snuggle season.

What better way to make that great first romantic impression than to take the leap and ask them to go on a date with you? Courage goes a long way; oftentimes, the other person will be impressed with the forwardness that it takes to do such a thing. Be careful and make sure to do this in a polite way.

Junior Bailey Thompson, language arts education major, noted that you should “not yell at the person while you’re driving past them in your car,” as nobody appreciates being cat-called. Additionally, Thompson mentioned that, “if someone has avoided you on multiple occasions, take the hint.” Be respectful of their answer, and simply find someone else.

However, you can’t plan that perfect date until you find the perfect person to ask out. In order to do that, you have to know where to look.

In response to where she recommends looking for dates, sophomore criminal justice major Emily McKnight commented, “I feel like nowadays, it’s all social media.” Meanwhile, McKnight notes that if she were to approach someone in person, she “wouldn’t even know what to say.” So, if you want to avoid that awkwardness, simply head to Tinder, Instagram, Twitter or any other form of social media to find your ideal cuffing season date.

If all else fails, there’s no need to be discouraged. Because when in doubt, everyone falls for a good pick up line, right? Here are some suggestions:

“I wanna live in your socks so I can be with you every step of the way.”

“Are you a fruit? Because Honeydew you know how fine you look right now?”

And last, but not least, a personal favorite: “Are you a beaver? ‘Cause dam.”

With that, I say goodbye and best of luck to you on your cuffing season search.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Getting festive for fall

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

With the start of the new term, the leaves are taking on various shades of reds, oranges and browns as they slowly flutter from the limbs by which they once hung and make their way to the ground. Fall has finally begun and it is time to celebrate.

What better way to do so than to make the place you reside reflect the environment surrounding you? Decorating for autumn is a must this season. Whether you’re living off campus or in a dorm, there’s no reason why you can’t partake in all that the season has to offer. All you have to do is put in a little work to rejoice in the beauty that fall provides.

To get started, you’ll have to purchase or make some decorations. For the best deals, head down to Dallas and take a stroll through Dollar Tree — believe it or not, their options are abundant. Everything from banners, to signs, knick-knacks and garlands are available. While you’re there, you might as well check out Goodwill and Walmart as well, as both provide a large selection of decor to choose from.

If you’re on a tight budget, that’s no reason why you can’t be involved in the fall fun; grab some construction paper, some markers and get crafty. If you happen to have extra jars or cans, cut out some Autumn-colored leaves, and paste them around the outside to create a fall-themed container.

If you aren’t a creative person, that’s okay, too. Just head to Pinterest to develop some lively ideas for creations.

Once you’ve finished making the indoors look as perfect as outdoors, you can finally throw on a sweater and some fuzzy socks, kick back with a cup of coffee or hot cocoa and make the most of the season from wherever you are.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Searching for self-confidence

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

I can remember the day when I first realized that my self-confidence was next to nonexistent. I was in seventh grade; I saw my school picture and immediately felt a wave of discouragement wash over me. I was suddenly uncomfortable with myself and my appearance. My confidence plummeted and continued to worsen with time.

In the grand scheme of things, this may seem to be a miniscule problem. However, people don’t realize just how detrimental it can be. My lack of confidence would keep me from doing anything slightly past my comfort zone; it would negatively affect my relationships, as not believing in myself led me to distrust anyone who said they did. It forced me to be extremely cautious about what I chose to wear.

The plague of self-doubt seeped into the foundation of my life, and I felt like at any moment I would crack.

It wasn’t until my first year at Western that things began to turn around. I was thrown into this new environment surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar faces, not knowing a single person. I knew then that I had to find a way to build my confidence.

I began developing new habits; I set aside time in my days to pick outfits that I love, do my makeup in ways that I prefer wearing it and I created a daily workout schedule that I knew I could stick to. I did things that I knew would help me feel confident. Slowly, but surely, it started working.

Today I wouldn’t say that my confidence is impeccable. I have days where it’s an intense struggle, other days, I walk with my head high and bear a proud smile on my face that I truly mean. I can’t deny that it still finds ways to have negative effects on aspects of my life, but thankfully I have an incredibly supportive group of people surrounding me who are patient, kind and understanding.

My advice to anyone struggling with the same thing is to find things that you love doing, and do them unapologetically. Find people who will support you through it all. And remind yourself everyday about how amazing you are, and why you deserve to be confident.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Living on campus vs. off campus

Monmouth offers small town fun

Caity Healy | Lifestyle Editor

Between the hustle and bustle of a new school year, preparing for and beginning the fall term and attempting to adjust to an entirely new schedule, it can be a daunting task for students to find time for themselves. However, in order to let your brain reboot and therefore increase productivity, it’s incredibly important. While attending school in the small town of Monmouth may seem like it limits your options for fun, in reality, there’s still a plethora of ways to unwind and find enjoyment just down the road from Western’s campus.

What better way to take a break from the day-to-day business than to treat yourself to one of the amazing restaurants that the city has to offer? All along Main Street, students can find endless eateries that can match any craving. From pizza at Yeasty Beasty, to celebrating Wing Wednesdays at the Main St Pub & Eatery — even to satisfying a sweet tooth down the road at Fro-Zone Frozen Yogurt in Independence. Simply walking down Main Street will offer you countless mouth-watering options. However, if students go a little further they can find more treats that Monmouth has to offer. Hidden away are restaurants such as Rookies, Pink House Cafe and Starduster Diner — all student favorites.

While the choice of food is seemingly endless, it is certainly not all that Monmouth has to offer. When the weekend rolls around and you’re looking for a little fun, get a group together or take a date down to PuttSkee’s off of Monmouth-Independence Highway for some mini golf. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, head to the skatepark next door to show off some impressive tricks. Or, if you want to work on those strikes and spares, head down to Dallas’ Starlite Lanes to get a good game of bowling in.

Itching to see something in theaters? On Friday nights go take part in discounted films in Independence with Midnight Movies. And if students are up for a short drive, they can go to Salem “because there’s always something to do there,” as noted by sophomore nursing major Mercedes Allen.

Oftentimes, the best way to unwind is simply to stay at home. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice having a good time. For students who choose this route, whether you’re living off campus or in a dorm, sometimes the best nights involve getting creative in a kitchen, blasting your favorite music or having a movie or game night with the people closest to you. So, turn on Netflix, or head down to the nearest Red Box and stay in for a night of binge-watching good times.

The life of a student at Western Oregon University is typically a very busy and scheduled one. When it’s finally the weekend, it’s important to remember to make time for yourself. With all of the small town charm Monmouth provides, that perfect, relaxing weekend is right in the palm of your hands — take advantage of it.

Contact the author at chealy16@mail.wou.edu

The words of a loving friend

By:  Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

“He was one of the nicest, most selfless and caring people I have ever met. He was always there for his friends whenever they needed help,” said Emma Henry, friend of Brandon Lin. “Brandon and I were very close. We spent hours talking about anything and everything. We talked almost every day. He was a great listener and very supportive, every time I was upset or bawling my eyes out he was always there to talk, even when he couldn’t talk right at that moment he would always make sure to call me or text me when he was free just to make sure I was okay. He was super caring.”

On May 9, Western student Brandon Lin died after a car accident in Portland. Lin majored in interdisciplinary studies with a minor in literature. He lived on campus in Ackerman Hall and was preparing to serve as a peer mentor in the fall.

“It was easy to talk to him. He was always fun to be with. He made even the most simple and mundane task fun. His goofy nature always brought a smile to his friends. He was a great team player that was always ready for a new adventure,” explained Henry.

When asked what message Brandon left with his friends and family, Henry replied, “I think Brandon’s message would be ‘just do it.’ He was always very adventurous and was willing to try almost anything at least once. I think this would be his message because he had told me how before coming to Western he had a hard time making friends, especially at a community college, and also being on the shyer side,” explained Henry.

“When he first got here he was determined to make the best of his college life and have fun. By making a friend in his hall he was able to branch out and meet new people and try new things.
Whenever we would go out and try something new he was always the first to try it, he encouraged his friends also to be open minded and always try something new.”

“There are too many wonderful things and memories I wish could share about Brandon, but at the end of the day what I really want people to know about Brandon is that he was a very, sympathetic, sincere, reliable, generous and adventurous guy,” said Henry.

“He was very much loved by all his friends and family. To put it simply, he was a great son, brother, friend and guy. Although he may not be here with us physically he has left a mark on everyone he met and will always be in our hearts,” concluded Henry.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Mad Hatter’s Dancing Tea Party

By: Jasmine Morrow
Staff Writer

The Mad Hatter’s Dancing Tea Party was an event put on for Western’s students by the Akerman Hall Student Government. The tea party was put on for anybody who wanted a break and wanted to enjoy themselves.

The Ackerman Hall Student Government played music while the tea-party-goers enjoyed their cupcakes and tea, but they also had a space for students to dance if they wished to. The committee members that put on the Mad Hatter’s Dancing Tea Party were: Morgan Montoya, Bridget Parker, Chase Culm and Ellen Moore.

Montoya, a first-year psychology major, organized the event, which was Alice in Wonderland themed. That being said, Parker, a sophomore biology major, is the President of the Ackerman Hall Student Government and helped Monoya decorate. They put on the event because they wanted some students to have some fun.

There were sunglasses waiting to be given to the guests and a small photo booth that tea-party-goers could get their picture taken looking like the Queen of Hearts. The table clothes were different colors, there were smiling Cheshire cats hanging on the wall, there were tea cups, flowers and clocks sitting on the table and pink plastic flamingos standing around the room.

One of the guests, Sarah Tran, a first-year biology major, said that she went to the event because she loves Alice in Wonderland, dancing and cupcakes.

“I would definitely go to something like this again, but it would have to be a different theme,” said Tran.

There were a handful of people that showed up at the very start of the event. As the evening progressed, more people started to show up. Everyone had a smile on their face, they were taking pictures of the decorations, with their friends and of the cute cupcakes. It appeared that the tea-party-goers were enjoying the evening.

Contact author at jmorrow16@mail.wou.edu

Researching Sister Genevieve Lantz

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

The current exhibit in Hamersly Library is one for the books. After four journals that dated back to World War I were donated to Western, student Max Norr, senior social science major with a history focus, got the chance to research them and turn them into an exhibit.

“They’re four journals that belonged to a nurse in World War I, named Sister Genevieve ‘Birdie’ Lantz, and she was from Canada,” explained Norr. “She moved to Boston to study nursing, and then when the war started, she went over to France with a Harvard Surgical Unit. [The journals] weren’t her diaries, she had her patients, from all of the wards that she worked in and managed, she had her patients write in them. So they would write their experiences, they wrote jokes, they wrote stories, they drew pictures, there’s some amazing art.”

“We knew nothing about Sister Lantz, except that her name was Lantz, because she wrote ‘G. Lantz’ in the journals,” said Norr. “The owners of the journals found them at an estate sale or an antique shop, they found these four books, and they were just looking for somebody to research them. So Dr. Jensen was like, ‘hey, this would be a really cool, I think you should research these. I think that we could make a really good practicum for it.’ So that’s what we did.”

“The goal was to create an online blog exhibit, website, type-thing , and I would find certain entries within the books that I wanted to research further, so I did five, and then one extra for Sister Lantz herself,” Norr said passionately. “I found one on the 1914 Christmas Truce, I did an exhibit on all the art that was in the books, one on propaganda and one on neutrality, and a few other ones. It was amazing because no one had ever seen them before. Nobody had ever researched these, it was all new information, all new material. So it was just me using Ancestry.com, corresponding with other researchers, I’ve talked to people in Australia, Canada, Britain, all these different people, I scoured newspapers for information about the Harvard Surgical Unit. No one knew about this stuff.”

After countless hours of research Norr created a blog called “The Record Keeper,” which you can visit at www.record-keeper.blogspot.com. The journals themselves were found in Klamath Falls, Oregon at an estate sale for one of Sister Lantz’s grandson or son’s home.

“She died in the mid-1960s, so she’s been gone for a while, but it was right here in Oregon. So that’s what’s really cool, we got to make that connection,” said Norr. “She came all the way from Canada, and France from all these different places and her journals ended up in Oregon.”

The exhibit will continue to be in Hamersly Library until summer break begins.

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, take a look at what receiving a Bachelor of Arts in humanities with a linguistics focus entails, and the fields of work it can lead to.

Rachel Gries is a senior at Western who is currently in the process of receiving a degree in humanities with a Linguistic focus.

When asked why she decided to become a humanities with a linguistic focus major, Gries replied, “I started doing English actually, because what I really came here for was linguistics. But I’m not really into lit and all that, and most of the English major is all lit classes, which is not great for me.”

“Humanities is just kind of like everything. Some of the focus areas you could do could be Spanish, communications, French, German, linguistics, philosophy, writing. There’s all kinds of stuff humanities encompasses,” explained Gries.

When asked what job she wants to pursue with her linguistics focus Gries replied, “I want to work for Google and work on speech recognition or speech to text.”

“Like with speech to text there are so many words, like merry. Am I saying merry, like joyful, or am I saying marry, like marriage, or am I saying someone’s name?” said Gries.

According to Western’s website the, “Humanities majors and minors explore that unique human creation, language–not only for communication but also in culture, literary art, and philosophical and religious thought.”

Some fields that can be pursued after study linguistics include: teaching English as a second language, education, language documentation, fieldwork, being a consultant on language and teaching at a university level. This is just a short list of the kind of jobs one can pursue as a career after studying linguistics.

When asked what her favorite class that she’s taken for her major was Greis replied, “I really liked Corpus Linguistics, which is like computerized. I put all of the text of Jane Eyre into a corpus, because I had to write a paper about it for another class,” explained Gries. “It was about the supernatural aspects of Jane Eyre. I went through the corpus and used an online tagger, so it finds every word related to religion or the supernatural. So, instead of having to reread the book, looking for every example, I can just search it.”
“I also loved the class Structure of English Grammar. It’s literally about how the English language works. Like, what’s a noun, what’s a verb. I really like the professor for it, and she taught really well, so I looked forward to going to that class. It’s taught by Cornelia Paraskevas.”

When asked why she thinks linguistics is important, Gries replied, “Linguistics applies to a lot of stuff. It changes the way you think about the words you’re saying. Imagine not being able to say ‘in this’ or ‘on that,’ it’s the littlest words that give us the most information about our language.”

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

21 and up

By:  Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

With a nice atmosphere and wide variety of cocktails and wine, the restaurant Crush Wine Bar and Tasting Room gives patrons a place to relax and have a drink. Even college students get tired of the bar scene, and Crush gives customers an opportunity to have a drink without yelling over music. This week I tried one of Crush’s signature cocktails called the Marionberry Whiskey Smash. The cocktail contained muddled mint, lemon, simple syrup, marionberry whiskey and blackberry puree.

When I first got the drink, I expected to be able to really taste and find the whiskey, but was pleasantly surprised with a much stronger taste of mint and lemon, with only a hint of marionberry. Honestly, the mint was my favorite part of the cocktail. Crush used mint that smelled so fresh, as if it had just been picked for my drink.

It took me back to my home laying in my front yard with my nose right next to the fresh mint growing next to our flowers. I’d take a mint leaf and chew on it. Distinctly tasting sweet at first, and then a strange earthy aftertaste. That’s exactly what I was tasting when I was enjoying Crush’s Marionberry Whiskey Smash. I assumed it would taste overwhelmingly like marionberry, but I was excited to taste nostalgia from my childhood in the form of mint.

I give this cocktail five stars and two thumbs way up because of its minty freshness and easy to drink qualities.

Crush Wine Bar and Tasting Room is open Monday through Thursday from 12-10 p.m., Friday from 12-11 p.m. and Saturday from 3-11 p.m. They’re located at 105 Main St. E., in Monmouth. If you’re of age, make sure to pop in and give the Marionberry Whiskey Smash a try.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

A day of celebration

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On May 19, the Multicultural Student Union hosted their 26th annual Nuestra Fiesta Latina on Western’s campus. The event lasted all day for the community of Western to enjoy. During the day the Werner University Center’s plaza was filled with people who surrounded booths and food carts.

“During our day event, we had churros with ice cream, we had tacos by catering, carnival games that we put out, we had airbrush tattoos and a photo booth that printed actual pictures,” explained Katherine Macias-Torres, a sophomore psychology major and campus advocate for the Multicultural Student Union.

All of the food was fairly inexpensive, for instance the $2 tacos, but some lucky passerby-students received coupons for free churros or tacos. However, the carnival games, photo booth and airbrush tattoos were free to those who wished to enjoy their splendor. The Nuestra Fiesta Latina had three parts in total for the event. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Multicultural Student Union held the festival in the Werner University Plaza. Then from 6:30-8 p.m. they hosted a dinner with comedic entertainment and dancing entertainment and then to finish the celebration, the Multicultural Student Union hosted a dance, or “Baile,” to end the night with a bang.

During the dinner portion of the Nuestra Fiesta Latina, there was live entertainment in the form of Traditional Mexican Dancing and comedians.

“We usually have a mariachi band, but this year’s coordinators wanted to have something else, and something more interactive,” explained Macias-Torres. “So they decided to go with comedians.”

When asked why they think it’s important to have events like this on Western’s campus, Macias-Torres replied, “Because it helps students that identify in these different cultures. It helps them feel more connected to our community. I personally felt more connected last year. Not only did it get me involved in school, but it made me feel more connected as a Latina person, because somebody is acknowledging my culture and not only that, they’re celebrating it.”

“I think that it’s important to note that this event is for everyone it’s not just for Latin identifying people,” said Macias-Torres. “It’s open to the community, so you can come from anywhere and still participate in the event. A lot of people assume it’s just for one demographic, but it’s for everyone.”

