Mount Hood

Campus voices: LACC edition

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

“I really like intro to fiction ‘cause there’s a lot of really good discussion. Also, even though I’m usually not a science person, I really liked Earth Science.”

-Rowan Hammer, sophomore economics and criminal justice major

[fruitful_sep]

“Theater with Ted Dechatelet.”

-Casey Brown, junior business major

[fruitful_sep]

“Jazz history if you like music.”

-Mateo Batista, sophomore biology and chemistry major

 

“Choir is a lot of fun … I love choir and it’s a one credit class you can take multiple times. Or Philosophy with Perlman…or Earth Science with Dr. Wade.”

-Conner Price, senior political science major

 

Photos by Rebecca Meyers

Journey towards success after loss of motivation

Karlene Curtin | Staff Writer

“Failure is not the opposite of success, failure is simply apart of its journey.” This quote was said by business woman Arianna Huffington, creator of Huffington Post. Huffington is one of many who have worked hard for their dreams to become a reality.  
Choosing to continue one’s dreams despite the obstacles and defeats are related to courage and pushing forward. Whether the goals are in relation to a career, academics, athletics or any other reason, the fear of failure or the feeling of failure can affect motivation and stamina towards one’s progress.
There are many solutions to push forward. Here is a list of  ways to regain motivation, even if failure or the loss of motivation have occurred.

 

Change perspective:

Mistakes or some sort of set back may have occurred. Take a step back and reflect on what happened. I suggest writing down a checklist to account for what went wrong.

Learn from it:

Change your perspective on mistakes. Understand that faults happen and it is a natural part of the learning process. When it comes to trying new things, mistakes are inevitable. It is better to learn from them than to dwell on them.

Grow from it:

A major part of growing is learning from mistakes and realizing what works. Mistakes and failures are a major part of life; learning from these setbacks can make one a better version of themselves.

Look for inspiration:

Find inspiration through others. Seeing how others complete their goals can help create a new strategy. New techniques and a new mindset can help complete goals that could be beneficial for reaching success.

Remind yourself why you started:

Asking the “why?” question is super important when trying to complete a goal. Whether it is career, school or even the beginning of a new project or health plan, reminding oneself “why?”  can remind us why we begin this journey in the first place. It can possibly bring back loss of motivation too.

Try again:

Don’t ever give up on dreams. Push through the unique journey, even if it takes more than a second time to try.

 

Contact the author at kcurtin14@wou.edu

Photo by Rebecca Meyers

Tools and resources to improve your writing

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

Writing is one of those things that is inevitable in college for just about any major. Even those opting to study completely different subjects have to do it, and some students even have to face the daunting task of writing a thesis. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of tools and resources to help tackle writing assignments, both on-campus and off.

 

Writing Center

Western’s Writing Center is where students and their work can receive one-on-one attention from tutors that can help with any kind of writing purpose. A full list of their hours, services and contact information can be found at wou.edu/writingctr.

Writer’s Crucible

One of Western’s newest additions, the Writer’s Crucible is a group on campus for regular writers who want to improve their overall writing in an environment of other writers. For more information, contact Natalie Dean at ndean17@wou.edu.

Grammarly

This online tool is a free and simple way to do basic grammar checks while writing any important paper. It’s not necessarily a substitute for proofreading, but it does help eliminate a lot of basic mistakes.

Google Scholar

Tired of having to sort through results on Google to find credible sources? Google Scholar narrows your search to academic and peer reviewed sources only.

Mendeley

This free online tool helps store research and organize papers. It allows users to upload almost any document to use later for reference or storage and even has a bibliography tool.

Writer’s Diet

This quick and easy online tool will analyze a segment of writing and analyze the ways in which it may be too wordy. Students should note, however, that most academic papers tend to score poorly in the abstract nouns section due to the nature of research papers, but it’s a good way to check unnecessary words in the other categories, such as use of adverbs.

Easybib

This online tool is a go-to for many students in creating or learning how to create the different types of citations. Results usually have to be double-checked and occasionally edited, but it creates a good initial framework either way for creating citations.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo by Rebecca Meyers

How to make gluten-free teriyaki chicken with ramen noodles

Morgan Taylor | Freelancer

A simple recipe that can easily be altered to your liking, this dish is full of hidden vegetables and can basically be made with any that are on hand. Also, if gluten-free isn’t your thing, this recipe works with any type of instant ramen noodles as a cheap and fast alternative.

 

TERIYAKI CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES WITH RAMEN NOODLES

Start to finish: 40 minutes

Servings: About 4 portions

 

Ingredients:

2 medium-to-large chicken breasts

1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil

Poultry seasoning — a few pinches

1 medium onion — sliced

1 yellow pepper — sliced

1 orange pepper — sliced

1 ½ cups of snap peas

2 cups of cabbage (pre-shredded works)

2 minced garlic cloves

3 packs of gluten-free ramen noodles

3 cups of water

3-4 tablespoons of gluten-free teriyaki sauce

 

Instructions:

Chop up chicken into either strips or chunks, using a separate cutting board for the raw chicken, and slice onions.

Heat up oil in wok or large pan on medium-high heat and then add chicken, onions and garlic. Season chicken with poultry seasoning. Cook until chicken turns white on the outsides.

Add half of the teriyaki sauce. Simmer until caramelized.

Reduce to medium heat. Add peppers and snap peas. Cook for about one minute.

While the peppers cook, begin to boil water in separate pot. Add noodles in and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Separate noodles with fork as it cooks.

Drain noodles and add to stir fry. Add cabbage and the remaining teriyaki sauce. Cook for one minute.

Serve and enjoy.

 

Contact the author at  mrtaylor14@wou.edu

Photo by Morgan Taylor

Spring festivals and events near Western

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

One reason spring is so great is that it feels like a build up to summer festivities and outdoor activities. As the sun starts to come out, so do many of the annual events near Western. Almost all of them occur on the weekends, making them fairly accessible to students. Here’s a short list of upcoming events to get you started when festival season starts to roll around.

 

Food Truck Frenzy:

Put on by the Willamette Humane Society, this pet-friendly event featuring music, food and drinks will be happening this May.

Date: May 17

Address: 4246 Turner Rd SE, Salem

 

Willamette Valley Wine Festival:

This is an event held on the Salem riverfront, a beautiful place during the spring. The Willamette Valley Wine Festival is a great chance to enjoy one of the Willamette Valley’s famous products, and a great chance to support local businesses while enjoying Salem in springtime.

Date: May 19

Address:  Riverfront City Park: 200 Water St SE, Salem

 

Portland Rose Festival:

Nothing says spring like a festival celebrating flowers. The Rose City’s annual Rose Festival is one of it’s most famous events, located in downtown Portland near the riverfront.

Date: Begins May 24

Address: Tom McCall Waterfront Park: 98 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland

 

Canby Wine, Food and Brew Fest:

Part of Clackamas County’s annual Fair and Rodeo, this Canby festival at the Clackamas County fairgrounds is another great event for experiencing the Willamette Valley’s signature tastes. While you’re at it, you can also experience a classic county fair rodeo.

Date: May 31

Address: 694 NE 4th Ave, Canby

 

Oregon Renaissance Fair:

Period costumes, music, vendors and entertainment are all part of Canby’s annual Renaissance fair. This event will be happening two weekends, so there’s two chances to experience this medieval Scotland inspired festival.

Date: June 8-9, 15-16

Address: 694 NE 4th Ave, Canby

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

A checklist to complete before graduation

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

Graduation is looming, and so is DegreeWorks’s infinite checklist. Hopefully by the time the cap and gown go on, all items will be checked off and Western seniors will have the all-clear for graduation. However, there are other important things to do before leaving Western that won’t show up on Portal:

 

Get pictures with friends that are moving away — or, with friends who will be staying if you’re the one leaving. If not, you might reach the end of graduation and realize you don’t have momentos of all the people who helped you make good memories during your time at Western.

 

Ask for some letters of recommendation from your favorite professors or staff. Many are happy to help you take your next step towards a career, and most jobs will require a letter or two. It’s also an opportunity to thank them for their help over the years, or even just one term.

 

Study hard and go out on a good note. This may already be a given for some, but everyone has a rough term or two. Think of the satisfaction that would come with walking across the stage after earning some of your best grades ever.

 

Start networking. Some of the best job hunting resources in your field can come from people who either have been or are going into the same one. Some professors know of good resources or people to contact to start the job hunt, and keeping in touch with classmates and keeping each other updated can bring up different opportunities.

 

Take senior photos. Whether professional or casual with a friend and a smartphone, senior photos are a great way to mark a milestone and will be fun to look back on in a few years.

 

Take full advantage of Western’s resources. Right now, things like Hamersley Library – full of free information, the Health and Counseling Center with its health resources, and the Health and Wellness Center with its fitness facilities are all available to students. A lot of those benefits will go away after commencement, so take advantage of them while you can.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo by Caity Healy

Where to host graduation parties in Monmouth and Independence

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

Graduation is quickly approaching, and so are the ideas of how to celebrate graduation. Many students have some sort of celebration outside of commencement.

These much anticipated graduation party plans can be made more difficult by the fact that a large number of students live in small, shared apartments, dorms or rooms rented out by families. Additionally, some students have the complication of having to move out of said dwelling right around graduation time, leaving them with no location to host any kind of party. Fortunately, there are a number of places available for rent around Monmouth and Independence perfect for hosting graduation festivities.

 

Main Street Park

One of the closest options to campus, Main Street Park is located in downtown Monmouth and offers a spacious lawn perfect for a picnic party. The proximity to various restaurants and shops means there will be no shortage of food or refreshments. According the city’s website, the fee depends on the size of the event and reservations can be made by calling the City Recorder at (503) 751-0145.

 

Riverview Park

For another outdoor option, Riverfront park is another great location located in downtown Independence. The river right next to the park and the walking trails nearby add to the outdoorsy summer feel in warm weather. The application, which also contains pricing and available hours, can be found at ci.independence.or.us/recreation/riverview-park.

 

The Gentle House

Located on campus, the Gentle House grounds is an outdoor venue that offers some privacy from public spaces. Western students and alumni can also enjoy a 10% discount on the reservation fees, which can be found at wou.edu/gentlehouse.

 

Jubilee

For a smaller gathering, consider Independence’s dessert bar Jubilee and its reservable private back room. More information and reservation booking can be found at 296 S Main St, Independence, OR.

 

Fee Mail Depot

Many students know this located for shipping out textbooks rented online, but this location also has an outdoor patio space that can hold around 40 people. The base price for this venue is $100 for about four hours, but the business will cut that price in half if you rent your decorations from them as well.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo by Caity Healy

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