Mount Hood

The IFC makes preliminary funding decisions

The IFC faces threats of funding withdrawal and being denied consultations for applying a fee

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Over the course of several months, Western administration and the Incidental Fee Committee have been in debate over the IFC’s Incidental Fee.

For winter term, it was discussed in the committee’s Oct. 29 meeting that President Rex Fuller would potentially be supplying another $1 million stimulus from the online tech fee — similar to funding supplied in fall term. IFC members briefly discussed applying a flat rate fee of $25 in comparison to their current fee system: students with one to five credits pay $265, and students with more than six credits pay $395.

In their Nov. 5 meeting, the committee announced that President Fuller changed his $1 million offer to $415,000 on the condition that the committee does not attempt to make any mid-year fee modifications and maintains their two-tier system approved back in spring 2020. 

In an email sent to ASWOU President NJ Johnson, President Fuller projected IFC expenses totaling $900,000 due to winter term being less expensive. Fuller cited that remaining funding for winter term would come from the $100,000 carryover from fall term, $85,000 from the current IFC fee and $300,000 from the $1.3 million in IFC reserves.

Despite Fuller’s conditions, the IFC has opted to carry out its normal governing processes — an extensive list — protected by OR statute 352.105.

“(There are) serious problems making our committee rely on online fee,” said junior philosophy English double major and IFC member Nick Denning in the fourth meeting transcripts. “No control over the amount of money we receive, administration is doing that all on their own and they decide what to charge and where money goes. All of a sudden we are reliant on online tech fees. (We) cannot criticize it because (our funding) will go away.”

Following their own timeline and deciding to not rely on Fuller, the IFC approved all preliminary budget proposals in their fifth meeting held on Nov. 12. Although the IFC requested areas to present budget proposal reflecting 50% funding, areas such as Student Media received an additional $1,500 to meet their needs, so they would not need to pull money from their reserves; Campus Recreation was given an additional $5,000 to increase workers to full time; Creative Arts received an additional $1,000 for student employment; ASWOU’s budget was given an additional $4,452 to allow Office Coordinator to be 1.0 FTE; Athletics requested funds for both winter and spring term in preparation for plane ticket purchases if travel is allowed.

After approving budget proposals, the committee discussed potential fee prices; in their deliberation, the IFC agreed to two possible fee scenarios. The first scenario involves all students, regardless of whether they are taking an online class, paying a flat rate fee of $150 and around $360,000 would be taken from reserves if the committee is not able to convince the Board of Trustees to lower the online tech fee. In the second scenario, if the IFC can bring down the price on the online tech fee, then all students, regardless of whether they are taking an online class, would pay a flat rate fee of $175 and around $250,000 would be taken from reserves.

Additionally, newly elected IFC Chair Makana Waikiki announced that although she attempted to request a Dec. 16 emergency meeting with the Board of Trustees, Chair Betty Komp did not reply to Waikiki. Instead, Komp only replied to ASWOU President Johnson, saying that she couldn’t endorse an emergency meeting.

At this time, due to the unwillingness of the Board of Trustees to meet with the IFC and President Fuller’s plans to withdraw funding if IFC continues its process, the committee intends to submit an appeal to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to have the IFC’s situation discussed at their Dec. 10 boarding meeting. Until then, the IFC is continuing to the next phase of their fee establishment process: open hearings being held via Zoom on Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. During these hearings, members of the community can voice their concerns on fees or advocate for more funding in various areas. To participate in the hearings, visit https://wou.edu/ifc/.

As more information is released, the story will be updated.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Turning Point USA hosts viewing party for final presidential debate

Western students attend virtual viewing party of the final presidential debate

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

On Oct. 22, 63 million Americans tuned in to the final presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, according to nielsen.com.

Western students interested in watching the debate were invited to a viewing party hosted on Discord by Turning Point USA  — a bipartisan political club on campus. During the viewing party students could comment on how each political candidate addressed moderator  Kristen Welker’s questions about Fighting COVID-19, American Families, Race in America, Climate Change, National Security and Leadership. 

“The candidates were much more civil this time with a lot less interrupting,” said junior business major and Event Coordinator of Turning Point USA Joe White, “at least in the first half anyway. It did seem to kinda fall apart towards the end.”

For the first presidential debate, the Commission of presidential debates received a lot of criticism from the American people regarding the lack of control the first moderator, Chris Wallace, had over the candidates remaining within their two-minute speaking time and their lack of civility towards one another. In White’s personal opinion — which he explains is not reflective of the club or the members associated with it — he felt the moderator in the final debate did a great job delegating each candidate’s talking time.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of interrupting from what I saw and it didn’t feel like two little kids fighting and having a teacher come break it up,” said White. “This time around, I felt the moderator was sweet, and she also had a spine; she wasn’t getting pushed around. It felt like she knew what she was doing but she also knew when to reclaim her time in a way.”

Although candidates were socially distanced and audience members were required to wear masks, in contrast to the vice presidential debate that utilized a plexiglass covering to protect candidates Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence, plexiglass coverings were not used in the final presidential debate despite Trump testing positive for COVID weeks prior.

 “You would think the more important a person is, the more you’re going to want to protect them,” said White. “I was surprised to not see plexiglass between them. I guess I didn’t really see a point unless they are facing each other. If they’re facing each other, I would understand it being there, but if they’re not then I would understand it not being there.”

In Oregon, it’s estimated by AP Election Research and Quality Control that the percentage of votes cast in advance compared to the General Election in 2018 is up 47.8%. It’s been estimated by Michael McDonald of the University of Florida’s Elections Project that around 52 million Americans have voted early as of  Oct. 27.

White hopes that after the election people respect who is voted in as president and respect the outcome of the election, whether it’s President Trump or former Vice President Biden.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Halloween themed spirit week residents of Monmouth can participate in

Monmouth Business Association holds halloween themed spirit week for locals 

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

In years prior to COVID-19, local businesses in downtown Monmouth hosted a family friendly trick or treating event for Halloween. Due to health and safety guidelines currently in place, the event cannot be hosted. However, the Monmouth Business Association has come up with some week-long socially distanced alternatives so residents and local businesses can participate in the fun and spooky holiday.

 

Business decorating contest: Businesses of Monmouth are encouraged to decorate their establishments in family friendly Halloween decorations; all decorations needed to be up by Oct. 26. The business will be judged by a panel of judges, and the community will vote for People’s choice.

 

Halloween costume contest: This year, residents can upload pictures of their costumes to Instagram under the hashtag #monmouthhalloween. The contest will run from Oct. 26 to Oct. 31. The winner with the most likes will win some fun treats.

 

Scavenger hunt: On Oct. 27, the Monmouth Business Association will post on their Facebook page a list of items for people to find in downtown Monmouth. They can be found on Facebook @MonmouthBusinessAssociation.

 

This year the association is discouraging business from handing out candy this year, claiming in their flyer that they want people to stay safe.


Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

WOU unions vote to improve employee welfare

Western staff and faculty join together to advocate for improvement in employee treatment and the work environment on campus

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Beginning in September 2020, Western staff and faculty unions — SEIU Sub-local082 and WOUFT — joined forces to collaboratively advocate for Western to improve treatment of employees, and revise the declining work environment witnessed by both parties over several years. 

“I’ve worked at WOU for about 15 years now,” said SEIU Sub-local 082 President and Library Technician Jackson Stalley, “and I would call myself Western Oregon University’s greatest cheerleader.”

Stalley voices his and his wife’s love of the university, citing Western as previously being of great value to students and a wonderful place to work. However, Western has lost what once made it a great community, according to Stalley.

“I used to hear from people how much they loved working at WOU and I don’t hear that anymore, I hear the opposite; people are unhappy. They don’t like how they’ve been treated, they don’t like how they’re being treated, and they don’t see it changing,” said Stalley.

On campus, there are over 200 staff workers, and many have expressed to Stalley how Western administration has made them feel like they are not heard or valued anymore. Stalley cites the most recent examples being the March COVID-19 cleanup staff lacking sufficient training, classified staff budget cuts over $1 million in comparison to unclassified staff budget cuts around $300,000 and three rounds of staff layoffs resulting in 31 jobs lost. During the first round of job layoffs that took place in late March, which was deemed unrelated to COVID by HR, Western covered employee health care. The second wave layoffs were cited by HR as COVID related per the second letter of agreement signed in August this letter explicitly states employees would not be laid off. Instead, all employee reductions would reflect a 20% furlough, but would still be receiving the health package provided by Western. 

According to Stalley, Western did not provide the health care they agreed upon until 700 people signed a petition demanding that Western return health care and provide COVID safety protocols for staff.

In the fall, faculty and staff had discussions about current and future leadership concerns. Because the unions identified similar concerns regarding Western, they formed a joint coalition. 

“We realized we had common concerns about the leadership at Western Oregon University,” said WOUFT Communication Officer and mathematics professor Scott Beaver. “We felt that we could potentially pursue actions on our own, but we would certainly be stronger together doing it. It would provide a stronger impetus for the board of trustees to take us more seriously.” 

After joining forces, the coalition created a ballot for members to vote on “no confidence” in President Rex Fuller and a vote on “censure.” The vote of “no confidence” indicates belief that a person in power no longer has the authority to be in that position while the vote of “censure” outlines a strongly worded objection to behavior or leadership; a person is not performing their job effectively.

Although the 240 members acknowledge Rex Fuller retiring, Stalley explains that it’s not only about Fuller.

“It’s about the viability of WOU as an institution,” said Stalley.

On Oct. 3, the results of the ballot indicated that 85% of the 240 respondents stated that they had no confidence in President Fuller’s leadership, and that 91% of the 240 faculty and classified staff wished to conduct a survey of possible censure for one or more members of President Fuller’s administration.

The members of the coalition expressed that their goal is to improve conditions at Western and also voiced strong objections to budget cuts Fuller intends to propose. There are currently tentative plans to cut a small number of class sections for winter and possibly spring terms, but Beaver explained that entire programs are being reviewed for potential cuts.

“He’s conflated the fiscal challenges related to COVID with what appears to be upper administration goals of ‘right sizing’ Western.”

Fuller is currently enacting the 15th article of the faculty Collective Bargaining Agreement, which states that under conditions of demonstrable financial exigency, program or discipline curtailment and retrenchment, administration can make faculty cuts. 

From this vote, the coalition hopes that the Board of Trustees will act accordingly after hearing the results of the ballots. At this time, the coalition has no formal plan to act if the Board of Trustees ignores the vote. They are hoping for the best in this instance.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

IFC deliberates the winter term fee and another million dollar deal

Incidental Fee Committee meets to discuss budget and fee proposals for winter term 

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

During the summer, the Board of Trustees determined the Incidental Fee Committee could not apply their fee to students taking online classes in the fall.

Currently, members of the IFC are discussing their plans for the upcoming winter term in Zoom meetings they host every Thursday. In the three meetings attended, starting on Oct. 15, the committee has established a 50% budget for each funded area. For fall term, the IFC received 52% of its funding after ASWOU President NJ Johnson and Western President Rex Fuller made a million dollar deal. However, the deal was made with the intent to fund the IFC only for fall term.

“The online course fee is not designed, as a general proposition, to supplement incidental fees,” said Fuller. “Due to the unique situation of fall 2020 being almost 95% online, I offered to ASWOU a $1M allocation of online course fee revenue to ease the revenue shortfall to support student services funded by incidental fees.”

In the IFC’s third meeting hosted on Oct. 29 however, it was revealed by Johnson that after the IFC’s second meeting held on Oct. 22, he and President Fuller met to discuss potentially receiving another one million dollar stimulus package. From the third meeting’s transcript, Johnson explained that a stimulus package was possible but could not answer affirmatively. IFC Chair Juliana Cameron and Johnson plan to meet with Fuller to solidify the deal.

In addition to the million dollar stimulus, the IFC intends to apply their fee this term.

“We should charge a fee, not just to keep service and staff, (but) to give students a say. We should charge as little as possible,” said sophomore political science major and IFC member Quentin Kanta.

Cameron affirmed with Kanta, voicing potentially applying a $25 fee for winter term. All members were in agreement that the fee should be kept low. Before the IFC can apply their fee, the decision to give the IFC power to define a fee-paying student — made by the Special IFC in the summer — must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

All funded areas must present budgets reflecting 50% funding and include money left over from fall term. All fee proposals, budget outlines and stimulus agreements must be submitted to the Board of Trustees by Nov. 18. The IFC is not being required to go through a subcommittee this time. 

As more information is released this story will be updated.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

All departments on campus experience employment reductions

Reductions to student and faculty employment have occurred all over campus

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Last April, Oregon’s unemployment numbers skyrocketed from 4% to 14.7% and has since settled to 7.9% as of September, according to deptofnumbers.com

Western has also experienced a spike in unemployment; all departments at Western have had jobs permanently removed, and each funded area has been temporarily limited to the amount of students they are able to hire.

In January 2020, Western’s Board of Trustees discussed potentially removing faculty jobs from campus due to steady decline in revenue.

“It was exacerbated by COVID-19,” said Public Service Librarian Janeanne Rockwell-Kincanon.

Many departments on campus — such as Student Recreation, the Child Development Center and the Hamersly Library — have all experienced employment reductions, totaling approximately 68 unfilled positions with a majority coming from Campus Recreation.

“It’s nowhere near where we would like it to be,” said Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Andy Main, “but one thing I think is important that we’re proud of is that just about every single employee that we were hoping to bring back for this fall we’ve gotten them their hours back or are trying get them back.”

Additionally, due to budget cuts and limited employment for social distancing purposes, the Hamersly Library and Student Recreation have cut their operating hours by more than 66%, while the Child Development Center has reduced the amount of child intake by 50%.

 

“Because we are operating under an emergency child care license, it requires us to have small stable groups,” said director Tammy Gardner. “We are doing three groups of 10 students. Each group has an assigned teacher and the groups are not allowed to cross paths.”

Currently, the Child Development Center is also receiving partial funding from an Oregon grant called Preschool Promise, Gardner explained. Under the Preschool Promise, it fully pays for 18 students to attend. Qualifying students have to be under 200% of the Federal poverty level and the families who submitted applications were selected by a third party source called the Parenting Hub of Polk and Marion County.

All departments on campus are hopeful that the coming year will provide better funding and increase employment opportunities. The story will be updated as more information is provided. 

Correction: In the story above, it was implied that reduced student hires was the cause of limited hours of operation at Hamersly Library. However, this is not the case; student hire reduction was not the cause of limited hours, but the safety of staff and faculty due to social distancing guidelines.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

Western modifies traditional spirit week events

Western organizations prepare for socially distanced spirit week

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

During non-pandemic years, there is usually a spirit week in October that is dedicated to Western’s homecoming football game. Throughout the week, students could participate in various activities such as the carnival, Paint the Town Red, the powerpuff game, a bonfire and Paint The Wolf. Due to COVID-19, some of these in-person events have been cut this year to ensure student safety.

Adapting to the current situation, Student Engagement and the Student Activities Board have planned various online programs and a few in-person activities that abide by social distancing guidelines in an effort to keep the tradition of spirit week.

Paint the Wolf: For this outdoor activity, students will participate in repainting the weathered WOU logo located on Church street. 

Pop Culture Trivia Night: During this online event, students will be quizzed on various pop culture topics present in our society. The winner will receive free spirit gear.

Wolf Royalty Voting: Homecoming Court and Wolf Royalty are traditions at Western. Each year, two first-years, sophomores, juniors and six graduating seniors are nominated to Homecoming Court. Two of the graduating seniors are then nominated to Wolf Royalty.

Movie Night: If this outdoor activity is approved, SAB plans on announcing Western Royalty as well as putting on a movie for students.

WOU School Spirit Compilation: This activity is done over the week; students upload photos or videos to Instagram, tagging @student_engage to show ‘what Western means to them’. The winner receives free Western merchandise.

Downtown Scavenger Hunt: For this in-person event, students will be given a list and asked to find all the items in downtown Monmouth; the winners get free Western swag.

For in person events, SAB and Student Engagement are not requiring students to sign up. When people arrive at the events, they will be asked to sign their name at a table for contact tracing purposes if an outbreak occurs at Western. Additionally, senior biology major and SAB director Kayley Arpaia confirmed that there will never be more than 100 students at the in-person events, but students are still required to stay six feet apart and wear masks. 

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

What you need to know about Western’s online fee

Tuition and fees advisory committee changes Western’s fee structure

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

On Sept. 22, the business office sent out an email to inform students that their billing statement was available. To the surprise of many students, the online fee ranging from $53 to over $1,000 had been applied. 

In years prior to COVID-19, this fee was not present on student billing. This spurred a lot of questions among students: What is this new fee? Why are we paying an additional fee? Where is the money going?

Back in April 2020, the Board of Trustees approved of the Tuition and Fees committee restructure of fees. At the tail end of the meeting docket, it mentions a new fee of $53, without an explanation, only that it will be applied to billing for the 2020 to 2021 academic year. 

“In the 2019 to 2020 academic year, online tuition was set at a rate of $228 per credit,” said President Rex Fuller, “which was $52 above the resident in-person rate. To simplify our tuition structure and to make it easier for students to switch between modalities, the online tuition was made the same as in-person tuition.”

Although tuition appears to have been “lowered,” the difference was made as a separate fee on the billing. Students are not paying $228 and an additional $53. Western reduced online tuition to the in-person rate and made the difference between the two a separate fee; students are still paying the “reduced” $228. Fuller goes on to say that original funds received from the fee were going to be put towards the transition to the new Learning Management System called Canvas. However, due to current circumstances, Western is currently receiving funding from the CARES Act to address financial losses experienced by the university. This alleviated the need to use those funds for Canvas and put them towards other struggling areas, as Western has a contract with Canvas that is funded by the CARES Act until the end of 2020.

On Oct. 15, the Business and Accounting office released a statement explaining what the fee is currently going to.

“There is a $53 fee per credit assessed to all online courses taken by undergraduate students this term,” said the press release. “This fee pays for the technology and infrastructure required to deliver online classes, as well as some student services..However, if students were attending classes in person instead, they would be paying mandatory fees instead such as building fees, incidental fees, the health service fee and others. Students taking a mix of in-person and online courses pay the corresponding portion of different fees based on the number of credits of each delivery type.”

It has also been reported that due to the IFC not having a fee this fall term, ASWOU and President Fuller made a million-dollar deal to fund IFC areas for fall term.

“I offered to ASWOU a $1M allocation of online course fee revenue to ease the revenue shortfall to support student services funded by incidental fees,” Fuller explained.

Areas outside of IFC are receiving funding, but no funding increases.

“Right now, we’re still getting the same budget we always received,” said Dean of Library and Academic Innovation at Western Chell Bachelor, “sort of similar to the fact that there’s not some  new funding source that’s suddenly come along, where they might give it to us, we still get our budget and the funding is coming in but it’s just the fee structure is different.” 

Bachelor says that the department has spoken to President Fuller in detail about potential receiving additional funding from the fee in the future, but as of now they have not experienced an influx of cash and their funding is still coming from the general education fund.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

 

2020 Spirit Week Court profiles

A look at 2020’s Spirit Week Court, announcement of Wolf Royalty to come

Cora McClain | Editor-In-Chief

These six seniors have been nominated by their peers, student organizations, and WOU departments as Wolf Royalty nominees. They are outstanding student leaders who exemplify the values of Western. 

With their committee interviews completed and the student body having casted their votes for two nominees on Sunday, Oct. 19, final scoring to determine who will be crowned Wolf Royalty will be completed by the end of the week. The Student Activities Board has yet to determine a date to virtually announce Wolf Royalty, but will provide more information on Instagram @wousab.

 

Connor Park

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: Albuquerque, NM

Major: Biology/Physical Science

Zodiac: Pisces

Favorite WOU Memory: “Genetically modifying bacteria with Dr. Snyder” “Genetically modifying E Coli bacteria in Dr. Snyders lab”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?: Living on an Alaskan homestead, “I see myself with a degree living somewhere where it snows.”

Social Media: @yogurtofagbon

Who is your favorite musician?: Damon Albarn

Favorite food/restaurant: Butter Chicken or Pierogis with sour cream

If you could have dinner with anyone you admire, living or dead, who would it be?: Mike Tyson “so we could talk about me investing in his ranch”

What is your most embarrassing moment?: “Getting banned from Chuck E. Cheese when I was 2”

Ultimate travel destination: “I want to travel to Poland to eat delicious food and look at Castles”

 

Carlos Fonseca Jr

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: Klamath Falls, OR

Major: Exercise Science

Zodiac: Cancer

Favorite WOU Memory: “Every year has been fantastic, but my second year as an RA over in Heritage was an absolute blast. I was blessed with an amazing staff and the best residents you could ask for. #2ndGunnForLife”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?: “I see myself working in student affairs, hopefully as a Residence Director.”

Social Media: @cfonseca_jr

Who is your favorite musician?: Jon Bellion

Favorite food/restaurant: Mexican food, “shoutout to Casa Burrito”

If you could have dinner with anyone you admire, living or dead, who would it be?: My grandfather

Ultimate travel destination: “Guanajuato, Mexico. I would love to see where my family comes from and get a chance to immerse myself in my Mexican culture!”

 

NJ Johnson

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: Scappoose, OR

Major: Public Policy & Administration

Zodiac: Taurus

Favorite WOU Memory: “Having the distinguished honor of serving the student body as ASWOU President.”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?: “Working as a local government administrator for an Oregon municipality”

Social Media: @iamthenj

Who is your favorite musician?: Barenaked Ladies

Favorite food/restaurant:  Seafood Alfredo at Olive Garden

If you could have dinner with anyone you admire, living or dead, who would it be?: Tom Brady

What is your most embarrassing moment?: “Attending a class I wasn’t supposed to be in for 30 minutes in my first day at WOU.”

Ultimate travel destination: “Right now, I’m most looking forward to the opportunity to go to Cancun, Mexico with my family. It was intended to be a collective graduation reward but our trip was canceled this last summer due to the pandemic. The trip is on the books again for June 2021.”

 

Keyonna Jones

Pronouns: She/Her

Hometown: Lynnwood, WA

Major: Business with a focus in accounting, Communication minor

Zodiac: Taurus

Favorite WOU Memory: “Being on the women’s basketball team”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?: “I see myself married and with a couple of kids. Owning my own personal financing firm.”

Social Media: @Balla4ever13

Who is your favorite musician?: Ella Mai

Favorite food: Mac and Cheese

If you could have dinner with anyone you admire, living or dead, who would it be?: Dwayne Wade

Ultimate travel destination: “I think my number one place is Miami, Florida. I would go to the beach and lay out in the sun all day. I would just walk everywhere and enjoy the scenery”

 

Christopher Linares-Espinoza

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: Portland, OR

Major: Organizational Leadership

Zodiac: Cancer

Favorite WOU Memory: Drag Show

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?: “In 10 years I see myself giving back to the community I was raised in by making it safer through education and after school programs. I also see myself helping the community my parents grew up in to make sure that the children of the future have what they need to succeed.”

Social Media: @chris_linaress

Who is your favorite musician?: Kendrick Lamar

Favorite food/restaurant:  Urban Deli

If you could have dinner with anyone you admire, living or dead, who would it be?: Donald Glover (Childish Gambino)

What is your most embarrassing moment?: “Week 8 of my freshman year I took my first and last 8am class. I was tired from pulling an all-nighter so I fell asleep in class and woke up with drool on my notebook”

Ultimate travel destination: “If I were to travel right now I would go visit my family in Mexico to see how they’re doing and enjoy their company”

 

Brandon Parsons

Pronouns: He/Him

Hometown: Gresham, OR

Major: History

Zodiac: Aquarius

Favorite WOU Memory: “Campus Residency, and the connections I’ve made with hallmates, roommates, and RAs”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?: “Being a dad, perhaps.”

Social Media: @brparsons_

Who is your favorite musician?: Big Sean

Favorite food/restaurant: Wing Stop

If you could have dinner with anyone you admire, living or dead, who would it be?: “Brett Parsons, my twin brother.”

What is your most embarrassing moment?: “My everyday social awkwardness.”

Ultimate travel destination: “The beach is a classic family vacation spot. Or Odell Lake, OR with my dad. Just spend time together enjoying the outdoors, and quality time.”

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Western Athletics partially returns for fall term

Western Athletics reflects Phase One of the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Sport

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

During spring 2020, the National Collegiate Athletic Association President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors suspended spring, fall and winter NCAA championships, citing the decision to be centered around the impracticality of hosting the events during COVID-19. Over the summer, the NCAA released a revised three-phase plan called Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Sport that provided schools with guidelines to follow as they generate their own plan for the upcoming terms. 

Currently, Western’s Athletic department is reflective of Phase One: nonessential travel defunded,  groups larger than 10 must have measures of physical distancing and sanitization, restricted staffing and workout areas or facilities must be sanitized.

For the student athletes who decided to return to Western this term, the Athletics department required and offered Polymerase Chain Reaction testing through the Corvallis Clinic. The Athletics department is not currently using any of the IFC funding they’ve received this term for testing. All funding from IFC this fall term have gone towards new equipment and cleaning.Testing funds came from students’ personal medical coverage or Athletics secondary insurance if a player is not covered.

After being tested and receiving COVID education.

“If a student didn’t feel comfortable with training in this environment, then they were able to opt out,” said Interim Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Randi Lydum. “We want people to feel comfortable.”

The students who opted out of fall term are still receiving their scholarships, Lydum explained.

“If a student is fearful of contracting COVID and passing it to someone else, then they are given a waiver to keep their partial scholarship from athletic aid. It’s really up to the student and what they feel comfortable with. If they opt out, they are not allowed to use the facilities because we want them to be safe.”

The students who have opted to participate claim that the department takes the current pandemic seriously.

“We were delayed to come on campus,” said junior business major and shooting guard for the Women’s Basketball Team Rachel Rogers. “This is our first week back in the weight room. Everything is different. It’s distance and masks all the time. It’s kinda funny because we’re all sweaty and breathing hard through these masks, inside and outside. No one really lets us lax on that; if you pull it down someone is telling you to put it back up.”

As of now, Western is not hosting normal practices; each team conditions its players and schedules small group sessions at various times throughout the day.

“It looks different than it would look pre-COVID,” Lydum reported. “There’d be 100 football players out there doing drills, but we just can’t do that right now. So in a football team we might divide the condition time up by offense and defense and various positions in offense and defense. We might have all of our first-year freshmen split up into groups. It’s really just being creative and finding the best groups that are safe.”

Outside of practices, Western is not participating in games this year, aside from personal socially distanced scrimmage matches. Looking towards the future, athletics hope to regain a sense of normalcy by January 2021.

“The NCAA cancelled all the fall championships so right now we’re looking towards January for starting Basketball competitions and indoor track,” Lydum said. “If the state allows that then we’ll do it, if they don’t then we won’t.”

If students experience symptoms of COVID later in the term, they are being asked to self quarantine, and if further symptoms develop, they will be tested. As more information is released the story will be updated.

Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu

 

Valsetz delivers meals to WOU students testing positive for COVID

Western introduces quarantine meals to campus dining

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

Over the course of back-to-school season, many universities are facing COVID-19 outbreaks and are being forced to shut down. Western’s administration observed these outbreaks and planned for fall term accordingly.

Instead of having one move-in day for all new students, Western reduced its numbers to less than two-thirds and had four days designated for move-in. During that time, all students were subjected to COVID testing, and students that tested positive were relocated to Gentle Hall and Butler Hall for isolation purposes.

The people currently living in those halls are receiving “dining accommodations” known as quarantine meals. 

“The quarantine meals were food for the entire day and (were) delivered to them,” said Albert Worotikan, Director of Campus Dining. 

Originally, the food served in the quarantine meals was similar to foods given to students experiencing flu-like symptoms. Students could expect to order things like soup, gatorade, milk or orange juice once a day. However, Worotikan said that after their first weekend starting on Sept. 26, students sent feedback to dining about the quarantine meals. 

According to Worotikan, many of the residents living in the isolation zones have reported to be asymptomatic and requesting food with sustenance. The residents don’t want meals that are designated for flu-like symptoms because the meals are light and not filling.

“Yes, they have the virus, but they still want to eat normal (food),” Worotikan explained.

After a meeting with the Dean of Students and Director of Dining, Tina Fuchs, they completely flipped the system; starting Oct. 5, students living in Butler Hall and Gentle Hall are able to order three regular meals a day under the ‘quarantine meals’ section of the app, Nutrislice, with no additional cost for delivery.

For labor efficiency, campus dining has designated specific times for delivery service, Worotikan said. From 8 to 9 a.m., students can have breakfast delivered, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., students can request lunch to be delivered and from 4 to 5 p.m., dinner can be delivered. The residents are also allowed to order snacks during these times. 

In an effort to reduce physical contact during delivery, dining has also set up a notification system to let the person know when their food has been delivered.

“In our system we would be able to email the individual and let them know that the food has arrived,” Worotikan said. “Also with the way Butler and Gentle is set up, the door is outside. Of course we are also going to wear the face masks as well.”

If students start experiencing symptoms late in the term, they are advised to contact the Student Health and Counseling Center to see if they qualify for testing. If a student does qualify for testing, they will be charged $95 for the lab work. Most insurances cover the testing fee, but if a student doesn’t have insurance they can call 211 for additional resources. 

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

The President of the United States tested positive for COVID

White House begins tracing other potential COVID cases after President’s diagnosis

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

The citizens of America have been enduring the financial, physical and emotional impacts of COVID-19 over the past seven months. Currently, the United States accounts for 21% of the global population’s COVID cases.

On Oct. 2 at 9:54 p.m. (PST) President Donald Trump announced that he and the First Lady tested positive for the virus. Suspicions of potential contraction came after White House Senior Advisor Hope Hicks reported symptoms of the virus at a Trump rally held on Sept. 30.

Following President Trump’s positive diagnosis, the White House launched a massive contact tracing effort, reaching out to the people who were around the First Lady and President within seven days of them testing positive. 

During that time, the President attended multiple events: the Supreme Court Justice Ceremony, the presidential debate, fundraisers and a Trump rally. The White House has since identified nine people testing positive for COVID, including the president’s assistant, Nicholas Luna; R.N.C. Chair Woman, Ronna McDaniel; Senator of Utah, Mike Lee; Senator of North Carolina, Thom Tills; Campaign Manager, Bill Stepien; Kellyanne Conway; President of the University of Notre Dame, John Jenkins; Chris Christie; and White House Press Secretary, Kayleigh McEnany. 

All of the people who tested positive are currently receiving treatment if they are symptomatic or are undergoing the Center for Disease Control’s 14-day quarantine guidelines. 

After receiving three days of treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, President Trump was released on Oct. 5. Doctors at Walter Reed say Trump passed all the patient release requirements and treatment can be continued from the White House.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Western’s sidewalk signing adheres to COVID guidelines

Students participate in traditional sidewalk signing despite COVID

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

In the United States, many colleges have traditional ceremonies welcoming new incoming students. Due to COVID-19, many of these activities have been cancelled per social distancing guidelines.

In spite of COVID, Western upheld its tradition of first-years signing their name on the sidewalk by following social gathering regulations put in place by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Compared to prior years, the 2020 sidewalk signing required students to preregister for the event by selecting Oct. 3 or Oct. 4 to participate in the activity themselves, or have a member of PLUS team sign their name. The students who opted for the in-person option were scheduled fifteen minutes apart to maximize social distancing. 

“There’s probably other universities that definitely wouldn’t have the sidewalk signing,” said first-year history major Wyatt Smith. “When I first came here my junior year (of high school) for state track, seeing all the names on the sidewalk was one of the things that drew me here in the first place.” 

Smith went on to say that he believes a lot of universities wouldn’t put in nearly as much effort as Western has to ensure students living on campus still have a great time and are able to interact with other students in a safe way.

According to PLUS team, 163 out of the 750 students living on campus preregistered for the event and they as a team are happy to keep the tradition alive.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Western hosts its first socially distanced sunrise breakfast

New student sunrise breakfast changed to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

On Sept. 27, Western held its third annual new student sunrise breakfast.

In contrast to the flapjacks and orange juice served at the stadium in prior years, the sunrise breakfast spanned across campus, and students were served “low contact” breakfasts.

Due to social distancing guidelines in place because of COVID-19, fourth year history major and  PLUS Team coordinator, Antonia Scholerman, said they needed multiple areas this year.

“We have students at the Public Safety Field, Turf Field and the Stadium,” said Scholerman. 

To ensure enough space was provided, participants were required to sign up prior to the event to take part in the activity. All students who registered had their names written on a brown bag specified to their diets. 

To keep track of the students and faculty in attendance, PLUS team set up a check-in area. Scholerman explained that this was done to ensure students would only remain in contact with their own food.

“It was actually pretty awesome,” said first year nursing major Alyssia Johnson. “This is literally what I eat for breakfast, so it was perfect.”

In Johnson’s breakfast bag she reported receiving Fruit, yogurt, a cheese stick, and a muffin.  

Despite the current situation, Johnson remains hopeful about the upcoming term. Johnson explained that it doesn’t feel like a challenge, Saying that students are still around each other and are enjoying each other’s company. In her hall, the community room has been limited to a six-person occupancy, but they all seem to be getting along well and are bonding during these unusual times.

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Western replaces Moodle with Canvas

Western introduces a new learning platform called Canvas

Sydney Carpenter | News Editor

In an effort to update Moodle — Western’s Learning Management System  — a new committee called The University Technology Advisory Committee  was formed in February of 2019.

During spring 2020, the pilot version of Canvas, approved by President Rex Fuller back in December 2019, was introduced. President Fuller reported that Canvas is currently being funded by the CARES Act until the end of the year.

“Starting in January we have a contract that is funded through our normal budget,” Fuller explained. Western plans to phase Moodle out by July 2020.

Due to COVID-19, Dean of Library and Academic Affairs Chelle Bachelor reported that approximately 15 courses were used in Canvas because professors could not effectively convert to Canvas. In spite of the debut’s setback,  Western offered two programs over the summer to help professors acclimate to online learning and Canvas; Catalyst and the entire month of August dedicated to Canvas training sessions.

According to Michael Reis, Director of Academic Innovation, “In Catalyst, our summer training that covered online pedagogy and tools, 45 instructors participated.” 

During Catalyst, Canvas was used throughout the two weeks of the course. Additionally, Western designated the entire month of August to professors interested in learning how to use Canvas. Reis reported that 112 professors have participated in Canvas training sessions.

“I attended one Canvas training in summer in August,” said Dr. Feier Hou, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry.

 “The deciding factor for me to use Canvas is if it has all the functions I want for my class.” 

Hou explained, “My class in the fall will be online asynchronous, so I will post lecture videos, and I would like to have the option to have pop-up questions in the middle of videos.” 

Another reason Hou hadn’t made a decision about Canvas was she hadn’t consulted with her students. However, after polling students in her CH 440 course about Canvas, most were reported as indifferent.

“Among the few that responded, more than half voted for Canvas, so I will switch to Canvas for that class,” she stated.

Hou also reported that most professors are still figuring out Canvas. “The main concern I have heard so far is how smooth the transition from Moodle to Canvas will be: how much time will it take us to learn to use Canvas? Will all our content on Moodle be transferred to Canvas exactly the way we want them to be?”

Contact the author at scarpenter18@mail.wou.edu

Police brutality protests over the death of George Floyd met with police brutality

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow |  News Editor

Disclaimer: Please be advised that this article details police brutality, racism and murder. If those topics are triggering to you, please peruse our other articles. 

Protestors nationwide hold up signs reading “I can’t breathe,” the last words spoken by George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man and resident of Minneapolis, as he suffocated under the conjoined efforts of white Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinning him to the ground with his leg and multiple other police officers restraining him. His crime? An alleged use of a counterfeit $20 bill. While four officers at the scene have since been fired, only Chauvin has currently been charged with third degree murder. 

Floyd is not the first black man to have been unjustly killed since 2020 began, nor is he the first reported case of police brutality against a black person this year; making headlines earlier this year were the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. According to mappingpoliceviolence.org, regardless of the crime, if any, black people are three times more likely to be killed by police than white people, 1.3 times more likely to be unarmed — and in 99% of cases officers are never charged. Ruled a homicide, Floyd’s death, occurring on May 25, is the latest instance of police brutality in the United States’ long history of targeted racist encounters — and the 10 minute recording of his murder has spurred protests globally. 

What began as peaceful protesting has escalated, with police retaliating with brutality reminiscent of that at Standing Rock in 2016 and 2017, complete with tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades. Minneapolis is now on its seventh day of protest; each day, the protests have become increasingly more violent as agitators — some, allegedly, from white supremacist groups — enter the fray, and, in some places, the government sends in the National Guard to assist in halting the destruction to private and public properties. One could argue that the United States was not built on the back of peaceful protests, but President Trump has other ideas; in a series of tweets, he threatened to send the military to halt the protests, saying “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” — a racially-charged phrase, according to National Public Radio. And shooting has, in fact, started — by both police and civilians on multiple occasions, resulting in a total of six civilians losing their lives at multiple different protest sites. 

To ensure safety — or to combat the effectiveness of the protests — many major cities across the United States have implemented curfews. In Oregon, Portland’s protests, which began peacefully, escalated on Saturday, May 30, leading Mayor Ted Wheeler to issue an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for the city. Salem followed suit, after several instances where individual groups among a crowd of peaceful protesters instigated violence, resulting in police ordering the mass to disperse, later tear-gassing them when they would not. This did not occur at the protests to reopen Oregon nearly a month ago amidst COVID-19, when a group of largely white protestors gathered at the Salem capitol, toting assault rifles. The protests have been criticized because of amassing large crowds during a pandemic, but COVID-19 is not a racially unbiased issue — it, too, disproportionately affects black people and minorities due to economic, health and social disparities, arguably conceived by systematic racism. 

Across the ocean, Floyd’s likeness has been painted on the Berlin Wall, and citizens across many major global cities have taken to the streets in support of the United States protests or held vigils in Floyd’s name. It’s clear that the world is watching to see if U.S. leadership, the police force and allied citizens across the nation will finally acknowledge that black lives matter.

ASWOU’s statement about nearby protests can be found on our website.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of Sinead O Grady

Celebrating Western’s soon-to-be graduates

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow |  News Editor

Though Oregon has entered Phase One of Governor Brown’s plan to reopen the state, Western’s plans for a virtual graduation ceremony haven’t changed. On June 13, at 10 a.m., Western will host a virtual commencement for the class of 2020. Graduates will have the chance to watch with their loved ones as their name, degree, personalized quote, and graduation photo is displayed. An email sent out by President Rex Fuller on May 5 also invites the class of 2020 to walk with the class of 2021 next year, if possible for the individual.

Virtual Black and Lavender Graduations will also still be in effect. Black graduation will take place on Friday, June 12 at 3 p.m and be hosted on the platform Marching Order. Black Graduation mimics Western’s overall commencement format, but honors Western’s black students specifically and also includes a special keynote presentation and the singing of the Black National Anthem, where students also receive a kente cloth and a certificate for participation. Conversely, Lavender graduation, a ceremony created by Dr. Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish lesbian who was barred from attending her children’s graduation because of her sexual identity, according to the Human Rights Campaign, will take place on Thursday, June 11, at 6 p.m. over the Zoom platform. Lavender Graduation celebrates individuals of the LGBTQ+ student body at Western and will include live guest speakers chosen by each graduate, and student’s display of their rainbow cords and tassels. Both of these events are private and only available for participation by those who registered for the event prior. 

In his May 5 email, President Fuller acknowledged that “a virtual ceremony is not how you envisioned celebrating your accomplishment and we want to help make this as special as possible, so we are offering additional opportunities for celebrating your achievement. These plans are, of course, contingent on the advice of health experts.” 

In the meantime, however, graduating students are attempting to make the best of the situation. 

ASL/English Interpreting Major and senior, Keelie Carlson, is planning to “celebrate by watching the ceremony with their parents, sisters, and grandparents.”

Likewise, senior chemistry major D-Dre Wright, will be “inviting some of their close friends and family over to watch the ceremony at the lovely hour of 7 a.m., since they’re in Hawai’i.” 

The class of 2020 is graduating under the duress of unprecedented times, but they’re leaving behind a legacy at Western that will help them progress in their chosen futures.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu 

Photo by Caity Healy

See how Oregon citizens voted in the primary elections for both the federal delegates and those closer to home in Polk County

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow |  News Editor

The Oregon primaries took place on May 19, but despite already being a vote-by-mail state amidst COVID-19, Oregon saw only a 46% turnout of registered voters, or 1,320,789 individuals out of 2,845,326, according to oregonvotes.gov. With regards to percentages, Wheeler County saw the highest number of voter turnout at 67.03%, while Umatilla County saw the lowest at 36.64%. In Polk County, 42.57% of registered voters contributed, or 25,173 individuals out of 59,140. Oregon participates in a closed primary, where only those registered to vote for their respective party can cast their votes and registered independents cannot.

Overwhelmingly considered a ‘blue’ state, Oregon’s colors were closer to purple when counting votes for both the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees; representing 66.09% of Democratic votes, former Vice President, Joe Biden, won the primary, with 405,066 votes while President Trump won the Republican primary with 357,976 total Republican votes, representing a landslide 93.56% of Republican voters. Oregon also had one senate seat open, which a whopping 98.65% of registered Democrats voted to be filled once more by current Senator Jeff Merkeley, and 49.28% of registered Republicans voted to be filled by Joe Rae Perkins.

Polk County also faced some major primary decisions; falling under the 5th congressional district, 68.83% of Democratic voters elected for Kurt Shrader’s return to office as the district representative, while 53.26% of Republican voters nominated Amy Ryan Courser. Current state representative for the 20th district, Democrat Paul Evans of Monmouth, was shown support for re-election with 98.44% of Democratic votes, while Selma Pierce and Kevin S. Chambers were neck-in-neck for the Republican votes, with 50.75% and 48.40%, respectively.

Finally, the positions for Secretary of State, State Treasurer and Attorney General were also voted on in the primaries. Mark D. Haas and Shemia Fagan nearly tied for the Democratic vote for Secretary of state; Haas received 35.52% of votes, while Fagan narrowly beat him with 36.21%. Republican voters gave a majority vote to Kim Thatcher, with 85.64% of votes. The position for State Treasurer was also almost tied for votes between the Republican and Democratic candidates; Tobias Read garnered 98.69% of Democratic votes, while Jeff Gudman amassed 98.9% of Republican votes. The outcome was similar for the position of Attorney General, where 98.99% of Democratic votes went to Ellen Rosenblum and 96.69% went to Michael Cross for the Republican vote. 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu 

Cathy Clark retires after almost 33 years at Western, multiple other prominent Western community members follow suit

Sage Kiernan-Sherrow |  News Editor

As the 2019-20 school year approaches closure, Western prepares to send off not only its graduates, but also the staff and faculty members who have contributed to its legacy. One such staff member is Cathy Clark. Known by many as the “sandwich lady,” Clark has accumulated 33 years of service at Western as a staff member at Valsetz Dining Hall. 

Clark is renowned for her positivity, of which elementary education major and senior student, Kaiana Bradley had this to say: “Cathy made every student who came through that sandwich line feel special. She was incredible with remembering faces and sandwich preferences and would go beyond that to ask about students’ days — always with a smile, every single time.”

But Clark herself says that she “had no clue to the potential lives (she) would affect and be affected by,” rather she just “strove to make a home-like atmosphere for all who called WOU home,” because she believes that “all people matter.” 

Campus Dining Assistant Director, Jane Cameron, says of Clark “she will be greatly missed by Faculty, Staff and Students and future generations who will not get to experience Cathy’s dedication to the Campus.”

In addition to Clark, there are many other mentionable soon-to-be retirees across all departments. They include Valarie Alapai, of Financial Aid; Warren Allen, an instructor for Health and Exercise Science; Dean Braa, professor of sociology; Nick Backus, of communication studies; Mary Bucy, professor of education and leadership; Arlene Courtney, chemistry professor and Dorothy Hendrickson, who works in the Registrar’s Office. Among others are the head of cross country and the track and field coach, Mike Johnson, a Margaret Malloy, an Elias Montemayer, Kent Neely, of the theater department, Thomas Rand, an English professor, Bonnie Sherrill, the accounting coordinator, Linda Stonecipher, the graduate studies director and Tommy Udell, the director for the center of early learning.

These individuals are crucial members of the Western community and, as Western sends off the graduates, it also remembers all of these folks who helped them along their educational journeys.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Courtesy of Tatianna Brock

Polk County residents gather in Monmouth to protest police brutality, racism

Content Warning: This story shares quotes from residents of Polk County explicitly describing their experiences with racism. These quotes may be seen as graphic and triggering.

Caity Healy | Managing Editor

“Everyday we are met with hate.” This is what Dallas, Oregon resident Crystal Hayter had to say as to why her and her wife, Jasmine Hayter, decided to protest on June 4 in Monmouth, Oregon. Crystal self-identifies as a caucasian woman, and Jasmine self-identifies as an African American woman. They shared what a day in their life looks like for them as Polk County residents.

“She wasn’t allowed to go on my lease after we were married because she’s African American … There are certain businesses that refuse to do service with my wife unless I bring them the money. They will not take it out of her hand,” Crystal shared. “Just two days ago, our neighbors were out on the porch telling her, ‘Go back inside N-word.’ And honestly, that’s our everyday life in Polk County.” She shared stories of people in Dallas threatening to run them out of town, saying they should be tarred and feathered, and even saying that they miss the town’s “lynching tree.”

Jasmine went on to add that, “I want this to end, and I want this to end peacefully. People need to stop dying.” Her voice trembled as she spoke and she shared her story. Jasmine is one of many who shared sentiments as to why they were protesting on the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Main Street.

Carrying signs with messages such as “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace,” at 4:30 p.m. on June 4, as well as on June 3, people took to the streets to protest police brutality in the name of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other black people whose lives were taken by police. Most wearing masks, as this protest came in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cloth over their mouths could not keep them silent. Chants and honks were heard from far reaching ends of Monmouth. Some were there to be heard, others were more quiet but attended as an act of solidarity, some were passing out water bottles to those in attendance, but there was a general consensus amongst those present: change needs to happen.

Organizer of the event, Monmouth resident Carol McKiel, along with her husband Allen McKiel, stood alongside everyone holding their “Black Lives Matter” signs. Carol explained that the reason she formed this event was due to her questioning, ‘what can I do?’

“I just got up on Monday morning and thought, I have a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign, and I’m going to stand on the street corner and I’ll do that as long as I need to.” So, Carol, along with Allen and a couple of her friends, did just that. It started with just the four of them, but by contacting their neighborhood, it slowly reached more people. By June 3, Carol claimed that there were over 120 people protesting on the street with her.

“I think what’s really significant is we have white people standing out here with ‘Black Lives Matter’ signs … White people need to take this on if we’re going to fix it,” Carol added. Allen, her husband, chimed in as well.

“This is a way for everybody to show everybody else that we’re concerned. We’re not alone in being concerned and this is really, really terrible, and we’re waking up to the fact that it’s been terrible all along.” 

Another resident of Monmouth, one who lives in the same neighborhood as Carol and was invited to the protest through her message, shared a similar sentiment. Her name is Rebecca Salinas-Oliveros, and she self-identifies as a Latina woman. She expressed her concern with what’s going on, and especially with how it will reflect on her daughters.

“I’m out here to show my daughters that there’s still a little bit of hope. They’ve been really grieving. And this has been very hard for them,” Salinas-Oliveros said. “And as a mother, I have to be real with them. It’s hard to maintain hope, and just to make sure they know, yeah, it’s probably not going to get better any time soon, but we have to continue to try.” However, she expressed some hope and optimism due to the fact that Monmouth, a rural town, was able to come together for this protest.

“I didn’t expect it. I don’t think anyone really knew what to do. And this… this helps just not to be sad all the time. It gives me hope that even in a small town, there are white people willing to step up,” Salinas-Oliveros added. “And that’s really what we need. We need white people to step up because that’s where the power and the privilege is in our country. And they’re the ones that are going to create the change and people are going to listen to. So seeing the number of white people out here gives us hope.”

While Salinas-Oliveros did express a level of optimism, not all in attendance felt the same. One man, who chose to remain anonymous, opened up and shared what he was thinking while protesting.

“Being a colored person myself, it just hurts bad,” he said. “When this is all over, I’m still colored. It’s going to happen again. Nothing’s gonna change. All we can have is hope.” He added that, “I don’t know if tomorrow I’m going to make it … I could be going down the street and all of a sudden I get pulled over and I’m gone. Just like that.”

Noticeably, there were no Monmouth police officers present at the event; this didn’t sit right with him.

“They haven’t been here. They were not seen, and I’m like, do they even care? The people care who are here protesting, but do the cops care? The way I see it, they don’t.” He was not the only one who was uncomfortable with the lack of police solidarity.

“We don’t even see any cops around here, so we don’t even know if they’re listening to us. We need to see change from them,” said another anonymous source. “We come out here to support this movement but we don’t know if anything is gonna happen because they’re just sitting over there doing whatever they want. We don’t see support from them.”

The protesting continued from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. For the most part, it was met with honks, waves and smiles. There was some retaliation, though; some waved their middle fingers at the protestors, some yelled “All Lives Matter” in return to their chants, and some even went as far as to yell “F–k you” to the protestors. Thirty minutes later, and just eight miles away, protests were happening in a neighboring town: Dallas.

The protest in Dallas, organized by resident Chaney Poulsen, was considerably smaller than the one in Monmouth. It was met with some waves and approval, with even the local Dominos donating a few pizzas to the cause. But similarly, it was met with two people waving “Trump 2020” signs, one yelling at the protestors “Trump 2020” and many heads shaking to express disapproval. In attendance at this protest were two people who also attended the one in Monmouth, Crystal and Jasmine Hayter.

“Enough is enough,” Crystal concluded. “(Jasmine) could be the next person, and I’m not okay with that.” 

The protests in Monmouth are planned to continue daily in the same place at 4:30 p.m. Carol McKiel says to bring umbrellas, because they’ll be out there shouting “Black Lives Matter” come rain or sunshine.

Contact the author at chealy16@wou.edu

Photos by Hannah Greene

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