News – The Western Howl

A photo of a sign placed over the Bricks & Minifigs store in Keizer which closed. | Photo from @statesmanjournal on Instagram

Jun 3, 2026 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

Bryan Mansell is the son of Ed Mansell, who collected Star Wars LEGO sets for over 20 years, until he had a huge collection worth $200,000.

In November of 2023, with his father suffering from health complications, Mansell decided to sell the collection to a store in Keizer, Oregon, known as Bricks & Minifigs. He created a consignment with the franchisee owner of that store, Chrystal Law-Gorman. The agreement went as follows: the LEGOs themselves were property of Mansell until the moment of sale. The store would take 35% of gross sales, with 65% paid to Mansell in monthly installments.

After about a year of this consignment agreement, Law-Gorman was planning on leaving the country due to a personal reason, so she was going to leave the company. The corporate chief executive, Ammon McNeff, claims that Law-Gorman was planning on closing the store, which McNeff did not comply with. The corporate owners of Bricks & Minifigs supposedly started making plans to transition the store’s ownership to someone else. However, the Gormans became uncooperative during the process, leading Bricks & Minifigs’ corporate owners to seize the store in the same manner one does for an asset seizure in a bankruptcy proceeding.

Law-Gorman’s account was quite different. She claims that she was asking how to sell the store, not close it permanently. However, the owners immediately seized the store without allowing her to do a full inventory check and kicked her out. Security footage shows her being kicked out, along with the person on the phone who was taking over the store, saying, “That’s a business thing and not necessarily yours. He is taking on the business; he takes on all that consignment.”

After being notified of Law-Gorman’s leave, Mansell sent a formal termination letter to Brandon Best, one of the new owners of the store. The letter demanded inspection of sales and payment of all unpaid proceeds, as well as a return of all remaining inventory within 10 days.

However, the new store operators allegedly claimed they didn’t know of any consignment agreement. Corporate said that the evidence was inadequate and told him to pursue the Gormans instead. Mansell alleges that when contacting a corporate representative, they told him all of the above information and that “If we go to court, we’re going to drag this thing out so long and you’re gonna end up spending so much more money than your collection is ever worth.”

Mansell disputes the reasoning due to the fact that when corporate assumed the assets and agreements of the Keizer store, they inherited this consignment with it. Secondly, Mansell had sent someone inside the store after the new operators claimed to have removed all of his father’s LEGO sets, and the person successfully purchased one, showing that they were still being actively sold.

This is when Ben Schneider, who runs the YouTube channel Reckless Ben, became involved in trying to help Mansell get his property back. Schneider traveled to the store in Keizer to speak with the new manager. After mentioning Mansell’s name, he was promptly kicked out of the store with a police officer trespassing him. He tried to tell the police officer about the situation, but was met with dismissals. When asking the officer how to get the LEGOs back if he can’t go back into the store, the officer allegedly said, “We talked about that. If you come back, you will be arrested.”

After this situation, Schneider traveled to the corporate offices of Bricks & Minifigs in Utah, where he spoke to McNeff directly. When Schneider asked about the situation with Mansell’s collection being held and sold at the location despite no proper payment being made, McNeff claimed that they never did a deal with Mansell and that it “never happened.” Schneider then proceeded to show McNeff the Instagram page of the Bricks & Minifigs store in Keizer, which had posted photos of the LEGO sets promoting them to the public, as well as stating that they are from Mansell’s father’s collection.

An anonymous Bricks & Minifigs employee told Schneider that the LEGOs were reimbursed by the company and that they no longer had any of them. Yet, when Schneider showed her photos of the sets that were known to be Mansell’s, she confirmed that they have many of them. Schneider was able to get the phone number for another Bricks & Minifigs store owner, Josh Johnson, from this employee.

After speaking with him, Johnson claimed that he did not have to honor the contract signed between Mansell and Law-Gorman. He said, “In order for me to be under contract, I have to sign something.” Yet, as stated before, there is video surveillance provided by Law-Gorman showing that the person who kicked her out of her store said that the new owners would take on the business, even mentioning any consignments.

After trying to get Johnson to simply give the collection back, he allegedly told Schneider to “Sue me! Let’s go to court!”

Due to the fact that neither Mansell or Schneider could afford to go to court to sue Bricks & Minifigs, Schneider planned to go to small claims court, which is cheaper with a faster judgment. However, small claims courts can only give a maximum amount of $10,000. Schneider found a legal loophole where he had each of his friends give Mansell $10,000 in order to purchase an amount of his LEGO sets, which then splits the ownership of them and allows them to sue Bricks & Minifigs ten times.

The store was served ten times by ten different people in small claims court. Bricks & Minifigs never responded to the lawsuit and therefore Schneider won by default. Nevertheless, when Schneider went to the store to attempt to collect what was owed, the store was permanently closed down.

All of what has been covered above is seen in Schneider’s video called “I tracked down the thief who stole $200,000 of LEGO,” which documents this situation from Schneider’s point of view. This is part one of his coverage of this situation, with part two being released on May 30.

Part two shows a much darker part of this situation. Schneider, with few options, decided to sue Johnson and Best. When attempting to sue them directly, the court needed Schneider to prove a “good faith effort” to resolve the dispute before filing. He attempted to go to both Johnson and again to the Bricks & Minifigs corporate office in Utah, but both refused and called the police on him.

Schneider was then stopped multiple times by police, even having his car searched. Eventually, Schneider was able to have the lawsuits approved, but when going to serve the papers, Schneider was stopped by police and accused of faking the papers. Yet, despite body camera footage showing that the cops confirmed the papers were real, Schneider was arrested, with his team claiming that the police gave no reasoning for it.

With no apparent options left, Schneider hosted a GoFundMe for Mansell to try and raise the money for him through donations. The Utah police then came, eventually arresting and detaining everyone as they raided the home that Schneider and his team were staying at. The police obtained a search warrant for the place, with the reasoning being that they were searching for “stolen LEGOs.”

After being held for a few days, Schneider was then released along with his team. The video ends with Schneider realizing that there is actually a warrant out for his arrest, as he is thought to be a physical threat to Johnson. He then fled to Mexico so the Utah police could not arrest him, as he could face up to five years in prison.

As of right now, this is where the situation stands, with public outrage being sparked within the LEGO community. Many YouTubers have been covering this situation, such as Philip DeFranco, penguinz0 and LEGO Empire.

Bricks & Minifigs released a statement after Schneider’s video first became public. They stated, “The public narrative surrounding Bricks & Minifigs claims that corporate leadership and our new Salem franchisees knowingly ‘stole’ a $100,000 to $200,000 LEGO® collection from an elderly collector and his family. This is not true. The actual origin of this dispute lies in an unauthorized, local consignment arrangement between an independent former franchisee of the Salem store and the Mansell family.”

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu

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Creatures of the basin

June 3, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

May 23, the Oregon Coast Aquarium opened a new temporary exhibit entitled “Amazon Basin: An Adventure for the Senses” that will run through Jan. 2, 2028.

The exhibit will display animals from five different ecosystems, including dense rainforests, flooded forests, rivers, open savannas and misty cloud forests. In total, there are 13 new tanks and tons of new species to explore. “Imagine stepping into a world where neon-blue frogs cling to dripping leaves, piranhas swirl in dark water, and the air smells like rain-soaked earth. For the first time at Oregon Coast Aquarium, you can,” the aquarium said on their website.

Additionally, there will be art in the form of murals and illustrations integrated throughout the exhibit, all designed by Alexander Vidal.

The first zone within the exhibit is the terra firma rainforest. These forests have four distinct layers where diverse species live throughout and typically stay dry year-round. The aquarium will have dart frogs, a rainbow boa and a giant ameiva here.

The second zone is the river and river banks. Rivers within the Amazon carry a majority of the world’s freshwater, and this is the richest zone within the exhibit in terms of species. Piranhas, electric eels, mata mata turtles, orange rays, South American leaffish, cichlids, silver dollars and cardinal tetras will be here.

Looking nothing like the others, instead encompassing vast grasslands, the savanna is the next area to check out. Here, visitors can find Argentine black and white tegus and red-footed tortoises.

Cuvier’s dwarf caimans are the sole species featured in the flooded forest section. When the rainy season comes, these forests are so flooded that most animals climb to the treetops until they can return to the ground, but the caimans remain swimming below.

Finally, broad-footed salamanders can be found in the cloud forest area. Cloud forests are located high in the Andes and have unique species found nowhere else. Mist and condensation is found everywhere here, allowing some like this salamander species to thrive.

Each year, a section of Amazon rainforest twice as big as Los Angeles is destroyed due to mining, burning and cattle ranching, leading to the estimate that the Amazon could be gone by 2060. “The Amazon isn’t a distant, isolated place. It’s an active part of the same Earth system that shapes the weather and climate here in Oregon. By moving vast amounts of moisture through the atmosphere, it helps drive global rainfall patterns, influences temperatures far beyond South America, and supports ecosystems that affect the stability of the planet we all depend on,” the Oregon Coast Aquarium website adds.

To get more information about the new aquarium exhibit or information on things everyone can do to help save Amazon rainforests, visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium website.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

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Strawberry shortcake

June 3, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

June 4 through 7, the 117th annual Lebanon Strawberry Festival will take place. For those interested in attending, day tickets are $10, with children under 12 getting in free.

Thursday is All Heroes Day at the festival, and visitors can also expect the annual strawberry queen coronation at 6 p.m. sharp. All Heroes Day was put in place to celebrate veterans, active military and first responders. With military ID or a badge, those who fit into one of these categories get free admission on Thursday, as well as their spouses and children. Additionally, the first 100 heroes who check in at the All Heroes Day booth will receive a free appreciation gift. There will be an awards ceremony in the evening to honor the veterans in the community as well as first responders from the Lebanon fire department and police department, Linn County Sheriff’s Office and Pacific Power and Consumers Power linemen. The Strawberry Festival website added, “The Strawberry Festival would like to thank you for your hard work and dedication to protecting our community and nation. We hope that you will join us in celebrating these men & women that are making a difference in our community.”

Each year, five young women are selected to represent the Strawberry Festival as princesses, with one being nominated during the festival as strawberry queen. The selection process for queen includes a dinner with community leaders and judges, a final round of interviews and the coronation event at the festival where each princess is judged on their formal presentation, a speech and their answer to a predetermined question. The previous year’s winner will crown the next strawberry queen, and the new queen will make her formal debut during the grand parade.

On Friday, the junior parade will occur and bands will play on the main stage in the evening. The junior parade showcases younger children walking with decorated bikes, wagons or small floats. “Being in the Strawberry Festival Junior Parade is a great way to get kids of all ages involved in a community event, build confidence in themselves, and start them at a young age to have pride in their community and be a part of something special!” the website says. After the parade, the strawberry princesses will be passing out popsicles.

On Saturday, the day will start with a 5K run, or a shorter walk, and later events include the grand parade, the community hand jive, various bands and fireworks at dusk. The grand parade will start at West Rose Street. Each year it has more than 100 entries that include local organizations and groups such as dance groups, bands, large floats, motorcycles and more.

On Sunday, there will be various presenters, including the Sunday Hollywood Studio dancers, Verdant A Cappella, Cherry City Cloggers and Lebanon High School jazz band.

Bands and artists that are playing throughout the festival include Actual Size, Ben Rice and the PDX Hustle, Bryan Martin, Lucas Cole, Brady Goss and Roll On the Tribute to Alabama. There will also be a carnival that partnered with Rainier Amusement, with many rides on each day of the festival. Wristbands can be purchased for unlimited rides.

One of the biggest Strawberry Festival traditions that started in 1941 is their world’s largest strawberry shortcake, which will be served on Saturday after the grand parade. The shortcake goes through the parade, and once it reaches the festival grounds, the newly crowned strawberry queen and her court will ceremonially cut the cake using a giant historic knife. Notably, in 1975, there was a battle for the largest shortcake between Lebanon and Garden Grove, California. Lebanon won by a large margin with a cake weighing over 5,700 pounds that fed around 16,000 people. The cake used extremely high quantities of ingredients, including 514 cups of sugar, 992 cups of flour, 2048 teaspoons of baking powder and 18 cups of vanilla.

Each year, volunteers take shortcake to those in the community unable to attend the festival, such as those in senior living homes, hospitals and on-duty first responders.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

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Memorial Day

Displaying Soldier.JPG — A photo of a soldier paying respects at a grave site. | Photo from @usarmy and @arlingtonnatl on Instagram

May 27 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

First honored in 1868, Memorial Day, then titled Decoration Day, came after the Civil War to memorialize fallen Union soldiers, who totaled more than 300,000 deaths. Reportedly, the country was in deep mourning, and the annual honoring of Memorial Day would allow for a period of grief during a time when flowers were anticipated to bloom.

After World War I, the day expanded to encompass all military personnel who died while serving; it should be noted that Veterans Day is separate from Memorial Day by honoring all veterans, whereas Memorial Day is focused on those who died while in service.

For many years, the holiday took place only on May 30, as it was first honored then, but in 1971 it was changed so that federal employees and schools would receive a three-day weekend — which also marked Memorial Day as a federally recognized holiday.

This year, Memorial Day was on May 25. Western’s campus was closed — among all other schools — to observe the day.

Commonly, many might see Memorial Day as the start of the summer season. Often, it boasts good weather and a time to bond with others; however, not everyone sees Memorial Day as a time of celebration due to its deep connotations and core message. Families often visit the cemetery or memorial sites of soldiers or, in Western’s case, arrange a banquet in honor of the fallen and missing.

Western’s 10th Annual Memorial Day Banquet took place May 26 at 4:30 p.m., organized by the Veterans Resource Center, and filled the Pacific Room inside the Werner University Center. On the event listing, the VRC wrote, “Each year we remember the brave soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in support of our great nation.” The event handed out two student awards, including Student Veteran of the Year, which junior Hailey Toornstra received.

Western itself has a history of students departing the Monmouth community to join the war effort, with multiple students-turned-soldiers dying in World War II. More than half of all students attending Western during World War II, which spanned from 1939-45, were men who were drafted, specifically 117 men in 1943, 65 men in 1944 and 128 men in 1945.

The 1944 yearbook was dedicated to four Western men who died in service — Lt. Wilbur Birdsall, Capt. Ray Williamson, Harold Crook and John D. Haworth.

While information online regarding Western students from the 1940s is scarce, Williamson was reported in a newspaper from 1943 to “like flying better than anything else” and wanted his own plane following the conclusion of the war, which he did not live to see. He was one term away from graduating before joining the Army Air Corps. In November of 1943, the B-26 Marauder that Williamson was piloting was shot down. He is buried in France, but memorialized locally.

Frank A. Swaski was a commissioner on the student council at Western, vice president of the West House, which acted as a dorm hall, on the baseball team and a freshman in 1943. Within twelve months, Swaski was in the Air Force, helping fight in World War II as a gunner on the B-24J Liberator #42-109844, 514th Bomber Squadron, 376th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces. On July 8, 1944, he was reported as missing in action in the Capitol Journal out of Salem, Oregon.

Swaski had lived his whole life in Oregon, having been born in Sweet Home, and is now buried in Italy alongside 3,095 missing service members. He was nineteen and posthumously granted a Purple Heart and the Air Medal. The 1945 yearbook was dedicated in his honor, alongside another, Russell Newhouse, who had little to no information available online.

At Western’s Memorial Day banquet, Williamson and Swaski, alongside the others, were honored as Wolves.

Beyond the scope of Monmouth, 1.2 million American soldiers have died while serving their country, with the Arlington National Cemetery having more than 400,000 service members, veterans and their dependents. Approximately 3,000 people participated in this week’s Memorial Day parade out of Washington D.C.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek presented at the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs Memorial Day event. “Memorial Day is not simply a tradition, it’s a responsibility — a responsibility to remember the human cost of war, to honor those who never came home and to ensure that their sacrifices are never forgotten,” said Kotek.

Those who are interested in learning more about Memorial Day can reach out to the Veterans Resource Center on campus, look at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website or find local organizations and memorial sites, such as Timber Linn Memorial Park in Albany, where former Western students like Williamson are named.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

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Academic Excellence Showcase

Displaying IMG_6948.JPG — A photo of a presentation from a previous Academic Excellence Showcase. | Photo courtesy of Maren Anderson

May 27, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

May 28, the Academic Excellence Showcase will start at 8:30 a.m., continuing all day throughout campus. AES is a day for Western students — especially juniors and seniors — to highlight the academic excellence that they’ve worked on throughout their time here in the form of research projects, posters, presentations, fine art performances and more.

The Program for Undergraduate Research Experiences runs AES. The program’s main goal is to help students connect with researchers and gain experience in research. Because Western is a smaller school, many undergraduate students also have access to tenured professors doing research to learn from.

Students who choose to present must have a faculty mentor, typically the professor they worked on their project with. By presenting at AES, students in all disciplines gain valuable conference experience, build their resume and interact with members of the community. Local groups are being encouraged to come, such as the chambers of commerce of three different cities, to scout out the talent of students who are close to graduation, another benefit of presenting.

Members of the public of any age and students alike are encouraged to attend to see the integral research Western’s undergraduate students have been participating in. It is free to attend, and, for the day, parking around campus will not be ticketed.

AES begins the day with a Presidential Plenary at 8:30 a.m. in the Werner University Center’s Willamette Room. This has been a tradition of AES since 2017, where a keynote speaker will come in to talk, as well as a few faculty members. This year, the keynote speaker is David Heil, a Western alum and science educator. Heil is the host of the PBS show “Newton’s Apple,” a show reminiscent of “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” He also co-developed SEEDS, a program that promotes STEM for pre-K learners and their caregivers, and was further the associate director at OMSI for 13 years. According to the AES website, “David will reflect on his 50-year career as a scientist, educator, TV personality, museum administrator, author, and global consultant. His talk is going to be about how doing research as a student at WOU can help a student’s career, no matter the major.” Faculty speakers during the plenary this year include Brianne Salvati with her discussion on her “Telehealth Lifestyle Pilot Study for Improving Occupational Performance in Older Adults,” and Ryan Topper with his discussion on “Tree Prisons, Environmental Memory, and African Literature.”

Maren Anderson, the director of PURE, emphasized that students should attend to “really explore what other things we’re doing, because one of the things about being an undergraduate is you might go into school thinking you’re gonna do one thing and then realize, no, you really like this other thing.” She added, “For students it’s really good not only to celebrate the stuff that people have been working on so hard to produce in their research. We want to celebrate what our students are producing. It’s a really good way for people who maybe haven’t decided what their major is or think they have a major but maybe need a minor or maybe are just curious to come and see what other divisions, other departments, do, because you can easily change your mind and go major in something you didn’t think you were going to. That is what a liberal arts education is for.”

Some examples of presentations occurring throughout the day include special education master’s degree capstone projects, which are three-minute videos presented in a loop in four different Hamersly Library rooms; posters in the library; senior capstones for the history department, including an oral history of Monmouth; computer science projects; earth science projects, including advances in river restoration; the English department’s end of year awards, which will occur directly after the plenary; two art shows, including a senior art gallery exhibition; art and design portfolio presentations; dance pieces; and film studies in communication sessions with 10-15 minute movies. Additionally, there will be a poster contest where people can vote on their favorite poster. The Center for Professional Pathways will also be hosting a resume mocktail event in which they make attendees a mocktail and have a resume-building game in the library.

“It’s really important, just from a publicity point of view. This is extremely important for WOU to show off all of the cool stuff we’re doing. We’re doing fun things but also the really exciting research we’re doing and to be visible to the towns and the industries around here so people can really understand, there’s lots of opportunities for the industries around here to partner with people on campus,” Anderson explained.

The presentations that occur during AES are very unique from year to year. Reflecting on a past project that really stood out to her, Anderson discussed Gareth Hopkins from the biology department, who made an app for endangered turtles to better crowdsource turtle sightings. “I love that one, especially because that was the biology department working with the computer science department. And that, because they made an app, then they could use the data from the app in his research. And I want more of that to happen.”

In terms of this year’s AES, she explained, “I’m looking forward to the three-minute talks, those will be rapid fire and fun and awesome. I’m looking forward to the little movies — and I guess I like movies — cause I’m looking forward to the little movies in the communications. I’m really looking forward to the plenary and I hope people come to that because it’s really cool that this guy’s an alumnus and is gonna come and tell us about all these cool things that he did.”

Overall, students, faculty and community members are all encouraged to attend any event that sparks their interest or just to support the phenomenal research Western students across all disciplines are doing. The schedule for AES can be found on Western’s website here.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

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Multnomah Athletic Club returns

A photo of the Multnomah Athletic Club lobby prior to the May 2 attack. | Photo from @theoregonian on instagram

May 20, 2026 | Isaac Garcia | Sports Editor

Content warning: this article describes a suicide

In the early hours of May 2, a vehicle rigged with explosives drove through the lobby of the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, causing significant damage. Security footage shows the Nissan Rogue being driven around the first floor by Bruce Valentine Whitman before he detonated the explosives within the vehicle and succumbed to the injuries he sustained.

Reports claim that Whitman was a disgruntled employee who worked for the athletic club from 2012 to 2019 as a bartender before he was fired for conduct reasons that haven’t been disclosed publicly. In 2021, the Portland Police Bureau Health Unit received a report that Whitman was armed and displaying alarming behavior. Whitman would receive a stalking order and continued to exhibit concerning behavior over the next year, continually turning down mental health services that were offered. In June 2022, Whitman began threatening members of the athletic club both outside of the facility and at their homes, leading to him being placed on an involuntary hold for evaluation and mental health treatment as well as having his firearm confiscated for a year.

Charges were not filed against Whitman and he was released from the hold within two weeks. In February of this year, Whitman attempted suicide, which returned him to the hospital, where he would cooperate with the removal of his firearms. Upon his release, he and his family were given mental health resources. Reports from his mother as recently as May 1 suggest that everything seemed normal with Whitman, although shortly thereafter on April 29, he would begin purchasing the explosive devices that he would later use in the attack. The attack was then carried out just a day later.

After the incident, crews worked for hours to make sure that all explosive threats were neutralized. The athletic club sits right next to Providence Park, where both the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns play their home matches and the club can be seen from throughout the stadium. In fact, it is so close that depending on the part of the building, one could even watch a match as it takes place with a relatively unobstructed view. Luckily, both teams had matches away from Portland that weekend, with the Timbers facing off against Real Salt Lake in Utah and the Thorns traveling to Bridgeview, Illinois, in a match against the Chicago Red Stars. It was initially thought that the attack may have been an assault on the two teams and their fans or that it was politically motivated, however, this does not appear to be the case and it is believed to have been an isolated incident.

On May 13, the athletic club reopened for the first time since the attack and will be continuing to do so in phases. As of recent reporting, gyms, courts, child care and one of the pools in the facility are currently operational. Authorities who tended to the situation have said that the damage could’ve been far worse and that it is a stroke of luck that no one else was injured. Prior to its reopening, members of the athletic club went to Portland Fire & Rescue to personally thank the crews for their swift action and bravery.

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

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Drought warnings

Displaying IMG_6836.PNG — A photo of a drought level map for Oregon. | Photo from @joshcozartwx on Instagram

May 20, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

Residents of Oregon and Washington can expect notable water shortages this summer due to a combination of low snowfall and rapid snowmelt of the little amount present as well as warmer and dryer than normal conditions going forward. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, almost all of Oregon’s basins are at 5% of normal in terms of snowmelt as of May 13. Additionally, 12 out of 36 — 33% — of Oregon counties currently have drought emergencies that will continue through summer, and parts of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties are under an extreme drought status, one status under the highest possible, as listed by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Oregon critically depends on snowmelt from the mountains as a water supply, and because there is significantly less snowmelt this year, Oregon will be seeing very low amounts of water. This includes low rivers and lakes, decreased water supply to agricultural areas, dry wells and more. Areas specifically in Eastern and Central Oregon depend on water supply from snowmelt for the development, growth and harvest of farmlands. Crop production and animal maintenance will suffer this season because of this.

An Oregon news release about the warnings said, “Drought conditions are expected to significantly affect Oregon’s farms, ranches, recreation and tourism sectors, drinking water availability, fish and wildlife habitats, and other natural resource-dependent activities. Dryness will likely shorten the growing season, decrease water supplies, and increase wildfire risk.”

Another effect of the decreased snowmelt is the fact that many Oregon rivers are both lower and warmer, increasing risk for die-offs and disease outbreaks in native fish like salmon and trout, species that are critical to river habitats. Rivers are recorded to be at an all-time low for water level and most are 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than usual, a temperature that typically shouldn’t be seen until August. In addition to the lack of snowmelt, an increase in wildfires this season, also partially caused by dryer and warmer temperatures, has burned away canopy layers that provide shade to rivers, further increasing river temperature.

Residents can continue to monitor conditions through the U.S. Drought Monitor and check updates as Oregon representatives determine how to address the lack of water supply going forward.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

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Graduation season

A photo of a Western graduate waving to the crowd at the 2025
commencement. | Photo from @westernoregonuniversity on Instagram

May 20, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

The Commencement Ceremony at Western has been announced for June 13, 2026, at McArthur Field. The event will begin at 10 a.m., but students graduating should check in at 9 a.m. at the Wolves Athletic Center. More than a thousand students are eligible to walk, and all students who are graduating will be able to have their names read aloud.

Following commencement, recent graduates — no longer students — will be led to the Grove for the president’s reception. The ceremony itself will be available to livestream on YouTube by the Western Oregon University account, beginning at 10 a.m.

Guest speakers include four Outstanding Student Award recipients: Ashley Radmer, Faith Howie, Aubree Reese and Jennifer Gage. The graduating class will be led to the field by four distinguished alumni from the class that graduated fifty years ago in 1976. John and Lois Schrenk, Jon Carey and Miriam Haugen will all be honored as Golden Wolves, per Western tradition. The president of ASWOU, Morgan Pemberton, will also speak.

Emma Hawkins, who will receive a bachelor’s in communication studies with a minor in the arts, said regarding the upcoming event, “I can’t believe how fast my time at WOU flew by! So many great memories with great company. Going to miss this beautiful campus!”

With similar excitement, Claire Phillips decorated her cap for the day.

“I feel excited and anxious to graduate soon. I feel like I did so much here at Western and fully took advantage of the college experience, between building a community and participating in various activities around campus. I feel like I still have so much to do before graduation though,” said Phillips. “And it’s weird that it will just all end one day. I am very much looking forward to celebrating with all the people who have supported me these last few years.”

Phillips continued: “As for Western, I am so grateful for all the opportunities I was given. Having so much individualized support definitely has helped me succeed over the years, and I have had the pleasure of meeting so many incredible people. It’s been a bittersweet ending, but I am so lucky to have many fond memories to look back on. I will miss this tight-knit community and all the connections I’ve made here at Western.”

Multiple other events to honor graduates will take place in May and June, including the Student Enrichment Program’s TRIO graduation event May 27 and the Lavender Graduation Celebration, which honors LGBTQIA+ students and acknowledges their unique experiences. Participating students will receive their lavender cords at the event, which will be held in the Werner University Center June 10, but entry is limited to a max capacity of 250 persons and two guests per graduate.

Military service cords are also available for students who have previously served or are currently serving in one of the five branches of the armed forces, including the National Guard and Reserves. Additionally, many students at graduation may be wearing their honor cords, which mark them as distinguished honors students based on their grade-point average. According to Western, there are more than 24 organizations, honor societies and programs that offer unique cords and stoles.

Students who have yet to purchase their graduation garb may do so at the Wolfstore, which has partnered with Jostens, within the WUC. Additionally, diploma frames and class rings are available for purchase and/or order.

Attending the Commencement Ceremony is free, but it is expected that the stadium will fill up with friends and family members of the graduating class, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Guests hoping to attend will have the best shot at getting seats by arriving earlier, with the gate opening at 8 a.m. All parking lots on campus are noted as available for guest parking.

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

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Breaking the Silence

Addressing sexual assault on campus

2014 | Laura Knudson | Editor-in-Chief

With national discussion building in response to the 89 colleges under investigation for mishandling sexual assault cases, one thing has become glaringly hard to ignore: sexual violence can happen anywhere.

Since the start of this school year, half a dozen sexual assault cases have been reported at Western, according to Dr. Gary Dukes, vice president of student affairs.

“So far we’ve had the most consistent amount of referrals we’ve ever had,” said Andrea Doyle Hugmeyer, assistant director of Abby’s House, a resource and referral center available to persons of any gender for a number of issues.

In previous years, Doyle Hugmeyer said reports were scattered, with some months yielding no reports. So far, Abby’s House has had weekly referrals from sexual assault survivors since fall term started.

In 2013, six reports of sexual assault were filed with Campus Public Safety, and seven anonymous reports were filed with the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs, according to Campus Public Safety’s published statistics, indicating that there may have been as many as 13 reported sexual assaults in 2013, or as few as six.

Although there is a rise in consistent reports already this year, it does not necessarily mean it’s happening more on campus. Doyle Hugmeyer said she hopes it means people are using Abby’s House as a resource more than before.

“I don’t know if people are reporting more because there is more support, but I think there is more awareness because of the culture,” said Nancy Minnick, Campus Public Safety Committee Scribe.

Students acknowledge sexual assault as a reality on campus. Whether it is sexual, verbal, or on social media, “assault happens here,” said Brittany App, Senior ASL major. “It happens everywhere.”

“Our campus doesn’t differ from anywhere else,” said Bryan Kelley, junior Humanities major.

Studies conducted since the 1980s have shown a consistent figure of one in four college women reporting that they survived either rape or attempted rape, at some point in their lifetime, according to oneinfourusa.org.

“Until that number is gone, it will always be an issue,” said Marissa Onshus-Womble, Advocate of Abby’s House.

A 2007 national rape study funded by the Department of Justice found 11 percent of college women who experience rape, report it to the police.

Rape is the least reported of all violent crimes according to a 2009 National Crime Victimization Survey.

DEFINING SEXUAL ASSAULT

In attempts to diminish sexual assault, the Obama administration launched their “It’s On Us” campaign in September, aimed at engaging men in prevention measures, effectively responding to assault by increasing transparency in the federal government’s effort to enforce laws.

However, campuses like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found students were unsure of what constituted sexual assault. An MIT survey showed 17 percent of female students fit the sexually assaulted description, but only 11 percent checked yes on the survey when asked if they had been.
Dukes said victims are not always sure if they have been assaulted.

According to Western’s sexual misconduct web page, sexual misconduct is defined as non-consensual sexual contact. Sexual contact includes “touching of any private body part, including, but not limited to genitalia, buttocks, anus or breasts of another or causing such person to touch genitalia, anus, buttocks or breasts of another.” It also includes attempts to have non-consensual sexual contact, the threat of such contact, sexual exploitation, emotional/psychological abuse, sexual harassment and stalking.

The webpage categorizes behavior non-consensual if “no consent is freely given, the person is substantially impaired by alcohol or drugs, or the person is otherwise without the physical or mental capacity to give clear consent.”
When it comes to consent, Abby’s House supports the “Yes means yes” campaign. “Yes means yes” legislation adopted in states like California, put the focus of sexual consent on mutually agreed-upon sexual activity. Consent is mutual and continuous and requires partners to pay attention to physical and emotional cues as well.

Verbal consent should be repeated often, said Onshus-Womble.
“Just because you consented one time doesn’t mean you will the next,” she added.

“And you have the right to change your mind,” said Jessica Fontaine, another advocate for Abby’s House.

Both said students should consent every step of the way whether it be kissing or having sex.

For students who may still be unsure of whether or not they were assaulted, Fontaine said it was simple.

“The difference between someone who was raped and someone who wasn’t is that the person who was raped was in the presence of the rapist,” she said. “That’s the only factor.”

THE SURVIVORS YOU DON’T HEAR ABOUT

When most people hear the word rape, they visualize a woman being assaulted by a man, Doyle Hugmeyer said. But there are other victims we fail to acknowledge.

Males can be sexually assaulted, as can persons in same-sex relationships.

One in six men are found to have experienced sexual assault before age 18 according to 1in6.org.

“Abuse and assault is linked with asserting power and trying to control power happens in various forms,” Doyle Hugmeyer said. “You can be assaulted by someone of any gender or any sexual identity.”

The reason we don’t hear about male sexual assault is because men are typically viewed as physically stronger and more powerful than women, Doyle Hugmeyer said. “To be sexually assaulted means that the victim is put in the position of being controlled,” which is something we associate more with women, she added.

When men report sexual assault it “basically feminizes them,” she said.

Similarly, one reason we may not hear about same-sex relationship violence, is due to the “the layer of additional stress and barriers because some people are homophobic,” said Doyle Hugmeyer.

Despite stigmas and myths that sexual assault only happens to women, students acknowledge that it can happen to everyone.

“I believe that men can and sometimes are sexually assaulted, be it by men or by women,” said Isaac Golden, Junior Psychology major.”

Jenna Beresham, senior ALS major agreed saying, “Anyone of any race, gender, sexuality and so forth can be sexually assaulted.”

“I think that there are a lot of men on our campus that share these beliefs in the sense that they want to see change happen,” said Doyle Hugmeyer.

SURVIVING IN A VICTIM-BLAMING CULTURE

Victim blaming culture refers to an attitude that the survivor is at fault for their assault because of their behavior.

Deborah Thompson, executive director of Sable House, an organization in Dallas, serving domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, said, commonly used excuses for assault include: “She shouldn’t have been wearing that low-cut blouse,” “She was out late,” and “She didn’t fight it off.”

“I absolutely do not think any girl alive has asked to be assaulted,” said Bridget Conklin, senior English major.
Yet, some feel clothing options do play a role.

“Sexual assault can be intensified by choice of clothing and is a factor, but if someone intends to sexually assault, it doesn’t matter what is being worn by others,” said Jennifer P., senior.

The drug enforcement agency of the Department of Justice lists alcohol as the number one most common used drug in sexual assault

Dress attire and alcohol consumption could be reasons why some colleges aim sexual assault education at risk reduction, teaching students how to be safe.

Doyle Hugmeyer says while discussions of risk reduction are important in terms of staying conscious of safety, instructing potential rape victims to dress more modest or drink less should not be the only way to address sexual assault. It takes responsibility off the perpetrator, she says, and can be difficult to identify when discussion boarders on blame, ultimately making things worse for survivors.

“It’s a hard line to identify and try not to cross,” she said. “On one end it’s important to acknowledge how to stay safe on campus. But if that’s the strongest method that prevails in our community, we aren’t doing it the right way.”
In terms of improving how sexual assault is addressed on campus, “Eliminating the victim-blaming culture is the biggest thing we can do that,” said Fontaine.

PUTTING FOCUS ON THE PERPETRATOR

Focus should be placed on “not raping,” Doyle Hugmeyer said, and focusing on the offenders.

“We get a lot of models of sexual behavior from the media and often times sexuality is tied to power and control,” she said. “So if we were to change the model to reflect different behaviors like getting consent every step of the way, that would be huge in seeing sexual assault diminish.”

Most importantly, “If a woman tells you she was sexually assaulted – believe her,” said Doyle Hugmeyer. “That’s a big step in putting the attention on the perpetrator. It means that we are validating the experience.”
These conversations have occurred for quite some time, said Doyle Hugmeyer. “I think now is an appropriate time to formalize the conversation and put things into action on campus.”

Combating assault with campus-wide conversation

A men’s social justice group is in the works for Abby’s House, lead by advocate Kevin Gutierrez, in attempts to start a conversational group, discussing topics related of masculinity and gender norms.

“The goal is to create a campus discussion, said Doyle Hugmeyer. “We hope that clubs emerge out of that group that would essentially do educational programming and activism related to meet these issues from a male ally standpoint.”

After receiving grants from the WOU foundation, advocates also put together a media campaign, creating sexual violence posters and informational video clips.

A phone app will also be available on iTunes in a few weeks, providing campus and community resources and information on what to do if you experience sexual violence.

Through Western’s Campus Against Sexual Assault grant (CASA) from the U.S. Department of Justice, Abby’s House is looking into funding a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Doyle Hugmeyer said they would hire a “SAME” nurse on campus or in

Dallas to be available for “safe kits.” When a person is sexually assaulted they are able to seek a safe kit, which includes DNA swabbing, vaginal examination, urine samples and other forensic procedures.

“As of right now the closest nurse to do that is the Salem hospital,” Doyle Hugmeyer said, which can be a problem if the student does not have transportation.

In creating campaigns and starting discussion groups, the hope of Abby’s House is to create many opportunities for students to seek help. “It’s something every campus should be moving toward,” she said.

“Ideally we’d like to have an environment where sexual assault doesn’t happen,” said Dukes. “I generally feel like we are doing a good job, but clearly we can always do a better job.”

REPORTING SEXUAL ASSAULT

When asked what the first thing a victim should do after being sexually assaulted, Doyle Hugmeyer said, “It’s going to vary by victim, but go to a safe place.” She said this could be the counseling center, or to a member of the CARE team, a friend’s house or even to an Resident Assistant.

Abby’s House is also a place where victims can seek help from trained members in regard to referrals for sexual assault or just to come in and talk, Fontaine said.
The first step is confiding in a campus resource or someone you trust, Fontaine said. “We can’t have justice for our survivors if we don’t know that it happened to them.”

To report a sexual assault or seek help regarding sexual/domestic violence, contact Abby’s House at 503-838-8219, abbyshouse@wou.edu or stop by their location on the bottom floor of the Werner University Center, room 106. To file an official report for criminal action, call Campus Public Safety at 503-838-8481, or the Monmouth Police Department at 503-838-1109. To file a student conduct report, contact the WOU Office of Student Conduct at 503-838-8930.

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Normalizing the conversation

2014 | Allison Opson Clement | News Editor

“What we’re there to do is to provide a safe place for people to talk about their feelings about death and dying” – Dr. Paula Baldwin

Death Cafe will open a free, informal discussion to the public about death and dying, at 2 p.m. in Gentle House on Sunday, Nov. 2.

A Death Cafe is an informal venue: people sit at tables, snack and talk. Typically, each table will have a facilitator, whose task is to keep the conversation focused on death.

“What we’re there to do is to provide a safe place for people to talk about their feelings about death and dying,” said Dr. Paula Baldwin, assistant professor of communication studies and the main organizer for Western’s first Death Cafe.

“There’s a tremendous amount of superstition about talking about death,” said Baldwin. For example, Baldwin said, people may retain the sense that if they speak about dying directly, it will happen to them. “The Grim Reaper, it’s like that’s a real person,” she added.

To deal with that feeling, many euphemisms were developed to avoid the direct mention of death. People speak of losing a loved one, Baldwin explained, but that person is not simply wandering around the building; if someone has ‘moved on’ they aren’t living in the next town over.

“People have a hard time talking about death and dying. You know, there’s a lot of metaphors and figures of speech we use,” Baldwin said. It’s a grassroots movement to help normalize the conversation, she added.

“This doesn’t come from a morbid place, no,” said Kate Brassington, a Portland Death Cafe organizer. “My focus is on life, and on the living and what death means to those.”

The Death Cafe welcomes a variety of individuals: those who have suffered a loss, those who may be aware that they are coming to the end of their own lives, even people who, for whatever reason, are simply curious, or interested in talking about death in an open way.

“I don’t think the appropriate time to talk about it is towards the end,” said Baldwin. “None of us are getting out alive.”

However, this is not a grief counseling group. That, said Baldwin, they leave to professionals.

“Every other person I’ve invited into this conversation, with an open heart and an open mind, looked me in the eye, and took my hand, and thanked me, for letting them be who they are: a person who will die, and who has one chance to do it, and who has one chance to live, because of it,” said Brassington.

After one email, 18 of the 25 spots had been taken within five days.

“For me, this seems like a natural extension of what I do,” Baldwin said, who has been involved in end-of-life research since 2007.

Historically, as family members aged, their relatives would take care of them, ease them through their final days, prepare the bodies and bury them. These days, however, people frequently have only minimal experience, which only serves to exacerbate the problem.

“It’s very much removed from the actual process,” Baldwin said. She considers this shift similar to what happened with the food industry: whereas people formerly had to kill and prepare animals they intended to eat; now we get our meat in plastic packages.

John Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid used Swiss psychologist Bernard Crettaz’s ideas to create the first Death Café. A social worker named Lizzy Miles met Underwood and brought back the idea to the United States. Since its beginning in 2011, according to deathcafe.com, over 12,000 people have attended Death Cafes.

“That was a rousing success,” said Baldwin. “It’s taken off.”

Baldwin said that one London group is planning to make theirs a permanent fixture, rather than assembling for individual meetings.

“Whatever that spark is that makes us alive, if you’ve ever seen a dead body, you know that that’s gone,” said Baldwin. “It really gives you a nice appreciation of life.”

For more information, to learn how to find a Death Cafe or start your own, visit deathcafe.com.

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New course evaluation system opens

Allison Opson Clement | News Editor

What: Online course evaluations
Where: WOU Portal
When: Until 6:15 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12

Western’s new course evaluation system is being used for the first time across campus, returning to students the ability to provide feedback on classes and professors for the first time in a year.

CollegeNet’s What Do You Think? program was chosen last spring, and after testing over the summer, this is the first time it will be used on a university-wide scale.

Dr. Mary Pettenger, chairperson of the Joint Committee on Course Evaluations, said that it is definitely past time to resume regular evaluations.

According to Pettenger, there were several problems with the former system and the university had a hard time keeping the program operational.

“It’s been a long process to try to come up with a new system,” Pettenger said.

The old paper system, prior to Western’s latest online evaluation system, was prohibitively expensive, and difficult to manage, according to Pettenger. Data access is also much easier with the new CollegeNet system.

According to CollegeNet.com, What Do You Think? saved the University of Oregon over $200,000 in paper, printing, scanning and labor in the first year of use.

Dr. Mark Perlman, president of the Western Oregon University Federation of Teachers (WOUFT, Western’s faculty union), said not having course evaluations is not option, because faculty members need to have a tool to judge their work.

“Students should have a voice, and we want to hear what their answers are,” Perlman said. “We’ve gone long enough without having a system; it’s kind of embarrassing.”

First year Westin Kmetz said it is good to have course evaluations, because the teachers gain a better understanding of student opinions and perceptions in their classrooms. Keeping communication open between students and teachers is important, Kmetz added.

“When you don’t get feedback as a teacher, I feel like you keep doing the same things,” Kmetz said. He feels that evaluations are useful to help the teacher understand what they are doing right or wrong.

Dr. Bryan Dutton, chair of WOUFT’s bargaining team, said evaluations are important.

“I really value it because it’s a way to make improvements,” Dutton said. “It’s clear that faculty are pleased that evaluations will be a regular part of our process.”

Yet, the evaluations can’t do anything if they’re not filled out.

“In order to get reliable data, we need to figure out a way to get students to respond,” Pettenger said.

“It also improves response rates when students believe they are being heard,” said Dr. Cat McGrew, former chairperson of the Joint Committee on Course Evaluations and current director of academic affairs. “No one wants to waste their time, so knowing you can make a difference, makes a difference.”

The university administration and the faculty union are in the beginning stages of discussing the impact of potentially using open-ended short-answer questions in course evaluations, according to McGrew.

Perlman said there are people that are skeptical of open-ended questions, and there are some who want open-ended questions.

“I wish I had more freedom in it,” Kmetz said, adding that the multiple choice questions worked for most people. He added that there may be too many meanings behind some answers, which may confuse the teacher over the kinds of responses they are getting.

To clear up communication, said Kmetz, the possibility of adding open-ended responses to the multiple-choice would be the most useful, efficient style. Students wouldn’t have to respond with more if they didn’t have anything else to say, but that would be an option for students who wanted to say more.

“I see it as a positive because it will allow faculty to have a greater understanding of what the numbers mean,” McGrew said of open-ended questions.

McGrew has a file of email print-outs from students who contacted her office, commenting that they wanted a place to explain their responses to multiple-choice questions, or wanted a place to add more about their course or professor. They want to say what they think, McGrew said; they want to be heard.

Perlman said these ten questions do provide enough information for students and professors to start with now. The rest of the discussion, such as the potential for open-ended questions, will take place later.

“We wanted to get the bulk of it rolling,” Perlman said. For now, everyone settled on ten multiple-choice questions, he said.

Faculty objections seem to be not over course evaluations or open-ended questions in general, according to Dutton, but in the implementation. Professors may be concerned about how the questions are asked, shaping the kinds of answers given, as well as what will be done with these responses, Dutton said.

According to Dutton, there is a real science behind the formulation of questions, which is part of why the faculty union has the right to approve the final draft of questions, and open-ended questions will be discussed later.

Perlman explained that there are a variety of factors that impact what kinds of questions are asked, and especially how they are asked.

“We haven’t really explored all the issues with open-ended questions,” said Dutton. He said that conversation will be taking place soon, probably through this academic year, and added that there is no real timeline that can be established until they know all the issues and all the positions that will arise.

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Workshop offers understanding of dynamics for deaf & hearing coworkers

Katrina Penaflor | Freelancer

What: Deaf-hearing workplace dynamics workshop
Where: Columbia Room, Werner University Center
When: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday Nov. 21, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday Nov.22
Admission:
For more information, contact: Dr. Cheryl Davis at davisc@wou.edu, or call 503-838-8053

Deaf-hearing cross cultural conflicts in the workplace will be addressed with a workshop by Western’s Regional Resource Center on Deafness Nov. 21 and 22.

The hands-on event, presented in American Sign Language, is five hours each day and open to students, faculty, staff and community members. Dr. John Gournaris and Alison Aubrecht will be co-facilitating.

The focus of the workshop is to study and explore the different dynamics between a deaf culture and a hearing culture in a workplace, to discuss how these differences can affect each culture, and how people should learn to respect and embrace the different dynamics instead of devaluing them.

“People who are interested in psychology, social dynamics, cultural diversity, social justice, public policy and politics will all find something of interest in this training,” said Dr. Cheryl Davis, chair of the special education division at Western and director of the Regional Resource Center on Deafness.

Topics will include: why hearing people choose to work with deaf people, how deaf people sometimes approach hearing people and vice versa, and dynamics of cross-cultural conflict. Friday will be a day filled with information, while Saturday will provide more hands-on activities.

If an individual works in a field that requires continuing education units, for example interpreters or counselors, completion of the workshop will result in 1.0 CEU earned.

“I hope that people will be able to take this experience and apply it to their interactions with deaf students, and generalize the concepts to working with others as well,” Davis said.

The workshop runs from 4-8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, in the Columbia Room of the Werner University Center.

If interested in registering for the event, contact the office of disability services or download a registration form at wou.edu/rrcd. Registration will also be taken at the door.

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Tips for a safe winter at Western

Residents should prepare for cold weather, including hazardous winter conditions, by keeping up to date with weather patterns and forming plans for how to deal with potentially hazardous situations.

General tips:

An emergency supplies kit should include: a three days’ supply of water and food for each individual, spare batteries, medical supplies and flashlights; it may also contain additional blankets and extra warm clothes. The National Weather Service provides up-to-date information; battery-operated radios are useful for keeping informed about weather conditions and forecasts.

Pedestrians should wear shoes with good traction, and especially be aware while walking, including watching for slippery patches, and avoiding uneven surfaces or unfamiliar areas.

Travelers should check other locations’ weather before departure and arrival, to be mindful of potential trouble spots, as well as packing to fit the situation they will be entering.

Drivers should check the condition of their cars, including tires, and check for maximum visibility before driving. Every vehicle should be stocked with emergency supplies, such as water, food, a first aid kit, a flashlight and a blanket. In addition, a candle may provide a small but crucial source of heat and light.

Oregon Department of Transportation’s TripCheck provides a free service for travelers to keep up-to-date with road conditions and the local weather conditions and forecast.

Campus

Notifications of current campus conditions, such as closures or delays in opening, will be made on the school website, over local radio stations, on television, and through the Campus Inclement Weather Hotline.

During a closure, Hamersly Library, the Werner University Center, Valsetz Dining Hall, the Health and Wellness Center and all University Residences (dorms) will remain open with essential staffing only.

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Debut Turkey Chase offers introduction to new WOU Running Club

Amanda Clarke | Freelancer

What: Turkey Chase Run/Walk
Where: Registration at WUC Plaza. Race begins on Church Street and ends on Western’s track.
When: Nov. 22, check-in at 9 a.m.; walkers begin at 9:45 a.m.; runners begin at 10 a.m.
Cost: $4 or three non-perishable food donations with preregistration, or $6 day of race
Contact: Courtney Greif cgreif12@wou.edu
More information: facebook.com/wourunningclub

The WOU Running Club will host the 5k (3.1 mile) Wolves Turkey Chase Thanksgiving Run (and walk) Nov. 22, with check-in beginning at 9 a.m. at Werner University Plaza.

“This is our first event as a club,” said Courtney Greif, co-founder of the WOU Running Club. “We hope to make it a race that happens every year.”

The event is also supported by Weekend Wolfpack and Campus Recreation.

The WOU Running Club is a running/fitness club that is open to the general public on campus. It was founded by Grief and Jacob Howard in spring 2014.

Walkers and runners are welcome to participate. Animals are also allowed on the course, but they must be kept on a leash at all times. People are also welcome to line the course to watch and cheer on the participants.

Preregistration is $4 or three non-perishable food items. The non-perishable food items will be donated to the WOU Food Pantry, and the registration cost will help the WOU Running Club take field trips to nearby trails. The cost is $6 the day of the race and canned goods will no longer be accepted.

The preregistration form is available at the front desk of the Health and Wellness Center, which is also where paperwork and payment can be submitted. Cash or checks made out to WOU Running Club are accepted.

“The course will be well marked, and will also have lovely volunteers from Hall Government along the way to help direct athletes on the course,” Grief said.

After the race, refreshments will be available to all participants and there will be a raffle for gift cards and items from local Monmouth businesses. There will also be an award for top male and female runner.

“The real purpose of WOU Running Club is to foster a culture of running here at Western and connect a community of runners here at WOU,” Howard said. “We want to promote running in whatever they do.”

According to Grief, the WOU Running Club is focused on giving people a place in which they can engage in physical fitness as well as participate in local events as a representative of Western.

“I want people to enjoy the great physical ability that we are given during our college years,” Howard said. “I want people to push themselves to their own personal and physical goals, and reach that and know that they can use this ability anytime and in any place.”

WOU Running Club meets weekly for group runs every Wednesday and Thursday at 4 p.m. outside the Health and Wellness Center.

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Students urge foundation to divest from fossil fuels

Laura Knudson | Editor-In-Chief

Students campaigning for campus divestment from fossil fuels have been met with disappointment from lack of action taken by the Western’s Development Foundation.
Members of the environmental club spent the last week collecting over 350 signatures from students, faculty and alumni. They hope to reach at least 600 signatures, demonstrating student support to the foundation, a private, nonprofit organization that financially assists the college.

“Last year, Oregon State University attempted divestment and was rejected, which spurred us to take up our own campaign at Western,” said Beth Bello, creator and president of the environmental club. “Divesting from fossil fuels is so important because, as many of us are aware, global warming is now a scientific fact.”

The issue first gained campus attention at the Oct. 28 Faculty Senate meeting with a presentation by Dr. Mark Van Steeter, associate professor of geography.

Divesting entails the foundation getting rid of stocks, bonds or investment funds that are part of the fossil fuel industry, according to a written proposal distributed at the meeting.

It’s “when you take the money you have invested into fossil fuel companies, and invest into a more ethical company like renewable energy,” Bello said. This does nothing to stop the oil companies, she added, but it makes a symbolic statement.

The proposal also stated, “Unlike some large universities that receive significant funding for research from the fossil fuel industry, we do not.”

The goal of divestment, Van Steeter said, is to send a social message. Industries should use its resources and innovation to transition toward a low carbon economy, he explained.
An added benefit includes landing Western as the 14th school in the nation to divest.

“I see this as a real possibility to get positive PR and put us on the map,” Van Steeter said. “It really makes sense for Western.”

The presentation sparked debate with university President Mark Weiss weighing in.

“In my view, it’s pretty hypocritical to take this position,” he said. “How many of us don’t live locally? How many of us get on an airplane to go to conferences every year,” he said.
Vansteeter responded saying, “There’s always a reason to be found not to act.”

In a guest column authored by Weiss appearing in the Nov. 13 issue of the Statesman Journal, he said, “From the beginning of the industrial age, American’s simply neglected to consider the consequences of burning fossil fuels.” Titled “The world crisis we’d rather ignore” Weiss’ column also states that divesting in oil and gas companies may provide satisfaction that something is being done, but “it is not apparent this action would contribute to solving the problem.”

As the discussion heated up during the senate meeting, other senate members chimed in.

“Just because you can’t do everything, doesn’t mean it’s hypocritical to do something,” said Michael Baltzley, faculty senate member and associate professor of biology.

Also in attendance at the meeting was Tommy Love, executive director in the Office of University Advancement and WOU Foundation. Love said divesting is a complicated issue and the foundation wants to make sure they do what’s right.

One environmental club member has made it his mission to raise awareness by visiting more than 15 campus club meetings.

“By demonstrating large scale student support for divestment, the foundation will listen to student voices,” said Karl Amspacher, senior geography major.

Amspacher was disappointed when the foundation declined his request to speak about divestment at their upcoming December meeting.

In a Nov. 10 email to the foundation, Amspacher asked for five minutes to present on divestment.

His request was met with a reply from Love which said he had already spoken with Van Steeter about divestment and “the specific topic of divestment is not planned for the agenda at the December board meeting.”

“It’s a brush off,” Amspacher said.

An earlier request submitted via email by alumnus Zander Albertson’s was also denied by the foundation.

“It’s difficult to believe that the foundation takes divestment seriously given that it has been given no further consideration,” Albertson said. He was also disappointed in the foundation’s unwillingness to put divestment on the agenda.

“I wish they would have just opened the discussion,” he added.

Prior to the start of school, Van Steeter requested five minutes to present the issue to the foundation. He met with the finance and planned giving sub-committee.

“We wouldn’t lose anything by divesting,” Van Steeter said in an interview. “We could do the right thing and not pay a price for it.”

Apart from the meeting and Van Steeter’s presentation to the faculty senate, no other formal forum has taken place between the foundation and the environmental club.

When asked in a Wednesday interview if he felt this was fair and sufficient, Love said, “I think it is for where we are at this point.”

The other side has had time to think and plan regarding divestment, he said. “The topic and issue recently came to us. We’re trying to get our arms around this.”

And there is much to consider when discussing investments, Love said.

For starters, moving investments from fossil fuels into green energy does not necessarily guarantee things will stay the same in terms of revenue.

“There’s always risk in that,” said Love. “That’s the stock market in general.”

For 2014, the foundation’s total revenue was $4,302,690 according to the foundation’s audit report, available on Western’s foundation webpage. Realized gains from investments, the amount received from the sale of investment holdings, was $673,045. Unrealized gains or the current value of those investments was a reported $564,593.

The foundation does not disclose what they invest in.

Albertson said this is concerning because it leaves one to conclude the foundation portfolio contains a fairly significant amount of carbon-based investments.

“As a private foundation, we have not released those holdings,” Love said.

But, aiding in what Love calls the “complex layers” of divestments, are mutual funds.

“There are components we have that are related to fossil fuels because we have mutual funds,” he said.

Mutual funds refer to professionally managed investment programs funded by shareholders that trades in diversified holdings.

Because these investments are managed by a company, they change all the time, even daily, Love said.

Furthermore, “if we divest, someone else is going to buy those stocks,” he said. “Divestment in and of itself is not going to make a true impact.”

The foundation is interested in looking at the bigger picture of climate change, he added.

“I don’t want students to think that the foundation and myself do not recognize the issue of climate change,” Love said. Divesting is “one way to do it, but let’s have a campus-wide conversation to address global climate change.”

For example, “Not commuting in [to campus] I think would have a bigger impact,” he said.

Ultimately, Love said aside from the “moral obligation” concerning climate change, “we also have an obligation as a foundation.”

“We don’t want to make any rush judgments,” he said. “Especially when we have to think about other things outside of fossil fuels.”

“I make no commitment [to either side],” he said. “I do commit to continuing dialogue.”

Love encourages interested parties to contact the foundation with comments.

The social science division will vote on fossil fuel divestment resolution of support Dec. 2, Van Steeter said. If approved, “it will be a template for other divisions to follow,” he said.

The environmental club will be protesting outside the building during the Dec. 6 meeting, Bello said.

“This is a movement to improve our school,” Amspacher said. “We’re doing this to make Western a better place.”

How to get involved:

WHAT: Environmental Club
WHEN: 4:30 p.m. every Wednesday in HSS room 230
MORE INFO: Contact club president Beth Bello at bbello11@wou.edu or call 503-798-7763

Foundation:

Direct questions or comments for the foundation to Tommy Love, executive director in the Office of University Advancement and WOU Foundation. He can be reached at lovet@wou.edu or 503-838-8134.

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Trench warfare

FILMON TEKLAY | FREELANCER

Dr. Edwin Dover, professor of political science at Western, compared the national division of political parties to the trench warfare of World War I in an analysis of the recent midterm election.

“We have more or less a 10 mile trench where we fight our partisan battles,” Dover said of this country’s political divisions. “Both sides probe around for a soft spot, both sides mobilize massive levels of resources to gain a few miles.”

According to Dover, the dividing line is in the suburbs, which is where the battles are found, state after state. The Democrats dominate major urban areas he explained, while the Republicans control rural territories around the country.

“We don’t really have blue states or red states, what we have are Urban vs. Rural,” said Dover.

Dover broke down his analysis into three parts, commenting on the local, state and national elections.

Dover uses the aftermath of the election to illustrate the use of trench warfare in local, state and federal races across the country. He explained that the Democrats won one seat, the local race in District 20, in the Oregon House of Representatives, while the remaining seats in the Oregon House went to the same party that held them before.

The local race in District 20 took place between Paul Evans and Kathy Goss. Dover was involved in Evans’s campaign and he followed the race closely.

“This was a hard fought battle because it is where the suburban fault line rests,” Dover said. “This was the most expensive campaign for the state legislature in Oregon.”

Evans and Goss each spent about $500,000, and both campaigns received support and contribution from their respective parties. Evans defeated Goss by a three percent margin, and Dover thinks Goss was defeated mainly because her campaign made a couple of fundamental mistakes.

“Sometimes that three percent may not be part of the national trend,” Dover said. “It may be something esoteric to a campaign.”

According to Dover, the first mistake Goss made was her reluctance to debate Evans on numerous occasions. She was also not able to capitalize on advertising, while Evans was able to build both positive advertisements toward himself and attack advertisements aimed at Goss.

The Democrats gained two seats in the Oregon State Senate.

Dover said Washington County, Marion County and Clackamas County are the three areas that more or less decide State elections in Oregon, and these counties are primarily suburbs.

Other states have similar political scenes to Oregon, and Dover expanded his idea about the division of politics in regards to suburban battle lines to a national context.

All of the races for seats in the House of Representatives were fought in suburbs of various cities and states such as Miami and New Hampshire. Dover analyzed the recent changes in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“The Democrats gained 11 seats in 2012 and lost 12 seats this time,” Dover explained, adding that, over time, most of the seats remained the same. Overall, neither party gained any ground in the House of Representatives.

On the other hand, the Senate “is where the Republican Party made significant gains,” said Dover. “The Republican Party so far has gained eight seats and probably nine – the ninth seat is Louisiana.” The advancements made by the Republicans gave them 54 seats, and control of the Senate.

The races for Senate were in Republican states or battleground states which is favorable terrain for them.

“In the next election, there will be 24 Republicans and 10 Democrats up for Senate in 2016, and many of the Republicans are in very Democratic states,” said Dover. “So the Republican Party will have a little trouble keeping this majority.”

Dover discussed the difference of turnout between Presidential elections and off-year elections, explaining that people over 60 tend to have a greater turnout for off-year elections, while people younger than 30 do not have a significant turnout for off-year elections.

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R.E.A.L. Fair advocates social justice

ALLISON OPSON CLEMENT | NEWS EDITOR

Students from Dr. David Foster’s Psychology of Leadership class are gaining real-life experience with teamwork, promoting social justice through their project, a resource fair which will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 18 in the Werner University Center Pacific Room.

The second-annual Responsibility, Equity, Accessibility and Leadership (R.E.A.L.) Fair will create a space to promote the services of attending organizations, said Foster, who taught the course that started the first R.E.A.L. fair last fall, and urged his students to take up the challenge again this year.

This event is a chance to explore social issues facing the larger community and find help from the right source if they need it, as well as find a cause they may wish to support themselves through volunteer work or other support.

“Having the hands-on experience, taking it out of theory and into practice, has been really useful,” said Kristin Osborne, a student in the class and member of the event leadership team.

Foster explained that people are graduating college, but still lack the skills companies need. These skills include abilities like communication and getting along with other people. Training in leadership and teamwork sets students ahead of the game, he added.

“Organizations are having a huge leadership crisis right now,” Foster said. “I think these classes are good for anybody.”

The event is sponsored by Abby’s House in addition to the psychology students. Other organizations represented will include Stonewall Center, Green Dot, the Multicultural Student Union, the Office of Disability Services, Campus Public Safety, Peer Mentors, as well as over half a dozen others. According to Foster, this is a greater number than attended the previous fair.

“A side benefit would be that those organizations could network among themselves,” Osborne said. The event includes a food drive to raise donations for and awareness of Western’s resource for hungry students.

“It highlights the WOU Pantry, which a lot of people don’t know exists,” Foster said.

A drawing for gift cards to local food businesses will be held at the end of the fair. Students may enter both by donating to the food drive and filling out a survey about the fair.

Since the first program was a full year ago, Foster said, there was little left to work with, so this year’s group resurrected the event nearly from scratch in many cases.

“It kind of organically came about,” Osborne said of the process. She called this a fully collaborative effort. “We all walk around in a little pack.” There haven’t been many big issues, Osborne added, because “all the people in the group have the same objective.”

They brainstormed a list of organizations they wanted to invite, including some that were present last year as well as several new ones, narrowed that list down, and divided up the call list.
“People have had lots of good ideas and we narrowed that down,” Osborne said of the list.

The group has been working on this project since the second week of term.

“We’ve got some people and some talents that really fit,” said Foster, adding that the group members are doing very well.

Some psychology courses (including Foster’s classes), may offer extra credit for attending the fair, as well.

“These guys are doing a really good job of reporting, advertising already,” Foster said. “My goal after the first R.E.A.L. Fair was seeing it continue.”

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Controlled burn sparks neighborhood interest

A controlled fire offered hands-on experience for trainees of Polk County Fire District No. 1 in the evening of Sunday, Nov. 9, drawing attention from locals.

“This is the closest thing that we have to the real deal,” said Lieutenant James Nisbet. “The biggest thing was that we got some of our newer members on the department some good experience from it.”
“We try to notify the neighbors and be friendly and courteous,” said Neal Olson. “We usually send out a letter.”

The hand-delivered letter was delayed until one day prior to the burn this time. “I didn’t put this one in the newspaper because it came on so quick.”

As a precaution, neighboring buildings and plants were thoroughly soaked prior to the first fire being lit just before 4 p.m. Water was continually applied, though everything was already wet thanks to a good rain, which, according to Nisbet, helped.

“They weren’t in a huge, major threat,” Nisbet said of the local buildings, adding of this particular fire, “Really that one wasn’t too concerning.” The structures were distant enough to be protected from the blaze.

“It is real fire, it’s just a little more controlled and regulated.”
A property is also thoroughly evaluated for safety before a burn. Once a structure has been deemed safe, Polk County Fire District No. 1 assumes control of the property, and crews use it for a variety of exercises.

“This is super valuable to people who don’t have a lot of experience,” said Nisbet. This particular property was employed all summer for various training exercises; it couldn’t be lit up because of a burn ban.

“We can use that structure for quite a while ahead of time; there’s lots of things that we train on outside of the actual live fire,” said Olson. “We were probably in that building, doing drills, for probably close to 30 hours over the summer.”

With between 10 and 20 people in each crew, he added, “Thousands of training hours were received by us having that structure, which was really good.”

Practice scenarios include ventilation, forcible entry, and search and rescue among other drills, according to Olson. For ventilation, crews must climb ladders to cut holes in the roof with chainsaws.

Forcible entry is needed when a door must be broken down in order to enter the building or the room. By filling the house with smoke or simulating the collapse of a roof, crews also gain experience with realistic situations.

Everyone on site had a specific job, and a crew to which they were assigned. This is the group they practice with, shifting duties so everyone gets a chance to experience it.

“It’s a real detailed plan as to how we’re going to rotate the crews,” said Olson. “We do all of that training based on national fire protection association guidelines.” He added that he referenced at least 17 pages of material on how to handle every aspect of the controlled burn.

Five fires were planned for the building, in which crews would be able to see how the fire behaved, and gain valuable experience working in realistic conditions. After the fourth lighting, the fire got into the attic. Based on the condition of the attic, this wasn’t a surprise, according to Nisbet.

“Once we got to that point, we just went immediately into free burn,” Olson said. Everyone was ordered out of the building, and firefighters monitored it as they let it burn to the ground.
Nisbet facilitated the lightings, including observing the interior fire conditions while crews rotated through, to make sure the fire stayed contained.

“For the condition of the structure and just kind of time frame, that was more than we were anticipating,” Nisbet said. “We were very happy that we were able to get as many out of it as we did.”

In addition to training individual firefighters and improving their experience, Olson said that the exercises helped to build team cohesion. According to him, the burn also served as a kind of neighborhood cleanup, as the building was not very appealing. “We come away with a lot of training,” Olson said. “Everybody has a place and it’s really detailed.”

Extra vehicles – ambulances and fire trucks – were brought to the scene of the controlled burn. Nearly the entire force on duty was present last night, according to Olson, so if a real call came in, they had to be prepared to mount a response from the field.

“We still have to provide our service to the remainder of the community,” Olson said. This time, he added, they were lucky; “We didn’t have any interruptions.” Other practice burns have been complicated with actual emergencies. “It can be really exciting at times,” he said; with different calls coming in at the same time, there can be a lot going on, which detracts from training.

“A majority of our force are volunteers,” Olson said. On a daily basis, Polk County Fire District No. 1 maintains three full-time firefighters on duty; there are nine career individuals to respond to any incident. The remaining 65 firefighters are volunteers, such as those who received training Sunday.

“If we were able to do it three times a year, that would be great,” said Olson. “We need to have them twice a year,” but he acknowledged, “It doesn’t always work like that.” On average, they are usually able to practice controlled burns once or twice a year.

Spectators gathered to watch the flames for several hours. Rebekah Degner, Nisbet’s girlfriend, watched the fire from a camp chair for over an hour. Other people came and went well into the night, when the fires began to die down.

“You don’t see that every day,” said Elder Lima of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who, after seeing the smoke, stopped by with Elder Goff to make sure everything was alright and if they could help.

Many watchers that night commented that they initially thought that this was an actual fire. After the building had been burned, it was returned to the control of the owner. Olson said that an apartment building with 22 units will be constructed on the property.

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High rate of bike theft exposes weak lock-up methods

ALLISON OPSON CLEMENT | NEWS EDITOR

A spike in reported bicycle theft has prompted Campus Public Safety (CPS) to warn students to secure bikes properly and register them in case they are stolen and
recovered.

“It’s starting out big,” said Allen Risen, interim director of CPS. There has been seven bike thefts reported on campus to the Office of Public Safety this year: one in September, six in October.

“That was enough to say I need to notify campus,” said Risen. “Each year we do get a number of bicycles stolen, but the way it was going this year, that’s why I sent out the email.”

Ordinarily, according to Risen, CPS will receive between 10 and 20 reports during an entire school year.

According to the Monmouth Police Department (MPD), during the same period, (Sept. 20 to Nov. 6) seven bikes were stolen in 2013, and nine this year, a small increase. Sgt. Kim Dorn said that some fluctuation is natural. Some of those may overlap with those reported to CPS for Western’s community.

“Some of them are just taken as a joyride and we’ll pick them up,” said Risen. “It’s amazing how many people don’t call us to say it’s missing.”

CPS recovers more bikes every year than are reported stolen. Officers take possession of any abandoned bikes and log them in as found property.

They also compare the bike to an updated list of stolen bikes, a three or four page list kept in official vehicles, to see if it has been reported yet.

“We try to get as much information as possible from thevictim,” said Dorn for the MPD, adding that owners should always file a report, so that their bike can be returned if found.

“It’s so very, very important to know the serial number.” A serial number can be entered by the MPD into a national computer system for stolen items.

If the bike is listed as found anywhere else, it can still be returned to its owner. Chances of recovery go up if the bike is reported as stolen, said Risen, and also if it is registered.

CPS currently has fifteen bikes from this year and last. During the summer, the Housing Office may report abandoned bikes left on campus to CPS, whocan take possession of them if theowner does not claim them.

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Finding a Voice

JENNIFER HALLEY | CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

Every nine seconds in the U.S., a woman is abused by her partner; one in three women worldwide are involved in domestic violence relationships; and every year, nearly 1600 women were murdered by their intimate partners.

Sexual and domestic violence does not just happen to women, though; this affects men, too.

Take Back the Night, an event organized by Abby’s House, gave voice to survivors of sexual and domestic violence on Wednesday night in the Werner Center.

“In 2013, in Oregon, there were 34 domestic violence fatalities. That’s a huge number of people for one state; imagine the global effect.”
-DEBORAH THOMPSON | DIRECTOR OF SABLE HOUSE

Every October, in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, survivors come forth and tell their story in a safe place, as well as raise awareness throughout campus.

Jenna Beresheim, a senior who was at the event, said that sexual assault is a problem on campus “but one that is swept under the rug by victims who blame themselves or feel ashamed and embarrassed.

“This is a hot topic right now in schools,” Beresheim added.

Deborah Thompson, executive director of Sable House – a resource center for victims of domestic and sexual assault – gave an educational speech about “violence against humanity” and how sexual and domestic violence is an epidemic that is spreading globally.

“In 2013, in Oregon, there were 34 domestic violence fatalities,” Thompson said. She paused briefly, and then added: “That’s a huge number of people for one state; imagine the global effect.”

After the speech, the room went quiet for 30 minutes while a gong was hit every nine seconds to represent each time a woman was abused by her partner.

During this silence, audience members were encouraged to speak up about their personal experiences.

While they spoke, the room became heavy with emotion as people cried. Abby’s House advocates offered tissues and hand-squeezes.

As time went on, more people spoke up as the gong went off in the background. More tears were shed and more voices were heard.

The lack of men at the event was noticed, specifically by the men themselves that had participated in the event.

“I think it is vital for men to be a part of this issue,” Cody Bindrim, one of the men, who came to Take Back the Night, said. Bindrim is a sophomore at Oregon State University, but came to support his friend and be a part of this cause.

Gage Barnhurstd also came as a supporter of the event. As a man, he also believes he should take responsibility for sexual violence towards women.

“It makes me embarrassed,” he said of being associated with the perpetrators of sexual and domestic violence. Barnhurstd added that a man’s basic instinct is to protect a woman. So “if you have a drive
to protect, why not use it?” he said.

Take Back the Night ended with a candlelit walk around campus to remember those affected by sexual and domestic violence, and to take a stance against it.

Students also carried a mattress around in honor of sexual assault victim Emma Sulkowicz, a student at Columbia who felt as though her university’s response of doing nothing to penalize her perpetrator was wrong. Sulkowicz vowed to carry that mattress to each class until her attacker was expelled.

Throughout the candlelit walk, students chanted statements such as “Yes means yes, no means no,” and “we are women, we are men, together we fight to take back the night.”

Western Oregon University’s Land Acknowledgement
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.

Accessibility Public Records Privacy Student Consumer Information

WOU prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by WOU.

Beloved LEGO shop’s controversy

Strawberry shortcake

Memorial Day

Academic Excellence Showcase

Multnomah Athletic Club returns

Drought warnings

Graduation season

Breaking the Silence

Addressing sexual assault on campus

DEFINING SEXUAL ASSAULT

THE SURVIVORS YOU DON’T HEAR ABOUT

SURVIVING IN A VICTIM-BLAMING CULTURE

PUTTING FOCUS ON THE PERPETRATOR

Combating assault with campus-wide conversation

REPORTING SEXUAL ASSAULT

Normalizing the conversation

New course evaluation system opens

Workshop offers understanding of dynamics for deaf & hearing coworkers

Tips for a safe winter at Western

Debut Turkey Chase offers introduction to new WOU Running Club

Students urge foundation to divest from fossil fuels

Trench warfare

R.E.A.L. Fair advocates social justice

Controlled burn sparks neighborhood interest

High rate of bike theft exposes weak lock-up methods

Finding a Voice

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