Participants of the 26th annual Nuestra Fiesta Latina event got to fill up their stomachs, have some laughs and dance the night away. But in the process, they also got to celebrate and learn about different cultures.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Helping Western students help others

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On May 16, the Alternative Break Teams and Service Learning and Career Development Center teamed up to put on the Flea Market for a Cause on the Werner University Center Plaza. The Flee Market contained gently used, donated professional and semi-professional clothes for students of Western to buy.

“This event specifically is to help students who are trying to enter the professional world,” said Courtney Cunningham, a junior early childhood education major. “It helps them start off with a set of attire that’s going to help them be successful in the professional world. It really helps out the students, and we’re thinking of them when we hold these events. Like, ‘what do they need, what do they want and what is going to help them the most?’”

All of the money made from the Flee Market will go towards sending students from the Alternative Break Team to help in different countries around the world. Along with reselling clothes, the Alternative Break Team also made baked goods to sell.

“We have three teams,” explained Cunningham. “We have our Costa Rica team, a Peru team and a Thailand team. The Costa Rica team works with at risk youth, in one of the poorest communities in Costa Rica, and then Peru works with animal care and Thailand specifically helps with education. These events in general are to help our students who are on the teams, be able to go on these trips and experience these new things, and help people all over the world.”

If one felt like they missed the chance to donate or help the Alternative Break Teams travel around the world, it’s okay, because they are always accepting donations.

“This happens every year, so if anyone else still wanted to donate, they can contact Kathryn Plummer in the Service Learning and Career Development Center,” explained Cunningham. “She’s kind of the one running this. You could also contact any of the Alternative Break Team Leaders.”

All clothes donated now can be used for next years Flee Market for a Cause, so feel free to get rid of professional and semi-professional clothes that are no longer needed, to help Western students help others.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Fighting to improve the lives of Oregon women and girls

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On May 11, Abby’s house hosted guest speaker Emily Evans, the executive director of the Women’s Foundation of Oregon, to present her lecture, “Count Her In.” The director of Abby’s House at Western, Dr. Aislinn Addington, introduced Evans to the full crowd of the Willamette Room, who were eager to hear the presentation.

The Women’s Foundation of Oregon’s “mission is to focus the power of women’s collective resources to improve the lives of women and girls throughout Oregon,” explained Addington. “The ‘Count Her In’ report is the first comprehensive research on this topic for more than 20 years, and now is the most expansive, actionable and inclusive analysis of Oregon women and girls to date.”

Evans explained that the “Count Her In” report was information compiled from different towns in Oregon.

“We made 14 different stops all around the state. We heard from a thousand women and girls. We had sessions in Spanish, Somali, Russian and we heard from a really good cross section based on race, education level, income, geography and age,” explained Evans. “What we heard was a really resounding understanding of what the challenges are for women and girls in Oregon. Turns out women and girls in Oregon know exactly what’s wrong, and what they told us matched up perfectly with the data.”

“If there is one thing, one single sentence that you take away from this session here today, it’s this: women and girls in Oregon are contributing an extraordinary amount to communities all across the state, and in return they’re facing some of the starkest gender inequities in the country,” stated Evans.

Evans wanted to begin with the great things that Oregon women and girls excel at in comparison to other states, rather than begin with the things they lack. So Evans began discussing the, “Eight to Celebrate,” which include: civic engagement, caregiving, minimal violent crime, highest rate of physical activities than any other state, education and health care jobs, generosity with money and time, elected at higher rates in public service than other states and Oregon girls met the state’s 2025 goal for college graduation rates in 2014.

Though these eight achievements are something to celebrate, there are still many things that need to be worked on to improve the lives of women and girls in Oregon, and those are “The Eight that Can’t Wait,” which include: violence against women, systemic racism, the cost of caregiving, gaps in reproductive health access, wage and wealth gap, economic fragility, mental health challenges and the public/private glass ceilings.

“These are the eight issues that rose to the top in three ways,” said Evans. “The first is there was a discrepancy between how men and boys in Oregon were doing, and how women and girls in Oregon were doing. The next is there was a discrepancy between how women and girls in Oregon were doing versus women and girls nationally. And the final one is that these eight were the ones that rose to the top in every single community we visited.”

The “Count Her In” report has put together a list of five things that every Oregonian can do to help make life for Oregon women and girls better, and they are, asking questions, voting, donating, sharing information and recognizing the struggles Oregonian women and girls face.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu