Lifestyle – Page 44 – The Western Howl

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

DISCLAIMER: There are some Instagrams I may have missed, so this shouldn’t be treated as a completely comprehensive list. I also opted to not use pages that have not been updated within the last year or so.

Instagram is a very commonly used app for people, businesses, schools and more. This applies to Western as well, as the university has many different handles it uses for multiple things that occur on campus. Here is a list of the Instagram handles that Western has.

@wounews : the official Instagram page for Western
@westernoregonuniversity : Admissions Office
@wouhonors : Western’s Honors Program
@aswou : Associated Students of Western Oregon University
@woualumni : a page for Alumni to receive information on reunions and throwback posts
@woucampusrecreation : Western’s campus recreation
@woumail : Western’s mailroom and services
@woulibrary : Hamersly Library
@wou_shcc : Student Health and Counseling Center
@wouwolfstore : WolfStore
@wou.bites : Western’s Campus Dining
@thewesternhowl : Western’s newspaper
@nwponline : the Northwest Passage, Western’s art and literary journal
@wou.plusteam : information on PLUS Team, SOAR and New Student Week
@wouwolves : official Instagram for Western Athletics
@wouclubsports : official page for Western Club Sports
@wou_imsports : Intramural Sports
@woucheerleading : Cheerleading Team
@woulax : Men’s Lacrosse
@westernoregonmensrugby : Men’s Rugby
@wou_xctf : Cross Country and Track and Field teams
@wou_soccer : Soccer Team
@wou_danceteam : Dance Team
@wouwsocclub : Women’s Soccer Club
@wousoftball : Softball Program
@wou_mens_clubsoccer : Men’s Club Soccer
@wouwbb : Women’s Basketball
@woumarchingband : Marching Band
@woucolorguard : Color Guard
@wou_internationalclub : International Club
@unidoswou : Unidos Club
@mechadewou : MEChA de WOU
@woubsu : Black Student Union
@wou_environmentalclub_garden : Environmental + Garden
@wou_mun : Model United Nations
@woumitu : Monmouth-Independence Tenants Union
@wouhawaiiclub : Hawai’i Club
@wousab : Student Activities Board
@wougsa : Gerontology Student Association
@woumathclub : Math Club
@d.r.e.a.m_wou : Disabilities Rights Empowerment Awareness Mentoring club
@woucr : College Republicans
@wou_byte_club : Byte Club
@cruatwou : CRU Club
@wouasl : ASL Club
@msuwou : Multicultural Student Union
@wou_ta : Triangle Alliance
@woudanceinfo : official page for Dance Department
@woudance_dept : student based page for Dance Department
@wou_psychpac : Psychology Peer Advising Center
@westernoregon_arotc : AROTC
@wouband : Wind Ensemble
@wouinterpretingstudies : Interpreting Studies Program
@woufinearts : Smith Fine Arts Series
@thewestofus : The West of Us A Capella Group
@wou_knights : Omega Delta Phi Fraternity
@kdchibetadelta : Kappa Delta Chi Sorority
@wou_axo : Alpha Chi Omega Sorority
@wou_kappasigma : Kappa Sigma Fraternity
@woufsc : Fraternity and Sorority Council
@wourha : Residence Hall Association
@wouhousing : University Housing
@heritage_wou : Heritage Hall
@ack_pack : Ackerman Hall
@wou_veterans : Western’s Veterans
@wou_lab : Latino Advisory Board
@woumssp : Multicultural Student Services and Programs
@wousva : Student Veterans of America
@wou_sep : Student Enrichment Program
@wougreenteam : Green Team
@wou_tac : Tree Advisory Committee
@wouserve : Western’s Alternative Break
@student_engage : Student Engagement
@wounationalstudentexchange : National Student Exchange
@wouslcd : Service Learning and Career Development

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home » Lifestyle

Don’t compromise your health, practice safe sex

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

College is a time for many people to start their journey to independence; most start making their own decisions — places they will be living, jobs they plan to pursue and various lifestyle choices, such as who they decide to be in a romantic or sexual relationship with. The majority of students had at least a small sex education lesson during their middle or high school years, but the information taught can be pretty basic without going into ways to safely practice sex.

The biggest lesson in sex ed — in my own personal experience — was to avoid pregnancy, and the easiest way to do that was through abstinence, because, to quote my high school health teacher, “it was the only way to 100% avoid pregnancy.” The topic of ways to safely have sex wasn’t touched on, but it’s important to know when deciding to participate in sexual activities.

Using a condom can be among the easiest ways to practice safe sex, as most can be found or bought generally without difficulty. The Health and Wellness Center has male condoms available for students at Western to take for free, located on a shelf in the main lobby area. Both male and female condoms can be purchased with ease at convenience stores, health centers and supermarkets.

It’s important to make sure they are being used effectively and correctly, as complications can arise if not. The risk for sexually transmitted infections increases dramatically, and potentially the risk of an unplanned pregnancy. Be sure to check the expiration dates and quality to make sure they aren’t damaged or compromised in some way.

Another way to stay on top of safe sex is to get tested as often as needed. If there’s an infection to be treated from previous sexual interactions but it goes unnoticed, it can lead to health problems. Some, however, don’t have any symptoms and people could be unaware of their presence, so getting tested will help an individual to continue to be up-to-date on their health.

While participating in sexual activities, another surefire way to ensure safety isn’t jeopardized is to avoid engaging in sexual activity when inebriated. Important decisions can be forgotten while under the influence, or actions — such as putting on a condom — can be done poorly and incorrectly.

It’s important to exercise safe sex if or when engaging in sexual activity, but a final key component is to communicate with partners to secure that everyone is on the same page.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

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New year, new you: how to stay on top of resolutions

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

When the end of the year rolls around, many people decide to create resolutions for the new year, whether it’s fun goals to accomplish or ways to improve the way someone is currently living. A potential problem that arises from these resolutions is accidentally or intentionally dropping them not long after declaring them. Here are some tips to try and help stay on top of those New Year’s resolutions.

A simple fix that seems to be trending is to invest in a planner; not only could that assist in planning out resolutions in general, but it can also help with staying on track for the future. By using the planner, goals can be set for each day, week or month — depending on the goal itself and how often someone feels they need to be doing it.

Alternatively, merely writing down aspirations for the new year can be effective. By creating a checklist, goals can be tracked and marked off with ease. Writing down resolutions in a notebook is a simple way to do this, or even inputting them into a checklist style note on a smartphone. A fun way to keep track of resolutions is to write each individual goal on a sticky note and place them somewhere that will be seen every day. For instance, the sticky notes can be placed on the wall, the door to the bedroom, around a mirror or miscellaneously placed across the surface of a desk.

Setting reminders on a smartphone can also be beneficial to those struggling to maintain new year objectives. By going into the calendar app, an event can be set up on a day of the person’s choosing, and it can be set to repeat whenever and however long is desired. This way, a person can check their progress each day, week or month, or it can be simply a way to remember while the resolution is still fresh and potentially forgettable.

Lastly, tell family and friends about any New Year’s resolutions so they can assist in the process of keeping them. They can provide support and encouragement when first starting out, or if a goal starts to become particularly challenging. They can serve as a pep squad of sorts to make the process of completing the objective easier, or even help with completing the goal by actively encouraging, which in turn can make the activity more enjoyable as a whole.

A final thing to keep in mind is that it’s okay to fall behind on resolutions; things can happen in life that alter plans previously made, but anyone can pick themselves back up where they left off.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home » Lifestyle

Slide, glide and skate at ice skating rinks

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

An activity that becomes popular around the winter season is ice skating, and can be a fun way to get out with friends during the holiday break. Here are a few places sprinkled around the northwest.

Lloyd Center Ice Rink is located at 953 Lloyd Center in Portland, and is directly in the center of the mall. Found right across from Macy’s on the first floor, the ice rink provides an opportunity for patrons to freestyle skate, take skating lessons or even reserve for a birthday party.

Lessons can be for people from preschool to adult level, and cost $123 for 30 minutes a week for seven weeks of classes, but is currently on sale for $113 until Jan. 4. Those who sign up for lessons get free admission to all public skating times from the sign up day through the seven weeks of lessons, along with free rental of skates on the day of class. Lessons for current registration will run from Jan. 6–Feb. 22. For advanced competitive skaters, there are 45–60 minute sessions that cost $12 for drop-ins and $105 for a 10 punch card. Admission currently for the holiday season from Dec. 14–Jan. 5 is $20 and $4 to rent skates. Their hours are Monday 11:30 a.m.–5 p.m., Tuesday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Wednesday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. but is closed on Christmas, Thursday 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m., Saturday 1 p.m.–8:30 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. More information can be found at lloydice.com.

Mountain View Ice Arena, located in Vancouver, WA at 14313 Mill Plain Blvd., also has private and public lessons and availability. Potential customers have the opportunity to take private lessons for both figure skating and hockey. Each sport has different coaches available to choose from, and times that are available and fees vary from person to person. For individuals that are new to ice skating in general, their Learn to Skate program offers group lessons from four year olds to seasoned veteran skaters. Sessions are held once a week for eight or nine weeks, and are all taught by experienced skaters. The current price for public admission is about $10 with a $4 skate rental fee, and passes of various lengths can be bought for $299–$899. Their schedule varies each week and day-to-day, but generally times are from anywhere between 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Look at their website mtviewice.com for more information.

Winter Village is in Hillsboro at Jerry Willey Plaza at 943 NE Orenco Station Loop. It opened on Nov. 29 for it’s fifth season, and is an open-air ice skating area. There isn’t any online or pre-sale options to purchase at this location, however tickets are available to purchase 15 minutes before the skating session begins. General public admission costs $13 for ages 12 and older and $10 for ages 4–11. Family packages can be bought for $40; rental for skates is $5. Private sessions are available for Mondays, toddlers get to skate on Tuesdays and public skating is from 10 a.m.–9:30 p.m. with schedules varying for the holidays — the rink will close early on Dec. 24 and will be closed fully on Dec. 25 for Christmas day.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

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Home » Lifestyle

Enjoy another festive holiday dessert with this Hanukkah pastry

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Christmas isn’t the only holiday that happens in December — Hanukkah takes place just before Christmas, and lasts eight days. Here’s a Jewish pastry recipe that can be made during this holiday.

