Mount Hood

A night of bravery and support

By: Jasmine Morrow
staffwriter

The Coming Out Monologues can be summed up in one word: powerful. On May 2, The Stonewall Center hosted the Coming Out Monologues in the Pacific Room. The live monologue performances left the audience members in awe.

There were 18 speakers in total who spoke in front of the crowd and told their stories of how they came out or simply how they feel about the LGBTQ+ community. The speakers consisted of students, faculty, alumni and staff of Western. The entrance fee was only $2, and all of the revenue went towards the Safe Zone scholarship and teaching Western students about the LGBTQ+ community.

Before the monologues began, 75 of the LGBTQ+ Western alumni got the chance to meet up at a reception held in the Willamette Room.

The coordinator of the Coming Out Monologues, Western alumni and faculty member, CM Hall, with the help of the Alumni Association, hosted a pre-show reception to celebrate and support show participants, as well as connect and reunite alumni and supporters within the LGBTQ+ community. The alumni and supporters enjoyed appetizers, drinks and had the chance to connect with friends from the past.

The Coming Out Monologues aren’t annual, the Stonewall Center likes surprises. The last time the Coming Out Monologues were performed was in 2015. So, when the event does happen, it isn’t anticipated and people appreciate it more.

Many people who showed up to listen to the speakers’ stories and support them in any way they could. The 18 speakers were incredibly brave, as sharing personal stories to a crowd can be difficult and intimidating.
Their monologues were touching, some drew tears of sadness, while others from laughter. Javan Davis, a Western student, said a line in his monologue that summed up how to help the LGBTQ+ community be more comfortable: “Just support and validate.”

At the end of the last monologue, there was a standing ovation to the whole cast. Noah Seiber, another Western student, said in his monologue, “My identity doesn’t define me, but it does matter.” The line was incredibly powerful and truthful.

Everyone who spoke that night was truthful and brave. Each story was different, just like every person is different. We all have our own experiences and the LGBTQ+ community has been holding events like this on campus in the hopes that the Western community will continue to show support, as well as listen to their show.

Contact the author at jmorrow16@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 Science in criminal justice entails, and the fields of work it can lead to.

Anthony Preston is a senior at Western who is currently in the process of receiving a degree in criminal justice.

When asked why he decided to become a criminal justice major Preston replied, “I just grew up in an area where there is a lot of gang violence … so I thought going into criminal justice would give me great opportunity to give back to the community I grew up in, and help out.”

“I just finished my application for the Portland police bureau about a week ago. I plan on working with them for the first three years as just a regular police officer,” explained Preston. “Then hopefully staying there and then going into gang enforcement. After that I want to be a school resource officer in a high school.”
“Being a criminal justice major you can go into a lot of fields,” stated Preston. “A lot of people only think you can be a police officer, but there are a number of different fields you can do just with a criminal justice degree.”

According to Western’s website those fields include: “Residential Treatment Specialist, Investigators, Victim Advocates, Court Counselors, Youth Program Workers, Community Service Coordinators & Officers, Law Enforcement, Parole & Probation, Correctional Officers and Victim/Offender Mediators.” The criminal justice major also prepares students to enter law schools and graduate schools.

Western’s criminal justice page describes the major as a, “combination of a strong liberal arts curriculum with a rigorous set of core classes and specialized elective coursework in law enforcement, corrections and community crime prevention makes each criminal justice degree and certificate programs unique and exciting.”

The criminal justice department offers classes that lecture on homeland security and community preparedness, forensic anthropology, history of law enforcement, ethics, legal research, criminology and much more.

“All the faculty members are great. The head of the criminal justice department, Vivian Djokotoe, she’s probably one of my favorite people on this campus. She really just gets down on your level and gets to know you,” explained Preston. “I’m a little biased, but it’s my favorite department on campus, and I’m proud to get my degree in criminal justice from here.”

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Consent, communication and control

By: Shaylie Pickerel
Staff Writer

For Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Abby’s House held an educational and inclusive presentation titled “Ethical Power Exchange.” The guest presenter, Heather Rowlett, talked about consent and communication being essential components of any intimate relationship, but when intentional power dynamics are introduced these issues become vital in a new way.

On April 27, the presentation was held in Ackerman and was open to the public. The event began with an ice breaker that had participants partner up and take turns drawing the person their partner described. The ice breaker was used to highlight the importance of communication between partners. Afterwards, Rowlett began to discuss the different types of consent and the importance of consent as a whole.

She underlined the importance of being able to give and have consent by stating that it is, “Your body, your orgasm, your sex.”

Understanding consent within a relationship also means setting boundaries. Creating boundaries and communicating them with a prospective partner is the best way to truly understand what someone expects and deserves from one another.

Rowlett also talked about the current beliefs and stigma on ethical power exchange, also known to some as BDSM, and how it’s seen in our current culture, which she says “is no place to learn about ethical power exchange and there’s a lot happening unconsented.”

Rowlett then introduced the different levels of ethical power exchange, of which there are five. Which span from the first level called conditional compliance, which has the most limited power, and is most likely to happen during a single meetup. To the fifth level, which involves serious and emotional commitments. It goes from long-term to complete ownership, but the fifth level, absolute ownership, was stated to not be realistic.

Rowlett then discussed the importance of safety within a power exchange relationship stating that some partners “won’t always be as committed to your safety as you are,” and that, “The first time you meet, make it non-physical.”

The first time meeting up with a prospective partner, should be a time where both people can discuss what each of them are looking for in a ethical power exchange relationship and establish boundaries.

Abby’s House hosts many events like this on campus and are always open downstairs in the Werner University Center. Abby’s House embraces a feminist model that empowers all people to actively stand against all forms of violence, harassment, verbal abuse, discrimination and hatred.

Contact the author at spickrell15@wou.edu

Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team visits campus

By: Jasmine Morrow 
Staff Writer

Abby’s House hosted University of Oregon’s Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team on Western’s campus to hold a presentation and discussion on consensual sex.

SWAT is a team of undergraduate students who believe consent is the most important part of a healthy relationship. Their definition of consent is a yes that is freely given when an option of no is vital: consent can be revoked, consent must be a verbal response and both participants need to be 100% sure and have healthy boundaries.

During the presentation, SWAT performed scenes about consent. Conscious that there
are multiple different kinds of sexuality
and relationships, they performed several different examples for as many scenarios as they could. SWAT wants people to know how to have safe and healthy sexual experiences.

The presenters held a workshop that consisted of interactive activities where the audience had the chance to speak about their thoughts or even act in some scenes. Before the workshop started, SWAT noted that self-care comes first and if anyone felt uncomfortable at anytime, they could talk to someone who was waiting in the back, or just leave entirely.

In the first activity, the audience to closed their eyes and remembered a pleasant sexual activity. Then, once they opened their eyes, they were asked to turn to the person next to them and tell them the experience. Because that’s usually an uncomfortable situation, many laughed and didn’t share what came to mind. This activity was to show how survivors of sexual assault feel when they have to talk to someone about their experience: awkward and uncomfortable.

The second activity was a scene between two actors from SWAT, who talked about sexual experiences using a baseball metaphor and a pizza metaphor. The baseball metaphor showed that there is a competitiveness and that there is a winner and a loser in a relationship. The pizza metaphor showed that sex as a shared experience, as it should be.

SWAT also talked about consent when drugs or alcohol are in effect. Alcohol is the number one cause of non-consensual sex. Drugs and alcohol impair how to read body language; it’s hard for a verbal ‘yes,’ when one lacks control and one can be mentally incapacitated.

Those in healthy sexual relationships know that sex is a choice: it has boundaries, respects values and requires communication. No matter what gender or sexuality, partners should always respect each other’s boundaries.

Contact the author at jmorrow16@wou.edu

Heritage and celebration

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

The Multicultural Student Union hosted the 24th annual Native American Pow Wow on Western’s campus on April 29. The Pow Wow program describes the event as, “One expression of Native American culture. It is a significant way in which American Indian traditions and culture can be presented to contemporary people, Indians and non-indians alike.”

The Pow Wow is a celebration of heritage and ancestors to pay respect to forefathers, elders, families and veterans.

“For some, the ceremonies and other events may appear to be only a form of entertainment with colorful regalia, drumming, singing and dancing,” states the program. “But the Pow Wow is far more than that; it is a reenactment of certain spiritual and emotional aspects of our humanity.”

At noon, the Pow Wow began with the blessing of the arena. By burning sage, traditional dancers Tony Whitehead and Wayne Chulik purified the arena and all of the people in attendance. Once that was completed, the master of ceremonies for the event, Nick Sixkiller asked the Grand Entry to begin, as a way to thank and honor all veterans from every battle of war.

Throughout the event, participants performed many dances, including the Welcome Dance, Blanket Dance, Men’s Fancy Dance, Men’s Traditional Dance, Women’s Fancy Shawl Dance, Women’s Jingle Dress, Women’s Traditional Dance and Jackpot Dancing. During the Pow Wow there was a dance competition for children and adults to participate in front of the audience. The Pow Wow dances were accompanied by live singing and drumming from several small musical groups, including the Woodsmen.

“It brings a lot of cultural awareness to our campus about the different communities and ethnicities we have here,” said Jovany Romero, senior Spanish and interdisciplinary studies major and co-coordinator of the Pow Wow. “Showcasing the Native American Culture is awesome. A lot of people don’t really know what a Pow Wow is, and having it here on campus opposed to somewhere else, offers easy access. The Native American culture is slowly fading, and we want to keep it alive.”

The Multicultural Student Union’s co-secretary, sophomore Shelby Brooks, a middle/high school Spanish education major, talked about why people should come enjoy the Pow Wow.

“Pow Wow is free, so everyone should come down and check it out. It lasts all day from 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. We serve free Native American tacos that are made with fry bread, which is kind of like elephant ears, but without the sugar,” explained Brooks. “Everyone should check it out.”

Along with the Pow Wow dance performances, many booths were set up downstairs in the Werner University Center selling jewelry, pelts, drawings, pens, dream catchers and much more. The Multicultural Student Union will be putting on another Pow Wow next year, so make sure not to miss it.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Break the silence

By: Shaylie Pickerel
Staffwriter

The annual, countrywide day of action called Day of Silence was held again on Western’s campus. The Day of Silence is a day of action to spread awareness about the effects of bullying and harassment that the LGBTQ+ community faces daily.

Though the Day of Silence is important and meaningful, it’s just as important to break the silence and create a Night of Noise. On April 21, Triangle Alliance held the Night of Noise event in the Mt. Jefferson Room in Valsetz. The event allowed the LGBTQ+ community to express and enjoy themselves. During the event, there were opportunities to win prizes through raffles and bingo games, as well as get to enjoy many snacks.

There was an open mic portion of the event, where people could share their thoughts, poetry or personal stories to help express the importance of the event and the importance of self-love within the LGBTQ+ community.

This year, Western alumni Nawwal Moustafa spoke at the event.
Moustafa shared stories from when she was in college, about some of the struggles she’s been through and the struggles she continues to go through. While giving her speech, Moustafa made many important points about being true to yourself and how hard coming out can be.

“You don’t need anybody’s permission to do whatever the hell you want,” stated Moustafa. Being able to admit to yourself that you are who you are and being able to accept yourself is difficult enough without having to worry about what others think of you.

When talking about the experience of coming out, she said, “You never come out once,” because each experience and interaction with a new or old friend is different and nerve-racking. But she ended her speech on a note of hope stating that,“Thriving happens when you can own every single piece of your story.”

Night of Noise was a safe event that allowed those within the LGBTQ+ community to truly be themselves in a welcoming environment.

Triangle Alliance holds many events on Western’s campus throughout the year. For more information on Triangle Alliance’s future events, check out their Facebook page: WOU Triangle Alliance, or visit them in the Stonewall Center downstairs in the Werner University Center.

Contact the author at spickrell15@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 Science in psychology entails, and the fields of work it can lead to.

Jaremy Calderon is a junior at Western, who is currently in the process of receiving a degree in psychology.

“End goal, career-wise, I want to work with the youth of the LGBTQ+ community, within a mental health setting,” said Calderon. “Whether that’s like a therapist or a counselor, I just want to make sure that queer youth feel very positive and good about their identity and where they fit in the world. Once I get established enough, I would like to open up an organization that does pro bono work with queer youth of color. Since people of color and queer people of color have barriers to mental health help.”

When asked what his favorite thing about being a psychology major is, Calderon replied, “I like that I get knowledge about how the human mind works. I feel like being a psych major has really improved my communication and being able to understand people. I feel like it utilizes the empathy and wanting to understand people and help people that I already have, and it’s giving me those skills so I can actually do it better and make an actual difference in people’s lives.”

According to Western’s website, “The Psychology degree is designed to provide the student a broadly based program in behavioral science.
The psychology major may be pursued as a component of a general liberal arts background, as preparation for a variety of service oriented occupations, or as a basis for graduate study in psychology and related fields.”

In 2011, Western’s psychology department surveyed graduates from the psychology program between 2001-2010, to see the variety of jobs the alumni have acquired.

“Former students were employed in a variety of occupational fields with diverse job titles including social worker, geriatric care manager, adolescent counselor, attorney, teacher, registered nurse and physician’s assistant,” states Western’s website. “When asked about further education, 38% of Alumni reported that they were in the process of or had completed further education, with the majority completing a Master’s degree. Receiving a degree in psychology prepared alumni to succeed in diverse graduate programs in social work, clinical/counseling, education, business, law, and medical fields.”

Western’s psychology major is a degree that gives students the opportunity to explore the different fields they wish to pursue.

When asked what he liked about the department, Calderon replied, “All of the psych teachers that I’ve had here have been amazing and great and thoughtful and they really care. My advisor Dr. Strapp is amazing, she’s always there for me, always willing to help. I can walk into her office and I know she’s going to be there for me.”

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

A time to remember and reflect

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On April 24, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the office of Student Engagement coordinated 16-20 volunteers who planted thousands of flags on Western’s campus to represent all of the lives that were tragically and painfully lost during Hitler’s reign.

According to ushmm.org, “The internationally recognized date for Holocaust Remembrance Day corresponds to the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. It marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. In Hebrew, Holocaust Remembrance Day is called Yom Hashoah.”

Volunteers planted different colored flags to represent different groups of people who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Each flag planted represented 500 lives that were lost.

8,534 yellow flags represented Jewish adults, 3,500 small yellow flags represented Jewish children, 1,000 brown flags represented Roma and Sinti, 30 pink flags represented homosexuals, six white flags represented Jehovah’s Witnesses, 550 orange flags represented mentally/physically disabled persons, 6,600 red flags represented Soviet Prisoners of War, 6,000 blue flags represented Polish Catholics, 40 lime flags represented Spanish Republicans and 1,400 green flags represented Serbians.

“I think the visual impact an event like this has really brings to home the enormity of the loss of life in a different way, and reminds us that as a society we can never let anything like this happen again,” said John Wilkins, leadership and inclusion coordinator for Student Engagement.

Though the flags only stay up for one day, the office of Student Engagement has also planned an event in May for students to continue to learn and understand the struggles of Holocaust survivors.

“On May 2nd we will be showing a documentary of Alice Koppel Kern, a holocaust survivor, where she went back to locations in Europe that she was at during the holocaust. Her daughter, Debbi, will be joining us to also host a Q&A for us after the movie and give more details of her mother’s story,” said Wilkins.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is an important event to have on campus so that society never forgets the genocide and pain that millions of people dealt with during World War II.

“It is a time to reflect on the holocaust and be sure we never forget,” concluded Wilkins.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Dear Esmeralda

Screen Shot 2016-04-17 at 9.05.53 PM

Dear Esmeralda,

I live with two other girls and one of them is always eating my stuff from the fridge and pantry. I have caught her on like five occasions this month and I have told her this is not cool. But she keeps doing it! This makes me wonder what else of mine she has took/used without my knowledge. I know school is almost over but we planned on living with each other over the summer … What in the heck should I do?

Sincerely,
Stolen Meatloaf

Dear Stolen Meatloaf,

GUUUUUUUUURL, if anyone tried to eat my food I would eat them! Ain’t nobody taking my food. I have gotta say your patience is something out of this world! Goodness, I nearly become superhuman! So there are two routes you can go; my preferred route (the petty af route) or the more mature (and boring route). So because I am a petty queen I’m going to tell you about the petty way first. I would start by eating her food and then playing dumb. Then I would start hiding her things, don’t go big at first. Start with one of her makeup brushes, or a spare hair brush. Then take a surge protector. Then the connector of her phone charger, not the cord itself of course. That is the last thing to go. You see the pattern, you may need to adapt it for her but I say you can wreak lots of havoc over the next few weeks.

Now for the mature way (AKA the boring way). One thing you can do is eat food she doesn’t like, make it spicy that is a good way to get people to stop eating your food. OH! I thought of a petty version! You will have to waste food and I hate that but it will teach her a lesson. Over salt, like way too much salt, your leftovers. Then when she eats it she will be in for a surprise! Now back to our regularly scheduled maturity! Another thing you could do is talk about it with her again and explain that if she is gonna keep eating your food she had better help pay for it or if she wants to do the dishes after you make food that could be a fair trade off.

Another serious note: because it is the end of school year your roommate could be out of money. If so I would mention the on campus food pantry located in the lowest floor of the APSC. It’s on the side closest to the town’s main drag.

Serving the underserved students

By: Jasmine Morrow
Staff Writer

On April 11, Western mathematics instructor and developmental math coordinator Dr. Sylvia Valdés-Fernández gave her presentation, “Math: The New Civil Rights Issue.” Though the presentation was only an hour and a half long, attendees of the event were given something to think about regarding underserved students in math courses.

Valdés-Fernández and her father co-founded the Valdés Math Institute in San Jose, California; a seven-week program, that helps underserved students with mathematics, which was honored by the Obama administration with the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence.

Valdés-Fernández believes in creating fair and understanding classroom environments for students who feel that they’re treated like they can’t understand math.

According to Dr. Valdés-Fernández, underserved students have a more difficult time when it comes to math literacy. They are told that they can’t do well in this area and that it’s their fault when something is hard to understand.

When Valdés-Fernández was asked why math is important to her, she responded, “To me, it’s not so much about the math, but it’s about what math affords people. Jobs, a position in society. It opens up a lot of doors, since there are so many careers that are closed to you if you don’t have a certain amount of math literacy.”

Everyone should have a chance to learn something that’s going to be very crucial to make a living. One of the problems about achieving equity that Dr. Valdés-Fernández mentioned was the “belief that not all students can learn math.”

If educators keep looking down on students who have difficulty understanding math, then the students are just going to give up. When a student is having difficulties, the educator can’t make the whole class simpler, but they should be able to accommodate for all students.

“Math needs diversity for new ideas,” concluded Valdés-Fernández.

Contact the author at jmorrow16@mail.wou.edu

“Ace in Wonderland”

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Triangle Alliance proudly presented the 21st annual drag show in Western’s Rice Auditorium on April 12 and 13. The drag show is known as one of the biggest events on campus, and has been known to sell out the entirety of seats available. This year was no different.

The show was created by the collaborative effort of The Force, a group of students who plan and work together to make sure the show can be scheduled and run smoothly, and Triangle Alliance.

“It’s really a group effort,” said Casi Healy, sophomore pre-nursing major and Triangle Alliance President.

When asked why it’s important that Western has drag shows on campus, Healy said, “I think everybody can learn and experience new things from the LGBTQ culture in general, and I think it exposes people to a lot that they haven’t seen before.”

The theme of this year’s drag show was, “Ace in Wonderland,” a play on the plot line of “Alice in Wonderland.”

“We’re focusing on the asexual spectrum,” explained Healy. “Our main character, Ace, is going to be the theme of the show talking about asexuality. With the theme of this show, we’re trying to bring out things you haven’t seen before or haven’t heard about. I mean, lesbian, gay, transgender; those are all things that are more well-known in the community. So, this year we decided that we really wanted to teach you more about the community and show you more about the culture.”

The drag show is an entirely student run show, from the performers to the tech crew. But it’s no small task to create a drag show. Sydney Culpepper, a part of The Force, scriptwriter and stage director of the show, explained just how long the process has been.

“This is the biggest event of the year, and that means it takes an entire year to plan. The Force has been working on this show since April of last year,” said Culpepper. “Our choreographers have been working on it since June, our dancers have been working on it since January.”

The program for, “Ace in Wonderland,” described it as, “A unique kind of drag show. Here at WOU, we take drag culture and infuse it into a musical-style show with a plot that’s driven by the songs.”

Full of energetic, funny and sexual jokes and movements, this year’s drag show did not disappoint. The crowd roared and applauded continuously throughout the performance, showing their admiration and support of the performers and the LGBTQ+ community.

The program perfectly explains that, “The Drag Show is a space where people can challenge the norm and challenge themselves. It gives everybody a chance to explore themselves and their self-expression.”

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Creating resources for undocumented students

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On April 17 in the Willamette Room of the Werner University Center, Emily Plec, professor of communication studies, held an unveiling of the Alma’s Project website for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival students.

“Alma Pacheco Santamaria began an ambitious project during fall term of 2016–a website of financial, academic, and psychological support resources for undocumented (DACA) Students,” stated the Alma’s Project flyer. “This spring, volunteers and students in COM 325: Intercultural Communication continued Alma’s efforts by researching and compiling relevant information. With the help of participants from the Cesar Chavez Leadership Conference, we have created a website aimed at recruiting and supporting DACA students.”

The website contains links and resources for DACA students who are looking for information with regards to paying for college, clubs and organizations, student resources, immigration policy and faculty and staff resources.

The website also contains videos of, “Current and former WOU students telling their stories, and sharing with us their experience,” said Plec. The videos contain anonymous speakers discussing what it is like to be an undocumented student, and what they wish to pursue with their educations.

President Rex Fuller attended the event, and had a few things to say about making Western a sanctuary campus.

“It’s great to see the progress that is being made with regard to the resources that exist for our students. As you know our campus is fully committed to that,” said Fuller. “We had a robust discussion last fall following the election around what we needed to do. Students came and really talked about the need to be supported, it challenged us to think about, ‘what would we do if we were in their shoes?’”

The Alma Project website for DACA students is now available at wou.edu/daca.

“This wouldn’t of happened without Alma, we are very grateful for her,” concluded Plec.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

A night of culture, food, music and dance

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

This year, Hawaii Club hosted their 11th annual Luau on Western’s campus. A night of culture, food, music and dance, the Luau is one of the most popular events on campus. This year was special, according to the Hawaii Club President Nolan Arasato: “This is the first time in history that the Luau has sold out all of its tickets.”

On April 15, the Luau began in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center. Event goers were piling up waiting for the doors to open so they could get some Hawaiian food. While participants were eating, Western’s female a cappella group, Suspended, performed a few songs and members from the Hawaii Club had a jam session for people to enjoy while they ate their dinners.

When asked why the Luau is an important event to have on campus, Arasato replied, “I
think it’s important to learn about other cultures. I think that we can benefit from each other, and being that WOU is big on diversity, the Luau is a great cultural program for people to watch.”

Once dinner was finished, the crowd moved to the New P.E. building to grab seats for the Polynesian performances, such as Hula, Fijian, Tahitian and Samoan dances.

“I love watching my peers dance onstage,” said Cassidy Bek, senior exercise science major and Luau helper. “All of my friends, you know, they’re so pretty and I just love watching it. It’s a beautiful art.”

“They’re telling a story in their dances, and I think that’s something that we often look past, they’re telling a story, it’s not just a dance,” Bek added, “They’re speaking through their motions.”

All performances were performed by students in the Hawaii Club and the Nesian Club. The crowd was constantly filled with cheers and applause throughout the performances. Some members of the audience even threw money on the stage, in a show of support, while the students were performing. There were several different dances, including a performance by the graduating seniors of Hawaii Club.

At the end of the night, Arasato asked everyone to stand up and hold hands while the Hawaii Club performed a song to thank everyone for participating in the Luau.

“The Luau can never be successful without everyone’s support,” stated Arasato, “Mahalo nui loa! [Thank you very much!]”

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Looking for new recruits

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

The Greek life on Western’s campus is slowly starting to grow, and the sorority Alpha Chi Omega is still recruiting for members.

“The Greek life here on our campus isn’t super large like OSU or U of O,” said Meghan Doerfler, sophomore Bachelor of Fine Arts major and Alpha Chi Omega assistant vice president of philanthropy. “So, having Alpha Chi Omega being able to recruit in the spring and winter is a good opportunity for girls who are interested in joining Greek organizations to see, ‘oh, hey, I can join this organization if I want to.’ It gives them that opportunity to be a part of Greek life without having to go to a large school.”

From April 3-6, the sorority held tables in the Werner University Center to let students of Western get a peek into what Alpha Chi Omega is like. They also held small socializing events from April 4-6 in the Santiam Room of Werner University Center for those who were interested in learning more information about Alpha Chi Omega.

Alpha Chi Omega’s website describes the sorority as, “An organization about you: unique, talented, genuine women looking for a fun and meaningful way to enhance your college experience.” Alpha Chi Omega has been a part of Western’s campus for almost two years, and has been spreading information not only about their sorority but also about violence against women.

“Every Greek organization has a philanthropy service part of their organization, and ours is domestic violence awareness,” said Colette Thomassians, junior exercise science major, and Alpha Chi Omega vice president of recruitment. “Basically, we table, we work with the Center for Hope and Safety in Salem, to just make sure that women feel safe in their lives.”

Alpha Chi Omega will be hosting an event on April 26 on Western’s campus called “Denim Day” to support women who were blamed for their sexual assault because of what they were wearing. This is one of the many events that Alpha Chi Omega puts on for their philanthropy services.

The sorority will continue to table in the Werner University Center from April 10-13. If interested and looking for more information on Alpha Chi Omega, visit them on facebook at facebook.com/wouaxo, on instagram @wou_axo, or contact Alpha Chi Omega by email at wouaxo@gmail.com.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Being a better leader and establishing your “WHY”

By: Shaylie Pickerel
Staff Writer

On April 8, the day-long Focus on Leadership conference was held in the Werner University Center. This year, it was mixed with the Greek Summit event for fraternities and sororities on campus. The whole day was set up to give students the opportunity to attend multiple sessions, lunch and listen to the keynote speaker, Justin Jones.

Megan Habermann, the associate director of Student Leadership and Activities, discussed what her hopes were for the annual event. She hoped, “That students learn new leadership skills and to allow them to improve on anything they hope to improve on.”

This event underlined the importance of going outside of comfort zones and pushing those limits to better oneself. When asked what advice she would give to aspiring leaders, Habermann replied, “Don’t be afraid to try something you may not normally try.” This piece of advice was an important and recurring theme throughout the conference.

After the introduction, students had the choice to attend two different sessions before the keynote speaker presented, one of which was “the Importance of an Introverted Leader.” During that session, Marlene Lopez-Cruz went over the difference between being introverted and extroverted, what introverted leaders bring to the table and how to push introverts to their full potential.

She emphasized a few important strengths that introverted leaders have; they think first and talk later, they embrace solitude, they have great listening skills and they are very task-focused.

When asked what the importance of being a leader was, Lopez-Cruz said, “To develop leadership skills and to be able to communicate effectively and work with a wide range of people.” In her opinion, to further leadership skills, one should, “Attend workshops, conferences, clubs and organizations, even classroom groups can give you a good opportunity to further your skills.”

After the first session ended, students gathered to listen to Justin Jones, the keynote speaker for the day. Jones emphasized the importance of the “WHY:” why we do things and how that impacts what we do, which impacts when we do it which, in turn, impacts how we do it. He also emphasized how your “WHY” shapes the type of leader you are and how you’re going to continue doing what you do to benefit you best.

“Don’t just be like anyone, be better for everyone by being the only you,” Jones stated. He went on to explain the many kinds of leaders there can be, and how people often react to certain leadership roles.

After the keynote speaker presentation, students attended lunch and then had the opportunity to attend six more smaller sessions before the end of the conference. This event not only emphasized how to improve leadership skills, but also pushed the ideas of why leaders do the things they do, as well as taking chances to ensure a better leadership path.

Contact the author at spickrell15@wou.edu

Closed school, open pool

By: Jasmine Morrow
Staff writer

On April 7, Western’s Health and Wellness Center held a “No School Swim” event for students from the local high schools, middle schools and elementary schools to come and enjoy a day in the pool when their classes had been cancelled.

According to Western’s website, the event is a time for the whole family to have fun and release some energy with some aquatic games. It’s a great activity for kids to be active, but have fun while doing so. This is the fourth time the Health and Wellness Center has opened its pool for students to enjoy themselves on a day off from school.

Melissa Bergeland, the event coordinator and assistant director, said, “We know if kids are out of school, they need something to do. We don’t want them to drive their parents crazy, we don’t want them to get into trouble, so we want to give them something to do. So, we offer this extra REC swim in there so that they can come play in the water.”

There aren’t any specific games or activities that are planned out for the participants, but they have the water basketball hoop or the water volleyball net put up so participants can choose what they wish to do in their free time at the pool.

Bergeland finds this event important because it teaches kids and parents about water safety, and allows Western to connect with the community. The lifeguards on duty during the No School Swim event are student employees from Western. One of the lifeguards, Jennifer Sprueill, sophomore criminal justice major, has lifeguarded this event four times. Another student, Jennifer Lindley, junior early childhood education major, has only lifeguarded the No School Swim event once. Both Sprueill and Lindley agree that the most important thing about lifeguarding is the water safety and keeping people safe. They just want people to have a safe and enjoyable time and have things run smoothly.

“Lifeguarding has always been associated with kids; keeping them safe and having fun with the kids” said Lindley.

Though the event was small in numbers, they are hoping to get the word out and so more participants show up for the next No School Swim.

Contact author at jmorrow16@mail.wou.edu

The fork goes on the left

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

On April 10, Western’s Service Learning and Career Development Center hosted an Etiquette Dinner in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center. The Etiquette Dinner was held to teach students the “proper” way to interact in a formal business dinner setting.

This event featured keynote speaker Mindy Lockard, an etiquette consultant. Lockard is an internationally known etiquette writer and speaker. For over a decade, Lockard has worked with colleges, businesses and corporations, speaking about the power of interpersonal interactions. She has been in many magazines because of her work, including “Forbes Women.”

“It is such a pleasure to be here tonight. I think this is my sixth year on campus doing this dinner,” said Lockard. “It is an honor. I travel around the country and around the Pacific Northwest doing these workshops and I’ve always loved it when I get the chance to come to Western.”

Throughout the five course meal that was served, Lockard taught the participants the correct way to set a table, hold silverware, eat, drink and other valuable tips to dine properly, including how to correctly butter bread.

This event was held to help students get comfortable in situations like dining in a high class restaurant, because when going into the business world, most of the discussions and events revolve around dinner.

Shelby Worthing, senior economics major and Service Learning and Career Development Center employee, helped coordinate the Etiquette Dinner. She explained that the dinner, “… is really great, because in our society, today, we don’t just graduate college and then get a job.”

“There’s a lot of networking that’s involved,” continued Worthing. “You might be out to dinner with someone or interviewing over a dinner … it’s a great learning experience. This is about manners, and we need those everywhere.”

The event lasted for two hours and, while the participants were eating, Lockard would walk around and correct them or answer any questions that came up.

“I really want to encourage you to be bold” said Lockard, “I want to encourage you to use and refine these skills, so that when you get into a situation professionally, that you can really be bold.”

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

21 and up

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Spring is on its way, and there’s nothing better than a nice refreshing drink on a sunny day. Let’s kick off spring term right, with a refreshing mojito cocktail. This recipe is fairly simple, but some of the ingredients might not be in everyone’s home, so a grocery store run may be in order.

 

What you need:

6 mint leaves
.75 ounces simple syrup
.75 ounces fresh lime juice
1.5 ounces white rum
1.5 ounces club soda

 

 

Directions:

In a shaker, lightly muddle, smash or grind the mint. Add the simple syrup, lime juice and rum, and fill with ice. Shake well and pour unstrained into a highball glass. Top with the club soda and garnish with a mint sprig.

This cocktail is sweet, simple and can be made simply for one person, but can also be made for more just as easily. This is the kind of drink that makes you want to find a good book and a nice chair in the sun to relax in. Please enjoy and drink responsibly.

Recipe courtesy of Dale DeGroff from Liquor.com.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

Club spotlight

By: Paige Scofield
Campus Life Editor

Western is home to many clubs and organizations that are willing to open up and share culture with the rest of campus. This is important for students, because they can get the ability to peer into and enjoy other cultures to better understand their peers.
Among these clubs that so kindly share their culture is Hawaii club.

Hawaii club is a campus organization that promotes the sharing of Polynesian culture on Western’s campus.

“It was also created to be a place for Hawaii students to go. Coming from a small island it can be a culture shock for a lot of the freshmen” said Nolan Arasato, Hawaii Club president. “It’s to share our Aloha spirit and knowledge with the people here at Western.”

“We sometimes perform at campus events like the International Nights or some banquets on campus,” said Arasato, “But we put on a Luau every year during spring term.”

This event is the biggest and sometimes only event Hawaii Club puts on the whole year.
It’s an event that takes a lot of planning, and Western students get the chance to go to it again. The Luau is held on Western’s campus for anyone to come enjoy and learn about Polynesian culture.

“It is a dinner and hula show that is planned and performed by the club and we share our Polynesian culture with people that attend. We have songs and dances from all over Polynesia,” said Arasato.

This is the 11th annual luau that Hawaii Club has put on, and it will take place on April 15. Admission is $5 for students with a Western ID and general admission is $7.

Arasato also wanted to make it very clear that everyone is encouraged to join Hawaii Club. “Anyone can join the Hawaii club. Even if you’re not from Hawaii. It is a place where we learn from one another’s experiences. Please feel free to join us and maybe even perform with us on stage at our next Luau,” said Arasato.

“Hawaii Club is important to me, because the Hawaiian culture is a dying culture. The only way we can help our culture, is by sharing and educating others about where we live and who we are. We are an oral culture, meaning a lot of our history was told through stories, chants and hula. Without language we have nothing,” stated Arasato.

Hawaii Club meets Fridays at 6 p.m. in the Columbia or Pacific Room in the Werner University Center. Attend meetings to learn more about Hawaii Club, Polynesian culture, dances and history. Feel free to drop into any of the meetings to meet and learn about fellow peers on Western’s campus.

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 visual communication design entails, and the kinds of work fields it can lead to.

Emma Douglas is a junior at Western who is currently in the process of working towards receiving a degree in visual communication design. Her specific focus in this major is in graphic design.

“Ideally I want to work in an animation house like Disney, Gobelines or Laika. Another passion of mine are zines and illustration. Doing either of those freelance is also a possibility” said Douglas. Douglas came to Western because, “The cost is significantly less than art colleges, and it provides the same quality of education. Campus is beautiful and that was also a big deciding factor.”

“Graphic design approaches images and type as powerful tools giving shape to ideas,” according to Western’s website, “In graphic design courses at Western, students learn to bring together message, meaning and form to create memorable communications. They gain a broad range of practical skills, applying typography and design processes to challenging creative projects guided by supportive faculty. Graphic designers must thoughtfully incorporate type and image into visual experiences fueled by the design elements and principles inherent in all art processes.”

Western’s visual communication design major has three foci which include graphic design, video and animation and interactive media. Western is, “… exponentially less than actual art colleges. We also have great studio spaces, and the nature around campus is so inspiring,” said Douglas.

When asked what her favorite class was that’s offered for her major, Douglas replied, “The A320-A322 graphic design sequence I’m in at the moment. I’ve learned so much in these past semesters about how graphic design works and my own process. It’s been really helpful in guiding my style.”

According to Western’s website, “Visual Communication Design is a broad profession that includes many specializations and covers all ends of the creative spectrum. Many of these job descriptions overlap heavily, and an education in VCD will serve useful in many fields.”

An education in visual communication design can place students in advertising and marketing, speciality design jobs, such as book or editorial design, and even public relations positions like brand or product managing.

This list of jobs doesn’t cover all of the careers that can be pursued with a visual communication design major, even more can be found on Western’s website. Visual communication design is a broad field which gives Western’s students the opportunity to explore the different fields they wish to pursue.

Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu

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