Mount Hood

Women’s basketball faces turmoil

Written by: Liberty Miller | Lifestyle Editor

The Western women’s basketball team had their season cut short amidst allegations of abuse and fraudulent activity from the coaching staff. Head coach Jessica Peatross entered her first season at Western in 2023, after coaching at Division 2 school, Salem University, where she held a 14-17 record. Assistant coach Demetrius Marlow also previously coached at Salem University alongside Peatross. 

The team will not be competing in the last six games of the conference season and holds a record of three to ten in the regular season with a .231 winning percentage. In a press release statement from University President and Athletic Director Randi Lydum, it was announced that “The decision to cancel the season aligns with the highest standards of integrity and accountability within our program.” No additional information has been provided from the athletic department about the cancellation of the season, and it is uncertain whether players will retain their year of NCAA eligibility. 

A total of six sources have agreed to release statements to “The Western Howl.” All but one have chosen to remain anonymous for safety reasons.

Jessica Peatross was the Associate Head Coach at Delta College, where she eventually became Interim Head Coach before transferring to Salem University. Peatross claimed to have received a scholarship to play golf, basketball and participate in track and field. However, there are some discrepancies in the information provided in press releases concerning Peatross’ experience prior to joining the coaching staff.

An anonymous source stated that “The head coach lied on her resume that she played division one basketball when she didn’t.” Further investigation shows that the introductions for Coach Peatross into both Salem University and Western Oregon University included that “Peatross received a Division-1 scholarship to play golf, basketball and track at Chicago State University” — however, there are no digital records of Peatross ever competing or being on the roster of the Chicago State women’s basketball roster between 2010-2014, when she attended the university; there are records of Peatross competing at Chicago State in track and field and golf. 

Jack Watford, communications director for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, released an official statement to the Howl, stating that “The WBCA is aware of the announcement made on Friday by Western regarding its women’s basketball program. Other than confirming that Western Oregon head coach Jessica Peatross is a member of the association, the WBCA has no comment at this time.” 

An anonymous source who played on Salem University’s women’s team, under Peatross, stated, “I don’t think she deserves to be coaching at all — especially because she didn’t even play college basketball.”  

More allegations against Peatross include, but are not limited to, verbal abuse, threats, yelling and a lack of regard for mental health. One player claimed to have a complex relationship with Peatross, stating, “Honestly, it was very bipolar. I think her bad outweighs the good sometimes. She wasn’t a bad person at all, and we found times where we could laugh and joke around with her. But then again she was rude and I sometimes feared talking to her. I never knew what to say sometimes.” 

Another Salem University source alleges that “Coach P told one of our girls she would ruin her life if she did anything.” Another source claims that Peatross and Marlow “Threatened to cancel our season if we kept mentioning the things they were doing to their bosses.” The exact cause of the cancellation of the Western women’s basketball season, and whether or not the cancellation was a team, coach or administrative decision has not been released. 

Demetrius Marlow, also known as DJ, was previously an assistant coach with Warner University women’s varsity basketball team as well as the head coach for their junior varsity team. Marlow was also the head coach at the Tenoroc High School varsity women’s basketball team for two years. Marlow began coaching with Peatross during her stint at Salem University, where he was the assistant coach during the 2023 season. Multiple sources from Salem University shared their perspectives on Coach Marlow, particularly concerning his relationship with Peatross. 

One of the sources stated, “It was a very different vibe with only Coach Marlow. He is very capable of running a basketball team by himself, very down to earth — he is a different guy around Coach P.”  

Sorimar Morales, a Tenoroc High School basketball player who played under Marlow voiced her support, stating that “Coach DJ is someone who’s trustworthy and dependable. He’s also someone who was hard on me and my teammates but for a good cause. He’d always spread positivity, always telling the truth with his speech before and after practice.” 

Other sources conversely claim that he was unsupportive and constantly made racial remarks towards the girls within the program. Three sources stated that he regularly referred to them as “black girls” instead of their names, allegedly telling a player that she was “not supposed to be around the black girls — we’re segregating ourselves.” One other source claims that Marlow called her a “…privileged white girl — that I will never know what it’s like to be a black woman or black male, that I have it so easy.” Two of the sources from Salem University claim that Marlow called them a “waste of space,” as well as “a waste of breath” after a game; additionally, one of these sources claimed that Marlow attempted to “force a relationship between us and a boy on the (men’s basketball) team.” 

Furthermore, there are numerous allegations of physical abuse that occurred within the Salem University and Western basketball programs under both Peatross and Marlow.

An anonymous source from Western alleges that “(The) coaches have physically and mentally abused (the team) from the start of the season, having practices going over 2.5 hours and over (NCAA) rules -– ” as well as claiming that the “assistant coach even hurt (a player) so badly she had to get surgery before the season started.” 

An anonymous source from Salem University recounts their experience of physical abuse last year, alleging that “We actually had one big incident that took place — Coach Marlow was playing with (the players), and actually pushed one of the girls into a door, where she hit her head really hard. He tried to say another girl had pushed her, but he was the only one there.”

Alongside physical abuse, there are also accounts alleging that Peatross and Marlow verbally abused their players — ranging from accusations regarding invasive questions about their sexuality to demeaning language. An anonymous source from Salem University alleges that “Coach Marlow yelled at a girl during a game to the point where she hyperventilated, and after one game, Coach Peatross yelled at a girl and got in her face looking as if she wanted to fight the girl.” Sexually charged comments were allegedly repeatedly made by Peatross, with one source divulging that “Jessica would constantly ask about our sexualities, constantly asking if we liked boys or girls.” 

The allegations claim that there was irreversible damage done to the players and their season.

The anonymous source from Western claims that “Not only were we stripped of our season but we all struggled immensely and not a single person in the athletic department helped us (except) for the (athletic) training staff.” 

A Salem University source spoke about the damages inflicted on them and disclosed that “They broke down our mental health to the point where we had no repair, no uplift in any situation at all. It was kill or be killed to the point where a lot of the girl’s first years in America were ruined because they didn’t give them the proper treatment or experience. They traumatized us. Broke our bodies. We were disciplined because we were scared of what they may do, not because of how good of coaches they were. No one heard us when we seeked help, it was all turned back on us and it made us even more scared and worried about what they may do to us.” 

An official statement from Western President Jesse Peters to the Howl announced that “We remain committed to upholding the highest standards within all of our athletics programs. To that end, we have opened an investigation into these matters, and we remain committed to creating a positive and productive environment for everyone in the WOU community.”

Randi Lydum, Jessica Peatross, and Demetrius Marlow did not answer our request for comment.

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

Psilocybin facility

Written by: Hannah Field | News Editor

At one point, licensed facilitator Patrick Winczewski was the only full-time facilitator in the state of Oregon — one of two states able to provide legalized psilocybin, a psychedelic mushroom, for clients. Now, Winczewski is no longer the only one.

Inner Guidance, located in North Albany, allows for individuals or groups to experience psilocybin, which, according to the pamphlets offered in the lobby, is “A naturally occurring compound found in many species of fungus… and has been used by humans for spiritual and ceremonial purposes for thousands of years.”

Psilocybin contains psilocin, which closely resembles serotonin, both as a molecule and the effects it has on the brain. It allows the brain to maintain neuroplasticity — which develops new neural connections, creating new habits for individuals or stimulating mental growth.

“If you imagine you’re sledding down a hill, and if you always slide down the same route, that route — that rut — is going to get really deep and it (can be) really hard to get out of it,” said Winczewski. “The metaphor is that (psilocybin) is like a fresh blanket of snow to help you pick new routes, help you get out of the rut you were in and find a different pathway. So if you’re wanting to work on yourself, wanting to process trauma, get over whatever addiction concerns you have — that’s the time to do it.”

At the location in North Albany, the mushroom is offered in three variations: capsule, powder and its natural growth. The powder is most popular, since it may be mixed in with applesauce or other substances, and the effects occur quicker in comparison to the other options.

“It’s interesting because I think a majority of the people who do psychedelic mushrooms do have an excellent time,” said Winczewski. “A lot of people that we see are looking for a supportive space because they have things they’re needing to work on. They have trauma they need to process and they want to do it in a supportive environment. We don’t like to use the term ‘bad trip’ because even if an experience is challenging, which a lot of them are, that doesn’t mean it’s not productive.”

Winczewski is a facilitator — a far different job from a therapist. In his position, Winczewski sits with the clients “journeying” and does not interject. Individuals are free to follow their experience without his influence, but facilitators will offer support when necessary alongside their non-directive approach.

The facility offers various rooms — Earth, Sand, Water and Space — with instruments, coloring books, stuffed animals and more displayed for use. Clients may sit in comfy, reclining chairs, indulge in music or eat snacks. 

During preparation, the first appointment for any client, clients disclose their medical information to Winczewski and learn about psilocybin and the main goal of a facilitator, which is to make the client feel comfortable.

It is the second appointment — known as administration — that the client will experience the effects of psilocybin. Clients must be dropped off and picked up before and after the appointment, which ranges for hours, with the highest dosage being a minimum of a six hour stay.

