Mount Hood

Finding a Voice

JENNIFER HALLEY | CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Flyby

A photo of one of the planes featured in the Air Show. | Photo from @f35demoteam
on Instagram

May 13, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

May 15-17, the Oregon International Air Show will occur at the Hillsboro Airport. Anyone is welcome to attend and can expect to see many different planes and pilots coming together to put on a cohesive performance with many demonstrations and tricks. This year, the show features warbirds, aerobatics and a nighttime finale that happens Friday night only. Friday’s show starts at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday shows start at 12:30 p.m. Here is a list of all the performers in this year’s show:

U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II — This plane is a fifth-generation fighter jet with some of the best stealth capabilities. It is a surface attack fighter that can fly in any weather, designed to assist in direct attacks on even heavily defended ground targets. Additionally, it is equipped with advanced technology that brings situational awareness to its pilots.

Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II — This plane is also a fifth-generation fighter jet, but has the unique ability to both hover and land vertically, making it agile in moving to tight spaces.  Additionally, it is designed with stealth and technology in mind that allows it to work in any area from an aircraft carrier to a rough, remote location. One of its capabilities also includes being able to take off from a much shorter distance, something that will likely be featured in the air show.

F-15 Eagles — These are tactical fighter planes that can fly in any weather. They are built to maintain a lot of control in battle, with many features including increased maneuverability, acceleration range and weapons and electronic systems. In the show, these planes will execute several flybys that demonstrate their power and mobility.

Wings of Blue — Wings of Blue is the Air Force Academy parachute team who are trained to jump out of planes and maneuver themselves to land at a specific location. In the air show, they will parachute through different formations and expertly position themselves in the air to land at a designated target on the ground.

Kyle Fowler — Fowler flies one of the most unique planes in the show, as it is bright yellow and has large wings with a sharp angle inward, designed to appear as if the plane is moving backwards. His plane — a Rutan Model 61 — is homebuilt and designed for efficiency, range and handling. This performance will be part of the grand finale night show; the plane will light off fireworks from its wingtips while flying through various aerobatic maneuvers.

Remy Price — Price flies a Sukhoi Su-29, a Russian two-seat plane that was designed to be a trainer for the military. This aerobatic aircraft will demonstrate aggressive tricks featuring loops, rolls and more in the air show.

Melissa Burns — Burns flies an Edge 540, which is an aerobatic plane that can do up to a 420 degree-per-second roll and a 3,700 feet-per-minute climb. This will be featured in the air show along with various rolls, loops and passes.

SBD Dauntless — This plane was originally the primary U.S. Navy dive bomber in the 1940s. While it’s not very fast, the SBD Dauntless is deadly accurate. It will feature historical maneuvers in the show, such as simulated bombing dives and will fly with the canopy partially open to showcase the roar of the engine.

B-25 Mitchell — A premier American medium bomber in World War II, this plane will honor its historical use in the show by demonstrating low altitude passes, high-speed runs and simulated combat maneuvers.

TBM Avenger — This plane was originally a World War II torpedo bomber, and will showcase its massive size and roaring engine at the air show. Additionally, the plane will display its unique wings that fold and will run through tactile passes while pyrotechnics recreate its legacy as a torpedo bomber.

Friday night, the finale of the show will include fireworks and drones that light up the sky with images and messages as well as a pyro team that sets off a long wall of fire that will end exploding across the flight line — a worthwhile sight to catch this weekend.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Law, policy and politics

A photo of the Law, Policy, and Politics club’s logo. | Photo courtesy of Emma Swartzfager

May 13, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

This past March, a new club entitled the Law, Policy, and Politics club was chartered and created at Western and has since been growing. 

LPP club meets every Tuesday at 4 p.m. and gets together to discuss politics and current events, further planning events surrounding these topics. Additionally, the club is a non-partisan group, meaning they aren’t aligned with a specific political party and don’t take sides.

During a typical club meeting, the members will begin by playing a game such as Kahoot, mafia or a discussion on a thought-provoking question, then discuss political events that are currently happening and finally look at the projects the club is currently working on and the progress made.

Currently, the club has two initiatives that they are developing, as explained by the club president, Ezra Alexander. For one, they are working toward increasing voter registration statistics among Western students, as well as organizing a gubernatorial debate in preparation for the upcoming November general election.

Students can find the club tabling in the Werner University Center soon, where they will be helping people get registered to vote as well as providing information about the upcoming elections. LPP club believes that it is important for everyone to make sure their voice is heard through voting, no matter which side they vote for. Anyone can come to their table in the WUC for assistance while being reassured that the club will not know or care how they vote.

Emma Swartzfager, the LPP club’s treasurer, said, “It’s important we have a club on campus where people with like-minded interests in current events, politics, policy, and law can get together in a safe and fun environment where all opinions are welcomed.”

The overarching goal of the club is to bring together people from every part of the political spectrum to be united through shared interests. Further, the club seeks to connect students and the broader community by bringing in guest speakers, holding debates, putting on fun events and more. “I am very excited to see what the future has to hold for our club. Currently, we have some very exciting events in the works. So far I have met so many fascinating people and deepened friendships through this club,” Swartzfager added.

Anyone is welcome to join the LPP club, no matter if they are a political science major or not. Those who are interested in joining can attend the club’s weekly meeting. Swartzfager emphasized that the club is open to those who “are interested in law policy, politics, current events and passionate about sparking positive change in your community.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Follett’s Wolfstore

May 13, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

Within the Werner University Center, Western has a dedicated shopping space called the Wolfstore, distributing textbooks, course materials and Wolves merchandise. Prior to Sep. 2, 2025, it was university-managed.

Vice President Tina Fuchs announced July 24, 2025, that the space would be turned over to a third-party provider due to declining sales, most notably in regard to textbooks and course materials. Fuchs mentioned ongoing revenue challenges, leading to the difficult decision to suspend Western’s direct involvement with sales distribution. 

In November of 2024, Western initiated a Request for Proposal to evaluate next steps and find an adequate third-party provider. After a comprehensive review and negotiation process, Follett Higher Education Group was decided on.

Follett is known for their more than 1,000 partnerships with higher education institutions, delivering course materials and merchandise to various colleges and universities across America. Follett’s wide range of school partnerships, general affordability and convenience have positioned Follett in a positive light. According to Follett’s website, “Follett places students at the forefront of its mission. Our Inclusive and Equitable Access Programs simplify the academic journey, providing seamless access to digital-first course materials by day one of class.”

After contracting with a new university, Follett takes management of distribution, usually launching an online store alongside physical sales. Such contracts are typically commission-based, with the university receiving a cut of the profit.

An inside source stated that, before it was Follett, the new bookstore was anticipated to be managed by corporate giant Barnes & Noble, but for uncertain reasons, likely due to income disparities in the contract, the arrangement failed. 

“I had heard that other schools our size have had bad experiences with (Follett),” said the inside source. “I was really hoping it wasn’t going to go through.”

Students noticed the differences immediately between Western’s original self-owned bookstore and Follett’s Wolfstore, especially in the merchandise provided. For example, all of the American Sign Language-themed products, a critical program at Western, were removed with no replacements specific to the program. LGBTQ+ merchandise was also greatly reduced, which included pins, flags and other decor. The amount of purchasable gear was, in general, minimized. Online, Western was provided with a new Wolfstore page as well as an upgrade in technology available, such as Beats earbuds. Follett reportedly indicated that specialized merchandise would arrive in the fall, following a trial run for the first year. Following the first year, student worker hours are expected to be decreased due to funding restrictions.

Many large colleges have partnered with Follett, such as Arizona State University, Stanford University, Gonzaga University, New York University and Virginia Tech, to name a few. Western, however, is on the small side, with a campus population of approximately 4,000 — which might bode poorly for the future of Follett and Western’s professional collaboration.

A different anonymous source at Western stated that at least two other universities reported Follett pulling out of contracts due to a lack of profit within three years of initiation, leaving the universities without textbooks for students with only one month’s notice. The same source called into question the strength of the contract between Follett and Western, as well as drew notice to Follett’s course access program, which has yet to be implemented at Western.

Attempts from the Western Howl to obtain such contracts between Follett and Western were unfulfilled.

On April 23, the faculty senate saw a presentation from Follett representatives regarding the Follett course access program, which may eventually be incorporated into Western’s curriculum. Fuchs told the Western Howl that the program was in the earliest stages of discussion, but the only plan was to potentially implement trial classes “in the future.”

Course access programs, sometimes called equitable access or inclusive access programs, allow professors to opt their classes into a bookstore program that provides textbooks at a cheaper cost that is charged through tuition fees. For many, this might be a win; the cost of a book is decreased in a class that requires it, with no extra attention needed to obtain such textbooks, which will then be delivered digitally from Follett. Additionally, professors are given the opportunity to cut the size of the textbook, leaving out irrelevant chapters, so students can navigate only the class-related material.

However, according to inclusiveaccess.org, programs like this can actually harm students by stripping them of affordable options and limiting their ability to opt out, which can happen during a short window each term. If a student fails to opt out, they would then be charged a fee to their tuition, whether or not they intended to utilize the e-textbook. The website also indicates that inclusive access is a sales strategy; additionally, it may remove access to the textbooks following the term’s conclusion.

“I know it doesn’t look like it, but it does save students money, it just adds it to their fees,” said the insider. Students are granted the option to opt out of the program, which could potentially mean paying full price for the same textbook or finding a cheaper alternative elsewhere.

Western’s anonymous source questioned the opt-out process, indicating that the responsibility would fall on faculty to educate their classes on Follett’s course access program.

“They don’t really advertise it, that you can opt out, for a reason,” said the insider, who also stated about the program, “I think it would be good (if) we can have a physical book and physical supplies — if that’s the truth, then, yes. If they have an access program, technically the bookstore still makes money off of that, which means, in theory, the campus makes more money.”

However, further concerns have been raised about Follett’s future relationship with Western.

Both sources corroborated a lack of communication between Follett and Western faculty and admin. Western has failed to provide contact information for students, staff and faculty, which prevents the bookstore from advertising, despite a hefty payout to Western from Follett when completed. Beyond that, faculty are left generally unaware of the Follett course access program, and are often not consulted regarding decisions made with the bookstore. Professors have reported issues obtaining course material through the Wolfstore, but the Wolfstore has also reported a lack of contact with professors in a manner that provides timely course material.

Above all else, Follett’s integrity has been called into question, called a “for-profit bookstore” on campus by the anonymous Western source as the corporation pursues equitable access programs and, according to sources, chases a paycheck. While the course access program may alleviate costs for students, it could also disproportionately affect others and charge unnecessary fees to students who were unaware of their class’s participation.

“I don’t know how long the contract is at this school, but I would not be shocked if it was not renewed, or if Follett was like, ‘we’re done.’ I wouldn’t be shocked,” said the insider.

In August of 2025, the student newspaper for The State University of New York at New Paltz reported that its campus bookstore wiped inventory and transitioned to a different merchandise company after Follett “failed to pay the college commission for a full year” in a timely manner. Follett had been the university’s provider since 2015. The article went on to state that Follett has been involved in multiple large-scale lawsuits, one in 2024 that accused Follett of failing to pay $9 million in dues, and one in 2023 that alleged Follett failed to provide overtime pay, meal breaks and broke labor laws. Aarica Brittany vs. Follett Higher Ed Group, the latter lawsuit, was dismissed with prejudice, likely following an out-of-court settlement agreement.

On a comment thread in r/Professors on Reddit two years ago discussed Follett: “I worked at a college that switched to Follett. It was awful, absolutely awful.” They went on to state that Follett complicated students’ attempts to acquire necessary textbooks by not ordering enough material for their class, then ordered them to a different campus an hour away. A different comment noted: “Follett ran the bookstore at my undergrad. They. Are. The. Worst. My sympathies.”

A claimed former Follett employee on the thread added context to Follett’s financial situation ten months ago, stating that “Follett is struggling financially. They are struggling in an industry the other big players have already abandoned.”

Information has come out that the contract between Follett and Western is for five years, anticipated to end in 2030. It is unknown what conditions, if any, allow for early termination.

Fuchs told the Western Howl, “One of the priorities in pursuing this partnership was ensuring students have access to affordable and accessible course materials while maintaining bookstore services that support campus life. I also recognize that change can feel personal, particularly when the bookstore has long been viewed as an important part of the campus community. The goal is to continue building a bookstore experience that reflects Western’s values while benefiting from Follett’s operational resources and expertise. Western remains committed to listening to community feedback and working collaboratively to make ongoing improvements as the partnership continues to develop.”

 

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

Support local artists

A photo of one of the crocheted animals that Mial will sell at ArtFest. | Photo courtesy of Alexia Mial

May 13, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

May 15, Western’s art and design department will be hosting its annual ArtFest with various activities around campus throughout the day. Students at Western, community college students and high school students are all involved in the event, and ArtFest is free to attend and everyone is welcome.

Starting off, attendees can find Artist Alley along the ITC lawn from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Here, there will be a multitude of Western student vendors who are selling their arts and crafts. Anyone can walk around to see the talent on campus or find something unique to purchase.

Additionally, 2 to 4 p.m. at Campbell Hall, various art workshops and activities will be taking place, such as tie dye, rock and sand dollar painting, a mixed media station, bracelet making and a drawing wall. 

4:30 p.m., back on the ITC lawn, a picnic will be served for those who are attending. Right after, the art and design awards ceremony for Western students will take place.

Finally, at 6 p.m. at the Hamersly Library second-floor art gallery, ArtFest Regional will conclude the day, featuring artwork from high school and community college students, followed by an award ceremony.

Sophomore Alexia Mial, who had a vendor station at ArtFest last year and again this year, said, “Artfest is an event where those who love to create art get to express it to the world! We get to sell what we create and even do art trades with one another. It’s a time to celebrate artists for their work. There’s many different mediums being sold and so much creativity about that deserves to be celebrated.”

Last year, Mial sold food-themed, crocheted plushies and this year she’s selling wearable items like hats and tote bags as well as trash-themed, crocheted animals like pigeons, rats and opossums.

They further explained that people should attend ArtFest because “it supports local artists. It’s crucial in a time like this with the surfacing of AI, and it’s important to see what’s handmade, not robot generated.”

Students who are artists and non-artists alike are encouraged to attend ArtFest to support Western’s local artists and take a break to enjoy some fun activities.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Canvas for ransom

Graphic from Canvas

May 13, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

May 7 and 8, Western students received three consecutive emails, all discussing a cyber attack on Canvas that not only affected them, but Canvas users nationwide. The first email simply mentioned that Canvas was down and that University Computing Solutions would provide an update before the end of the day. The second email, sent about two hours later, informed students that Canvas was down due to “a recent cyber incident,” further explaining that the ShinyHunters ransomware group claimed to be behind the attack as well as stealing 275 million records from Canvas tied to students, teachers and staff. The email concluded by saying, “Please know we are working diligently to ensure that we do what we can to keep our student and employee information as safe as possible.” The third and final email, sent the next day, said that Canvas was back up, but the university was closely monitoring the situation. They advised students and faculty not to open any suspicious-looking links or interact with emails asking them to reset their Canvas password.

Those who accessed Canvas as it went down allegedly reported seeing a message from ShinyHunters saying they had breached Instructure — the company that produced Canvas —  with a link to a text file containing a list of schools that were supposedly affected by the breach, and further said that those who wanted to prevent a data leak should reach out to ShinyHunters for a settlement with a deadline of May 12. Following this, Instructure temporarily took Canvas offline to investigate, meaning many students then got an error message when trying to open Canvas.

When asked about the events that occurred, Western senior and art and design major Noel A. said, “I know that some really cool hackers hacked into the system and tried asking for Bitcoin and I don’t think it worked out for them.” She further explained, “I mean, I didn’t know about all the hooplah until I got like 15 emails about it, then I saw on TikTok that some hacker group with like a Pokemon profile picture on Twitter was trying to steal our data. So, I don’t know, it was kind of funny.”

ShinyHunters has allegedly been behind multiple attacks within the past month, not just on Canvas, but on various other firms as well. According to threat intelligence analyst Luke Connolly, ShinyHunters is likely a loose group of teenagers or young adults based in the U.S. and United Kingdom, believed to have been formed in 2020 and have been involved in high-profile hacking incidents. In 2024, 22-year-old Sebastien Raoult, an alleged member of ShinyHunters, was arrested and sentenced to three years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

This was not the first time that Canvas had been hacked. Recently, May 1, Instructure stated that Canvas had “a cybersecurity incident perpetrated by a criminal threat actor.” May 3, ShinyHunters similarly claimed that they had access to 275 million individuals’ data. During this incident, the website Ransomware.live posted a previous ransom letter to Canvas ShinyHunters had used, saying, “This is a final warning to reach out by 6 May 2026 before we leak along with several annoying (digital) problems that’ll come your way.”

Universities on a semester-based system were in the midst of finals week during the Canvas shutdown, and other universities reportedly had Canvas down for longer than Western. Many universities were left scrambling, trying to figure out how to get coursework to students, and many had to cancel final exams that were meant to be administered on Canvas.

“The week that Canvas shut down was a very busy week for me, so finding time to sit down and get homework done was difficult. I had finally found the time and motivation to do so on Thursday after my class, only to open my laptop and see that Canvas was completely down. It was honestly a frustrating setback,” said Western sophomore Sarah Childers.

After Canvas came back online, users were still left in the dark about whether everyone’s data was safe, if Instructure paid the ransom or if they found another workaround. While it is still unclear how, Instructure released a statement May 11, saying, “Instructure reached an agreement with the unauthorized actor involved in this incident.” They assured that all of the data was returned to Instructure, they received digital confirmation of the data destruction, confirmation that no Instructure customers will be extorted and that all Instructure customers are covered in this agreement. For further updates, students and faculty can continue checking the Instructure website.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Write Place hosts Ellen Waterston

A photo of Ellen Waterston at the Write Place
event. | Photo by Belen Ponce Leal

May 6, 2026 | Belen Ponce Leal | Lifestyle Editor

On April 30, Write Place hosted Ellen Waterston, the Oregon poet laureate, to do a reading on campus and discuss her work. Many in Western’s English department, both instructors and students, were in attendance.

Professor Henry Hughes hosted the event, starting by briefly explaining the history of where the university is located. Monmouth is part of the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya, who were forcibly removed to reservations in western Oregon after the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 was enacted. Hughes explained that Write Place wants to honor the descendants of these people who are now a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians. 

State Sen. Deb Patterson was present at the event, giving a few words about the importance of poetry in the state of Oregon. In her own words, “Poetry is a unique vehicle for truthtelling. It’s hard to obfuscate the truth in a poem. But it is a powerful tool to shine a bright light on a truth. And it is my firm belief that we need bright lights shone on truths now more than ever.” 

Western President Jesse Peters, who himself is an English professor with an interest in Native American authors, introduced Waterston and thanked her for being on campus. He kept his introduction quick, saying, “Don’t stand between an audience and a poet.” 

The Write Place is a nonprofit organization that was founded at Western Washington University in 2013 by John Purdy, a professor of literature who wanted the program to intertwine literature and the environment. Purdy specialized in Native American literature, authoring various critical studies. Write Place then moved to Western in 2023, with professor Henry Hughes taking over as director. Hughes expressed a commitment to honor the Pacific Northwest and Native American writers as Purdy did, while also aiming to connect with more scientists in order to expand the scope to national and even international interests. 

A laureate is a person who has been given an incredibly high honor or recognition for their ability in an art or science. 

The position of Oregon poet, as it was originally called, was established April 23, 1923 by the governor of Oregon, with the first poet laureate being Edwin Markham. 

A poet laureate is a poet in government whose job is to advocate for the literary arts and engage the public in poetry, which often leads to them composing poems for special occasions. Waterston was appointed as the 11th Oregon poet laureate by Gov. Tina Kotek for two years and was recently reelected to serve another term.

The Write Place describes Waterston as a “high desert author, poet and columnist” who is based in Bend, Oregon. She is the founder and the president of the Writing Ranch, which, since 2000, has been holding multi-day workshops and retreats in order to support developing writers. 

Before Waterston did her poetry readings, she gave two students the opportunity to read their own poems. Lizzie Saager read her poem “Opossum” and Jandika Borden read hers titled “Even the Road.”

Waterston spoke about her duties as a poet laureate and how she came to understand what that job truly means. In her own words, “I realize that my job is to showcase poetry as an agent of, a catalyst for, mutual understanding. And to encourage all of us, all of us, to get out of our language silos. To meet on the compassionate page.” 

For more information about the Write Place or the Writing Ranch, please visit their individual websites. 

 

Contact the author at howllifestyle@wou.edu 

 

Prosecutors detail D4vd case

A photo of Rivas Hernandez, which was shared with her family’s GoFundMe in
September of 2025. | Photo from @evolvingsunflower__ on Instagram

May 6, 2026 |  Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

 

Content warning: This article discusses homicide, sexual abuse and descriptions of bodily harm.

 

New details have been revealed in the case against David Anthony Burke, most commonly known by his stage name “D4vd,” related to the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. 

In September of 2025, decomposed and dismembered remains were discovered in the trunk of Burke’s then-impounded Tesla. Officers had investigated the lot due to reports of a foul odor emanating from the vehicle. It took eight days for the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner to identify the remains as those of Rivas Hernandez. When this discovery occurred, Burke had been on the “Withered” tour, of which the remaining dates were promptly canceled.

Burke was immediately looked at as a suspect in the death of Rivas Hernandez, as it had been reported that he engaged in inappropriate conduct with the teen. The pair had met on Fortnite in 2022, when Burke was 16 and Rivas Hernandez was 11, and Burke began sexually abusing Rivas Hernandez in November of 2023, when she was 13. 

However, Burke was not arrested until April of 2026, nearly a year after the death took place. On April 20, 2026, he was formally charged with murder, continuous sexual abuse and unlawfully mutilating a body.

Evidence brought forward by the prosecution alleges that Burke sent an Uber to bring Rivas Hernandez from her home in Lake Elsinore to his residence in Hollywood Hills April 23, 2025. Leaving Lake Elsinore was likely the last time that Rivas Hernandez was seen alive, as this was when her cellular activity ceased.

Burke eventually purchased a shovel from Home Depot, two chainsaws, a body bag, a heavy-duty laundry bag and a blue inflatable pool from Amazon under the fake name “Victoria Mendez.” The prosecution believes that he used these to dismember and store Rivas Hernandez’s body, and that he also attempted to “incinerate evidence” via a burn cage he ordered from Amazon — again, using a false name. 

Prosecutors charged Burke with the murder of Rivas Hernandez following the discovery of an argument that occurred April 22, 2025, the day before her death. Text messages show Rivas Hernandez threatening to disclose damaging information to the public about their relationship, which she believed would end Burke’s career and destroy his life.

A not-guilty plea was entered on Burke’s behalf, and his attorneys maintain his innocence, saying, “The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez and he was not the cause of her death.” His parents have also stated that they stand by him. 

Most recently, the Los Angeles County medical examiner’s report was released, showing that Rivas Hernandez died from multiple penetrating injuries, including two to her torso, which damaged her liver, and that there was evidence of traumatic injury.

This remains an ongoing court case, and the allegations against Burke have not been proven in court.

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

 

May Day protests

A photo of the May Day march in Portland. | Photo from @resistusledwarpdx on Instagram

May 6, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

May Day, also called International Workers’ Day, is celebrated May 1 to remember the history of labor organizing and worker power. Each year, people from around the world come together to celebrate workers and organize protests and rallies to fight for workers’ rights. Most recently, the topic of many protests includes immigrants’ rights.

The holiday originated in the late 19th century when workers were fighting for improved working conditions and treatment during a time when working was unsafe and unreasonable. Workers were calling for shorter work days during a time when many could be working 14-hour days, and in 1884, a campaign was established to enforce eight-hour workdays starting May 1, 1886. Up until this date, workers around North America went on strike in support during one of the largest times of worker unrest. 

Hundreds of people gathered at the Oregon Capitol in Salem to attend a May Day protest where they called for recognition of the many workers in Salem as well as for the removal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Oregon. “This whole immigration thing is kind of off the charts. Especially when they say they’re going after violent criminals and drug traffickers. When what I see is them going after women and children and anyone they feel like,” said registered nurse Vivianne Kelly.

In Portland, the Portland Association of Teachers led a rally at the South Park Blocks, where many students protested for more state funding to go toward education. Teacher Charlotte Fisher said, “While the billionaire class and their crony puppets continue to fund their oil wars, we see our schools in critical conditions, and we see our students struggling without enough staff, without enough access to their education, and the increasing threat of ICE pulling families apart. You see it every day. It is not OK.”

Others, including migrant organizations, faith groups and union and labor groups, gathered in this same area around 3 p.m. to focus on marching in support of all workers with an emphasis on support for migrant workers. More than 500 joined this march and many chants were led, such as “The workers united will never be divided.” 

Later on, a march gathered outside the ICE facility in Portland, protesting the removal of ICE in Oregon. Portland and Oregon state police officers gathered on the scene to block a nearby street. Protesters who were gathered led many chants such as “whose streets, our streets,” “ICE out of Portland” and “no one is illegal.” Following this, some of the protesters moved onto the driveway of the facility, causing officers to clear the driveway by pushing people back. Several people were arrested. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Lively Station

A photo of the Willamette Heritage Center. | Photo from @travelsalem on Instagram

May 6, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

With a soft launch April 14 and a grand opening April 24, Lively Station — a South Salem restaurant along River Road — opened a second location called Lively at the Mill at the Willamette Heritage Center. 

Lively Station was originally opened in December 2020 by Jessica and Anton Cobb, who were suspended from their corporate jobs in Portland due to the coronavirus pandemic and were looking for something new to pour their time and energy into. Their restaurant started off as a coffee shop with to-go food options, but quickly expanded to become a restaurant by popular demand. Additionally, Lively Station grew rapidly post-pandemic and started catering for events such as weddings and baby showers in 2022, then opened a Lively food truck in 2023.

Lively at the Mill replaced Taproot Old Mill Cafe at the heritage center. Taproot’s reasoning for leaving the center was to focus energy on their other popular locations. “It is a very beautiful space, underutilized, and I still think it has a lot of potential for someone to be able to go in there and capitalize on the parking, ambiance and just the magic that historic spot provides,” Christopher Holland, the owner of Taproot, said upon their leave.

The location availability came at the perfect time for the Cobbs. They found that Lively Station had too small of a kitchen to support the amount of catering and events they were starting to do, and the heritage center location had a much larger kitchen. Now, Lively at the Mill supports the majority of the catering that they do and allows them to take on more events.

Before Lively at the Mill opened, renovations occurred in the space to add new kitchen equipment, install protective coverings for the historic walls and repair the original wood flooring. Additionally, a mural was added to the restaurant’s wall to convey the history of the heritage center.

The Willamette Heritage Center has 14 historic structures that include permanent and changing exhibits. It works on preserving the history of Oregon, providing information on things such as the Kalapuya, Euro-American missionary immigrant settlements, Oregon Trail immigrants and the industrialization of the Willamette Valley with what was once the leading textile factory in Oregon.

Foods that Lively at the Mill serves include various brunch items, salads, sandwiches, smash burgers, pizzandos, hot dogs and desserts. Cobb envisions the restaurant as a place where workers and students can stop by for a quick, healthy food option. “I don’t know where you can go downtown and grab a quick salad. The majority of the menu is going to be curated to be a little bit more healthy.”

Additionally, they are partnering with local businesses Sewell Sweets for baked goods and Prismastic Coffee for coffee and drinks. Discounts are also offered for hospital employees, students and teachers.

On the front page, the menu says, “Lively at the Mill carries forward the legacy of the textile workers who have shaped this site since the 1800s, by crafting thoughtful food and meaningful experiences with care and creativity. We are honored to welcome, serve and celebrate with you – bringing something lively and new to a place that has spun memories for generations throughout the Willamette Valley.”

Currently, Lively at the Mill is open for lunch Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They also have pre-made options to grab on the go, like salad bowls and sandwiches and bakery items for purchase. There are vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options available as well.

Starting June 2, live music will be happening at the Willamette Heritage Center hosted by Lively at the Mill every other Tuesday.

Cobbs additionally said, “We are honored to welcome, serve, and celebrate with you – bringing something lively to a place that has spun memories for generations, throughout the Willamette Valley.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Western’s lost paper

The Christian Messenger edition published Oct. 8, 1870. | Photo from University of Oregon

April 29, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

The Western Oregon University student newspaper was established in 1923 under the student commercial club with a staff size of three men and four volunteers, at least three of whom were women. At the time, the university went by a different name: Oregon Normal School, with the paper called the O.N.S. Breeze.

The editorial in the first paper, which is assumed to have been written by the first editor, John Angell, went as follows: “Oregon Normal School is an institution of higher learning. That is the definition of a college. Since ‘college’ and Oregon Normal are synonymous, in some respects, they should be similar. With this issue of the ‘O.N.S. Breeze’ the Commercial Club seeks to better O.N.S. by fulfilling a long felt want, that of what is termed a ‘college paper’. The begining is small, and the quality far from perfect, yet it is the hope of the Commercial Club that from this small beginning may come much which will make a Better O.N.S.”

Since 1923, not only has the Western Howl seen many names, but even before its existence, Monmouth was trying on different newspapers like changing clothes.

The area of Monmouth-Independence was historically reported on by the Polk County Itemizer-Observer, which was called the Polk County Itemizer in 1888, starting out of Monmouth. It spent more than a hundred years being passed around and sold, and as of 2026, still covers Western Oregon University stories.

However, the first paper in Monmouth was reported to be The Christian Messenger when Western was titled Christian College, published from 1870-1877, according to University of Oregon journalism professor George Turnbull’s 1939 “History of Oregon Newspapers.” By the time T. F. Campbell was the president of Christian College (from 1869-1883), the campus only had one small building, with Campbell told he would be the one to expand the college as well as find the money to do so, which he did. Now, Campbell Hall on Western’s campus is named in his honor. It was Campbell who obtained and installed one of the first steam-operated printing presses in the Willamette Valley in his second year as president. 

The Christian Messenger was the first paper started by the Christian church on the Pacific coast of the U.S. Despite being produced out of Monmouth, it focused heavily on coastal news, first off the press Oct. 8, 1870, all to promote the college, Christian faith and community.

Additionally, in 1879, one of Campbell’s employees, Mary Stump, was the business manager and proofreader for The Christian Messenger. Two other women, Armilda Doughty and Maggie Butler, were listed as help to the paper. Interestingly, Armilda Doughty was a sibling to Charles Doughty, who also worked with Campbell, and then who went on to found the Polk County Itemizer-Observer.

The Christian Messenger started as a six-column, four-page paper, with an annual subscription cost of $2 and ad space squares for $2.50 starting price, then a discount for further ads. It was in this paper that Campbell endorsed “a faithful history of current events and an impartial history of the times. Partizan politics and sectional issues that might be offensive to any portion of our citizens we will studiously avoid. All unlovely personalities and individual controversies, not involving a general principle, will be carefully excluded. No man will be permitted to cater to a vindictive spirit, or gratify his malice or hatred against a brother or fellow-citizen through the columns of this paper.”

Within that publication, Campbell allowed for students at the university to participate in the production, developing their skills and understanding the printing process.

In 1877, The Christian Messenger set the precedent for name changes and transitioned into the Pacific Christian Messenger. Mary Stump was credited as the publisher. It ran until 1881, when it ceased publication with no documented reasoning as to why, and was succeeded by a paper titled the Christian Herald from the same Monmouth religious community not much later. Information regarding the Christian Herald is much harder to find, considering an East Coast publication ran by the same name at the same time. Some information online hinted that the Oregon Christian Herald eventually transitioned to San Francisco, where it would burn up in the 1906 earthquake and fire that devastated the town’s business districts, but the rumor is unconfirmed.

In 1892, Campbell died and was then buried in the Fircrest Cemetery near Monmouth following his family’s return to the town after being traveling preachers. That same year, a newspaper titled the Monmouth Democrat started, but only ran for about a year before suspending. Then, Sep. 4, 1908, the Monmouth Herald started up and ran until 1965. The first newspaper in Independence, Oregon was the Semi-Weekly Telegram that ran for six months in 1875.

As for The Christian Messenger, it’s just a guess that its disconnect from the Western Howl sprouts from its takeoff to San Francisco. That clear divide of ownership — having been established by a president and not by the student body — allowed for it to take its own path to destruction, quite literally. As far as Western goes, this newspaper’s connection to the university has been erased.

 

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

Earth Day

Graphic by Addison Watts

April 29, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

Each year, Earth Day is celebrated April 22 as the anniversary of the start of the modern environmental movement. 

The first spark of change in the environmental movement occurred when Rachel Carson published her book “Silent Spring” in 1962. It sold over 500,000 copies and brought forth awareness on animal concerns, environmental concerns and how pollution is linked to a decline in health.

In 1969, Sen. Gaylord Nelson, along with many others, witnessed the largest oil spill in the U.S. to date in Santa Barbara, California, resulting in many protest movements led by students. Inspired by this, Nelson started the idea for a teach-in on college campuses to raise awareness on water and air pollution. Nelson then recruited activist Denis Hayes to join him and organize the events. Hayes took this start and recruited a national staff to help promote a day for teach-ins. They chose April 22 as the day to do this because it was a weekday between final exams and spring break in order to reach the greatest number of students. Soon, they named this day Earth Day and inspired Americans across the country to go out to the streets and parks and rally for the cause.

The first Earth Day in 1970 resulted in the formation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and in its wake many other environmental laws were passed, such as the National Environmental Education Act and the Clean Air Act. 

This past Earth Day, the U.S. House of Representatives decided to delay a vote on a bill that many environmentalists argue will harm threatened and endangered species. The bill was introduced by Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman, who argued that the bill is needed to draw power away from “litigious environmental activist groups.” If passed, habitat protections for endangered species would decrease and the delisting process would be fast-tracked, causing species to lose vital protection. While Congress members in favor of the bill received a lot of pushback, they have yet to release any reasoning for the delay. Showing her support for the delay, Rep. Anna Paulina posted, “Don’t tread on my turtles. Protected means protected.” Addie Haughey from Earthjustice Action added, “The vast majority of Americans want Congress to protect endangered wildlife from extinction — not gut the Endangered Species Act.”

April 22, Western hosted Mary Sharon Moore, a guest speaker, for Earth Day in the Werner University Center. Moore discussed how big of an impact a simple and sustainable lifestyle can have on the environment and her experiences within this. “We must cultivate a Culture of Newness and Peace because the Culture of Death is killing us,” she said. Following this, students participated in an Earth Day Peace March, walking along Monmouth Avenue in solidarity for the environment. 

While Earth Day can be a great opportunity to rally for environmental rights, environmentalists push everyone to fight for the Earth throughout the whole year. Renowned and celebrated activist Jane Goodall said, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

TEDxMtHood

A photo of a TEDx event. | Photo from @tedx_official
on instagram

April 29, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

From 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, May 16, Western’s Rice Auditorium will offer students and community members a unique opportunity to experience TEDx presentations and performances from recognized speakers. The event is also noted to have positive networking possibilities and promote collaboration. Online, TEDx is described as a program of “local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.”

At the event, the goal is to “spark deep discussion and connection in hands-on small group activities.” 

The theme this year is “For the Common Good,” which emphasizes kindness and empathy in a world of suspicion, social media personalities, artificial intelligence and political strife.

Notable speaking participants or performers include artist Cathy Rowe, conductor Ben Landsverk, entrepreneur and Latino advocate Juan Barazza, America’s first Native American dean of a college of engineering Joseph Bull, former chair of the Oregon Democratic Party R.P. Joe Smith, capital systems architect Kasem Rodriguez Mohsen, equal rights advocate Sara Wolk, vocalist Chrissy Marie, cellist Gideon Freudman and company companion and investor Laura Hilty. A performance from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is planned, described as a queer-friendly street performance movement. 

Another speaker, Chad Brown, hosts a multitude of titles as an award-winning photographer, filmmaker, Navy veteran, community advocate and, most notably, conservationist. Brown has contributed to The New York Times, worked closely with foreign fashion teams and advocated largely for BIPOC and indigenous communities. Additionally, Brown was the first African American to obtain a backcountry guide permit for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, having led more than 30 expeditions into the Arctic Circle. 

Lindsey Wahlstrom works in the medical field as an advocate for unique treatment and clinical trials for rare diseases, and is also expected to speak at TEDxMtHood. 

More speakers may be added before the event, as well as minor changes. Tickets, which are selling for $70, include three speaker sessions, two breakout session activities, snacks, an attendee gift and the program, plus a custom name tag.

Students should head to the TEDxMtHood page to reserve their slot now for May 16, anticipated to be a busy but rewarding day full of hands-on events and thought-provoking discussions.

 

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

Cesar Chavez

A photo of a crowd, including Cesar Chavez, protesting. | Photo from @thisdayin.history on Instagram

April 29, 2026 | Hannah Field | Editor-in-Chief

 

Content warning: this article discusses sexual assault, suicide and pedophilia

 

The New York Times published an article March 18, 2026, reporting that the groundbreaking Mexican-American political activist Cesar Chavez repeatedly sexually abused various girls and women throughout the movement which led to Chavez amassing national recognition.

Chavez has long been credited for his role as a Hispanic activist, revolutionizing conditions for farmworkers as he prominently participated in nonviolent protests and union organization throughout the civil rights movement in the 1960s. His efforts helped raise awareness for farmworkers’ difficulties and established stable wages, better working conditions and rights and representation.

Multiple women and their allegations were verified by The New York Times, and more than 60 interviews were conducted, hundreds of pages of union records, emails and photographs were analyzed and hours of audio footage from United Farm Workers board meetings, which Chavez co-founded, were inspected. The New York Times gathered corroborated statements from sources, some of which made identical claims years apart.

Dolores Huerta was instrumental in the labor movement, which was partially spearheaded by Chavez. She claimed that in 1966, when she was 36, Chavez drove her to an empty grape field and raped her within the vehicle. After, Huerta made the decision not to report it due to the general hostility toward the political movement that Huerta and Chavez were a part of, and she feared that nobody within the union would believe her. Huerta also reported an earlier encounter from 1960 when she felt pressured to have sex with Chavez.

Ana Murguia was 13 when Chavez, then 45, sexually assaulted her in private. Before the age of 15, Murguia made multiple attempts to end her life due to the trauma from Chavez’s actions.

Another woman, Debra Rojas, has claimed that she was similarly abused from 1972-1977, a time at which Chavez was considered a renowned activist. She was 12 when Chavez first sexually assaulted her and 15 when they had sex, making it rape under state law due to her inability to consent at that age.

Both Rojas and Murguia were silent due to fear of transforming Chavez’ image and potential backlash.

Following the announcement, a surge of name-changes and disconnects from Chavez were made across the country, with schools and other organizations burning bridges. Western’s annual student leadership conference May 8, formerly named the Cesar E. Chavez Leadership Conference, has now been re-titled.

In a statement published March 23, Western stated, “In light of recent, deeply troubling reports regarding Cesar Chavez, Western Oregon University will remove his name from its annual student leadership conference to protect the integrity of the event’s mission to create a space where students can envision their future, and provide them with tools to empower them as leaders for social justice and civic responsibility.”

At the event, Gustavo Guerrero will be the keynote speaker; Guerrero is a Western alum and field representative for U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, as well as a proud Mexican-American. 

Western sophomore Alex Prado Magana is a speaker for the event, exploring multiculturalism and identity in her presentation, having been unaware about the allegations.

“I got asked to do this conference and they told me the theme,” said Prado Magana. “Because of the controversy that it’s causing and all of the negative connotations, we are switching gears to have it not be focused on Cesar Chavez but rather it’s just a leadership conference where we’re advocating for bilingualism, multiculturalism … we also want to advocate for all minorities in the United States that aren’t specifically Hispanic-Latino.”

Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Dominique Vargas said: “Given the seriousness of the allegations, continuing to use Cesar Chavez’s name would undermine that mission and the mission of our university. Removing the name and rebranding the conference ensures the event remains focused on student voices, building community, and leadership development.”

 

Contact the author at howleditorinchief@wou.edu

Yom HaShoah

A photo of one of the flag displays Western put up for Holocaust Remembrance Day. | Photo from @woustudents on Instagram

April 29, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

 

Content warning: this article discusses deeply sensitive topics about the Holocaust that may be upsetting to some readers

 

Yom HaShoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day — is a time for everyone to look back and remember the huge loss of millions of lives from the Holocaust. 

According to the Holocaust Encyclopedia, the Holocaust was “the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators.” During World War II, approximately two out of three European Jews were murdered through brutal mistreatment, mass shootings, gassings and killing centers. 

Starting in 1941, German authorities designed and built killing centers for the purpose of gathering large groups of Jews and committing mass murder. The five killing centers, also known as extermination camps, were Chelmno, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka and Auschwitz-Birkenau. The most common way this occurred was through the use of poisonous gas being released into gas chambers or vans. German authorities transferred large groups of Jews to these centers, most often by train, where horrible conditions often killed Jews before they even reached the center. On these trains, Jews were often packed tight and had to stand for days on end and were deprived of basic necessities like food, water, bathrooms, heat and medical care.

Holocaust Remembrance Day occurs on the 27th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. This day was chosen because it is within the timeframe of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising that occurred in April and May of 1943. On April 19, 1943, German enforcement entered the ghetto to deport the remaining Jewish citizens, but 700 Jews fought back against this, starting the largest uprising by Jews during World War II. By May 16, German soldiers stopped the rebellion and sent the remaining Jewish citizens to concentration camps or killing centers. At least 7,000 Jews died during this struggle and around 7,000 were moved to the Treblinka killing center, further increasing the death count.

For those seeking to learn more, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website has numerous resources on the history of the Holocaust, research and archival content, including a color video taken by Dr. Benjamin Gasul of the Jewish corner of Warsaw in 1939, only weeks before the city was invaded.

Additionally, they have numerous videos and podcasts of Holocaust survivors discussing their firsthand experiences. 

Jill Pauly, a Holocaust survivor, told her story in this manner, specifically discussing her experience during Kristallnacht — the Night of Broken Glass. “It affected me to the point where, 81 years later, I remember it clearly. You know, you forget a lot of things in life but,” Pauly said. She was only five years old at the time. “Nobody knew anything at all, no one,” she said, referring to Kristallnacht. She further explained how a friend of the family knocked on their door, saying, “Do not go to the synagogue today,” with no further explanation. Later, their phone started ringing, and she remembered relatives calling, screaming and shouting because they didn’t know what to do. Her uncle wanted to go outside and close the shutters, but her grandmother said that it was too late and they had to run, leaving everything behind. Pauly explained that she and her sister walked out the door and immediately smelled smoke. “We saw flames, and we started screaming. We were terrified.” Her grandmother grabbed them and put them in the car face down on the floor, and they stayed that way until they reached the outskirts of the city. “I remember seeing flames, fires, not close but far all around the horizon of the car.” Pauly and her family lived in an apartment on the outskirts for a while until they were able to flee to Kenya.

Every year, Western sets up a large display of flags April 13 along Monmouth Avenue to pay remembrance to the individuals lost. Each flag represents 500 deaths, and each color of flag represents a different group of people.

In order of amount of deaths, each blue flag represents Soviet civilians; large yellow, Jewish adults; small yellow, Jewish children; red, Soviet prisoners of war; white, Polish civilians; green, Serbian civilians; brown, Romani people; orange, people with disabilities; purple, repeat criminal offenders; pink, LGBTQ+ individuals; lime, Jehovah’s witnesses; and light blue, Spanish Republicans. 

Students are asked to volunteer their time each year to help set up flags at the beginning of the week and take them down at the end. Volunteers are greatly appreciated as they contribute their time and energy to a powerful display, honoring the millions of lives lost. Students who don’t fill out the form to volunteer can also show up day of and find someone with a clipboard to receive directions. The number of flags put up each year totals to 34,834 and would not be possible without the help of students, faculty and staff coming together. As always, students who are interested in helping are encouraged to volunteer next year. 

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

31st annual MSU powwow

Members of Western’s MSU and NICC executive members pose with powwow MC, Anthony Quenelle. | Photo courtesy of WOU Native Indigenous Culture Club

April 22, 2026 | Jaylin Emond-Hardin | Entertainment Editor

In Native American cultures across the country, powwows are times of gathering, celebration and culture. The powwow put on by members of the Multicultural Student Union and Native Indigenous Culture Club executive boards brought this to campus for the 31st time in Western’s history. 

Planning for the powwow began in August of last year, when members of the MSU and NICC executive boards met every Monday to discuss the logistics that went into planning. By December, the powwow committee was formed and continued these weekly meetings to ensure that all the parts were coming together. 

This year, the powwow was spearheaded by Cheydon Herkshan, the events director of MSU and president of NICC. A senior and a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, this event held special meaning for Herkshan.

“This is just such a beautiful event to be able to host, as a Native person,” she said. “Being in an institution that has a 2% population of Indigenous students is a little disheartening sometimes, so it’s amazing that I’m able to plan an event like this.” As of Fall term 2024, Western’s enrollment of American Indian and Alaskan Native students was at 1.3%.

The day before the powwow, members of MSU and NICC, as well as other volunteers, marked areas for vendors and drum groups, set up concessions and prepared the Wolves Athletic Center for the event. 

The day of, vendors arrived at 9 a.m. to set up their tables, with Whipman Ed Goodell and Master of Ceremonies Anthony Quenelle arriving shortly after. This was Goodell’s third year as Whipman at Western, though it is a role he has been in at various institutions for many years.

“My wife introduced me to a man who she grew up with … he was one of the members of the Portland Indian community and he was the Whipman prior to me,” Goodell said. “Growing up, he was one of the Elders, and then at some point, he decided he was getting old enough that he wanted to pass it on, and I was the one he chose to train, teach, mentor and show what it was that needed to be done.”

Traditionally, Whipmen were appointed to encourage dancers to get up and dance, as well as help maintain proper etiquette among dancers and spectators during a powwow. While the title of Whipman is ceremonial today, it was the Whipman’s or whip bearer’s job to make sure dancers danced for every song they were obligated to dance to by tradition.

“I do whatever I’m asked to do, but that means taking care of a lot of ceremony,” Goodell explained. “I’m here to kind of help and make sure it’s taken care of in a good way.” He then recounted a story when a man named Robert Van Pelt was trying to organize a powwow at the school he was attending, and was confused about the role of Whipman.

“They said, ‘Ed, he is the custodian of our ceremonies. He doesn’t necessarily perform the ceremonies himself, but he is the one who takes care of them. He is the one who makes sure that we take care of them.’”

“What’s the best thing for me is being able to be here for situations like this, where the young people are carrying on what we do. What we do as a community, as a people, to be able to develop,” Goodell added. “Just being able to watch our community grow, grow up and mature, have the younger ones caring and showing that they are paying attention to what the elders say and do, and how it’s supposed to go.”

Along with the roles of MC and Whipman, powwows traditionally have a host drum. This year, the intertribal group Turquoise Pride was honored with that responsibility, providing the central heartbeat that guided the dancers and brought the arena to life.

“We originally didn’t have a host drum,” Herkshan said. “We had reached out to three different groups, and nobody had responded to us. But eventually, everything got figured out, and it was a good success.” Other drum groups were also invited to perform, with two additional groups joining; together, the three groups shared the songs throughout the event. Turquoise Pride, however, was in charge of leading songs for the Grand Entry, Flag Song, Retreat Song and any honor and prayer songs. 

Doors opened at noon, with the first Grand Entry beginning at 1 p.m. Intertribal, round and exhibition dances followed, and a dinner break began at 5 p.m. During the break, Indian tacos were served, and a performance by Fuego Nativo de Las Américas energized participants, showcasing vibrant traditional dance and music before the evening’s events resumed. The second Grand Entry began at 7 p.m., marking the start of the evening’s next session, with a dance lineup that mirrored the first half.

“I want to give a really big shout-out to my Native Indigenous Culture Club. They helped extremely well. Every single one of them was a part of our powwow committee,” Herkshan said. “I would also like to shout out the Multicultural Student Union. Everybody on the (executive) team helped out tremendously.”

 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

 

Oregon Democrats take a stand

A photo of a February protest at the
Oregon Capitol fighting for immigrant
rights. | Photo from @lusyouth on Instagram

April 22, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

On April 9, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed eight bills surrounding the protection of Oregon residents in regard to immigration status and other related matters. These bills were brought into motion by Kotek and other Democratic representatives following the high surge of immigration arrests in 2025 and early 2026. 

Kotek, along with others, emphasized these bills are urgently needed in order to protect Oregon residents, with representatives saying they want to fight for a safe state that advocates for all. Kotek further explained the bills fight back against federal immigration actions such as the deployment of the National Guard to Portland and federal agents launching operations in the Willamette Valley with directions to reach a quota of at least 80 people detained, often doing so without warrants and while wearing face-obscuring masks.

In February, Democratic representatives introduced a series of bills during the short legislative session, naming them the Immigrant Justice Package. Advocates and students rallied outside the Oregon Capitol in support, carrying signs reading things such as “protect Oregon immigrants” and leading chants.

“While weak leaders in D.C. use cruelty to feign strength and disregard both our constitutional rights and basic human decency, we had an obligation to use our power to stand with immigrant communities to strengthen civil rights and to prove that when we say we represent every single Oregonian, we mean it and we deliver,” said Rep. Will Chotzen.

The first of the bills, House Bill 4079, says that school district boards must have policies in place outlining how they will respond if a federal immigration agent enters school property or a school campus. Additionally, Senate Bill 1538 bans discrimination in education based on immigration or citizenship status.

House Bill 4111 bans the use of immigration status as evidence in civil cases and adds immigration status to existing anti-profiling laws in Oregon.

House Bill 4114 gives Oregon residents the right to sue federal law enforcement agents for violating constitutional rights by entering property without a warrant.

House Bill 4138 requires all enforcement agents to clearly identify themselves without the use of masks or face coverings unless medically permitted.

Senate Bill 1570 requires hospitals to outline policies and procedures for how they will respond to law enforcement authorities arriving.

Senate Bill 1587 bans public organizations from selling personal information to a data broker unless they guarantee it will not be used to enforce federal immigration laws.

Finally, Senate Bill 1594 directs the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement to form policies to protect residents from federal immigration enforcement.

Outside of these eight bills, Kotek additionally signed House Bill 4123 March 31, which prevents landlords from releasing information surrounding the immigration status of their former tenants, applicants and current tenants without written consent or a court order. This bill takes effect June 5.

Kotek pushed back against federal forces, saying, “To those in Washington, D.C. who think they can bully Oregon into abandoning our values and abandoning our neighbors, you got it wrong. Oregon is not staying quiet and we are not backing down.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

HSI Summit Week

A photo of the HSI Summit student panel. | Photo from @westernoregonuniversity on Instagram

April 22, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

Starting April 13, Western hosted its fifth annual HSI Summit week. As a Hispanic Serving Institution, Western’s undergraduate student population consists of 27% identifying as Hispanic or Latino, and the goal of the summit is to bring together the university and community to discuss what it means to be an HSI. Specifically, this year’s summit’s purpose was to highlight how data informs, aligns and advances commitment to serving the student population.

Marla Franco, who has a doctorate in higher education leadership, was chosen as the keynote speaker for this year’s summit. She has worked at public universities in California and Arizona for 25 years, and her work consists of creating greater success in pursuing degrees for underrepresented and minority communities. The assistant director of the HSI Initiatives, Cristian Mendez Garcia, said, “We are pleased to have Dra. Franco share her expertise with our broader community. This work is important and having an open dialogue on how data informed decisions can help all of our students is crucial in higher education.” 

On Monday, Claudia Ortiz Gajardo and Vanessa Petroj led an event entitled Code Switching in Hamersly Library, where they discussed the connection of language, culture and identity within Hispanic and multilingual communities. In regard to this event, Ortiz Gajardo said, “It was exciting to see the enthusiasm from the audience, which fostered a deeper connection among the campus community through reflection on the role of code-switching within our diverse identities.”

Tabling in the Werner University Center, where students could grab limited-edition HSI shirts, occurred Tuesday. Late January, students voted on which of three T-shirt design options, all designed by students, they liked the best. The winning design was chosen to represent Western’s HSI status.

On Wednesday, students could attend Loteria in the WUC, where they could win prizes such as T-shirts, candy and keychains. 

Thursday, Dr. Ricardo Pelegrin Taboada partnered with the Writing and Research Center on campus to present “Ethnic Studies in the Library: Preserve Your Family Story,” an event allowing students to celebrate their heritage and identity through storytelling. Students who attended wrote three words that best described their identity and put them on a community board to be showcased.

Finally, the highlight of the week occurred Friday, during which Franco spoke about how HSIs can better serve their students, along with a student panel who talked about their personal experiences. Students, faculty and representatives from other schools all attended this event. Students on the panel expressed their gratitude for all who came to support them and the importance this event provided for being heard as students of color. Sophomore Alexia Sifuentes, one of the student speakers, explained her experience, talking a lot about how “supportive it was to come to Western, specifically for me growing up in a predominantly white city. I think I never really felt like I could fully express myself and my culture, and coming over here, it was a very big culture shock to see so many people like me at school. Just how many resources there are for us.” She added, “Being first generation, it’s really hard to navigate college and not having someone to ask. It’s just really great having advisers here who understand that struggle and advocate for you as well.”

When asked about what she perceived the purpose of the event being, Sifuentes said, “The purpose of the event is just to really spread awareness for what we have as far as resources and support, especially with the political climate we are in and how much hatred there is towards people of color and just the talk of getting rid of a lot of support services that really are catered to people of color. That insecurity really is prevalent. This event just helped emphasize the need we have and all the programs here like TRIO and SEP are here for a reason and they truly support a lot of students.”

Additionally, Ortiz Gajardo explained, “Reflecting on these experiences, it is important to value the Summit as a space that ensures the Hispanic/Latine community at WOU is seen, valued, and supported. By recognizing challenges and celebrating the contributions of our students and staff, we foster a sense of belonging and representation in meaningful, lasting ways.”

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Artemis II mission

A photo taken by the astronauts aboard Artemis II. | Photo from @nytimes on Instagram

April 15, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

In the Artemis II mission, the Orion space capsule was launched into space April 1. This 10-day mission took four astronauts further from Earth than any human has ever been. 

The original launch of the capsule was delayed due to technical difficulties with the flight termination system and the battery for the launch abort system. These crucial elements allow the rocket to be destroyed if it goes off course and pulls the capsule away from danger to protect the astronauts aboard in case of an issue. 

Observers watched Orion launch with a 10-minute countdown outside the Kennedy Space Center. Jeremy Hansen, the mission specialist, said, “We are going for all humanity.”

The Artemis II crew included American astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian astronaut Hansen.

Not only did the rocket reach the farthest distance away from Earth, but it also reached a milestone in the twin rocket boosters being able to separate from the rocket after helping it reach a speed of 10,000 miles per hour.

After the initial launch, there was a short comms issue between the astronauts and the ground crew, meaning they were out of contact until it was fixed.

The crew also lost connection for around 40 minutes when Orion reached a point behind the moon, but this loss was expected and planned for. Additionally, the crew witnessed a total solar eclipse during their mission and saw several small craters on the far side of the moon.

Many were most worried about the landing of Orion, because this is when the heat shield has the potential to burn up and, in turn, burn the ship and astronauts with it. The heat shield is one of the most crucial parts of the rocket because it protects the crew from extreme heat when entering Earth’s atmosphere. Artemis I’s heat shield was visibly damaged after its landing, creating more worry for the landing of Artemis II. Jared Isaacman, the NASA administrator, said that there was extensive testing of the heat shield and they felt comfortable that “we can undertake this mission with lots of margin to spare.” In the end, the crew landed safely in the Pacific Ocean the evening of April 10 as planned. 

Orion did not land on the moon in the Artemis II mission, but instead set the stage for a future launch to send humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 launch in 1972.

The mission was to test how well Orion would work launching into space and to see what changes need to be made to send future astronauts to the moon. Orion’s mission in doing this included manually flying through the Earth’s orbit to practice steering the rocket and checking the rocket’s life support, propulsion, power and navigation systems.

Amit Kshatriya, the NASA associate administrator, said, “I think the path to the surface is open now. This was an incredible test of an incredible machine.”

Building off of Orion’s mission, Artemis III is planned for 2027 to test Orion again and Artemis IV is planned to launch in 2028, where they will attempt to land on the moon.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

Condor conservation

A photo of a California Condor. | Photo from @webnectarphoto on Instagram

April 15, 2026 | Abbi Duhart | News Editor

The week of April 6, seven California condor chicks were hatched in the Oregon Zoo’s Jonsson conservation center. 

The Jonsson Center is located in Clackamas County and has enough space to hold 90 condors, including 16 breeding pairs. The conservation center is 52 acres and is isolated away from human contact to prepare the condors to be reintroduced into the wild.

Since late January, the condors there have been laying eggs and, in turn, laying the groundwork for the species’ recovery from being critically endangered. Additionally, more eggs are expected to hatch soon.

After the condors lay their eggs in the conservation center, the eggs are moved to an incubator to stay safe until they are ready to hatch. After this, the baby chicks will stay with their parents until they are around 18 months old, then moved to a pre-release pen. Here, they will be acclimated to a wild habitat before being released into the wild in California or Arizona.

Young condors being raised in pre-release pens are prepared for release into the wild by receiving aversion training, such as learning not to land on power lines, and will learn how to socialize with adult mentor condors.

California condors are one of the original animals listed as part of the 1973 Endangered Species Act, and are currently still listed as an endangered species. According to the Oregon Zoo, there were only 22 California condors left in the wild in 1989. The zoo has been working to increase their population, and now there are around 600 California condors, with about 370 flying free in the wild.

The Oregon Zoo hopes that, in helping the species recover in California and Arizona, the condors will naturally expand their populations back to Oregon for the first time in more than a century.

California condors play a vital role in ecosystems because they recycle nutrients and dispose of dead animals. Condors are scavenger birds that eat dead animals, which can collect bacteria and transmit disease, meaning they are crucial in preventing disease outbreaks.

Condors are endangered because their food sources and habitats are both increasingly contaminated. The biggest danger to them is lead poisoning, as their prey is often shot with lead bullets; when condors eat animals with lead in them, the lead can enter their bloodstream and become fatal.

To combat this, the Oregon Zoo launched the Lead-Free Hunting Education Program in 2015, where they work with hunters, ranchers and wildlife agencies to encourage the use of lead-free alternatives such as copper ammunition. This change protects all scavenging wildlife, not just California condors, but, as long as lead is commonly being used, condors can’t reproduce fast enough to remain stable.

Despite this, the Oregon Zoo is optimistic about the California condor population as it slowly increases. Nicole LaGreco, the overseer of condor recovery efforts at the zoo, said, “Things are looking great for the season so far. All seven chicks are eating and sleeping well in their nests. They’re tiny now, but they’re already growing quickly and learning from their parents.”

Those who are interested in learning more about California condors can see the exhibit located in the Great Northwest area at the Oregon Zoo.

 

Contact the author at howlnews@wou.edu

 

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Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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