A photo of the library information desk. | Photo by Moth Martinez-Faccio
Feb. 4, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
While Hamersly Library offers book checkouts for students like any other school library, they also offer many other services that students can take advantage of.
Various spaces within the library are a good resource for students who need a place to work. There are study rooms located throughout the library that can be reserved or used on a first-come-first-serve basis. The third floor of the library is also a quiet floor, meaning anyone who works up there must be silent, a great opportunity for students who need silence to focus.
Located to the left on the first floor, students can also find the Writing and Research Center, where they can get help on their writing or with research if needed. Students can make an appointment or come in during walk-in hours. Tutors can help with any type of writing, such as academic or scholarship.
Online through the library website — which can be found in the Portal toolbar — students can find resources like citation guides to help with formatting and references.
Hamersly Library also offers many different types of equipment that can be checked out, such as Chromebooks, video cameras, photo cameras, camera accessories, audio recorders, computers and laptops, tablets, e-readers, iPads and microphones. Because equipment can be required for specific courses and it is often in high demand, lending policies can be more restrictive and replacement fees can be higher. Additionally, specific equipment, like Chromebooks, are prioritized for students who receive Pell Grants and Oregon Opportunity Grants.
Phone chargers can also be checked out for students who may need them.
There are other items available that can be used for recreational activities. Projectors and projector screens are available for checkout if students want to do a movie night, and various board games can be checked out for a board game night. Games available include Apples to Apples, Bananagrams, Catan, chess, checkers, Clue, Cranium, Exploding Kittens, Jenga, List or Twist, Loaded Questions, Monopoly, Operation, Paint Chip Poetry, Really Loud Librarians, Salem 1692, The Deep, This or That, Uno, We’re Not Really Strangers, Where Should We Begin and regular playing cards. Wii consoles, along with various Wii games like Super Smash Bros and Wii Play are also available.
In room 201, there is a digital production studio that has equipment for video and audio recording as well as editing. Reservations are required and can be made at the information desk on the first floor.
Whether in need of academic resources or recreational equipment, students can go to Hamersly Library to take advantage of these many amenities.
A photo of ICE protesters outside of the Portland facility Feb. 1, 2026. | Photo from @theoregonian on Instagram
Feb. 4, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
On Jan. 29, 2026, the city of Monmouth held its quarterly town hall in the evening to discuss “freedoms of speech, assembly, and expression.”
“We really want to talk about Monmouth and issues of the First Amendment, of freedom of speech, of freedom of assembly and how we look at those things when we have concerns,” said the mayor of Monmouth, Cecelia Koontz, during the town hall. “Because we have had concerns. We have had complaints, and we have had incidents.”
Present faces were city attorney Justin Thorp, Chief of Police Isaiah Haines, Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton and Oregon Rep. Paul Evans, who is also a full-time professor of speech communication at Chemeketa Community College.
Such town halls discuss budget issues, city service and various other relevant topics. Thursday’s meeting discussed civic action, but divulged that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has kidnapped four people out of Monmouth — two being American citizens.
Evans opened the town hall, saying, “We live in an era where people suggest violence right out of the gate. Violence stops the conversation. It doesn’t enhance it.”
“Oregon is a sanctuary state,” said Isaiah Haines, answering an attendee’s question. “There are prohibitions that local law enforcement have from assisting immigration enforcement … I am forbidden, by law, to assist with immigration enforcement.”
Haines made it clear that if called upon for help, such as in the case of a physical threat, Monmouth police will respond regardless of who needs the assistance.
“If somebody is in trouble — meaning their life is being threatened or there is a reasonable threat to be perceived — there is no prohibition on our police officers responding to support that. The difference is, as in the case that happened not long ago when four people from this community were taken away, two of which were citizens, they are not going to assist in the capture of those individuals or the detainment because that’s a federal responsibility,” said Evans. “ICE has their operations. They do what they do. If they are in danger, if they feel that they are in some form of danger, our folks will respond.”
Information on the four people taken by ICE has not been publicized, nor were Western students made aware of it until mentioned at the town hall.
“If somebody really shouldn’t be here, and there’s a warrant to prove they shouldn’t be here, (police) can help. That’s not what sanctuary status is about,” added Evans.
Additionally, a Western student alleged that on Dec. 3, 2025, when protester and livestreamer Thomas Allen disrupted campus operations with inflammatory political statements, that people were “pushed, that were pushed down the stairs, there were injuries,” and that, to their knowledge, Monmouth police did not respond to calls.
In response, Haines stated that officers were in communication with Western as well as Campus Public Safety and viewing the live stream to determine lawful activity during the interruption. He affirmed that all calls were answered, but no uniformed officers were required to manage the situation.
“The only time I was aware ever of any contact that was made were when sidewalks were blocked, actually by from what I perceived to be students … and that actually was probably, or could be, an illegal activity. Now, we couldn’t see everything just based on the view of the camera, but somebody has the right to pass through a sidewalk area in a public space, even if they’re saying things that are hurtful or hateful to somebody else.”
He added, “To our knowledge, I never heard about actual injuries that happened, that were reported to us, and we didn’t observe anything that we thought was criminal conduct that would warrant our response at the time.”
“Stand up for what you believe, so you can push ideas into concepts, into proposals, into laws, and then into implementation,” Evans said.
A photo of children in Gaza, wandering by the tent setups. | Photo from @hamed.saef1 on Instagram
Feb. 4, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Content warning: this article discusses genocide, death and the death of children
On Oct. 7, 2023, the Islamist militant group governing the Gaza Strip, Hamas, launched an attack on Israel that killed more than a thousand people. In return, Israel launched a massive systematic destruction of Palestine that, over the course of more than two years, would end the lives of 70,000 Palestinians and wound upward of 171,000.
The carnage was well-reported up until the end of 2025, when coverage dissipated following Donald Trump’s proclamation that the war had ended. Israel agreed to a ceasefire and hostage release from both parties — 20 Israelis, 250 Palestinians and around 1,700 Gaza detainees — but, in small corners online, news is still being released about war-torn Gaza. Independent news network Al Jazeera reported Feb. 2, 2026, that only five medical patients were allowed to leave Gaza on the first day that Israel opened the Rafah crossing into Egypt — the only crossing that Gaza has that does not pass through Israel. Israel’s intense security screenings have posed significant difficulties for Palestinians hoping to pass through, many of whom are doing so mainly to receive medical help, considering none of Gaza’s hospitals currently operate at full capacity, with more than half of the 36 facilities being wiped out entirely, per an October 2025 article from the United Nations. Only 50 Palestinians may enter and exit Gaza through the Rafah crossing each day, and only on foot, per Israeli rule.
The ceasefire has been described as fragile — with 30 Palestinians allegedly killed in airstrikes Feb. 1 that landed on a displacement camp in Khan Yunis.
More than 500 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire was established, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Whether these numbers are accurate or not, nobody knows exactly; the number of 70,000 plus deaths also comes from the same organization, but Israel has backed this number and it has been deemed reliable by the U.N.
The U.N. reported at the end of January 2026 that 10,000 aid trucks were allowed to enter Gaza and that the famine and food security crisis had been reversed. Children are being vaccinated, families are being fed more consistently and access to aid has improved. Yet, for many children, the situation is still critical. The U.N. reported more than 100 child fatalities since the ceasefire was established in October 2025, as well as 100,000 children who are suffering from malnutrition and need shelter and warmth.
Humanitarian groups, such as the U.N. Children’s Fund and the World Food Programme, are prepared to access Gaza with more support and supplies, but are still awaiting approval for entry. Egypt has 150 hospitals ready to provide medical aid, but also are waiting out the Rafah crossing.
Despite the improvements, the land of Gaza itself still faces the effects of near-total destruction. Vital infrastructure has been demolished, and Gaza citizens displaced, with families living in tents and depending on Israel granting access to humanitarian organizations and medics to provide the help they need.
As for Ukraine, the country has only this week agreed to a proposal that would, although complex, lead to a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, though this could also be an unstable situation. If Russia were to breach an implemented ceasefire, a diplomatic warning could amount to action taken by Ukraine, and then response from the Coalition of the Willing — a collection of 34 countries that have pledged support to Ukraine that includes the United Kingdom, France, Germany and more — and, then, lastly, American involvement, assuming Russia continues to violate.
Trump stated publicly that he may have “good news” regarding the Russia-Ukraine war; meanwhile, Russian forces launched an attack early Feb. 2 on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, knocking out power amidst negative temperatures. At least four were killed, hundreds evacuated and 3,500 buildings were blacked out.
At least 12 energy sector workers in southeastern Ukraine were killed in a Russian drone attack Feb. 1.
Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago in February 2022, a full-scale occupation that once claimed 30% of Ukraine territory and has since dwindled to approximately 20%. However, Russia has continued its attacks on Ukrainian cities and people, with Ukraine striking mainly at Russian oil and military sites with drones. Nearly 7 million people have fled Ukraine; 12.7 million need humanitarian assistance and 53,000 Ukrainians have been killed.
Citizens of Kyiv reported hospital and residential destruction, as well as war crimes committed by Russian militants, including executions, torture and rape in the initial attacks. In the years following, Russia and Ukraine positioned themselves in stalemates across Ukraine, engaging in combat as well as pulling out of it; Ukraine captured Russian land and Russia captured Ukrainian territory, battlefronts that have reportedly killed, wounded or disappeared nearly 2 million soldiers.
Russia in 2024 said it would have only agreed to a ceasefire if allowed to maintain all of the land it occupied, as well as govern it, but “not fully control,” and if Ukraine did not join NATO. In June 2025, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, declared that Russia owned Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not negotiate as long as Russia maintains its occupation in Ukraine.
In November 2025, an American 28-point plan was offered, implementing a ceasefire, limiting Ukraine’s military size while Russia’s forces are unaffected, banning Ukraine from joining NATO, locking Russia and Ukraine into anti-discrimination laws and a non-aggression pact, as well as rebuilding Ukraine with U.S. and EU funds and frozen assets from Russia. Ukraine rejected the plan, with European leaders claiming Ukraine would be left vulnerable to potential future offenses. Trump responded by saying Ukraine had “ZERO GRATITUDE.” The U.K., France and Germany rebuilt the proposal, adding changes that led to an eventual acceptance from Ukraine, such as territory negotiations post-ceasefire, a military size increase for Ukraine and allowing Ukraine to join NATO.
As of Feb. 2, 2026, a ceasefire has not been established for the Russia-Ukraine war.
While most of the world looks toward the Winter Olympics and the award show wins, Palestine and Ukraine are facing long-lasting effects from catastrophic offenses and occupations, hundreds of thousands of people dead in the wake of war, and potentially — likely — more in the following months.
A photo of a great gray owl in an old growth forest. | Photo from @myodfw on Instagram
Feb. 4, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
On Jan. 21, various conservation organizations in Oregon, including Cascadia Wildlands, Oregon Wild and Umpqua Watersheds protested against the 42 Divide Forest Management Plan from the Bureau of Land Management and filed a lawsuit claiming they violated federal environmental laws. The plan was put in place to log 7,000 acres of forest in Douglas County, an area already heavily affected by logging. The goal was to turn the dense forest into a dry flatland.
Not only does the lawsuit claim that the BLM violated federal laws, but also that they are going against their own stated objective to preserve and protect endangered species listed under the Endangered Species Act and their habitats.
The logging area consisted of old-growth forests — forests that are untouched for 150-250 years and have extremely diverse layers and canopy structures, often home to diverse species. The logging area targeted contains many different types of trees, such as Douglas fir, cedar and madrone, and contains various species like northern spotted owls, marbled murrelets, coho salmon and western pond turtles. Western pond turtles are a sensitive species in Oregon, coho salmon and northern spotted owls are threatened and marbled murrelets are endangered.
Logging this area of forest would not only threaten these species more, but would also create a forest fire risk with all of the post-logging debris.
Species are threatened by logging because it not only confuses them and brings hazards, but it also removes canopy layers, causing the forest to become hotter, drier and windier. The removal of trees also displaces animals from the forest canopy habitats.
Beyond logging threatening species and their habitats, it also removes historical forests that have been previously untouched. These forests are rare and unique, and animals and humans alike enjoy their beauty. Today, less than 5% of Western old-growth forests are left standing, most disappearing from logging projects.
Peter Jensen, staff attorney at Cascadia Wildlands, said, “Our organizations are challenging 42 Divide out of great concern that it does not advance BLM’s purported purposes of restoration and resilience, instead threatening imperiled wildlife, increasing fire hazard, and decreasing these forests’ resilience to disturbance.”
They argue that the BLM is going against protection laws for old-growth forests and laws protecting species like spotted owls that rely on these habitats.
John Persell from Oregon Wild added, “Aggressive logging in these protected areas not only endangers fish and wildlife, but it also adds to the cumulative destruction of the landscape already ravaged by the surrounding private-land clearcuts. Public lands are supposed to be a refuge from this kind of destruction, not an extension of it.”
A photo of a gray wolf. | Photo from @zookeeper.tryg on Instagram
Feb. 4, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
Not only are gray wolves a beloved animal by many, but they are also a keystone species, meaning their survival is crucial for the environments they live in. Gray wolves are a major predator in the habitats they live in, allowing control of prey species, which in turn allows other plants and animals to thrive. The extinction of wolves — along with any keystone species — would cause a domino effect, leaving its prey species to radically populate and, in turn, cause the extinction of their prey animals and plants.
As of February 2022, gray wolves are listed as endangered and protected under the Endangered Species Act, with the exception of Minnesota. Because wolves are legally protected in most of Oregon, it is against the law to take, move or kill them.
Since 2024, there are an estimated 204 gray wolves in Oregon, an increase from previous years. Experts warn, though, that the population could start to decrease again due to the limited number of breeding pairs in Oregon regions. Still, gray wolf populations are slowly increasing, with there only being 29 wolves in 2011.
Many Oregon residents living in rural areas push for the removal of gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act, including U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, who introduced the Pacific Northwest Gray Wolves Relief Act, seeking to delist gray wolves in parts of Oregon and Washington from the Endangered Species Act. They argue that uncontrolled wolves kill their livestock and that gray wolf populations have to be managed. In response, Colin Reynolds, a senior advisor at Defenders of Wildlife, said, “This bill is the latest in a series of attacks on gray wolves that are senselessly attempting to strip protections away while the species continues to recover.” He also explained that both Oregon and Washington annual wolf reports indicate that gray wolves have not yet reached a sustainable population threshold, meaning it is still crucial they remain on the Endangered Species Act.
Since February 2024, Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Troopers have found remains of a female gray wolf, a male gray wolf and a juvenile gray wolf.
On Oct. 7, 2025, a gray wolf that was collared — a common technique used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect and keep track of endangered species — was found dead in Lake County, near the Klamath County border in Oregon. This wolf was protected in an area where gray wolves are listed as endangered, making it a criminal offense if someone killed it. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is still investigating the incident, and are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for anyone knowing information regarding the potential illegal killing.
A photo of the bilingualism display in the Werner University Center. | Photo taken by Abbi Duhart
March 11, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
In 2025, Western became the first four-year public Hispanic-Serving Institution in Oregon, meaning more than 25% of the student population self-reports during enrollment identifying as Hispanic or Latino.
On display on the second floor of the Werner University Center, posters are put up with information regarding HSI institutions, as well as how bilingualism and multilingualism are displayed in universities. The posters include two case studies of universities around the world and how they utilize multilingual signs around campus, and a QR code is included for students to scan and take a survey about bilingual signs around campus, and if students would like to see more of this.
The first case study is about a college in Israel where local Jewish and Arab populations coexist multilingually on campus. The majority of students are Jewish at 72%, followed by Arab students at 28%. Both student populations are valued in their diversity through the posting of multilingual signs all around campus with both languages.
The second case study is about a university in Finland in which the majority of students speak Finnish and 7% speak Swedish in addition to Finnish. Despite this, all of the signs around campus include both Finnish and Swedish, even though all of the students speak Finnish. To explain their reasoning, the university said that they want to promote bilingualism and normalize utilizing two languages because it reflects the diversity of the student population.
The intention of bilingual signs in these two places, and many colleges around the world, often isn’t to assist the minority language speakers in understanding the signs because the majority know both languages, but is instead to honor their heritage. They are used as a symbol to convey that bilingualism is a valued skill, that all languages are important and to help the majority language speakers in learning a second language.
Many students at Western speak Spanish, grew up speaking Spanish and come from Spanish-speaking families, yet almost all of the signs around campus are only displayed in English. In response, the survey displayed in the WUC is recognizing this and seeking an answer on whether students would like to see more Spanish around campus.
The number of Arab speaking students in the first case study is very similar to the number of Spanish-speaking students at Western, yet their university, like others around the world, displays their language, while Western often doesn’t display Spanish.
Many people in the United States are so used to seeing English and only speaking English that it’s common to find resistance to displaying signs with another language. Many believe these signs look cluttered, are a waste of money and that everyone knows English, so there’s no purpose. In other countries around the world, though, these types of signs are extremely common, sometimes with even more than two languages on each sign.
According to a 2016 Academy of Arts and Sciences report, more than 65 million United States residents speak a language other than English, yet this only represents 20.7% of the population and the majority remains monolingual. Further, “the study of a second language has been linked to improved learning outcomes in other subjects, enhanced cognitive ability, and the development of empathy and effective interpretive skills.” Despite the vast benefits of learning a second language, the United States lags behind most other countries in the world in the number of citizens who know a second language. Many other countries start teaching a second language in grade school, so by the time students graduate, they are bilingual. It is continually proven that, in the United States, the two years of a second language requirement in high school is not enough.
For these reasons, promoting bilingualism and multilingualism is very important, especially at the educational level. Western has both a Spanish major and minor offered to students, and is also very well-known for its American Sign Language program, offering both studies and interpreting majors and a language minor. Not only do these programs promote bilingualism and allow students to learn not just languages but cultures, but they also create career opportunities post-grad. Adding bilingual signs to Western would continue to expand the promotion of multiple languages that other programs have started. For example, this year, The Western Howl hired Spanish translators for the first time and now offers articles in Spanish.
For more information surrounding these topics, students can go see the posters about bilingualism and multilingualism displayed in the WUC and can scan the QR code there to fill out the survey.
First responders on scene outside of Ackerman Hall. | Photo courtesy of Jacob Prater
Feb. 18, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Late Saturday night, Feb. 7, at approximately 10:15 p.m., anyone inside Ackerman Hall was evacuated following a call to Campus Public Safety that led to the arrival of multiple firetrucks and police presence. A small fire was confirmed in a bathroom in the Gilmore wing on the fourth floor that caused no damage, but no details have been released. The incident is reportedly under investigation by Monmouth authorities.
“It was a pretty small incident, we followed protocol, and our public safety and campus partners and community partners responded quickly,” said Lindsey Gibson, director of housing for the last four years, whose office also resides within Ackerman Hall.
Campus Public Safety responded to the call quickly, confirmed the fire, triggered the alarm, oversaw evacuation efforts, contacted the fire department and worked to extinguish the fire, which was successful. Custodian assistance was needed to invoke a clean-up of the fire extinguisher.
After smelling strong smoke in certain parts of the building during evacuation, students were made to stay outside in the cold for upward of an hour until reentry to the building was granted. Inside, the fire alarm triggered again but was dismissed as a false alarm, and students were allowed to continue with their night routines. Ackerman Hall has 240 student residents.
“It was really frustrating to get called out and we saw firetrucks pull up, and we didn’t know how serious anything was. Nobody came to talk to us except to tell us to stay away from the building,” said one anonymous resident. “We were out there for an hour and a half, and that was longer than any other fire drill or fire incident since I’ve been here. The lack of communication was irritating at the time and it didn’t get cleared up later either. All I know about what actually happened is hearsay.”
“We got no updates, and fire and rescue didn’t even check in with the students that may have been affected. All we were told to do was wait in the outdoor basketball court,” said another anonymous student. “We didn’t get back in until around 11:30 p.m.”
“I was here that night, I responded to campus,” said Gibson. “I think the hard part is that when something like this happens, for example, the fire department was here, they’re the ones who take the lead on a fire. Rightly so. That’s their job. That’s not our job. And, so, we don’t know how long something’s going to take. We don’t know what their protocol is exactly — and maybe they don’t know how long it’s going to take … We don’t know, because it’s not in our hands. So some of it, I think, is that in the moment, those things can be challenging because there was a lot of people here and a lot of things going on. So I get that frustration. And, also, we didn’t have information to share.”
Additionally, students were unsure of the conditions of the fire and reportedly were met with minimal contact from paramedics and firefighters while waiting. After reentry, information was kept under wraps, and all that remained were rumors regarding the incident’s origin, which were swiftly dismissed and discouraged by Resident Assistants and other Western staff and faculty.
“Most of the time, if we see any kind of fire, most of the time it’s food related,” said Director Mike Hanson from Campus Public Safety, recalling a kitchen incident from the fall. “True fires where we’re deploying extinguishers, that kind of stuff are very far and few between. But we do see, you know, burnt food in our park apartments, that kind of stuff.”
In the 2025 Clery Report — the annual security and fire safety report — only one fire was reported in 2024, occurring in Heritage Hall because of an intentional burning. In 2022, Western residential halls reported three fires due to intentional arson, metal in a microwave and an air fryer cooking fire, with the most damage — an estimated $50,000 to $100,000 worth — done at an Alder View Townhouse following the air fryer fire. In 2021, charcoal debris in a trash can ignited a flame. A small cooking fire happened in 2018, with one electrical fire reported in 2015, resulting in an estimated $500 in property damage.
Western, as well as Campus Public Safety, is unlikely to release any report due to no report of physical damage to property or student health concerns. Students should remain alert, brush up on safety protocol in case of a fire and stay conscious of any potential actions that could spark a flame, including cooking. If a student encounters anything concerning, they shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to Campus Public Safety, or, if more emergent, 911.
Photo of the Dean’s office of the College of Education, located in the RWEC. | Photo by Moth Martinez-Faccio
Feb. 4, 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor
One of the best-known facts about Western is that the university has educated future teachers for generations.
Western was founded in 1856 as Monmouth University, just three years after Monmouth was settled, by members of the Church of Christ, who wished to create a “college under the auspices of the Christian Church.” In 1865, Monmouth University partnered with Bethel College, a private college in the now unincorporated Bethel, Oregon, and became Christian College. During the 17 years under this name, the university focused on training religious leaders in theology and teaching the inner workings of the classroom.
Oregon state legislators approved a bid to become a state-supported teacher training school in 1882, and the school was renamed “Oregon State Normal School.” A ballot initiative was passed in 1910 to establish a normal school in Monmouth, and the name changed for a fourth time to “Oregon Normal School.” 1939 saw another name change, and, when enrollment dropped due to World War II, liberal arts and science programs were added to the university. It wasn’t until 1997 that the school became Western Oregon University, reflecting a broader academic mission.
Today, the College of Education retains the highest enrollment in the university, housing not only the Division of Education and Leadership — with teacher licensure programs, specializations and endorsements available — but also the Division of Deaf Studies and Professional Studies and the Division of Health and Exercise Science. All three divisions focus on community or school partnerships, as well as providing leadership opportunities to students within the College of Education.
Perhaps the most popular pathway in the Division of Education and Leadership is the Bachelor of Science in education with the option of teacher licensure. Students enter Western as a pre-education major and must eventually apply to enter the licensure program, which is a culmination of their previous three years of work and means the start of student teaching.
During their time in the licensure program, teacher candidates will complete Western’s Teacher Performance Assessment, which tests their knowledge and classroom readiness.
Students applying to the undergraduate licensure program can apply for a fall or winter cohort, depending on how many credits they have completed, as well as the additional requirements of observing two different classroom types and having some experience with the age group they wish to teach. Each cohort then has a faculty member who oversees them through their year-long program journey. This year, the fall cohort is led by Mandy Olsen and Micah Walker, while Rachel Frazier leads the winter cohort.
“We have the best job! We get to spend our days supporting teacher candidates who care about students and families,” Walker said. “Each cohort has its own personality, and it is so fun getting to know them throughout the year. As cohort leaders, we have an open-door policy. Even if it is outside of our office hours, we encourage students to stop by, check-in or just stop for a chat.”
Walker also spoke of the joy that this year’s cohort has brought to the program and how important connection and community is.
“Success looks different for each person and even each cohort. We have had cohorts who have navigated a variety of factors… and those ‘out of school’ factors can really impact the experiences of our students,” she said. “Therefore, being able to individually and as a group define or model success is part of the fun of each new group of students.”
Rylie Cader is an elementary and special education-focused candidate in the fall cohort. Placed in a fourth and fifth-grade blended classroom, Cader spoke of her own experiences and those of her friends in school that drew her into being a teacher in the first place.
“I gravitated towards being a Special Education teacher because I was a Special Education student myself. I had many learning disabilities and received specialized instruction for years,” Cader said. “Because I was so behind when I was younger, and my brain works differently since I am neurodivergent, I often had a negative academic view of myself and thought at times that I wasn’t smart enough. I decided that I wanted to help students never to feel this way, and that was the final nail in wanting to be a Special Education teacher.”
Justin Parnell, a secondary single-subject candidate placed in a middle school English Language Arts class, also said his experiences were what solidified his decision to become a teacher: “I felt like my childhood dream job of being a teacher became more like a reality and the right path for me as I continued to grow and spend time tutoring and coaching. The experiences I’ve gained through my life, coaching, tutoring and now candidate teaching have solidified for me that I am on the right path, and this is what I want to do.”
Both Cader and Parnell have stated that their students’ energy in the classroom surprised them when they first started student teaching, and expressed that they want to change their students’ lives through love, skill-building and providing a safe place.
“I hope to make a difference in my future students’ lives through unconditional love, lifelong skill learning and as much laughing as humanly possible within an English classroom,” Parnell said.
“We never know what a kid is going through in their personal lives,” Cader agreed. “If I can make my students feel seen, safe and there for them, that’s all I care about at the end of the day.”
They both agreed that the program often pulls candidates in many different directions, and that the weekly schedule — between a full class load, student teaching and all the extras that come with both — can be chaotic. Parnell recommends that candidates find a strong support system — be it classmates, family members or even a significant other — to help sustain them throughout the program, or, as he humorously puts it, to help with “carrying my worn-out husk of a body through the program.”
“The program is crazy, the classroom is chaotic and it can be a lot sometimes. But I promise it is all worth it, the kids are worth it. They made me happy to be there every day,” Cader said, sharing the consensus of all candidates in the licensure program.
A photo of the Western students that attended the protest in Salem on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. | Photo courtesy of Jacob Prater
Jan. 28 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Monday, Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day — saw a turnout of hundreds at the Oregon State Capitol, where a collection of Western students joined protesting efforts.
The rally was held to show solidarity with the immigrant community as well as protest the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration. Calling for immigration reform, protesters also heavily drew from Martin Luther King Jr.’s mission to establish equality and peaceful resistance.
Event participants and organizers discussed the current political state of the US, saying that students and families are experiencing a lot of fear due to immigration crackdown efforts.
Salem police reported around 400 rally attendees. One incident involving the unlawful use of pepper spray had one man arrested, but names and further details have yet to be released.
One of about 20 counterprotesters, Thomas Allen, 36, was present at the rally in a similar fashion to his controversial appearance at Western Dec. 3, 2025, brandishing a microphone, camera and pro-Trump merchandise. At the end of Fall term, Allen appeared on campus while livestreaming on multiple platforms and was recorded using racial slurs and threatening students that they would be deported by ICE.
Western student Jacob Prater said, “I wanted to attend to help show that we have power in numbers and help spark more resistance statewide against ICE in Oregon. We vastly outnumber counterprotesters and are the majority.”
One intention of the rally is to build momentum behind an immigrants’ rights package. Families impacted by immigration enforcement would receive increased protections and financial support.
The rally followed increased ICE presence, as well as increased tension, across the country after the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Locally, Albany mother Maria Trinidad Loya Medina was kidnapped Jan. 10 by ICE in the Big 5 parking lot after heading in to shop, leaving behind her young son in the car. Her GoFundMe stated that federal agents shattered her driver’s side window to “get ahold of her.” She had no criminal record and was taken to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington. According to sources closer to the family, she may be released next month.
A photo of the Health and Counseling Center on campus. | Photo taken by Moth Martinez-Faccio
Jan. 28 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
In Oregon, the flu has become increasingly active during the 2025-26 season, starting from a 0.4% positive increase and zero hospitalizations during the week of Sep. 28 to a 16.2% positive increase and 49 hospitalizations during the week of Jan. 11. Additionally, the 2025-26 Oregon flu season had the lowest amount of flu immunizations in the past four years. The amount of immunizations this year peaked at the end of September, drastically decreasing since then.
Influenza — or the flu — is an infection of the respiratory system primarily through the nose, throat and lungs. Symptoms for the flu can be similar to a common cold, such as the sore throat and runny or stuffy nose, but the flu amplifies these symptoms, and is often accompanied by additional symptoms like fever, cough, headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, sweating and chills. A cold tends to have a slow start, while the flu can come on very quickly, typically two to three days after contact with the virus.
Flu season in North America usually runs from October to May. The virus is spread through coughs, sneezes, spit and touch. To help prevent getting the flu, it is recommended to stay away from others who have it as well as to sanitize hands and surfaces frequently.
This flu season, about 15 million Americans have come down with the flu so far, and, as of Jan. 13, 180,000 have been admitted to the hospital with the flu, with 7,400 reported deaths.
This flu season, a variant of the flu called subclade K has been prevalent, thus being the cause of the rise in cases. The seasonal flu vaccine in the US this year provided protection against three flu viruses that researchers had expected to be the most common, but did not account for the sudden mutation of subclade K, making the vaccine less effective. The subclade K variant has not been present in the past few years, which also resulted in a natural decrease in immunity.
The subclade K variant has been responsible for 90% of flu cases this year. There is no evidence to suggest that the variant is more severe, just much more active due to its mutations.
Due to the sudden rise of the mutation, the flu vaccine this year is less effective. Typically, the vaccine is anywhere between 60-65% effective in the prevention of the flu, but this year the vaccine is only 30-40% effective. That being said, experts still recommend getting the vaccine to anyone who doesn’t have a medical reason not to because, not only does it reduce the risk of getting the flu, it also lessens the severity if anyone does get the flu. The flu vaccine takes about two weeks to be fully effective, so those who plan to get it should do so sooner rather than later.
Minor side effects that may arise from getting the flu shot include soreness, a low fever, aches and redness, along with swelling where the shot was given.
Walgreens offers a free flu shot for those who are interested. They take walk-ins, with the option to also schedule ahead. Walgreens recommends the flu shot for anyone three years old and up. Those who get it should also consider getting the vaccine once a year due to immunity fading over time as well as new variations arising yearly.
Any Western student who pays the health fee can also go to the Health and Counseling Center on campus to get their flu shot. Clinic hours are Monday through Friday, 9-12 p.m. and 1-5 p.m. They also offer free cold and flu kits to students that include medicine, thermometers and throat lozenges, among other things, to help stay healthy during flu season.
A digital mapping of the Axial Seamount volcano underwater. | Photo from @theoregonian on Instagram
Jan. 28 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
In 2025, it was expected that the underwater volcano Axial Seamount would erupt. This did not happen. Now, experts are claiming 2026 is its year.
Located approximately 300 miles off the Oregon coast, and a mile deep into the ocean, Axial Seamount is considered the most active submarine volcano in the Northeast Pacific and potentially faces a volcanic eruption this year.
Despite the potential fear that can come with the words “volcanic eruption,” it’s very unlikely that the Axial Seamount volcano will create any impact for Oregonians. Simply put, the volcano is quite far offshore and really deep, despite being incredibly active, with an eruption history of 2011 and 2015 most recently. In fact, if someone were in a boat on the ocean directly over Axial Seamount as it erupts, they would feel none of the effects on the surface. If well underwater, however, it could be heard.
An eruption from Axial Seamount can last days or weeks; in 2015, it spat out 5.5 billion cubic feet of lava into the ocean — creating pillow lava that emerged from being rapidly cooled.
Seismic activity and seafloor inflation from magma is what indicated to scientists that Axial Seamount was nearing eruption, the volcano being one of the most well-studied. It’s said to have one of the most complex geographical builds, being part of a chain of seamounts — underwater mountains formed by volcanic activity — and intersecting the Juan de Fuca Ridge.
The Regional Cabled Array is an ocean observatory that provides data in real time from the seafloor and water column that stretches across the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate to scientists. Through a network of 560 miles (900 kilometers) of electro-optical cables and two-way communication lines to scientific sensors, researchers are able to collect data and monitor activity.
And, while pressure has increased and Axial Seamount is seeing similar levels as prior to its 2015 eruption, it’s holding steady; researchers think mid-to-late 2026 is when the submarine volcano could experience some activity.
In November, Oregon State University announced a new experiment utilizing collected data from the Regional Cabled Array to try and accurately predict an eruption. Underwater or not, volcanic eruptions can be impossible to predict, as no good framework exists, only the option of surveying old activity and comparing it to the present.
Now, Axial Seamount is taller than it was in 2015 when it last erupted. Although nobody will be harmed or even remotely affected by its potential eruption — anticipated eruption, even — scientists are looking forward to absorbing its data and tracking an underwater volcano eruption, which is extremely difficult to do.
A photo of Western’s 2026 Giving Day logo. | Photo courtesy of Dave Beasley
Jan. 21 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
Giving Day — most often taking place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving — is a large 24-hour fundraising event, though many universities do their own Giving Day in the winter or spring. Western’s Giving Day this year will take place the first Tuesday of April, April 7. The date has been moved later than usual this year because in previous years it took place during week nine of Winter term, a time when many students and staff were too busy to participate.
Western’s Giving Day is a crowdfunding day where participating clubs, organizations, teams and departments at Western ask people across the university and beyond to give funds to the university and its organizations.
Any club or organization at Western can choose to participate and raise funds. Those that want to can fill out a Google Form sent in an all-student email from Dave Beasley. Once they do, they will get their own webpage on Western’s Giving Day website that features photos and a description of their organization with a button for donors to donate.
New this year, participating organizations and clubs will have to pick at least two “influencers” — essentially representatives — to attend a training. The designated influencers will also receive a special link specifically for them that they can share to whomever they want. The link will go straight to the website for their organization. Influencers can use this link to send to potential donors through means of text, email, social media and others. The hope from WOU Foundation — the organizers of the event — is that influencers will be those who are most active on Giving Day to raise funds.
The training that influencers will attend is expected to last about 30-45 minutes, and six different training sessions will be offered to account for different availability. Each session will be the same, so influencers can choose to attend the one that fits best with their schedule. The training will consist of how to go about asking people to donate, and example scripts will be shared, as well as potential ideas for posting on social media. There are also many online features through the website that influencers will be made aware of. Those who attend the training will receive a free T-shirt.
This year, participating clubs and organizations will also be required to make a short video to post on their webpage and provide to donors. The Foundation found that in previous years, groups that were more involved raised more funds, so a large goal this year is to get groups to participate more actively. This video should be 30-45 seconds and should explain why donors should give to that organization in a creative way. A big goal for the video is also to include as many different people from the organization as possible.
“Everybody wants to see their grandson or granddaughter or their niece or their nephew in the video, right?” explained Dave Beasley, director of development, annual giving & sponsorships. Family members and friends may be more likely to donate to an organization if they see a person they know in the video, even if it’s just a wide shot of everyone at the end. There will also be an optional training for influencers to attend on tips and tricks for making a video.
Anyone can be a donor, and donations can consist of any amount. “We’re grateful for every single gift we get,” Beasley added. However, donor intent rules all — meaning the donor picks where they want their money to go. If they make a general donation to the club or organization, the members can use the funds in whatever way that helps them. If the donor specifies what they want the funds to be used for, the organization has to follow that. For example, if a donation was made to a club for a club scholarship they offer, the funds would have to be used for the scholarship.
The way in which donations are made was optimized specifically for mobile devices this year. At the bottom of the website, there will be a red gift button where donors can fill out their information and make a gift. In previous years, the only way to pay was through credit card, but this year, donors can use credit cards, ACH transfers, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Cash App. Additionally, donors have the option now to do recurring gifts with a credit card. Donors can also still write checks and send them through the mail.
In past years, WOU Foundation had a dollar goal for Giving Day, but this year, they have a donor goal, meaning they want to get as many donors as possible. Beasley explained, “What we’re really trying to do with Giving Day is to bring new donors to the university, whether that’s alums, whether that’s people who are new parents to the university, or newly aware of the university, or newly in partnership with us or whatever it is.” Additionally, they will send out letters to previous donors to advertise for Giving Day again.
The Foundation is also working on “the big gift” this year. In other words, they are working with larger donors — those that donate thousands — to secure commitments of large sums of money that will be donated to the university if Western receives 500 donors. Any amount of donation counts as a donor in order to work toward receiving that “big gift.” The hope is that the challenge will also help clubs and organizations advertise to donors — if they donate to the organization, they also help the university work toward this sizable contribution.
Community service will also be added to Giving Day this year. WOU Foundation and everyone who participates understands that Giving Day is asking a lot from the community, and they hope that they can give back in this way. They will be highlighting service projects they’ve participated in throughout the year and will have services happening day-of, such as a blood drive in the Werner University Center and a mini-golf course in the library. The golf course will be built by members, and to play there will be some sort of requirement, such as making a post on social media about Giving Day.
There will be a prize for the student who raises the most money, as well as a prize for the student who receives the most donors.
Beasley added that he understands it can be hard to ask people for money, but to try not to worry about it because it’s a good opportunity to raise funds for a good cause. “People do care about you. They do want to support what you’re doing. And those can all be great motivations to give, but people give because somebody asks them to.”
A photo of the inside of Browsers’ Bookstore. | Photo by Hannah Field
Jan. 21 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Recent bookstore statistics prove that popularity for local businesses in the US is climbing rather than subsiding five years after the coronavirus shutdown, with communities rallying and the landscape of bookstores adapting to meet modern demands. The American Booksellers Association, or ABA, reported a membership increase of 18% and 323 new brick-and-mortar, pop-up and mobile stores opening across the United States in their 2024 annual report. They noted that 2024 had “the most successful Independent Bookstore Day to date.” According to Harvard Business School, despite local bookstores struggling to remain afloat during pandemic regulations that limited business operations and corporations like Amazon dominating the industry, localism has become a social movement that has been steering indie bookstores back to the forefront. Communities have emerged to shop small and support local businesses in the wake of recent corporate boycotts against companies like Starbucks, Target and Amazon for their various methodologies, including anti-union sentiments alongside a lack of corporate accountability and diversity inclusion. Abe Richmond, owner of Browsers’ Bookstore located in Albany, Oregon, said, “I was working here during the pandemic. It was obviously bizarre, and we closed for several months, but the customer base rallied behind us. So we would do sidewalk drop-offs, they would pay for it over PayPal or whatever, Instagram, and then we would package their books and put them on the porch.” Richmond bought Browsers’ from the previous owner after graduating from Oregon State University, having been an employee of his, and has been at the forefront for more than three years. While Browsers’ Bookstore handled the precarious nature of being a small business during the pandemic, the customer base has also adapted to new ownership — and adapted well, with Richmond being recognized across town as the owner of Browsers’ and building a solid rapport with customers who seek out his services specifically. When it comes to Amazon and Barnes & Noble, resale bookstores like Browsers’ suffer less than one might think. “I like them because people will spend $40 on a new hardcover in Salem and then read it, and then not know what to do with it, so then they bring it here. And I have a fairly new, good-shaped book.” Customers who drop off books may receive in-store credit at Browsers’ to spend. Beyond that, Richmond also displays local authors and merchandise drawn by nearby artists. “It’s counterintuitive. Because who is this person, you know? But then, if you point it out, like, ‘Hey, they live in Albany or Corvallis,’ people are like, ‘Oh, I’ll read it almost just for that sake.’ Whereas if it was some other book that you’d never heard of, they’d probably pass over it.” He also noted the enjoyable community aspect when authors host signing events at Browsers’, bringing a sense of life to local stores. Richmond also instrumented a film drop box through Light Rider Studios, meaning customers can drop off their film to get developed on their behalf and delivered. Bookstores have been changing since the 1970s, with 43% of local bookstores closing between 1995 and 2000, reminiscent of the decline in physical bookstore sales through the Kindle push in the late 2000s and 2019, when Amazon had sold more than half of all books in the United States. Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon, stated, “Amazon isn’t happening to the book business. The future is happening to the book business.” Amazon was founded in 1994 as an online bookseller by Bezos. Since then, the ABA has labeled it an unchecked monopoly, claiming that it stifles competition and that it has an enormously negative impact on the bookselling market. Amazon was able to expedite growth, printing an effective blueprint to attract customers and obtain and keep wealth by failing to comply with tax regulations and offering duty-free purchases. Amazon also regularly offers discounted books, undercutting businesses that have to sell at full price in order to stay afloat. Booksellers have been forced to drop employees in order to stay profitable — which could also be a part of why Richmond and Sydney-Anne Graves are the sole paid workers as owners of their respective businesses, Browsers’ Bookstore and Monarch Books. Regardless, Richmond and Graves have found success. And, according to the Associated Press, others are too; more than 200 local bookstores were predicted to open across the country between 2023 and 2025. Monarch Books only just started in April of 2024 out of Lebanon, Oregon, owned and founded by Sydney-Anne Graves, who was a senior in high school when she encountered at a coffee shop the landlord of the building in which Monarch Books resides. That conversation alone spurred Graves to tell her mom later that night: “Mom, I’m buying a bookstore.” After touring the building — reportedly falling in love with it — and dedicating multiple weeks to deep-cleaning, Monarch Books came to life under Graves’ new ownership and keen eyes. “We opened, and (that) first day, it was really busy,” said Graves. “And I was like, ‘Okay, this might work out.’ It was really busy. And then, ever since, I’ve been slowly getting more inventory in, decorating, getting it to my vibe. I really love a lot of colors and plants, and there’s still a lot of ideas I have for in here, but it’s come so far from where it originally was.” Richmond expressed appreciation for the anti-corporate push in 2025, leading to more local shoppers steering clear of Amazon and other corporate sellers. In the current political and social state of the US, local businesses may be inclined to further build queer-safe communities and book selections as opposed to corporate booksellers — potentially building a reliable customer base seeking a supportive book hub and shared community. Browsers’ Bookstore remains open consistently under Richmond’s new ownership and maintains a loyal clientele across nearby cities. A good chunk of customer interaction relies on online postings and website sales through Browsers’ Bookstore’s virtual pages. “I sell a lot (from what) I post on Instagram, and then people will be like, ‘Hey, I’ll take it.’ And so they come in and pay for it,” said Richmond. “It’s weird, though, because say you wanted a book we don’t have. It shocks me every time how many people are like, ‘Hey, can you order it for me?” Instead of them hopping on Amazon, because we go through a new book distributor. But I think it’s because people want to support. I think people like having bookstores.” “It’s just so awesome, and it’s really cool to see that so many people still support the book community,” said Graves. “I was really nervous about that. I know I read and I know some of my friends read, but I don’t know how many people actually still buy books or shop downtown — so I think that was the most nerve-wracking part about it. But it’s been really great.” Another aspect of the resurgence of bookstores is the online platforms Instagram and TikTok, cultivating an online community of book lovers. Dubbed “bookstagram” and “booktok,” readers and writers participate in hashtags, giveaways and online sharing, creating trends and catapulting books onto bestseller lists through sheer word of mouth via the internet. “I feel like I get new customers every single week,” said Graves. “There are so many people who still love reading and that’s (been) helped a lot with bookstagram and booktok, different things that have really kind of inspired people to get back into it, which is so cool.” “Taylor Swift — I’m not sure what — did something with Shakespeare,” said Richmond. “I’ve had so many women, and girls, college and under, be like, ‘I need Shakespeare.’ … It’s the same, if a movie comes out of a book, people flood the place, like when ‘Dune’ came out. Yeah, I couldn’t keep ‘Dune’ to save my life.” “I was like, ‘Why is my Shakespeare selling all of a sudden?’ Nobody cared about this before,” Graves joked. Taylor Swift’s most recent album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” features imagery, lyrics and photography modeled after Shakespeare’s character Ophelia in “Hamlet,” no doubt causing the wave of Shakespeare-mania that Richmond and Graves both experienced. “Dune” amassed a box office of more than $400 million in 2021 and “Dune: Part Two” grossed $715 million in 2024, with the “Dune” franchise built off of six core books written in the 1960s through the 80s. However, there is a catch to the media frenzy. Allison K. Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, blames Amazon: “Amazon is now the water we swim in … There are multiple ways that an independent bookstore is forced to not only interact with Amazon, but support them — books made into shows streaming on Prime Video are printed with Amazon stickers on the cover.” Regardless, books have long since had movie adaptations, and well before Amazon and other corporations took hold. Much like local bookstores, movie theaters are becoming increasingly popular — for the second time. Upcoming releases like “Wuthering Heights,” “Project Hail Mary” and “Sunrise on the Reaping” are all 2026 book-to-movie adaptations spanning classic literature, sci-fi and the famous Hunger Games franchise. Show adaptations are equally successful, with notable pop-culture stars of book-to-show adaptations being “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “Heated Rivalry” — currently thriving on HBO Max — and “Bridgerton.” With books inspiring much of modern media turnout, it’s unlikely that books and bookstores will succumb to the strains of aging. In a way, books are trendy again, as the statistics prove — Barnes & Noble opened almost 70 new locations in 2025 and has more on the way. Hill said in a statement in the 2024 annual report, “The numbers only tell part of the story. This momentum occurred despite significant challenges: the usual ones like thin margins, rising costs, and Amazon’s chokehold on our industry, and urgent threats that shook the very foundation of our work as the right to read and access books faced sustained, coordinated attacks.” The current presidential administration has made a dedicated effort to place bans on books that affect educators and librarians, limiting access to certain content, especially that which discusses gender, race and sexuality. While that’s less likely to impact independent booksellers, the pressure remains to conform as book access limits book readers and their interests. Additionally, independent bookstores can rely on author visits and community involvement; divisive political action can split a customer base or turn away potential author-bookstore collaborations. The ABA, when discussing concerns for people interested in opening a bookstore, cited “free expression challenges.” Portland’s own Powell’s Books — the largest independent and used bookstore in the world, spanning one city block and containing over a million potential reads — participated in the ABA’s Banned Books Week event in 2024, discussing the right to read, spreading awareness about book bans and hosting panels. ABA also conducts the yearly Independent Bookstore Day. In 2024, when the ABA reported the highest participation numbers to date for the event, ambassador Amanda Gorman stated, “Independent bookstores are vital hubs of creativity and community. They offer curated selections that foster discovery for readers, while providing vital support and a platform for diverse voices for writers and other creators. They are the true modern-day town square, the beating heart of our communities, and a place for meaningful interaction and human connection.” The day involved 1,216 stores from across all 50 states. “Our mission — to help independent bookstores survive and thrive — remained at the core of everything ABA did,” said Hill. While the 2025 annual report from the ABA won’t arrive until mid-2026, the expectation is that the indie bookselling industry will only continue to grow in spite of the last decade’s challenges, with Graves adding, “I don’t think books will ever go out of style.”
A photo of a cherry blossom tree at Western. | Photo from @woustudents on instagram
Jan. 21 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
Last Fall term, I ran into an issue with a professor that others may relate to regarding an overwhelming lack of support for students. During week 10 of the term, my friend experienced an unforeseen health circumstance out of the blue that left her with difficulties in completing an assignment. Her circumstance was extreme enough that it seemed it qualified for an extension, and being that she turned in everything else throughout the term on time, she asked the professor for one. The assignment was due on a Friday and she asked for a two-day extension, making it due on Sunday. This appeared to be very reasonable considering what she was going through, yet, the response she received from the professor was that they would not give her an extension, and instead she would have to take an incomplete grade for the class.
Upon hearing this, I felt very frustrated both by the response my friend received and the professor. I had also taken classes from this professor and ran into several issues with them such as unfair grading and unclear instruction. In this situation though, neither of us really knew what to do or who to reach out to for help. In a last ditch effort, I decided to reach out to a faculty member that I trust to seek advice on the situation. On my friend’s behalf, this faculty member got in touch with the Student Affairs Office, the campus resource that would have been the appropriate choice for the situation, seeking help to advocate for the student. The response given from Malissa Larson — the dean of students — said that the student would have to go through the Academic Affairs Office’s academic complaint process, a form used to report issues surrounding things like grades, assignments and syllabi. The submission would allow for the division chair to schedule a meeting with the student to discuss the concern and facilitate a solution.
Based on definitions, Academic Affairs deals with instances relating to how a class is structured or how a professor teaches, and Student Affairs should be the place to go for support in personal issues. Yet, in practice, the structure in place leaves gaps in which students are left with no personal advocate and indirect support avenues. Academic Affairs only provides them with the option of submitting a complaint — something that could take time and wouldn’t do anything for the current situation — and, in our case, Student Affairs simply referred us to Academic Affairs. Instead of working together to foster student success, these two crucial campus departments are skirting past the necessity of direct lines of communication for student support. We then realized this explains the root of the issue: there is no good resource to help students with conflicts surrounding short-term crisis circumstances like ours.
Additionally, a quick review of the professional duties of a dean of students indicates someone who connects student needs with university administration, most often in times of crises and emergency support, and ultimately strives for student development and success. Under further specificities, responsibilities for a dean of students also include providing support during crises and emergencies, both medical and personal, as well as advocating for students by working with faculty and staff to meet student needs. This description fits exactly what was needed in our situation. We needed someone who could support the student through their crisis by examining the student’s needs and communicating that with the professor and/or university administration.
Dean Larson responded to the crisis by deferring my friend to the academic complaint process. Post-submission of the form, Larson said that students are encouraged to connect with the college dean, followed by the provost. She concluded her message by saying, “While I appreciate that someone in Student Affairs used to be an advocate for this type of issue in the past, many systems at WOU have changed. When it comes down to faculty concerns like this one, there is little Student Affairs can do.”
While Larson presented going to the provost as an option, it’s unclear what help the provost and college dean would provide or how long it would take; additionally, it seems nonsensical to reach out to the provost over a professor-student conflict. Furthermore, it appears that there’s a missing role that could have provided support that no longer exists.
After hearing this response, we decided to do a bit of research. Looking at Western’s mission statement, one of the core values of the mission statement, entitled “Fostering Accessibility,” states that Western works to “ensure inclusivity and eliminate barriers in our physical, social, and learning environments. We are dedicated to continuous improvement so that every member of our community can engage, contribute, and succeed.” This acutely pointed to the fact that academic success, no matter the circumstances, is one of Western’s biggest goals.
It is unfair to students who go through these things that they lack direct and immediate access to support systems when their academics are impacted by personal crises.
After this experience, I feel that instead of continually seeking to eliminate barriers, Western is building barriers. As students continue to go through difficult situations when they arise and live this same version of events that leave them feeling defeated and angry, I only hope that the university once again utilizes Student Affairs, a crucial resource, in the way it is designed for: a place for students to go in times of crisis when they need urgent support. Ultimately, I hope that Western will once again grasp the great need for a resource that bridges the gap between academics and student success.
A photo of the United States Capitol. | Photo from @drchubacca on Instagram
Jan. 14 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor
On Dec. 18, President Donald Trump made a video announcement from the White House highlighting his plans for 2026 regarding the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. This announcement featured various events to take place, one of the most well-known being his plans for the Patriot Games.
The reasons given for these events included Trump saying, “In my campaign for president, I pledged to give America the most spectacular birthday party the world has ever seen for America’s 250th anniversary on July 4th next year.” Naming the initiative “Freedom 250,” his plan is to put on year-long festivities to celebrate the 250th birthday.
Construction plans throughout 2026 include a new arch monument being built in the nation’s capital, with Trump explaining that America is the only large nation without a beautiful, triumphal arch. Additionally, Trump plans to create a national garden of American heroes featuring statues of the greatest Americans, though he didn’t specify who this would entail.
On May 17, Trump has planned a national prayer gathering to take place at the National Mall in Washington. Regarding this, he explained that the purpose was to “rededicate our country as one nation under God.”
To celebrate America’s history and culture, Trump adds that there will be a great American state fair, featuring pavilions from all 50 states, taking place from June 25 through July 10.
On June 14 — Flag Day, as well as Trump’s birthday — a large UFC fight will take place featuring the greatest champion fighters from around the world. Dana White will be hosting and it will take place at the White House.
During fall of 2026, Trump will also be hosting the “Patriot Games,” a young athletic competition. The Patriot Games will be a four-day event featuring the greatest high school athletes — one man and one woman — from each state and territory. He adds, “I promise there will be no men playing in women’s sports, you’re not gonna see that, you’ll see everything but that.”
Across social media platforms, many are making a connection between Trump’s announcement of the games and the dystopian, post-apocalyptic Hunger Games, noting the similarities between his speech and speeches made in “The Hunger Games.” This includes Trump’s “one young man and one young woman” compared to the line, “select one courageous young man and woman,” Trump’s “the first ever Patriot Games” compared to “the Hunger Games,” and Trump’s “you’ll never see anything like it and you’ll never see anything like it again” compared to “we’ve never seen anything like this and we will never see anything like it again.”
Regardless of their views on President Trump’s announcement, those in the United States can expect to hear more about these events and more about his plans for America’s 250th birthday going forward into 2026.
New this academic year, Western has implemented a reward system called “Paw Points,” in which students can go to events around campus to earn spending points. Events that are listed as ones that participate will give out points to students who check in, which can then be traded in for various merchandise. On some occasions, students can earn Paw Points by filling out surveys sent to student emails if they specify that this incentive is provided on completion — one case being the recent email Jan. 8 from ASWOU — so students who are looking for more points should be sure to check their emails consistently.
To check which upcoming events are offering Paw Points for attending, students can log in to their Western Portal, navigate to the Involve icon in the top toolbar, click events and go to tags to filter for Paw Points. Students can also filter for events that offer three Paw Points, five or both. Then, all students have to do is attend the event listed, check in and receive their Paw Points.
Events coming up that offer Paw Points include a Law Careers Connect at the Student Success Center Jan. 14, a Phi Alpha Theta scavenger hunt at Hamersly Library Jan. 15, yoga at the Health and Wellness Center Jan. 15 and 20, MLK Day of Service at the Monmouth Senior Community Center Jan. 19, a ping pong tournament at the HWC Jan. 20 and a “Twilight” movie screening for Stalking Awareness Month at Abby’s House Jan. 27.
To view their current Paw Point balance, students can navigate to Involve, go to account and click login, and then scroll down to see their balance.
To redeem Paw Points, students can go to the Involve homepage and scroll down to the Paw Point store, where photos of Western merchandise that are available to redeem are listed. Below each picture is an amount listed for how many Paw Points each option costs. Once they find an item they’re interested in getting, students can submit an order form that an Involve admin will then verify, checking that the student has the required amount of Paw Points and that the item is still in stock. Once they approve the form, students can pick up their item at the information desk in the Werner University Center.
Items that are available right now to redeem for Paw Points include various pawprint pins, a red lanyard with pawprints as well as a Pride lanyard, hats in red, gray or black with the Western logo, a Wolfie squishmallow and plushie, a fleece blanket, a glass with the Western logo and a white water bottle that says Western Oregon University or a gray bottle with floral prints that has the Western logo. Items are limited to one per type per student.
A photo of state representative, Lesly Muñoz, talking about ICE in a presentation | Photo from @salem_dsa and @wou_ydsa on Instagram
Jan. 14 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
In 2025, ICE agents in Oregon reported over 1,100 arrests, their presence growing dramatically in comparison to 113 arrests recorded in 2024. With the increased presence, universities and schools across the country have grown aware of border patrol and begun to educate students on their rights.
In light of such events, Western students and Oregon state representative Lesly Muñoz are calling for Western to declare status as a sanctuary campus.
Sanctuary campuses are defined as colleges or universities that are dedicated to protecting undocumented immigrants through applied policies. Sanctuary campuses reject ICE presence without a warrant, refuse to share student documentation regarding citizenship and offer support in various formats, including legal and financial.
According to the Pew Research Center, there are between 200,000 and 245,000 undocumented college students in the United States.
Western’s Young Democratic Socialists of America have been campaigning in the 2025-26 school year to establish Western as a sanctuary campus to protect and defend undocumented students. “Our goal with this campaign was twofold: first, to make a declarative statement that WOU is a sanctuary campus, and, second, implement material demands that will make the campus safer for immigrant students,” said Jacob Prater, president of YDSA.
YDSA hopes for Western to implement a reporting hotline for ICE presence, which would accompany campus-wide text notices that ICE is nearby and “No-ICE Zones” that are clear and accessible for students. WOU faculty, staff and students would all be trained and educated on their rights.
And, while it would be more challenging, the push for sanctuary campus status would also offer undocumented students legal assistance through Western, but the source of funding remains uncertain.
“The statement itself is symbolic, but meant to show bravery in our school leadership, that they are willing to publicly stand up to the criminal activity of ICE,” said Prater. “We recently saw ICE murdered legal observer and citizen Renee Nicole Good. Lots of schools are afraid to make any public statements out of fear of getting targeted, but we believe that as a Hispanic-Serving Institution we’re already a target, any people of color are targets, and we’ve had plenty of publicity around our HSI status, so it’s not a secret we have the highest percentage of Hispanic students in the state.”
Western has been a Hispanic-Serving Institution since Spring term of 2025, which requires 25% of the student population or more to be Hispanic with full-time enrollment.
YDSA’s petition for Western to become a sanctuary campus is as follows: “In this wavering political climate where information about immigration activity is uncertain, WOU has an obligation to protect students, faculty, and campus workers from all possible oppressive threats, including ICE officers. We students recognize that WOU’s administration, faculty, and staff have repeatedly affirmed their dedication to serving our underserved students. With this in mind, we urge that you continue to implement effective policies and efforts. To protect our diverse community, WOU’s administration must continue to be proactive and publicly accountable.”
Oregon representative Lesly Muñoz joined YDSA in demanding sanctuary campus statuses for Oregon schools. “I don’t believe that it puts a target on your back. The target is there. If you have Latino students, you are a target. So please let those Latino students know they are at a safe campus … give them the dignity and respect they deserve.”
Muñoz also stressed the importance of welcoming all students through obtaining a sanctuary campus status that promotes community and safety.
Western has, on multiple occasions, mentioned ICE and made efforts to support students. In an email sent out Fall term, 2025, President Jesse Peters wrote, “Ongoing and recent ICE raids across the country have impacted numerous families and communities, creating feelings of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. Members of our own wolf nation are dealing directly with these terrible circumstances … Your well-being is our priority, and we will continue to work to ensure everyone feels safe and supported.”
Oregon is a sanctuary state, meaning, as a state, it follows similar jurisdiction to sanctuary campuses, calling on government transparency, protecting immigrants and sharing minimal information with federal immigration officers.
“Our school admin has claimed we fall under sanctuary state laws and that is true, but if we believe we already fall under that category, we should be able to make a public statement in solidarity with our immigrant and POC students,” said Prater. “The fear to make a public statement shows the contradictions right there — yes, we are under sanctuary promise law, but we’re still afraid and not brave enough to make statements to encourage other schools to feel safer and to say we won’t put up with the criminal behavior of ICE.”
Whether or not Western will declare sanctuary campus status is unknown, but Prater, alongside YDSA, are continuing to push for tangible change.
Students gathered outside of the Werner University Center in counter-protesting efforts. | Photo courtesy of anonymous Western student
Jan 7. 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
On Dec. 3, the last Wednesday of classes during Fall term, a small group of livestreaming right-wing protesters approached Western’s Werner University Center midday and stayed on campus until after sunset, posted in the same place outside of the WUC with cameras, harassing passersby with aggravated speech and curses.
Nearly immediately, Western students assembled in and outside of the WUC in efforts to counter-protest.
The protesters were inside and outside of the WUC, but were unable to access deeper into the building due to the turnout of counter-protesting students that blocked their way.
While walking onto campus, the livestreamer @Tommy4Trump420 on X, formerly known as Twitter, said, “I’m ready for a good day. Hopefully of conversation and not violence.”
@Tommy4Trump420, whose real name is Thomas Allen, 36, of Portland, has been caught on camera assaulting protesters outside of Portland’s ICE facility. He was arrested and booked into jail under fourth-degree assault and second-degree disorderly conduct charges in early October. At least one other time, Allen was taken into custody by Portland police on charges of disorderly conduct and assault. While outside of the ICE building, Allen reportedly had a can of chemical spray and a metal baton on his person during at least one instance when he was arrested, and allegedly has since been told to stay 200 feet from the facility by a judge.
Additionally, Allen received charges Dec. 2, the day prior to his Western stand-off with students, of criminal trespass in the second degree. While live at Western, he said, “The DA, they know my name, and they hate me. They hate what we’re doing.”
According to Western’s university conduct, the Discrimination and Harassment policy applies to visitors and persons or groups “participating in or accessing university programs, activities, or facilities.” Western’s Human Resources department has defined discrimination as “Conduct directed at an individual or group that 1) excludes or denies an individual from participating in or benefiting from a university” and harassment as “Conduct directed toward an individual or group on the basis of a protected characteristic that is sufficiently severe or pervasive that it (creates) a work, educational or living environment that a reasonable person would consider threatening, hostile, or abusive.”
Allen was seen inside of the WUC and roaming campus, creating substantial disruption that could qualify as grounds for physical removal from campus property. Allen, amongst a few companions, did not face university action.
His first attempts at conversation with a student who shrugged him off resulted in him calling her “a triggered Democrat” and “pathetic.”
Within forty minutes of his arrival, a crowd of students had begun to gather. With them, they brought music, pride flags and a vocal response.
“They’re barking like dogs, cause that’s all they are,” said Allen, after being met with hostility on campus. “Circus animals, that’s what you guys are.”
The main talking points of the non-student protesters included ICE, transgender issues, abortion and deportation.
“If it was any other college, you guys would have gotten rejected,” he said. “Yeah, you’re getting indoctrinated with liberal arts degrees that you’re never going to use in your f—cking lives,” he said, interrupted, however, by student cheers.
After a woman swiped at Allen to lower his face covering, the tension escalated and groups of students closed in on the livestreamer, both sides yelling and cursing.
Students chanted: “Take it off” referring to his mask; “F—k Donald Trump”; “We are Wolves” and “Go home, Nazi,” as examples, during the last of which Allen cheered.
“This is my campus. Whose campus? Tommy’s campus,” he retaliated.
“We don’t f—ing stand for that. People are people, every f—ing day of the week,” said one student to Allen. “F—k off, and get out of my f—ing town.”
That same protester has been known to attend college campuses across the state, mainly in Portland, for the same means of protesting and livestreaming. Allen, at one point, entered a confrontation with a Latino student, saying, “Go back to where you came from. Are you illegal? ICE will catch you.”
University president, Jesse Peters, emailed a statement to the campus population: “You may have heard about the masked protesters wearing MAGA hats who gathered in front of the (WUC) this afternoon, attempting to promote messages of divisiveness and hate. We understand that these messages can feel personal and triggering, and you may feel compelled to engage with them. It is important to remember that exercising your right to express yourself is protected by both the US and Oregon Constitutions for all parties involved.”
Peters went on to state, “I am proud of the way our students responded today and proud of the support for each other.”
The email encouraged students to remain “respectful and civil” and that “robust debate of ideas and support (for) each person’s right to share their opinions, whether others agree or disagree” is welcomed.
One student alleged they saw Allen “shove” a student, but couldn’t be sure because of the thickness of the crowd. Another student said online that he “pushed multiple people, called a Black woman ‘a monkey,’ pushed her, and then, you know what? Nothing really happened,” after he made continuous racist and transphobic remarks.
During the live video, Allen is heard calling the woman “you stupid a— monkey.” It is unclear whether or not she was pushed in the footage.
Campus Public Safety officers did not intervene during the high-tension moments or when contact was made between the livestreamer and counter-protesters, such as when Allen and a counter-protester fought over a pride flag that kept touching him or in the earlier noted instance when attempts were made to lower his face covering, but was present nearby the commotion.
Western went on to host multiple awareness events during finals week to discuss free speech, freedom of expression and protests.
“We are responsible for keeping our university safe from harassment, discrimination, and intimidation,” said the university.
A photo of text that says “38% OFF BLACK FRIDAY!!” surrounded by jewelry. | Photo from @tweiky_official on Instagram
Dec. 3 2025 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief
Black Friday gained billions of dollars in revenue this year. E-commerce tracker Adobe Analytics recorded $11.8 billion in online sales, a 9.1% increase from 2024 and $12.5 million spent by Americans every minute between local times of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Similarly, Cyber Monday saw $14.25 billion in profit, according to global news agency Reuters.
The National Retail Federation predicted that retail sales in November and December will reach $1 trillion in 2025, the highest to date. They noted the uncertainty of shoppers, but affirmed shoppers “remain fundamentally strong and continue to drive U.S. economic activity,” according to NRF President Matthew Shay.
Chief economist for the NRF, Mark Matthews, said, “The economy has continued to show surprising resilience in a year marked by trade uncertainty and persistent inflation.”
Economic advisor to the White House and director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, stated that Black Friday sales proved increased income for Americans under the Trump administration.
Other research indicated that Americans spent more but bought less due to rising costs and restrictive discounts. Salesforce reported order volumes falling by 1% while selling prices were up by 7%, as well as units per transaction declining 2%, indicating fewer sales and higher costs.
RetailNext, a retail analytics provider, noted a 5.3% decline in in-store shopping year-over-year for Black Friday and the following Saturday. The majority of profit occurred online, proven by the closure of around an average of 1,100 malls per year from 2017 to 2022 as they face less in-person profit, contrasting with the climbing success of virtual stores.
Online, X, formerly known as Twitter, had users reporting on Black Friday spending and activity. One post, from @WallStreetApes, tallied more than 47,000 likes for indicating proof that the craft store Michaels “doubled the price of items and called it a Black Friday sale.”
In the comments, user @LanieASassyVet reported how an item they’d been watching on Amazon suddenly changed to indicate a Cyber Monday deal without dropping the price.
Discussions around the economic status of the U.S. have risen online and offline, questioning the integrity of Black Friday and Cyber Monday as industries rake in billions in revenue but customers walk away with less in their hands than they have historically. In fact, many Americans have participated in a mass black-out of no corporate spending, spanning Nov. 28 through Dec. 5, mainly against Amazon, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Disney, Macy’s and Nordstrom’s, building off of previous boycotts against Starbucks and Disney from earlier this year. On Instagram, @commonsearth stated, “Choose brands that align with your values” — pursuing the conversation surrounding ethical spending for the holidays and corporate greed.
The countdown for Monmouth’s “Making Spirits Bright” has begun. This is a series of holiday-themed events that take place in Monmouth over the month of December, beginning Dec. 5 with the annual holiday parade.
To kick off the season, the Monmouth Business Association will be hosting several events Dec. 5, including free cocoa and cider, the Merry Market and the holiday parade, with activities in the Werner University Center to follow. The Merry Market will feature local businesses and artisans selling various goods, taking place in the WUC at 4 p.m. Following this, cocoa and cider will be offered next to the giant sequoia tree on campus. Along with refreshments, Western swag will be given away on a first-come, first-serve basis. This portion of the festivities is sponsored by WOU Alumni Relations and will begin at 5:30 p.m. The main event — the holiday parade — will take place at 6 p.m. for the 58th year in a row. The parade will start at the Monmouth Public Library and travel to campus along Monmouth Avenue. Following the parade, residents will hear welcome speeches from both the Monmouth and Independence mayors as well as Western’s president, Jesse Peters. The elementary school’s annual essay contest winner will also be announced, and the student will read their essay. Finally, a countdown will commence, and the sequoia tree will be lit. Following the parade, more events will take place in the WUC, such as photos with Santa in the Willamette Room and cookie decorating on the first floor.
From 5 to 9 p.m., residents can also visit local businesses downtown that offer specials and discounts during the Tree Lighting. To keep tabs on what businesses are offering, follow the Monmouth Business Association at @mbamonmouth on Instagram.
Residents can also participate in Wolfie on the Shelf all of December. To join in, travel to one of the local businesses participating and grab a passport to fill out during the event. Those who find Wolfie at 10 or more participating businesses can turn in their passport to be entered into a prize drawing. To find out which businesses are participating, visit the Monmouth Business Association website.
To get more into the giving nature of the holidays, residents can support Toys for Tots by donating toys and gifts to children in Monmouth and Independence who otherwise might not get any gifts. Running through Dec. 15, toys or donations can be dropped off at Fee Mail Depot. During the last holiday season, Polk, Linn, Benton and Lincoln counties were able to support 13,873 children.
For more holiday cheer, grab some hot cocoa and visit Main Street Park and downtown Monmouth to view Christmas lights and displays.