NUTELLA RUGELACH

Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes

Yields: 48

For the dough:

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

½ cup sugar

3 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of coarse salt

2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough

For the filling:

4 ounces walnuts

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

Pinch of salt

12 oz nutella (jam or chocolate chips can be substituted)

For finishing:

3 egg whites, lightly beaten

Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Add sugar, and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Add vanilla and salt, and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low, and beat in flour. Remove from bowl, and divide into three pieces on a lightly floured surface. Pat into disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to overnight.

Make the filling: In a food processor, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse until fine.

Preheat the oven to 350 F°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of dough into a 12-inch round, less than ⅛ inch thick. Spread evenly with nutella (it may help to have the nutella a bit melted so it doesn’t tear the dough while spreading). Sprinkle with ⅓ of the walnut mixture. Gently press ingredients into dough with your fingers.

Cut the round into 16 equal-sized wedges (triangle shaped like pizza slices). Beginning at the base of each wedge, roll to enclose filling, forming crescent shapes. Pinch to seal. Place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling ingredients. Brush tops with beaten egg white. Bake until golden brown, 25 minutes.

Recipe from eatingbirdfood.com

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

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Hit the slopes at these locations during winter break

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

With December comes the winter season, which in turn brings snow — albeit, rarely when in Oregon. During Western’s winter break, try visiting these places in Oregon with friends or family to get in some skiing or snowboarding during vacation.

Mt. Bachelor is located in Bend at 13000 SW Century Dr. It’s open every day, and has a live weather cam on their website to inform visitors about the current amount of snow that’s on the mountain. The conditions report can be found by clicking the “what’s open” option on the main home page, which then gives the viewer an update on the state of the resort. They have a variety of winter-related activities available to patrons, such as skiing, snowboarding and sled dog rides. In addition, for customers who do not have their own snow gear, there are rental options for equipment from helmets to snowboards. Rental packages vary from about $55 to a little over $200.

Season passes can be bought in advance and work for the 2019-2020 winter season — which varies but is typically from November to May. Their lift opened Friday, Dec. 13, and is available to use from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The cafe they have available for use is open from 7:30 a.m.–4:15 p.m. The West Village Mountain Gateway Building is open from 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. More information in regards to passes, hours and rentals can be found on their website mtbachelor.com.

Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge offers lessons and various lodging options for guests; similar to Mt. Bachelor, Timberline also has a weather conditions monitor on their website. It provides updates on the temperature, snow levels and amount of fresh snow that has fallen, with pictures that are frequently updated to physically showcase the amount of snow in each area. From snow tubing to snowshoeing, it provides multiple options for winter activities for everyone. There are lifts scattered throughout the lodge along with two terrains for guests to roam.

The operating hours for the Schoolyard and Thunder terrains are from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Multiple bundle packages for lodging and activities vary in price from around $100 to about $500. The season passes for adults is $439, and pass holders are able to gain discounts around the lodge and shops. Even more prices, deals and information can be found at timberlinelodge.com.

Hoodoo Ski Area in Eugene is not currently open for the 2019-2020 winter season, but will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday, along with holidays, from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. In the meantime, prospective customers can check on the current state of the mountain using the webcams and updating system on the website. Ski lessons will be available for groups, private or both, and the levels for each lesson vary by the individual or group skill level. In addition to skiing, there is snow tubing and a multitude of events for the public to attend. More information can be found at skihoodoo.com.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

The Western Howl

Home » Lifestyle

Get festive with these Christmas themed iced sugar cookies

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Once the holidays come around, my household becomes filled with various sweets and treats for family dinners. An easy and fun recipe that I do with my mom is Christmas themed sugar cookies. Here’s the recipe she uses — try it out with friends or family members during this holiday baking season.

CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

Start to finish: 4 hours and 30 minutes

For the classic sugar cookies: 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¾ cups (or 1 ½ sticks) unsalted, softened butter

2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening

⅔ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the basic royal icing: 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

MAKING THE CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the chilled dough, and put it directly on the work surface. Roll the dough ¼ inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut shapes in the dough, and transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until they are set but not browned. Remove from the oven and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

MAKE THE BASIC ROYAL ICING

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg whites and lemon juice until the mixture is completely smooth. The mixture should have the texture of a glaze. If the mixture is too thin, add a bit more sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of lemon juice. You can add a few drops of food coloring if desired, or you can divide the icing among many mixing bowls if you need more than one color.

The best way to ice sugar cookies is with a pastry bag fitted with a small or medium tip. First, outline the cookie or design, then fill it in. Let the icing harden before serving.

The cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to three days.

Recipe from “BAKED: New Frontiers in Baking” by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

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Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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Which WOU Instagrams to follow

Don’t compromise your health, practice safe sex

New year, new you: how to stay on top of resolutions

Slide, glide and skate at ice skating rinks

Enjoy another festive holiday dessert with this Hanukkah pastry

Hit the slopes at these locations during winter break

Get festive with these Christmas themed iced sugar cookies

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