“A lot of people think we’re guides. We know a lot about it obviously, but I think some people expect to have more answers given to them, and interpretations given to them, but we’re required not to do that,” said Winczewski.

The final appointment, which is optional, exists to provide consultation regarding the experience. Clients may meet with their facilitator to go over the event, something facilitators believe every person should have the opportunity to do. Winczewski recommends waiting a week before meeting for the integration appointment, leaving time to collect, reorganize and apply what they’ve learned to their day-to-day life.

Facilitators are required by Oregon state law to pass an Oregon Health Authority curriculum-approved training program, which, for Winczewski, took six months. The training consisted of indigenous presentations from Shamans on the drug, neurochemistry lessons, counseling, comfort training and ethics. The War on Drugs is evaluated alongside history surrounding psychedelics.

Winczewski hopes that Oregon having legalized psilocybin in certain circumstances will allow for a reformed system across the nation. “It’s a natural medicine. It has profound effects that no other pharmaceutical drug has or does. It’s been used — it’s proven safe. It’s proven effective,” said Winczewski. “This really connects people with their past, their ancestors, their earth, to their God, in a way that other medical systems do not.”

Winczewski admits he is a big fan of mushrooms — that a substance like psilocybin may cure America’s lack of emphasis on preventative and natural medicine and change lives.

“I feel like my soul is on fire after a really good session,” said Winczewski. “People work through so much stuff. We have group sessions and they all just love each other so much — there’s a camaraderie that’s built.”

Psilocybin is still a vastly unexplored tool, with clients not always understanding the true nature of the plant. “Part of my job as a facilitator is also to reduce people’s expectations. You can read one hundred different books on psilocybin journeys — most of them written by white men — but you’re not going to get the answers for what your session will be like by reading all these stories,” said Winczewski. “Because yours is going to be unique, but also beautiful, and we’re here to support you in any way that is necessary.”

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Laken Riley

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Content warning: this article contains mentions of murder and gun violence

Laken Hope Riley, a 22 year-old nursing graduate of the University of Georgia, was found dead on Feb. 22 after going for a run on campus. Riley graduated from the University of Georgia in 2023 and was continuing her studies at Augusta University, an academic medical center. 

After a steady rise of campus violence nationwide, students and their families are concerned for their safety. Many are wondering what they can do to keep themselves safe and more importantly, what their schools can do to protect them as well.

On Feb. 16, a student at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs was killed in his dorm by his roommate. Multiple reports of conflict between the roommates were made, but there was no effort by university officials to remove the suspect. More recently, on Feb. 24, a student was found strangled in his dorm room at Campbellsville University in Kentucky. 

Additionally, at the University of Georgia on Feb. 16, a student was held at gunpoint in a campus mugging, and the school concluded there was “no ongoing danger” to the campus. Less than a week later, Riley was murdered on the same campus.

Laken Riley was a beloved daughter, sister and future nurse. She received her honorary white coat in August, 2023, “…symbolizing humanism, compassion, and the start of her nurse’s journey,” the nursing college of the University of Georgia stated on Facebook.

Lauren Phillips, Riley’s sister, stated on Instagram in a memorial post: “The best sister and my built in best friend from the very first second… I’m not sure how I’m going to do this but it’s all going to be for you from now on.” Hundreds of comments poured in supporting the family and reiterating Laken Riley’s good qualities. 

Laken Riley did everything right. She was running in broad daylight, in a popular running area on the University of Georgia campus. Riley had her phone on her, and she gave her friends her location. Yet, she was still failed by those around her. How does this happen?

The University of Georgia had installed emergency blue lights in the 1980s but removed them in 2004. The school claimed that not enough students utilized the lights during the 20 years they were active, and a new technology change to the lights was too costly to keep them around. 

Many speculate whether or not campus authorities are using their power to protect the students who attend their schools. No matter how desperately college students try to protect themselves, the system still finds a way to fail them and their families — their only crime was pursuing their education. All these students should still be alive today.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Funding uncut

Written by: Hannah Field – News Editor

The Incidental Fee Committee held its seventh meeting on Monday, Feb. 12.

Otherwise known as the IFC, the group consists of nine members. Three of them were nominated by ASWOU President Hunter Hall, another three were nominated by Western’s President Jesse Peters and the last three were nominated in a general student election. During the meeting on Feb. 12, Hall acted as the chairman, where they discussed different topics relating to funding for the upcoming school year.

The first matter of business was the incidental fee charges for students. 

The on-campus fee for students was $415 and the fee for off-campus and online students was $210. The committee debated between dropping the fee or keeping it as is but settled on keeping it as it is so funding remained the same for student clubs and other IFC-funded organizations. The summer charge was unchanged as well.

The IFC motioned to accept Abby’s House base budget request, including the Food Pantry, with unanimous approval from the committee.

The athletics department also received their base request with four positives and one abstain due to a conflict of interest. Campus Recreation, Access or ODS Services, Childcare, Computer Replacement and Creative Arts all were granted what they asked for.

Extraordinary Travel received their base request of zero dollars.

Student Engagement Operations, Leadership Inclusion and Activities, Student Activities Board, Student Media and Wolfride all received their base requests — meaning all boards received their base request, as granted by the IFC.

In regards to budget enhancements, Hall confirmed that all enhancements, so far, have been decided upon by the IFC — but has been clear that final decisions have not been made.

“But as far as we’re concerned right now, (they’re all) being approved, but it could still be changed,” said Hall. “I believe the fee will probably stay where it’s at, just because we’re up in enrollment for the first time in a while.”

The expected effects won’t be seen until the budgets are implemented in the Fall of 2024, but the funding increase will likely encourage student employment and generate more events on campus.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu.

At-risk population relocation

Written by: Libby Thoma | Staff Writer

Due to the struggle with homelessness and mental health, different cities have tried to brainstorm solutions to solve this foreboding problem. One of these solutions consists of sending the homeless and those with severe mental health issues to a different city with a one-way bus ticket –- for free. This is known as greyhound therapy, which is technically forced relocation. Some places even ban these individuals from returning to their place of origin, such as Key West, Florida. Most of these people who were shipped off remained homeless and faced the same problems; it did not solve the underlying problem.

States including Oregon contain the highest per capita number of homeless, and Portland, as of 2016, began relocating homeless people to other cities. Relocation occurs all over the United States, and the bus service travels all over the country as well.

Ideally, this system is meant to relocate at-risk populations to somewhere they can find a support system. It also appears, though, that cities, such as San Francisco, are partaking in this system to lower their at-risk population percentages. This raises the question — are cities doing this to help these populations, or are they doing it to have better homeless percentages? To answer this question, it is important to address whether or not this system works for underserved populations. According to the Guardian, this system does not attempt to address the root cause of homelessness, therefore not solving the problem. Most homeless and mentally ill stay in the position they left their previous city in. 

It is important to address other ways to help at-risk populations, rather than having them sent off to a different state or city. On an individual level, one can volunteer with aid groups; donate food, clothing and other essentials; make kits to give to the homeless on the street and more. On a governmental level, the government should supply federal housing assistance, which has been proven to be helpful, and supply safe homeless shelters. 

Homeless and mentally ill populations are people too, and deserve a life and shelter where they choose to be as much as any other citizen does. If you want to take action, here are some places that are safe to donate to: Oregon Community Foundation’s Online System and NAMI.

Contact the author at @ethoma23@mail.wou.edu

False spring

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Most Americans know who Punxsutawney Phil is, and it’s not just for his dashing looks. Every year on Feb. 2, the Pennsylvanian groundhog makes an appearance to predict the weather. However, Phil only has a 39% success rate, but he still has an almost cult-like following.

Fox Weather claims Phil drinks a magical elixir — a secret recipe — to help him live forever, so he can predict the weather for eternity. The weather magician lives in a climate-controlled, light-regulated burrow adjacent to the Punxsutawney Memorial Library.

The months between February and April are an unpredictable time. Especially throughout the Pacific Northwest, both snow and sun, in addition to the usual rain, can be expected at this time of year. Many lean on Phil in an attempt to forecast the upcoming season.

This February, Phil predicted an early spring. After the ice storm that hit Oregon in January, it’s refreshing to see some warmer weather come to town — especially in an area that lacks vitamin D. However, a secret season occurs before real spring — known as false spring.

False spring refers to the period before the spring equinox when weather conditions become unusually warm, before returning to a regular bitter winter state. Not only does false spring trick people — and Phil the groundhog — into believing the mild season has begun early, but even vegetation can come out of dormancy.

An early spring also means early allergies. Many suffer from grass and pollen allergies as the beautiful flowers of spring begin sprouting. These seasonal plants may be seen as early as January or February, because of the false spring phenomenon. Always keeping allergy medicine on hand may be a good idea.

The underlying cause of false spring is, of course, climate change. Between winter and spring, fluctuations in weather patterns may be detrimental to the environment. Could Phil have predicted this?

Sophia Espinoza, a Western biology major, spoke on what the changing weather means for the future. “This decreased season time… may be inconvenient for us when we have to pack away our sweaters earlier each year, but these rising temperatures are a warning signal for the collapse of many natural resources… that are vital to maintaining a healthy biosphere on earth,” Espinoza said.

Warm season lovers can look forward to daylight savings time on March 10. It may not be time to break out sun hats and bathing suits, but the time will come soon enough. If Phil says spring is on its way, it must be true.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Hateful protestors at universities

Written by: Libby Thoma | Staff Writer

On many college campuses, a phenomenon that excludes Western, some preachers hold signs expressing hateful, sexist, racist, homophobic and other problematic words — backing their religious beliefs. These signs can include anything from anti-abortion harassment to informing those who are gay, masturbators, gossips and more that they are sinning and hell awaits them. 

Protestors also loudly attest that judgment is coming and to repent. Additionally,  protestors wave signs saying that abortion is murder or a sin. This list goes on and on, commonly revolving around religion in one way or another. 

These signs and the people holding them can be extremely hateful and disrespectful, and when confronted, they generally justify their rhetoric by citing that campuses allow freedom of speech.

Although campuses do allow freedom of speech, these protests can often lead to people feeling unsafe and unwelcome, and there have been times when the university’s campus public safety has had to intervene to ensure everyone’s safety and push back against violence. 

So, there are two arguments universities face: allowing freedom of speech — which means allowing hateful speech or stopping this type of protesting due to it being hurtful and uncomfortable for the students and faculty it targets. 

The First Amendment of the Constitution allows freedom of speech no matter how offensive the speech is. However, the Constitution does not permit hate speech, libel or slander, although the parameters of hate speech are not specified. This does not extend to behavior or speech that is threatening, harassing or creates a hostile environment. This translates to universities as well; freedom of speech is vital to education.

This is problematic because it is subjective whether these protesters are harassing or threatening people, and most would consider them creating a hostile environment. Another problem is that even if the protesters themselves are not participating in violent behavior, the hateful messages that they are spreading can, and seemingly do, create violent situations in which public safety has to intervene.

This may lead to confusion about what material can be defined as hateful and what is an opinion. Stating that someone is going to hell generally comes across as hateful, and stating a political or religious opinion such as “abortion is wrong” is generally considered disrespectful as well. It is also important to consider that these protestors can make it hard for students to get to class, as the crowds that surround the protestors can get in the way. This can lead to the idea that these protestors get in the way of university student’s education, which is important to consider in this topic. The question universities have to consider is what is the line between opinion and hatefulness, and whether hateful speech should be allowed on campus. 

Hallee Ocana, a University of New Mexico student, has experienced these preachers and protestors firsthand. “These protestors a lot of the time are very docile and are just old people who don’t receive a lending ear in their personal lives, so I view them as quite pitiful. The younger or more active ones like this man I’ve seen around campus have made it a bit of a living nightmare trying to get to class. These are the ones I walk a bit faster for and genuinely look behind me just in case.” 

Hallee continued, “While I consider it free speech, I’m not positive that this is what our founding fathers meant by it. Speech is supposed to be critical and open, not hateful and potentially dangerous. When their voice uses weapons and their hands it is no longer the free speech our forefathers envisioned. I do believe that our campus should have policies against this sort of thing. While a student can face an academic disciplinary committee if they disagree too much with a student on a discussion board, there should be regulations and countermeasures to these protestors.”

Haille explained, “I identify as bisexual Latina who doesn’t mind pot and believes that women deserve bodily autonomy. So in the case of this man’s statement, I deserve to burn in hell? What good do villainizing labels do for anyone to make the world a better place?” Hallee said. “Like I’ve said, some of them are funny and pitiful in their efforts, however, ones like him who will hit you with their sign or chase you to class if you speak up are wrong,” Hallee said.

When asked if the protestors aligned more with opinions or hate speech, Hallee said, “It would depend on the circumstance in which they choose to state their beliefs. This man uses hate speech, while others simply will say, ‘hey, stop that, that’s wrong.’ There’s a difference between a conversation versus a hostile dynamic and most of these individuals like to twirl on that fence. Civilized conversation is an opinion, attacking those you’re against is a hate crime.”

Hallee alleged, based on her experiences, that freedom of speech has gone too far and has gotten in the way of her safety and her education. 

Protesters talking about abortions, racist speakers and more, affect most universities. It may be time for universities to decide on what qualifies as hateful and unsafe speech versus free speech and what is allowed on campus. 

Contact the author at ethoma23@mail.wou.edu