Mount Hood

Easy homemade microwave meals for people that live in the residence halls

Rylie Horrall  | Lifestyle Editor

One of the biggest struggles many college students face is having access to home cooked food. Often the residence halls do not have access to a kitchen, only access to microwaves. Luckily, there are many residence hall-friendly recipes that are easy to make for all of those living off of dining hall food and crackers.

 

MUGARONI

Start to finish: 5 minutes

½ cup macaroni (or pasta of your choice)

½ cup water

¼ cup cheese

Splash of milk

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

In a mug, add in the macaroni, water and salt. Mix it all together and place in the microwave for 2–3 minutes. 

Remove from the microwave and add in the milk, cheese and pepper. Mix again and microwave for another 30 seconds. Take it out, stir one last time and enjoy.

Recipe from Buzzfeed Tasty

 

MUG OMELETTE

Start to finish: 2 minutes

2 eggs

1 tablespoon water

Optional ingredients:

½ bell pepper

¼ cup spinach

Shredded cheese

Hame, turkey or bacon

Pinch of salt and pepper

Spray a microwave-safe mug with nonstick cooking spray. 

Crack two eggs into the mug. Add one tablespoon of water. Stir well with a fork. 

Season eggs with salt and pepper. Add in desired fillings. Microwave for 1-2 minutes (until eggs are cooked through and fluffy.)

Recipe from thecountrycook.net

 

BAKED POTATO

Start to finish: 12 minutes

1 russet potato

1 tablespoon butter (or margarine)

3 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

3 teaspoons sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Scrub the potato and prick several times with the tines of a fork. Place on a plate.

Cook in the microwave for five minutes. Turn over and continue to cook for five more minutes. When the potato is soft, remove from the microwave and cut in half lengthwise. Season with salt and pepper, and mash up the inside a little using a fork. Top the open sides with butter and two tablespoons of cheese. Return to the microwave, and cook for about one minute to melt the cheese.

Top with remaining cheese and sour cream, then serve.

Recipe from allrecipes.com

 

EGG “FRIED” RICE

Start to finish: 10 minutes

½ cup rice

1 cup water

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 strips of bacon

½ cup frozen peas and carrots

2 eggs

Pinch of salt

Add rice, water, soy sauce, sesame oil and chopped bacon into bowl and stir. Place a small plate over the top of the bowl and microwave for 6–8 minutes.

Stir once done, and add in the frozen peas and carrots. In a separate mug, whisk two eggs and salt together. Place both the bowl and mug into the microwave for 1 minute.

Break up the cooked eggs by stirring with a fork and add to the bowl. Mix it all together and enjoy.

Recipe from Buzzfeed Tasty

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Rylie Horrall

Ways to stay warm and cozy for the winter season

Rylie Horrall  | Lifestyle Editor

Winter can be a beautiful season: the snow falling and crunching beneath footsteps, icicles hanging from the rooftops and not to mention the aesthetic pictures that come with it. Unfortunately, being in Oregon means that the snow doesn’t happen too often, but the winter still brings cold temperatures and potential sickness. Staying bundled up during this frosty season is simple, easy and cozy.

When leaving the house, make sure to wear layers; they can be fashionable and keep in warmth, serving as a double positive. Layer up with an undershirt, a sweater and a scarf, and pair it with a cute set of leggings or jeans. For shoes, some fashionable fuzzy boots will be warm and cozy, or even some sneakers could complete the outfit. Throw a coat on top of the finished outfit to prevent from freezing while out and about.

On the days where it’s particularly rainy — or even snowy — a pair of gloves will keep hands nice and toasty for frigid days, afternoons or mornings. Match the gloves and scarf with a stylish beanie, or even downy earmuffs or a fleece headband; all three options can be mixed and matched with various outfits.

For a quiet night at home, toss on some comfortable pajamas — whether that’s a t-shirt and some shorts, fluffy pajama pants with a matching top and socks, or even a full-on onesie with an animal hood. Snuggle up with a favorite warm blanket and lounge on the couch for those nights that are way too cold to go out.

Both of these options can also be paired with a warm beverage, and there’s a variety to choose from. A cup of coffee can wake up the brain and keep hands warm on morning walks to class. A mug full of tea is perfect for winding down the night with a good book. Apple cider can provide a cozy feeling of warmth during a study break, or hot chocolate can be the perfect sweet treat after afternoon classes.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Rylie Horrall

Ways to save electricity, water and money

Rylie Horrall  | Lifestyle Editor

It can be easy to forget to turn off the lights in the house, or even to turn the water off when answering a text while doing the dishes. While little things like these don’t seem too big at the time, they can unfortunately add up to a larger bill — and ecological footprint. However, it’s easy to keep track of a few simple things to save electricity and water.

  • Keep unused appliances unplugged. When the coffee is done brewing or the toaster is no longer in use, make sure it’s unplugged. Even when the contraption isn’t being utilized, it will still use up electricity just from being plugged in. This also applies to extension cords, chargers and similar plugins.
  • Turn off the lights when leaving a room. While some people may have heard this multiple times from parents and guardians growing up, it does have its benefits. By remembering to switch off the lights, up to $15 can be saved on an energy bill, according to bchydro.com. If it’s daylight, open the curtains or blinds and bask in some natural light until it’s necessary to turn on the lights inside. On another note, switch to LED bulbs if possible, as they use over 75% less energy.
  • Air-dry clothes when it’s possible to do so; dryers can consume a lot of energy, so try hanging clothes on a rack or in the bedroom to air-dry. Avoid putting clothes on a radiator, as it restricts the heat from warming up the room and causes it to work harder, according to goodenergy.co.uk.
  • For those who own a dishwasher, only run it when it’s completely full. According to sustainability.ncsu.edu, the dishwasher only uses about four gallons of water during its cycle, but handwashing can use up to 20 when there’s a large load of dishes. Alternatively, shutting off the water in between rinses or filling up one side of the sink with water also work for those who don’t have a dishwasher.
  • Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. It’s recommended that brushing your teeth for two minutes is best, but by shutting off the water while doing so, up to 200 gallons of water can be saved per month.
  • Shower instead of taking a bath; while baths can be relaxing for some, they can also use much more water than is necessary to get clean. Now that doesn’t mean that baths should be completely cut out — especially for those who use them to relax. That just means maybe limit the amount of baths taken each month, or just get the most out of one when it’s used.
  • Use cold or warm water when washing clothes, and make sure the setting size is correct for the load. Continuing from that, try to do laundry when there’s a full load like the dishwasher. Running one large load can save more water than multiple small loads. Flip off the ‘extra rinse’ option if there is one as well.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Rylie Horrall

Six nearby coffee shops for Western students

Rylie Horrall  | Lifestyle Editor

Getting up in the morning can be a challenge, especially when the previous night lasted into the early hours of morning. For some people, the best pick-me-up for this is a cup of coffee, whether it’s brewed at home or picked up from a coffee shop. Here are some locations in the Monmouth-Independence area to try and start the day off with coffee.

On campus, students have access to Caffé Allegro — located in the Werner University Center — and The Press inside the Hamersly Library. Both have smaller areas for patrons to sit and do work, and have a container of sweets and breakfast goods for early mornings. Caffé Allegro is open 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Fri., and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturdays. The Press is open Mon.–Thurs. from 8 a.m.–8 p.m., and 8 a.m.–3 p.m. on Fridays.

Bugles Espresso is a drive-through coffee shop located at 444 Pacific Ave S. It’s a small establishment that’s located in a private parking lot, and their menu changes monthly. For the month of January, some of the drinks offered are The Avalanche, the Icicle White Mocha and the Frosted Chai — the beverages being a play on the cold weather usually experienced during this time. Bugles Espresso is open 6 a.m.–6 p.m. on Mon.–Fri., 7 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturdays and 7 a.m.–5 p.m. on Sundays. More information can be found on their Instagram @bugles_espresso and on Facebook.

Java Crew is a sit-down establishment near Western, just off the corner of Main Street and Monmouth Avenue. In addition to regular coffee, Java Crew offers premium drinks that contain a large amount of caffeine — their coffee containing between three to six shots. The menu has a few basic drinks with an extensive list of flavors that customers can add in, and a variety of ways to drink the beverage, such as hot, iced or blended. It’s open Mon.–Fri. from 7 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Additional information can be found on their Instagram @javacrewmonmouth and their website javacrew.com.

Brew Coffee and Tap House, located at 211 S Main St. in Independence, has both indoor and outdoor seating for patrons, and serves food in addition to coffee and drinks as the name suggests. Founded in 2016, the business provides an extensive menu to choose from, with their coffee taking up one page on it’s own. Their social media pages — Instagram @brewcoffeeandtaphouse, Twitter @BrewCoffeeTap and Facebook — show the lively atmosphere the site appears to have. Brew Coffee and Tap House is open from 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon.–Thurs., 7 a.m.9– p.m. on Friday, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m.–8 p.m. on Sunday, with more information found on their website brewcoffeeandtaphouse.com.

Rick’s Place is a coffee franchise that has been open since 1995, and can be found at 123 Main St. E. Along with a diverse selection of flavors for their espresso, they have many different sandwiches, salads, soups and bakery sweets to grab on the go. If a customer comes in on their birthday, they can receive a free $3 drink if they have their I.D. as proof. It’s open Mon.–Fri. from 7 a.m.–3 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m.–11 p.m., and can be found on Facebook.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu 

Photos by Kay Bruley

Study areas available on campus to Western students

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Want to start studying but aren’t sure where to go? Western has multiple areas on campus for students to comfortably do classwork. From residence halls to the public buildings, here are some areas to check out.

Hamersly Library is located in between the Old Education building and the Richard Woodcock Education Center, and has three floors available for students to study. The main floor contains small study areas along with a small computer lab. In addition, the Press is located towards the back for students to grab a cup of coffee before working on homework. People can talk at a normal volume on this floor, while the second and third floors are reduced to whispering and total silence, respectively. Both floors have open areas to sit and work and tables with desktops, as well as private study and conference rooms that can be reserved for larger groups. For late night studiers, there’s a 24-hour computer lab area near the front entrance.

The Werner University Center is near the center of campus; the top floor consists of a few dining options for students as well as the WolfStore, but the lower level has a large area for students to lounge and study. The bottom floor has many couches and chairs situated around tables in clusters of four to six. There’s also taller counters sprinkled around, along with smaller tables pressed against the walls. The upper floor does provide a little group of couches and chairs to study, and students are free to work on assignments in the Wolf Grill dining area.

The RWEC, located next to the library, serves as the building for most of the ASL and education classes, but also has compact study areas at each end of the building on both floors. At the front entrance, there are couches near a fireplace, so students can stay warm and cozy while studying. Upstairs, there is a large wooden table for bigger study groups to gather, swinging egg chairs to sit in and a little corner nook with a wrap-around couch and a table — great for secluded studying. At the far end of both floors, there are couches, tables and chairs placed miscellaneously around for use.

Various residence halls on campus — such as Ackerman Hall and Heritage Hall — have multiple study areas for students living in the building. For instance, Ackerman’s lobby area has private rooms that people are free to claim for individual studying or for groups, and can be accessed when the residence hall is unlocked for those who don’t live there. The doors lock at 10 p.m.

Try exploring the other buildings on campus as well, as there can be other areas students find ideal for studying that aren’t mentioned.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

First photo by Cora McClain

Second photo by Rylie Horrall

How to utilize time gaps in a class schedule

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

In a perfect world, our classes would always align with our preferred times and schedules. As many students know, however, schedules rarely end up as such. The “awkward class gap,” usually an hour or two, is a common experience in which there’s just enough time between classes for it to drag on, but for most, it’s just barely too short to dive into something more productive. There are options, though, that don’t require too much focus for those that aren’t sure how to use the in-betweens.

 

Read over notes: Sometimes full on studying doesn’t feel like an option during this time, especially for those that might study better at home and live off campus. Just taking a quick glance at notes, however, will help the information sink in, leaving less studying to do later.

 

Update your planner: The syllabus usually has a calendar, but it’s not uncommon for unforeseen circumstances to change the schedule up a bit. Things can change often in personal and professional lives as well, so taking a few extra minutes to make sure everything is still set straight can help with feeling more prepared.

 

Browse classes for next term: An option for pretty much everyone except seniors in their last term, making a rough drafts of schedules to come may not be very pressing at all times, but it may come in handy when the next registration date rolls around. Spring Term registration starts on Feb. 25.

 

Take a power nap: It’s not uncommon to hear at least one person say “I’m so tired” at least once a day, or hear stories of a term paper that took most of the night. Power naps may not be a solution, but they can certainly temper the problem. Many students live on or near campus, and even some that don’t are willing to crash for a few minutes in their car or reserve some time in the Rest and Relaxation room on in the Student Health and Counseling Center.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Stylizing learning

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

If school teaches it’s attendees anything, it’s that the same thing doesn’t work for everyone. Whether it’s studying, writing or creating presentations, different people choose to tackle the task differently. These usually relate to learning styles and how they’re used. For students, understanding personal learning style can be especially helpful when finals come around. Fortunately, there are a number of ways that learning styles can be assessed and therefore utilized.

VARK is one way of assessing learning style. According to vark-learn.com, the acronym stands for Visual, Audal, Read/write and Kinesthetic. The website offers a questionnaire to help determine which of these most effectively conveys information to different people. Though it doesn’t explain how each type should study, it does give an idea of how studying a topic might make it stick more.

For example, visual learners would learn better from charts or diagrams while a read/write person would absorb it better by reading about the topic. For audal students, they learn best by hearing information — for example, during lectures — and kinesthetic learning students benefit most from demonstrations.

Another theory is that of human behavior specialist Scott Black, according to skillsyouneed.com. This way of approaching learning styles is slightly more complicated, with eight instead of four. They are: linguistic, or writing, reading and listening; naturalist, or interacting with and observing the environment; musical/rhythmic, or using rhythms such as whistling or tapping to focus; kinesthetic, or learning by doing; visual/spatial, or using visual aides;  logical/mathematical, or categorization and finding patterns; interpersonal, which relates information to others; and intrapersonal, or processing better alone.

This longer list delves slightly deeper into psychology. While learning and separating all the terminology may be more intimidating, it might be especially beneficial to look into for students who are undecided or questioning their major or career as each learning style includes a description as the types of jobs that correlate strongly with it. For example, a kinesthetic learner might consider a job that requires hands-on experience, while a logical learner could thrive in a technical field.

College life is known by many to be a time of great stress, but also of self-discovery. For some, this just means adapting their method of studying —  for example, watching a demonstration video instead of reading more paragraphs on a subject. Once an understanding is reached on how information is best processed for each individual, it may help ease the stress that comes with acquiring new knowledge.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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