Mount Hood

Great places to eat in Salem

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

One of the upsides of living near Western is the proximity to cities like Salem that offer an abundance of options for going out. However, this can also mean an overwhelming amount of options when faced with making a decision of where to go. To simplify this problem, I’ve compiled a list of hidden gems to consider when going out in the state’s capitol, both for dinner or for breakfast/brunch.

 

Gamboretti’s

Located near Salem’s riverfront, this Italian restaurant is a great place for people in the mood for Italian cuisine at a reasonable price. The warm ambiance, variety of dishes and delicious food are all reasons to try out this location.

Location: 325 High St SE.

Bo and Vine

Located in downtown Salem, Bo and Vine Burger Bar is a place for a different type of dinner, but still a unique and delicious one. Their menu, while simply split mainly into burgers, greens and shakes, still provides a classy atmosphere.

Location: 176 Liberty St NE

Best Little Roadhouse

More than a restaurant, this fun location also offers mini golf. A more casual location, their menu offers classics like chicken tenders, steaks and nachos.

Location: 1145 Commercial St SE
Annette’s Westgate Cafe

Offering all day breakfast, Annette’s is a great place for brunch or breakfast. They also offer a salad bar, burgers, and sandwiches as well as beer, wine and cocktails.

Location: 1311 Edgewater St

Word of Mouth

A small local bistro that serves breakfast and sandwiches, this location is a great place for a relaxing brunch. According to their website, hours may be shortening soon due to availability and business on the staff and owners, so visitors should check their website, wordofsalem.com, for updates.

Location: 140 17th St NE

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Simplifying resolutions

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

It’s officially 2019, and while some still have to adapt to not writing dates that end in ‘2018’, some of us are also trying to make other changes to our lives. While some don’t do resolutions, others set high expectations for themselves, and meanwhile others aren’t so sure either if they should participate in setting resolutions or question if they can be successful.

For the people who are in a state of undeciding, a good place to start is by setting the simple and easily attainable goals first and then deciding whether to work up to bigger things. These simple resolutions can be related to any aspect of life that could use improving.

Many people start with resolutions that have to do with health. While starting a new diet or a new rigorous workout regime might not be for everyone, there are smaller changes that can be made that will still improve overall health and wellness.

For example, one resolution can be merely drinking more water and staying hydrated or walking somewhere that’s usually a two minute drive if possible.

Some people resolve to make drastic changes to their diet to be more healthy, but those who might be intimidated by such changes can start with smaller ones, such as replacing one unhealthy snack with a healthier one but otherwise staying the same.

Other lifestyle-related changes that can be made can be things that are more relevant to academic or social life. Old habits may die hard, such as putting off work until the last minute, but resolving, for example, to read at least one chapter or write one paragraph everyday can help build a less stressful routine when the due date arrives.

If the hope is to create more meaningful connections or to strengthen existing ones, a good resolution might be something like deciding to explore the school’s club options or to take more initiative in starting conversations rather than waiting on others.

As usual, jokes can be expected about the New Year’s resolutions lasting only until the end of January. However, surviving the first month can be made more simple by starting small. Resolutions aren’t for everyone, but even small steps can bring positive change.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Pet preparedness

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

As students continue their adjustment to life as an adult, many are drawn to the idea of having a pet. Cats and dogs especially are popular choices, and it’s obvious why: animals can be a good source of comfort and friendship, especially when feeling stressed out. Most animal lovers have or want some kind of pet for this reason. While adopting a pet can bring a lot of positivity to our lives, it’s also important for both the sake of the owner and the animal that the owner fully understands all the responsibilities to consider that come with it.

First off, pets can quickly become expensive, especially for those who are already on a budget. The costs don’t stop at the adoption fee; they will require being able to constantly purchase food, and in the case of a cat, litter. 

Then, there’s also the supplies that come with it and any medical bills the animal might require. Puppies and kittens are popular to adopt, but may require medical care during and after getting fixed. Many places will do this free of charge, but the process is not always without complications that may need to be resolved. A friend of mine explained to me once that her cat had ripped her stitches after getting fixed and had to get her belly restitched.

There’s also always the chance that sudden medical issues can pop up that can be very expensive to treat. Obviously, it would be inhumane to allow a pet with a critical medical issue to go untreated, so it’s important to take this into consideration before adopting, especially if the animal is going to be allowed outdoors unsupervised regularly.

On top of this, other factors to consider include the time and effort commitments. Some animals are much lower maintenance than others, but this sometimes can lead people to be overconfident in their ability to properly care for an animal. Budgeted time commitment for any animal should also include making sure the owner is fully informed. For example, I recently heard someone wondering if they should declaw their cat. Declawing, which is often considered a quick fix for scratching cats, actually involves removing much more than the nail, including tendons and bone. Humanesociety.org notes that in humans, it would be comparable to cutting off a finger at the knuckle and that the cruelty of the process has gotten it banned in some countries.

Many people who have owned a pet will attest that they have a positive effect on their daily lives. However, this only emphasizes the fact that a successful pet adoption goes smoothest when the owner is fully prepared to do so. It doesn’t take much effort to decide whether investing in a pet is the right choice.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

The best nearby Christmas tree farms

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

The calendar has officially flipped to December, meaning that many people can agree that it’s time for the holidays to start happening. For those Western students who will be remaining in Oregon for the holidays, luckily, there is an abundance of you-cut Christmas tree farms nearby perfect for getting into a festive mood.

 

Bigfoot Christmas Tree Farm

Located in Dallas, Bigfoot Christmas Trees is a small yet festive place to find the perfect tree. Their selection includes the usual variety of trees, which include Nordman firs, Douglas firs, Noble firs and Grand firs. They sell wreaths as well, and the experience includes a cozy fire pit sitting area.

Location: 12120 Clow Corner, Dallas

Hours: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Vollstedt Farms

This Albany farm is another great place to find a variety of different trees. Their wagon rides take visitors to the tree-filled fields, and then returns them to a warm greenhouse where visitors can enjoy hot chocolate, cider, cookies and some Christmas decorations for sale

Location: 451 NW Quarry Rd, Albany

Hours: 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

 

Palmer’s Christmas Trees

This family farm in Salem was voted the Statesman Journal’s Best Christmas Tree Farm for both 2016 and 2018. It boasts a wide range of tree types, including the usual four, Norway Spruces, Turkish firs and more.

Location: 4716 Poinsettia St NE, Salem

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

 

Santiam Canyon Christmas Trees

A small family farm near Stayton, Santiam Canyon Christmas Trees is full of holiday cheer such as a gift shop, free treats, wagon rides and photo opportunities. Visitors can pick from the four traditional types of trees here as well.

Location: 17300 N Santiam Highway, Stayton

Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Season of giving

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle Editor

The holidays have arrived, and many people have started thinking about what to get for their family and friends. However, this time of year is also a great time to consider springing for things for strangers in need. Drives and donation sites, such as those listed below, are an easy way to make the holidays nicer for everyone.

Western’s food pantry, location on campus across from Heritage Hall, is always accepting donations. They accept not only food, but hygiene products as well. They also accept perishable foods as well as shelf-stable ones, restricted only against homemade or unlabeled foods.

The Independence Police Department will also be having their own donation drive, accepting both shelf-stable foods and monetary donations. This drive has already begun and will go through Dec. 14.

Some Bi Mart locations will be having winter clothing drives throughout the winter. They will be collecting clothes for cold weather throughout the season with dates varying for each.

A number of locations in Salem will also be accepting non-perishable food donations throughout the season. Multiple Fred Meyers will be taking donations up until Dec. 24. Additionally, the Salem Saturday Market will also take donations on Dec. 13 and 14, also of shelf-stable foods.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Acing the application

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

The last few weeks of fall term bring many things, from finals and stress to holidays and festivities. It also brings applications for financial aid and, in the case of some upperclassmen, to graduate programs.

Whether applying at Western again or elsewhere, the process can be stressful and sometimes intimidating. However, there are a few tips that might help make a difference in both confidence in the application and the quality of the applications themselves.

The first place to start is to check the deadlines. This may seem obvious, but it can affect how the challenge is tackled. If the deadline is far off, this gives time to hone and perfect any written requirements to be submitted. If the deadline is near and there’s some uncertainty as to whether this particular program is the right one, it may help provide motivation to apply anyway just in case it does turn out to be a strong contender. Also, regardless of the results, the sooner they are returned the sooner the idea of one’s options becomes clearer.

Next, it’s a good idea to make some kind of checklist of everything that has to be turned in. Some applications may require specific test scores, letters of recommendation or personal essays. These can take some time to put together, which is why the first step will help to prioritize which need to be done first. Some schools have later deadlines, but may require more time consuming materials.

For those who don’t have their heart set on specific schools or programs, it can also be a good idea to try and narrow down the list of applications. While it’s good to have options, having too many can become overwhelming and applying to too many that are just for backup can take time and focus away from the first choice applications. It can also become costly, as many applications can only be submitted with a fee.

It’s also never a bad idea to consult advisers or others who have also gone through the process. Experience from others can be just as valuable as personal research. In the end, a combination of both perspectives will take a great deal out of the stress and uncertainty of applying for that dream program.

 

Contact the author at howlifestyle@wou.edu

Health habits that help with studying

Rebecca Meyers | Lifestyle editor

It’s that time of year when many students are reevaluating their study habits in anticipation of upcoming finals. By now, most students have their routines down and have fallen into whichever habits work for them. However, some might want to improve on their existing methods. Most people turn to aspects specifically involving how they study, but it turns out incorporating certain health related habits can have a positive impact.

According to Psychology Today, there are a number of different changes to routines that have been proven in controlled studies to improve test scores. These include adding a workout routine, eating breakfast, meditation and getting enough sleep on a regular basis. These habits are important to overall health, which will in turn boost mental sharpness.

There has been some debate as to whether chewing gum can actually help with studying, but a study published in Science Daily says that it’s no myth. According to the study, chewing gum can help with concentrating on a specific task that might be hard to focus on for long periods of time.

McGraw Hill Education also has some suggestions. For one, they claim that it can in fact help to use scents to remember study material by associating the information with a specific scent. For example, wearing a perfume or cologne that’s not usually worn while going over specific information and then wearing the same perfume during a test can help the mind recall what was studied.

They also say that studying in a warm environment can improve studying efficiency. This is because the cold can be a distraction, even if it’s not a conscious one. The body still has to work extra to keep its temperature regulated, which takes energy away from focusing on studying.  

Diet can also play a role in academic performance. While it’s been impressed on most from a young age that a balanced diet is important for health, it turns out it can actually help us prepare for tests. NCU.edu provides an extensive list of foods that they’ve found to be especially beneficial to brain function, which includes avocado, berries, rosemary, turmeric, walnuts and dark chocolate.

Finals can be rough, but they can be less so when students have confidence that their hard work will pay off. Some may be able to make drastic changes to their regular routines, but there are also smaller, simpler changes that can be made that will help give students the results they want.

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

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