Mount Hood

New transit service comes to Indy-MO

Written by:Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

After a long wait, the City of Monmouth and Independence welcomed the arrival of the MI Trolley at the Polk County Fire District Station on April 2. The celebration featured live music from Tuesday Jug Band — a string band based in Monmouth.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was an opportunity for residents and community members to familiarize themselves with the trolley and learn the routes, as well as celebrate the commencement of a free public transit service for the connecting towns.

The operations of the MI Trolley began that same day, as students and residents saw the bright red vehicles running along Main Street and Monmouth Street. 

At Western — before the arrival of the MI Trolley — many students with no vehicle access found themselves with limited means of transportation for entertainment purposes and basic errands. 

Western is home to WOLF Ride, the free shuttle bus service for students. However, the shuttle service only operates in the evenings from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., which may function as an inconvenience for students who attend night classes or work evening shifts. Moreover, WOLF Ride does not operate on Sundays. 

With the introduction of the MI Trolley, students now have access to three forms of transportation: the MI Trolley, WOLF Ride and Cherriots. The on-campus stop for the trolley can be found on Jackson St., across from West House.

Currently, there are three trolleys in operation running along the scheduled route between Independence and Monmouth. The trolley is operated and owned by Cherriots — the official bus shuttle that services and connects the cities surrounding Salem. 

For the time being, the MI Trolley utilizes many pre-existing Cherriot bus stops. However, the difference between the two transit services lies in the number of one-way bus trips. 

The Cherriots shuttle service provides ten one-way service trips, while the MI Trolley provides 140 one-way service trips daily. The MI Trolley can accommodate one route deviation per one-way service trip, as long as one reserves the trip in advance.

The hours of operation for the MI Trolley are Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.–9 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m.–6 p.m. These hours may be subject to change as the city settles into the new transition.

To learn more about the MI Trolley and the routes, visit the official website at https://www.mitrolley.org/.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

MLB is in full swing

Written by:Nicholas Sarysz

The Major League Baseball season and all of the new rule changes are now in full swing. Over the offseason, MLB commissioner, Robert D. Manfred, Jr., set out to make baseball more exciting by adjusting the rules to try and generate more offense. While the general MLB fan base had split feelings about the new rules, change is inevitable and Manfred has said that they are sticking with the rule changes moving forward.

The biggest change heading into this season is the addition of the pitch clock. Similar to the NBA’s shot clock, the pitcher will have a limited amount of time to execute his pitch. Specifically, they will have 15 seconds to start their windup if the bases are empty and 20 seconds if there are runners on. The MLB hopes that the change will lead to an increased pace of play that will entice a larger audience to watch games in their entirety.

On top of the pitch clock, the MLB also put a ban on the defensive shift. First used in the 1940s, the defensive shift places three infielders on one side of the field in order to defend against batters that typically pull the ball to their dominant-handed side. 

The new ban requires there to be two infielders on each side of second base and does not allow infielders to be in the outfield grass until the ball is pitched. 

The goal of the ban is to increase the batting average and put pull hitters at less of a disadvantage, hopefully leading to more offensive scoring and more explosive defensive plays.

The last big rule change put into effect this season is increased bases. With the exception of home plate, all of the bases will be increased by three square inches, going from 15 to 18 square inches. The main purpose of the increased base sizes is to help avoid injury for players sliding into bases — allowing for more room for the defender’s and runners’ feet to share the base. Another effect of increased base size is that we are likely going to see more stolen bases this season, especially since it will be easier to time pitches with the addition of a pitch clock.

All-in-all, it is too early to tell if the changes will have the long-term positive effects for baseball that Manfred Jr. is hoping for. What we do know is that the rules should continue to help bridge the gap between pitchers and hitters this year and hopefully that will bring in a new fanbase for the sport.

Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

A march for fundamental rights

Written by: Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

On the afternoon of March 16, Western students from an immigration and politics course gathered in union to support and advocate for immigrant rights, as well as a number of interrelated and prevalent issues across the United States, including human rights, gun violence, the war on Ukraine and climate justice. As a result, these students marched for various causes, not primarily limited to immigrant rights. 

The event was arranged by Professor of Political Science, Eliot Dickinson.

According to Dickinson, the idea of the peace march came to light in two political science courses: “Causes of Peace” and “Immigration Politics and Policy.” The former course, “Cause of Peace,” centers around the study of nonviolent protests, while the latter focuses on discussion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and the illegal exploitation of immigrant child labor.

Dickinson said, “The two topics kind of went together, and I asked the students if they wanted to end the term with some kind of an immigrant peace march.”

Although the march was designated for the enrolled students of the course, all students — including students outside of the political science community — were encouraged to attend. 

With handmade signs in hand, the participants of the march welcomed the sunny weather — void of the chilliness of previous days. 

The group met at the Werner University Center, where they continued their march through Monmouth Avenue and up towards Main Street. 

While most advocated for immigrant rights, a few participants advocated for climate change. One sign read, “Immigrants Make America Great,” while another read, “Climate Justice Now.”

“The purpose was to get out of the classroom and express ourselves,” said Dickinson. “We wanted to say that it’s time for a green revolution, time to stop burning fossil fuels, and time to stand up for human rights.”

According to the National Centers for Environmental Information, 2022 ranked as the sixth warmest year on record. Likewise, statistical analyses warn of the potential likelihood that 2023 will rank among the top tenth warmest years.

In response to why it’s important to advocate for these issues, Dickinson said, “There’s so much gun violence in our society, so much economic anxiety, so much bad news about global heating, and so much war and so many refugees that at some point you just feel like expressing yourself.” 

Ultimately, the march turned out to be a progressive end to the semester for the two political science courses, as well as a positive step in the right direction concerning fighting for policies on immigration.

Dickinson added, “We realized it wasn’t going to solve all the world’s problems or bring peace overnight, but it sure does feel good to get out and demonstrate.”

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

President Peters perceives

Written by: Dakota Gange

President Jesse Peters confidently and humbly displays what one may assume are aspects to his true self; a cozy sweater, jeans and brown leather shoes with stitching resembling that of a Moccasin. A small silver hoop earring hangs on his left ear. 

Though his sweater and shoes are soft, one does not need to ask if he rides a Harley, or a bike alike, to guess that he does.   

Peters began his undergraduate studies in business but switched to English after being heavily drawn to literature. His minor is in sociology. 

During his graduate school studies, Peters said he “…specifically became interested in Native American literature. So I went to the University of New Mexico and did my Ph.D. there in Native American Literature.” 

Dr. Peters has seemingly dedicated his youth to education. 

His resume is impressive — spending 18 years at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he worked up the ranks, beginning as an assistant professor and progressing through to a full-tenured professor. Peters was also Dean of the Honors College and Director of Undergraduate Research. 

And there’s more — during his tenure at Fort Lewis College, Peters served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences. He also was the Interim Provost for one year, overseeing the college’s development of new programs in Environmental Science, Health Science, Nutrition, Borders and Languages, Computer Engineering and Musical Theatre.

After receiving a $500,000 Mellon Foundation Grant — a Foundation which supports a wide range of initiatives to strengthen the arts and humanities — Peters used his grant to promote inclusive pedagogy — the ways that courses, curricula, assessments and classrooms weigh issues of diversity with a goal to engage all students in meaningful, relevant and accessible learning. 

In addition to his already busy schedule, he currently serves on the “National Collegiate Honors Council, Honors Semesters Committee as well as the Diversity Committee, and he frequently co-facilitates national faculty institutes on experiential learning,” he said in an interview with Western.  

Peters likes “…the smallness of regional universities (like Western) and the personalized nature of the education and how we can really get to know students and serve them the best way that we can in a community-based holistic system.” 

Influenced by the literature and art of Scott Momaday, Lesley Silko, Louise Erdrich and James Welch, the “…large figures of the Native American renaissance literary movement that came out of the 60s and 70s. Since then I have been fortunate enough to know many artists and authors of the Native American communities.” 

Peter’s passion and affinity for Native American culture echoes throughout his office, in bright and neutral colors.  

He feels a connection to these artists and writers, drawing him to Native American culture. 

“The art of those writers, any good novelist or poet, appeals to me. I think I probably had some connection to notions of land relationships, like growing up in swamps, fishing and hunting, and being in the woods a lot myself — I think there’s something about that that comes through a lot of that art. I was also sort of drawn to notions of relationships of intersectionalities of human beings and communities and living things that you often see in ways of thinking about existence and creations that are probably more holistic than in western traditions,” he expressed. 

“I think notions of balance and reciprocity and lots of things that I believe those cultures have to teach and have taught the world, and I was just drawn to engaging with those ideas, as I am an outsider to those experiences, which fosters good exploration of those ideas.” 

Growing up on a farm in Southern Georgia, Peters enjoys camping, being outdoors around water, and farming with his family. He likes to go fly fishing and wishes he had more time to ride his motorcycles.

Western feels very homelike to Dr. Peters, and he plans to “tell Western’s story better and to more people,” hopefully growing awareness of Western and enrollment. He feels that “it’s important that the student body and faculty are proud of how well Western serves students and the student body that we do serve — how diverse it is, how innovative it can be — how many strong alumni we have in the state and around the region. We need to talk about that and make sure we are a part of conversations about higher education.”  

Through his more profound understanding and openness of one’s cultural lens, perhaps President Peters will launch us into a future centered around Western’s growth, diversity and inclusion. 

Contact the author at howlmanagingeditor@wou.edu

Compassionate CPP

Written by: Jude Bokovoy

Finding one’s way in the corporate world can be hard. No matter where one is at — searching for a job related to their career, a job to gain experience or an internship — Western’s Center for Professional Pathways — CPP — is here to help. Staff members are equipped with the knowledge, experience and connections to guide students through their next steps. Think about where one is at in the process, then pick from the list of appointments below to continue one’s journey.

Career counseling — For those who are uncertain of what career path they should take or are overwhelmed with all of their options, this is a great place to start. In this style of appointment, one will meet with a career counselor to explore career options as well as major options if needed. Students will also learn strategies on how to move forward in their exploration.

Career assessments — If one still isn’t quite sure about their career path, this is a way to narrow the options down and find out about how one’s interests and abilities can be a part of one’s career. CPP also offers Strong Interest Inventory, StrenthsQuest and MBTI. An MBTI personality assessment highlights strengths and how you make decisions. On the other hand, Strong Interest Inventory helps people identify what their interests are and career paths depending on the score. 

Job search advising — This is when one starts to take action. Once settled on a career, the advisor can assist in applying for specific jobs in the field. This includes identifying and strategizing to get a job related to one’s interests and major.

Advanced resume and cover letter review — After having one’s resume looked over by a Student Career Advisor by drop in or appointment, the final step before applying is to make this appointment. During this time, the advisor will give assistance with editing, organizing and making educated suggestions. 

Mock interviews — Got a call back for an interview? Get some practice and feedback before the big day. 

Internship advising — Not looking for a job? An internship may just be the perfect opportunity to get experience without the pressure of a position. This appointment will secure one’s goals and strategize. If desired, the advisor will go over one’s resume and give a mock interview.                                                                                         Graduate school counseling — Brainstorm about one’s interests and gain insight to start looking into graduate schools with confidence. 

Graduate school search and application materials — Students will receive assistance in writing personal statements and other application materials, as well as in searching for graduate schools in one’s chosen field of interest. 



Volunteer advising — Search for volunteer opportunities on and off campus to assist in one’s education, community and career development.

Alternative Break advising — Interested in participating in an Alternative Break? This opportunity gives students the chance to volunteer in various ways over school breaks. Set up an appointment to find out all about it and what one will need to do. 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@mail.wou.edu

Western’s Model United Nations Trip

Written by: Gretchen Sims

Recently, from Feb. 23 — Feb. 25, members of Western’s Model United Nations club took part in a well-established academic tradition — the London International Model United Nations. 

Model UN is a popular activity for students interested in political science and allows participants to simulate the proceedings of an actual United Nations conference. 

Each participant is assigned a committee that replicates an actual committee in the UN. In that committee, the student represents a randomly assigned country — sometimes this can be a specific person, but this is quite rare.

Once these committees are assigned, students are given a real-world topic and are tasked with accurately representing and bolstering their country’s interests.  

Two Western MUN members were assigned to the United States on the Security Council. This was an interesting predicament for these students, as being assigned to the state from which you originate is rare and did not sit well with other participating schools. 

While Western delegates did not win an award, members did exceptionally well. The delegates were working on energy security and the energy crisis, and went against the grain. While most focused on the energy pipelines and creating a singular energy grid, the U.S. Security Council felt ignored and decided to take action. mozambique, an elected member of the Security Council, was trying to start a resolution paper — one of three circulating the General Assembly — however, it kept getting looked over and shut down. 

It was then that Russia decided to back mozambique’s paper — a big deal due to the P5, one of the five permanent members on the security council, state’s veto power.  Sharon Mann and Max Laine decided to beat Russia at their own game and back mozambique’s paper as well. This left the rest of the states in deep trouble because, with the backing of two P5 states, the previously overlooked resolution was protected by two veto powers.

Immediately, the U.S. Security Council delegates were the center of attention — with everyone suddenly begging the U.S. to work with them. However, the U.S. used its veto power to its full capacity and shut everyone down in true American style. 

However, at the end of the day, this was a huge accomplishment for Western. 

Mann, one of the two students on the Security Council, said that “All the schools that went to this conference were big-name schools internationally. Universities from France, Spain, lots from London — I think there was a delegation from Oxford there… It was big! We were one of the only American schools — I think there was one other one from New Jersey — but we were Western Oregon. At this huge conference that thousands of people went to, and it wasn’t like U of O going, or even Stanford.”

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Western makes major department deductions

Written by: Mirella Barrera-Betancourt

The Incidental Fee Committee has concluded open hearings and discussions regarding the incidental budget allocations for the 2023-24 academic year. 

On Mar. 10, the IFC released the finalized budgetary allocations for Western’s departments, as well as the student incidental fee application.

For the 2023-24 academic year, students can anticipate a flat fee of $415 per term for on-campus courses, and $210 for courses fully online/off campus — including the Salem campus — on their student bill. Students taking courses in the summer of 2024 will be charged a fee of $150, regardless of course modality. The final incidental fee decision for 2024 reflects an increase of $43 from the previous academic year.

All departments are to face a reduction in funding, with the largest of the budget reductions targeting Athletics and Student Media. 

The final budgetary reductions are: 17% to Abby’s House, 0% to Access, 17% to the Associated Students of Western Oregon University, 19% to Campus Recreation, 21% to Student Activities Board, 26% to Student Media, 18% to Creative Arts, 19% to WOLF Ride, 26% to Athletics, and 23% to Student Engagement: Leadership, Inclusion, Activities. 

The preliminary decisions for the IFC budgetary plans were released in early February, with the incidental fee charge positioned at $390 for on-campus courses, $210 for online courses, and $150 for courses taken in the summer. The majority of departments — such as Student Media, Campus Recreation, Student Engagement — saw a preliminary budget cut of 25%, and many other areas saw an increase by a range of up to 28%.

Budget requests for the fiscal year’s incidental allocations totaled at $4,367,953, while the preliminary decisions estimated a total of $3,229,883. However, available allocations totaled at $3,500,454, which guaranteed lower allocations in the final decisions.

In the finalization meeting on Friday, Mar. 10, the committee discussed student comments collected from the open forum and three open hearings. The committee observed student concern primarily in the Campus Recreation Department.

In their preliminary decision, the committee proposed a major budget cut of 26% to the Campus Recreation Department, a decision which would result in the removal of the swimming pool as an element included in the budgetary cut. However, the student body strongly opposed this preliminary decision. The committee and ASWOU have rejected the proposition.

The funds from IFC provide an avenue of opportunity for student employment. Additional student concerns stemmed regarding the impact of preliminary funding on on-campus organizations and job employment, with a large majority of the open hearings consisting of student athletes and student swimmers. 

Unfortunately, with student enrollment continuously decreasing, Western is expected to continue facing challenges regarding incidental budget cuts. This year, this challenge was illustrated in the decrease in available budget allocations.

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu